Chapter 15: Demon Suppression City

When Ziyu went to collect her equipment, Lu Wu remained silent. It wasn’t until Ziyu reached the mountain gate and started heading out that Lu Wu asked her to take out the mission jade slip for a look. After reading it, Lu Wu gained a new understanding of this world.

This world… The Supreme Void Palace was situated in the Tai Xu mountain range. To its west lay the Heavenly Capital Sea, which, in reality, was more of an immense lake, ruled by a flood dragon. To the east stretched the chaotic lands of demons and monsters. To the south was the Hundred Thousand Demon Mountains. To the north, the Chaotic Demon Caverns.

Within the jade slip, the territory under the Supreme Void Palace was clearly marked, with strict prohibitions against disciples below the Qi Gathering stage leaving these bounds. The Supreme Void Palace guarded an area roughly a thousand miles long and six hundred miles wide, protecting the mortals within. Beyond this, in all directions, was nothing but demons and monsters.

This location was, frankly, a disaster for the Supreme Void Palace.

Lu Wu asked, “Ziyu, where is your home?”

Ziyu replied, “White Conch Village, Coldheart City.”

Lu Wu found the location on the map within the jade slip. Coldheart City lay at the outer edge of the Supreme Void Palace’s domain, surrounded on three sides by the Demon Caverns—a strategic stronghold.

Ziyu continued, “Every year, many cultivators from the Supreme Void Palace are dispatched to Coldheart City for garrison duty, and many fall in battle. That’s why our descendants often have some talent for cultivation. However, most of us are not particularly gifted.”

Lu Wu understood. Coldheart City likely hosted many outer disciples from the Supreme Void Palace, as the sect recruited thousands of such disciples yearly. Within the palace, these outer disciples also raised children, so each year, at least three thousand new outer disciples joined the ranks. These people were frequently posted to strategic locations all around. Once cultivators returned to the mortal realm, they naturally partook in mortal affairs—raising families was the norm.

Lu Wu asked, “Have you ever seen a demon or monster?”

Ziyu smiled, “Of course I have. Otherwise, why would my master assign me a mission to clear out monsters right from the start? Our White Conch Village has six outer disciples stationed there, but now, I am stronger than all of them.”

Most of those outer disciples were at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Lu Wu carefully examined the information on the mission jade slip. This time, those invading South Ge Village were monsters, not demons, which made sense since South Ge Village lay to the south, near the Hundred Thousand Demon Mountains, not the northern demonic caverns.

Once outside the mountain, Ziyu took out her flying vessel and began to pilot it. Lu Wu watched the vessel, stroking his chin in thought. This vessel didn’t resemble a mythical artifact; instead, it seemed more like a spaceship—a product of technology?

Lu Wu even spotted manufacturing information on one part of the vessel: “Produced in the year 4819 of the Great Cycle, Lu’s Flying Vessel.”

This piqued Lu Wu’s interest. “Are you familiar with these flying vessels?”

Ziyu answered, “I’ve seen my master use a flying ship—larger and faster than this one, also made by the Lu family.”

“Lu family?” Lu Wu coughed lightly. “I haven’t entered the mortal world in many years; I’m not familiar with them.”

Ziyu organized her thoughts. “Beyond the Hundred Thousand Demon Mountains to the south is a vast human territory, centered around the Holy Capital. The Lu family is a powerful cultivation clan there, renowned for crafting flying vessels. Their strength is likely no less than the Supreme Void Palace’s.”

Lu Wu understood. The Supreme Void Palace was an isolated enclave of human influence, suspended amid a sea of monsters and demons—a literal island, an outpost.

Ziyu’s eyes shone with longing. “I hope one day I’ll be worthy of joining the Supreme Void Squad.”

Lu Wu chuckled. “Why do you want to join the Supreme Void Squad?”

Ziyu replied, “Every so often, elite disciples of the Supreme Void Palace form a small squad that ventures into the Hundred Thousand Demon Mountains, crossing them to reach the Holy Capital. Only the strongest disciples are selected. I very much want to see the outside world.”

The flying vessel moved swiftly, and in about an hour and a half, they reached the vicinity of South Ge Village. Ziyu arrived at the town above South Ge Village—Town of Demon Suppression.

Within the city lord’s mansion, many Foundation Establishment disciples busied themselves. Ziyu put away her vessel and entered the mansion, soon reaching the war preparation office.

An elderly man with graying hair was scratching his head. “Four batches of inner disciples have come already, but none are here to deal with the invading monsters. Why hasn’t anyone come yet?”

Ziyu stepped forward and presented her token. “Second-generation inner disciple Ziyu, reporting for duty.”

The old man froze for a moment, then beamed with delight. “A second-generation disciple? Excellent! At last, someone has come! Please, have a seat.”

After seating Ziyu, the old man recounted the events of the previous day. It turned out that a squad of cat monsters from the Hundred Thousand Demon Mountains had appeared in South Ge Village yesterday. A third of the village had been overrun, while the remaining two-thirds were protected by an array. The Town of Demon Suppression could not spare enough Foundation-level outer warriors for rescue, so they had repeatedly sent requests for help to the Supreme Void Palace.

Ziyu, after reviewing the situation, said, “There’s no time to lose. I’ll head out now.”

Lu Wu spoke into her mind, “Don’t be hasty. Your clearance is higher than ordinary disciples here—check the task log or war log first.”

Ziyu immediately requested to see the records from the war office. Lu Wu read along with her. The Book of Knowledge quickly summarized a map of the Town of Demon Suppression, with all recent battles against monsters marked.

Lu Wu found something odd, though it didn’t concern him directly. However, one detail caught his attention: three quarters of an hour ago, Zhao Yi and Blue Star had arrived in the Town of Demon Suppression to execute a mission called “Finding the Hundred-Spirit Flower,” which grew near a minor spirit spring in the wild hills north of South Ge Village.

Seeing the name Zhao Yi, Lu Wu felt a flicker of curiosity.

As Ziyu piloted the flying vessel toward South Ge Village, Lu Wu asked, “In the past month, have you had any contact with this Zhao Yi?”

Ziyu shook her head. “My master said we no longer belong to the same world; there’s no need to bother with her.”

Lu Wu thought to himself, this girl is frightfully naïve. She knows the terror of monsters but nothing of the terror of human hearts.

“Very well,” he said.

The flying vessel soon arrived near South Ge Village, which was now protected by a yellow barrier of light.

Ziyu explained, “That’s a second-level protective array. About a dozen Foundation-level cat monsters are prowling around—it should hold for another five hours.”

Lu Wu considered, “I’ll handle one of them. The rest are yours. Try to capture two alive—of different breeds.”

Ziyu understood his intent. “Different breeds of cat monsters, right?”

“Exactly.”

In South Ge Village, a cat monster leapt swiftly onto a stone wall, then bounded into a towering tree. Using the spring of a branch, it launched itself into the air, claws slashing at the barrier.

The protective light flickered, retreating by a centimeter.

Lu Wu approached. “You’ll do.”

This cat monster did not resemble an ordinary feline. It was bizarre—apart from its feline form, a flower bud sprouted from its head, yet to bloom.

The Book of Knowledge swiftly updated:

Enemy: Cat Monster.
Cultivation: Mid Foundation Establishment.
Type: Corpse-Flower Puppet Cat Monster.
Abilities: Unknown.

Lu Wu pondered, then charged at the cat monster. Hearing him, the creature lashed out with its tail. Lu Wu dodged and landed on its back, releasing ninefold human soul power in an instant.

His strength was thrown off in a moment.

“How curious—such power!”

He invoked the soul totem of the ant, stacking ninefold human strength! The blood energy transformed by soul power remained ninefold, but the ant totem’s explosive strength multiplied instantly—four hundredfold. That was the strength of three thousand six hundred men.

In a single moment, the cat monster was crushed to pulp.

“Damn, I overdid it.”

The Book of Knowledge quickly refreshed.

Cat monster: possesses the strength of twenty men.

This metric was based on ordinary human power. To a regular person, this feline would indeed be a terrifying monster.