Demon Pu arrived at the outskirts of Wutong Prefecture but did not venture further in.
Given his strength, there was nothing in Wutong Prefecture that could pose a threat to him.
However, Demon Pu was extremely cautious. He feared being discovered by the Demon Revealing Mirror, which had a unique characteristic: the stronger the demon, the easier it was to detect.
Weaker demons, on the other hand, could go unnoticed.
To the Demon Revealing Mirror, powerful demons and weak demons were as different as an elephant and an ant—there was no question which was more conspicuous.
This spiritual artifact was forged by the headquarters of the Demon Suppression Bureau of the Great Yan Dynasty, specifically to monitor demons across the land.
The Demon Revealing Mirrors were usually stationed in cities, as cities were home to the wealthy and influential, while villages and towns were outside their range.
The Demon Suppression Bureau even had dedicated personnel responsible for operating the mirrors, much like searchlights, scanning the entire city every night.
Even the Shadow Demon dared only to infiltrate the city using a doppelgänger, disguised in human skin.
The exposure of the Shadow Demon and the Mirror Demon was not a big deal—they were merely at the Innate Realm, after all.
But if news spread that a demon at the Dragon Transformation Realm was still alive, the Great Yan Dynasty would undoubtedly take action.
This could potentially disrupt the grand plans of the Blood Demon Lord.
After all, the deterrent power of a Dragon Transformation Realm demon was immense.
To put it in modern terms, an Innate Realm master was like a conventional missile, while a Dragon Transformation Realm demon was akin to a nuclear weapon.
The deterrent power of a nuclear weapon needs no explanation. Between nations, no one cares how many conventional missiles you have, but the moment you possess nuclear weapons, the dynamics change entirely.
This illustrates the overwhelming deterrent power of nuclear weapons, and in the Great Yan Dynasty, a Dragon Transformation Realm expert was just that—a nuclear weapon.
Thus, the Great Yan Dynasty did not care how many Innate Realm demons remained among the remnants of the Blood Demon Cult, as long as there were no Dragon Transformation Realm demons, they would not be concerned.
But if a Dragon Transformation Realm demon were discovered, it would no longer be a matter for local branches of the Demon Suppression Bureau—the headquarters would intervene.
This was the fundamental reason Demon Pu dared not reveal himself. The Blood Demon Lord’s power had not yet returned to its peak, and if the Demon Suppression Bureau headquarters were alerted now, two centuries of planning would be ruined.
Standing outside Wutong Prefecture, Demon Pu pondered for a moment, then formed a secret hand seal with his hands. Instantly, an invisible ripple spread outward.
......
Demon Suppression Bureau.
Gu Qingfeng’s residence.
Gu Qingfeng, who had been sleeping soundly, suddenly heard someone faintly calling his name.
“Gu Qingfeng, Gu Qingfeng...”
Gu Qingfeng’s eyes snapped open, and he scanned the room, but there was no one around.
“Huh? Is that Demon Pu’s voice?” he wondered.
“Demon Pu? Where are you?”
Demon Pu did not respond but continued to call his name.
Gu Qingfeng activated his soul power to search and was startled to discover that the voice was coming from his dimensional space.
He was puzzled—when had Demon Pu entered his dimensional space without his permission?
He quickly opened the dimensional space but found no trace of Demon Pu. Instead, there was a blood-red dandelion emitting a faint glow, and Demon Pu’s voice was clearly coming from it.
This dandelion was the one Demon Pu had given him earlier to break the seal on the third layer of the Demon Suppression Prison. Who would have thought it could also function as a phone?
“Hello, is this Demon Pu?”
Gu Qingfeng held the dandelion to his mouth and spoke.
However, Demon Pu did not respond and instead began speaking on his own.
“Gu Qingfeng, I don’t know what happened to you tonight or if you’re in danger or imprisoned. This dandelion can only transmit messages one way, so I’ll speak, and you listen.”
Gu Qingfeng pouted. He had thought it could function like a phone, but it turned out to be receive-only, with no ability to reply.
“Don’t worry about the message being leaked. Only you can hear what I’m saying. I’ll be waiting for you at Shili Slope until dawn. If you don’t show up by then, it means you’re in trouble, and I’ll find a way to rescue you—provided you’re still alive.”
Demon Pu’s voice abruptly stopped there.
Gu Qingfeng felt a wave of emotion. He hadn’t expected Demon Pu to care so much about him, and it actually moved him a little. Maybe he’d only trick Demon Pu ten times instead of more—after all, one shouldn’t be too cruel.
“Ah, I’m too soft-hearted,” Gu Qingfeng sighed as he got dressed and then used his Shadow Step technique to head to Shili Slope under the cover of night.
When he arrived at the dilapidated temple at Shili Slope, he didn’t see Demon Pu.
Just as he was about to call out Demon Pu’s name, a shadowy figure suddenly appeared before him, gradually solidifying.
Once fully formed, Demon Pu stood before him.
Demon Pu immediately fixed his gaze on Gu Qingfeng, and seeing him unharmed, a flicker of confusion crossed his mind.
“What happened tonight? Why didn’t you succeed?” Demon Pu’s cold voice carried a hint of urgency.
Gu Qingfeng nodded with a grave expression. “There was a bit of an issue.”
“What issue?” Demon Pu’s tone grew more intense as he noticed Gu Qingfeng’s serious demeanor.
“My body had an issue.”
“Your body?” Demon Pu’s heart sank. Could it be that the Devouring Demon Body had malfunctioned? That would be disastrous—the Devouring Demon Body was the most crucial part of the plan. It couldn’t afford to fail.
“What’s wrong with your body?”
“I’ve noticed that my physical condition hasn’t been great lately. I can’t stay up late anymore,” Gu Qingfeng said with a straight face.
Demon Pu was momentarily stunned. Can’t stay up late? What the hell does that have to do with anything?
“What does not succeeding have to do with you not being able to stay up late?”
“Of course it’s related. You set the mission time so late, and I can’t stay up late, so...”
“So what?” Demon Pu seemed to suddenly realize something, and his expression turned extremely grim, almost gnashing his teeth as he asked.
“So I fell asleep.”
The moment these words were spoken, the scene fell silent for two seconds.
By the third second...
“You actually fell asleep?!” Demon Pu exploded, his face a mix of rage and disbelief as he roared.
Gu Qingfeng’s ears rang from the outburst, and he rubbed them, looking annoyed. “Don’t shout so loud. You’re the leader of the Seven Demon Generals. Can’t you maintain some dignity?”
“Dignity my ass! Gu Qingfeng! Do you have any idea what I went through tonight to lure Li Qianren away? An Innate Realm demon lost its life, and now you’re telling me you couldn’t stay up late and fell asleep?”