With Lin Luo's support, the Boss had it easy, but Lin Luo's speed was just too incredible, almost like a flash of lightning. Even the Boss could barely handle such high velocity and soon felt dizzy. Thankfully, Lin Luo could use his killing intent to stimulate him, keeping him conscious so he wouldn't point them in the wrong direction.

After flying at this pace for about an hour, the Boss was shocked to realize the distance they covered in that short time would have taken them several days by normal means. Looking at Lin Luo, who was still completely unruffled, the Boss knew that in another five hours at most, Lin Luo could reach Shenqi's location.

This sheer speed was something the Boss had never witnessed in his life.

Several hours later, Lin Luo had fully entered the Western sphere of influence, so he stopped and told the Boss, "You can head back now. I can manage the rest by myself."

The Boss was momentarily stunned. "Boss, you're just sending me back on foot?" Although Lin Luo took less than six hours to get here, walking back would take him at least ten days. Wasn't that just cruel?

Lin Luo smiled slightly. "If you don't feel like walking, you're welcome to join me for the great battle between the Demoness and the Werewolves. After the fight ends, I'll naturally give you a ride back."

Hearing this, the Boss immediately broke out in a cold sweat and shook his head repeatedly... Walking was tiring, but at least it wasn't life-threatening. Going along to fight a major battle with Lin Luo, given his current strength, meant he'd almost certainly perish. He certainly didn't think his little life was worth just a free ride.

So the Boss quickly replied, "Then, Boss, since you've made good time, I'll take my leave now."

With that said, as if afraid Lin Luo might change his mind, he bolted away with a loud whoosh, running off as fast as his legs could carry him.

Lin Luo found his haste amusing, but the moment he turned away, the smile vanished from his face, replaced by an icy surge of killing intent. His eyes narrowed, emitting a chilling light, and he began walking step by step toward Shenqi's location.

This wasn't mere posturing; it was necessary to consolidate his killing intent. Since his current strength was only at the Earth Rank initial stage, and his enemies were all the powerful yokai of the entire Western faction, he frankly didn't have a full guarantee of victory. Therefore, he needed to elevate his usable killing intent to its absolute limit.

This killing intent was condensed from the artistic conception of his near-Heaven Rank power. Although he could still use it even in his weakened state, the decrease in power was significant. If the near-Heaven Rank him unleashed the full version of his killing intent, he might be able to slay a near-Heaven Rank expert, though this was only a possibility, and only if the enemy was caught completely off guard.

Thus, with his current Earth Rank strength unleashing his full killing intent, even facing an unprepared foe, it would be fortunate if he could instantly kill a Spirit Rank peak expert—this was the weakness of having an insufficient artistic conception.

So, to increase the intensity of his killing intent, he needed to delve into the artistic conception hidden within his body. In gaming terms, one could understand this as accumulating 'rage points,' but this clearly required time.

In the West lay a forest called the Sea of No Regrets. Legend held that long ago, a supreme great yokai died there. Upon death, its lingering resentment transformed into black mist that completely shrouded the forest. From above, it looked exactly like gazing upon a dark sea.

Simultaneously, having been tainted by its curse, the forest mutated drastically; both the plants and animals within became exceedingly savage. Forget humans—even yokai whose cultivation was insufficient dared not enter, knowing they might never return. Thus, later generations named it the Sea of No Regrets.

The meaning behind its name was simple: once you entered this forest, there was no turning back.

For hundreds of years, almost no one dared to enter this forest except those who were overly confident and wished to test the limits of their own strength. However, the survival rate was extremely low, barely reaching ten percent.

But today, this forest had become remarkably lively. The reason was clear... The Demoness, who had not appeared in the world for nearly a century, had reappeared, and she was residing within the Sea of No Regrets.

To deal with the Demoness Shenqi, the Wolf King had gone to extraordinary lengths. Not only did he summon every prominent Lord-level yokai in the West, but he also invited the Demon race, gathering nearly all the first-tier forces of the entire West into one place. While it wasn't surprising that the Wolf King could achieve this due to his imposing authority, it also indirectly proved how terrifying the Demoness was.

One Demoness was a plague, two were a disaster, and three were enough to plunge the world into chaos—this was a universally accepted truth, so no one found the mobilization strange.

The terror of a Demoness wasn't just her raw power; in truth, many top Lords could suppress a Demoness in terms of sheer strength. The Demoness's true horror lay in their inherent malevolence and cunning.

Demonesses could accomplish countless things, such as brewing poisons, setting traps, generating illusions, manipulating puppets, and possessing bodies for rebirth... Omnipotence was practically synonymous with the Demoness.

Therefore, although they weren't entirely sure how overwhelmingly powerful the Demoness Shenqi was, no one dared to treat the matter lightly. Though the Sea of No Regrets was perilous, against nearly three-quarters of the powerful yokai forces of the West, it presented little real obstacle. Led by the subordinates of the Lords clearing the path, they advanced deep into the forest without incident.

However, they were still some distance from Shenqi's dwelling.

"The road ahead is likely to become dangerous," a deep yet resonant voice suddenly broke the silence. The speaker was a powerfully built, burly man in the second echelon of the group. Though outwardly similar to a human, a careful observer would notice subtle differences in his physique.

He was none other than the supreme pinnacle of the entire Western faction, the Wolf King's biological younger brother, and the second strongest entity among the Werewolf clan—Mozak, the West Wolf King.

He was not only immensely powerful but also deeply calculating; it was he who single-handedly ended the chaotic era of the Western world.

"Heh, you are right. After all this time, the Demoness Shenqi isn't a fool; she must have prepared something. Relying on the Demoness's tricks combined with the inherent dangers of the Sea of No Regrets, the vanguard should suffer significant casualties, right?" said the man to the West Wolf King's right. He wore black combat gear, possessed two horns atop his head, and spoke with a constant, sly smile.

This individual had an impossibly beautiful face, skin as white as snow, yet he was a man.

This individual possessed eyes as bright and clear as water, yet he was a man.

This individual's long hair flowed past his shoulders, appearing ethereal and captivatingly beautiful, yet he was a man.

In short, although he exuded more feminine charm than most women, he remained unequivocally male.

His background was also formidable; he was the Grand Commander of the Demon race’s highest combat division, named Xiuzhe. His combat power ranked in the top three within the Demon race, barely inferior even to the West Wolf King.

If one were to truly compare, the Demon race was not inherently weaker than the Three Strongest Races; they simply resided in a different dimension, which is why they weren't included in the standard ranking.

"Hmph!" The West Wolf King seemed displeased with Xiuzhe's demeanor and let out a cold snort. Xiuzhe, however, remained utterly unconcerned, smiling faintly. "It seems the Wolf King is still upset with me."

The West Wolf King felt a chill run down his spine at Xiuzhe's effeminate manner and thought to himself: How could I not be angry? It’s because of your endless dawdling that we are only acting now, giving Shenqi ample time to prepare. Otherwise, this matter would have been settled long ago.

The incident where the West Wolf King's son was castrated occurred over a month ago. Upon learning it was the Demoness's doing, he immediately issued the summons and gathered sufficient fighting strength in less than five days. However, just then, the Demon race suddenly inserted themselves, declaring they wished to participate in the siege.

Initially, the Wolf King was delighted to have such powerful allies; the more experts there were to face a Demoness, the better. But what he hadn't anticipated was the unprecedented sluggishness of the Demon race—they took a full twenty-plus days to finally arrive... With such a delay, it would be strange if Shenqi hadn't made preparations!

If any ordinary yokai had displayed such negligence, the West Wolf King would have already slapped them to death. But he had reservations about the Demon race, which is why he endured it. Of course, enduring didn't mean he had to treat Xiuzhe with cordiality.

"If we sustain heavy casualties in this battle against the Demoness Shenqi, Commander Xiuzhe, you know exactly whose responsibility that will be," the West Wolf King stated calmly.

"Heh heh," Xiuzhe chuckled again, his expression more bewitching than a woman's. "Wolf King, please rest assured. We certainly will not disappoint you. Furthermore, I have personally mobilized this time; you should see our sincerity."

"That will suffice," the West Wolf King nodded, saying no more.

In truth, when the Demon race was stalling initially, the Wolf King suspected they were deliberately muddying the waters, aiming to prevent them from dealing with Shenqi, as he naturally assumed Shenqi, being a Demoness, must originate from the Demon race. However, Xiuzhe’s appearance helped him discard this possibility. Xiuzhe held an extremely high status within the Demon race—the Grand Commander of the combat divisions, fully comparable to the Wolf King himself. It was unlikely the Demon race would place such a vital figure in harm’s way just to protect a single Demoness.

Yet, on the other hand, it showed that the Demoness Shenqi must hold some status within the Demon race for Xiuzhe to be deployed and even negotiate terms for the Demon race to handle Shenqi's aftermath.

The West Wolf King surmised that Shenqi likely held some secret vital to the Demon race, which was why they acted this way.

"Ah!!!"

Just as the West Wolf King finished this thought, several piercing screams suddenly erupted from ahead. Looking toward the sound, they saw that the vanguard of yokai had encountered a line of black puppets, all armed with blades and swords, launching a frenzied attack on the advancing yokai.

Caught off guard, the yokai suffered heavy losses instantly.

"Damn it! That’s the Demoness's Puppet Manipulation Art! Quickly, find the Soul Puppets!"

Xiuzhe’s expression shifted drastically, and he cried out in alarm.