Li Xuanxiao rapidly ran the math in his head.
It had been half a month. Now that he had successfully crammed all the basic lore of this world into his brain, it was time for the real grind to begin. He needed a way to farm Demon Value Points, and fast!
With that singular, greedy thought motivating him, Li Xuanxiao headed straight for the Mission Hall.
Now that he had officially leveled up to a Second-rank Disciple, he was subject to a fixed monthly mission quota. This actually saved him a lot of logistical headache. He didn't have to sift through garbage requests; he could directly pick whatever high-reward, interesting missions were pre-selected for disciples of his rank.
The moment he stepped into the Mission Hall, however, he sensed the vibes were completely off.
The center of the hall was a chaotic swarm of people moving in a frantic hurry. Most of the martial artists wore grim, heavy expressions, whispering to one another like the sky was about to fall.
Did something blow up?
While Li Xuanxiao was mentally playing detective, the mysterious transmission jade tucked against his chest suddenly vibrated violently. He fished it out, channeling his Luck into the artifact. The jade flared with light, casting a miniature projection of Lu Yixian's face into the air.
"Li Xuanxiao, I've got a special emergency mission for you," Lu Yixian said, his voice taut. "It involves the Devil Race..."
Li Xuanxiao's pupils snapped shut. The Devil Race!
A short while later, inside a private courtyard of the Ancient Martial Mystic Court.
Liang Jianqiu, Lu Yixian, Long Hui, and an unfamiliar martial artist who also exuded the formidable aura of the Void Realm were seated in tense silence.
The sound of footsteps broke the quiet, and Li Xuanxiao strolled into the courtyard, feigning a look of pleasant surprise.
"Senior Liang, Senior Lu! You're all here!" Li Xuanxiao cupped his hands respectfully before shifting his gaze to Long Hui sitting off to the side.
Long Hui looked like a walking rain cloud, thoroughly dejected and moping. Sensing the faint, newly stabilized energy of the Fourth Layer of the Heaven Realm wafting off the guy, Li Xuanxiao offered a bright, encouraging smile. "Not bad at all! Little brother has actually broken through to the Fourth Layer of the Heaven Realm! Congrats!"
Heaven be his witness, Li Xuanxiao said this entirely from the bottom of his heart. It was pure, unadulterated goodwill! He wasn't trying to flex!
But to Long Hui's deeply traumatized ears, it sounded like the ultimate, condescending humblebrag.
This absolute, detestable prick!
[Insert Side-Eye Chloe Meme.gif]
Long Hui aggressively snapped his head away, utterly refusing to acknowledge Li Xuanxiao's existence.
Li Xuanxiao stood there, completely bewildered. Wow, okay. What did I even do to offend him this time? Shaking his head with a helpless, internal sigh, he turned and politely cupped his hands toward the unfamiliar Void Realm senior.
"Li Xuanxiao, the reason we summoned you on such short notice is..." Lu Yixian quickly cut to the chase, briefing him on the impending threat of the Heavenly Abyss Devil Race and the massive mobilization orders handed down by the Mystic Court. "We want you on our strike team. What do you say?"
Li Xuanxiao didn't even hesitate. He nodded instantly. "Count me in!"
He had already planned to head out and slaughter Yao beasts anyway. But being able to piggyback on a monstrously powerful Supreme Realm powerhouse like Liang Jianqiu? That wasn't just a mission—that was hitting the cosmic lottery!
Li Xuanxiao had absolutely not forgotten how he amassed his current hoard of nearly two billion Demon Value Points. Following a powerhouse of that caliber meant that even if Liang Jianqiu just dropped a few scraps from his fingers, it would be enough of a feast to leave Li Xuanxiao stuffed to the brim.
If a chaotic, high-yield situation like their last joint operation happened again... Li Xuanxiao clicked his tongue internally, a shameless grin threatening to break through his stoic mask. If that happened, he was going to rocket straight to the heavens!
Liang Jianqiu walked over with a warm smile, scrutinizing the young man. Even now, looking at him face-to-face, it felt completely surreal that this kid had jumped all the way into the Void Realm.
Liang Jianqiu patted Li Xuanxiao's shoulder heartily. "To achieve such heights at your age... you truly are a terrifying monster among the younger generation!"
Well, strictly speaking, it's all thanks to you bleeding out points for me last time, Senior... Li Xuanxiao accurately guessed what the older man was sentimentalizing about, so he put on his best modest face and bowed. "Luck, Senior. Just pure luck."
After the brief pleasantries, the mood turned strictly professional.
"Senior Liang, when do we move?" Li Xuanxiao asked. At the mention of departure, everyone's attention locked onto Liang Jianqiu.
"Dozens of vanguard squads have already deployed toward the Northern Region ahead of us," Liang Jianqiu declared, his gaze hardening. "There's no time to lose. We move right now!"
In an instant, the five figures shot straight into the clouds!
With a casual flick of his wrist, Liang Jianqiu summoned a massive, ethereal longsword that materialized directly in mid-air. The team seamlessly leaped onto the blade. Liang Jianqiu unleashed his Luck, propelling the colossal sword toward the Northern Region at a speed that defied logic.
The scenery below transformed into a blurry smear. This manual sword-flight was exponentially faster than the standard-issue Cloud Top Fairy Boats!
Li Xuanxiao marveled internally. So this is the power of a powerhouse. Once I break through to the Supreme Realm and decide to travel back to Dayu from the Mystic Court, the entire trip will probably take me half a month at most.
The synchronized, massive mobilization of the Three Great Top Factions of the Divine Land sent massive shockwaves across the map!
Both the Human Race and the Demon Race simultaneously locked their coordinates onto the Northern Region, scrambling to figure out what had triggered the sleeping giants.
Central Continent, Eastern Region — Lingxi Grotto-Heaven
"Patriarch, the humans of the Divine Land are making a massive, unprecedented move!" an elder reported anxiously. "All Three Great Powers have issued deployment orders. Countless elite disciples and even Supreme Realm martial artists are heading toward the Northern Region. What are your orders...?"
A middle-aged man draped in overly luxurious robes frowned, a look of profound confusion crossing his features. "A mobilization of this scale is incredibly rare... Could it be that some mythical, world-ending treasure is about to surface in the north? Bian Qing, take a team and investigate immediately!"
"Oh, and one more thing," the Patriarch added, his eyes turning cold. "The rat who murdered my son—the one you tracked last time? If you cross paths with him during this chaos, slaughter him. If the situation on the ground spirals beyond your control, contact me immediately."
Standing respectfully at the flank, Bian Qing bowed deeply. "Thy will be done, Patriarch."
Central Continent, Western Region — Dream Illusion Domain
"Auntie! Please let me go see it too!" Ya Qin pleaded, practically bouncing on her heels as she begged to join the expeditionary force heading north.
The Demon Empress gently took the young girl's hands, her expression full of maternal worry. "Little girl, do you have any idea how many terrifying Human powerhouses are descending on the north this time? Auntie cannot risk anything happening to you. If you get hurt, how am I supposed to face your mother?"
Ya Qin pouted, unleashing the ultimate weapon of spoiled nieces everywhere. She squeezed the Empress's hands and whined playfully, "Auntie~ I know you love me the most in the entire world! I just want to go out and broaden my horizons, I promise I won't cause any trouble! Please, please, please~"
[Insert Puss in Boots Begging Eyes Meme.gif]
The Demon Empress let out a defeated, affectionate sigh. "Oh, you stubborn child! Fine. I suppose keeping you locked in the palace forever is terrible for your growth anyway. A cultivator must see the world to mature."
She turned her gaze toward the shadows of the hall. "Cold Plum, you will head to the Northern Region as well. Your sole, absolute directive is to ensure Ya Qin's safety."
A stoic, middle-aged woman stepped forward from the shadows, bowing elegantly. "As the Empress commands!"
The space around Cold Plum subtly warped, a clear indication of her profound Luck and mastery over her realm.
The Demon Empress nodded, patting Ya Qin's head. "Listen carefully, girl. Once you are out there, you must obey your Aunt Cold Plum implicitly. Do not stir up trouble. Your Aunt Cold Plum is a vetted Supreme Realm powerhouse; she will keep you safe."
"Hooray! Long live Auntie!" Ya Qin cheered, nodding her head frantically like a chicken pecking at grain.
The Demon Empress couldn't help but chuckle, reaching out to affectionately pinch the tip of the girl's delicate nose.
Central Continent, Southern Region — Cuiwei Spirit Realm
Inside the grand council hall of the Bai Ze Clan, a heated debate was underway.
"What in the world are those human hypocrites planning? A mobilization of this magnitude... are they planning a full-scale extermination of the Golden Crow Clan in the North?"
"Who gives a damn about their motives? It's not like it's the first time the Human Race has stirred up a bloody storm over nothing."
"Let them fight! The Golden Crow Clan are arrogant pests anyway. If they get wiped out by the humans, it saves us the trouble!"
"Regardless of who dies, we cannot remain blind. We must understand exactly what is happening in the Northern Region."
"Agreed. Send a scout team to monitor the situation. If nothing else, we can at least enjoy the show."
Central Continent, Northern Region — Crimson Sun Heavenly Peak
Meanwhile, at the epicenter of the gathering storm, a council of transformed, humanoid Golden Crows sat around a massive round table. The atmosphere in the room was suffocatingly tense, their brows locked in grim fury.
"According to our intelligence, the mastermind who initiated this massive human movement is an Imperial Court Envoy from the Ancient Martial Mystic Court," the leading Golden Crow said, tapping his claw-like finger rhythmically against the stone table. He swept his piercing, golden eyes across the room. "Which one of you brainless idiots provoked the Mystic Court again?!"
The gathered Golden Crows exchanged panicked, bewildered glances.
"Clan Chief, everyone knows the Ancient Martial Mystic Court is an entire sect of unhinged, suicidal lunatics! Who among us would be stupid enough to actively look for trouble with them?!"
"Exactly, Clan Chief! We have strictly followed your decrees and kept the younger generation on a tight leash. We barely even hunt humans for food these days to avoid trouble, let alone touch anyone associated with the Mystic Court!"
The elders chimed in one after another, venting their sheer innocence and grievance.
"So... you are telling me the humans of the Divine Land simply took it upon themselves to target us out of nowhere?" The leading Golden Crow let out a venomous, frigid snort. "Utterly arrogant! It seems my Golden Crow Clan has kept a low profile for far too long, making these human insects forget their place in the food chain!"
"How dare they march upon our territory!"
The Clan Chief slammed his fist down, shattering the massive stone table into dust. "Pass down my absolute decree! The Golden Crow Clan officially enters a maximum state of combat readiness! Every single clan member outside our borders is to be recalled immediately. If those humans want a war, we will give them a bloodbath!"