Something seems off

At the former site of the Starry Gate.

Yi Feng rode Man Man back once more, brimming with determination.

But when he took in the sight before him, his smile froze awkwardly on his face.

The once mist-shrouded, gloomy land was now bathed in sunlight. Though the surroundings were scarred and desolate, not a trace of demonic aura remained. The area was eerily silent, devoid of even a single ghostly shadow.

In this barren wasteland, where even birds wouldn’t deign to leave droppings, there was no sign of the demonic tribes.

Had he come all this way for nothing?

Yi Feng dismounted from Man Man and continued searching the vicinity, unwilling to give up.

No matter how hard he looked, the landscape had undergone a complete transformation. The once bone-littered path had turned to dust, and the skies were clear and radiant.

After much effort, he managed to find only a few sneaky, low-level demons hiding in the shadows. The experience points they offered were pitifully meager, hardly worth the trouble.

He’d returned with such high spirits, only for this?

Crunch!

Yi Feng cleaved through one of the minor fiends, then sheathed his great blade with a sigh.

He shot Man Man a skeptical glance, suspicion creeping into his eyes.

"Did you take the wrong path? There’s not a single demon here. Is this really the same place as the Starry Gate?"

At his words, Man Man trembled nervously.

Bubbles spilled from its mouth, and the two antennae on its head twitched frantically toward the distance!

"Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!"

Yi Feng narrowed his eyes and turned to follow the direction of the antennae.

Far away, a slender beam of light stretched across the horizon, emitting a faint glow. The hazy, shadowy aura it exuded bore an uncanny resemblance to the Black Domain of the past.

Recognizing the familiar sight, hope flickered in Yi Feng’s eyes.

Gripping his great blade, he sprinted toward it!

Upon closer inspection, the beam was a dim, towering pillar of light—several meters wide—resembling a gate or perhaps a torn rift. Its edges were jagged and irregular, pulsing with an inky radiance.

Within the pillar lay an abyss of endless darkness, cold and sinister, impossible to penetrate with sight.

Now, it churned and writhed violently, the blackness growing purer, devouring even the nearby light.

Could this be… a backdoor for the demonic tribes?

As Yi Feng stroked his chin in contemplation, the pillar suddenly shifted.

The once-dark abyss flared with a blinding intensity, and a dense, terrifying demonic aura surged forth like smoke. Wherever the miasma passed, the soil withered and cracked.

Then—a slender, clawed hand reached out from within!

The abrupt appearance of the limb made Yi Feng recoil a few steps in disgust.

The pillar convulsed violently as figures emerged one after another. In the blink of an eye, over a hundred demonic shadows stood before him, their rotting stench fouling the air, dimming the very light around them!

The towering figures—each standing several meters tall with a single, grotesquely large eye—marched forward with overwhelming might. Their mere footsteps caused the earth to fracture beneath them.

At their forefront, the one-eyed demon leader grinned savagely, scanning the surroundings with disdain.

"Kekeke…"

"For our Illusion Demon tribe to descend upon such a barren planet is an honor beyond its worth. That Yunxing Demon Leader is truly useless, failing to conquer even this worthless land."

The horde of demons behind him erupted in laughter, their demonic aura surging like a tidal wave!

"Hahaha…"

Amid their raucous jeers, they finally noticed the lone human standing before them. Were it not for the gleaming great blade in his hand, his frail stature and weak presence would have made him easy to overlook.

One of the giant demons widened its single eye, unleashing a terrifying pressure toward him!

Yet the man showed no fear—nor any reaction at all.

The demon leader barked a reprimand.

"Step back! You can’t even intimidate a puny human? Pathetic!"

With that, he fixed his own massive gaze upon Yi Feng.

Instantly, a dreadful mental assault surged forth—a torrent of hatred, rage, and fear, swirling around Yi Feng like a suffocating tide. The very ground trembled under the oppressive force.

But strangely, no matter how intensely the demon glared, Yi Feng’s expression remained utterly unbothered.

"Impossible! Our Illusion Demon tribe’s mental attacks have no effect?! Human… do you not fear us?!"

Illusion Demons…

So these were the demonic tribes after all.

He’d thought this trip would be a bust, but now—what an unexpected windfall! A hundred-plus experience piñatas? Not bad at all.

Gripping his great blade, Yi Feng flashed a bright, toothy grin.

"Welp, looks like my luck’s holding up!"

With a single swing—

Shing!

The demon leader was split clean in two. The horde’s faces twisted in horror!

But Yi Feng’s eyes sparkled with delight.

The experience points flooding his mind far surpassed what he’d gained from previous demon kills. These ugly cyclopean freaks were premium loot!

Demons shouldn’t be judged by their looks, huh?

What a pleasant surprise.

"Hehe, none of you are getting away!"

With an excited shout, Yi Feng charged forward, blade raised.

Before the demons could react, crack-crack-crack!—several more of their kin fell in an instant.

The man showed no mercy, continuing his relentless advance, his cheerful smile now more terrifying than any demon’s. The Illusion Demon tribe felt their scalps go numb!

Screams filled the air as the spatial rift became a slaughterhouse.

In less time than it took to burn a stick of incense…

A group of big-eyed monsters lay defeated on the ground as Yi Feng reluctantly sheathed his long blade.

Turning back to glance at the radiant pillar behind him, he had already formed a long-term plan.

This must be the backdoor of the demon realm. If there was one wave of juicy experience points, there might very well be a second!

"If that's the case, I'll just wait here like a farmer by a tree stump for rabbits—farming experience at the backdoor. What a delightful idea!"

"Tsk tsk, I truly am a genius."

With his plan settled, Yi Feng's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

Unhurriedly, he pulled out a rustic chicken egg and a gourd of wine, replenishing his stamina as he prepared for the grand battle ahead.

...

Far beyond the outskirts of Pingjiang City,

a small lakeside boasted serene scenery.

The lakeside path was still frequented by elderly folks—some fishing, others dancing in the square.

Everything appeared peaceful, yet in the shadows of the eastern shore lurked a dark figure.

A few birds flitted overhead, undisturbed by his presence. His aura had melded seamlessly with the surroundings, indistinguishable from the grass, trees, and stones.

"My rise to power wasn't solely due to cunning. Without true skill, how could I achieve greatness? My concealment talent is flawless—no one could possibly detect me!"

Despite his words, doubt flickered in the Yunxing Demon Leader's eyes.

Silently scanning his surroundings, everything remained tranquil.

Something felt... off.

As the sun began to set, he realized he had lain in ambush for an entire day without sensing a single trace of the elite demons or receiving any transmissions.

Suspicion crept into his gaze as he muttered in confusion,

"Is the Demon General this unreliable? Logically, the first wave of our elites should have already arrived on Yunxing. Was I deceived?"

"It doesn't make sense..."

After wrestling with his doubts, the Demon Leader steadied himself.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to prove my worth. I must remain patient!"

"Our elites were summoned from distant planets. It’s natural for them to take time. With their aid, achieving glory will be effortless. A few more days of waiting won’t hurt."

Gradually calming his mind, he continued lurking patiently in the lakeside shadows.

He reminded himself of the Demon General's orders—stay hidden, wait for the demon forces to assemble, and only then strategize their infiltration into human society.