Chapter 574, Chapters 585, 586, 587: Xu Ligou’s Betrayal Plan Fails (Three-in-one, seeking monthly votes)

Chapter 574, Chapters 585, 586, 587: Xu Ligou's Betrayal Plan Fails! (Three-in-one, seeking monthly votes)

A day passed quickly. After Wang Lin, six more matches were held, with three winners. Two of these matches were decided in a single battle because the Demon General had no helpers. Xu Ligou also returned to Wang Lin's Storage Pouch very early.

The Sword Spirit girl, perhaps fearing Xu Ligou's harassment, never came out again after returning to the sword body.

The first day of the Demon General battles concluded. As night fell, the Demon Generals emerged from Tianyao Gate and returned to their respective residences.

This first round would take seven to ten days to complete. Fortunately, the winners no longer needed to participate, giving Wang Lin a brief respite.

Wang Lin genuinely disliked watching these daily battles between Demon Generals and the slaughter among Cultivators. He simply chose not to think about it, spending his days by the river, listening to the zither and drinking wine, quite unrestrained.

Compared to Wang Lin, Mo Lihai's state of mind was somewhat inferior. He went to the Imperial City every day to watch the battles, and using his Divine Ability, he recorded the matches of those he considered a threat to Wang Lin. He would then return at night and give them to Wang Lin.

All his hopes were now placed on Wang Lin.

For several days, Wang Lin's body and mind were immersed in the zither music, using it to touch his Dao. He had been listening to this zither music for some time, but from beginning to end, he had always tasted the five flavors within the music with the mindset of a passerby.

As for Xu Ligou, ever since he saw that Sword Spirit girl, he had been endlessly pestering Wang Lin all day, his main point being nothing more than asking Wang Lin to let him out so he could meet his 'little beauty'.

On this day, the painted boat had not yet arrived. Wang Lin lay casually by the river, holding a wine pot and gazing at the white clouds in the sky. Those drifting white clouds seemed to have changed in his eyes.

"People often compare clouds to illusory, ethereal things. These clouds, like that zither music, are not illusory, but rather the etherealness of the human heart… If the heart is not ethereal, the clouds settle; if the heart is traceless, the zither fades…" Wang Lin drank his wine, a look of confusion in his eyes.

"Soul Transformation, Soul Transformation, how can one make their Concept meet the requirements of Soul Transformation… Nascent Soul Cultivators comprehend Concept to achieve Soul Transformation; Soul Transformation Cultivators manifest Concept into reality for Nascent Soul Transformation; Nascent Soul Transformation allows Concept to merge with the body. But, to reach Soul Transformation, it's still not enough. I have long since had Concept merge with my body, and even my Dao Heart was perfected the moment Wan'er fell asleep.

But, I am still one step short! What exactly is this step… Everyone comprehends different Concepts, thus forming different Daos. One cannot inquire about another's Dao; even if they knew, it would not bring benefits, but rather create shackles. On the path of Dao, one can only Cultivate alone, comprehend alone!"

The confusion in Wang Lin's eyes deepened. Just then, Xu Ligou's frantic, heart-wrenching voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

"Master, please let me out! That little beauty hasn't seen me in so long, she must miss me terribly. Master, how can you bear to break up such a heaven-sent marriage between us? Master, let me out!"

Wang Lin frowned. This Xu Ligou was incessantly nagging all day long. A few days ago, he had cut off their connection, enjoying a few days of peace, but unexpectedly, he had broken through the Seal and started yelling again.

"Wang Lin, you broke me and the big beauty apart back then, and now you want to forcibly separate me and the little beauty. What are your intentions? You must be jealous! That's right, you're jealous of my Xu Ligou's romantic encounters!" Xu Ligou's voice was filled with anger and smugness.

A cold glint flashed in Wang Lin's eyes. Although Xu Ligou was loyal, it was only on the condition that Wang Lin was many times stronger than him. And even if he found a new master, that master would have to be weaker than Wang Lin, or at least not too much stronger, otherwise, Xu Ligou's loyalty would immediately vanish.

The Old Ancestor of the Giant Demon Race back then was an example. If it were someone else, like Heavenly Fate Child, Ling Tianhou, or Blood Ancestor, Xu Ligou would probably immediately fawn over them and sell out Wang Lin, head to toe, the moment he was caught.

Besides this flaw, this Devil Head also had another problem: whenever he encountered a woman, he would immediately seem like a different person. Wang Lin thought that after so many years, he would have matured, but now it seemed he was still the same.

However, Xu Ligou was naturally timid; without sufficient backing, he would never speak to him like this. It seemed that during the time since leaving Tian Yun Star, Xu Ligou had hidden many things.

The cold glint in Wang Lin's eyes deepened.

Xu Ligou didn't notice Wang Lin's mood at all and continued to babble incessantly.

"Wang Lin, after you captured that big beauty back then, I thought you had some great use for her, but what happened? Hmph, my poor big beauty became a tool for your illicit affair with that little slut Liu Mei, you…"

"Have you said enough?" Wang Lin said calmly.

"Enough? Not enough! Let me out so I can go find the little beauty, then it will be enough!" Xu Ligou's voice was a bit weak. He vaguely felt that one of his sentences seemed to have provoked this Evil Star, but then he thought of the Divine Ability he had learned recently, and his confidence immediately surged.

He was about to continue speaking when Wang Lin patted his Storage Pouch with his right hand, and the immortal sword immediately flew out. Xu Ligou cheered and instantly materialized from within the immortal sword.

Dense black Qi formed a black mist, taking on Xu Ligou's appearance. He leered a few times, about to rush directly towards the Imperial City. At this moment, the cold glint in Wang Lin's eyes intensified greatly. He made a grabbing motion in the Void Realm with his right hand, and the immortal sword was immediately in his grasp.

He wiped his hand over it, and the sword immediately trembled slightly. Xu Ligou was startled and immediately shrieked, "Wang Lin, what are you doing!"

Wang Lin gave Xu Ligou a cold glance. This glance was like a pot of ice water being poured over Xu Ligou's head; he instantly sobered up from his lust-driven state.

Wang Lin's gaze almost immediately reminded Xu Ligou of the scene where he was refined into a Devil Head by the other party back then, and the scenes of the past few hundred years flashed through his mind even more vividly.

"This is the Evil Star! What can't he do? He slaughtered the entire Teng Family back then, and on Tian Yun Star, he killed countless people. I… I…" Xu Ligou shivered.

"Ma… Master…" Xu Ligou quickly put on a fawning expression.

Wang Lin stared coldly at Xu Ligou. The more he did so, the more frightened Xu Ligou became, and scenes of Wang Lin's past massacres couldn't help but surface in his mind.

"I bestowed upon you the body of a Devil Head, allowed you to advance to a Sword Spirit, and even gave you an immortal sword for protection." Wang Lin's voice was calm, but to Xu Ligou's ears, it was a bitter lament.

"Now, I want to take it back!" Wang Lin's left hand wiped across the immortal sword, and Xu Ligou immediately let out a miserable groan, his entire body trembling slightly. In an instant, Wang Lin severed his connection with the Flying Sword.

Xu Ligou's body immediately transformed into black mist. The moment Wang Lin severed his connection with the immortal sword, he felt a Killing Intent that had been absent for over a hundred years!

"Damn it, this is really Killing Intent!! This Evil Star really wants to kill me!!" Xu Ligou shrieked and immediately tried to escape. Ever since he rendered meritorious service to Wang Lin in the battle against the Giant Demon Race Old Ancestor, he had never felt this Killing Intent that had accompanied him for most of his life!

"A tiger is always a tiger; no matter how docile it becomes, it will never be a cat!" Xu Ligou smiled bitterly in his heart at this moment, recalling that old proverb from his hometown long ago.

Xu Ligou was about to flee when a cold glint flashed in Wang Lin's eyes. Instantly, Restrictions formed around Xu Ligou's body. Xu Ligou shrieked, his entire body swayed, and he immediately transformed into a sword shape. Dense Sword Qi roared out, actually breaking through Wang Lin's Restrictions and speeding away into the distance.

Wang Lin's gaze sharpened, and a cold smile appeared on his face. This Xu Ligou had indeed hidden many things, such as this transformation into a sword shape; he absolutely could not do this on Tian Yun Star!

At this moment, a series of thumping sounds came from within his Storage Pouch, clearly indicating that something inside was frantically crashing. Wang Lin patted his Storage Pouch with his right hand, immediately reinforcing some Seals on it.

After doing all this, he coldly stared in the direction Xu Ligou had fled and said in a deep voice, "Come back here!" As his voice spread, the Restriction he had left in Xu Ligou's mind immediately erupted.

From afar, Xu Ligou's wails could be heard, but not long after, these wails faded into the distance. The cold glint in Wang Lin's eyes intensified.

"As expected, this Devil Head Xu Ligou would not be so disobedient unless he was confident he could resist my former Restrictions!" Wang Lin took a step forward, and with that single step, he covered a hundred zhang.

Although Xu Ligou had resisted the mental Restriction in some way, he could not sever his connection with Wang Lin. Through this, Wang Lin could catch him!

Xu Ligou fled frantically. He was originally a soul body, and now that he had become a Sword Spirit, his speed was several times faster than before. In his current state of terror, he exerted all his strength, fleeing desperately like a ghost.

"Evil Star, I rendered meritorious service for you, and you just kill me without a word. All I did was like a little beauty, and have a few small secrets, and planned to find an opportunity to run away with the immortal sword and Little Black in the future, ugh…" Xu Ligou sighed. He knew why the Evil Star wanted to kill him.

Ever since he came into contact with the Little Black Saber, the two soul bodies communicated daily. He learned many Divine Abilities of a Sword Spirit, and with the help of the Little Black Saber, the two Sword Spirits tried almost every method imaginable, finally causing a slight loosening of the Restriction Wang Lin had placed in his body.

Xu Ligou was timid, so he acted extremely cautiously. He only allowed the Restriction to loosen when Wang Lin was in a major battle, which indeed prevented Wang Lin from discovering it.

He was originally very proud, but now he had misjudged Wang Lin's suspicion and cunning, and his flaw had been exposed.

"Alas, if only I had known…" Xu Ligou shook his head and quickly fled. He was very fast, and soon escaped Tianyao City. As he left the city, he looked back at the Imperial City, a hint of tragedy in his eyes.

"Goodbye, my beloved little beauty. If I ever return, I'll come find you again!" This fellow, even now, was still only thinking of his little beauty and had forgotten about his little brother Black Saber… With a tragic look in his eyes, Xu Ligou turned around, just about to continue, when he suddenly stopped, his expression changing slightly, but instantly replaced by a fawning look. He obsequiously said, "Ma… Master, you're so fast! It seems your cultivation has advanced greatly recently. As expected of my Xu Ligou's master, I…"

Ten zhang in front of Xu Ligou, Wang Lin appeared with an indifferent expression.

"You have such audacity!" Wang Lin said slowly.

Xu Ligou's body trembled, and he immediately plopped down on his knees, pounding his chest and wailing, begging for mercy: "Master, I was wrong, truly wrong, I'll never dare again."

Just as he was speaking, the Restriction outside Wang Lin's Storage Pouch suddenly collapsed, and a black light flashed out from within, actually flying out on its own without Wang Lin's permission!

This black light flashed and shot directly towards Wang Lin with unimaginable speed.

If Wang Lin's cultivation had still been at the Nascent Soul Transformation Middle Stage before, then this black light, at such a distance, would have been impossible to dodge. Even now that his cultivation had reached the Nascent Soul Transformation Late Stage Great Perfection, it would still be extremely difficult to avoid.

But at this moment, Wang Lin didn't even look at the black light. This time, he was going to completely subdue this black curved saber!

The Brand of Life on his body instantly spread. The black light struck him, colliding with it and emitting a metallic echo, and the black curved saber was immediately bounced back.

Wang Lin pinched with two fingers of his right hand, but the black curved saber, amidst a violent saber cry, evaded Wang Lin's fingers. It then drew an arc and, with extreme speed, charged frantically again. This time, its target was Wang Lin's glabella.

"Clang!" The metallic echo sounded again, and the black curved saber was bounced back once more. This time, it seemed extremely angry, retreating frantically, poised to attack again. However, just as it was about to attack, the saber suddenly turned and flew towards Xu Ligou, intending to snatch him away and escape.

"Interesting!" Wang Lin's eyes flashed. Fighting this curved saber for the second time, with the help of the Brand of Life, was much easier than the first time back then.

At this moment, the curved saber flew towards Xu Ligou. Wang Lin stepped forward, and immortal power immediately emanated from his feet, instantly spreading within a hundred zhang. The Restriction within Xu Ligou's body immediately resonated with it, causing a momentary stagnation.

Xu Ligou's expression showed determination, as if he had truly repented and started anew, but inwardly he was cursing profusely, constantly cursing Wang Lin. Unfortunately, it was of no practical use.

At the same time, Wang Lin performed Hand Seals, and Restrictions appeared from his hands, falling into mid-air, forming an incomplete set of Restrictions.

One Restriction was missing from this set, and that one was in Xu Ligou's mind!

Although Wang Lin's method back then involved his heart's blood, it was still much inferior to his current technique. Now that all the Restrictions were cast, Xu Ligou's body involuntarily flew towards those Restrictions.

The curved saber was quite anxious and tried to block, but Wang Lin arrived nearby with a single step, forcing the curved saber to avoid him, which caused a delay. Xu Ligou watched helplessly as the set of Restrictions merged into his body. His body trembled, and then a fawning expression appeared on his face again. He obsequiously said, "Master, you see, I have the Restrictions now, so please spare me this one time. I truly wouldn't dare again."

Wang Lin ignored Xu Ligou and reached out to grab the curved saber.

The curved saber still tried to dodge. At this moment, a cold glint flashed in Wang Lin's eyes, and he low-growled, "slaughter qi!"

In that instant, streaks of gray qi frantically rushed out from Wang Lin's glabella. Over three thousand streaks of gray qi burst forth almost instantly, enveloping the curved saber.

The curved saber was too fast. It took advantage of the moment it was surrounded to dart out of a gap, but just as it emerged, Wang Lin's finger appeared in front of it. With a flick, the saber was immediately bounced back.

"Condense!" Wang Lin said in a deep voice.

Over three thousand strands of slaughter qi rapidly contracted, forming a spherical orb. Thumping sounds of impact emanated from within, but the curved saber, no matter what, could not break free.

No longer looking at the curved saber, Wang Lin's icy gaze fell upon Xu Ligou, who was off to the side.

Xu Ligou shivered and chuckled foolishly, "Master, do you have any orders? Should I go and persuade Little Black? I'll definitely make him obedient from now on."

"Do you know why I don't let you go out to find that Sword Spirit?" Wang Lin looked at Xu Ligou and asked.

Xu Ligou quickly nodded and said, "I know, I understand!" While saying this, he thought to himself, "You clearly want to break me and the little beauty apart. I bet you're eyeing that little beauty yourself. Alas, poor me, Xu Ligou, so dashing and young, yet suffering the hatred of a stolen wife!"

"Tianyao City is full of powerful individuals. Do you truly think no one can discover you? Once discovered, with your strength, you can only be captured, have your consciousness refined away, and become their Sword Spirit Magic Treasure. Xu Ligou, do you still not understand?" Wang Lin's voice resonated in Xu Ligou's mind like a giant bell.

He was startled, then froze, mumbling, "This… it shouldn't be discovered, right…?" His heart pounded. Now that Wang Lin had said it, he believed it eighty percent. If he really were caught, he wondered if the other party would be as curious as the Giant Demon Old Ancestor.

"However, if I were caught by the little beauty's master, it might be a good thing. That way, I could get close to the little beauty…" Xu Ligou thought to himself, but he dared not say these words to Wang Lin.

Wang Lin gave Xu Ligou a cold glance, as if seeing through his inner thoughts. Feeling guilty, Xu Ligou not only didn't avoid Wang Lin's gaze but instead stared at him with wide eyes. He thought to himself, "Hold on, I'll win if I hold on. The more guilty I feel now, the more I must hold on!"

"You learned quite a bit from the Saber Spirit of that black curved saber," Wang Lin said slowly.

Xu Ligou blinked, and without hesitation, recounted every Sword Spirit Divine Ability he had learned, including how he could conceal his aura, initially merge completely with the Immortal Sword, and how the Immortal Sword's power could be greatly enhanced when used with full force.

As he spoke, he secretly observed Wang Lin's expression, his heart cautious. He hadn't experienced this feeling for over a hundred years, but now that he was revisiting it, there was no unfamiliarity whatsoever.

After listening to Xu Ligou, Wang Lin reached out with his right hand across the air toward the small ball formed by the slaughter qi. The pounding sound inside had stopped. The instant Wang Lin's right hand touched the small ball, streams of slaughter qi flowed back into his body through his palm.

When only a few hundred streams of slaughter qi remained, a sharp Saber Qi instantly rushed out, though its speed was slightly slowed by the entanglement of the slaughter qi.

Wang Lin was prepared. He clamped down with two fingers, and the Saber Qi immediately collapsed. The black curved saber struggled violently between his fingers. Wang Lin opened his mouth and sprayed out a stream of primordial spirit qi onto the curved saber, his eyes flashing with electric light. He didn't have time for prolonged refinement, so he adopted an aggressive method, directly inscribing his Primordial Spirit imprint onto the curved saber, regardless of the damage to the Spirit Body.

Having finished this, he flicked his right hand, and the curved saber flew out, letting out an unwilling saber cry in mid-air!

Taking out the Immortal Sword, Wang Lin tossed it toward Xu Ligou. Xu Ligou's face lit up with joy, and he breathed a sigh of relief internally, quickly drilling into the sword and merging with it.

In mid-air, the saber and sword flew together. Perhaps seeing that Xu Ligou was no longer in danger, the curved saber hesitated. Although it was quite displeased with Wang Lin, it followed him, just like Xu Ligou.

To be precise, the curved saber followed Xu Ligou.

Xu Ligou, inside the Immortal Sword, glanced at the black curved saber beside him and thought smugly, "Even the Evil Star couldn't completely subdue Little Black, but I can make him my little brother just by wiggling my finger. It seems I have far more charm than the Evil Star!"

Thinking this, he felt a wave of satisfaction, secretly musing: "No matter how strong the Evil Star is, he can't compare to me on this point. Also, I know how to yield and adapt, which he can't do. And I have luck with beautiful women; big beauties and little beauties are all mine, which he also can't compare to me on.

Looking at it this way, this Evil Star is actually inferior to me in every way except having higher cultivation. Alas, a Devil Head as outstanding as me is truly rare in this world. How lonely…" Xu Ligou felt thoroughly refreshed and balanced in his heart, even possessing a slight sense of superiority. When he looked at Wang Lin, the Spirit Body inside the Immortal Sword held a trace of pity and smugness in its eyes.

Wang Lin patted his Storage Pouch, and Xu Ligou immediately flew in with the Immortal Sword. The curved saber followed closely behind. Just as Xu Ligou entered the Storage Pouch, Wang Lin suddenly stopped, glancing remotely toward the Imperial Capital in the distance. He sighed internally: "Little beauty, your Brother Xu is back again. I'm not leaving. If I don't take you away, I won't leave this Tianyao City!"

Inside the Imperial Capital, within the Sword Pavilion, the Serpent-form Imperial Sword trembled all over and transformed into the appearance of a young girl. The girl wrinkled her nose and said fiercely: "Don't let me see that hateful and shameless Sword Spirit again! If I see him, even if I violate the Emperor's command, I will rush out with my sword body and chop him down immediately!!!"

After putting away the saber and sword, Wang Lin returned to Hong City. Night had fallen upon the land, signaling the end of the day. Wang Lin flew along the way toward the Mo Manor.

As he was flying, he frowned, stopped, and asked in a deep voice, "What is the matter?"

Several people walked out from the long street in the distance. These people were male and female, and their cultivation bases were all above the Nascent Soul Transformation Stage. Some of them had even reached the Middle Stage and Late Stage of Nascent Soul Transformation.

Wang Lin looked at these Cultivators with his usual expression, remaining silent. He did not sense any Killing Intent from them; instead, a thick sense of sorrow and indignation emanated from them.

From the crowd, a white-robed man stepped out. He had a handsome appearance and cupped his fist towards Wang Lin, saying, "Fellow Daoist Wang's reputation was like thunder to my ears back on Tian Yun Star, and your performance in the Demon General Battle a few days ago earned our deep respect."

Wang Lin swept his gaze over the group, more or less guessing their intentions. He also cupped his fist and replied, "You flatter me!"

The white-robed man sighed, saying, "I am the Young Sect Leader of the Jade Sword Sect. My involvement in the Demon General Battle this time was against my will. The display of your might a few days ago struck me like a blow to the head, waking me up. In this Demon Spirit Land, the lives of us Cultivators are lower than ants. Demon Generals cannot die, and those who kill them must be buried alongside them. Ultimately, the only ones who die are us Cultivators, providing entertainment for these barbarians of the Demon Spirit Land, who treat us like actors!"

Wang Lin remained silent, saying nothing.

"This person is the helper of that Demon General Ao Di!" The man pointed to the person beside him. A middle-aged man wearing a Daoist robe stepped forward two paces, cupped his fist towards Wang Lin, and respectfully said, "Fellow Daoist Wang, the death of Ao Di also served as a wake-up call for me. Although military merit in this Demon Spirit Land is important, what good is it if we have no life left to enjoy it?"

The white-robed man sighed and said, "Being entertainment for the barbarians of the Demon Land is not the choice of us Dao Cultivators. These Fellow Daoists behind me are all preparing to leave this Tianyao City. Today, we came to bid farewell to Fellow Daoist Wang! Farewell!" After speaking, he took a deep breath, leaped up, transformed into a long rainbow, and shot straight into the sky.

The several Cultivators behind him also cupped their fists in farewell to Wang Lin, transforming into long rainbows and disappearing into the horizon.

Wang Lin stood quietly in place, watching the departing Cultivators, remaining silent throughout.

A Cultivator is a Heaven-Defying person and must possess pride! If one bows their head to authority, the word 'Heaven-Defying' is lost, leaving only compliance to fate!

But that word 'Heaven-Defying' has another meaning. These departing Cultivators are not Heaven-Defying; they are evading!

True Heaven-Defying means not evading Heaven and Earth, not evading fate, and not evading the Heavenly Dao Law—it means walking Heaven-Defyingly within compliance!

"If a Cultivator loses their own Dao, they cannot truly Cultivate the Dao…" Wang Lin walked into the distance. He did not fly but walked quietly, his figure stretched long, long by the moonlight.

"Cultivating the Dao… Heaven-Defying actions… possessing one's own Dao…" Wang Lin walked very slowly, as if this street were endlessly long.

After an unknown amount of time, the Mo Manor was vaguely visible ahead of Wang Lin. In the darkness, the lanterns outside the Mo Manor emitted a soft light, like a thread of brightness in the gloom, causing Wang Lin to stop and gaze quietly.

Although the lantern light was faint, it was enough to illuminate the Mo Manor plaque.

Gusts of night wind blew, causing the lanterns to sway, and even the candle flames within became flickering. Despite this, the light stubbornly continued to shine.

Wang Lin stood silently in the darkness, a hint of realization appearing in his eyes. However, this realization was still incomplete. He felt as if he had grasped something, but in the blink of an eye, it seemed nothing had appeared.

An astonishing transformation was quietly taking root within Wang Lin.

Time gradually passed. The pitch-black earth was slowly dispelled by the rising sun in the east, and the darkness faded like an ebbing tide from Wang Lin's sight.

In that instant, it was as if lightning flashed through Wang Lin's mind, and the sound of zither music echoed in his ears. His entire being felt as though he had achieved an Epiphany.

"The darkness is swept away by the sunlight—doesn't this count as 'Heaven-Defying'? This word 'Heaven-Defying' is the key for me to reach the Soul Transformation stage!" A vague insight took hold in Wang Lin's mind, an insight that was not deep but had taken root.

Wang Lin's eyes shone with a strange light. He did not return to the Mo Manor but turned and departed. By the river, he sat cross-legged like an old monk. Although there was no zither music playing now, the lingering sound of his heart echoed in his ears.

"The zither music is emotionless, but the sadness contained within the heart transforms it into a mournful sound. This is not Heaven-Defying, and it is different from the realization I just had. But why, when I listen to this zither music, does it seem like I hear the flavor of Heaven-Defying…?"

At noon, the warm sunlight bathed the earth. The Pleasure Boat arrived, and beside the woman playing the zither on the boat, the young man from many days ago appeared again. This time, his gaze fell upon Wang Lin from afar.

The zither music drifted over. The young man stood beside the woman at the bow of the boat, holding a wine cup, and raised it slightly toward Wang Lin.

Wang Lin picked up his wine gourd, clinked it remotely with the cup, and took a drink. The young man, however, shook his head, pointed to the bow of the boat, and did not taste a drop of the wine in his hand.

Wang Lin chuckled. Although the young man's appearance was ordinary, he possessed a sense of carefree detachment. Wang Lin pondered for a moment, then swayed his body, stepped onto the river surface, and landed on the bow of the boat.

The woman playing the zither did not notice the addition of a person at the bow and continued to play the mournful zither music.

The young man smiled, drank the wine in his hand in one gulp, then flicked his robe and sat down beside Wang Lin. Wang Lin also sat down, drinking the wine from his gourd, listening to the zither music up close, and quietly watching the zither player's jade hands.

The three people at the bow never spoke. After inviting Wang Lin onto the boat, the young man remained smiling and silent. As for Wang Lin, he likewise had no desire to speak much, because the zither music was moving, and any words under its influence would be a distraction!

The zither music continued, and the Pleasure Boat traveled along the river. Wang Lin sat there for an entire day. The young man was the same; if their wine ran out, servants would emerge from inside the boat to prepare more for them.

The sky gradually darkened, and lights appeared along the riverbanks. Even the Pleasure Boat was brightly lit with many lamps, making it quite beautiful.

When the Pleasure Boat returned once more to the riverbank where Wang Lin had boarded, Wang Lin stood up, cupped his fist toward the young man, and prepared to step away with the wind.

At this moment, the man who had been silent all day opened his mouth and softly said, "Brother, listening to this zither music, you seem to have a unique feeling?"

Wang Lin paused his steps and said, "It reminded me of an old acquaintance…"

The young man drank the wine in his hand in one gulp and said bitterly, "No wonder. One who has no attachments in their heart would not be moved by this zither music. Brother, you are a mortal like me."

As the two spoke, the zither-playing woman trembled slightly, and her zither music wavered with it.

"If Brother has no urgent matters, why don't we drink wine until dawn and listen to Miss Ming Xuan's zither music?" the young man proposed.

Wang Lin pondered briefly, glanced at the young man, and nodded. "Very well!"

The young man smiled slightly, filled his wine cup, and said, "I have observed Brother for many days. Although your body is by the river, your heart is elsewhere, like a passing traveler."

Wang Lin took a sip of wine and shook his head. "I am just a mortal. If one speaks of passing travelers, it is merely an illusion. Are you not the same? Your spirit is on this boat, but your body, where has it gone?"

The young man looked deeply at Wang Lin and said, "There are many rowdy guests at home, making it too noisy, so my spirit flew here to find some peace."

"So you are a man with a family," Wang Lin said softly.

"Does Brother have no home?" the young man countered.

"I do, but it is very far… very far…" In Wang Lin's mind, the mountain valley on Vermilion Bird Star appeared.

"Are there others still at home?" the young man asked.

"No, not anymore. And you?" Wang Lin picked up his wine gourd and took a drink.

"I have a niece, but she is too mischievous, and recently she has been pestered by a wicked guest." Speaking of this, the young man laughed.

The two chatted briefly, then fell silent again, sitting quietly at the bow, bathed in moonlight, listening to the zither music, accompanied by fine wine.

The deep night passed, and a sliver of white light appeared on the horizon, gradually illuminating the earth.

Ming Xuan had long since gone to rest, but the two men at the bow remained motionless. Although the zither music had ceased, the sound in their ears had not.

Wang Lin picked up his wine gourd, cupped his fist toward the young man, raised his foot, and with a single step, departed with the wind, his figure vanishing into the thin mist of the morning.

In the Imperial Capital, the first round of the Demon General Battle had concluded. Out of hundreds of Demon Generals, only forty-eight emerged victorious; the rest were either defeated or lost their qualifications after one win and one loss.

During this first round, which lasted several days, no Demon General suffered serious injury, except for Ao Di! However, the casualties among the Cultivators were extremely heavy.

After all, this was a massacre of Cultivators!

In particular, several individuals from the Great Luo Sword Sect were restrained when facing a Demon General, but they were vicious toward their fellow Cultivators, seemingly wanting to use this opportunity to display their own strength.

The morning sun swept across the Ten Thousand Zang Plaza in the Imperial Capital. The number of people in the grandstands on the three sides was even greater than before. After all, the battles that followed were the true great wars among the Demon Generals. Aside from a very few who were lucky, everyone who remained was a renowned figure!

Forty-eight Demon Generals walked out from the Tianyao Gate. A thick Battle Intent seemed to transform into an Ancient Demon, roaring out the moment the Tianyao Gate opened.

The gold-armored man in the center of the plaza looked indifferent, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the entrants one by one. When he saw Wang Lin, the man snorted coldly.

In his view, a mere Cultivator daring to severely injure a Demon General in their Demon Spirit Land was grounds enough for him to kill this person ten or a hundred times!

"In our Demon Spirit Land, these so-called Cultivators are just a bunch of bandits whose only goal is the Ancient Demon Legacy. It doesn't matter if these people die, but to dare injure a Demon General is a great, unforgivable transgression!" The gold-armored man was quite dissatisfied with Wang Lin, and Killing Intent brewed in his heart!

Wang Lin coldly glanced at the gold-armored man; having Cultivated the Slaughter Immortal Art, he was extremely sensitive to Killing Qi.

After all the Demon Generals and their helpers walked out of the Tianyao Gate, the gate closed with a rumble. The gold-armored man pointed to the gigantic Demon Drum beside him and said coldly, "By order of the Emperor, this second round has been changed. Instead of duels, you must strike this Battle Drum!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of all the Demon Generals changed, but immediately, intense sharp light shone in their eyes. Even Mo Lihai trembled, and then his eyes erupted with overwhelming light!

"The Battle Demon Drum! This is a sacred object in my Tianyao Prefecture, second only to the Dragon Pool. In the past, the right to strike this drum was only granted when a Deputy Marshal was promoted to a True Marshal!"

"The Demon General Battle has never seen any changes before. Why is this happening today… It seems the talk of selecting two Deputy Marshals from among us is not groundless!"

"It is said that when all Demon Marshals in my Tianyao Prefecture take their positions, they strike this drum, but it is extremely difficult to sound it. To this day, only the Heavenly Marshal has been able to strike it fifteen times!"

A wave of discussion echoed, unprecedented in volume; even when Wang Lin seriously injured Ao Di, the ensuing commotion was much weaker than this.

The gold-armored man snorted, the sound spreading across the plaza like thunder. After silence returned, even though he was internally confused by the Emperor's arrangement, he still said coldly, "This drum was left behind by the first Emperor of my Tianyao Prefecture. Legend says it is made of Ancient Demon skin. Those with insufficient blood Qi will collapse before striking it. Sounding it three times makes one a powerhouse, and six times makes one a Prodigy! Given your strength, not many will exceed three strikes.

In this round, we will select the top ten!"

——

Three chapters!! Asking for monthly votes. If there are many monthly votes, Er Gen will have more motivation, and the number of explosive releases will increase!! If there aren't many monthly votes for three chapters, how can the motivation be sufficient? Great ones, don't you agree?