Outside the Heavenly Demon Valley, two rows of demon soldiers stood imposing at the valley entrance.
Zi Linling gazed at the valley before her, contemplating, "Mother must be imprisoned inside. How can I sneak in?"
"Sneaking in is simple! Watch me!" the Heaven and Earth Demon Pearl declared confidently.
With that, the Heaven and Earth Demon Pearl shot out like a streak, rushing straight towards the Heavenly Demon Valley.
Zi Linling quickly asked, "Where are you going?"
"Conceal your aura well. I'm going to find a guide!"
The Heaven and Earth Demon Pearl moved with extreme speed, undetected by the demon soldiers guarding the valley entrance.
Zi Linling cautiously suppressed her aura, remaining motionless where she hid.
Without the Heaven and Earth Demon Pearl's assistance, she had no demon energy about her. In this perilous demon stronghold, if she emitted even a trace of non-demonic aura, she would instantly be surrounded by the demons.
Fortunately, the Heaven and Earth Demon Pearl proved quite reliable.
Shortly after entering the Heavenly Demon Valley, a man resembling a high-ranking demon emerged. His somewhat stiff demeanor indicated he was already under the Heaven and Earth Demon Pearl's control.
The man walked directly towards Zi Linling's location.
"Quick! Throw him into the Goddess Hall and disguise yourself as him!" the Heaven and Earth Demon Pearl's urgent voice echoed in Zi Linling's mind.
Zi Linling complied at once, transforming into the man's likeness. She then imprisoned him within the Goddess Hall, allocating a separate space for his confinement. With the Heaven and Earth Demon Pearl's help, Zi Linling's disguise was remarkably accurate.
"Let's go! We'll walk right in now!" the Heaven and Earth Demon Pearl instructed.
"Wait!"
Zi Linling's thoughts stirred, and she appeared within the Goddess Hall. Without a word, she immediately subjected the man to a soul search. She learned his name was Mo Fang, the only legitimate son of Mo Qi, the seventh elder of the demon race. It turned out the nine great elders of the demon race had no personal names, but were referred to as Mo Da, Mo Er, Mo San, and so on, up to Mo Jiu. Within the demon race, one could ascend to the ranks of the nine great elders through sufficient strength. While the individuals holding these positions could change, the titles themselves were fixed and arranged by power. This meant the nine great elders, apart from the Demon King, were the nine strongest individuals.
With Mo Qi as his backing, Mo Fang was utterly lawless, finding pleasure in killing and delight in violating women. Even more detestable, after Yue Wumei's return, Mo Fang had set his lecherous sights upon her. Reading this, Zi Linling wished she could strike Mo Fang down with a single palm.
Fortunately, the Heaven and Earth Demon Pearl timely reminded her, "Don't kill him. Although this fellow is a scoundrel, Mo Qi left a trace of his will within him. If he is killed, his dying image will be immediately captured by Mo Qi."
Zi Linling took a deep breath, suppressing her murderous intent, and continued to examine Mo Fang's memories. She needed to thoroughly understand the situation and layout of the Heavenly Demon Valley to infiltrate it effectively.
While performing the soul search on Mo Fang, Zi Linling discovered a restriction deep within his memories. This type of restriction was a measure taken by powerful organizations to prevent the leakage of secrets. It could be considered a seal, locking away information that others were not meant to know. Once triggered, this restriction would immediately claim the life of the person it was placed upon. Zi Linling was well aware of the formidable nature of such restrictions, so she carefully avoided them during the soul search.
Soon, Zi Linling had a clear understanding of the situation within the Heavenly Demon Valley from Mo Fang's memories. Then, with a thought, she reappeared outside. After a self-check to ensure nothing was amiss, Zi Linling confidently strode into the Heavenly Demon Valley. The soldiers at the entrance, though curious about Mo Fang's abrupt return, dared not speak. After all, Mo Fang was a notorious troublemaker, and killing them would be no great matter.
Zi Linling entered the Heavenly Demon Valley without incident. Inside, soldiers were stationed every five steps, and patrol teams constantly roamed, indicating extremely strict security. Along the way, many eyes cast furtive glances at Zi Linling, filled with both fear and disdain. Zi Linling's mental fortitude was impeccable. She swaggered through the Heavenly Demon Valley as if wanting to be seen by everyone. Of course, this was Zi Linling's deliberate act. She wanted to draw attention, albeit the attention directed at Mo Fang. After wandering sufficiently, Zi Linling began to walk towards the demon ravine where prisoners were held. The soldiers and patrols, accustomed to the lawless Mo Fang, did not intervene. Zi Linling proceeded unobstructed to the demon ravine and, ignoring all onlookers, leaped onto a protruding cliff face. The cave on the cliff face bore a name that struck fear into the hearts of all within the Heavenly Demon Valley – the Demon Perishing Cave. Within the Demon Perishing Cave, the ground was paved with bones, and the walls were smeared with blood, presenting a horrifying and eerie scene. Those with weak wills could be terrified to death simply by the sight. Walking on the bone-paved path, Zi Linling's footsteps produced a "crunch" and "crack" sound. Even though she was no stranger to killing, the scene before her sent a chill down her spine. According to Mo Fang's memories, he had almost wet himself in fear the first time he came here. The bone path wound around a mountain of bones, like a winding mountain road, continuously extending downwards. Zi Linling walked for nearly two quarters of an hour before reaching a straight bone path. Standing on this straight bone path, Zi Linling's heart began to race. Based on Mo Fang's memories, the end of this bone path led to the Demon Prison, used to imprison demon race members who had committed grave offenses. Those imprisoned in the Demon Prison suffered a peculiar form of punishment daily. Every midnight, when the Yin energy was at its peak, a whip formed from demon energy would appear in the Demon Prison – the Demon Beating Whip. The Demon Beating Whip would strike forty-nine lashes daily, each one piercing to the bone. Moreover, this whip was specifically designed for the demon race and disregarded the cultivator's level. This was because the demon race primarily cultivated demon energy, and the Demon Beating Whip was its nemesis. Zi Linling took a deep breath and eagerly sped towards the Demon Prison at the end of the bone path. That was where her mother, Yue Wumei, was imprisoned. "Hmph! I will say nothing. Your efforts are in vain!" a cold and mocking voice echoed from a dark corner. Zi Linling's heart ached inexplicably.