Chapter 111: The Valley

Ye Sansi stood up, brushed the fine dust from his clothes, and chuckled to himself, "At least I got the Su-Jade Bracelet back. I don't need Tao Xiao to do anything for me, but thinking about it, he's not a bad sort. He happened to save my life, so helping him was not in vain."

Having tossed and turned without finding a morsel to eat, Ye Sansi decided to head to the Royal Palace, lest he be late for his appointment.

Fortunately, the place where Tao Xiao had left him was not too far. Traveling by his sword, it took Ye Sansi less than the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn to reach the palace.

Before Ye Sansi had even steadied his sword, Tiannu, he saw the Monarch hurrying toward him, his face etched with concern.

Seeing this, Ye Sansi leapt down, and Tiannu retreated onto his back.

"Brother King," Ye Sansi asked, "what has happened? Why are you so anxious? Tell me, and I shall gladly help you share your burdens."

The Monarch relaxed slightly, his expression one of disbelief. "I cannot believe it, I truly cannot. Your sword, Brother Sansi, is truly remarkable."

"Brother King, do you mean to say that the Far North is that terrifying?"

"It is more than just terrifying," the Monarch replied. "When I first established the Strange Demon Realm, I crossed the Far North. I was caught in an illusion array, lost my way, and was beset by gale-force winds and thick snow that blurred my vision. I was filled with panic; had I not stumbled upon an exit, I would have certainly frozen to death."

The Monarch paused, then continued, "Once I emerged from the Far North, I found this place of peace—no snow, no illusions, surrounded by mountains. By utilizing this terrain, I was able to cast a great formation, giving me the strength to build this vast Strange Demon Realm."

Hearing this, Ye Sansi thought to himself: *It was truly perilous earlier. If Tao Xiao hadn't arrived just in time, I might have frozen to death by now. To die in such a futile way... the thought still makes me shudder. And as the King said, for Tao Xiao to travel through the Far North so freely, his strength is truly beyond estimation.*

The Monarch patted Ye Sansi on the shoulder, turned, and smiled. "You, you are truly bold. Most of the denizens of our realm tremble at the mere mention of the Far North, and yet you went there alone. Even I have only crossed it once, and that was by sheer luck. Fortunately, I placed a spirit stone, formed from half my heart, outside, or I would have been like a caged beast, left to rot in this land..."

Speaking of the Far North, the Monarch still seemed fearful, his brow furrowed as he recalled those horrific days—the helplessness, the extreme cold, the crushing pressure—all of which were enough to make one's blood run cold.

Ye Sansi quickly sought to lighten the mood, squinting with a smile. "Brother King, it is for the best. The more terrifying the Far North is, the safer our Strange Demon Realm remains..."

"Brother King," Ye Sansi said, nodding, then realized he had already spoken and could not take it back. He knew Tao Xiao's affairs must remain hidden to avoid unnecessary trouble, so he furrowed his brow and lied, "I originally intended to go outside the realm to find some food, but the moment I stepped out, I lost my way. A fierce storm of wind and snow arose. Fortunately, my sword, Tiannu, is filled with spiritual energy and recognized the way, bringing me out. Otherwise, I would have surely perished in such a terrifying place."

"Nothing, nothing, it is enough to see that you are safe. I was sitting on my throne, monitoring the state of the Strange Demon Realm, when I realized you were gone. I could not find you in the outer villages, and I feared you had wandered into the Far North. Now that I see you are safe, it was just my overactive imagination."

Ye Sansi scratched his head and laughed. "Thank you for your concern, Brother King. I did indeed enter the Far North, but..."

"What?" the Monarch exclaimed. "You entered the Far North? And you managed to return safely?"

Ye Sansi smiled. "Fortunately, my Tiannu saved my life, otherwise..."

The Monarch said sternly, "Brother Sansi, you... to risk such danger just for food—what is the point? Is there not enough food in our vast domain?"

"Please, Brother King, do not be angry. It was my own recklessness and lack of consideration. I will certainly not repeat this. I have seen the terror of the Far North today; with my current strength, it is truly difficult to traverse."

"We, we... good, good!" The Monarch laughed heartily. He took a few steps forward, turned to face Ye Sansi, and extended his hands, demonstrating a set of techniques. Ye Sansi watched closely.

He had expected the Monarch to use the 'Soul-Devouring Art' again, but this technique was far more domineering. The 'Soul-Devouring Art,' which only the Monarch could practice, was meant for absorbing and assimilating the power of other demons; it was gentle, focused on technique and the casting of spells. But what the Monarch was demonstrating now was purely an offensive method, and it was incredibly aggressive.

Ye Sansi was extremely excited. This technique was powerful, and if he could master it, it would surely boost his strength significantly. He asked curiously, "Brother King, does this technique have a name? Could you teach it to me?"

"Hahaha, since I am showing it to you, I intend to teach it to you. If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten. Since I created this technique, I haven't been able to come up with a good name for it. Why don't you name it, Brother Sansi?"

Ye Sansi waved his hands in refusal, laughing. "You created it yourself, Brother King; how could I name it? It wouldn't be appropriate. You should name it yourself."

"How about we take the 'Yi' from 'Strange Demon Realm' (Yi Yao Jie) and the 'Si' from 'Sansi', and combine them to make 'Yi-Si'?"

"The 'Yi-Si' Technique?"

"How about it?"

"If you think it's good, Brother King, then it is good. But I only feel that the term 'Yi-Si' sounds a bit like 'remembering thoughts' (Yi-Si), which is rather melancholic. According to the people of the world, it is not considered auspicious..."

The Monarch thought about it, felt it made sense, and nodded in agreement. "Then, Brother Sansi, how would you change it? Speak your mind."

"How about changing 'Yi-Si' to 'Si-Yi'? 'Si-Yi', 'Si-Yi'—to contemplate how we differ from the demon realm: the wicked, the evil, the cunning, the deceitful. This has been the aspiration of the Strange Demon Realm for thousands of years."

The Monarch was deeply moved by Ye Sansi's explanation. He nodded slowly and said, "Mmm... that is a good name. Fitting, fitting, very fitting indeed."

After a moment of silence, the Monarch returned to his senses and laughed. "This technique shall be called 'Si-Yi'. I like the name very much. I hope this technique will be of great help to you in the future."

Ye Sansi was thrilled and asked hurriedly, "Brother King, this technique is powerful and practical. Can I learn it now?"

"Brother Sansi, no rush, no rush. Haven't you yet eaten? I will take you to get something to eat first. Once your belly is full and you have strength, learning this technique will be much faster."

Ye Sansi scratched his head and gave a foolish laugh. "Brother King, it was only so I wouldn't bother Auntie Rabbit that I went to look for food elsewhere..."

The Monarch laughed and patted Ye Sansi on the back. "Brother Sansi, in my vast Strange Demon Realm, is there only one place to eat? Besides, even if there were, it's only vegetarian food—that's no fun."

"Follow me." With that, the Monarch leapt into the air and rushed out of the Royal Palace.

Tiannu emerged, and Ye Sansi mounted it, flying swiftly behind the Monarch. Judging by the direction, they were heading toward the back mountains...

After the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, the Monarch descended, and Ye Sansi followed close behind.

Ye Sansi looked around. There was snow on the mountains, and the climate was much colder than in the Strange Demon Realm.

"Brother King, what is this place?"

"The back mountains of our Strange Demon Realm. If you go further north, you reach the Edge of the World. It is bottomless and stretches beyond the horizon. If you are alone, you must never approach it."

"Understood. Hahaha, I never imagined I, Ye Sansi, would have the honor of seeing the Edge of the World. If I told Ling Shuang and the others, they would surely admire my incredible adventure."

The Monarch laughed. "What kind of adventure is this? In the future, your deeds will not be confined to the mortal realm. In a hundred years, you will surely be a friend to the earth and converse with the heavens..."

"Brother King, you brought me here—is there any wild game?"

The Monarch sat on the peak and laughed. "Haha, that is for you to find. Look, there is a valley below; the game is in there. I will wait for you here."

"Very well, wait for me, Brother King." With that, Ye Sansi leapt down into the valley.

For the time it takes for two sticks of incense to burn, Ye Sansi did not hear a sound. He began to suspect that the valley contained only plants and no living creatures.

But the suspicion lasted only a moment. Suddenly, Ye Sansi sensed something amiss and dodged instinctively, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow.

It was a beast...

The valley was deep. Although there was snow on the peaks, the valley itself was lush with greenery and full of life. The Monarch was right—there were wild beasts here.

Ye Sansi was cautious. He crouched low and moved forward carefully; not a single sound escaped his ears. Because of his years of hunting experience, Ye Sansi remained calm and steady, neither hurried nor impatient.

The demon beast had no intention of giving Ye Sansi a moment to catch his breath. It launched a series of fierce and powerful attacks. Even so, it could not harm Ye Sansi in the slightest.

The demon beast was large, headless, and possessed only one claw, yet it had four legs and a body as long as a horse. It was incredibly ugly.

Although it had no head and thus no facial expression, Ye Sansi could sense the ferocity of the beast. It was a formidable opponent.

"Eight Treasures Decision!" Ye Sansi cast his spell and looked at the beast, exclaiming, "Damn it, it's a demon!"

As he dodged, Ye Sansi taunted, "You wicked creature, meeting your Grandfather Sansi today is your misfortune! Seeing how you are filled with such malevolence, you must be an evil demon. I shall eliminate you!"

The beast seemed to understand, and its attacks became even more ferocious, each one a death blow. In terms of sheer demonic power, the beast had the advantage, but its attack patterns were merely swift and brutal, lacking any real strategy. Ye Sansi dodged with ease.