At this moment, it was the height of summer.

The moon was bright and the stars sparse, life bursting with vitality.

There were no paths, only dense grass and patches of forest along the way, with Little Demons chirping and rustling all around, enacting various dramas of joy and sorrow.

Wang Wu would also sigh as he passed by.

Isn't this like a cultivator passing through the mortal world?

He was no longer who he once was; he couldn't even be bothered to eat these Little Demons if they were delivered to his mouth. Eating them would only make him gain weight and degrade his body.

As he swept through the landscape, he occasionally encountered Mountain Patrol Demon Soldiers of the Ninth or Eighth Grade, but they couldn't even detect his shadow, the gap was too great.

Although Wang Wu was technically a Sixth Grade Bear Demon, in reality, his overall strength was now comparable to that of Yuan Bupu from nine years ago,

and he could easily overpower an ordinary Fifth Grade Little Demon King.

In short, using grade to measure him was asking for trouble.

As dawn broke, Wang Wu ran for three hundred miles and successfully arrived at the foot of the high mountain; he did not act recklessly but slipped into a forest at the mountain's base, leaned against a large tree, and silently released his Companion Demon Vine, which in mere seconds formed a large shadowy area around him, ensuring no golden Spirit Essence would fall.

Because it would all be absorbed by the Companion Demon Vine.

This thing had become more useful, behaving like a baby, self-sufficient and even turning a profit to hand over.

But in reality, Wang Wu did nothing to it; his body just grew stronger and more robust, with deeper foundations.

Soon daylight brightened, the Spirit Essence descended, and as the sun hung high by noon, then to the evening, night fell.

Wang Wu lay dormant without moving for the entire day and then emerged from the forest, heading towards the mountain top.

This mountain was quite large, with one main peak and seven or eight side peaks, featuring cliffs, valleys, basins, forests, waterfalls, all with complex terrain.

In some of the relatively flat valleys, Spirit Fields could be seen on a large scale, as well as rows of simple huts, inhabited by ragtag Mountain Patrol Demon Soldiers.

Though in reality, this was quite impressive.

From the intelligence Wang Wu currently had, the Mountain Patrol Demon Soldiers on this mountain could patrol out to three or four hundred miles, meaning that within a five hundred mile radius centered on this mountain, it likely belonged to a Great Demon's territory.

The total number of Mountain Patrol Demon Soldiers would not be less than three thousand, and there should be demon leaders like Captains and Commandants on the various side peaks. Overall, this was at least equivalent to the former South Mountain King.

And indeed it was so.

As Wang Wu passed through the low surrounding mountain ridges and headed for the main peak, he noticed a clearly more elite group of demon soldiers patrolling the road, with quite a few, their leaders all Seventh Grade, or even Sixth Grade.

Of course, all were Mortal Blood Sixth Grade, Mortal Blood Seventh Grade, so they were not worrisome.

Wang Wu even lingered briefly at these demon soldiers' camp, listening to two Mountain Patrol Captains boasting, complaining, and making crude jokes.

It was quite interesting.

From their words, it was clear that the king of this mountain would soon host some respectable demon race figures for a banquet, which suddenly tied up patrol duties across the mountain.

What's more, these two Mountain Patrol Captains mentioned the increasingly brutal warfare at the Great Snow Mountain, and even the Mad Tiger King of Heavenly Dao Mountain was giving orders to recruit demon soldiers from Centipede Ridge and Heavenly Dao Mountain, demanding fifty thousand demon soldiers in the first batch, to be gathered before winter.

Talking about this, they seemed busy these days with this task, gathering insignificant Little Demons everywhere and throwing them into the back mountain training camp for cultivation, fast-tracking them, hoping to train them up before winter.

This was thus a classic case of high-level policy and grassroots countermeasures, seen everywhere from ancient times to the present, on Earth or in otherworlds.

After listening for a while, Wang Wu continued sneaking up the main peak, and discovered that defenses had been deployed at the main peak. To think this Demon King was so generous.

He didn't want to take the risk, so he wandered around the periphery of the defense array.

Meanwhile, using Danger Perception to gain insights into the situation on the main peak, where there were pavilions and towers, bright lights, melodious musical instruments, and joyful singing and dancing, likely quite enjoyable.

But as he walked, suddenly Wang Wu felt a stir in his heart, looking to the deep darkness on his left front; there was a huge cliff, with a vast valley below occupying about twenty square kilometers, teeming with life essence.

Good heavens, was this a new recruit training camp?

There must be at least a hundred thousand Little Demons here!

Curious, Wang Wu crept closer, and a few seconds later, he was shocked, incredulously looking at a chubby figure on the cliff before him.

There, several strong demons were having a great time drinking and eating around a bonfire, but among them, that chubby, fat figure was actually the Little Wild Boar!

It wasn't dead!

It had actually climbed up to become a Captain here.

Yes, Iron-beaked Captain, this was the respectful title other demons gave it.

Goodness gracious!

Almost nine years without seeing each other, this fellow has truly matured.

While Wang Wu felt overjoyed, he also immediately raised the highest alert!

Because only an enemy would know him so well!

The Little Wild Boar was his brother, and the Snow Wolf Clan surely knew that. Once they confirmed he was still alive, the Little Wild Boar would be the perfect bait.

As for whether the Snow Wolf Clan knew he was still alive, it was better not to make assumptions on this matter.

Especially since the last time he killed Lv Dongyang, one couldn't be sure if the Human Race had some secret techniques to reconstruct the scene?

Thus, Wang Wu paused for a second at the original spot, then decisively turned back along the original route.

Regardless of whether the presence of the Little Wild Boar was a trap, this place was not safe for long-term stay.

He retreated to where the two Mountain Patrol Captains were, only to meet another familiar old friend - assuming they still counted as friends - Yuan Bupu. It had clearly progressed to Fifth Grade and transformed into a valiant, distinguished, and charming human youth, but the aura from it would never be mistaken.

It was leisurely strolling down from the main peak, appearing well-fed and ready for a walk. So, was it the Demon King of this mountain?

Fifth Grade, enough to be a Demon King.

But how could it dare to stand out so openly, not fearing being hunted by Human Race cultivators?

Further, where was Xiong Shiliu if Yuan Bupu was here?

Wang Wu instinctively felt something was off and was about to leave, but then he heard laughter from the main peak, "Unbreakable! Why are you running? Come on, let's keep the music going, continue the song and dance. With such splendid moments, if we can't drink to our heart's content, wouldn't it be a pity? Whoever chickens out is a coward!"

It was actually Tiger Vanguard! Was the figure next to it Old Niu?

My goodness!

Wang Wu was even certain now; Xiong Shiliu might be here, and most likely Wolf Bu'er as well.

Even though he was curious why they gathered here, Wang Wu left without hesitation, retreating all the way to the foot of the mountain, then taking a detour towards Heavenly Dao Mountain.

As long as he did not show himself, Old Niu and Little Wild Boar would live very well.

That night, he tread carefully, only traveling two hundred li before taking a break in a wooded area. By day, he resolutely refused to proceed, as even though the Spirit Essence Level in human form was 0, the Invisibility Cloak was not reliable.

In broad daylight, bright sunlight would significantly reduce the effectiveness of any concealment. If he encountered someone particularly stubborn and meticulous, wouldn't he suffer a big loss?

However, he didn't just idle in the woods; he seized the time to cultivate his Ice and Fire Dual Spirit Roots. As expected, the cultivation speed in human form increased noticeably, reaching about one-eighth of Human Race cultivation.

After thinking it over, he upgraded the two Branch Bloodline Talents, Passive Frost and Passive Burning, to Level 4. The key, aside from their other effects, was that they increased cultivation speed.

This yielded even better results, equating to one-seventh of Human Race cultivation, calculating to an annual gain of three progress points. Not bad at all, the future was bright, and the prospects were vast.

When night fell, Wang Wu once more set off for Heavenly Dao Mountain, cautious not to rush, ensuring he covered two hundred li overnight.

Traveling by night and resting by day, a few days later, he had traveled over a thousand li and was about to leave Centipede Ridge's territory and enter Heavenly Dao Mountain's domain.

The two areas had distinct geographical features.

Centipede Ridge spanned five thousand li, featuring plains and hills in the west, right next to the Black Forest.

The north was mountainous, a massive, endless range stretching for thousands of li, resembling a wall protecting most of Centipede Ridge. Thus, the central and southern areas of Centipede Ridge were well-protected, with a pleasant climate, flourishing vegetation, and even the Black Forest was essentially a part of this protection.

The boundary between Centipede Ridge and Heavenly Dao Mountain was this mountain range stretching from east to west, then turning southeast.

For example, right now, for Wang Wu to enter Heavenly Dao Mountain, he had to continuously climb over thirteen large mountains.

These mountains were perilously steep, with cliffs and walls challenging even birds to traverse, making the passage far from easy.

The true gateway linking Centipede Ridge and Heavenly Dao Mountain, however, was in the northeast corner. It's said that the previous Demon Emperor forcibly carved a grand highway through, though it was heavily guarded, with Mad Tiger King and Centipede General's elite troops stationed there.

This pass was merely within two thousand li of Mad Tiger King's stronghold, allowing him to assist personally at any time.

Wang Wu naturally dared not take that route.

"Wait, something's wrong!"

At that moment, beneath the rare stars of a silent night, a pitch-black mountain stood blocking his way. To cross it, Wang Wu needed to climb at least a 1,200-meter cliff.

But none of this was troubling; what truly unsettled him was the uncomfortable sensation he got, akin to a poisonous snake's gaze, emanating from the top of the mountain.

There was definitely an ambusher up there. No, not an ambusher, but a watcher.

And it must be a Human, certainly with an Insight Array.

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