The Demon with Holy Radiance

This was just something Yang An had fabricated earlier. His goal was to trick Huan into revealing what he knew, but he didn’t mind making it his actual goal. After all, true freedom meant leaving this collapsing world; their objectives were aligned.

The guy was hooked.

Yang An could see it. Once a path to true liberation presented itself, Huan would try to find an even better alternative before that final release actually came.

’If death was the bottom line, was there a way to avoid it?’

People, after all, were insatiably greedy.

"How can I help you?"

Huan asked.

By asking this question, he had essentially agreed to Yang An’s terms.

Yang An understood.

"I’m in urgent need of a soul from the Insect Dao Realm. As it happens, there’s a Golden Soul Sect Elder nearby. I’ll lure him to Earth Demon Cliff, and you help me kill him."

No matter what, Yang An’s top priority was to deal with the Bow Lady’s situation and help her recover.

Since the inhabitants of Earth Demon Cliff were now exploitable, shifting his target to the Golden Soul Sect’s Third Elder was the most logical move.

As for having Huan help kill the Third Elder, it was just an extra layer of insurance.

If his own strength was insufficient to kill the Third Elder alone, his chances would be much higher with Huan’s help.

He was confident Huan would help. What he called "utilization" was, in fact, leverage.

"An Elder from the Golden Soul Sect? Which one?"

Huan slowly narrowed his eyes.

"He should be their Third Elder."

Yang An watched him. ’Don’t tell me this guy knows him?’

"The Golden Soul Sect has been here many times. If you want to kill someone, I can help you lure them here."

Huan chuckled.

Yang An was surprised, but then he recalled what he’d heard about Earth Demon Cliff. The Golden Soul Sect had indeed dispatched its people here to eradicate the Demon Fiends, only to fail time and again.

Now, hearing what Huan said, it was clear things weren’t as simple as the stories made them out to be.

"Do you have a deal with them?"

Yang An asked directly.

If the Golden Soul Sect and Huan were entangled, he would have to reconsider using this group.

He had no desire to be backstabbed by Huan in a failed attempt at manipulation, or to give the Golden Soul Sect an opportunity to target him.

"They want to use me to enter the Central Continent, but that bunch of guys can’t even kill me. I have no interest in them.

If you want, I can even help you lure most of the Golden Soul Sect’s people here."

Huan’s gaze was undeniably filled with malice. The guy was like a sinister old hound. He could certainly lure most of the Golden Soul Sect here, but only on the condition that Yang An had the power to kill them all.

"Forget it."

Yang An refused flatly. He only needed one soul for now; if it turned out to be insufficient, he would deal with it then. In any case, he refused to take such a risk.

"From now on, everyone in Earth Demon Cliff listens to me. That includes you,"

Yang An said.

"I’ll go lure that guy here myself."

Ultimately, he still didn’t trust Huan. He decided to make the trip himself. It would also give him a chance to probe the Third Elder’s strength and see if he was powerful enough to kill an Insect Dao expert on his own.

But just then, Huan’s head suddenly snapped up, his gaze turning to the distance, toward the edge of the entrance to Earth Demon Cliff.

"Looks like you won’t have to go find him. He’s found his own way here."

Yang An immediately expanded his perception. A powerful, unfamiliar aura had indeed suddenly appeared within Earth Demon Cliff.

’I can’t believe he actually followed me here. It seems I was being tailed the whole way.’

’Still, his arrival saves me a lot of trouble.’

"If you want this cooperation to go well, you are not to act without my command."

He turned to look at Huan, a clear threat in his eyes.

"So, is this your promise this time?"

Huan threw the words back at him as a taunt, a threat of his own aimed at Yang An.

"You help me, and I’ll help you. That is a promise."

Yang An nodded.

Finally satisfied, Huan lowered his head.

...

Within a small valley in Earth Demon Cliff, a stream of black water flowed.

"Martial Uncle!"

A dozen or so disciples cried out in alarm, their faces filled with fear as they looked at the Cultivator ahead.

The Cultivator had just killed a Demon Fiend. He’d extracted the Spirit Juice from its disintegrating corpse and swallowed it. Now, in a delirious state, he was rampaging and destroying everything around him, his destruction nearly reaching the disciples.

The other Zombie God traveling with them shielded the disciples.

"What are you shouting for? I have it under control."

The Zombie God who had consumed the Spirit Juice clenched his fists. He could feel the Mana inside him surging as it merged with the Spirit Juice, sending him into a state of euphoria. He even felt the urge to pick a fight with an Insect Dao expert. ’I’m just too powerful right now!’

"Don’t just stand there! When you see a Demon Fiend, kill it and eat its Spirit Juice, you idiots!"

He berated the worthless disciples behind him. Not a single one of them was up to the task; they just screamed and panicked at the slightest trouble.

Those Demon Fiends didn’t even fight back; you could kill them however you pleased. With such a bountiful resource right in front of them, they weren’t seizing the opportunity to get stronger. They were so stupid it was unbelievable.

As he spoke, the Zombie God Cultivator raised a hand, firing a dozen or so steel nails at a Demon Fiend that was falling through the forest.

He stared greedily at the Demon Fiend. In his daze, he could almost smell the rich aroma of its Spirit Juice, as if a sweet fragrance were wafting through the air.

It was as if there was an endless supply of Demon Fiends here. If he could stay here indefinitely, he was confident he could even break through to the Insect Dao Realm.