Chapter 1 A Trace of a Demon

Xu Jingming had left Cheng An Prefecture for over a month. His residence was still a ruin, and no one dared to seize it or rebuild it without permission.

Standing above the ruins now were two figures: a burly man with a large beard and Liu Chang, the local chief official of the Demon Subduing Department.

"Sir," Liu Chang said, "after Wu Ming's battle with the Dongming Mountain Master, this residence was reduced to ruins. It's been over a month, and it remains unchanged."

The burly man carefully observed the surroundings and frowned. "The records state that before the Dongming Mountain Master was killed, he repeatedly cried out for help?"

"Yes."

Liu Chang nodded. "The commotion was significant at the time. I used a secret technique to remotely observe and clearly saw the Dongming Mountain Master repeatedly pleading for help. Judging from his expression and tone, he wasn't faking it! He even cried for help right before he died."

"His master? Do you think it could be a Heavenly Demon?" the burly man asked.

"The Dongming Mountain Master was at the peak of the Earth Demon level. He wouldn't willingly acknowledge an Earth Demon as his master," Liu Chang said. "Moreover, if there was an Earth Demon hiding in the shadows, it wouldn't have escaped Wu Ming's notice. Therefore… based on all the information, there's over a 50% chance that there was a Heavenly Demon hiding in the shadows at the time."

The burly man nodded. "But I've examined the ruins and visited the surrounding ten *li*. I haven't found a trace of Heavenly Demon aura."

Liu Chang hesitated before saying, "We're just speculating after all. Perhaps, we're wrong?"

"Two possibilities."

The burly man pondered. "One, we're wrong, and there was no Heavenly Demon hiding there. Two, the Heavenly Demon did come, but his strength is greater than mine! I can't find any clues about him."

"Greater than yours, sir?" Liu Chang asked, surprised.

"I'm only a seventh-realm Demon Subduer after all. There are Heavenly Demons stronger than me," the burly man said, falling into thought before continuing, "Do you know where Wu Ming is?"

"He didn't even meet with us at the time. He only chatted with the Qi family for a few words before leaving the prefecture city with his old servant," Liu Chang said. "He hasn't returned in over a month."

"Alright, you can go back," the burly man instructed.

Liu Chang bowed slightly and immediately departed.

The burly man stood alone in the ruins.

"Based on my guess, there's a high probability that a Heavenly Demon is lurking nearby. He didn't attack because he sees the Demon Subduer Wu Ming as prey," the burly man thought with a sneer. "He probably judged from the Demon Subduer Wu Ming's growth trajectory that Wu Ming will soon become a high-realm Demon Subduer! And when he reaches the seventh realm, that's when he'll strike?"

"How ridiculous!"

"This Wu Ming, upon arriving in the Demon Subduing world, needed a long time to kill a mere patrolling envoy of the Dongming Mountain's thirty-six envoys. Later, he struggled to kill the Azure Lake Demon God, but after a few months, he could kill the Dongming Mountain Master," the burly man thought. "Clearly, this Wu Ming is likely an eighth-order limit in reality. After descending, he's gradually becoming familiar with the Demon Subduing secret techniques, which is why his strength is improving so quickly."

"If I'm not mistaken, he'll soon reach the sixth or seventh realm," the burly man thought.

Eighth-order limits only have their physical bodies reaching the limit.

Their minds are still far from a 'source life', so after coming to the Demon Subduing world, most are only sixth or seventh-realm Demon Subduers. After cultivating for a period of time, most can become high-realm Demon Subduers.

"That Heavenly Demon doesn't know that we Demon Subduers who descend from the outside world have extremely strong minds. He could have hunted him earlier."

"But he doesn't understand, so he's patiently waiting in the dark."

"A Heavenly Demon with suspected eighth-realm strength is beyond me. I need to gather my companions," the burly man thought. "As long as we discover Wu Ming's whereabouts and investigate the surrounding area, we might be able to find this Heavenly Demon."

Among the human race of the universe, many eighth-order limits come in, and most can cultivate into high-realm Demon Subduers.

They are like hunters, searching for Heavenly Demons.

For them, the obsessions of human demons and Earth Demons are of little help! But the obsessions of Heavenly Demons… are completely different! But there are too few Heavenly Demons, and each one conceals their aura and hides.

"The Heavenly Demons are too cunning, hiding one by one, disguised as humans. It's really too difficult to find a Heavenly Demon." The burly man shook his head slightly and then disappeared silently.

…

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.

Chi Yun Prefecture, Lan Ping Prefecture, within the prefecture city.

A young man and a hunchbacked old servant checked into an inn.

"Prepare a few signature dishes and bring over two pots of good wine," Xu Jingming and Wu Qi both put down their luggage and instructed the inn's waiter, who immediately replied, "Guests, please wait a moment, I'll arrange it immediately."

This was a residence with its own courtyard, belonging to the inn's top-grade courtyard.

Xu Jingming looked outside the door and smiled. "An esteemed guest has arrived." Wu Qi's expression immediately changed, and he looked nervously towards the door.

A figure appeared from nothingness, appearing in the courtyard. It was a middle-aged woman.

"Uncle Qi, you go inside and rest first. This is also a Demon Subduer; I'll chat with her," Xu Jingming said.

"Yes, Young Master." Wu Qi glanced at the middle-aged woman and silently returned to the room.

The middle-aged woman smiled at Xu Jingming. "Mr. Wu Ming, you should have guessed my purpose."

An invisible wave enveloped the two of them, and their conversation was isolated from all prying eyes.

"In the past half year, two high-realm Demon Subduers have already come looking for me," Xu Jingming said. "They all wanted to investigate the whereabouts of Heavenly Demons. I can say with certainty that I have never seen a Heavenly Demon, nor do I know where he is."

"You've never seen one?" The middle-aged woman frowned slightly. "Could it be that the Dongming Mountain Master in your Cheng An Prefecture was deliberately lying before his death?"

"I don't know." Xu Jingming shook his head. "Perhaps he was lying, or perhaps Heavenly Demons are too good at hiding."

"After learning that you and your servant had come to the prefecture city, I took the initiative to investigate all the suspicious people around you," the middle-aged woman said, shaking her head. "I didn't find a Heavenly Demon."

The middle-aged woman then smiled. "I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Liu Yinshu, an eighth-realm Demon Subduer. I've established an organization to help high-realm Demon Subduers, called 'Storytelling Pavilion'. High-realm Demon Subduers can join. After joining, everyone can help each other, whether it's with magical artifacts, materials, information on the whereabouts of Heavenly Demons, or some commercial dealings in reality."

"The high-realm Demon Subduers of Storytelling Pavilion mainly operate in the Chi Yun Prefecture area," the middle-aged woman said. "I've reviewed your records, Mr. Wu Ming. You should be an eighth-order limit in reality, right? After entering the Demon Subduing world, you familiarized yourself with the Demon Subduing secret techniques and quickly improved to the sixth realm."

Xu Jingming smiled slightly.

"Countless civilizations of the human universe, many eighth-order limits, will come to the Demon Subduing world to try it out," the middle-aged woman said. "Not only the Demon Subduing world, but all sorts of possibilities will be tried."

Xu Jingming nodded. "All for that glimmer of hope, to break through and become a source life."

"Many people come to try for decades and then leave," the middle-aged woman said. "But the Demon Subduing world has one good thing: from the realm of the Demon Subduer, one can determine how far their mind is from a source life."

Xu Jingming was stunned.

That's right!

The Primordial Research Institute can accurately measure his mental strength index.

But ordinary eighth-order cosmic lifeforms don't have this opportunity, but they can use the Demon Subduing world to determine their approximate level of mental strength.

"The seventh realm is considered average in terms of mental strength among eighth-order limits. Eighth-realm Demon Subduers represent very high mental strength. The ninth realm… is even closer to a source life," the middle-aged woman said.

Xu Jingming was very clear.

According to the data compiled by the peripheral members of the Primordial Research Institute, a mental strength index of 6,000 can roughly reach the seventh realm. A mental strength index of 9,000 can roughly reach the eighth realm. A mental strength index of 9,500 can roughly reach the ninth realm.

With the help of Ice Flower Spirit Liquid, the threshold can be slightly lowered.

"Mr. Wu Ming, if you reach the seventh realm, you are also welcome to join Storytelling Pavilion," the middle-aged woman said with a smile. "It's not that I dislike your weakness, but it takes the strength of a high-realm Demon Subduer to deal with Heavenly Demons."

"I understand," Xu Jingming said. "It's because I'm not strong enough."

"I believe Mr. Wu Ming will soon reach the seventh realm in the future. At that time, you can contact me at any Storytelling Pavilion in any prefecture city of Chi Yun Prefecture," the middle-aged woman said.

Xu Jingming nodded. "I'll consider it."

"Then I won't disturb you any longer." The middle-aged woman finished speaking with a smile, and her figure gradually faded away, disappearing from sight.

Xu Jingming frowned slightly.

The Demon Subduing world, as the Demon Subduing world that provides the greatest help to mental strength, does indeed gather a large number of eighth-order cosmic lifeforms. And those who can become high-realm Demon Subduers are even more eighth-order limits.

Every eighth-order limit generally has a very strong influence in reality.

"Eighth-order limits form forces, and trade can also be conducted in reality?" Xu Jingming thought to himself. "There are very many eighth-orders in the Demon Subduing world. It's entirely possible for them to form a very large group in reality."

Of course, Xu Jingming's ambition was not here! His goal was a source life.

"I had never seen a high-realm Demon Subduer in Cheng An Prefecture before! But in the past half year, including today's one… three high-realm Demon Subduers have come to me, all to investigate Heavenly Demons."

"From this, it can be seen how difficult it is to find Heavenly Demons," Xu Jingming thought to himself. "Fortunately, I'm only in my thirties, with limited experience. The obsessions of Earth Demons… are quite helpful to me."

"If I want to find Heavenly Demons in the future, I'm afraid it won't be easy either."

Xu Jingming also understood this from the intelligence he had gathered.

Ordinary human demons are constantly being formed in any prefecture city, and the members of the Demon Subduing Department often go to kill them.

Many Earth Demons are entrenched in one place, reigning supreme and doing whatever they want, making them easy to find.

Only Heavenly Demons!

"Heavenly Demons are hidden among countless humans," Xu Jingming thought. "And the very few who dare to openly reveal their identities and occupy one side have reached an incredible realm."

Ninth-realm Demon Subduers are close to becoming source lives, but they wouldn't dare say they can deal with all Heavenly Demons.

Like Chi Tong, this ninth-realm Demon Subduer, had suffered a setback.

"Young Master." Wu Qi walked out of the room. "Did the person leave?"

"Another one who came to investigate Heavenly Demons," Xu Jingming said. "Since they couldn't find any, they came to ask me."

"There are so many Earth Demons causing trouble everywhere in the world, but they don't go to solve them, but instead are so desperately trying to investigate a Heavenly Demon?" Wu Qi shook his head and sighed.

At this moment, the inn's waiter came to deliver the wine and dishes.

"Young Master, let's have dinner first," Wu Qi said.

Xu Jingming sat down, also pondering, "I wonder if there's really a Heavenly Demon watching me in the dark."

"Never mind, I'll still focus on studying the *Light Chapter* and perfecting my divine power. The stronger I am, the more confident I'll be in dealing with Heavenly Demons." Xu Jingming stopped thinking about it. He had made rapid progress in the past half year.

Every eighth-order cosmic lifeform improves quickly at the beginning, and then it slows down, until it stagnates.

Like Xu Jingming's 'Senior Brother Gu Shan', his mental strength index was 9,123 points at the age of five hundred, but after the next five hundred years, he was still some distance away from 10,000 points.

Like Senior Sister Kabuya, who ranked seventh, it didn't take long after joining the Primordial Research Institute that her mental strength index exceeded 5,000 points at the age of 155.

"In the past half year, my mental strength has improved quite quickly, and with the help of Ice Flower Spirit Liquid, I have already broken through to the sixth realm," Xu Jingming thought. "But my divine power is not yet perfect."

Learning divine powers is fast.

But creating one is too difficult.

…

The next morning.

Xu Jingming went out for a walk, and Wu Qi also went out to inquire about the local Earth Demon news.

"How lively."

Xu Jingming came to a marketplace. In the marketplace, many vendors were selling goods. Xu Jingming watched many people bargaining, and some vendors were even bringing their children. In the past half year, he had refined quite a few Earth Demon obsessions.

Each Earth Demon's experience was integrated into Xu Jingming's consciousness, and the strong obsessions impacted Xu Jingming's mind.

Xu Jingming resonated more with the lives of these ordinary people.

"It's like reincarnation in Blue Star mythology," Xu Jingming thought. "The ordinary people of this world live here for decades, struggle, get married, and have children… isn't that reincarnation, experiencing a lifetime?"

"What is virtual?"

"Decades of emotional investment is real."

In the past half year, Xu Jingming traveled around, also watching the lives of all beings. He refined the obsessions of demons, experiencing their encounters.

He knew that these demons were too biased and had all gone down the wrong path. But Xu Jingming could understand them.

"The humanity I've seen in reality is not as complex as the humanity I've seen in the Demon Subduing world." Xu Jingming was also growing. He felt that the benefits of the Demon Subduing world were not only about mind refinement.

Seeing all beings, understanding all beings while refining demons, this was another aspect of gain.

For the young Xu Jingming, this aspect of growth was obvious.