While Gu Qingfeng was sound asleep, Demon Pu had already sprung into action.
Demon Pu glanced at the time and realized it was the agreed-upon moment. He quickly sent the signal to his subordinates to act.
This time, to stall Li Qianren, he had specifically dispatched a demon of the Innate Realm. After all, only a demon of such caliber could force Li Qianren to personally intervene.
However, this demon was only at the early stage of the Innate Realm, far from being a match for Li Qianren, who was at the late stage.
This was a deliberate choice by Demon Pu. He feared that if he sent a demon too powerful, Li Qianren might hesitate to act. On the other hand, if the demon was too weak, below the Innate Realm, Li Qianren might simply send an Earth-rank Demon Slayer instead.
Sending an early-stage Innate Realm demon to lure Li Qianren was essentially like throwing meat to a dog.
Thus, Demon Pu had made a significant sacrifice, using the life of an Innate Realm demon to buy time for Gu Qingfeng.
Although it pained him—after all, the Blood Demon Cult was no longer as glorious as it had been two centuries ago, and Innate Realm demons were relatively rare—it was necessary for the success of the Blood Demon’s grand plan.
...
At the hour of Yin, in the Demon Suppression Bureau,
Li Qianren was not asleep. Instead, he was engrossed in a book titled *The True Essence of Alchemy*. He read with great focus, savoring each word as if admiring the delicate texture of a peerless beauty’s skin.
Suddenly, Li Qianren frowned, his shadowy eyes snapping toward the west.
He had faintly sensed the aura of an Innate Realm demon, but it had vanished so quickly that he wondered if it was just his imagination. After a moment of contemplation, a Demon Slayer rushed in from outside.
The Demon Slayer looked panicked: “Lord Li, the Demon Mirror just detected traces of an Innate Realm demon in the western part of Wutong Prefecture.”
Li Qianren’s brow furrowed. It seemed it wasn’t an illusion after all. In an instant, he disappeared from his spot.
Moments later, high in the western sky,
An Innate Realm demon with eagle wings and a human body was fleeing for its life, pursued closely by Li Qianren.
As a Grandmaster, Li Qianren could fly using his qi, a hallmark of his rank.
The chase between the two lasted only a blink of an eye before they exited Wutong Prefecture.
At this point, the eagle-headed demon suddenly spoke: “Li Qianren, I’m just passing through. Why are you chasing me so relentlessly?”
Li Qianren sneered: “Sha Ying, as one of the elders of the Blood Demon Cult, you come to Wutong Prefecture in the dead of night and claim you’re just passing through? Do you think I’d believe that? Whatever your purpose, since you’re here, you’re staying.”
With that, Li Qianren’s speed increased even further.
Sha Ying’s expression changed drastically. He hurriedly said, “Li Qianren, as a Heaven-rank Demon Slayer, shouldn’t you be guarding Wutong Prefecture instead of chasing me so far? Aren’t you afraid this is a diversion?”
Li Qianren had indeed felt a slight unease about falling into a trap, but hearing Sha Ying’s words, he felt reassured.
To him, Sha Ying was clearly trying to scare him into turning back.
As a Heaven-rank Demon Slayer who had overseen Wutong Prefecture’s Demon Suppression Bureau for years, Li Qianren had long developed a habit of distrusting others’ words. He always assumed they were lying and analyzed accordingly.
Thus, he easily saw through Sha Ying’s ploy.
“Hmph, trying to make me go back? Not a chance!”
Besides, the Demon Suppression Bureau had more than one Grandmaster.
So Li Qianren continued the pursuit.
Seeing this, Sha Ying’s face grew more panicked, but inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He thought, “Lord Demon Pu, I’ve accomplished the task you assigned. For the Blood Demon’s grand plan, my life is a small price to pay!”
...
Half an hour later, in a desolate wilderness,
The area was in complete disarray, with craters and a massive pit dozens of meters deep. Shattered tree fragments were scattered everywhere, and the air was thick with the remnants of terrifying qi fluctuations.
Clearly, a fierce battle had just taken place.
The next moment, a handsome yet sinister-looking man emerged from the pit, holding a bloodied eagle head in his hand. It was Li Qianren.
His clothes were immaculate, without a single scratch or speck of dust.
Li Qianren stored the eagle head in his spatial ring and began his journey back.
Meanwhile, in a hidden location, Demon Pu stared at the extinguished soul lamp of Sha Ying and muttered, “He lasted half an hour before dying? That should be enough time. Gu Qingfeng should have succeeded by now. It’s time to report to the Blood Demon and proceed with the next phase of the plan.”
With that, Demon Pu set off for the Blood Demon’s underground palace.
As both of them were on their way, where was Gu Qingfeng?
Gu Qingfeng: “Zzz... snore!”
He was sound asleep, a smile on his lips as if lost in a pleasant dream.
...
Li Qianren returned to the Demon Suppression Bureau. After a quick inspection, he found everything in order, with no signs of disturbance.
He smiled confidently: “Sha Ying, you had some cunning, but did you really think such a simple trick would fool me? Hmph.”
With that, he returned to his room to continue reading.
...
In the hidden underground palace,
Demon Pu reported to the Blood Demon with great excitement: “Lord Blood Demon, Sha Ying managed to lure Li Qianren away for a full half hour. With that much time, Gu Qingfeng must have succeeded, right?”
Upon hearing this, the Blood Demon’s body erupted with a brilliant crimson light, and an overwhelming pressure filled the entire palace, as if the heavens were collapsing.
The Blood Demon’s voice was icy cold: “Succeeded? You’ve been busy all night, yet I can still clearly sense that the Blood Divine Son remains in the Demon Suppression Prison! It hasn’t moved an inch!”
Demon Pu’s face turned pale: “That’s impossible, Lord Blood Demon! Li Qianren was lured away for half an hour! That’s more than enough time for Gu Qingfeng to search the entire Demon Suppression Prison. How could he not find the Blood Divine Son? What has that kid been doing all this time?”
“You’re asking me? Who should I ask?” the Blood Demon roared.
“Go and investigate immediately. Neither Gu Qingfeng nor the Blood Divine Son can be lost. This is crucial to my grand plan!”
“Yes, yes, I’ll go right away.”
Demon Pu bid farewell to the Blood Demon and rushed straight to Wutong Prefecture.
His mind was in chaos. He wondered where things had gone wrong. With his Bloody Dandelion’s assistance and ample time, Gu Qingfeng should have had no trouble navigating the Demon Suppression Prison.
Moreover, Gu Qingfeng knew how to shapeshift, making it easy to evade the guards. Not to mention, he possessed strength comparable to a Grandmaster.
Retrieving the Blood Divine Son should have been a simple task.
What had gone awry?
Could it be that, even under such favorable conditions, Gu Qingfeng had been discovered? If so, was he in danger?
The thought sent a shiver down Demon Pu’s spine. The success of the Blood Demon’s plan hinged on Gu Qingfeng. In a sense, Gu Qingfeng was even more important than the Blood Divine Son.
After all, he was the Chosen One, destined by fate!