Martial Cultivator

The demon race's territory was actually no smaller than that of the human race.

It was just that there were not many places suitable for habitation.

The Southern Frontier was considered the most suitable place in the entire Demon Domain for ordinary demons to live. It lay at the southernmost edge of the demon race's territory, close to the Desolate North, and throughout the year, there would be one or two months during which they could experience what was called summer.

But from the Southern Frontier onward, the farther north one traveled, the colder it became.

At the demon race's Northern Sea, also known among the demons as the Sea of Myriad Demons, that expanse of demon sea had always been regarded by the overwhelming majority of the demon race as the furthest place where their people could barely survive.

Traveling farther north meant crossing the depths of that demon sea and coming ashore in the north, where there stretched a vast expanse of land.

There was no life upon that land, nor did any vegetation grow. It was said that demons had once brought there the most life-filled plant in the world - the Immortal Tree.

But in the end, not a single Immortal Tree survived.

It was said that to make flowers or plants live on that land required a cultivator of extremely high cultivation realm, tirelessly using qi day and night to dispel the bitter cold from them.

Otherwise, there was absolutely no possibility of them surviving.

And upon that land, apart from cultivators of extremely high cultivation, ordinary demons could scarcely endure for more than four hours.

Thus, although it had always belonged to the demon race, throughout countless years of history, the demons had never truly been familiar with that place.

Only from time to time would some young demons venture there to temper their physiques and improve their cultivation. But even though they often made the most thorough preparations, a considerable number of them still died there.

They became nourishment for that land, yet even so, it was incredibly difficult for the land to bring forth any sign of life.

When the tall man appeared in the depths of the demon sea, demons of every rank were at a loss. At that very moment, the demon race in the south was hurrying relentlessly toward the far south, yet this man had appeared here instead.

It was something no one could guess the reason for.

But they soon discovered that the man had disappeared into the depths of the demon sea, and no one knew where he had gone.

"It seems... he went north..."

An aged old demon struggled to keep his cloudy eyes open as he gazed northward and spoke softly.

"Grandpa, didn't they say that beyond the end of the sea... is a land of death?"

Compared to the rest of the Demon Domain, the demon sea lay closest to that land, and so the greatest number of legends about it originated there.

But among those enduring legends, the most common description was that it was a land of death, utterly devoid of life.

The old demon did not withdraw his gaze. He merely said calmly, "Some places are lands of death to most people, but to a few, they're nothing more than a pleasant summer night."

After saying that, the old demon took his young grandson by the hand and smiled, "Come, let's go see your dad off."

The child nodded, then immediately clenched his fists, "Grandpa, this time we're going to fight all the way south, until every last one of those humans is dead!"

The old demon asked, "But a great many demons will die."

"If Dad dies, then I'll go when I grow up!"

A child of his age should have possessed a pair of utterly innocent eyes. But there was nothing of the sort in his gaze.

Only boundless savagery.

The old demon looked at the child, and a smile gradually appeared in his cloudy eyes, "Good, you've got spirit. If your father dies, then you'll take his place. If you die, then your child will continue."

As he spoke, the old demon lifted the child onto his shoulders and slowly walked back toward home.

......

......

A small boat crossed that demon sea where the farther north one went, the more drifting ice appeared, and finally reached the shore.

The tall man stepped ashore and stood upon the coast, looking toward the lands farther to the north.

The small boat sank to the bottom of the sea.

The man lowered his head and glanced at the ground beneath his feet. The surface of the land was covered by a thick layer of old ice.

This was not the so-called accumulated snow, but snow that had never once melted over hundreds and thousands of years, gradually turning into old ice.

The hardness of this layer of ancient ice was likely no weaker than many magic artifacts refined by great cultivators.

This was the power of heaven and earth, and of time. When the two came together, they created something truly extraordinary.

The man walked across the ice. His pace seemed neither fast nor slow, yet in the blink of an eye he had already covered hundreds of miles.

The deeper he went into this land, the more obvious the bitter cold became. As the man breathed, the frigid air entered his body, and when it came back out, it became white mist.

His eyebrows and hair were soon covered with silvery frost, but it quickly melted into droplets of water.

Yet those droplets froze into ice again before they had even fallen halfway to the ground.

From this alone, one could imagine just how cold this place truly was.

As the man continued walking, a valley overflowing with lush green life suddenly appeared before him.

On this land known as the land of death, the appearance of a valley filled with life was something utterly unimaginable to the vast majority of people in the world.

But the man was unsurprised, and simply stepped into the valley.

The moment he entered the valley, it was as though he had stepped into spring. The air was no longer so cold, but instead became warm.

The man looked ahead. A thatched cottage stood beside a stream within the valley.

"Jie Tuan, instead of being a proper Demon Emperor, what brings you to see an old thing like me?"

An aged voice rang out, and shortly afterward, a white-haired old man dressed in plain cloth appeared beside the stream.

He was not especially tall, merely somewhat slender. There was not the slightest trace of a demon's aura about him. Instead, he looked rather like one of the great Confucian scholars of the human race.

The Demon Emperor who came here, looked at the old man and got straight to the point without beating around the bus, "Senior, the demon race is now preparing to march south with all its strength. As a member of the demon race, it would hardly be appropriate for Senior to do nothing."

The old man glanced at the Demon Emperor. Even toward this figure whom the entire demon race revered, he merely smiled indifferently. "What, has the demon race become so incompetent now that it can't even defeat the feeble human race?"

From the past until now, in the wars between the demon race and the human race, the demon race had almost never been defeated.

That was an undeniable fact.

The Demon Emperor said calmly, "Times have changed. The human race is no longer what it once was. They are becoming incomparably powerful. Perhaps in another few years, they will truly become capable of wiping us out."

"If that day really comes, then you, the Demon Emperor, should die at the very front and become the greatest disgrace in the history of the demon race!"

The old man stared at the Demon Emperor and sneered, "All these years, I have never harbored any thoughts of coveting your royal throne, nor have I ever interfered with your rule. You would do well to know your place too."

Whether among the human race or the demon race, there were undoubtedly peerless experts unknown to the world. Just like this old man, whose cultivation had long since reached the heavens, otherwise he could never have opened up a vibrant valley of life within this land of death.

But powerhouses like these were destined never to take action. They were no longer interested in the affairs of the world. Whoever became its ruler had nothing to do with them. They only wished to cultivate in peace and affirm their Dao to attain eternal life.

This old man had lived for a very long time. Before the Demon Emperor had become the Demon Emperor, he had already been a demon lord of the demon race. Back then, his reputation had been immense, and he had been acknowledged as the strongest existence second only to the Demon Emperor.

Turbid Sun, that was the name by which everyone had known him in those days.

It was only after the Demon Emperor of that era passed away that this Demon Lord Turbid Sun, who had been regarded as the one most likely to seize the throne amidst the chaos, inexplicably vanished without a trace.

Some said that the Demon Emperor had feared him and had him assassinated before his death, precisely so he would not threaten the succession of the demon race's throne.

Others claimed that Demon Lord Turbid Sun's cultivation art had been too overbearing in his youth, that something had gone wrong during his cultivation, and that he had died as a result.

In short, there were countless different stories, and no one knew the real answer.

But no one could have imagined that this Demon Lord Turbid Sun was not only still alive, but that his cultivation realm had long since surpassed what it had been back then by far.

In truth, if he had been willing, he could have seized the throne long before the current Demon Emperor had reached his present realm.

But now that he no longer cared even for the throne of the demon race, how could he possibly exert himself for something like the demon race's southern campaign?

The Demon Emperor seemed to have known from the start that this would be the answer he received, so he was not surprised, merely saying calmly, "It was within Our expectations that Senior Turbid Sun would be unwilling to leave seclusion."

"If it was within your expectations, then what did you come here for?"

Turbid Sun looked at the Demon Emperor from beside the stream, his eyes filled with deep vigilance.

Although he believed his cultivation was no lower than the Demon Emperor's, if they truly fought, he did not think victory was guaranteed.

The Demon Emperor's royal bloodline was simply too formidable. If it truly came to a fight to the death, even those demon race powerhouses who had stepped into the Fuyun Realm would likely gain no advantage against him.

"Senior, since We have come, We did not come empty-handed. We have brought something. If Senior remains unmoved after seeing it, then there is nothing more to discuss."

Turbid Sun said nothing, merely looking at the Demon Emperor, but in the next instant, he suddenly became tense, his pupils dilating at once.

Because the Demon Emperor had taken out a glass vial, inside which was a single drop of liquid.

From that single drop alone, Turbid Sun could already sense an overwhelmingly rich life force.

"This is... divine medicine..."

Turbid Sun spoke with a trembling voice. Divine medicine was a legendary existence. Aside from the single divine medicine said to have existed a thousand years ago, the demon race had never again seen any trace of divine medicine in all the years since.

No cultivator of the Fuyun Realm could remain indifferent to a divine medicine.

"It is only a single drop of its sap. But if Senior is willing to leave seclusion, We guarantee that you will receive at least one leaf."

The Demon Emperor looked calmly at Turbid Sun before him. Even before coming here, he had understood that no one could resist the temptation of a divine medicine.

"Only one leaf?"

Turbid Sun furrowed his brows as he looked at the Demon Emperor.

The Demon Emperor did not mind, merely saying calmly, "Surely Senior understands just how precious a divine medicine is. To obtain even a part of such a thing is already no easy matter. Besides... even if We promised you the entire divine medicine, would you believe it?"

Turbid Sun fell silent. He knew the Demon Emperor was telling the truth. He understood better than anyone how precious a divine medicine truly was. No one would hand over an entire divine medicine.

"The medicinal power of a single leaf is enough to prolong your life for some time when your blood vitality begin to decline."

The Demon Emperor looked at Turbid Sun before him and said calmly, "There are not many powerhouses among the human race. This matter will not be difficult."

Turbid Sun said, "How did you obtain that divine medicine?"

The matter was of such importance that he could not help but care.

The Demon Emperor said calmly, "That is not something you should concern yourself with."

Turbid Sun was silent for a moment before nodding. "Very well."

That was his acceptance of the matter.

"It is not only you. Go and notify the others as well. This time, We want the human race to disappear completely!"

The Demon Emperor turned and walked toward the entrance of the valley, his voice echoing on without end.