Chapter 128: Breaking Through

The pressure was immense, as if walking under dozens of times the normal gravity.

The bizarre, demon-god-head-shaped island posed a massive challenge to Baili Feihong before he had even set foot upon it. More terrifyingly, his divine sense was suppressed within his body; even when forced outward, it could barely extend ten feet.

"No wonder the Devil Sea is known as a forbidden zone."

"A place where a whale falls, forming its own domain of law."

At this moment, Baili Feihong’s mind was devoid of all distractions. What remained was the resolve of a powerhouse engaged in a trial of strength.

A forbidden zone?

Gazing at the demon-god’s head, he felt the powers of heaven and earth converging. This place seemed to be the intersection of laws, the energy core of these surrounding seas.

"The Six Paths Demon-Suppressing Scripture may not be enough to suppress the demonic aura here."

"Entering this place, my cultivation techniques will inevitably clash with this environment."

"As the saying goes, if you cannot defeat them, join them. Let this place become the treasure ground for my ascension to the rank of Divine Ability Master."

If the Myriad Things Origin Cauldron could not withstand the pressure, he would simply re-derive the technique and reconstruct a more powerful one.

Focusing his will to open a new chapter in martial arts—this was the very reason Baili Feihong had come here. His foundation was too formidable; his ascension to the Divine Ability stage would surely trigger magnificent and unpredictable celestial phenomena.

This place was treacherous, yet it was a land of great fortune for him.

What is great fortune?

Only when the enemy faces great peril can he find great fortune. In Baili Feihong’s eyes, the Skill Book was a book of slaughter.

Why did he venture deep into this demon’s lair?

To borrow the strength of ten thousand demons, ghosts, and monsters, to melt all manner of divine abilities into his furnace, and to forge his own supreme power as a Divine Ability Master.

Among all in this world, only Baili Feihong possessed such audacity.

And that was because... he had a cheat!

The journey was difficult, but it could not hinder Baili Feihong’s stride. He had tempered an Undefeated Golden Body; his physique was so strong that not only could he walk under dozens of times the gravity, but he could also carry a mountain with ease.

His blood flowed like an ocean, his muscles and bones were like dragons, his acupoints shot forth starlight, and his physique was like a mountain. In the past, he had used all his strength to restrain himself.

Now, shrouded in the Demon God’s domain, with pressure piling upon him, he was alone in the wilderness, surrounded by demonic aura—there was no need to suppress his presence any longer.

Every step forward felt like a dragon and elephant shaking a mountain. The surrounding airflow twisted like dragons, creating the atmosphere of a stroll through the abyss of hell.

Waves surged, and the demon god’s eye sockets, like black holes, swallowed thousands of acres of seawater, creating turbulence. Falling into those whirlpools would shred even refined gold. Yet, Baili Feihong trod as if on flat ground, treating the path like a ladder to the heavens. With every step, he walked upon the void, lotus flowers blooming beneath his feet, possessing the wonder of riding the wind to the ninth heaven.

There was no need to hide, no need to disguise, no need for concern.

A white python robe embroidered with gold silk, featuring a ferocious six-clawed dragon-python, accentuated his tall and straight posture. His handsome, jade-like face looked extraordinary, as if he were a celestial being. A white jade belt held his black saber; the intent of his blade flared, adding a sharp edge to his demeanor.

He finally landed, stepping onto the island formed by the demon god’s crown. The ground felt indescribably solid.

Looking around, he saw jagged rocks and strange, protruding peaks. Amidst the black mountains and white waters, the only colors were vibrant red and purple, adding an enchanting allure to this bizarre landscape.

The island formed by the demon-god head was fraught with danger. Baili Feihong’s temples throbbed—a sign that his arrival on the island had already been detected by certain powerful entities.

He took a deep breath, the stench of rot mixed with blood and eerie incense filling his nose.

He drew his saber, pointing its tip toward the earth.

The enemy had arrived.

His divine sense could not detect them, but his five senses were being assailed by countless waves of evil, sinister energy.

"Kill!"

He slashed into the void.

The space tore open, and the demons hiding within were instantly cleaved in two. Purple-black blood sprayed out like flowers, splashing onto Baili Feihong, only to be absorbed by the peculiar origin energy of his body, converted into power, and flowed into his Origin Cauldron.

In the invisible void, runes and orders formed by his martial will wove into a giant cauldron, releasing a predatory force. This was the divine ability of the Life-Taking Hand, overlaying his martial will.

He leaped into the mountain forest, the "Greedy Wolf" saber—his tool for slaying demons—radiating a black light.

The demon-suppressing talismans, originally drawn with thousand-year-old blood-red cinnabar, were forcibly rewritten under the influence of Baili Feihong’s Life-Taking Hand. His martial will and divine abilities were nurturing the weapon, twisting the very nature of the Greedy Wolf blade.

Saber strike after saber strike; the techniques were simple, yet carried an irresistible force, annihilating the demons hidden in the void.

[Slain Night-Roaming Heavenly Demon, gained +320 Skill Points]

The information displayed on the Skill Book made Baili Feihong go wild.

In his hazy perception, dense swarms of Night-Roaming Heavenly Demons were lunging at him.

Countless. So he stopped counting.

"Divine Ability: Life-Taking Hand!"

"Divine Ability: Five Absolute Sounds!"

"Divine Ability: One-Saber Absolute!"

With the Life-Taking Hand as the core, he flicked the blade—*ding*—and the vibrating blade-waves, carrying the sound of life-taking, spread out with him at the center.

The void bled.

The sky filled with purple blood mist, swallowed by the Myriad Things Origin Cauldron. Using the blood energy as fuel to burn the cauldron, it refined the demonic power, stripped away impurities, and, after the baptism of the cauldron, converted it into Origin Cauldron Mother Qi.

This Mother Qi continuously transformed into origin force and blood energy, replenishing his consumption.

*Ding, ding, ding~~~*

"Carefree Wandering!"

Wind shadows remained, the blade’s hum claimed lives.

Slaughter, constant slaughter.

The release of one divine ability after another did not leave Baili Feihong weak; on the contrary, it made him stronger. Wherever he went, a trail of purple blood mist followed.

Falling to the ground were the countless withered corpses of the Night-Roaming Heavenly Demons.

The black mountains and white waters gained even more shades of purple.

"Hoo~~"

Exhaling a breath of turbid air from his chest, the immaculate white python robe made the young man look like a god of slaughter.

In the outer perimeter alone, there were tens of thousands of Night-Roaming Heavenly Demons. The top of the fallen demon-god’s head was destined to be a sleepless night.

The long saber trembled, shaking off the blood before returning to its sheath.

"Twelve Blood Refinements completed."

"Life-Taking Hand promoted to second tier."

"One-Saber Absolute promoted to second tier."

"Five Absolute Sounds promoted to second tier."

"Kunpeng Escape Technique promoted to the second heaven."

"The internal Origin Cauldron Mother Qi has reached its storage limit."

The benefits brought by this slaughter were unimaginably high for Baili Feihong.

Yet, the carnage did not cause the slightest ripple in his heart. As a Demon Suppressor, he had realized his mission.

To suppress demons, one must be more evil than the demons themselves.

To become the demon among demons.

He stopped his progress, choosing not to venture deeper. Ahead lay danger—danger that could threaten his life.

"It is time to break through."

Baili Feihong understood clearly that his Origin Embryo had reached its end. The power of the Myriad Things Origin Cauldron had already caught up to his blood-refinement cultivation.

Even without using his blood-refinement cultivation, he could have dealt with the Xue Ming of that time.

The Underworld East Marquis Army leader who had once forced him into a desperate situation—if he dared to appear before Baili Feihong now, he could crush him with one hand.

Among the powerhouses he had encountered or heard of, the only one he was not confident in dealing with was the Ancient Profound Ice Woman, Han Su.

With a leap, he vanished from the spot.

He channeled the Turtle Breathing Technique, slipping into a mountain to temporarily hide his aura. This mountain surged with earth-fiend energy; it was an active volcano.

He did not understand how this active volcano had appeared, nor would he explore the secrets of the demon-god’s head.

Having sealed his aura, he entered a state of seclusion.

He began to contemplate the various divine abilities of the Six Paths Demon-Suppressing Scripture. He needed to condense his Divine Ability Seeds.

Using the Life-Taking Hand as the core, he would establish his own Tree of Divine Abilities.

One hundred and twenty-seven divine abilities.

Understanding their mysteries and mastering them would take time. Moreover, slaying the Night-Roaming Heavenly Demons had brought him over four million skill points.

At this moment, his skill points were about to break through seven million.

***

Feiyuan Island.

A warship was docked at the port. The East Shore Navy had arrived once again to deliver supplies to Feiyuan Island.

Unlike before, the South Suppressor Navy had achieved a great victory this time, sweeping away the previous low morale and bringing peace to the near seas of Great Yuan. The small provocations from the Sakura Kingdom had also significantly subsided.

Huang Minghui naturally knew that his fleet could not be compared to the South Suppressor Navy.

"I wonder how young brother Baili is doing at his post on Feiyuan Island?"

"With the South Suppressor Navy being so dominant on the island, life must be difficult for him."

His last visit to Feiyuan Island had been hurried due to urgent missions. He had only stopped at the port to resupply before returning to East Shore City.

Looking up again at the bustling east coast of Feiyuan Island, he frowned slightly: "Where is the Feiyuan Chamber of Commerce building?"

Every time he arrived at the port, that building was the first thing to catch his eye. Three months later, upon returning to Feiyuan Island, the building was gone.

"What’s going on? The Feiyuan Chamber of Commerce was backed by the South Suppressor Navy."

"The money spent on it could rival the entire East Shore Navy."

Huang Minghui was confused.

However, thinking that he would be stationed on Feiyuan Island for half a month, he figured he could naturally find out the truth when he went to the Inspection Bureau to visit his old friend.

Additionally, he intended to pay a visit to young brother Baili Feihong, a fellow native of East Shore City.

Unlike the Demon Suppression Division on Feiyuan Island, the Demon Suppression Division in East Shore City was extremely powerful. With the presence of Governor Gongyang, even after the Opium Case had caused many wealthy merchants in the city to fall, East Shore City had remained stable.

Baili Feihong was a subordinate of Governor Gongyang and a fellow countryman; paying him a visit might also earn him favorable treatment from Governor Gongyang. This connection was worth maintaining.

Just as Huang Minghui was lost in thought, three young men emerged from the command warship.

Their white python robes immediately drew the attention of everyone at the port.

The uniforms of the Demon Suppression Division were impossible to ignore.

Seeing three people appear in the white python robes of the Demon Suppression Division—when usually only black was seen—how could they not attract attention?

Could it be that three more Governors had come to the Demon Suppression Division?

The Demon Suppression Division was already powerful enough; if three more Governors arrived, wouldn't the division become the sole power on Feiyuan Island?

"General Huang, thank you for your care along the way." One of the young men, carrying a large sword, walked up to Huang Minghui and bowed.

"Governor Ouyang is too kind," Huang Minghui hurriedly returned the salute.

These three were from the East Province Demon Suppression Division. It was said they were following orders from the General Headquarters to provide reinforcements to the Feiyuan Island division.

Coming from the East Province provincial capital meant the person behind them was Commander Gong Yu. Huang Minghui did not dare to be negligent.

"Since we are assigned to Feiyuan Island, once we finish our procedures and get settled, I invite General Huang to do us the honor of attending a banquet at our division." Ouyang Jian flashed a brilliant smile.

With the South Suppressor Navy’s victory, Feiyuan Island’s status would only become more important in the future. This time, Commander Gong Yu had used his influence to appoint them as the left and right Governors of Feiyuan Island. Their mission was heavy.

Primarily, it was to monitor Baili Feihong. In his eyes, Baili Feihong had offended Commander Gong Yu, and the position of Feiyuan Island Governor would surely be his eventually.

"At that time, I will definitely attend."

Huang Minghui did not refuse. Come to think of it, the Chief of the Feiyuan Demon Suppression Division, Governor Baili Feihong, was also someone he was familiar with. He would certainly visit him.

"It is getting late, General Huang, so we shall take our leave."

"Farewell."

Huang Minghui was soon picked up by people from the Governor’s Mansion.

Ouyang Jian and his two companions stood at the port, watched by the crowd.

"I quite like the look of awe in their eyes. The Feiyuan Island Demon Suppression Division isn't too bad after all." Nan Feng tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, a slight, satisfied curve on her lips.

"How do you think Governor Baili will arrange us? Left and right Governors who cannot influence the local Governor—that's not a good sign." Feng Yushi was actually reluctant to come to Feiyuan Island.

He had come into contact with Baili Feihong before and knew he was a very overbearing man. Commander Gong Yu had transferred him away from East Shore City; his heart would surely be filled with resentment. Plus, the Opium Case had been snatched right out of Baili Feihong’s hands. Now, by openly sending people to interfere in the affairs of the Feiyuan Island division, they would be lucky to escape with their lives.

Feiyuan Island was not under the jurisdiction of the East Province capital. The Demon Suppression Division here was run by Baili Feihong. Even with an appointment from the General Headquarters, without the support of the local Chief, they would be forced to obediently carry out the most dangerous missions.

Feiyuan Island was close to the Devil Sea, and there were many powerful demons. It would be extremely easy to lead them to their deaths.

Feng Yushi sighed. He and Nan Feng were the Left and Right Governors, while he was the Governor of Baili City. He would just stay in Baili City and avoid interfering with the Chief.

"Hmph, with Commander Gong Yu’s support, Baili Feihong wouldn't dare to act rashly," Nan Feng sneered.

*Naive!* Feng Yushi thought of his frivolous colleague.

Ouyang Jian said, "We were appointed by the General Headquarters; even if our Lord Baili is unwilling, he must accept it."

The three stood at the port, waiting for people from the local Demon Suppression Division to receive them. But after half a quarter of an hour, no one had been sent.

"Old Qin, is there really no problem with this?" Hu Zuowei asked, worried.

"Right now, I, Old Qin, am the Acting Governor, holding the Chief’s seal. I say it’s fine, so it’s fine! What do they think they are? The Demon Suppression Division just started to gain some momentum, and they come to snatch the positions of Left and Right Governors? And the Governor of Baili City, too? They are being assigned everywhere," Qin Tiesheng scolded angrily.

Everyone in the Demon Suppression Division knew that the three most ill-tempered Grade-A Demon Suppressors were Qin Tiesheng, Dongfang Yao, and Chen Shanling. Among them, the old man Qin Tiesheng had the hottest temper.

However, since the Chief had announced his seclusion, all authority of the Demon Suppression Division was under Qin Tiesheng’s control.

Chen Xingyan did not speak. He was a newcomer, still in his training period. The Chief’s task for him was simple: judge who should be killed, and then kill them. Killing the wrong person would deduct points; killing the right one would add them. If he could satisfy the Chief, he would be granted the right to practice the Six Paths Demon-Suppressing Scripture.

Involving himself with that scripture forced Chen Xingyan to be cautious. However, as the son of the Prefect, he knew these three were simply blades planted in the Demon Suppression Division by the Chief’s political enemies.

"Old Qin, the West Island monitoring station is about to be established. We are all apprentices, beginners. The eight old seniors are aged and already have duties. The arrival of the three Governors could just happen to alleviate our lack of manpower on the West Island," Chen Xingyan suggested after some thought.

"You brat, you’ve learned a lot from your father. Full of schemes—I like it. I’m just worried these three useless fools won’t be satisfied. When that time comes, I’ll be counting on you."

"Don't worry, the Chief has left a backup plan."