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A dark underground palace.

The Moyang Demon Lord looked at the intelligence before him, and his expression changed dramatically.

"Xiahou Yuan has left the Great Abyss?"

The face of the Moyang Demon Lord turned ugly; as one of the nine great demon lords under Xiahou Yuan in years past, he was acutely aware of Xiahou Yuan's terror.

He was a being that drove every demon chief to utter despair, such that even demon lords of the Ninth Realm would tremble in his presence and dare not defy him.

This was not to say Xiahou Yuan's strength was far superior to that of a Ninth Realm demon lord.

Rather, it was the person Xiahou Yuan, who was born with an ability to suppress all demons, as naturally as a mouse cowers before a cat.

Even if the mouse were larger than the cat, it still wouldn't dare to resist upon seeing the cat.

It was a fear etched deep within the soul.

Twenty-five years ago, the Moyang Demon Lord had personally witnessed Tianjian Zi suppress and then cast Xiahou Yuan down into the eighteenth layer of the Great Abyss.

He had breathed a sigh of relief, believing his days of good fortune were on the horizon, free from Xiahou Yuan's constraints.

He could do whatever he wanted—whether it was the Tianjian Sect or Tianjian Zi himself, even if he couldn't beat them, couldn't he still escape?

The Five Domains were vast, the world was vast; what could those righteous forces do to him?

"Worthless!"

"Tianjian Zi, you worthless fool!!"

"I gave you an opportunity to be of use!!!"

The Moyang Demon Lord was plagued by frustration; it had been such a golden opportunity.

"But how did Xiahou Yuan escape from the eighteenth layer under the Great Abyss? Could it be that girl Nuan used some method?"

The Moyang Demon Lord forced himself to calm down.

During the years immediately following Xiahou Yuan's suppression, he, the Moyang Demon Lord, had also secretly approached the vicinity of the Great Abyss to observe for some time.

Only after he confirmed that the eighteenth layer's gates were like a true net of heaven and earth, and that Xiahou Yuan had no possibility of escape, did he feel at ease to leave.

"Never mind."

"Even if Xiahou Yuan has truly left the Great Abyss."

"The first ones he would find should be the Tianjian Sect, Tianjian Zi."

The Moyang Demon Lord thought to himself; after all, in terms of hatred, it was Tianjian Zi, with 'Bai Qing'er', who caused a rupture in Xiahou Yuan's mental state, leading to his suppression.

The enmity was as deep as the sea.

If Xiahou Yuan truly broke free, he would certainly go to the Tianjian Sect for vengeance, sparing no expense.

And they, the demon chiefs... could naturally sit back and watch the tigers fight, and perhaps take the opportunity to fish in troubled waters when necessary.

...

The Central Region.

The Tianjian Sect.

Lofty mountain peaks.

Drifting clouds and mist.

Just like a paradise.

This is where the gate to the Tianjian Sect resides.

The place where the Heavenly Earth Vital Energy is richest in the Central Region.

Practicing here, one could easily break through to the Third Realm, the Fourth Realm, even without consuming elixirs, with just decent aptitude.

"Xiahou Yuan is out?"

In the grand hall at the mountain's summit, a white-haired man was slightly surprised.

He was Tianjian Zi; indeed, during the battle twenty-five years ago, he had resorted to a despicable tactic by using 'Bai Qing'er' to disturb Xiahou Yuan's mental state.

But without the strength to stand against Xiahou Yuan, whatever he did would have been in vain.

"Interesting."

A smile spread across Tianjian Zi's face.

Ever since defeating Xiahou Yuan and suppressing him twenty-five years ago, he felt that destiny had favored him, and his cultivation had continually advanced. Now, he was just a half-step away from breaking through to the Ninth Realm and stepping into the Tenth Realm, which only a handful of people had entered in tens of thousands of years.

Thus, Tianjian Zi was not overly concerned with the news of Xiahou Yuan's escape.

He was even somewhat pleased.

He had indeed been somewhat unscrupulous when he defeated Xiahou Yuan twenty-five years ago.

But now... Tianjian Zi was confident that he could crush Xiahou Yuan fair and square.

...

Deep within the Tianjian Sect.

An exceptionally beautiful valley.

A woman wearing a flowing white dress, almost celestial in her bearing, sat within a pavilion.

"Brother Xiahou..."

Bai Qing'er appeared somewhat distracted; she too had learned of Xiahou Yuan's escape from the Great Abyss.

"Back then, back then, I was the one who wronged you..."

Bai Qing'er's expression was complex; she had masqueraded as a descendant of the Bai Family, gotten close to Xiahou Yuan, and successfully won his trust.

At the crucial moment, she deeply betrayed him.

Logically, regardless of the perspective, she, Bai Qing'er, hadn't done anything wrong, as everything she did was to eradicate the Demonic Tao and provide a peaceful world for the common people.

But with the passage of time, Bai Qing'er's guilt grew.

Xiahou Yuan's boundless trust, bestowed upon her over the decades, weighed on Bai Qing'er's chest, making it difficult for her to breathe.

"I have no regrets."

"Even if it were to happen ten times, a hundred times, I would have no regrets."

Bai Qing'er's gaze gradually firmed up.

...

The Northern Region.

Near the western side.

Here, the temperature was higher, suitable for living beings to thrive.

"My lord, this stronghold is the last one I've arranged. You can rest here..."

Protector Nuan led Lin Yuan to a house within the stronghold.

What Protector Nuan didn't say was that this stronghold was the last one over which she still had control.

At the beginning of Xiahou Yuan's suppression twenty-five years ago, there were still many demon chiefs willing to follow her.

However, after several failed attempts to rescue Xiahou Yuan, Protector Nuan's control over resources and power began to shrink.

After all, Protector Nuan was not a Ninth Realm demon lord and, wanting to rescue Xiahou Yuan, she was constantly targeted and suppressed by all righteous forces.

When it became apparent there was little hope of rescuing Xiahou Yuan,

Those selfish and self-interested demon chiefs naturally realized that following Nuan would lead them nowhere.

In times of great peril, it is not unusual for each to escape on their own.

"Understood."

Lin Yuan nodded slightly.

He was very pleased with the environment around him.

Mainly because, compared to the harsh environment of the Great Abyss, this place was brimming with Primordial Qi, like paradise to Lin Yuan.