Divine Emperor Demon Emperor

Upon entering Demon Beast Ridge, Lin Yun was greeted by the sight of rolling mountain ranges. The peaks weren’t particularly high, but the trees and vegetation were incredibly lush.

"This place is a paradise for Demon Beasts. I can’t believe Flawless Palace has a place like this," Lin Yun marveled. Within Flawless Palace, Demon Beast Ridge truly was like a world unto itself.

Strolling through Demon Beast Ridge with Little Ape, Lin Yun still had no idea what the purpose of this place was. However, judging from the Supreme Elder’s tone earlier, it was supposed to be very dangerous.

He didn’t venture deep rashly. After all, Lin Yun was still unfamiliar with Demon Beast Ridge, so he stuck to the outer areas, not daring to plunge into its depths.

’This place is so quiet.’ As he walked, Lin Yun kept a close watch on his surroundings.

Several hours passed peacefully. Lin Yun hadn’t encountered a single person or Demon Beast. It was as if the place was devoid of life. For the entire time, Lin Yun simply wandered through Demon Beast Ridge, bored.

When night fell, Lin Yun didn’t feel any sense of urgency. ’I have to stay here for a year anyway, so there’s no rush.’

He found a relatively open area and started a fire. After tossing a few Three-Stars Qi Essence Pills to Little Ape, Lin Yun closed his eyes and began to cultivate.

Even in Demon Beast Ridge, Lin Yun couldn’t afford to slack off on his daily cultivation. The situation in Yanhuang Country may have been resolved, but he knew he was still very weak.

In Yanhuang Country, he might not have needed to fear anyone, but in the grand scale of the Eastern Domain, his home country was nothing more than a tiny, barren speck of land.

He felt no pride in being a king in a monkey’s den. The path before him was long and arduous. To get his revenge on the Divine Emperor, he still had a very, very long way to go.

Just as Lin Yun was cultivating, a change came over the hitherto silent Demon Beast Ridge. Around him, several pairs of green-glowing eyes were staring at his cross-legged figure.

Little Ape, who had been sleeping soundly, suddenly sensed danger. It leaped onto Lin Yun’s shoulder and let out a low growl right next to his ear.

Startled awake by Little Ape, Lin Yun also quickly became aware of the danger. His brow furrowed as he muttered to himself, "Demon Beasts..."

Realizing he was surrounded by Demon Beasts, Lin Yun was deeply puzzled. ’Under normal circumstances, Demon Beasts from the outside world wouldn’t just surround you without attacking.’

A Demon Beast’s nature was to kill. They could only grow and eventually advance to higher tiers by devouring other Demon Beasts.

’Are they waiting for the right moment?’ Lin Yun murmured.

Judging by their behavior, these Demon Beasts weren’t flustered or impatient at all. They were more like assassins hiding in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to deliver a killing blow.

’If that’s the case, then these Demon Beasts are terrifying. They possess a level of intelligence that Demon Beasts from the outside world simply don’t have. What’s more, they don’t behave like typical Demon Beasts when they’re together... it feels like they’re cooperating.’

’They couldn’t be a pack species, could they? Like Blood Patterned Wolves,’ Lin Yun guessed. It would be understandable if they were, but if they weren’t, it would prove that the Demon Beasts of Demon Beast Ridge were far more intelligent than those of the outside world.

If they weren’t a pack species yet still knew how to cooperate, that would be terrifying—especially their intelligence.

Lin Yun remained still, carefully observing every movement around him. The Demon Beasts hiding in the darkness also showed no signs of panic, waiting quietly.

The entire area was unnaturally quiet, so quiet it was almost frightening.

Finally, after more than an hour, the Demon Beasts must have thought Lin Yun had let his guard down. Suddenly, from five different directions, five black shadows lunged at him.

The moment the five Demon Beasts pounced, Lin Yun’s tightly shut eyes snapped open. With Little Ape still on his shoulder, he executed Inch Step, narrowly dodging the five-pronged attack.

Having dodged their attack, Lin Yun put more than ten meters of distance between them. Only then did he have a moment to get a good look at his attackers.

A wry smile touched Lin Yun’s lips as he looked. His wild guess had been right on the mark. The five Demon Beasts were not a pack species; they weren’t even the same kind of beast.

A Golden Lion, a Wind Spirit Leopard, a Blood Patterned Wolf, a Thunder Tiger, and a Golden Pattern Python.

The five Demon Beasts stared at Lin Yun menacingly. They were all Tier Three Demon Beasts, but he had the feeling that these five were much stronger than any Tier Three Demon Beast from the outside world.

They were intelligent, cooperative, and patient. Most importantly, the auras of these five Tier Three Demon Beasts were incredibly potent; even a Tier Three Peak Demon Beast from the outside world couldn’t compare.

"Damn it, are these five beasts trying to defy the heavens? They’re only Tier Three, how can their auras be so potent?" Lin Yun couldn’t help but curse. He realized that nothing had happened during the day because these five Demon Beasts had probably been stalking him since then.

If that were true, it was terrifying. They had followed him for an entire day without him noticing a thing. Even at night, it was Little Ape who had noticed them first. It just went to show how skilled these five Demon Beasts were at concealment, and how patient they were.

Now that they were exposed, the five Demon Beasts no longer bothered to hide. They let out a furious roar that echoed through the mountain forest, shattering the midnight silence.

In the small courtyard outside Demon Beast Ridge, the Supreme Elder, who had been cultivating with his eyes closed, slowly opened them. A faint, knowing smile played on his lips as he said, "So, he’s been targeted, has he? The Demon Beasts of Demon Beast Ridge are a completely different breed from those in the outside world."

Just as the Supreme Elder sensed Lin Yun’s predicament, Lin Yun and Little Ape had already clashed with the five Demon Beasts.

After only a few exchanges, both Lin Yun and Little Ape were already injured. In terms of speed, strength, and even fighting style, these five Demon Beasts were completely different from the ones outside.

It was common knowledge that Demon Beasts typically fought relying on their innate ferocity. These five, however, were different. Their fighting style was more akin to that of Human Martial Artists.

They knew how to dodge and defend, which shocked Lin Yun even more. He had never seen a Demon Beast fight like a human—at least, not a Tier Three Demon Beast.

The five Demon Beasts kept Lin Yun and Little Ape tightly surrounded. Judging from the exchange, the pair were at a complete disadvantage. Now, as if worried they might try to flee, the beasts sealed off all their escape routes.

"What the hell? They even know how to block escape routes?" Gazing grimly at the five beasts, Lin Yun couldn’t help but curse. "Damn it, what kind of place is this Demon Beast Ridge? This punishment is a total setup! And this is just the outer area!"

At that moment, Lin Yun’s thoughts were filled with curses for the Vice Hall Master of Punishment Hall. What he didn’t know, however, was that the punishment had actually been Luo Feng’s idea; the Vice Hall Master had merely been following his instructions.

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