Chapter 1687: The Arrival (Part One)

On this day, somewhere on the Forsaken Continent, a patch of drifting white clouds was suddenly torn to shreds. The void rippled slightly, and a figure appeared—a black-robed youth with short-cropped hair. It was Li Yan.

Li Yan glanced back at the closing spatial rift. His master, Dong Fuyi, had not entered the Forsaken Continent. He had merely masked Li Yan’s presence from the heavens and remained in the turbulent space to wait. Li Yan was only here to collect Mu Guyue and her son; he would be back soon. Since Dong Fuyi’s presence required an explanation, it was simpler for him to stay hidden.

With Li Yan’s current power, if he ran into trouble with the Black Demons, his centuries of cultivation in the Immortal Spirit Realm would have been for nothing. He surveyed his surroundings. This appeared to be a territory of the White Demons, as there was no demonic qi in the air.

The sight reminded him of the Fallen Star Valley and the Sacred Demon Palace, places he used to frequent. ‘I wonder what the Fallen Star Valley looks like now?’

He considered visiting. The faces of Tian Xingzi, Lin Xinghe, and Shuang Wu Yan drifted through his mind, but he decided against it. Things had surely changed, and his priority was to get Mu Guyue and her son back to the Immortal Spirit Realm. He had too many matters to attend to, specifically waking Bai Rou. He wouldn’t waste time at Fallen Star Valley or the Sacred Demon City unless it was absolutely necessary.

He pushed the thoughts aside and swept the area with his divine sense. This wasn’t a place he recognized. He quickly flew in one direction, toward three cultivators he had sensed in the distance.

Mu Guyue sat in meditation within her grotto. This was her original residence. After Mu Sha took it over, his rising prestige ensured that no one dared to reclaim it.

Mu Guyue’s return had caused a significant stir within the Black Demon tribe. Not only did the Demon Commanders visit in person, but Demon Generals were a constant presence at her door. Eventually, only a few Demon Commanders learned the truth: she hadn’t reached the upper-realm Black Demon tribe yet, but had instead ascended to the North Pastoral Realm.

According to her, she had stumbled upon a spatial node while trying to reach the Jiyou Realm and ended up in a small corner of the mortal realm. Since she was here, she decided to visit her kin and take Mu Sha with her when she left.

The Demon Commanders didn’t stop her. Mu Sha was already strong enough to ascend; his ruthless efficiency in finishing several lethal missions had earned him high status. Losing such a brilliant and capable man was a loss for the lower-realm tribe, but even if he weren’t ready, they would have granted Mu Guyue the favor. She had reached the rank of Demon Commander herself.

After her return and a brief period of socializing, Mu Guyue stopped seeing visitors, spending all her time in the grotto. She didn’t say how long she would stay or when she would leave. The Demon Commanders didn’t rush her; they preferred she stay, as they had many plans that could use her strength.

As she sat in her room, her phoenix-like eyes suddenly snapped open. A voice she had been waiting for echoed in her mind.

High in the ninth heaven above the Black Demon territory, the stars were brilliant and clear, so close that one felt they could reach out and pluck them. When Mu Guyue saw the smiling youth in black, she simply nodded.

Li Yan’s aura was faint, his concealment techniques as masterful as ever. Had she not followed his guidance, she wouldn’t have found him. The Demon Commanders knew she had left, but they didn’t dare track a Spirit Transformation level expert for fear of angering her.

“Are your affairs settled?” Mu Guyue asked directly.

“They still have a few things to handle, which will take some time. So, I came ahead to escort you both up first!”

“Escort us up? We are heading to the Black Demon tribe; there’s no telling how long the journey will take. You should have stayed with them. You could have just sent word and we would have ascended on our own later. There was no need for you to come here!” Mu Guyue’s cold voice spoke. Li Yan was surprised; the demoness had actually learned to consider others.

“If I waited, it might have been too late. But they can’t ascend on their own yet, so waiting is just a waste of time.” Li Yan waved a hand.

“And how did you convince them to let you come here?” she pressed.

“This… to be honest, Min’er and the others couldn’t accept it at first, but after they learned of Mu Sha’s existence, their hostility toward you gradually faded. However, their ascension involves my master and several others. Thus, you cannot ascend with them.”

Li Yan offered another half-truth.

Mu Guyue didn’t press him further. She lowered her head and remained silent for a long moment before looking back at him. Li Yan saw a trace of relief in her eyes. He knew he couldn’t be too absolute with her. Even if Zhao Min and the others had truly forgiven her, Mu Guyue would never believe they could accept her without any friction. Li Yan was acting as the peacemaker, and Mu Guyue was smart enough to know that he had to strike a balance for her to believe him.

At that moment, she felt a rare sense of peace. The worry she had carried for so long had finally reached a resolution. She wasn’t afraid of Zhao Min or Gong Chenying, and she had never intended to live with them or hold a formal ceremony with Li Yan. But her heart had been moved. Once a demon loved, most remained loyal until death, and she was no exception. Though she wouldn’t hold a ceremony, she was unconsciously considering the consequences of her actions for Li Yan’s sake.

“I had to come anyway. Su Hong gave me two ascension nodes; I had to check them personally!”

Li Yan had told her in the mortal realm that they found nodes from Su Hong, though they were unstable. One likely led to the Jiyou Realm, the other to the North Pastoral Realm.

“Which one will they use later?” she asked.

“Neither. They will use a relatively stable node recorded in the Malevolent Spirit Sect; someone used it successfully centuries ago!” Li Yan replied.

She simply nodded. She had never been afraid of lethal danger, so she didn’t worry about others. However, she did ask one rare question about the people Li Yan cared for.

“Where is Mu Sha?”

“He isn’t in the tribe. He’s been staying at the military camp lately. I told him about you and that we would take him to the upper realm. He didn’t agree, but he didn’t refuse either. He doesn’t seem to want to ascend,” she said.

“Oh? He doesn’t want to ascend? He wants to stay in the military camp?” Li Yan’s expression didn’t change, but his mind raced.

‘If he stays in the lower-realm military, there’s no telling when he might be sent to invade other continents. The Black Demons have never given up on the Desolate Moon Continent. If they find an opportunity, they will start a war, and he might end up entering the Desolate Moon Continent…’

In the Desolate Moon Continent, a Nascent Soul cultivator like Mu Sha could decide his own path. If Li Yan offered advice and he refused, Li Yan wouldn’t force him. But staying in the Black Demon military was out of the question. He had already ascended; with Mu Guyue by his side, he couldn’t easily strike at the lower-realm Black Demons, but he was absolutely taking Mu Sha with him.

“He just hasn’t made up his mind. I think you two should meet first!” Mu Guyue told him.

In the dead of night, Mu Sha was flying through the mountains near the border of the Black and White Demon territories. Moments ago, while he was in the camp, a cold, familiar voice had echoed in his mind, telling him to go to a certain location.

At the peak of a mountain, Mu Sha saw two figures standing side-by-side at the cliff’s edge. One was his mother. Beside her stood a man who, though tall, lacked the typical bulk of a demon. His short, needle-like hair was striking.

The two looked toward him as he arrived. Mu Sha stopped in mid-air, not landing on the peak.

Li Yan looked at the man floating before him. He was similar in build to Li Yan, lacking the demonic bulk, and his face shared a few of Li Yan’s features. However, his eyes and nose were quite handsome—at least to Li Yan. Compared to some of the demon men Li Yan had seen, he was only average.

The young man wore a black cloak over a suit of black armor, looking as though he were ready for battle at any moment. His aura was cold and sharp, like a lone wolf stalking the night.

Mu Sha stared at Li Yan. Aside from the short black hair, which looked quite unique, the man had exceptionally clear eyes. Otherwise, he seemed entirely ordinary.

“Is it him?”

Mu Sha looked at his mother. The man in black was nothing like he had imagined.