The Black Wing Demon Lord was utterly miserable. He had fought fiercely for a solid half an hour, slaying dozens of monks, including four Nascent Soul level ascetics. But those monks were insane; every single one chose to self-detonate without hesitation upon realizing death was near, refusing to let him devour even a sliver of their energy.

What was even more maddening was that they had quickly established a formation, locking down and solidifying the space, making it impossible for him to escape via teleportation. Otherwise, the Black Wing Demon Lord would have bolted long ago, unable to consume Nascent Soul or Golden Core cultivators.

Madmen, a pack of absolute madmen, roared the Black Wing Demon Lord internally. If one were to rank intelligent races by sheer tenacity of life force, the Demon race would undoubtedly rank in the top three. Yet now, even the Black Wing Demon race, renowned for its incredible vitality, was hanging on by a thread.

Excessively burning his demonic body had caused him to drop a full cultivation realm, leaving him covered in wounds and utterly battered. The only solace he found was that after several life-or-death struggles, he had finally blasted through the spatial formation laid by the monks.

As soon as the formation broke, the Black Wing Demon Lord, who had been desperately wishing for an escape route, didn't dare linger for an instant. He used the last vestiges of his strength to initiate a spatial jump and flee. Seven Nascent Soul cultivators from the Vajra Temple had arrived, but only three survived. They were absolutely unwilling to let the Black Wing Demon Lord escape so easily, and they pursued him with hearts overflowing with grief and rage, not caring if they could actually catch him.

Even if it meant chasing him to the ends of the earth, exhausting the entire power of the Vajra Temple, they would annihilate this fiend. Poor Black Wing Demon Lord—the power remaining to him was less than one-tenth of his peak strength.

After a brief respite, although the severe injuries within Lei Dong’s body had not healed in the slightest, his vital energy was significantly stronger than when he first fled. Now that he had "witnessed" the Black Wing Demon Lord engaging in a fierce battle with the Vajra Temple monks, resulting in mutual devastation, he would naturally not let such a rare opportunity slip by so easily. If this demon were allowed to escape and lie dormant for years before re-emerging, it would spell immense trouble again.

As the saying goes, opportunity knocks but once. Lei Dong firmly decided he must destroy this demon. Not only would he eliminate a massive hidden danger for himself, but this demon, being essentially a Soul Transformation stage Demon Lord, represented a considerable haul of valuable materials upon its demise. Just those twin wings—they might even be refined into treasures akin to the Wings of Asura.

Silently trailing the battered, fleeing Black Wing Demon Lord from a safe distance, Lei Dong's divine sense—already a notch above that of an early Nascent Soul cultivator—was now further amplified by the effect of "Revealing the True Form." At its farthest reach, his consciousness could extend over two hundred li. This range was likely unattainable even for high-stage Nascent Soul cultivators.

Furthermore, coupled with the effect of the Zhou Tian Zang Ri Jue, let alone those Vajra Temple monks, even the severely weakened Black Wing Demon Lord could not detect Lei Dong’s presence. The demon continued to flee desperately toward the East Sea, leaving the monks farther and farther behind.

...

It seemed that several days prior, east of the East Sea, within the vast, boundless ocean region known as the Yaksha Sea, deep within the thousands of zhang of water, lay a sight unimaginable to humans: five-colored light emanating from a transparent castle seemingly constructed entirely of gemstones, nestled within a beautiful underwater canyon.

Outside the castle, a semi-transparent, semi-circular shield blocked the seawater, providing the Yaksha tribesmen a quiet sanctuary for cultivation and recuperation. Within this Yaksha sea territory, there were dozens of similar undersea cities. This particular one, the most magnificent and colossal, served as the royal city where the Yaksha King resided.

It was these dozens of underwater cities that nurtured a total population of nearly ten million Yaksha tribesmen.

In terms of racial lineage, the Yaksha race was slightly inferior to dominant races like the Asura, Winged Gods, or Purgatory races. However, their overall lineage was significantly stronger than that of humanity. At least ninety percent of this race possessed spiritual roots capable of cultivation. At least half of the adult members could cultivate to the Foundation Establishment stage, the Golden Core stage was not uncommon, and there were even several Yaksha Elders at the Nascent Soul stage, topped by the Yaksha King at the Soul Transformation level.

Consequently, although this contingent of the Yaksha race was not numerous, their strength was formidable, and their combat power multiplied exponentially when fighting underwater. Few sects in the Nine Provinces dared to casually provoke this Yaksha tribe. Humans, or some other powerful races, disliked engaging in combat underwater, especially against the Yaksha race beneath the waves.

Inside the grandest city, the Yaksha Royal City, within the palace resembling crystal halls, ten Nascent Soul-level Yaksha Elders formed two lines, surrounding the Yaksha King seated upon the throne, clad in golden armor. One burly Yaksha Elder spoke with evident fury: "My King, those birdmen of the Winged God race have gone too far, actually beginning to construct a Sky City above our sea domain! This subordinate volunteers to lead a hundred thousand tribesmen to capture those birdmen."

"Indeed. Those birdmen, along with the Grand Supreme Sect, had already excessively pressured our race to refrain from interfering in the affairs of Kang Province," another Nascent Soul Elder chimed in, equally incensed. "Do those birdmen truly believe our Yaksha race is a pushover? My King, are a mere thousand or so birdmen truly so formidable? Let us fight them!"

Seeing the court so inflamed, the Yaksha King’s brow furrowed. He chided, "Do you think your King enjoys swallowing such insults? If it were merely one contingent of Winged Gods, I wouldn't give them a second thought. But behind them stands the entire Winged God race of the Bright Domain—one of the Four Great Dominant Races, the Winged God race is absolutely not to be trifled with. Moreover, the Grand Supreme Sect is lurking nearby with covetous eyes. Therefore, we absolutely cannot act rashly; otherwise, the catastrophe of extinction will be upon us. Besides, are one thousand Winged Gods few? Do you not know that once a Winged God reaches maturity, they possess Golden Core level strength?"

"But, Great King, must our dignified Yaksha race swallow this silent grievance? If the Winged Gods and the Grand Supreme Sect join forces to suppress us today, might they not ally with someone else to wipe us out tomorrow?" The remaining Yaksha Elders were still filled with righteous indignation. The Yaksha race was a proud warrior race; although their preference for living underwater meant they rarely competed for territory with other races, being oppressed like this was a deep insult they found hard to stomach.

"Rest assured, our Yaksha race is no small, backwater clan," the Yaksha King said, rubbing his temples as he soothed his agitated officials. "Although we are currently split into seven or eight factions and rarely interact, we will unite if faced with the threat of extinction. If the Winged Gods truly wish to move against us, they will suffer a heavy toll as well. Furthermore, the world is not dominated solely by the Winged God race. The Purgatory race, the Asura race, and the Demon race are not fools; they will not stand idly by while the Winged Gods invade the Nine Provinces rampantly. This matter is a thread that pulls the entire tapestry; it might even drag the Three Realms into conflict."

"My King, are we to simply watch the Winged Gods act arrogantly in our territorial waters? To allow them to build a Sky City?" Despite these words, some still harbored deep resentment toward the Winged Gods.

"Building a Sky City is definitely unacceptable," the Yaksha King slowly shook his head. "However, constructing a Sky City consumes immense resources. Let them build for now. When it is nearly complete, I will personally summon a tsunami to destroy it, allowing the Winged Gods to suffer a silent loss in return. Hm?"

As the Yaksha King spoke, he turned his head elsewhere. Deep within the palace, an entity resembling a vortex stirred, sending ripples and waves outward.

"Could it be that the young friend has emerged from seclusion? It has been so many years..." The Yaksha King’s expression shifted to one of slight surprise. Ignoring his officials for the moment, he instantly teleported to that azure vortex, gazing at it with a mixture of curiosity and anticipation.

Moments later, the vortex’s fluctuations grew increasingly violent. A woman wearing a long white gown, whose raven-black hair was as dark as snow, exuding a cold, noble temperament, stepped out with such ease that it seemed as if she had merely stepped through the vortex. Upon closer inspection, this woman was none other than Tantai Bingyun, whom Lei Dong had parted ways with in the Hengduan Mountain Range.

Seeing the Yaksha King waiting at the vortex, the icy glint in Tantai Bingyun’s eyes softened slightly. She performed a deep bow: "Senior Yaksha King, greetings. Decades have passed since we last met; I trust you are well?"

"Haha, no need for formalities, no need for formalities. Young friend Tantai is truly formidable," the Yaksha King exclaimed, beaming with appreciation as he stared at her. "Countless individuals attempt entry into our sacred land, the Azure Wave Secret Realm, facing endless perils. Yet, few who enter ever emerge alive. Young friend, now that you have broken through and exited, you must have advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, correct? Why is it that this King still cannot discern the depth of your power? You still appear to be at the mid-stage of Golden Core?"

"This junior merely cultivated a Breath Concealment Secret Art, which has misled the Senior," Tantai Bingyun replied coolly and nonchalantly, retracting the concealment technique of the Zhou Tian Zang Ri Jue. In the next instant, an incomparably powerful aura erupted from her—so radiant it was dazzling.

"This is?" The Yaksha King’s face froze in astonishment, unable to speak for a moment. "Young friend Tantai, could it be that I misjudged? Logically speaking, although our sacred Azure Wave Secret Realm possesses miraculous cultivation benefits, entrants are restricted to the Golden Core stage. Anyone who achieves Nascent Soul power is automatically expelled by the Secret Realm. Yet, Young Friend Tantai seems to already be..."

"The Senior also witnessed my Concealment Art, which is rather miraculous, allowing me to remain inside for an extra twenty years. The Senior was indeed correct; this junior is already at the mid-stage of Nascent Soul," Tantai Bingyun said with a slight smile, acting as if it were no great achievement.

Even a powerhouse like the Yaksha King was repeatedly astonished by Tantai Bingyun. He was one of the few in his tribe strong enough to successfully traverse the Azure Wave Secret Realm, and he certainly understood the dangers within. While the Secret Realm’s time dilation—a ratio of ten to one compared to the outside world—made it an excellent place for cultivation, the powerful monstrous beasts inhabiting it and the ubiquitous spatial fissures presented countless hazards to explorers. Less than one percent who entered ever returned alive. This was precisely why the Yaksha King had strongly discouraged Tantai Bingyun from attempting the trial in the first place.