Chapter 24: Cultivating in the Territory of the Demon King

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The wind-sprite in human form was beautiful, elegant, radiating myriad charms, and in Hu Jiuyan’s eyes, even a bit wanton—the gaze was simply too seductive. Yet, one had to admit, this was a demon who kept her word, personally ordering Black Jiao to arrange food and lodging for the two of them.

They were served the finest seafood, rare in the shallow seas, robust demon-beast meat, human seasonings, refined rice—everything one could imagine, all stored in a cold chamber carved out within the cave-dwelling, available at any time.

In Black Jiao’s words, even the Queen herself seldom enjoyed such delicacies.

Qin Yue had assumed that demons ate their food raw, but Black Jiao said that only he did so.

“The Queen barely touches meat, and only eats a few sea fish on occasion. As for birds or land animals, she never eats them.”

The only awkward part for the two was when Black Jiao led them to a spacious cave-dwelling, which contained only a single bedroom.

To Black Jiao, they were a couple, so sharing a room seemed only natural.

This was somewhat hard to explain now, especially with the way Hu Jiuyan had been looking at him all the way here—Qin Yue himself could hardly claim indifference.

One room it was, then. Now that he had become the sole “Grand Gardener” of the wind-sprite Demon King’s Burning Marsh, with more essence to absorb daily than he could imagine, he likely wouldn’t have much time for sleep anyway.

Once they were settled, Black Jiao received another order from the wind-sprite: to escort both of them to the highest-level welcoming banquet in the Burning Marsh.

In the cave-dwelling reserved for banquets, the wind-sprite personally introduced Qin Yue to her retinue of great demons.

Those still guarding the precious medicinal herbs were also given portraits to ensure they would recognize him immediately and not breach etiquette.

Frankly, Qin Yue felt somewhat embarrassed, but not overly so. When it came to absorbing essence, there was no room for hesitation.

He had long suspected that the wind-sprite valued these great medicinal herbs not for her own use.

Otherwise, after so many years, why had she never used them herself?

The Demon Beast Valley remained shrouded in mystery, and had it not been for Feng Qianning’s recent commotion, few aside from the perennial hunters of the northern lands would know the names of Xuancang, Jin Claw, or the wind-sprite.

Even among those hunters, most were unclear as to the true forms of these Demon Kings.

Qin Yue thus surmised that there might exist even higher beings behind these Demon Kings.

At the banquet, the wind-sprite presented rare delicacies with gracious hospitality, affording Qin Yue great honor.

...

In the days that followed, Qin Yue made daily “inspections,” and wherever he went—even to the most heavily guarded places—he was met with respect.

All the demons addressed him as “Mister Qin.”

At first, Hu Jiuyan was puzzled, but after several days she began to understand. This conveniently acquired junior brother, her good little brother, must truly hail from an illustrious hidden clan, for he even possessed such extraordinary abilities.

The top-tier precious herbs flourished even more brilliantly under Qin Yue’s meticulous care, glowing with radiance like a miracle, astonishing all who saw them.

The wind-sprite was busy, often away for long stretches, but no matter how occupied she was, she always made time to visit those areas, her delight increasingly evident.

A few days later, she summoned Qin Yue alone, took him through more than a dozen barriers, and led him into a small world.

Pointing with her finger at a lush valley brimming with all manner of medicinal herbs, she said, “Mister Qin, this is the greatest secret of my Burning Marsh and the foundation of our cultivation. I now entrust it to your care. When you leave, I will gift you…”

She paused, gazing at Qin Yue. “Or perhaps, why not stay here? Though it cannot compare to those grand human sects, you would want for nothing in terms of cultivation resources.”

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Qin Yue was dazzled by the sight; these high-ranking demons were truly wealthy beyond compare!

No wonder the Demon Kings dared to open the Demon Beast Valley—ordinary folks would never see the truly valuable treasures.

“Hu Jiuyan and I are both captains in the Golden Empire’s Theft Suppression Bureau—we have official posts and cannot remain here too long. But rest assured, should you ever need us, a word from you is all it takes!”

He politely declined the wind-sprite’s invitation; to dwell among demons was akin to courting disaster, especially since he was no true gardener.

The wind-sprite considered, then said, “True, the paths of humans and demons diverge. But you and that little girl Hu Jiuyan… Never mind, as an elder I won’t gossip behind your backs. In any case, you won’t suffer any loss.”

Qin Yue asked, “You said these herbs are the foundation of the Burning Marsh—what about those even higher-grade treasures outside? By rights, those must be even more potent…”

He’d tested them himself and found them indeed formidable!

The wind-sprite hesitated, then replied, “I suppose there’s no harm in telling you. Those herbs aren’t mine; I’m merely their custodian. If they were stolen, the consequences would be dire.”

“You, already the lord of three thousand miles of Demon Beast Valley—could it be you owe someone a favor?”

“You do know how to talk,” she smiled. “We call ourselves Demon Kings, but in truth we are but old demons who have cultivated for many years. To claim the title of ‘king’ is, in human terms, somewhat laughable. Privately, we enjoy hearing it, but none of us dare truly believe ourselves kings.”

She regarded Qin Yue with a smile. “As for the true Demon Kings, while perhaps not as terrifying as the former Zhaoyang Sect or the ten great sacred lands, their powers are vast, their spells astonishing—far beyond what we can aspire to.”

“In my eyes, the moment you reveal your true form, you’re already a dominant force who stirs the winds and clouds!”

Flattered, the wind-sprite laughed brightly, clearly pleased, and was moved to share more. “But truth be told, the real Demon Kings sleep for hundreds or thousands of years at a stretch. The one here… unless someone mentions their name or something major occurs, they might not awaken in decades or centuries.”

Qin Yue thought, “Just as I suspected—now I can be at ease!”

Surveying the spiritual herbs before him, he refrained from taking too much, sampling just a little from each.

Though the changes were not dramatic, a demon of the wind-sprite’s level could still sense the difference, and her joy increased.

She was careful, however, never foolish, and always accompanied Qin Yue personally on each visit.

She often brought him spirit stones, and seeing his reluctance to use them, encouraged him not to be so cautious.

“I don’t have many, but I can always exchange with the humans. Use them as you please!”

But Qin Yue truly had no occasion to use them—the essence he absorbed seemed endless. To avoid waste, he deliberately channeled more into the bronze wheel in his spiritual world.

The twelve forms of the Zhaoyang Sect’s signature sword art, the “Falling Leaves Sword Manual,” were now half perfectly reconstructed—he had mastered six.

These six sword forms encompassed the very essence of all sword techniques, representing the pinnacle of the “technique” level.

Qin Yue practiced them incessantly in his spiritual world, even attempting to conjure sparring partners for himself.

Through unremitting effort, he found he could not create opponents from thin air—at least not at his current stage—but could manifest those he’d fought before, such as the Three Lu Brothers or Chang Jun.

In his spiritual world, he sparred with these ever-strengthening adversaries.

From the beginning, when they were as stiff as puppets, to gradually becoming “lifelike,” to finally seeming almost truly alive and able to fight with independent will, the process took less than a month.

During this period, his cultivation also advanced from the initial stage of “Peering Into the Void” to at least the middle stage, according to the knowledge he’d gleaned from Hu Jiuyan.

Judging by the “pearl” in his dantian, which held seemingly limitless spiritual energy, he likely possessed more mana than nearly anyone else at his level.

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This period was one of unparalleled fulfillment and contentment for him.

In the meantime, he quietly used some easily found goldenweed to supplement his complexion twice. His real skin remained as fair as ever, though with some change.

Previously pallid from illness, it now glowed with a luminous whiteness that would drive any woman obsessed with fair skin wild.

Qin Yue never boasted about his cultivation progress, but Hu Jiuyan, living under the same roof, still sensed her younger brother’s rapid improvement.

Her early romantic notions were now deeply buried; with such an outstanding brother, she felt compelled to work even harder, lest she be left behind.

Neither had ever dreamed they’d end up living in such a miraculous way—hiding out on a Demon King’s territory in the Demon Beast Valley, shielded from all the chaos, perfectly at ease.

Occasionally, they gleaned the latest news from the Demon Beast Valley through the wind-sprite and Black Jiao.

The struggle among the young talents of the human, demon, and devil factions had reached a fever pitch, with even some prodigies falling in battle.

Feng Qianning had appeared twice, her injuries still unhealed, provoking a frenzy of pursuit from all sides.

While others fought for their lives, Mister Qin cultivated quietly, utterly uninterested in the storms outside.

Hu Jiuyan fretted for her Saintess shishu, but Qin Yue, observing the wind-sprite’s demeanor, detected something unusual.

...

One day, Qin Yue cooked a few dishes, and the two shared a quiet drink in their cave.

“You don’t need to worry too much. In my view, even if your shishu and the Demon Kings aren’t colluding, there’s at least some tacit understanding between them.”

Hu Jiuyan looked at him. “You mean, as the rumors go, they’re using this opportunity to target the Zhaoyang Sect and the ten great sacred lands?”

Qin Yue pondered. “It’s hard to say. But haven’t you noticed, even Jin Claw who lost the Transforming Gourd, and Xuancang who lost the Wind-Stabilizing Pearl, both seem unusually calm lately? It’s as if they’re not that anxious.”

Hu Jiuyan replied, “I can’t say I’ve noticed, but if you’re right, that would be a relief. I really am worried about my shishu.”

Qin Yue smiled. “So much time has passed, and nothing bad has happened. There’s no need to worry so much.”

“Let’s hope so.”

...

A few days later, Brother Jiao suddenly paid a visit.

“Mister Qin, the Queen requests your presence.”

Perhaps having heard from the wind-sprite that Qin Yue had declined to remain here and would eventually leave, Black Jiao’s attitude toward him had grown even more cordial.

“Oh? What is it, Brother Jiao?” Qin Yue greeted him with a smile.

“Lady of Starshine Villa has arrived, along with Xuancang, Jin Claw, and several other Demon Kings. They’re having tea and chatting.”

After so long, hearing the Lady of Starshine’s name again was both unfamiliar and somewhat nostalgic.

At the same time, he wondered what business she might have here.