Qin Yi pulled out the map sent by the Minghe Sect.
On the map, everyone was located in a tiny white area the size of a grain of rice. To the east was a small patch of light yellow, indicating a higher danger level, which was where Cheng Cheng was pointing.
After Cheng Cheng explained with drawings and writing, Qin Yi finally understood what was going on.
That location wasn't visible on the map, but in reality, it was several dozen miles away. The most crucial point was that it was a Demon City!
The city had formed at some unknown time, and over ninety percent of its inhabitants were monsters, each with their own factions, calling themselves demon kings. There were only a few humans left, descendants of those who had been captured, who survived because some human craftsmen had skills that the monsters found useful. They lived under the protection of a demon king.
Cheng Cheng was one of these human descendants, having grown up there.
Today, while she was out of the city enjoying the scenery, she accidentally wandered into some strange space and ended up falling on that mountain. If it weren't for her benefactor saving her, she might have perished in the wilderness...
That was the gist of it.
Qin Yi couldn't help but ask, "A Demon City! There are only monsters inside, yet they let a sorcerer who enjoys torturing them live several dozen miles away? Are these demon kings all foolish?"
Cheng Cheng looked a bit resentful, but it was unclear whether her resentment was directed at the demon kings or the sorcerers. In the end, she just shook her head without saying anything.
Instead, Liu Su said, "Qin Yi, you're overthinking it. It seems Minghe hasn't warned you enough. Do you really think all monsters are like Ye Ling?
Their way of thinking is different from humans. Fighting and devouring each other is common. If a monster dies at the hands of a human, unless it's a direct relative, the other monsters will only mock it for being weak.
Who would seek revenge for them? Besides, that sorcerer isn't easy to deal with. On their own territory, they have all sorts of protective formations.
The big monsters wouldn't easily risk their own strength; it's more important to keep it for competing with other demon kings over territory."
Qin Yi thought for a moment and realized that was true. Monsters and humans definitely think differently; Ye Ling was just special.
Still feeling a bit uneasy, he continued to probe, "So what does Miss Cheng do in the Demon City?"
Cheng Cheng continued to write, and she seemed to be getting more fluent: "Embroidery and weaving clothes. If it weren't for humans, monsters would only wear animal skins."
"Do monsters also use human forms in their daily lives?"
"Yes, the human form is the most suitable for living. I've heard more than one monster say that."
Qin Yi nodded slightly. After looking around and finding no flaws, it seemed she really was an ordinary person living in the Demon City.
Since she was indeed an ordinary person, escorting her back would be a good deed. It was the right thing to do. With only several dozen miles to go, he could easily take her back.
After all, Ye Ling had been severely injured this time, and healing involved a blood-transfusion process, so who knows how long it would take to recover? Without Ye Ling's help, he didn't dare to search for any spells or solutions alone, so there was no issue of wasting time.
"Miss Cheng, if that's the case, after tonight passes and dawn breaks, I'll escort you back to the city. But I must say this first: the Demon City is extremely dangerous for me as well, and I wouldn't dare to get too close. I can only take you nearby; the rest will be up to you."
Indeed, it was already dark. In such a perilous place, Qin Yi genuinely didn't dare to walk at night.
Cheng Cheng understood and bowed to express her gratitude, lifting her head to reveal a clear look of joy.
Her smile was radiant, and the bloodstains on her face couldn't hide her beauty. Qin Yi couldn't help but look at her a bit longer, thinking that if monsters had similar tastes to humans, it was unbelievable that this young lady could escape the city on her own instead of being taken as a favored concubine by some demon king... It only proved that the monsters must be blind.
But this young lady was really carefree. In this wild and lonely place, with only a man and a woman, under the dark moon and strong winds... Even Qin Yi couldn't help but have some wandering thoughts. Did she not think about this at all?
Or did she simply not care?
Qin Yi couldn't help but glance at her again, and she was looking at him too.
He couldn't tell if it was just his imagination, but he felt there was something... alluring in her gaze?
Seeing Qin Yi looking over, she slightly lowered her head and gently bit her lip. Under the moonlight, her shyness could ignite the heart of any man.
It must be an illusion brought on by the environment; no one should be having such thoughts at a time like this.
Qin Yi swallowed hard, silently reciting the calming mantra Liu Su had taught him, and soon entered a state of forgetting both himself and the world.
Cheng Cheng was momentarily stunned, and the alluring look in her eyes vanished.
Liu Su coldly watched Cheng Cheng. It knew that Cheng Cheng's earlier gaze had indeed been seductive. Initially, it thought that growing up in the demon realm, she wouldn't have much sense of shame. If the "benefactor" wanted her, it would be logical for her to comply. But soon it realized that when Qin Yi entered his calming practice for healing, Cheng Cheng's expression changed from surprise to calm contemplation.
This was a bit intriguing; was her earlier flirtation a way to entice or test him?
Or was it a harmful tactic?
Speaking of which, if this girl could only rely on such methods to harm others, Liu Su felt very reassured; she would definitely have no chance.
Although Qin Yi sometimes spoke lewdly, he was by no means a lecher.
...
As dawn broke.
When the first ray of sunlight shone into the ravine, Qin Yi opened his eyes right on time, as if he had some mysterious connection with the world.
The innate realm brought him closer to the essence of the world.
After a night of quiet recovery without any outside disturbances, the results were somewhat beyond his expectations. Not only had his injuries healed completely, but he had also made a breakthrough.
The quality of his innate energy had significantly improved; if the previous level was considered the first layer of innate energy, now he had reached the second layer. Don't underestimate this breakthrough from one to two; it hadn't been long since he had just entered the innate level.
Moreover, his ongoing body training had also progressed. The "muscle training" stage of his surface muscles seemed to be nearing completion.
Setting aside techniques, martial arts training involves cultivating internal energy while also training the body. Some start from the outside in, while others work from the inside out. In the end, both must be practiced simultaneously for true mastery.
For ordinary people, reaching the peak of innate energy is the limit; no matter how much they train, they won't increase the quality, only the density. Completing the "muscle training" and "changing tendons" stages means reaching the peak of humanity. Now, with innate energy at the second layer and muscle training nearing completion, he had already covered half the journey of martial arts in the human realm.
The previous three months had been basically stagnant, and now, just a short time later, he had made consecutive breakthroughs. Aside from the disappearance of his grievances, the main factor was likely the experience gained from multiple battles; real combat is the fastest way to improve martial arts.
However, his magical power hadn't increased due to these battles. The cultivation of magical power is indeed different from martial arts; it emphasizes tranquility and the understanding of the "Dao." From this perspective, martial arts and immortal cultivation seem to conflict a bit. No wonder so few people practice both.
But since Liu Su said it was possible to practice both, then it was indeed possible.
He sighed and sent a thought: "Liu Su, did Cheng Cheng have any issues during the night?"
Liu Su's voice sounded a bit lazy: "Not much of a problem."
"What do you mean by not much of a problem? If there's a problem, it means she's lying. If there's none, then there isn't!"
"Not much of a problem means I can't confirm whether she's lying or not, but I can't trust her. Anyway, for me, whether she lies or not doesn't matter; it's simplest if she just dies."
Qin Yi turned to look, and Cheng Cheng was leaning against a rock, sleeping. The weather was getting colder as winter approached, and it was quite chilly. He could see her unconsciously curling up, lightly frowning, and her body shivering slightly.
Qin Yi sighed, "If she could act like this while sleeping, I'd really be impressed."
After saying that, he turned to look toward the rising sun in the east.
"Demon City... what an interesting place. If it weren't for my lack of strength and other important matters, I would really want to explore it."
His tone clearly showed some excitement and a sense of regret for not being able to check it out this time.
Liu Su laughed, "Qin Yi, you still say you just want to stay in the village!"
(End of Chapter)