Chapter 71: The Miraculous Green Sandalwood

After disguising themselves, the two took out the Divine Realm Map. This map not only allowed them to teleport freely within the cultivation world, but also quickly locate the entrances to the demon and fiend realms.

Although the realms rarely communicated, it didn’t mean there was no interaction at all. Many lifesaving spiritual herbs had to be picked from different realms. For instance, the Dreamshade Mushroom originally grew in the underworld hells of the fiend realm.

The entrance to the demon realm was a cave at the base of a mountain. The peak was almost invisible, and no one had ever climbed to the top; the only way into the demon realm was through that cave. There were no demon guards stationed at the entrance—it was remarkably free. Even so, very few demon beasts or cultivators actually passed through. Occasionally, a few curious young demons would peek in, only to scamper back after a moment.

Youshi Yue and Jun Yang entered the demon realm with ease. Beyond the cave lay Swallowing Sky City, at the northern border of the demon realm.

The moment they set foot in Swallowing Sky City, a wave of demonic aura rushed to envelop them, as if scrutinizing them, but soon receded. Youshi Yue detected the source of the aura but chose not to pursue it rashly.

It was Jun Yang’s first time in the demon realm. Perhaps because he was used to carrying Xue Yu around, he quickly adapted to the air saturated with demonic energy and showed no discomfort.

Youshi Yue, on the other hand, found the place inexplicably familiar—she possessed all of Cang Yu’s memories of coming here. She led Jun Yang skillfully to the largest tavern in Swallowing Sky City: the Jihe Pavilion.

At the center of the main hall, a troupe of demon dancers swayed in wild abandon—voluptuous figures, seductive movements. Patrons around the hall occasionally tossed demon stones onto the stage to cheer them on.

Seeing the demon stones, Youshi Yue hastened to rummage through Cang Yu’s spatial ring, relieved to find a considerable stash inside. Otherwise, they would have been dining and dashing today, for the spirit stones from her own bag held no value here.

The waiters in the demon realm were nothing like the warm and welcoming ones in the cultivation world. All eyes were on the dancing girls, and it took ages before a server finally wandered over to their table.

“What do you want to eat?” he asked, in a perfunctory, grating tone.

“What do you have?” Jun Yang replied.

“Fried green demon worms, sautéed demon grasshoppers, stir-fried snake skin…” The waiter glanced at Jun Yang and, meeting his predatory gaze, amended himself, “Ah, sorry, slipped my tongue—steamed rat meat, roasted rabbit, grilled demon chicken…”

Jun Yang could barely listen any longer. Everything on the list was a snake’s favorite, except perhaps for the stir-fried snake skin, which he’d rattled off out of habit. Jun Yang was itching for a fight.

Youshi Yue shot Jun Yang a white-eyed glance—clearly, it was his snake-like eyes that caused this mess. She simply chose two dishes that sounded decent. “Two orders of roasted demon chicken and rabbit, and tea.”

“Alright, wait here,” the server replied, glancing back several times as he hurried to the kitchen.

The food arrived swiftly, and the aroma was surprisingly appetizing. Jun Yang prodded the meat with his chopsticks, then leaned over for a sniff.

“My little ancestor, is this even edible?” he asked.

“It’s edible. At worst, you’ll get a stomachache,” Youshi Yue quipped.

Jun Yang hesitated even more at that. Eat, or not eat?

Youshi Yue smiled at his dilemma, picked up her chopsticks, and ate a piece of rabbit. The demonic energy within was easily purified by her spiritual power; it didn’t affect her at all. Seeing her eat, Jun Yang relaxed and began to dig in himself. Though the food looked ordinary, the taste could hold its own against the Immortal Delicacies Pavilion.

He even sipped the tea, although he dared not pour Youshi Yue any spring water from the spiritual realm, fearful that they’d instantly be surrounded by hostility.

Amidst the raucous cheers for the dancers, snippets of gossip drifted through the noise.

“Have you heard? The great Crow Demon’s been missing for seven days—vanished without a trace, bones and all, and right from the Demon Palace. No one saw him leave. He just evaporated into thin air.”

“I heard a bit. The Demon Administration’s been investigating for days, but have found nothing. The rumors are getting wilder.”

“Of course! The Peacock Demon King, Lutan, head of the Demon Administration, has gone to the Ancient City himself.”

“The Peacock Demon King went there?”

At this, the nearby table joined in.

“Exactly! I saw the Peacock Demon King on my way to Swallowing Sky City. He was headed straight for the Ancient City.”

“The Peacock Demon King? Lutan?” Jun Yang’s chopsticks halted midair as he looked over at the group of demons.

“You know the Peacock Demon King?” one of them exclaimed, eyes brimming with admiration that sent chills down Jun Yang’s spine.

“Sort of… know him, I guess…”

“Impressive! To be friends with the Peacock Demon King.”

“He’s that formidable?” Jun Yang asked, puzzled.

“Of course! He’s the chief commander of the Demon Administration, directly appointed by the Demon Sage.”

“The Demon Sage?” Jun Yang was baffled, but a name slipped from his lips as he tested, “Xun Yu?”

“You can’t call the Demon Sage by name!” The demons glanced around nervously. “Even if you’re friends with the Peacock Demon King, you can’t be so brazen. If the Demon Administration hears you, you’ll be thrown into demon prison.”

Jun Yang gave a complicated half-smile and turned to Youshi Yue, sending her a secret message, “These two half-demons… seem to be doing quite well for themselves here…”

Youshi Yue was surprised as well. Was the demon realm this tolerant now?

“Do you know where the Demon Sage lives?” she asked the demons.

They shook their heads mysteriously. “No one knows where the Demon Sage resides. He appears and disappears without warning, and no one has seen his true face or form.”

“That’s right. Whenever the Demon Sage descends, it’s always amidst wind and snow—impossible to fathom.”

The more they discussed, the more awe-struck they became, soon launching into tales of Lutan’s heroic rescues of various demon clans—stories so exaggerated that Jun Yang wondered if they were talking about another demon with the same name.

“How can Lutan, with such a low cultivation as an immortal, have such high demon power as a demon?” Jun Yang asked.

“He probably absorbed all his mother’s demon power,” Youshi Yue speculated. Half-demons, though shunned by both realms, had the most suitable constitutions for cultivation. From within the womb, they adapted to absorbing two kinds of energy. Some even monopolized the maternal energy, so most half-demons were born as their mothers died, unable to withstand the drain.

That was one of the reasons half-demons were despised.

Jun Yang sighed, unsure whether to mourn the half-demons or their mothers.

“Should we head to the Ancient City straight away?” he asked.

Youshi Yue shook her head. “Let’s stay in Swallowing Sky City for a couple of days.”

“Why?” Jun Yang was puzzled. If the great demon vanished in the Ancient City, then Hong Chen, who possessed the Devourer Pearl, must be there.

“Right now, with so many demons investigating the disappearance, Hong Chen’s cultivation is too low for him to absorb the energy from the Devourer Pearl within the demon realm. He’ll likely wait until he leaves—Swallowing Sky City is the only exit. If we wait here, we might encounter him.”

Youshi Yue reasoned that Hong Chen wouldn’t dare make another move in the demon realm until he’d absorbed the pearl’s power; his cultivation was too low and he’d be exposed too easily.