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Leaving the spiritual medicine treasure land, fearing the strong forces of the black-robed individuals might strike, the three of them tried to move discreetly among the mountains and forests, concealing their tracks.

Arriving at a city outskirts, Xu Yan and Meng Chong waited outside the city while Meng Shushu disguised himself and went to the Tianbao Pavilion inside the city to purchase medicinal parchment.

When Meng Shushu returned with the medicinal parchment, they began sealing the spiritual medicines. After all the spiritual medicines were sealed, they set off to return to the territory of Dàyuèguó.

On the way, a falcon descended.

It was the falcon from Sword Sovereign Cliff, coming following Xu Yan's falcon command. Inside the falcon's message tube was a letter sent by Xie Lingfeng, inquiring if assistance was needed.

Xu Yan replied with a letter, instructing the falcon to return.

"Is this the falcon from Sword Sovereign Cliff?" Meng Shushu exclaimed.

"You actually recognize it?" Xu Yan was surprised.

"Brother Xu, you might not know, but as a scout for spiritual medicines like me, I naturally have to be familiar with and understand the major forces. When cooperation is needed, we also use their falcons for communication, so naturally, I can recognize them," Meng Shushu explained.

"I see!" Xu Yan realized.

"By the way, can you raise falcons and establish a falcon communication network?" Xu Yan pondered for a moment and asked.

"As a scout for spiritual medicines, I don't understand these things," Meng Shushu hurriedly shook his head.

"Tianbao Pavilion offers rental falcon communication. Some forces that cannot establish their own falcon communication network rent from Tianbao Pavilion, although it's relatively expensive."

"Of course, you can also rent them for single use temporarily. So far, there haven't been any instances of information leakage regarding falcon communication with Tianbao Pavilion. For ordinary forces, it's quite secure."

Meng Shushu thought for a moment and added.

"Tianbao Pavilion is indeed remarkable, it has all kinds of businesses," Meng Chong sighed with emotion.

Xu Yan took out the jade pendant given by the woman in plain clothes and asked, "Are you talking about renting falcon messages from Tianbao Pavilion with this?"

"Yes, this jade pendant of yours can only be used to obtain information from Tianbao Pavilion, not to receive falcon communication. It's one of the cheaper options. Most forces use this, mainly to obtain information from the martial arts world. Even so, it costs over a hundred thousand spirit crystals a year," Meng Shushu nodded.

Xu Yan was secretly surprised. Tianbao Pavilion was quite something. Just to get information, it costs at least over a hundred thousand spirit crystals a year. How many forces are there in the inner region? 

Just within the borders of Dàyuèguó, there are many forces, not to mention the vast territories not under the jurisdiction of the three major countries, which are also extremely extensive and have numerous forces.

From this, it can be inferred that Tianbao Pavilion's establishment of a falcon communication intelligence network doesn't require them to spend their own money; it's all paid for by the major forces!

After entering Dàyuèguó, Xu Yan breathed a sigh of relief, as there were no Grandmasters chasing after them.

It's not that he was afraid of Grandmasters, but he was worried that if a battle were to break out, it would easily damage the Heaven's Essence Marrow and a few strains of Grade Six spiritual medicine. If that were the case, no matter how many Grandmasters he killed, it wouldn't make up for the loss.

Grade Five spiritual medicines cannot be bought!

"Junior brother, for safety's sake, I'll take you to Lanping County," Xu Yan pondered.

"Okay!" Meng Chong nodded.

He wasn't afraid of Grandmaster martial artists, nor were they a threat to him. Even if he were to kill a Grandmaster with one strike, it wouldn't damage the spiritual medicines. But if a Half-Step Grandmaster or even a Grandmaster were to attack, the situation would be difficult.

The three of them headed straight for Lanping County.

Lanping County borders the wilderness and is extremely remote from where they currently were. It would take quite some time to reach Lanping County, let alone Tieshan County.

Moreover, to avoid accidents, Xu Yan tried to keep a low profile as much as possible.

There's no rush to kill Grandmasters; the spiritual medicines are the most important.

"Meng, Brother Xu, I'll hide in Lanping County for now. When the storm passes, I'll search for spiritual medicines again. How can I contact you guys in the future?" As they were about to enter the territory of Lanping County, Meng Shushu asked.

Xu Yan pondered for a moment and said, "In the future, you can go to Tieshan County and contact me, or you can contact Xie Lingfeng and have him relay the message for you."

Tieshan County is a place bordering the wilderness. After bringing back the spiritual medicines this time, the number of martial artists in the wilderness will inevitably increase, and entering the inner region is also inevitable.

The first stop for martial artists in the wilderness would naturally be Tieshan County.

"I understand!" Meng Shushu nodded.

"Do well in our family's business and strive to earn two treasure bags as soon as possible!" Meng Chong patted his shoulder encouragingly.

"I'll try my best," Meng Shushu said with a bitter smile. Treasure bags, how many spiritual medicines does he need to collect to afford them?

Just as they stepped into the territory of Lanping County, Xu Yan suddenly stopped, raised his arm, and blocked Meng Chong and Meng Shushu. He looked ahead with a solemn expression.

A figure approached from afar, step by step. Wherever he passed, the ground seemed to have been scorched by fire, turning black.

He was dressed in a red robe, his head covered with a hood, his face shadowed, and his complexion pale. He held a skull staff in his hand.

The black staff had a skull head at the top, with red flames jumping in its eye sockets and mouth, emitting an extremely powerful aura.

A Grandmaster expert!

Xu Yan took out the spiritual medicines from his body and handed them to Meng Chong, saying, "Junior brother, be careful."

"Brother, rest assured."

Meng Chong's expression turned solemn, one hand resting on the hilt of his blade, wary of his surroundings.

Meng Shushu widened his eyes, staring at the Grandmaster, feeling his scalp tingle and his body trembling slightly.

"You, why are you so timid!" Meng Chong sighed. It's one thing if his family's strength is weak, but why such timidity?

"H-He's Fire Butcher, the Demon Lord!" Meng Shushu said with a mournful face.

Xu Yan and Meng Chong were both taken aback. Fire Butcher, one of the nine Demon Lords of the Demon Sect, and one of the three well-known Demon Lords, known for his cruelty and practice of the killing arts. When he broke through to the Grandmaster realm, he slaughtered hundreds of first-grade martial artists and over a dozen Grandmaster martial artists, refining their blood essence to advance. He's one of the most brutal of the nine Demon Lords, and his whereabouts are secretive to prevent being besieged by Grandmasters.

"That doesn't seem right. Fire Butcher wouldn't be this weak," Xu Yan suddenly shook his head.

"Weak?" Meng Shushu was surprised, swallowing nervously. "Brother Xu, Fire Butcher is a pinnacle Grandmaster. Among the pinnacle Grandmasters in the Inner Region, he ranks in the top thirty."

"You must have mistaken him. He's merely a mid-tier Master, not a pinnacle Master. Although he's stronger than the black-robed one I killed, he's far from being a pinnacle Grandmaster," Xu Yan shook his head.

"I see. So, he's not Fire Butcher, it seems he's one of his top Masters," Meng Shushu breathed a sigh of relief.

The demonic Grandmaster approached step by step, locking onto Xu Yan's aura from afar, moving slowly but fearlessly, as if he had no concern for the three of them escaping.

"Could it be that the black robes serve under Fire Butcher?" Meng Chong furrowed his brows.

"It's impossible. Fire Butcher wouldn't employ a bunch of cowards. But why did this Grandmaster come?" Meng Shushu wondered.

Xu Yan pondered. He escorted Du Yuying home and killed several Demon Sect Masters, including Qianhuan, the Illusory Demon Master. Could they all be under Fire Butcher?

Now, the Grandmaster from the other side came knocking on their door.

The threat faced by the Duhou Wangfu was indeed considerable. There was actually Fire Butcher's intervention. Who knows what's behind this?

But everything is in the past. He repelled Yin Hong in the name of Xie Lingfeng, defying the intimidation from Sword Sovereign Cliff, and truly proved himself strong, lifting the threat from Duhou Wangfu.

In the Seven Star Academy, he had already revealed his identity and clarified that he wasn't Xie Lingfeng. So, is this Grandmaster under Fire Butcher here for revenge?

"Are you Xu Yan?" the demonic Grandmaster asked with a cold gaze fixed on Xu Yan.

"Yes, I am," Xu Yan nodded directly.

"Good, remember this. Under my lord Fire Butcher, we slaughter. Your blood essence, your everything, will be taken by us. Seems like we'll have a good harvest this time," the demonic Grandmaster said chillingly.

The red flames shot out from the skull atop the skull staff, burning fiercely. At this moment, the Killing Skeleton appeared as if holding a torch!

Meng Chong and Meng Shushu retreated hastily, putting some distance between them.

Xu Yan's gaze became slightly solemn. The burning flames on the Killing Skeleton's staff were condensed from the opponent's power. 

Without temperature, only a chilling aura.

Yet it seemed capable of incinerating everything, corroding living beings, more terrifying than poison.

The opponent practiced the Killing Arts, and it's highly likely it's the Blood Purgatory Fire of the infamous Fire Butcher, condensing the blood essence of martial artists, refining them into the flames of Blood Purgatory!

"Your blood essence, we'll take it. Your everything, we'll take it. It seems we'll have a good harvest this time," the demonic Grandmaster said with a chilling smile.

His gaze lingered on the large bag in Meng Chong's hand for a while, then a smile appeared on his face.

"Be careful, Brother Xu. The Killing Skeleton is one of the top three powerful individuals under Fire Butcher, having killed countless people. The Blood Purgatory Fire is extremely terrifying; it can burn a martial artist's inner qi. Once contaminated, it cannot be extinguished, and death is inevitable!" Meng Shushu warned anxiously, fearing Xu Yan might be careless.

"Indeed, indeed. You actually know of my reputation!" The Killing Skeleton glanced at Meng Shushu, his cold gaze almost making Meng Shushu break into a cold sweat.

Without Meng Shushu's reminder, Xu Yan also understood the danger of the Killing Skeleton, though the threat of the Blood Purgatory Fire to him wasn't as significant.

At least it couldn't burn his innate qi.

"You're one of the strong individuals under Fire Butcher and a Grandmaster. Have you committed many murders for treasures?" Xu Yan suddenly brightened, asking.

The Killing Skeleton frowned. Why does this kid's expression seem off? Shouldn't he be afraid or serious?

Why is he asking these questions?

"Of course, my name Killing Skeleton comes from killing many. Don't think about begging for mercy; I won't spare you," the Killing Skeleton grinned.

"Do you have a lot of crystals on you?"

Xu Yan asked excitedly. This Killing Skeleton, being a Grandmaster and a powerful underling of the Demon Lord, must be very wealthy, right? This is like a money bag delivered to him!

"What do you mean?" The Killing Skeleton frowned, sensing something wrong with Xu Yan's attitude.

"I've killed several demonic Masters, only to find out they're all poor. It's embarrassing for the demonic path. I hope you won't disappoint me. Every time I make a move, Xu Yan, I never come out empty-handed. You, as a demonic Grandmaster, should be wealthy, right? You wouldn't be a penniless ghost, would you?" Xu Yan asked solemnly.

"You're seeking death!" The Killing Skeleton was furious. Xu Yan was disrespecting him!

Boom!

The terrifying Blood Purgatory Fire surged forth. Holding the skull staff, the Killing Skeleton wielded the horrifying crimson flames, emitting a hissing sound as it attacked Xu Yan fiercely.

"How dare you!" Xu Yan exclaimed. He struck out with a sword, unleashing the Mountain and River Dragon's Roar!

The sword intent of the Mountain and River was vast and mighty, and the dragon's roar resounded. Following it was a palm strike, unleashing a golden dragon enveloped in unparalleled ferocity, carrying the utmost Yang and strength, forcefully entering the Blood Purgatory Fire.

Although the Blood Purgatory Fire seemed powerful, it ultimately perished under techniques of the Yin attribute, deemed as sinister and evil.

The Descending Dragon Palm, with its extreme Yang and strength, could restrain the Blood Purgatory Fire.

Boom!

The golden dragon roared, its might overwhelming. As it rolled and spiraled, the Blood Purgatory Fire kept diminishing under its bombardment, seeming unable to corrode the golden dragon. Instead, under the assault of the golden dragon, it weakened continuously.

"You!" The Killing Skeleton's face changed drastically.

"No one can escape from me, Xu Yan!" Xu Yan declared coldly.

He struck with another sword, and his palm struck again.

Roar!

Eighteen golden dragons burst forth, spiraling in all directions and converging from outside to inside.

"Kill!"

The Killing Skeleton's expression changed dramatically, revealing a fierce and sinister look.

Bang!

His robe exploded instantly, and a stream of blood-colored qi surged out from his body, permeating the air with a nauseating bloody smell.

The massive stream of blood-colored qi gushed out from the Killing Skeleton's body, pouring into the skull staff. Meanwhile, his body instantly began to wither.

"If you want to kill me, then we'll die together!" The Killing Skeleton's face twisted, and the skull staff in his hand turned blood-red, emitting a terrifying aura.

But Xu Yan was even more furious. "Give me back my spirit tickets!"

The Killing Skeleton's robe exploded, and the money bag he carried also burst into pieces. Inside were spirit tickets and other items, all shattered.

This meant that even if Xu Yan killed him, he wouldn't gain anything!

How could he not be angry?

Since the spirit tickets were gone, there was no need to worry about damaging them anymore. Xu Yan's sword intent soared instantly, his killing aura sharp and fierce, causing even the heavens and earth to change color.

The Killing Skeleton, who had already prepared to fight to the death, suddenly felt his scalp go numb. The killing intent and ferocity emanating from Xu Yan were even more terrifying than his own as a demon lord!

(End of this chapter)