The Demon with Holy Radiance

"If you can ensure your safety, leave Fusheng Domain as soon as possible. If you can’t, find a good place to hide and don’t let the Golden Soul Sect find you."

This was the last order Yang An left for the Scripture Defector Association.

The Workshop Master was currently trapped in a calamity-stricken area on the Outer Continent, unable to escape. With full control of the Scripture Defector Association now in his hands, he was the only one who could make arrangements.

He couldn’t worry about them anymore.

After his clash with Non-Birth, the Sect Leader of the Golden Soul Sect, he had clearly been marked.

To the Golden Soul Sect, the other members of the Scripture Defector Association were not strong; capturing and hunting them down wouldn’t be difficult.

But he had now entered Non-Birth’s sights. It was painfully obvious that the Golden Soul Sect’s next moves would be aimed primarily at him.

’How do I break this predicament?’

This was now the first problem Yang An had to face.

After making arrangements for the members of the Scripture Defector Association, the only remaining uncertainties were Wen Yin and White Bird.

One had disappeared without a trace, while the other was still inside the Golden Soul Sect’s Central Sect—both in grave danger.

But right now, Yang An had no solutions. He could only take things one step at a time.

He already had an idea of what to do next. First, one thing was certain: he could no longer stay at Earth Demon Cliff.

Although Huan could shelter him there, to him, it was also a cage from which he could not escape.

If Earth Demon Cliff were besieged and Non-Birth returned, he would have to rely entirely on Huan. Even if Huan could keep him safe, he would have no way to leave. The moment he stepped out, he would have to face the entire Golden Soul Sect and Non-Birth.

The Golden Soul Sect had plenty of ways to deal with him. Therefore, the first priority was that he could not stay here. He had to leave as soon as possible.

As for where to go after leaving, Yang An already had a preliminary plan.

He couldn’t stay in Fusheng Domain for now. The entire Golden Soul Sect was searching for them. If he remained in the Fusheng Domain, it was only a matter of time before he was discovered.

The best course of action, therefore, was to leave Fusheng Domain before the Golden Soul Sect arrived. Upon leaving, he had two choices.

The first was to return to the Treasure Temple Domain in the west. The second was to head to the unknown Celestial Dragon Domain in the east.

Yang An mulled it over and over. His final decision was... to return to the Treasure Temple Domain!

First, the Celestial Dragon Domain was the strongest of the Four Outer Domains, ruled by a power called the Dao of Celestial Being. In the current political climate, the other three domains were all supporting Great Virtue Temple—overtly or covertly—in its bid for unification. This meant they were all essentially on the same side, allied against the Golden Thread Pavilion, seeking to eliminate it first.

That meant the Dao of Celestial Being was undoubtedly an ally of the Golden Soul Sect.

Not only was the Celestial Dragon Domain a place he’d never been to and full of unknowns, but if he were discovered, his situation would become even more perilous if the Golden Soul Sect joined forces with the Dao of Celestial Being to capture him.

Who knew how many Immortal Platforms existed in that domain? If one of them made a move, he would have zero chance of escape.

The Treasure Temple Domain, by contrast, was a less risky option.

The great war between the Golden Thread Pavilion and Great Virtue Temple was imminent, with the fighting set to take place within Great Virtue Temple’s own territory. This meant other areas would be temporarily neglected, making his chances of being discovered much lower if he returned to the Treasure Temple Domain.

Besides, he was quite familiar with the Treasure Temple Domain, having spent a considerable amount of time there.

In his current situation, Yang An had to prioritize survival over advancement. A dangerous predicament would only hinder the progress and time he needed to raise his Cultivation Level. And he still needed time to find the missing pieces of his Forbidden Artifact Fragment.

Therefore, leaving the Fusheng Domain to return to the Treasure Temple Domain was the most sensible choice.

With this decided, Yang An wasted no more time. He immediately prepared to leave Earth Demon Cliff, taking his chance while the Golden Soul Sect had not yet arrived.

Yang An went to say his goodbyes to Huan. Huan didn’t try to make him stay; he could shelter Yang An, but not forever. Trapped in his own predicament, Huan simply tried to persuade Yang An to consider ending his life before he left.

Yang An refused.

Of course he refused. Huan knew he would.

In truth, he understood Huan’s inner conflict perfectly. Huan longed for the release of death, yet he also greedily drank in the air, desperate to live on.

This was why Huan didn’t kill him, instead trying to persuade Yang An to be the one to end his suffering.

It seemed as though he was giving Yang An a choice, but in reality, his actions were a way of making a choice for himself. He wasn’t nearly as resolute as he appeared on the surface; deep down, he was full of hesitation.

Yang An left Earth Demon Cliff, heading toward the Land of Shattered Armor. However, this time he traveled toward a different State Territory, one adjacent to Chongwen State.

The Golden Soul Sect had already set up an Array in Chongwen State. Whether they would use it for reinforcements or not, the area was now under surveillance.

So the best plan was to leave Fusheng Domain as quickly as possible before the Golden Soul Sect found him. The neighboring Ji Jiang State offered the fastest route.

With the members of the Scripture Defector Association in hiding, Wen Yin unheard from, and the Workshop Master far away on the Outer Continent, Yang An returned to the Treasure Temple Domain alone, feeling a familiar solitude he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

In fact, he had always been alone.

It wasn’t about how many people he knew or was friends with. It was more that he was an outsider in this world, with few attachments. His primary focus was simply staying alive.