Qingqiu Li, the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox, materialized silently on the deck of the warship, shifting from her fox form into that of a woman. She observed the scene just moments ago, where Ye Qin had allowed the Ghost Lord to depart, and a strange expression crossed her face.

In the Demon Realm, if cultivators were enemies, they either killed their opponent or forced submission; there was simply no concept of "defeating an adversary only to release them unconditionally." This practice baffled her. For years, she had been observing Ye Qin and noticed a peculiar trait in his nature: an unwillingness to deliver a killing blow.

Simply put, he was cold on the outside but soft at heart, rarely striking decisively or pursuing complete annihilation. He possessed the strength to eliminate the Ghost Lord and his cohort of Nascent Soul ghost cultivators long ago, yet he only used them for sword practice before letting them go.

Qingqiu Li had witnessed the rise and fall of countless demon tribes—powerful ones swallowed weaker ones, often resulting in genocide or forced vassalage. A temperament like Ye Qin’s was almost unimaginable, something unheard of in the Demon Realm.

"However, a man so gentle and uncrude aligns surprisingly well with the fox race's nature. The Foxes detest brutal slaughter.

It makes sense why many older Fox seniors preferred the company of Human Cultivators over other demon tribes. A pity Human Cultivators are unwilling to forge alliances with the Fox Race." Qingqiu Li sighed inwardly.

Ye Qin turned, preparing to return to the cabin with Huangfu Bing'er, when he noticed Qingqiu Li's silent appearance behind him. Startled, he tensed slightly, taking a protective step forward to shield Huangfu Bing'er, "Senior Qingqiu, what brings you out of seclusion?" Although the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox Demon Saint had kept a low profile these past few years, he remained wary of her elusive nature.

"Do you know what the Southern Demon Continent is?" Qingqiu Li looked at him with faint curiosity and inquired. "I know a little." Ye Qin nodded slightly.

His knowledge of the Southern Demon Continent came entirely from the secret archives of the main headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Alliance. These documents were highly classified records, accessible only to the highest echelons of the Alliance, rarely shared externally.

If Ancestor Blood Gourd hadn't personally requested his deployment to the Southern Demon Continent, the Alliance Elders would likely never have granted him, an Elder of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, access to such materials. "The Southern Demon Continent has several other names: the Land of Demonic Beasts, the Land of Slaughter," Ye Qin stated slowly.

"It is said that the demon beasts there inhale a certain blue gas, causing them to become demonized or frenzied... Their demon cores crystallize, and upon demonization, they often lose their intelligence but gain immense power, becoming exceptionally perilous.

If cultivators inhale this blue demonic qi, they too become demonized, lose their sanity, and turn into humanoid demonic beasts." "It seems you know quite a bit. Then you must also know that soft-hearted individuals do not survive long on the Southern Demon Continent.

Your disposition is too gentle, you are not bloodthirsty; you are fundamentally unsuited to survive in a place as predatory as the Southern Demon Continent. Compared to it, the Northern Abyss Continent sees far less killing and is better suited for quiet cultivation.

I am perplexed; with your level of reason, you must have considered this. Why not go to the Northern Abyss Continent?" Qingqiu Li could not help but let out a cold laugh.

Ye Qin fell silent. He had chosen to go to the Southern Demon Continent for a reason.

He cultivated the Sitter-and-Forget Sutra (Zuo Wang Jing); where he went held little consequence. Once he entered the tranquil, ethereal state of Zuo Wang, the issue wouldn't be whether to kill, but rather when to stop—it was unrelated to his personality.

Having a Human Transformation Stage senior in the Southern Demon Continent to offer guidance would certainly make things more convenient; he could consult Old Demon Blood Gourd for countermeasures if trouble arose. If he went to the Northern Abyss Continent, he would be unfamiliar with the terrain and the people, effectively blind to anything he didn't understand.

Who would he turn to? Ye Qin did not believe that merely being an Elder of the East Sea Heavenly Dao Alliance would earn him the favor of Northern Abyss Transformation Stage cultivators.

That Azure Brave Sword Venerable had not offered a single word about mentorship or assistance, showing no indication of recruiting him. Regardless of which continent he chose, ultimate reliance rested on his own strength becoming formidable.

After consideration, Ye Qin naturally chose the Southern Demon Continent. Huangfu Bing'er had no particular preference for location; as a wife, she followed her husband, and thus she would also go to the Southern Demon Continent.

Just as Qingqiu Li expected him to remain speechless, Ye Qin finally spoke. "I cultivate the Sitter-and-Forget Sutra—where I go is ultimately irrelevant." Ye Qin's expression was placid, as if discussing an insignificant matter, yet there was a depth of melancholy in his eyes.

Huangfu Bing'er, standing nearby, saw his expression and tightly gripped his hand. "The Sitter-and-Forget Sutra?

The Demon Realm has numerous records on cultivators from the East Sea Immortal Alliance; many ancient Alliance members practiced the Sitter-and-Forget Sutra. Are you one of them?

No wonder the Blood Fiend Aura around you was so dense when I first saw you on the Immortal-Demon Battlefield that day!" Qingqiu Li’s expression shifted slightly as she recalled something. She was young, having lived only five thousand years, and had not experienced the ancient Immortal-Demon Wars.

However, she had read some precious texts in the Demon Realm and knew of certain adversaries the Demon Race deeply feared, adversaries who put immense pressure on demon cultivators. If he truly practiced the Sitter-and-Forget Sutra, then labeling him as soft-hearted was a laughable notion.

Who in the Demon Realm would believe such a thing? Qingqiu Li's demeanor changed again.

"If that is the case, you should live quite freely on the Southern Demon Continent!" Qingqiu Li nodded. "I am a Demon Saint of the Fox Race, and I currently possess only my spirit form.

Travel to the Southern Demon Continent will present many inconveniences; I cannot easily reveal myself. The continent hosts many Transformation Stage cultivators; they might capture me and seal me as a tool spirit.

I had only a momentary impulse regarding possession but never acted upon it. Daoist Ye, if you can help me find a physical body, this humble girl will be eternally grateful.

In return, I am willing to serve by your side until the mysteries of my true form are uncovered." As a dignified Demon Saint, she ordinarily would never need to debase herself to serve under another. However, the Southern Demon Continent was the domain of Human Cultivators; the Fox Race could not operate independently.

She would need to exist as a cultivator’s spirit servant, mount, or attendant to avoid drawing the covetous gaze or attacks of other powerful cultivators. "Senior is too kind!

Your junior will certainly try to find a suitable physical body; it shouldn't be a major issue." Ye Qin was somewhat preoccupied, not fully registering Qingqiu Li's offer. As long as the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox held no designs on Bing'er, everything else was negotiable.

Huangfu Bing'er pinched Ye Qin sharply, her aggrieved gaze seeming to ask if having a Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox Demon Saint as a personal maid was truly making him so happy. Ye Qin felt a slight sting on his arm, looking somewhat bewildered and wronged.

"Bing'er... where is the warship now?" Ye Qin quickly steered the conversation elsewhere.

"I looked at the sea charts for the South Sea yesterday; we are about a few months' journey from the Southern Demon Continent... we are quite close.

After flying southwest for a while longer, we will reach Demon Spirit City on the Southern Demon Continent," Huangfu Bing'er reported. "The seawater here is already turning blue!" Ye Qin walked to the ship's railing and looked down.

The waters of the Demon Sea were a pale red. Below them, in the Southern Demon Sea, blue light waves rippled with an uncanny tranquility.

Most of the surface was the normal ocean blue, but in patches, blue mist rose, giving an eerie, mysterious quality to the scene. "This must be the Blue Sea near the Southern Demon Continent.

I heard that when demon beasts inhale large amounts of this blue gas, they go into a frenzy. I wonder what happens when they become fully demonized!" Ye Qin murmured to himself.

The Great Winged Warship flew swiftly at an altitude of several thousand zhang. After a month or two, as they neared the Southern Demon Continent, the number of islands appearing on the sea noticeably increased.

They could spot numerous demonic beasts active in the waters between the islands. On the Southern Demon Continent, most demon beasts had already undergone demonization.

Ye Qin, Huangfu Bing'er, and Bai Xiu'er had never encountered a frenzied, demonized beast. Qingqiu Li knew a fair amount, but it was limited to records in the Demon Realm's texts; she had never witnessed it firsthand.

As the Great Winged Warship flew past a small island, Ye Qin saw a low-level Demonic Ape active on the landmass. "Xiu'er, go down and capture this beast to see the difference between a Demonic Beast and a regular Demon Beast." Ye Qin pondered for a moment, lowering the warship's altitude, allowing Bai Xiu'er to fly down.

Since a low-level demonic beast was present on the island, the immediate vicinity was unlikely to hold anything much stronger, removing the need to worry about immediate danger. Bai Xiu'er acknowledged the order, leaping from the warship several hundred zhang high, landing on the island with a muffled thud.

The Seventh-Rank Golden Core level Demonic Ape was immensely robust and imposing. As it searched for food, it was startled by the sight of a figure descending from the sky, seemingly puzzled as to how this human dared to enter its territory.

It was the overlord here; no other beast in the surrounding waters dared challenge it! Those who did had long since become its meal.

It recalled how a Demonic Python that once dared to vie for supremacy over the island was brutally crushed into meat paste by its paws. With these simple, savage thoughts, the Demonic Ape roared and charged at Bai Xiu'er, slamming both its massive arms forward with a power capable of shattering mountains, intending to crush her instantly.

Bai Xiu'er, wielding her Azure Ancient Halberd, thrust directly at the Ape. A streak of azure light shot out from the halberd, striking the Demonic Ape's arm.

The Seventh-Rank Demonic Ape watched in horror as its arm exploded joint by joint. With a deafening boom, it was flung backward several dozen zhang.

Bai Xiu'er, being an Earth Tribe Sacred Warrior, possessed strength equivalent to a Nascent Soul cultivator; defeating a mere Golden Core level demonic beast was instantaneous for her. After sending the Ape flying, she realized she had been too heavy-handed and had obliterated the Seventh-Rank creature into mere shreds of flesh.

She stuck out her small tongue sheepishly. Seeing this, Ye Qin felt a touch of exasperation and descended from the warship with Huangfu Bing'er and Qingqiu Li.

Ye Qin examined the corpse of the Demonic Ape. It was larger than the Demon Apes of the East Sea, with thick, tough hide, suggesting it was quite powerful among Seventh-Rank demonic beasts.

Its pupils were a peculiar shade of blue. He prodded the beast’s remains, finding no demon core, only a tiny, off-white crystal, smaller than a grain of sand.

"Indeed, no demon core! Is this the Yuan Crystal?" Ye Qin picked up the Yuan Crystal, feeling a surge of shock.

He could distinctly feel the abundant primal energy contained within the dusty white crystal. The energy within was not perfectly pure, but after refinement, his spirit could absorb it directly.

After inspecting it, he passed the Yuan Crystal to Huangfu Bing'er. "It resembles a Vermilion Fruit somewhat—energy condensed directly, but this single particle is so small, less than one-thousandth the size of a Vermilion Fruit.

Its use to a Nascent Soul cultivator is limited. For a Transformation Stage cultivator, the effect would likely be even less." Huangfu Bing'er exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, one Yuan Crystal has little effect, but a few hundred or a thousand could be enough to elevate someone to the Nascent Soul stage in a short time. The Southern Demon Continent doesn't need to refine ordinary spirit pills; cultivators simply hunt demonic beasts and claim the crystals." Ye Qin nodded slightly, a storm raging in his heart.

The spiritual energy in the Demon Realm was intensely dense, hundreds of times stronger than the East Sea, making demon cultivators there reluctant to leave. But the Southern Demon Continent possessed Yuan Crystals, offering benefits to cultivators beyond imagination.

It was no wonder that Transformation Stage cultivators, once arriving here, rarely ever wished to return to the East Sea Cultivation World.