Chapter Forty-Seven: The Boundless Demon Lord

“The first trial is already this difficult, and there are still two more to come. Will I make it out alive?” The feeling of weakness was infuriating. Ye Yun retrieved the Spirit Marrow, holding it in his palm to absorb its energy. At the same time, he uncorked a jade vial and poured all the Essence Pills into his mouth.

He had not fully recovered from the wounds inflicted by the Black Ape before entering this realm, and now, after such a fierce battle, he dared not go on without restoring himself to peak condition.

Frankly, it was only thanks to the formidable Red Flame Internal Energy and the exquisite Totem Battle Techniques that he was able to defeat all nine black-clad puppets. Otherwise, faced with nine equally matched opponents who could coordinate their assault through formation, anyone would have met certain death.

A deep rumble echoed from the depths of the hall as a massive door slowly swung open, pushed by an invisible force.

“That must be the entrance to the second trial,” Ye Yun mused. He did not rush forward; instead, he used the pills and Spirit Marrow to replenish his inner energy and mend his wounds. He then withdrew some food and water from the Dragon-Phoenix Pendant to restore his physical strength.

As a cultivator still in the Qi Refinement stage, Ye Yun had not yet transcended mortal needs, so he always prepared food and water for his journeys.

Though the pendant’s protective power was damaged, its storage space remained functional. After a series of brutal battles, two of the three treasures his master, Ye Yuliu, had entrusted to him were now broken. Once he returned, Ye Yun resolved to find an expert craftsman in Cloudwater City to repair them.

“If I could break through to the Foundation Establishment stage now, perhaps the coming trials would be easier,” Ye Yun thought.

But he quickly dismissed the idea. He had not yet reached the peak of Qi Refinement, and if he broke through now, all the painstaking effort he had poured into building a solid foundation would be wasted.

“In ancient times, mighty ones possessed divine power reaching the heavens. I wonder which predecessor left behind this inheritance trial,” Ye Yun mused as he ate and drank, letting his mind wander. His internal energy and wounds would need more time to fully recover, and for now, he was in no hurry.

…

“It’s already been three days since Yun’er left. Why hasn’t he returned yet?” On this day, Ye Zili and Liu Shuyun stood at the gate of Rain Pavilion Courtyard, still not seeing any sign of Ye Yun’s return.

Ye Zili knew that for more than half a year, Ye Yun had gone to Sunset Mountain every day to temper himself.

That mountain was overrun with beasts—monsters prowled, claws and fangs bared. Whenever he remembered how the previous owners of this very courtyard all perished while training outside, Ye Zili’s heart was never at ease.

This worry he kept hidden from his wife, lest Liu Shuyun become even more anxious.

“They say the city lord has gone into seclusion. It may be a year or two before he emerges. Could Ye Peng take this chance to harm our Yun’er?” Overcome with worry, Liu Shuyun’s thoughts spiraled out of control.

“The city lord set a three-year agreement. Ye Peng wouldn’t dare,” Ye Zili reassured her, though his own anxiety only deepened.

He couldn’t be certain Ye Peng wouldn’t try to harm Ye Yun, but his instincts told him the possibility was high.

“Uncle!”

A bright figure came running, soon arriving before Ye Zili and Liu Shuyun.

“Xian’er, what’s got you so flustered?” Ye Zili asked immediately, fearing that something had happened to Ye Yun.

“I just received news—Wu Lie, who was at the mid-Foundation stage, is dead. Someone found his body in Sunset Mountain, half-eaten by monsters. It was a grisly sight,” Ye Xian reported.

Liu Shuyun’s face reflected confusion, not understanding the implication, but Ye Zili felt a jolt in his heart.

He had already learned that Wu Lie was an elite from the main house, close to Ye Ziying. With the city lord in seclusion, Ye Peng likely lacked the confidence to deal with Ye Yun himself and would have sent Wu Lie instead.

Now Wu Lie was dead in Sunset Mountain, where Ye Yun also trained. How could one not draw a connection?

As Ye Xian opened her mouth to say more, Ye Zili quickly signaled her and then turned to his wife. “We’ve been standing here a long time. Why don’t you go rest? I have some things to discuss with Xian’er.”

Liu Shuyun, suspecting nothing, nodded and went inside.

“Xian’er, did Ye Peng send Wu Lie to deal with Yun’er?” As soon as his wife left, Ye Zili pressed urgently.

Ye Xian nodded gravely. “Wu Lie left after visiting Ye Peng’s residence. My master sent me to see if Yun gege had returned.”

“He hasn’t.” Ye Zili shook his head, worry etched deeply on his face.

“Don’t worry, uncle. My master says that since Wu Lie is dead, Yun gege is likely still alive and will surely return soon,” Ye Xian comforted him.

“Mm, all we can do is wait.” Ye Zili sighed. “I believe that Heaven watches over good people—Yun’er will come back safe and sound!”

…

“Well then, the second trial awaits!”

Ye Yun had no idea how much time had passed, but with the help of Essence Pills and spiritual energy, his dantian was now brimming to the fullest, and all his wounds were healed. He felt strength coursing through his body.

From the moment he set foot on the stone bridge with no way back, Ye Yun understood—there was no turning around in this place. If he wanted to get out alive, he had to conquer the remaining two trials.

As he approached the stone door at the hall’s far end, a line of words appeared on the wall beside it.

“To face nine as one is nothing; true heroes slay foes above their rank!” the inscription declared.

“Nothing? Why don’t you try taking on nine at once?” Ye Yun couldn’t help but twitch at the corners of his mouth. He’d exhausted every trick to clear the first trial, only to be told it counted for little. The urge to retort was strong.

Suppressing his grumbling, Ye Yun wasted no time and stepped through the stone door.

As his foot crossed the threshold, the scene before him shifted abruptly—the hall vanished, and he found himself standing on a desolate grassland.

“By the dog-blessed heavens, my inheritance trial has finally attracted someone with a spark of promise!” a wild, arrogant laugh rang out.

Some three hundred meters away, a man in a blue robe, his bearing both aloof and unrestrained, strode toward him.

“Who are you?” Ye Yun asked warily. Unlike the faceless black-clad puppets before, this man seemed anything but ordinary.

“Who am I? All beings know me as the Demon Lord of Infinity!” laughed the blue-robed man, his hands clasped behind his back.

“Never heard of you,” Ye Yun replied seriously, shaking his head.

“Damn it, you country bumpkin—so ignorant!” The self-proclaimed Demon Lord of Infinity’s face stiffened, and he muttered under his breath.