Chapter 1783: A Long Journey (Part Three)

In the Jiyou Realm, upon a certain arena, a tall demonic cultivator stood with a battle-axe resting on his shoulder, appearing exceptionally fierce and powerful. He wore a set of short armor, leaving his thick limbs exposed. His dark, shimmering muscles looked like pieces of ten-thousand-year refined iron. He gave off the impression that he could easily split mountains, shatter rocks, or tear dragons and tigers asunder. He was staring coldly ahead.

A hundred fathoms in front of him, a ‘lean’ demonic cultivator clad in dark armor held a long whip, his gaze equally icy as he watched his opponent. The long whip shimmered with a green light, its length trailing on the ground. The tip of the whip was fitted with a blade-like edge, flashing with a frigid, murderous light.

The ‘lean’ demonic cultivator was not actually thin; he was just quite a bit shorter than most male demonic cultivators, making him seem slender in comparison. Currently, the high stands around the arena were filled with all manner of cultivators. Some were leaning forward, screaming wildly, while others waved their arms, making loud guttering noises. Many female demonic cultivators were also present, exposing large patches of skin as smooth as silk. Their beautiful faces were filled with a primal, wild ferocity. They bared their long limbs and waved their arms at the two in the arena, letting out piercing screeches.

From the cries of the crowd, one could hear some shouting “Mu, Mu, Mu!” while others yelled “Yan, Yan, Yan!”

Mu Sha felt the wild cheers around him, and the blood in his heart began to boil. This was the stirring battle-blood of the Demon Clan within him. Here, no one knew of the former ‘Undead Demon Vine.’ Furthermore, he felt he was unworthy of that name; his father was the one who was truly ‘Undead.’ Thus, he went only by his own name: Mu Sha!

He had always wondered why his father hadn’t made him change his surname. But he didn’t press the matter, never asking his father or his mother. Besides, he had grown accustomed to the name Mu Sha, which held many fragmented memories for him. Perhaps one day his father would ask him to take back his family name, and he would comply without hesitation.

That man was very powerful. Not only was the cultivation method he had provided terrifying—being the legendary Soul Art—but he could also guard him from the shadows without even the experts of his own clan noticing.

Currently, although he was at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm and infinitely close to the peak of the mid-stage, he still had quite a way to go before reaching the late-stage Nascent Soul. The so-called late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivators of the lower realm were not even worthy of being called ‘Great Cultivators’ here; they didn’t even have much ability to protect themselves in the outside world. Thus, his former goal was merely a threshold he was about to cross. He intended to become a top expert among the Demon Clan, roaming the power-filled lands of the Immortal Spirit Realm.

In the Black Demon Clan of the upper realm, he and his mother had once again joined the military. Although the Black Demon Clan of the upper realm no longer sought to conquer every continent and minor realm like they did in the lower world, wherever there was life, there would be slaughter, especially as cultivators fought for resources.

In the upper realm, the Black Demon Clan also fought for the survival and continuation of their species. The development of a powerful race required more cultivation resources, and they had no shortage of enemies. However, their direct enemy was no longer the White Demon Clan. Although the White Demon Clan was also in the Jiyou Realm, they actually had less conflict.

The Forsaken Continent of the lower realm had originally been controlled by the Demon Clan, and it was only with the appearance of the Black Demon Clan that the ancestral feud of fratricide began. But later on, although small battles were frequent, major wars had not occurred for a long time. In the upper realm, these two races seemed to purposefully avoid each other. The Black Demon Clan had been established later and chose a location far from the White Demon Clan. The two might only clash occasionally if they happened to meet.

In this vast community of cultivators and myriad races in the Immortal Spirit Realm, these two races had not engaged in any major wars, as if they had intentionally forgotten each other.

The military camp Mu Sha was in still went out to fight and plunder resources from rival powers. The Demon Clan remained a warlike race, mostly focused on seizing the resources of others. However, they were no longer as aggressively domineering as before. Instead, they acted according to certain rules of the Immortal Spirit Realm, ensuring others couldn’t find fault with them, lest they become a target for a coalition of races seeking to wipe them out.

When this ‘short’ demonic cultivator first arrived in the upper realm, many people in his own clan tried to cause him trouble. But the final results had been far beyond their expectations. It was very difficult to gain any advantage over Mu Sha. Even some late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, while they might be able to defeat him, would have to pay a significant price.

Many clan members knew that once Mu Sha began to fight, his reactions and schemes were terrifying. He loved to use the surrounding environment to set temporary traps, often catching people off guard. Mu Sha did not give off the impression of an honorable demonic cultivator, yet his ruthlessness was more demonic than any other, cruel and dark.

At the same time, although Mu Sha was lean, the power he exploded with was astonishing, and his attack speed was incredibly agile and varied. His physical defense was also quite formidable; once his defense was activated, even a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator couldn’t easily break it.

Consequently, after trying to cause him trouble once, most people did their best to avoid provoking him again. Being targeted by someone so calculating was a headache, and since they were of the same clan, they couldn’t just kill him without reason. As long as such a person was alive, they would bring endless trouble. Demonic cultivators preferred to solve problems quickly and hated lingering entanglements.

Thus, Mu Sha slowly gained a foothold in the military camp, and more and more people recognized his strength. Those people were often Golden Core Demon Lords or initial and mid-stage Nascent Soul Demonic Generals. They all felt that once Mu Sha reached the peak of a mid-rank Demonic General, even late-rank Demonic Generals would no longer be his match. Such a person easily gained followers in the military, as they offered a better chance at survival.

In the military camp, besides cultivation and missions, the greatest entertainment was the arena. These were solo duels. As long as you had the guts, even a Golden Core Demon Lord could challenge a Nascent Soul Demonic General, and the latter wouldn’t feel it was embarrassing. They would just go up and beat the challenger into a pulp, spit on them, and mock them for overestimating themselves.

The arena was the most popular and hot-blooded place in the army. The Black Demon Clan highly encouraged these duels. As long as you didn’t kill your opponent, you could leave them with only a single breath. Furthermore, any cultivator injured in a duel would be temporarily exempted from military duties. However, these duels required submitting a request to superiors. Once the superiors made a judgment, the two sides could fight. Typically, nine out of ten requests were approved.

The only reasons for disapproval would be if one of the participants was about to go on an urgent or important mission. Furthermore, some people were severely punished for making such requests. “One must not use any excuse to delay military operations!” This regulation was strictly enforced. If someone felt they might die on a mission and intentionally sought a duel to get injured and avoid the task, they would be sent on an even more dangerous mission or even executed once their intent was verified. Therefore, all demonic cultivators understood this and would not violate the rule.

Mu Sha’s gaze was icy. The demonic cultivator opposite him was known as the ‘Mountain-Splitting Flame Demon.’ He was already at the peak of a mid-rank Demonic General and was a powerhouse from another military camp. A few days ago, the two had a disagreement over the coordination of a mission and had come to blows on the spot. By the time they were pulled apart by their subordinates, the opponent had issued a challenge.

Of course, if either of them had died during the mission that day, the challenge would have been void. Mu Sha had agreed without hesitation. Although he seemed straightforward, he had already clearly gauged the other’s strength. His current true strength was something even his closest confidants didn’t know; he didn’t even fear late-rank Demonic Generals. Although he hadn’t reached the peak of a mid-rank Demonic General, he was seventy percent certain he could kill a late-rank one.

However, those methods could not be used in an arena duel. His father and mother had told him that once those methods were used, the opponent had to die. Otherwise, it would bring him trouble or make him a target of greed, making it difficult to have any peace in the future.

However, dealing with someone like the Mountain-Splitting Flame Demon was well within his normal capabilities. Even if the other hadn’t issued the challenge after their argument over the mission, he would have found a way to goad him into one. He wanted to let the man know that he should be respectful in the future and stay as far away as possible!

Although Li Yan and Mu Sha were both men of few words, their personalities were completely different. Mu Sha’s character held more of the Demon Clan’s bloodthirsty and murderous nature. However, all of that was maintained under a calm exterior, sharing some of Li Yan’s traits. Thus, combined, he was an insidious and vicious person.

“You’ve learned the ruthlessness of the lower realm cultivators, but you’ve forgotten your own strength. Do you really think you can crush those of the same rank like others? In my eyes, you are nothing more than a petty person who loves to play schemes!” Hearing the wild shouts from the surroundings, the Mountain-Splitting Flame Demon spoke to Mu Sha.

His voice was very thick. Though low, it clearly reached Mu Sha’s ears over the waves of sound. Mu Sha’s expression didn’t change at all after hearing this. He watched his opponent calmly, a gaze that made the Mountain-Splitting Flame Demon very uncomfortable. He hated the other’s calmness, which deprived him of the fear and terror he enjoyed seeing.

Just as the Mountain-Splitting Flame Demon finished speaking, Mu Sha suddenly exerted power with his legs without any warning.

“Thud!”

A sound of explosive power erupted from the ground beneath him. Mu Sha’s body turned into a streak of black lightning, arriving above his opponent’s head in an instant. As he arrived in the air, his long whip struck downward like a flash, turning into a streak of green light that resembled a thrusting spear. The blade at the tip of the whip flashed with cold light, aiming straight for the other’s Baihui acupoint. That was a vital point; once the defense was broken, it would result in a heavy injury.

“Get lost!”

A sudden roar erupted. The Snowflake Great Axe snapped up from the Demon’s shoulder. The Mountain-Splitting Flame Demon’s hand exploded with power, his movements direct and simple, without any flourish. The axe head seemed incredibly heavy, but at the moment it snapped up, it was like a flicking branch, turning into a thin ray of cold light that struck the blade at the tip of the whip.