By the time they officially arrived in the Demon Domain, night had already fallen. Crisp, white moonlight filtered down, illuminating the scene before them: a vast forest, a sight exceedingly common in the Demon Domain.
Unlike the Central Continent, which had been thoroughly developed, the Demon Domain retained a relatively primitive system centered around scattered villages. Development was minimal, leaving behind countless primeval wildernesses.
Moreover, the tribes living along the borders of the Demon Domain were all small, mixed-blood demon tribes that lacked the power to develop the wilderness at all.
"Where is Third Senior Sister?"
"According to the map Eldest Senior Sister gave us, after leaving Demon Quelling Pass and reaching the Demon Domain, we head north for two thousand li. Third Senior Sister is waiting for us at the border between the Qiongqi Clan and the Howling Moon Heavenly Wolf Clan." Lu Yang fished out the map. Drawn haphazardly by Eldest Senior Sister, it was crude in the extreme. It showed only the border of the Demon Domain, the Qiongqi Clan, and the Howling Moon Heavenly Wolf Clan, completely omitting whatever territories lay in between.
"That's not too far—about three days' journey."
"Let's set out, then."
Having determined their direction, the two prepared to depart. Even though night had fallen, their cultivation possessed not the slightest flaw, and their visual senses had been honed just as thoroughly. As long as there was a single glimmer of light, they could see the road clearly; walking beneath the moonlight was no different from strolling in broad daylight.
Just as they lifted their feet, they caught the rustle of movement from deep within the dense forest, accompanied by faint shouts.
"Halt!"
"Don't let them escape!"
"Young Lady, stop running!"
A pair of figures—one male, one female—burst from the depths of the thicket. Seeing Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, they froze for an instant. They had taken advantage of the night to flee an arranged marriage, hoping to escape into Great Xia territory. Unfortunately, their plan had flaws, and their tribe had caught wind of something amiss and pursued them the entire way.
Just when success seemed within grasp, it turned out the tribe had long anticipated their escape route and laid an ambush right here.
"Break through!"
The man gritted his teeth. As long as they slipped past these two and entered the mist, they could fly far and wide!
He drew a broad saber from his storage ring and gripped it with both hands, muscles bulging. A misty frost condensed along the blade like autumn chill, exuding an innate coldness!
Under ordinary circumstances, he would never have dared raise a hand against an expert like Lu Yang. But now, with his beloved at his side, pursuers at his back, and freedom before him, he had to risk it all!
The woman was no slouch either. Gripping twin swords, the tips fluttered like dancing dragons and hovering phoenixes!
"Die, anyone who stands in our way!"
The man and woman leaped high into the air, reaching as high as Lu Yang's knees—only for Lu Yang to kick them flying.
Lu Yang squatted down and looked at the two one-inch-tall little runts, feeling utterly helpless.
"What are you two doing?"
Before the couple could answer, the pursuers behind them caught up. Every one of them was an inch tall; most were humanoid, while a few were not even humanoid, retaining the natural forms of their original kind—the Insect Clan.
Meng Jingzhou's eyelids twitched. The two of them had just been about to leave when a pair of tiny bugs dashed out from the bushes, screeching about killing anyone who stood in their way and charging forward with weapons the size of toothpicks.
Never mind that the two of them barely had any cultivation to speak of—even if they did, where had they found the nerve to pick a fight with him and Lu Yang?
The Insect Clan was also a part of the demon race. If the Dragon and Phoenix Clans stood at the apex of the demon race, then the Insect Clan occupied the very bottom. Even rabbit and rat clans with virtually no offensive power enjoyed higher standing than insects.
Because the Insect Clan was inherently weak, they had no choice but to huddle together for warmth. Whether ant, mantis, dung beetle, or mosquito, they all lived together and were collectively known to the outside world as the Insect Clan.
Even when members of the Insect Clan assumed human form, insufficient cultivation meant they could only become one-inch-tall figures. Only upon reaching the Foundation Establishment stage could they grow to the size of a human toddler, and only at the Golden Core stage could they take the form of an adult human.
Coughing blood, the man stared at Lu Yang in despair. He was remarkably agile and could hold his own even against a second-level Qi Refinement cultivator, yet Lu Yang had critically wounded him with a single blow. He had to be an almighty expert of at least the fourth level of Qi Refinement!
This was not Lu Yang's first time seeing members of the Insect Clan; the Silver-ringed Heavenly King Earthworm couple in the Herb Garden belonged to the Insect Clan and were at least at the Soul Formation stage.
However, it was his first time seeing such miniature insect-folk. He had only ever heard about them as a joke, but seeing them actually draw blades against him in person... made it even funnier.
Seeing Lu Yang's prowess, the pursuers behind were struck with awe and dared not shout another word.
One among them stepped forward, craning his neck as far back as he could to look up at Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou. He dropped to his knees and asked in trembling terror, "This humble one is Li Shiqiang of the Insect Clan. We were unaware of Your Honors' arrival and have offended you. We beg for Your Honors' forgiveness."
He was the number-one expert of the tribe, yet facing the unfathomable depths of Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, he dared not commit the slightest breach of etiquette, taking great care to be as polite as possible.
"Think nothing of it; no offense taken. We two are from the Prison Suppressing Sect. I am Meng Yang, and he is Lu Jingzhou."
Since the other party had introduced himself, it would be improper for them not to do the same.
This was the cover story they had agreed upon during their journey. Claiming to be rogue cultivators would never do; the demon race placed great stock in bloodlines and took human pedigree just as seriously. Calling themselves rogue cultivators would invite contempt, or worse, nefarious designs.
As such, they needed identities with backing. Posing as officials of the imperial court was inconvenient and risked lawsuits upon their return.
Their true identities from the Dao Seeking Sect were off-limits.
The Hanging Temple had too few disciples to convincingly imitate.
The Moon Laurel Immortal Palace accepted only female cultivators, ruling that out as well.
That left choosing between the Five Elements Sect and the Prison Suppressing Sect.
Lu Yang had picked the Prison Suppressing Sect.
Li Shiqiang appeared thoroughly overwhelmed by this courtesy. It was his first time encountering experts so polite; reasonable demons were a rare sight in the Demon Domain.
"Commander Li, please, just let me and Xiaomi go!" the little man fleeing the marriage pleaded bitterly, but Commander Li remained unmoved.
In truth, their escape plan had been doomed from the very start. Great Xia would never permit the Insect Clan to cross its borders; that was an ironclad rule.
If they were allowed to enter and multiply, the consequences would be catastrophic. Even a swarm of first-level Qi Refinement mosquitoes would be more than ordinary mortals could endure.
The Silver-ringed Heavenly King Earthworms were an exception because they were already at the Soul Formation stage, making reproduction exceedingly difficult.
Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou grew intrigued. Crouching on the ground, they observed these tiny figures beneath the moonlight. "Don't be in such a rush to drag them off. Tell us what this is all about."
Commander Li dared not go against their wishes, recounting the events in full detail.
The Insect Clan was also divided into tribes. Their tribe was among the weakest, lacking even a single insect at mid Qi Refinement. The son of the tribal chief of a stronger insect tribe had taken a fancy to Song Xiaomi and used his tribe's influence to pressure them into marriage.
Song Xiaomi's tribe had no choice but to hand her over. However, Xiaomi had a childhood sweetheart named Chishui. Chishui was the tribe's greatest genius, but before the other tribe, he was nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Neither Song Xiaomi nor Chishui would accept the marriage, which led to their nocturnal flight and their collision with Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou.
"Interesting. Come, take us to see your Insect Clan."
Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou had never seen an insect tribe before. Having made the rare trip to the Demon Domain, wouldn't it be a wasted journey if they didn't take in the local flavor?
Chapter 562