Chapter 20: Return

"So that's what it was; a mere crow spirit?"

The Black Demon Sheep drew the long blade at his waist and sneered. Thanks to Yu Qiye’s red-tier trait—Spirit of Mountains and Rivers—his aura was so well-concealed that the Black Demon Sheep could not discern his true strength. He recognized the creature's origin solely by the wings sprouting from Yu Qiye’s back.

"Little mongrel, I'll give you a chance. Follow me, and I'll spare your life. Otherwise..." The Black Demon Sheep brandished his blade, offering a threat.

"Since you’re giving me a chance, I’ll give you one as well," Yu Qiye replied, a subtle arc touching the corners of his lips.

"Give me a chance?" The mockery on the Black Demon Sheep’s face deepened. A puny crow spirit dared to clamor against him. "You are just..."

He raised his blade, pointing it directly at Yu Qiye, but before he could finish his sentence, his expression abruptly froze. A sensation, cold and suffocating, took hold. An indescribable aura permeated the heavens and the earth. The wind seemed to stop. The clouds seemed to still. The entire world fell into an eerie silence.

*Gulp.*

Swallowing reflexively, the Black Demon Sheep’s gaze locked onto the space behind Yu Qiye. There, strands of black demonic energy wove together, manifesting into the looming phantom of a black bird that blotted out the sky.

"A Demon King’s... Dharma Form..."

Stunned, and more than that, paralyzed by disbelief, the Black Demon Sheep’s entire body began to tremble. He could no longer even hold his blade steady. This was a true Demon King. A Dharma Form was a power unique to Demon Kings, Immortals, and Buddhas. It was a "Heaven and Earth Dharma Form" that manifested only after one had weathered the Lightning Tribulation and experienced the "Communion between Heaven and Man." The difference between the Dharma Form and the true body was that the former was an "external extension" of the latter, akin to a giant, adult-sized version of a Nascent Soul. For instance, the Dharma Form of Guanyin Bodhisattva was the Thousand-Armed Guanyin.

And now, he had run into a genuine Demon King.

*Clang.* The long blade hit the ground as the Black Demon Sheep, with lightning speed, prostrated himself. "This little demon was blind and failed to recognize greatness. Please, Lord Demon King, have mercy."

"This little demon was blind and failed to recognize greatness. Please, Lord Demon King, have mercy."

He kowtowed repeatedly until blood trickled from his forehead.

"You are quite quick to react," Yu Qiye chuckled. With a flick of his right hand, a violent gust of wind surged forward, blasting the Black Demon Sheep away and slamming him heavily into the ground.

[Ding, you have defeated the Black Demon Sheep. You have randomly plundered the trait 'Dream Entry' (Blue). Do you wish to merge?]

[Dream Entry (Blue): You can leave your body in spirit form and slip into the dreams of others.]

The Black Demon Sheep had possessed one red and three purple traits, yet Yu Qiye had plundered a blue one. Yu Qiye curled his lip, feeling a bit helpless. It seemed his luck wasn't very good.

***

However, this trait didn't seem half-bad. He would keep it.

"Lord Demon King, have mercy! Lord Demon King, have mercy!" The Black Demon Sheep scrambled up from the ground, kowtowing frantically. But there was no response in the air. He peeked up, eyes darting around. It was empty. There was nothing there. The Demon King had already left.

***

Yu Qiye had departed. He hadn't killed the Black Demon Sheep; for him, defeating the creature and plundering a trait was enough. In a way, the Black Demon Sheep had saved himself. In giving Yu Qiye a chance, he had inadvertently given himself one as well.

Spreading his wings, Yu Qiye broke through the clouds and continued his journey toward Dongsheng Shenzhou. After much traveling and several stops—lingering on the peaks of high mountains and resting by the shores of the Eastern Sea—he finally returned to his birthplace, the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, several months later.

"I wonder how Xue'er and the others are doing?" Yu Qiye mused, a look of anticipation on his face. Years had passed; he wondered if they remained the same.

Spreading his wings, he broke through the clouds. As he neared the Sky Crow Cave, he shifted his form into a mosquito, flying toward the cave in silence.

"Have you heard? A 'Demon King of Havoc' recently arrived near the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit."

"That’s one fellow you don't want to mess with."

"If only our Great King hadn't been away, he wouldn't dare act so bold."

These were two mountain-patrolling demons, both with human bodies and fox heads, wearing cloth garments and carrying long blades.

"The Demon King of Havoc?" Yu Qiye raised an eyebrow, feeling a spark of curiosity. If he remembered correctly, this fellow was a minor antagonist his junior brother Wukong would one day use for practice. His strength wasn't worth mentioning, but his origins were extremely mysterious.

"If there’s an opportunity, I’ll have to investigate him," he thought with a chuckle, flying deeper into the cave.

***

The Sky Crow Cave was different than before. Carefully placed rocks formed a winding path leading to the depths, and the walls were inlaid with jade that reflected light, giving off a jewel-like luster.

"Is this still my Sky Crow Cave?" The mosquito-formed Yu Qiye looked around in surprise. He had intended to give everyone a surprise, but they had given him one first.

Just then, sensing several familiar auras in the depths of the cave, Yu Qiye grinned.

*Caw!*

A sudden, piercing cry echoed through the cave, shaking the entire dwelling. Simultaneously, a young man in a black robe appeared on the path within.

***

At the same moment:

"The Master... has returned."

"That is the aura of a Demon King."

Following cries of astonishment, several figures surged out of the cave. In an instant, three familiar faces appeared before Yu Qiye. One was a massive, pitch-black scorpion with a long tail behind it that shimmered with a chilling, ghostly light. Another was a majestic, muscular divine mastiff. The final figure was a snow-white fox.

*Awooo!*

With a long howl, the fox’s body stretched, revealing a near-perfect silhouette in the depths of the cave.

"Qingqiu Xue pays her respects to the Great King."

"Your subordinate, the Divine Mastiff, pays his respects to the Great King..."

They knelt in unison, their faces glowing with excitement.

"Long time no see, everyone," Yu Qiye greeted, looking over the three. Not bad, all of them were doing quite well. The Divine Mastiff had reached the peak of the Demon General realm, a massive improvement. Qingqiu Xue had also reached the Demon General realm, which was expected, as she had been only a half-step away before he left. The Scorpion Spirit, however, surprised him; it still hadn't reached the Demon General realm.

"Great King, this isn't the place to talk. Please, come inside," Qingqiu Xue said, suppressing the turmoil in her heart.

"Very well." With that, Yu Qiye followed the demons into the cave.

***

In the depths of the cave, Yu Qiye sat upon his throne. Below, the three figures took their seats. Although the Scorpion Spirit walked the path of the Ancient Demons, he had taken on a human form—though he remained a hulking black scorpion standing upright, his hands still massive black pincers. As for the Divine Mastiff, he hopped onto a stone chair and sat down.