With Jiang Yang's words, Feng Wukang had already heard of the matter when he was with General Lu. At that time, he was just a Demon of the Formless Heavens, so it was understandable that he was reviled, but now his status was that of a military disciple from Dragon-Tiger Mountain. One of the three major sects and myriad schools of thought of the righteous path, bearing the heavy responsibility of slaying great demons for this realm. This was a misunderstanding. “Esteemed sirs, please do not misunderstand!”

Feng Zikang gently waved his sword, and a faint golden arc manifested beside him, deflecting the three streaks of sword light. The three streaks of sword light tumbled and each morphed into a human figure—three men in red clothes, each with a band tied across his forehead, upon which rested the shape of a crescent moon. “Heretical fiends! Die!” The three men seemed mad, showing no interest in his explanation. Their hands did not stop, and streaks of sword light struck out again. Feng Zikang felt a slight irritation, yet he defended rather than attacked, deflecting their onslaught while explaining his origins. “I am—”

Feng Zikang ducked back, narrowly avoiding a sword thrust aimed at his throat from the side. “—Feng Zikang, a disciple of the Bamboo Forest of Dragon-Tiger Mountain’s Military School. I came here to—” As he leaped away, several more streaks of sword light passed right through his body. “—slay the great demon. It was well-intentioned!”

The three men’s faces were filled with alarm, and their sword momentum grew even more frantic. Feng Zikang exerted force, and with ringing clangs, he repelled their sword light once more. He finally finished speaking the full sentence. The three men suddenly dropped their swords, staring at one another with expressions of grim resolution. “Indeed, he is a demon from beyond the borders! Eldest Brother, Second Brother, you both have wives and children. Today, let this Third Brother make a sacrifice!” “Nonsense!” The eldest of the three red-clothed men roared, a flicker of deep sorrow crossing his face, yet his words were stern and righteous. “What did we swear when we became sworn brothers? Not to be born on the same day of the same month in the same year, but to die on the same day of the same month in the same year! Now that we see a demon from beyond the borders, we absolutely cannot allow him to bring harm to the common people! Let us take these three worthless lives and descend to the Yellow Springs together—what could be more satisfying!” “Eldest Brother speaks the truth!” The other red-clothed man nodded in agreement. The three brothers, united in heart, encircled Feng Zikang, their bodies radiating an aura of absolute self-sacrifice.

Feng Zikang was both annoyed and amused; he hadn't expected that immediately upon arriving in the True Man Realm, he would be besieged and attacked as a demon from beyond the borders—this was a dire situation he hadn't encountered in many years. “Sirs, can you not understand my words? I said I am—” “Silence!”

The eldest red-clothed man shouted in fury, his face flushed with anger. “You demons from beyond the borders! You spend all your days bewitching people, but how could you deceive the eyes of us three brothers? I have long heard that in your Demon Realm, the myriad schools of thought and sects, righteous and evil alike, spend their days attacking each other relentlessly, resulting in millions of corpses and thousands of miles of blood, which is utterly inhumane! The Military School, which studies the art of slaughter, is the most detestable!” “Uh—”

Hearing these words, Feng Zikang couldn't help but be momentarily stunned. So, it wasn't that they didn't know where Feng Zikang was from; they simply considered this place the Demon Realm. While his description was only partially correct, it wasn't entirely wrong, either. In the cultivation world, the conflict between good and evil, slaying demons and eliminating fiends, often involved the taking of lives. Not to mention the massacre of the demons of Mangcang Mountain—who knew how many lives were lost? As for wars and invasions, they were inevitable, such as the war in the Southern Barbarian Lands, which resulted in countless casualties. It was true that the Military School specialized in the art of killing. After all, what they cultivated was the way to victory, and the most effective method was certainly the lethal dispatch of the enemy. But, even so, how did that relate to being a demon from beyond the borders? “Eldest Brother! Second Brother! Third Brother—”

The three called out to each other with deep emotion, seemingly having made up their minds. They clasped hands in pairs and spun rapidly, coalescing into a crimson vortex that descended upon Feng Zikang. “The Art of Self-Sacrifice to Seal the Demon!” Amidst their shouts, the vortex formed by the three grew larger and larger, threatening to envelop Feng Zikang.

“What now!” Feng Zikang saw the fierce momentum of the vortex. Knowing that communication with these three was impossible, he stopped bothering with them. With a casual wave, he unleashed dozens of sword lights to hold the vortex in check, twisted his body, and performed the Thousand Li Movement, vanishing away. The three brothers returned to human form, scrambling clumsily to neutralize the dozens of sword energies. When they looked up, Feng Zikang was nowhere to be seen. They had used a secret technique, intending to trade their lives to seal this demon from beyond the borders. Although they failed, they had severely depleted their vital energy, and all three were pale and gasping for breath. “Eldest Brother! This demon from beyond the borders has escaped—what shall we do?” “We absolutely cannot allow him to bring harm to the common people! We three brothers must find him and eradicate this menace for the sake of the people!” The eldest brother’s expression was firm and impassioned! ※

After an inexplicably pointless fight, Feng Zikang couldn't help but lament that purists were ubiquitous, regardless of the locale. In this True Man Realm, the world inhabited by the three major sects and myriad schools of thought was considered the Demon Realm; in the cultivation world, the thirty-three heavens were bordered by the Demon Realm. In short, his destiny seemed cursed, requiring him to fight off waves of attackers wherever he went before things settled down. Since he now understood the local customs, he stopped acting ostentatiously. He quietly concealed his aura and flew to the land below, where he saw a bustling town with a dense flow of people. Hoping to gather some information, he slowly brought his sword light down and approached the city gate. This place also seemed to reflect the scenery of the twelfth month of autumn. The soldiers guarding the gate were affable and polite, and merchants and common folk streamed into the city... smiles brimming on every face. Feng Zikang carefully asked an elder beside him and learned that today was a market day. Villages from the surrounding areas brought their local specialties to sell, which explained the liveliness.

He thanked the elder and stepped into the city, observing that everyone on the streets was cheerful. The sounds of vendors calling out their wares filled the air. Children darted about, and if one bumped into someone, they would politely apologize immediately. Throughout the entire market, there was no sound of quarreling; everyone deferred to others, appearing docile and refined. There was also an official proclamation posted, inviting talented individuals—regardless of background—to serve the court, promising employment based on merit. A group of scholars surrounded the notice, gesturing as they discussed the state of affairs. Though they debated, their tone was humble and gentle, never a harsh word spoken. At one stall selling steamed buns, the goods were excellent and cheap, attracting a huge crowd. A long queue formed outside the bun stall, yet no one jostled or pushed. Whenever a pregnant woman or an elderly person arrived, they would voluntarily move to the back of the line, but the people in front would insist on yielding their places so those individuals could buy first. Those few people would politely refuse, and only when truly unable to decline would they gratefully accept, offering thanks to everyone in the line.

Feng Zikang found this strange. This was clearly an era of peace and prosperity, everyone seemed forthright and honest—where were the malevolent spirits causing trouble? He couldn't detect even a trace of demonic energy. He entered a teahouse and sat down. A waiter greeted him attentively, first offering a complimentary iced herbal tea. After Feng Zikang finished drinking, another palate cleanser was offered before the waiter inquired about his order. Feng Zikang casually ordered a green tea and then turned to the waiter to ask about the local situation. “Oh, is the esteemed guest from out of town?”

The young waiter answered cheerfully without irritation, explaining the local customs to Feng Zikang. This city was called Daliang City, an ancient city spanning a thousand years and one of the vital strongholds of the Great Han Dynasty. Being near the sea, it was rich in salt and iron, making it extremely prosperous. The people in the city were all sincerely devoted to the Heavenly Emperor, each person pious and kind, never committing evil deeds. “The Heavenly Emperor?” Feng Zikang subtly knitted his brows, though he did not blurt out the question. Judging by the waiter's tone, this Heavenly Emperor possessed mighty divine abilities, shining his light upon the world, known to all. If he appeared completely ignorant, he would certainly be suspected of being a demon from beyond the borders, or at least a heretical evil, making him a target of universal scorn. Although he did not fear this, it would certainly lead to trouble.

Feng Zikang slipped out of the teahouse and found a bookshop. Indeed, in the most prominent places were several volumes detailing the Heavenly Emperor's doctrines, such as The Heavenly Emperor’s Personal Instructions, The Heavenly Canon, and The Three Laws Governing the Relationship Between Heaven and Man. He bought them all in one go. The owner, seeing his piety, praised him greatly and insisted on giving him a thirty percent discount. Feng Zikang couldn't refuse and could only thank him. He found an inn; the proprietor and staff were warm, and the room was clean and quiet. After the waiter diligently delivered hot water, Feng Zikang leaned back against the bed frame and opened the books.

In this True Man Realm, the Heavenly Emperor was also known as the Lord of Chaos and Creation. He divided the heavens and the earth, fixed the sun, moon, and stars, created all living things, and even fashioned mankind from mud to propagate. After the division of heaven and earth, he established order and laws, residing in the Heavenly Court, becoming the sovereign of the cosmos, educating the populace in the pursuit of harmonious beauty. This was not surprising. Feng Zikang calculated that the True Man Realm was significantly smaller than the Profound Realm he possessed during the Great Competition. This so-called Lord of Chaos and Creation should merely be the creator of this particular Profound Realm. It was not strange that he took such pains to create these realms. But if this person's goal was this, why would he allow demons to wreak havoc in his Profound Realm? This True Man Realm was flourishing day by day, which was absolutely not the sign of a fallen creator. Feng Zikang had overheard conversations in the teahouse during the day but heard no mention of demons, which was very peculiar. Moreover, there was no news of Luo Lianxin’s arrival. Perhaps she, too, was mistaken for a demon from beyond the borders and was keeping a low profile to avoid trouble, which made her difficult to find.

Feng Zikang sighed and continued flipping through the books. The texts recorded that after the initial creation, the Heavenly Emperor once walked the mortal world, partly to slay demons and eliminate fiends, and partly to teach humanity, leaving behind many stories of his inheritance. If someone was crippled and could not walk, the Heavenly Emperor touched them once, and they were made whole. If someone was blind and could not see, the Heavenly Emperor gently stroked them once, and they regained their sight. If someone was a prostitute, fallen into degradation, the Heavenly Emperor taught them, and instantly they were transformed, pure as a virgin. There were countless such miraculous tales.

These stories of divine abilities were rather dull to read. Feng Zikang yawned, but at the same time, he noticed that while the Heavenly Emperor was benevolent, he showed no hesitation in crushing other schools of thought and doctrines in their infancy. For example, in this realm, some people proposed the path of carefree immortality, but they were immediately denounced by the Heavenly Emperor as heretical fiends and cursed to death. In another city, located in the far west of the Great Han, one day someone comprehended the principle of Nirvana and established a discourse on the morality of Bodhi. The ignorant masses believed the words, built grand golden statues, and proclaimed themselves Buddhas. The Heavenly Emperor was enraged upon hearing this and descended with heavenly punishment, turning every person in that city into a clay or wooden puppet. In this True Man Realm, only belief in the Heavenly Emperor was permitted. Everything else was considered a heretical evil, deserving of extermination!