Inside Li's Treasure Pavilion.
After more than an hour of inventory and accounting, Liu Yalan respectfully presented the ledger and a storage ring containing a large number of high-grade spiritual items and materials to Li Mu.
“These are all the spiritual materials left in the Treasure Pavilion? All the profits from ten years of operation were swallowed by that guy?”
Li Mu examined the ledger Jade Slip and the storage ring with his Divine Sense, looking at Liu Yalan in surprise, somewhat astonished.
Li's Treasure Pavilion had been handed over to Liu Yalan to manage, and after ten years, the profits were even worse than what he had earned in a single year before, simply unbearable to look at.
Liu Yalan's face was a bit grim; she knew that the business results over the past decade were not ideal, but being directly pointed out by Li Mu still made her feel a wave of shame.
Liu Yalan lowered her head uncomfortably and quickly explained, “Young Master, actually, my third uncle didn't embezzle much. Ever since you left, the Treasure Pavilion's business has been declining daily. The main reasons are the lack of your presence and the absence of unique spiritual items like high-quality Spiritual Artifacts, high-grade spiritual talismans, Puppets, and Spirit Pills, which made it impossible to attract more customers. Wanxing Island has many competitors, and old customers were gradually eroded, so….”
“Hmm! This is not your fault; it was my poor arrangement before,” Li Mu nodded understandingly, speaking indifferently.
What Liu Yalan said was true; in a prosperous place like Wanxing Island, business competition was already fierce. Without his presence and without unique resource channels, Li's Treasure Pavilion indeed found it difficult to gain a foothold.
Upon hearing Li Mu's words, Liu Yalan's taut nerves finally relaxed. She quickly brightened and said, “Please rest assured, Pavilion Master, now that you have returned, the glory of the Treasure Firm will surely be restored. I will do my utmost to reorganize the Treasure Firm and make it the top business in Wanxing Island once again.”
Hearing this, Li Mu smiled faintly, his smile carrying a hint of helplessness and deeper meaning.
Li Mu did not intend to stay long on Wanxing Island; the threat from the Nine Demon Sect and the Blood Demon Lord - Dana always lingered in his mind, preventing him from feeling at ease.
His current visit to the Ten Thousand Stars Sea Region was only for Undergoing Tribulation on Myriad Swords Mountain and to collect a batch of spiritual materials from Li's Treasure Pavilion along the way. Li Mu had never thought about continuing to operate this pavilion, yet he unexpectedly encountered the incident of it being usurped.
Liu Yalan looked at Li Mu, puzzled, not knowing why he was smiling.
“Shopkeeper Liu, let's close Li's Treasure Pavilion!” Li Mu sighed softly, explaining, “Currently, my focus is on the Central Continent Spirit Domain, and it's not convenient to stay long on Wanxing Island. My visit this time was merely to collect a batch of spiritual materials, and I did not intend to stay long.”
Liu Yalan was stunned upon hearing this. She couldn't believe her ears; this sudden news filled her with bewilderment and loss.
All along, Liu Yalan had dedicated herself entirely to Li's Treasure Pavilion, possessing a strong career ambition.
All along, Liu Yalan had dedicated herself entirely to Li's Treasure Pavilion, possessing a strong career ambition. She had poured so much effort and sweat into this Treasure Firm, even breaking ties with her Family. Unfortunately, she was stuck with an incompetent Family, which led to a violent seizure of power, but she still did not compromise.
Liu Yalan firmly believed that with Li Mu's support, she could surely make Li's Treasure Pavilion rise again and regain its glory. However, now Li Mu wanted to abandon everything here, which made her feel incredibly lost and bewildered.
For a moment, Liu Yalan felt an emptiness in her heart, as if she had lost something important.
Seeing Liu Yalan's dazed and dispirited expression, Li Mu quickly suggested, “Shopkeeper Liu, if the Treasure Firm closes and you have nowhere to go, would you be willing to come with me to develop in the Central Continent? The Central Continent Spirit Domain is vast and boundless, with numerous opportunities. I believe there, you will surely be able to create brilliant achievements.”
Liu Yalan did not immediately answer Li Mu's words. She looked at Li Mu, lost in thought, her heart filled with conflict and struggle. She didn't know where she should go, nor whether she could adapt to life in the Central Continent Spirit Domain.
However, Liu Yalan also knew that she had no retreat. Losing Li's Treasure Pavilion and Li Mu's protection would make her position in the Family even more awkward. Rather than continuing to be suppressed and ostracized on Wanxing Island, it was better to take a leap of faith and follow Li Mu to the Central Continent Spirit Domain to seek new opportunities.
“Pavilion Master, I am willing to follow you to the Central Continent!” After making up her mind, Liu Yalan raised her head and said firmly.
Li Mu nodded, smiling contentedly.
Liu Yalan looked at Li Mu, asking with concern, “But how should Li's Treasure Pavilion be handled?”
Hearing this, Li Mu frowned, then seemed to think of something, and smiled slightly, suggesting, “Didn't your Liu Family covet the Treasure Firm! Trade it to your Family's Old Ancestor then! He should be awake by now, go deal with it quickly, the sooner the better! We'll leave as soon as possible.”
Upon hearing Li Mu's words, Liu Yalan was stunned for a moment, then understood Li Mu's meaning.
Liu Yalan nodded and responded, “Alright, I'll go take care of it now.”
With that, Liu Yalan turned and hurried away to handle the store transfer, while Li Mu held a storage ring containing the profits of Li's Treasure Pavilion from the past decade.
Li Mu immersed his Divine Sense, itemizing the contents one by one.
Inside the storage ring, high-grade spiritual plants and materials were dazzlingly abundant, with hundreds of high-grade spiritual plants of excellent quality, including many fifth-grade spiritual plants, and even some precious sixth-grade spiritual plants.
However, what surprised Li Mu the most was the discovery of two Nine Yin Spirit Grasses, each with a medicinal age of eight hundred years, among these spiritual plants.
This was an unexpected pleasant surprise. Nine Yin Spirit Grass and Nine Yang Spirit Grass were crucial for enhancing spirituality, and Li Mu had spent years searching for them everywhere. He never expected to unexpectedly obtain two stalks this time.
Over the past decade, Li Mu had issued quite a few Sect missions and commissions at the Contribution Hall of Xuantian Sword Sect to collect rare spiritual materials such as Nine Yin Spirit Grass, Nine Yang Spirit Grass, and reversing death spirit grass. However, after all this time, the harvest of mature Nine Yang Spirit Grass and Nine Yin Spirit Grass was meager, and there was no news of reversing death spirit grass at all.
However, now that he had obtained these two eight-hundred-year-old Nine Yin Spirit Grasses, it could be considered a decent harvest.
With the two Nine Yin Spirit Grasses and a large quantity of fifth and sixth-grade Artifact Refining spiritual materials, trading away Li's Treasure Pavilion no longer felt as painful. In the Central Continent Spirit Domain, the quantity and quality of high-grade Artifact Refining spiritual materials far surpassed this resource-poor region of the Ten Thousand Stars Sea Region.
Just as Li Mu was tallying his gains and preparing to leave the Ten Thousand Stars Sea Region, on an unfamiliar island, Wu Tian Demon Ancestor, accompanied by Blood Wu and Blood Mist, passed through heavily restricted stone gates and arrived at the Blood Pool Holy Land.
A massive blood pool floated in the air, with dark red liquid churning within it, full of life Qi. In the center of the blood pool, a dark figure floated quietly—it was the Blood Demon Lord - Dana.
Wu Tian Demon Ancestor bowed respectfully, saying, “I respectfully request the Demonic Lord to emerge from seclusion. The one holding the key to the Sealed Land has returned to Wanxing Island; the Demonic Lord is needed to preside over the situation.”
The dark red liquid in the blood pool churned even more violently, and a majestic voice emanated from within the blood pool: “Is the news accurate? Where is he?!”
As the voice faded, the dark figure in the blood pool slowly rose, transforming into a tall figure—it was the Blood Demon Lord - Dana. He wore a blood-red robe, his face was cold, and his eyes, like blood, exuded an imposing and domineering aura.
“On Wanxing Island! He should still be there!”
Wu Tian Demon Ancestor quickly responded.
The figure of the Blood Demon Lord - Dana stood in mid-air, his dark red robe billowing in the wind like a blood-colored banner fluttering above Wanxing Island. He stared directly towards Wanxing Island, his eyes filled with endless killing intent.
“Issue the order, gather all Demonic Lords and Demonic Monarchs, and follow me to kill our way to Wanxing Island!” Dana's voice echoed like thunder.
Upon hearing this, Wu Tian Demon Ancestor immediately bowed in respectful assent, his figure flashing away to quickly relay the command. Soon, the entire island erupted, with countless Demonic Lords and Demonic Monarchs responding, converging towards the blood pool where the Blood Demon Lord - Dana was located.
The Blood Demon Lord - Dana stood in mid-air, looking down at the Cultivators below, his eyes revealing an unquestionable majesty.
The next moment, the Blood Demon Lord - Dana waved his hand, summoning a massive blood cloud that enveloped the Demonic Ancestors, Demonic Lords, and Demonic Monarchs, blotting out the sky and sun. With a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, it soared towards Wanxing Island.
In the Ten Thousand Stars Sea Region, the southern sky suddenly changed color. A rolling blood cloud appeared in the southern sky with extreme speed and immense momentum, as if dyeing the entire sky dark red.
“Dana, how dare you!”
Accompanied by an earth-shattering roar, a sharp Sword Qi shot from the neighboring spiritual island, instantly piercing through the rolling blood cloud, splitting it in two. The power of the Sword Qi was so immense that the world seemed to pause. The owner of the Sword Qi was none other than Sword Master Feng, a top-tier Combined Body Realm expert from the Xuantian Sword Sect.
Sword Master Feng stood tall, his white robe fluttering, his gaze like a torch, directly piercing towards the Blood Demon Lord - Dana deep within the blood cloud.
“Haha, you've come just in time! Let's fight another battle today!” The Blood Demon Lord - Dana laughed loudly, his figure moving, transforming into a streak of blood-light, and charging towards Sword Master Feng's direction.
As the Blood Demon Lord - Dana and Sword Master Feng engaged in battle, the Cultivators in the blood cloud were immediately unbound. Like dumplings falling into water, they followed Wu Tian Demon Ancestor, flying down to kill towards Wanxing Island below.
At this moment, the Cultivators on Wanxing Island also sensed something was amiss and reacted accordingly. The Sea God Sect and the Xuantian Sword Sect's Island Cultivators on the island all soared into the air to meet the Demonic Cultivators' attack on the island.
“Oh my god, it's the Blood Demon Clan! They're attacking the island!” The Cultivators on the island exclaimed in horror and unease upon seeing this scene.
“Run!” some shouted in terror, trying to escape the island that was about to become a battlefield.
The high-ranking Cultivators of the Sea God Sect and Xuantian Sword Sect all conjured their Magic Treasures and unleashed powerful magical energy, confronting the Blood Demon Clan.
“Audacious Blood Demon Clan, how dare you invade my Sea God Sect!” The Sect Master of the Sea God Sect roared as he met the attack.
“Island Protection Formation, quickly make the Formation counterattack!” The Void Refining Cultivator of the Sea God Sect urged the Island Protection Formation, attempting to use the Formation's power to repel the Demonic Cultivators.
Wanxing Island, once a tranquil and vibrant island, had now become a living hell, with blood staining the earth and a thick smell of blood permeating the air. The entire island trembled, as if wailing for the fallen Cultivators. From within the blood cloud, countless high-grade Demonic Cultivators surged like a flood, grinning, wielding their demonic weapons and Artifacts, launching a fierce siege on Wanxing Island.
Although the Blood Demon Lord - Dana was held back by Sword Master Feng, this did not stop the attack of the many Demonic Cultivators. They surged towards the island like a tide, wave after wave, completely surrounding Wanxing Island. The entire island was tightly encircled by a large Demonic Cultivator Formation, like a massive cage, firmly trapping the Cultivators on the island.
Countless Blood Demon Qi soared into the sky, like evil Dragons circling in the air, as if to devour the entire island. This powerful demonic Formation pressure caused the Cultivators on the island to tremble and fall silent, like cicadas in cold weather. Facing an unprecedented crisis, they were all filled with fear and despair.
“Leave no one alive! Dig three feet deep, and you must find him for me!” Wu Tian Demon Ancestor stood at the forefront of the army, overlooking the entire Wanxing Island, his eyes gleaming with cold light. His Divine Thought swept back and forth across the entire island.
Wu Tian Demon Ancestor's Divine Sense, like a colossal net, swept across the entire island, searching for the whereabouts of the person holding the Water Mansion key. Their objective for this trip was very clear: to capture the key holder and obtain the key to enter Water Yuan Dao Lord's Water Mansion, no matter where he hid, they had to drag him out.
The attack of the Nine Demon Sect and the Blood Demon Clan was too sudden, and led by a powerful individual like the Blood Demon Lord - Dana himself in a surprise assault. Facing such a large army of Demonic Cultivators, the Island Protection Formation deployed by the Sea God Sect on Wanxing Island was breached in an instant.
At Wu Tian Demon Ancestor's command, the Blood Demon army immediately surged like a tide into Wanxing Island. Wielding their demonic weapons and Artifacts, filled with boundless killing intent, they mercilessly slaughtered the Cultivators on the island. Countless Cultivators, once firm in their Dao Heart and profound in cultivation, were powerless to resist before the Blood Demon army, like lambs awaiting slaughter.
Screams and roars echoed across the island, shrill and desperate. Cultivators were chased and besieged by Demonic Cultivators; their Magic Treasures and Spells appeared so pale and weak before the Blood Demon army. Some Cultivators attempted to form Formations to resist, but under the tidal assault of the Blood Demon army, they were quickly scattered, and one by one, they were cruelly cut down.
Wanxing Island, this once tranquil and harmonious Cultivation Holy Land, had now become a living hell. Blood stained the earth, and the air was thick with the pungent smell of blood. The entire island trembled, as if wailing for the dead Cultivators.
After conquering Wanxing Island, Wu Tian Demon Ancestor appeared before Li's Treasure Pavilion immediately, joining several other Demonic Ancestors to attack the Treasure Pavilion's protective Formation.
Wu Tian Demon Ancestor's Divine Thought had swept the entire Wanxing Island countless times, but he had yet to find any trace of Li Mu. Only the protective Formation of Li's Treasure Pavilion blocked his Divine Sense prying, so the target might be inside.
“Boom! Boom!” Explosions continued to reverberate above Wanxing Island, each tremor like a thunderous shock, making hearts pound.
Wu Tian Demon Ancestor and several other Demonic Ancestors joined forces, casting Spells and attacking with the ferocity of a storm, directly targeting the protective Formation of Li's Treasure Pavilion. However, their attacks struck the Formation like giant waves crashing against a reef, creating ripples upon ripples.
However, it only caused a slight ripple, and the result was not what they desired—the Formation was not torn apart. On the contrary, the Formation seemed to possess endless resilience; no matter how fierce the attacks, they only left golden traces on its surface, which then quickly recovered as if nothing had happened. The power they unleashed seemed to be completely absorbed by this protective Formation.
Wu Tian Demon Ancestor's face showed an expression of disbelief. He widened his eyes, staring intently at the protective Formation before him, his heart filled with doubt and anger.
It was unimaginable that this small protective Formation could withstand the combined attacks of several Demonic Ancestors. They had previously successfully breached the Sea God Sect's Island Protection Formation, but this seemingly smaller protective Formation now appeared hundreds of times stronger than the Island Protection Formation.
“Damn it!” Wu Tian Demon Ancestor cursed under his breath, “What kind of Formation is this? We broke the Sea God Sect's Island Protection Formation, so why can't we break a mere protective Formation of a pavilion?!”
Wu Tian Demon Ancestor stared intently at the protective Formation, filled with frustration, yet also more determined to break through it.
Soon, Wu Tian Demon Ancestor, along with several other Demonic Ancestors, continued to unleash attacks, and also summoned a group of Demonic Monarch subordinates to jointly cast Spells and bombard it. No matter what, they had to break this turtle shell.
