Chapter One Hundred: The Immortal Realm of Strange Demons

Flying swiftly on his sword, Ye Sansi traveled at great speed. From the main hall of the Sword God Sect, it took him an entire hour to arrive at the so-called Realm of the Strange Demons. Gazing down from the sky at the lower world, Ye Sansi was unlike others; he was not deceived by the illusion cast over the great lake, but could truly see the villages and houses of the Strange Demon Realm.

Ye Sansi turned his sword around and descended, heading toward the familiar place.

Upon landing at the village entrance, no demonic figure was in sight.

Rustle... rustle...

Ye Sansi sensed faint movements behind him and grew alert. Though he knew Elder Peng of the Peng Immortal Sect recognized him, other demons might not be so friendly. If they truly regarded him as an alien enemy, things would become difficult.

This village served as a barrier for the Strange Demon Realm, guarded by powerful demons. Ye Sansi might not be able to handle them all. Even though his cultivation and skills surpassed theirs, these demons were benevolent by nature. How could he bring himself to fight them? If even one or two were harmed and Elder Peng pleaded on their behalf, the king of the Strange Demon Realm might not relent.

“I am indeed a friend of the Strange Demon Realm, acquainted with your Elder Peng. If you doubt me, you may inform him; I shall wait here,” Ye Sansi said, noticing that the demons surrounding him were all great demons, none of whom were previous villagers.

Since none recognized him, Ye Sansi guessed the king of the Strange Demon Realm must have received some intelligence and recalled the villagers, sending these powerful demons to ambush any outsiders.

“Wait, I am one of you, a friend of the Strange Demon Realm,” Ye Sansi stood still, motionless, letting the hidden demons know he bore no ill will.

Sure enough, at his words, several shadows darted from the darkness, encircling him. A sharp, delicate voice spoke, “A friend? How come we’ve never heard of you? Though you carry demonic aura, you wield a keen sword, resembling a cultivator. I see you descended from the sky, riding a sword. My guess is correct—it’s a cultivation technique. You say you are one of us, but do you take us for fools?”

“No trouble is necessary. Come with me to meet the king and let Elder Peng identify you. If he does not recognize you, you will be eliminated. Do you dare?”

“What is there to fear?” the demon replied. “You speak so calmly, surrounded by us, yet show no sign of fear. Perhaps you intend for us to inform the king, then slip away mid-escape on a lesser demon mount.”

Ye Sansi smiled, “Senior, you are indeed cautious. Whatever your plan, I am at your disposal.”

The group of six proceeded toward the back mountain. Ye Sansi chuckled, “Sirs, could you capture me more gently? I am but a mortal. Being restrained so harshly will leave my bones scattered when we reach the Strange Demon Realm.”

“Behave!” the leading demon scolded loudly. “This is all the force we have; no gentleness. Don’t try to trick us or escape. When the king sees you and Elder Peng identifies you, if you truly are a friend, we will apologize one by one. For now, you are an invader. Expect no mercy. So if it hurts, bear it well.”

The demon signaled, and two demons approached Ye Sansi, taking possession of the swords Tian Nu and Cang Hua. Tian Nu tried to fly out, but Ye Sansi coughed, and it settled, motionless.

Two more demons seized Ye Sansi’s arms and escorted him into the true Strange Demon Realm. The others vanished in the blink of an eye, hiding in the shadows.

Ye Sansi pondered: How does one enter the Strange Demon Realm? Unlike the Sword God Sect, which was enclosed by a great lake and accessed through whirlpool voids, the Strange Demon Realm likely had a tunnel dug straight underground. But such an entrance would be difficult to hide. He was truly curious.

After half a thousand paces, Ye Sansi grew somewhat impatient but softly complained, “Sirs, is the entrance not yet near? Being escorted like this is quite uncomfortable.”

Seeing his complaints useless, Ye Sansi smiled and said calmly, “Fine, fine, I’ll endure without further words, but please walk faster so we don’t waste time.”

The demons finally quickened their pace. After another thousand steps into the back mountain, the entrance to the Strange Demon Realm still remained unseen.

With a word, “Open,” a stone stele rose from the ground. Carved upon it were exquisite images of eagles, dragons, snakes, tigers, leopards, and other beasts. The demon placed his palm on the stele.

After a moment, the stele glowed white, the patterns illuminating throughout, dazzlingly beautiful. Ye Sansi blinked and quickly closed his eyes.

The demon laughed, “We arrived early but have been circling the forest. We feared if you escaped and led outsiders here, it would cause trouble. So I cast an illusion to confuse you, making you lose your way. I doubt you can determine the true entrance now.”

Such caution even surprised Ye Sansi. After another hundred paces, they stopped. The leading demon stepped forward, casting a spell while murmuring incantations.

Ye Sansi stretched and said, “Sirs, no time to waste. Let’s meet the king quickly. I have urgent matters.”

“Follow us,” the demon said. Two demons flanked Ye Sansi, two followed behind. Such formation and vigilance rivaled even the Fangsong Immortal Island. Ye Sansi couldn’t help but admire the unity of the Strange Demon Realm’s inhabitants.

After a moment, Ye Sansi slowly opened his eyes. The dense forest and stele had vanished, replaced by a flat ground paved with stone roads, adorned with exquisite patterns on bricks and tiles. A bright daylight scene stretched before him, with a warm sun overhead, yet different from the outside world.

This was evidently the Strange Demon Realm. It was no exaggeration to call it a fairyland. The two demons released Ye Sansi, no longer worried about his escape. Within the Strange Demon Realm, even if he was free, he would not know the exit.

“Very well, I shall give it a try,” Ye Sansi said and dashed forward. The demon tried to stop him, but too late—Ye Sansi leapt off the cliff and landed firmly on the iron chains below.

With his sword-riding skill and agile steps, Ye Sansi wanted to test if crossing this perilous chain bridge would be difficult but was cautious not to risk reckless adventure.

After a hundred paces, the cliff loomed ahead, linked by iron chains to the opposite side. Ye Sansi asked, “Sirs, this cliff is dangerous. Could you lend me a sword to ride across? I will return it once I reach the other side.”

The demon replied, “No. Both your swords are divine weapons. We handle them with utmost care, gathering energy lest the swords’ spiritual force harm us. If we return them to you and you use them against us, how can we counter?”

Ye Sansi regulated his breathing, stabilized his body, and stepped onto the iron chains with swift, blurred movements. The first few sections were smooth, but midway, it became more difficult.

The cliff was towering, reaching the clouds, with strong winds. At the center of the chain, the wind intensified, forcing Ye Sansi to slow down, splitting each step into two, proceeding cautiously but managing.

Looking down, he saw a bottomless abyss but remained calm, having prepared for contingencies.

The five demons stood at the cliff’s edge. One wanted to fly down to assist, but the leader stopped him, shaking his head, saying, “I want to see what skills this youth has to be so brave.”

Ye Sansi exhaled deeply and continued crossing, thinking the iron chains were merely slippery. With focused force on his feet and nimble steps, he could cross this peril with ease.

The demon, impressed by Ye Sansi’s skill, exclaimed, “This mere youth crosses our peril so easily, cool and composed—not common talent. If he is our friend, that is excellent; if an enemy, he must be eliminated... I will test him, you be ready to assist.”

Unexpectedly, the iron chain ahead had frozen. Ye Sansi slipped a step and nearly fell into the abyss. Luckily, he reacted swiftly, grasped the chain, swung his waist, and regained footing.

The demons trembled inwardly. Though they considered Ye Sansi an outsider, he was still a life. If he died unjustly, they would bear responsibility. Moreover, Ye Sansi claimed to be Elder Peng’s friend; if harmed, it would be difficult to explain.

A sudden gust struck, tilting Ye Sansi’s balance. His foot slipped off the chain, and this time he failed to grab hold. The wind ceased, and Ye Sansi fell straight down.

Though falling, Ye Sansi had a backup plan. He extended a palm, and the sword Tian Nu flew out, rushing to him like lightning. In a flash, it hovered beneath his feet, slowly reducing his descent speed. Once stable atop the sword, in moments, he and the sword soared out from the cliff, above the clouds.

“Yes,” Ye Sansi acknowledged.

Only ten paces from the opposite cliff’s edge, a fierce wind suddenly arose. It was so strong that Ye Sansi couldn’t react in time. Even with reaction, the slippery chain offered no leverage; he couldn’t resist the gale.

The five demons flew to the other side. Ye Sansi fell and cupped Tian Nu, presenting it to the demon. “In danger, I had no choice but to call upon it. Here, I return it to you.”

The demon waved off the gesture, taking Cang Hua as well and holding both swords in front of Ye Sansi with a smile. “I see you can summon the sword at will. We holding them is useless. Keep them both.”

The demon nodded, then called out into the air, “Boy, excellent skill, great magic.”

Ye Sansi replied, “Sirs, no delay. Let’s fly to the cliff’s edge. This peril was almost fatal.”

“Many thanks, senior,” Ye Sansi said, taking back his swords.

Unexpectedly, the demon bowed to him. Ye Sansi hurriedly stopped him, saying, “Senior, why do you bow? I cannot accept such honor.”

“Young hero, it was our blindness to mistake you for an invader. Our apologies for the offense. Please forgive our ignorance.”

Ye Sansi placed both swords on his back and smiled, “Senior, no offense taken. The Strange Demon Realm entrusted you to guard outside, to capture, suspect, and watch me—that is your duty. If you had not done so, I would not trust the defense of this realm.”

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