Just as the Earthly Realm's powerhouses grappled with their shaken confidence, those from the Underworld were facing their own morale-crushing blows. Seemingly out of nowhere, a trio calling themselves the Little Calabash Vajra had erged—a group of three individuals, a beast, and an intelligent puppet.
The Little Calabash Vajra had gained notoriety for roaming the Underworld in search of trouble, drawn to perilous places and situations, and for their relentless sense of justice. No matter how high and mighty these Underworld elites acted, a run-in with the Little Calabash Vajra always ended the sa: with a sound beating.
Any powerhouse below the Sixth Rank of the Imperial Realm would be rcilessly taught a lesson, with consequences ranging from compensatory spirit stones to total obliteration.
Before long, the Little Calabash Vajra beca a na whispered with as much dread as the King of Hades himself. So Underworld cultivators even began to tremble and retreat at the sight of soone wearing a Little Gourd mask, fearing they might be the next target.
This fierce reputation beca a warning sign to the wicked; seeing that telltale mask, they would instinctively shrink back, scurrying away to avoid a devastating encounter with these elusive but infamous enforcers of justice.
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"Ugh!" Gu Simu sighed, resting her chin on her hand while nibbling enthusiastically on an oversized chicken drumstick. "Sister Qiqi, lately, there haven't been any big baddies left in the Underworld to fight… It's so boring!"
On the table lay five masks—one each in white, red, orange, yellow, and green. Across from her, Gu Xiaoqi shook her head with a resigned smile. The endless string of fights had been exciting at first, but lately, they felt more tireso than thrilling.
She realized that Gu Simu's strength had been progressing at a terrifying pace. Even powerhouses at the fifth rank of the Imperial Realm could barely hold their ground against her in Carnival of Myriad Ghosts domain. Against such opponents, Gu Xiaoqi could only contribute by using her Phoenix True Fire, and even that offered little aid—her role was increasingly minor.
anwhile, on the other side of the table, Zhe Liang sat with his eyes closed in quiet ditation. Recently, he had reached the peak of the void Imperial Realm, and another breakthrough seed close. But even with his progress, he still felt discouraged. Compared to Gu Simu's explosive growth, his steady cultivation felt trivial.
Though he understood that Mu'er was their lord's daughter and gifted beyond asure, being around soone so prodigiously talented left him with little choice but to keep pushing himself, striving to keep pace—even if only a little bit.
"Qiqi, Uncle Zhe Liang, let's go to the Demon Realm!"
In a flash, Gu Simu polished off the enormous chicken drumstick, easily the size of half a washbasin. Her appetite, fueled by her Taotie heritage, had grown at an astounding rate. Gu Xiaoqi had long grown accustod to this sight.
For so ti now, Gu Simu had been suggesting they explore the Demon Realm, and Gu Xiaoqi agreed. The Underworld's powerhouses had beco so cautious that at the slightest sign of disturbance, they would flee. The re appearance of a gourd mask would send them scattering. Wherever the group went, peace quickly followed, as if the area had transford into so blissful paradise.
Gu Xiaoqi could barely contribute in battle lately, and these uneventful days had beco tireso.
Moreover, Gu Xiaoqi felt a strange pull toward the Demon Realm. As an Ancient Divine Phoenix, she sensed that sothing in her bloodline resonated with the place, as if sothing—or soone—was awaiting her there.
Yet, they all agreed that Zhe Liang needed to complete his breakthrough first. Gu Simu had proposed going to the Demon Realm several tis, but Zhe Liang had objected each ti, concerned that his cultivation level was insufficient. In the Underworld, he could rely on support from the River of Styx Sanctuary, but in the Demon Realm, he would be on his own.
He'd insisted they wait until he reached the second grade of the Imperial Realm, and now he was finally on the cusp of that breakthrough.
Just then, Zhe Liang opened his eyes. Gu Xiaoqi imdiately looked over, and Gu Simu put down her food to observe him closely. In his gaze, black and white swirled together, resembling the shape of a yin-yang fish, and his aura had unmistakably changed.
Second grade of the Imperial Realm! The Imperial Spiritual Realm!
Zhe Liang's usually reserved expression now bore a rare smile.
Not only had he broken through, but he had also fully awakened the dormant demon bloodline within him. His Underworld bloodline was pure yin, while his demon bloodline was pure yang—a delicate balance Gu Lan had cautioned him to avoid tampering with until his cultivation was sufficient.
Ideally, he should have waited until the third grade of the Imperial Realm to awaken his demon blood, but recent events and Gu Simu's rapid progress had spurred him on.
Fortunately, the awakening had gone smoothly, and his strength had risen significantly as a result.
"We can go to the Demon Realm now!" Zhe Liang smiled for the first ti in a while.
Gu Simu and Gu Xiaoqi cheered, and the trio quickly devoured their al. The tavern's staff watched in astonishnt as the seemingly small group consud such a large amount of food.
As they prepared to leave, a series of escape lights flew across the sky, signaling the arrival of River of Styx Sanctuary's mbers. The leading elder, recognized by many, had arrived.
The three of them imdiately began to feast, clearing the table in an instant, with Gu Simu devouring more than half of the dishes.
Zhe Liang and Gu Xiaoqi were used to this by now, but the waiter was visibly shocked when he saw the empty table. He couldn't fathom how three relatively small-looking people had managed to eat such an enormous amount.
Still, they paid their bill without any issues, so the waiter didn't dwell on it. After all, there were legendary eaters among the Abyssal Clans, known for their voracious appetites, and perhaps these three were shapeshifted ones. Better to leave well enough alone, the waiter quickly escorted them to the counter for paynt.
Just as they were settling the bill, streaks of light appeared in the sky, one after another, streaking toward the horizon.
"Those are River of Styx Sanctuary people!"
"The elder at the forefront seems to be a high-ranking mber. What brings them here?"
"This ti, could it be that the River of Styx Sanctuary is going to battle with the Dark Palace? But this isn't supposed to be Dark Palace's territory!"
In the tavern, one cultivator after another sprang up in shock. So didn't even bother to pay their tabs, imdiately darting out with escape techniques, looking as though they feared the battle might spill over and drag them into it.
"Hey! It's bad enough to dine and dash, but why'd you have to break my window too?" The tavern owner clutched his heart, distressed over the broken window.
However, he didn't have ti to mourn the damage, as the River of Styx Sanctuary's Elder seed to be heading toward his establishnt. Hastily, he rushed forward to greet him, only to be swept aside as the Elder's sleeve brushed out with a wave of force, sending him sprawling.
The Elder of the River of Styx Sanctuary stopped in front of the trio.
"Greetings, Elder!" Zhe Liang stepped forward to bow respectfully. Gu Xiaoqi and Gu Simu also offered polite salutes. They had t the Elder before, and he had left them with a favorable impression.
"Grandpa, did you co to find ?" Gu Simu asked curiously.
Hearing this, the Elder of the River of Styx Sanctuary mused to himself.
So, this little girl really did have a hidden way to communicate with that expert from the Earthly Realm. He had only just received a cross-boundary ssage from the Earthly Realm, and she already knew.
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