Chapter 65: The Demon Clan
The next morning, Yue Wu Xia, having made all the necessary arrangements within the Sacred Land, prepared to depart.
The Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sacred Land had two half-step Human Gateway cultivators: Wang Daoming and another from the Moon Shadow Branch, whose identity was kept secret. This was a trump card Yue Wu Xia had revealed to Mingyan. Outsiders only knew of Wang Daoming.
A trump card was only effective if it was unknown.
Of course, this was a far cry from the Sacred Land’s former glory.
In its heyday, both branches were led by Human Gateway Realm cultivators, and each branch had three half-step Human Gateway cultivators. It was the most powerful Sacred Land in the Eastern Continent. The mere mention of its name would inspire fear and awe. Even in normal times, it had two Holy Masters and at least one half-step Human Gateway cultivator in each branch, making it one of the top Sacred Lands in the Eastern Continent.
The situation with two Holy Masters was unique. A Great Emperor’s lifespan was ten thousand years, and with the Immortality Herb, they could live for another ten thousand. After their demise, it would take another ten thousand years for the Heavenly Dao’s suppression to fade, and only then could other cultivators compete for the throne.
This meant that for every Great Emperor, there was a thirty-thousand-year period of Dao suppression. After the suppression ended, a new Emperor would usually emerge within one to five thousand years. The golden ages were brief. Most of the time, the world was under Dao suppression, like it was now. In such times, reaching the Saint Realm, let alone the Manifest Saint Realm, was incredibly difficult. Even the most talented cultivators would likely end their journey at the Human Gateway Realm.
In such circumstances, the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sacred Land, with its unique dual-leadership and two Human Gateway cultivators, was exceptionally powerful.
Even at its weakest point now, it still had one publicly known half-step Human Gateway cultivator, and another in secret. However, other Sacred Lands and prominent families likely had their own hidden cards.
Yue Wu Xia also had a mode of transportation: a pure white gauze veil. When she released it, it floated in the air, gradually expanding, shimmering with a faint light, as if made of snow from a polar mountain, pure and beautiful.
Yue Wu Xia and Huang Junyi sat on it, and Yue Qingying led Mingyan onto it as well.
The expanded veil was spacious enough for the four of them. It felt like sitting on a cloud, intangible yet supportive. A faint light enveloped them, creating a hazy mist, likely obscuring them from outside view, just like their master’s face.
The Moon Shadow Scripture’s techniques were always like this, ethereal and dreamlike, veiled in an impenetrable mystery.
Yue Qingying was the same, but her cultivation was far inferior to her master’s, so the effect was different.
“Master’s veil is made from the silk of ice silkworms from the coldest regions of the Eastern Continent. It’s quite a special mode of transportation. Besides the Eastern and Southern Continents, the other two continents prefer to use ferocious beasts to pull their carriages. The Eastern and Southern Continents are home to a large number of the Demon Clan. Using ferocious beasts as mounts would easily offend them. To avoid this, we generally don’t do it.” Yue Qingying explained, “I wonder if you’ve ever seen the Demon Clan.”
“I’ve seen ferocious beasts. How are they different from the Demon Clan?” Mingyan asked.
“The Demon Clan is a type of ferocious beast. They possess high intelligence and can generally transform into humans from birth. They’re also born with a certain level of cultivation. Some races are even born at the Illuminating Sea Realm. They usually have some kind of racial talent. For example, some turtle-like demon clans have incredibly strong physiques and are powerful in water, but slow on land. Some plant-like demon clans can absorb sunlight and use it as energy, consuming very little spiritual energy, but their bodies are fragile… Of course, there are also races with both strong physiques and special divine powers. You’ll likely see many members of the Demon Clan at the Huang family.”
“I’m also a member of the Demon Clan, in a way,” Huang Junyi giggled. “The ancient God Clans, the Dragon and Phoenix Clans, are also considered demons. We’re descendants of the Phoenix, so we’re also descendants of the Demon Clan. We have demon blood flowing in our veins.”
“The Huang family is unique. They can’t be considered descendants of the Demon Clan. The Phoenix is a divine being. You’re descendants of a God Clan.” Yue Wu Xia corrected her. “The Demon Clan is relatively small compared to the Human Clan, but they’re naturally strong. You mustn’t underestimate them.”
“Disciple understands,” Mingyan nodded.
“Don’t worry, little brother. Your physique is incredibly strong… At your current level, even those from the Demon Clan would be no match for you.” Huang Junyi glanced at Mingyan and smiled. “In terms of physical strength, the Human Clan is often at a disadvantage. Although humans have special constitutions, most cultivators don’t. At the same level, humans are generally weaker than demons, which is why some demons are arrogant towards humans. You’ll likely surprise them.”
This “little brother” thing was starting to get to him. He was sixteen now, not a little brother. He was tall and strong, not much different from an adult man…
Being called “brother” was fine, but adding “little”…
Especially since “little brother” had a special meaning. He could tolerate it once or twice, but after a while, he really wanted to tell her, “I’m not little.”
But that would be inappropriate and might be misinterpreted. Mingyan remained silent.
The veil carried the four of them towards the teleportation gate.
The Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sacred Land was close to a teleportation gate. The reason it had taken Mingyan so long to get here before was because the new Rain Terrace Blessed Land was in a different direction. He had had to make a detour. If Huang Junyi had taken him directly, she would have arrived in fifteen minutes.
Soon, they reached the gate.
The magnificent structure reached into the clouds. Mingyan had only used the special passage for Sacred Lands and prominent families before and had never been to the common area below.
Ordinary cultivators had to go through a complicated process to use the gate, registering in advance and waiting for enough people traveling to the same destination to gather before being teleported. The cost was high. The disciples of Sacred Lands and prominent families didn’t have to go through this because their organizations had contributed greatly to the construction and maintenance of the gates. This teleportation gate, for example, had been built with the help of numerous Wind Spirit Moon Shadow disciples and the former Great Empress Yue Ying. It was natural for them to have special privileges.
Many Wind Spirit Moon Shadow disciples were stationed here to maintain the gate, which had also been built with the help of other Sacred Lands and prominent families, although the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sacred Land had been the main contributor.
Mingyan, having ascended to a high position so quickly, hadn’t experienced the life of an ordinary disciple. If he had become a disciple of an elder, he might have had the chance to work here. But as the Holy Master’s personal disciple, his only duty was to cultivate.
Yue Wu Xia didn’t linger and entered the teleportation gate directly.
Half a day passed in a flash, and they arrived at the Huang family estate. A Human Gateway Realm cultivator traveled much faster than a half-step Human Gateway cultivator. At their level, every increase in cultivation brought a significant increase in power. The gap between the Human King Realm and the Great Emperor Realm was even greater. A Great Emperor could crush a Human King with a single finger, as easily as crushing an ant. Only those with the rarest of special constitutions, at the peak of the Human King Realm, a half-step Great Emperor, could contend with a Great Emperor. In the dark eras without a Great Emperor, it was these special constitutions that had saved the human and demon races from extinction.
