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The Untamed Wilds.

This was the northernmost region.

Yet its terrain was far from monotonous—rather, it boasted several distinct landscapes.

Glaciers, deserts, plains...

Though diverse, the environment was harsh, plagued by natural disasters far more frequent and severe than elsewhere.

The glaciers frequently birthed blizzards, with temperatures plummeting instantaneously, freezing most creatures solid in moments...

The deserts absorbed the sun’s scorching heat, only to unleash it unpredictably in terrifying waves of unbearable temperature.

...

Such were the many calamities that composed the Untamed Wilds.

For humans to survive here, only the strongest could endure.

Yet it was in this very land that the demonic beast legions thrived.

They had, to some extent, adapted to these conditions.

But adaptation did not mean contentment.

Long ago, the demonic beast legions had nearly conquered the entire cultivation world.

Yet humanity, resilient and cunning, had ultimately triumphed under the leadership of a peerless genius.

The beasts were driven into these wildlands, with only scattered remnants lingering elsewhere.

Now, however, the demonic beast legions had grown powerful once more, their ambitions clear—to crush the cultivation world and eradicate humanity.

With the Beast Lord awakening the bloodline of the Demon God, they believed their era had finally arrived.

At this moment.

Su Luo stood upon a stretch of rocky ground, where stones littered the landscape and scarcely a trace of greenery could be seen.

"Then I’ll go retrieve the Thousand-Year Frost Lotus," Jiang Ningshu said before departing.

The herb was what she needed.

Given her strength, it posed no challenge.

The sooner she obtained it, the sooner she could return.

Meanwhile, Su Luo and Little Yu exchanged a glance and prepared to begin.

The plan had already been discussed—Little Yu knew what to do.

"Let’s get started, then."

"Right."

Su Luo’s task, naturally, was to refine the demonic beast legions.

Wait, no—he should just kill them outright.

He no longer needed to refine them to boost his cultivation.

Truth be told, the refining process had been revolting—a stench so foul it was like brewing some unholy concoction.

Back then, refining all manner of demonic beasts had nearly driven him to despair.

Thus, as the antagonist in this tale, every method Su Luo used to grow stronger had been vile—either self-destructive or torturous.

But those days were behind him now.

The first demonic beast legion Su Luo and Little Yu encountered was the Rock Lizard Clan.

They dwelled beneath the stony earth.

"Humans? Hahaha, humans!"

"Let me kill him—don’t interfere!"

"Don’t be ridiculous, I’ll do it!"

At the sight of humans, the Rock Lizards charged forward, scrambling over one another.

As if a moment’s delay would cost them the chance to slaughter their prey.

In the Untamed Wilds, encountering humans was a rare spectacle.

They felt no fear—if their own clan proved insufficient, they would summon others until the humans were dead.

Once entangled here, escape was nearly impossible.

Little Yu swung her sword, cleaving through the oncoming beasts in a single stroke.

Unfazed, the surrounding Rock Lizards coated stones in demonic energy and hurled them at her from all directions.

With a circular slash, Little Yu froze every projectile midair.

Then, with another flick of her blade, she sent them hurtling back—with twice the force.

Many Rock Lizards were impaled instantly.

Enraged, the Rock Lizard King struck.

How dare these humans act so brazenly on demonic beast territory, slaughtering his kin?

Unforgivable!

He plunged his claws into a pile of rocks, which liquefied and merged with his body.

His form swelled monstrously.

To him now, Little Yu was but an ant.

The surrounding Rock Lizards roared in fervent support.

This was their king!

Yet in the next instant, their king was gone.

Su Luo’s Void Hand crushed the Rock Lizard King like a brittle twig.

A mere Nascent Soul cultivator—hardly worth the effort.

The remaining Rock Lizards had no time to mourn.

Little Yu was already carving through them like a storm.

Each swing of her sword felled swathes of them.

They tried hiding within the rocks, but to no avail—even the stones were split apart.

Soon, the entire Rock Lizard Clan was annihilated.

They had no chance to call for reinforcements—no signals were sent before death claimed them.

Su Luo and Little Yu moved on to the next location.

Su Luo was merely following the script, slaughtering demonic beast legions along the outskirts of the Untamed Wilds.

He avoided venturing too deep—discovery would be problematic.

If the beast generals or the Grand Priest took notice, complications would arise.

Su Luo wasn’t afraid, but he worried he might lose control and slaughter them all.

Eradicating the demonic beast legions was a task best left to Lin Xuan.

---

Meanwhile, Lin Xuan and the main force had arrived at the Northern Heavenly Gate.

Along the way, others had joined their ranks.

Once again, the gathering of prodigies had begun.

Among them were three Mahayana cultivators, twenty Void Refinement experts, and several Nascent Soul cultivators.

A formidable assembly.

Clearly, they had prepared thoroughly for this expedition into the Untamed Wilds.

Yet upon arrival, they were met with an unexpected sight—a colossal boulder beside the Northern Heavenly Gate, towering even above the walls.

Since when had this been here?

Di Haoran approached. "We’ve been waiting for you. Rest awhile, then we depart for the Untamed Wilds."

He had already selected the team, and everything was in place—only Lin Xuan’s arrival remained.

"What’s with this giant rock?" someone asked curiously.

They assumed Di Haoran had placed it there.

"Ah, a demonic cultivator played a trick on me," he admitted.

"Who?"

Di Haoran’s strength was undeniable. With the demonic path in decline, who could challenge him?

"You’d know him well—Su Luo," Di Haoran said plainly.

Though it was somewhat embarrassing, he cared little once the deed was done.

Better to avoid shame beforehand, but once it happened, there was no point hiding it.

Nangong Xiyun asked, "How long ago did he leave?"

"Two days ago. How did you know he’s already gone?" Di Haoran found it odd.

Why assume Su Luo had left?

"Because he’s cunning," Nangong Xiyun replied vaguely.

She knew Su Luo’s methods well.

Now, pursuit was impossible.

Still, she had no intention of leaving the group—her duty was to protect them.

The coming battle against the Beast Lord demanded her full attention.

She had merely hoped, if the departure was recent, to reunite briefly.

Just... a brief reunion.

Li Siyi, however, was unperturbed.

She knew Su Luo was strong, and with Jiang Ningshu by his side, there was little to worry about.

Instead, she pondered whether to spread word of Su Luo’s undercover identity.

Currently, only the core members of the Seven Stars Sword Sect knew—this wouldn’t do.

Li Siyi had her own plans.

But there was no rush. She would wait for the right moment.

Lin Xuan spoke up. "What happened to Su Luo? You didn’t harm him, did you?"

"He fled into the wildlands, but why does your tone sound a bit off?"

Di Haoran was puzzled. Lin Xuan's expression just now seemed almost... concerned for Su Luo.

Huh? Why? That shouldn't be the case.