128: Tianyao Mountain Range

Inside the cave, Yao Delong felt the abundant Origin Power within his body and knew his meditation was complete; it was time to continue his journey.

His gaze swept over the cold and stunning figure with white hair and blood-red eyes in the corner, his brow furrowing slightly.

This demoness's physical features were too conspicuous, like a bright lantern in the dark of night.

Anyone from the Demon Sect searching for her would recognize her with just a bit of attention.

Traveling openly with her would be no different from walking straight into a trap.

With a thought, he took an item from his storage ring and tossed it over casually.

"Put it on."

The demoness instinctively caught it and looked down to see an exquisitely crafted white fox demon mask with a hint of eerie beauty.

It only left openings for the eyes, mouth, and nose. Her delicate brows knitted as she instinctively resisted:

"Why should I wear this? It's hideously ugly!"

"Because you are currently my captive, and because I don't want to be chased and hacked to death."

Yao Delong's eyes turned cold, his tone carrying an unquestionable sense of pressure,

"Either put it on, or I'll knock you unconscious and then put it on you. Choose one?"

One must bow when under another's roof. Looking at Yao Delong's unfriendly gaze,

and remembering that she had no power to resist at the moment, she could only grit her teeth in hatred and reluctantly cover her face with the mask.

The cold sensation pressed against her skin, concealing her world-shaking beauty.

Only a pair of blood-red eyes remained, flickering with a light of resentment behind the mask's holes, adding a touch of mystery and danger to her aura.

"That's more like it."

Yao Delong nodded in satisfaction, then asked seemingly at random:

"Hey, silly girl, what's your name? I can't keep calling you 'hey' forever, can I?"

Alarm bells rang softly in the demoness Xin Yuelan's heart.

She didn't want to reveal her name. If this kid found out she was the daughter of the Heavenly Demon Sect's Sect Master through her name,

there was no telling what wicked ideas he might have about extorting the Demon Sect.

Her eyes darted around as she made up a name on the spot: "My name is... Lin Xiaoyu."

She deliberately kept her voice flat.

"Lin Xiaoyu?"

A playful curve appeared at the corner of Yao Delong's mouth.

He had the System, after all, and had already discerned her true name—Xin Yuelan—during their first encounter.

This silly girl was indeed dishonest. He didn't expose her, but simply nodded and said in a non-negotiable tone:

"Lin Xiaoyu? That's too ordinary. From now on, I'll call you 'Xiao Yue'."

Hearing this, Xin Yuelan's delicate body beneath the mask suddenly stiffened!

'Xiao Yue'? The name she had just made up was clearly 'Xiao Yu'. How did this kid happen to pick the word 'Yue'?

Was it a coincidence? Or... did he know something?

She was filled with uncertainty, but then she thought that perhaps 'Yu' and 'Yue' sounded similar, and the kid had misheard?

She could only force down the unease in her heart, secretly comforting herself that it was just a coincidence.

Yao Delong didn't care about her little schemes. After confirming she had the mask on, he didn't delay any further.

With a slight thought, a Flying Sword shimmering with a pale green light appeared out of thin air, hovering about a foot off the ground.

Yao Delong's figure blurred as he landed steadily on the front of the sword.

"Get on."

He spoke without looking back, while a surge of pure Origin Power poured out like an invisible rope,

lifting Xin Yuelan gently but irresistibly and bringing her to the back half of the Flying Sword.

As soon as Xin Yuelan landed on the narrow Flying Sword, her body began to shake violently and uncontrollably!

Having lost her Demonic Essence protection, she was currently no different from a Mortal. Standing on the Flying Sword high in the air, she felt her footing was precarious.

The gale buffeted her face, and a strong sense of weightlessness and fear instantly seized her.

Her face turned pale, and her hands instinctively clawed at the air, trying to find a point of balance.

"Stand firm. If you fall and turn into a meat patty, don't blame me."

Yao Delong's voice held a hint of playfulness, and as soon as he finished speaking, the Flying Sword suddenly accelerated!

"Ah—!"

Caught off guard, Xin Yuelan let out a cry of alarm. Her body was violently thrown backward by the immense inertia, and she looked as if she were about to fall from the clouds!

At the critical moment, a strong desire for survival made her abandon all her reserve and indignation,

as her hands death-gripped the robes at Yao Delong's waist!

"You... you did that on purpose!"

She was still shaken, her voice trembling with rage. One could imagine her gritting her teeth behind the mask.

Yao Delong felt the tugging at his waist and let out a triumphant laugh:

"Holding tight now? Wouldn't it have been better to do this from the start? It saves me the trouble of having to watch over you."

He ignored her curses and, with a thought, the Flying Sword suddenly picked up speed,

turning into a streak of green light that tore through the clouds, racing toward the southeast.

The intense wind pressure from the high-speed flight made it almost impossible for Xin Yuelan to open her eyes, and her body felt even more unsteady.

She cursed Yao Delong a thousand times in her heart, but her body was incredibly honest as she tightly hugged his waist,

pressing her entire body against his back, as if grabbing onto her only lifeline.

The warm sensation and the scent of a man transmitted through the clothes made her cheeks beneath the mask flush slightly,

leaving her heart filled with a mix of shame and anger, yet she was helpless.

After more than half a day of lightning-fast travel, the silhouette of an even more majestic and desolate mountain range appeared on the horizon.

The mountain range rolled and surged like a sleeping ancient dragon, lying across the only path to Canglan City.

The dense Demonic Qi could be faintly sensed even from a great distance, and heart-pounding beast roars occasionally echoed from deep within the forest.

"Heavenly Demon Mountain Range..." Yao Delong gazed at that dangerous place, his brow furrowed.

This mountain range stretched for thousands of miles and was a famous peril within the Ba Xia Dynasty.

It was rumored that its core area was occupied by Seventh-grade Yao Generals, comparable to Nascent Soul Cultivators!

If they took a detour, the journey would take at least several days longer; he had originally estimated they would reach Canglan City in a few days,

but because of the Demon Sect's ambush, they had been forced off their original travel plan.

But if they crossed directly, with his current Early Golden Core Stage cultivation and a dead weight with zero combat power,

if they startled a high-level Yao Beast, especially that legendary Seventh-grade Yao General, it would be certain death!

The panyan gold puppet was already destroyed; his greatest reliance was gone.

"Hmph, scared? Does a mere Heavenly Demon Mountain Range make you stop in your tracks?"

Xin Yuelan felt the Flying Sword slow down and saw Yao Delong's grave expression,

she couldn't help but mock him, trying to regain some ground.

Yao Delong didn't bother bickering with her. His gaze scanned below and quickly locked onto a sizable Mortal town built against the mountain.

The town had simple earthen walls on its outskirts, and houses were scattered within.

It was currently evening, and wisps of cooking smoke were rising, giving the place a bit of a homely atmosphere.

More importantly, Yao Delong's powerful Divine Sense acted like invisible tentacles, cautiously probing downward.

He was confident that with his Divine Sense strength and control, which far exceeded those of the same stage and even approached the Late Golden Core Stage,

it would be very difficult to be discovered unless a powerhouse at the Late Nascent Soul Stage or above was deliberately searching.

As his Divine Sense swept over the town, the feedback he received made him feel a bit more at ease. There were many Cultivators in the town,

but most were at the Foundation Establishment Stage, with a few Early and Middle Golden Core Stage auras mixed in; looking at their attire and gathering spots,

they all seemed to be adventurers or caravan guards preparing to cross the Heavenly Demon Mountain Range together.

It was impossible for so many Cultivators to gather in an ordinary Mortal town.

The only explanation was that this place was an important supply and grouping point before entering the Heavenly Demon Mountain Range.

"Let's go down." Yao Delong made a prompt decision, maneuvering the Flying Sword to land in a secluded spot on the edge of town.

Only when her feet touched solid ground did Xin Yuelan feel her heart return to its place,

but she still tightly gripped the corner of Yao Delong's clothes, clearly still shaken from the flight just now.

Yao Delong didn't mind; he led her, looking like an ordinary young Cultivator with a maid,

toward the busiest three-story tavern in town, where the lights were brightest.

The tavern was named "Qingshan Ju." People were coming and going at the entrance, most of them fierce-looking Cultivators carrying weapons.

Yao Delong led Xin Yuelan inside, where the noisy voices of people and the aroma of food and wine rushed toward them.

He chose a relatively quiet corner by the window and sat down, while Xin Yuelan stood somewhat awkwardly behind him,

playing the role of a maid, though her fox demon mask and blood-red eyes still drew many curious or inquisitive gazes.