Wandering Swordsman |

The three demon lords simultaneously extended their hands, their fingertips shimmering with light. The Flame Demon Lord's fiery power, the Moon Demon Lord's gentle power, and the Blood Demon Lord's ruthless power converged, forming a dazzling beam of light that shot towards the massive stone gate. As the three forces were infused, the ancient stone gate slowly opened, emitting a heavy rumble. As soon as the gate opened, a chilling surge of demonic energy erupted forth, seemingly staining the air gray wherever it went.

The moment the gate fully opened, Hua Tianyou could no longer contain his excitement and rushed into the Demon Refining Mountain. However, just as he was about to step halfway into the mountain, the Moon Demon Lord suddenly called out to him: "Hua Tianyou!"

Hua Tianyou stopped and turned to look at the Moon Demon Lord. Her eyes held both worry and expectation. "Remember to return here in 538 days. At that time, we will reopen the entrance and welcome a new Heavenly Demon God."

Hua Tianyou nodded slightly, a confident smile on his face. "Thank you for the reminder, Moon Demon Lord. I will remember it." After saying that, he turned around and continued forward, quickly merging into the unknown Demon Refining Mountain.

After the three demon lords joined forces to close the entrance to the Demon Refining Mountain, the Blood Demon Lord sighed softly: "The strength that Hua Tianyou, who has suddenly appeared, has shown is the most likely candidate to become the next Heavenly Demon God. Why not just establish him as the Heavenly Demon God? In any case, he already possesses the aura of the Heavenly Demon."

"Absolutely not!" The Moon Demon Lord's voice was cold and firm. "Although Hua Tianyou is exceptionally strong, he has never entered the Demon Refining Mountain according to the sect's rules. We cannot make a hasty decision based solely on his resemblance to the Heavenly Demon God and the Heavenly Demon aura he possesses. The Heavenly Demon God Sect's tradition is to select a new Heavenly Demon God through the trials of the Demon Refining Mountain. This is a fair and just opportunity for every disciple of the Heavenly Demon God Sect."

A resolute glint flashed in Moon Demon Lord's eyes. Her face was calm as still water, but her heart was in turmoil. She knew that Hua Tianyou's appearance was undoubtedly a variable, but if she easily changed the sect's traditions, it would not only cause internal strife, but could also shake the very foundation of the sect.

The Flame Demon Lord stood to the side, his brows furrowed, lost in deep thought. He did not immediately express his opinion, but silently pondered something.

......

Meanwhile, within the Demon Refining Mountain, sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting dappled shadows on the ground. For the past three years, under Shen Mo's leadership, and aided by his unique Beast King aura, the expedition team had not encountered any more Demon Refining Beasts. Furthermore, under Shen Mo's guidance, they had thoroughly explored all areas above the ninth level of the Demon Refining Mountain. They not only discovered numerous Heavenly Demon Totems but also recorded the mysterious runes and incantations engraved on each totem.

Shen Mo stood on a wide-open meadow, his gaze fixed intently on the distant, rolling mountains. Beside him stood over thirty core members, including Yue Linglong, Xie Xin, Lü Yan, and Tu Yuliang. At this moment, Shen Mo stood tall and straight, his eyes gleaming with wisdom and composure, like a born leader.

"Over the past three years, we have found 107 Heavenly Demon Totems." Shen Mo spoke slowly, his voice deep and powerful. "We have recorded the phrase on each totem. If we can master these cultivation techniques, it will surely become an extremely powerful martial art."

Yue Linglong nodded, a hint of admiration flashing in her eyes: "Shen Mo, thanks to your Beast King aura, none of us have lost our lives in the past three years due to the Demon Refining Beasts. But..." She frowned slightly, "The last Heavenly Demon Totem still hasn't been found. Could it be that the last Heavenly Demon Totem isn't within this Demon Refining Mountain?"

Shen Mo took a deep breath and turned his gaze to a cave dwelling not far away. The cave dwelling was hidden in a dense forest, surrounded by thick demonic energy, as if it concealed endless secrets. He said softly, "Although we still haven't found the last Heavenly Demon Totem, we've fortunately discovered the location of the Heavenly Demon energy. However, we still haven't found a way to open the cave dwelling."

Following Shen Mo's gaze, everyone saw that the entrance to the cave was blocked by a layer of meteorite iron. Strange runes were engraved on the meteorite iron door, as if telling an ancient and mysterious story.

Lu Yan frowned slightly and guessed uncertainly, "Could this cave be connected to the last Heavenly Demon Totem? If we can find the last Heavenly Demon Totem, perhaps we can find a way to open it."

Tu Yuliang nodded in agreement: "That's right, but we have tried countless methods, but we still can't break through this barrier. Perhaps, as Brother Lü said, it is true."

After hearing this, Shen Mo did not answer, but pondered the possibility.

Just then, Su Ming rushed over from afar, his face showing urgency. "Brother Shen!" he shouted, "The entrance to Demon Refining Mountain was briefly opened just now!"

Hearing this, everyone's spirits lifted. Shen Mo immediately gestured for Su Ming to step forward and explain in detail. "Tell me, what happened?" he asked.

Su Ming took a few breaths and quickly said, "I just received a report from the brothers. They heard some commotion outside at the entrance of Demon Refining Mountain. Some of the brothers went to investigate and heard the Demon Lords talking outside. It seems that a person named Hua Tianyou entered Demon Refining Mountain midway."

"Hua Tianyou?" The name was unfamiliar to everyone present. Lü Yan, Yue Linglong, and Tu Yuliang all shook their heads, indicating that they had never heard of the name before. However, although Shen Mo didn't recognize the name either, a bad premonition welled up in his heart.

"Wait here for a moment, I'll go and find out who this person who joined the Demon Refining Mountain midway is." Shen Mo said decisively, and immediately used his lightness skill to rush towards the entrance of the Demon Refining Mountain.

Shen Mo's figure darted through the dense forest of Lianmo Mountain like lightning, the surrounding trees rushing past him. His heart was filled with doubt and unease, unsure what changes Hua Tianyou's sudden appearance would bring to the current situation. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground, and the air was thick with demonic energy, as if unknown dangers might pounce from the shadows at any moment.

A moment later, Shen Mo arrived at the entrance to the Demon Refining Mountain. A faint layer of demonic energy still lingered there, and the entrance gate had been closed again, but the residual aura in the air told him that something had indeed happened. He carefully observed his surroundings, trying to find any clues.

However, Shen Mo was unaware that shortly after he left, Hua Tianyou had quietly appeared outside the cave. Everyone looked at the suddenly appearing unfamiliar face with wary expressions. Hua Tianyou, dressed in a long blue robe, had a handsome face and eyes that revealed an untamed and determined air, making him particularly eye-catching.