Chapter 125: Slaying the Enemy Beyond the Boundary

The village outside the boundaries remained much as it had been, yet it was devoid of inhabitants. It stood cold and desolate, overtaken by weeds, a scene of profound bleakness.

Ye Sansi walked slowly across the earth, lost in thought. He had originally come only to deliver a message, but unwilling to see the innocent suffer, he had stayed behind. He had even become blood brothers with an immortal and a demon, and was bestowed the title of King Buyun. In the blink of an eye, a month had passed, and so much had changed.

These changes were not merely in his abilities; most notably, they were in his mindset. He had learned much about the ways of governance. As King Buyun, he had developed his own perspective.

A king is a wielder of influence, one who decides major events. Inevitably, there will be injustices. As Ouyang had said, if the deaths of a few dozen demons were worth the outcome, then one had to endure it. To act with ruthlessness, to ignore casualties if there was benefit to be gained—this was the way of an emperor.

Ye Sansi’s anger, sparked by those words of Ouyang, had reminded him of the streets of Jianzhou City littered with corpses, a scene of such miserable desolation. That was why his rage had flared, leading him to lump his second brother together with Wei Feiliang. It had been impulsive; he should not have lashed out.

Coming back to his senses, Ye Sansi muttered to himself, "The important matters come first. I promised to bolster the morale of the Other-Demon Realm, and I cannot break my word. Calculating the time, that great army should arrive at the village in three days. I hope the new demon king sends scouts ahead—it would give me a chance to stretch my limbs."

Before the words had even faded, he sensed movement a thousand paces away. Ye Sansi quickly hid, waiting for the sounds to draw closer.

Ye Sansi did not overly concern himself with the lives of a few dozen demons; he knew that war always brought casualties. Following his own methods of defense would likely result in hundreds of deaths; perhaps Ouyang’s way was more effective.

However, what Ye Sansi could not stomach was the way emperors treated the innocent—trampling upon them at will, only to discard them afterward with an aloof, disdainful air. He detested that arrogance.

Of course, this anger was not directed at Ouyang. Ye Sansi knew his second brother was a fine monarch. He deeply admired Ouyang’s love for his people; for the sake of the myriad lives in the Other-Demon Realm, he had sacrificed so much.

With every step they took, they moved closer to death. Before they could react, Ye Sansi lunged forward, turned, and used his nimble footwork to circle behind the two demons.

A chill ran down their spines. The two demons turned in a panic, their chests exposed to Ye Sansi. Before they could dodge, they were struck by the Soul-Devouring Technique, rendered immobile, and forced to endure the agony of having their cultivation and essence drained to nothingness.

Ye Sansi withdrew his power, and the two demons collapsed, dissolving into smoke and vanishing.

Half an incense stick of time later, two great demons arrived, cautiously scouting the village. Seeing the demon aura radiating into the sky, they realized that even this vanguard was no ordinary lot.

Seeing that the demon king had sent such a "generous gift," Ye Sansi was excited, rubbing his palms together, eager to savor such a "delicacy."

The two great demons were cautious, possessing hundreds of years of combat experience. They soon discovered Ye Sansi’s hiding spot and began to approach slowly.

Ye Sansi smiled and whispered to himself, "This new demon king is truly courteous. Afraid that the first course wasn't enough, he’s sent another. Well, I shall accept his hospitality."

The two demons at the village entrance stood back-to-back, scanning their surroundings. If Ye Sansi approached directly, he would be discovered, and they would send a report. If the two demons inside the village heard the alarm and fled, it would be a pity. He needed a foolproof plan.

Ye Sansi devised a strategy. He slipped out of the village, moved a thousand paces away, and circled back, approaching the entrance from the direction they had come.

The two demons possessed deep cultivation. If Ye Sansi wanted to absorb them fully and neutralize their demon power, it would take some time. He sat cross-legged on the spot and began to channel his power.

Once he had digested the energy, another wave of enemy troops arrived. Ye Sansi leapt onto a rooftop to observe. This time, there were four great demons; two stayed at the entrance, and two entered the village.

It seemed the demon king was not stupid; he knew there were ambushers in the village and that the previous pair had likely met with danger. Thus, he had deployed them this way—two inside, two reporting back—to ensure they could support each other and avoid being wiped out simultaneously.

"By the order of the King, you four are to return. There are many of these 'other' demons hiding in the village, and they are difficult to deal with. Return now to discuss strategy. You, go fetch the other two; do not delay the King's important business."

Hearing the royal command, one demon ran off to call his companions. The four demons saw Ye Sansi and bowed in unison. Seeing them act this way, one had to wonder if Ye Sansi had truly deceived them...

Ye Sansi had underestimated these four great demons. As they rose, they flashed several steps away, each occupying a position to surround him.

"What kind of demon are you?" the demon at the entrance asked, crouching low, exceptionally cautious. Power gathered between his claws, ready for battle.

Ye Sansi wore a grave expression, frowning as he said slowly, "Audacious! Under whose command do you serve, that you do not recognize this general?"

"Who are you?"

Ye Sansi turned, the sword Canghua in his hand. The blade was sharp, pointing directly at one demon. He muttered, "The sword Canghua shall never sit idle. Having held it for a month, it is time to see blood."

With a lunge, Ye Sansi charged at a demon, the blade at its throat. The demon swiped hard at the sword, a strike of immense power that knocked the blade aside, leaving Ye Sansi grasping at air.

The demon laughed, "I thought you were something formidable, but you’re just a minor demon, unable to even cast a spell, relying on human weapons. You truly disgrace the demon race."

Another great demon laughed, "You brat, you put on a good act. We four brothers came to scout on the King’s direct order; why would he send a stranger to call us back? You’re clearly an outcast of the demon world. Severing your head and presenting it to the King will surely boost our morale."

"I didn't want to draw my sword, but since your cultivation is deep and your power vast, if you cannot be of use to me, then die!"

Tiannu appeared, hovering in the sky, sealing the four demons' path of retreat.

Ye Sansi seized the opportunity, striking one demon down. It did not die, but it fell into a stupor, unable to move.

The other three demons were shocked, realizing they had underestimated Ye Sansi. The strike had been powerful, and Ye Sansi showed no signs of fatigue...

The four demons panicked, sensing Ye Sansi was not easily handled. They became cautious, the leader signaling his companions with his eyes to coordinate their movements.

Ye Sansi gave a contemptuous smile and said slowly, "Spells? I fear that if I cast them, you monsters won't be able to withstand a single blow..."

With that, Ye Sansi gathered power in his palms, casting the "Art of Divergent Thought" that Ouyang had taught him. The technique was overwhelming. The four demons sensed this and scrambled to dodge.

For the past month, Ye Sansi had practiced the "Soul-Devouring Technique" and the "Art of Divergent Thought" diligently. He had spent half a month just practicing the targeting of the latter, so no matter how the four demons dodged, it was in vain.

One demon thought he had escaped, and immediately took flight toward the main army.

Seeing this, Ye Sansi used the "Burning Wing-Catching Step" to reach the side of Tiannu. With a flick of the sword hilt, Tiannu dove from the sky.

"Sword Rain Technique: One becomes twelve."

One demon took flight while the other two attacked Ye Sansi, trying to cover their comrade’s escape. It seemed they wanted to relay the news back, but Tiannu was not to be trifled with.

Tiannu, in the hands of someone other than Sansi, was weaker, but it was enough to block their path. The demon soared ten zhang high, but Tiannu pursued. A blade grazed his arm; it was swift, shattering bone, and blood poured out.

Tiannu struck again. The demon rolled in mid-air, barely dodging. He cast a spell to stop the bleeding, gathered his strength, and locked his eyes on Tiannu. He launched a counter-strike. Tiannu failed to dodge, was struck, and was knocked back, falling straight into the earth.

Tiannu dissipated, returning to hover above Ye Sansi. The demon did not utter a word; he suddenly froze, fell straight down, and smashed into the ground, shattering into pieces.

The remaining two demons entangled with Ye Sansi. After a dozen rounds, Ye Sansi was clearly on the defensive, forced back repeatedly, unable to cast his Divergent Thought technique.

Tiannu, seeing this, flew down and struck with precision. The two demons, sensing it, did not hesitate and scrambled to dodge.

Tiannu transformed into twelve blades, surrounding the fleeing demon. The blades were sharp, shimmering with cold light. The demon grew fearful; his fate was sealed.

The demon tried to cast a spell to break through, launching several attacks. While these attacks could push Tiannu back, for every blade knocked away, another took its place. After a dozen rounds, he could not break the Sword Rain formation.

As he continued to strike, Tiannu sensed the demon’s aura growing stronger, and the blades erupted with a biting cold. They encircled the demon, releasing a cold venom that touched his wounds and flowed through his blood vessels into his entire body. By the time the demon realized it, it was too late.

Ye Sansi had intended to drain the demon's power, but the demonic energy within him was surging so violently that he feared his divine power would not be able to contain it, leading to a backlash. He had to stop, intending to "enjoy" the feast later.

Moments later, the demon awoke, coughed a few times, and shouted, "You outcast, you mongrel! If you want to kill me, do it, but I will not suffer your insults!"

Ye Sansi smiled and said, "You monsters, your words are truly ugly. 'Outcast'? 'Mongrel'? The demons within the Other-Demon Realm were driven out by your kind! They had nowhere to go, so they built a realm here in the human world.

With a flash, Ye Sansi found an opening. He turned, gathered his strength, and delivered a horizontal slash. The demon’s head fell to the ground, and he collapsed, his life extinguished.

Only the last demon remained. Ye Sansi quickly used his Burning Wing-Catching Step to move behind him and instantly unleashed the Soul-Devouring Technique. As he touched the demon's spine, the cultivation and demon power flowed out like water. A moment later, he let go, and the demon dissolved into smoke.

Ye Sansi looked around and realized one demon was still alive. He approached and restrained him.

"Then what is the meaning of gathering this great army? If you aren't afraid, why are you so panicked? By all accounts, who is good and who is evil?"

Ye Sansi raged, "Nonsense! These demons are pitiful. You were the ones who ostracized them, refusing to let those who didn't wish to harm others reside in your realm. Now that they have come out and are living peaceful lives, and the Other-Demon Realm has grown strong over the past thousand years, you can’t sit still. You wave the banner of 'eradicating outcasts,' but it is nothing more than fear..."

"Ha, why would our vast demon world fear a mere group of outcasts?"

"You are the outcasts! You do not listen to the orders of the Demon Realm, so you deserve to die. Do you think we would let you grow strong and invade our realm?"

The demon hurriedly said, "This... you outcast, you speak such nonsense. If you want to kill me, do it and get it over with! Our great army will arrive in a few days, and we will surely eradicate every last one of you!"

"You!"