Breaking through the great barrier to the Middle Third Grade would require three to five times that amount, if not more.
Even counting what he had earned recently, there was still a deficit of at least ten thousand Sin Coins.
"Sigh."
Lin Shu rubbed his temples and reined in his thoughts.
"My lord, this is a bit strange," Elder Xu said curiously, staring at the minced corpses on the ground. "Logically, Immortal Descendants cherish their lives above all else. Why are these Chen Family members so cooperative with the Demon-slaying Bureau? They not only sent out a Mountain Master Disciple, but they’re even making their own juniors enter the mountains to slay demons."
"It is indeed a bit abnormal."
Lin Shu pondered for a few breaths but couldn’t come up with a reason.
Logically speaking, while a Scattered Immortal was not on par with a Half-Life Immortal Family, their status was still far above that of a mere Cultivator.
That Chen Family Ancestor was a titan in Anren Prefecture, yet now he gave the impression of being a dog leashed by the Qi Family, one that would bite whomever it was told without a moment’s hesitation.
After the two finished talking, they finally noticed the crowd of terrified demons before them.
"Go on about your business," Lin Shu said with a casual nod.
"..."
The Demon General’s throat tightened. Mustering his courage, he asked, "My lord, are you the Demon Monarch from the rumors?"
A glimmer of hope appeared in the eyes of the Demon Soldiers and demon people.
The most famous event in the mountains recently was, without a doubt, the Demon Monarch who passed through Anren Prefecture and casually rescued numerous demons.
They had originally thought it was just a comforting tale the demons told themselves amidst the tense atmosphere.
They never imagined they would actually run into him!
’Has word spread that fast?’
Lin Shu was slightly surprised but didn’t pay it much mind.
The only thing he wanted to hide was the title "Moon-Devouring." He didn’t want unfamiliar demons connecting him to the Mountain God Mirror, which would only bring unnecessary trouble.
Besides, as his strength gradually increased, this concealment was becoming less critical.
If he had Late-stage Golden Core Cultivation, he could openly tell the entire demon populace that the Mountain God Mirror was in his hands, and still, no one would dare to get any ideas.
As for worrying that someone might learn his identity and run to Anren Prefecture to snitch, that was simply absurd.
How much credibility did the word of a single demon carry?
If that sort of thing actually worked. Then, whenever a Demon was caught, they could just turn around and accuse an Immortal Sect Disciple. How many disciples would the Qi and Yu Families have to lose for such one-for-one trades?
An accusation would have to come from someone at the level of a Demon Monarch to have any chance of affecting him.
And even then, people would first suspect the captured Demon Monarch was simply trying to drag a Mountain Master Disciple from the Yu Family down with them in a final act of spite.
To take a step back, even without considering his reputation as a Mountain Master Disciple...
’Considering Yu Sheng’s current status... in all of Anren Prefecture, that little chick probably ranks in the top ten.’
’What’s more, she’s displayed the aptitude of a Celestial Pride and is showing signs of becoming the public face of the Yu Family.’
’As her one and only Mountain Master Disciple, as long as I don’t do anything too outrageous—like directly confronting a high-status Immortal Descendant...’
’...I could probably kill a Vice General right in the Prefecture City, claim he was colluding with Demons, and the Demon-slaying Bureau would have to scramble to prove its own innocence, terrified it was a ploy by the Yu Family to ruin their reputation.’
’Just look at Yu Mingxuan.’
’I showed up at his door, head and evidence in hand, and that Vice Mountain Master still got away with it scot-free. His other disciples are still teaching at the Martial Arts Academy, completely unaffected.’
"What did you expect..."
Elder Xu gave a helpless smile. The Lord Demon Monarch seemed to have no concept of the impact of his actions.
Demon Monarch Bi Hai was spread too thin, and Night Ghost Demon Monarch was in seclusion.
With their lord’s terrifying Light Body Technique allowing him to patrol the mountains endlessly, his status in the hearts of the demon populace was nearly equivalent to that of a Mountain God in the eyes of an Immortal Disciple.
At this thought, a flicker of anticipation crossed Elder Xu’s face.
Each of these deeds the lord performed would earn him the goodwill and trust of those two Demon Monarchs.
If he could resolve the trouble in Anren Prefecture, they too would be willing to follow the lord back to Dragon Ridge.
The pressure on the Border Region would be relieved, the doubts aimed at his lord and Cloud Dragon Demon Monarch would lessen considerably, and they would be able to secure their two leadership positions.
"Lord Demon Monarch, we beg you to lend us your aid once more!"
Seeing that the young man did not deny his identity, the Demon Crowd suddenly fell to their knees with a series of THUDS. "We are subordinates of Night Ghost Demon Monarch! Recently, many of our people have sensed the danger and fled toward the deep mountains, but the Demon-slaying Bureau is relentless! We have nowhere left to retreat!"
"Night Ghost Demon Monarch is in seclusion," Elder Xu explained in a hushed voice.
The two Demon Monarchs outside Anren Prefecture had completely different personalities.
Demon Monarch Bi Hai was the type who, even while being pursued herself, would take a detour to check if her Demon Generals were alright.
Night Ghost Demon Monarch, however, was far more rational.
This lord had always believed that only by striking fear into the heart of the Demon-slaying Bureau and repelling the Mountain Master Disciples sent by the Half-Life Immortal Sect could he possibly protect the entire Demon Crowd, which was such a massive target.
If he couldn’t achieve that, then no matter how many Little Demons he saved, it would only slow down the pace of their annihilation.
Thus, he had decisively chosen to enter seclusion for a breakthrough.
"..."
When Lin Shu heard the Demon General’s words, his eyes lit up slightly. "Tell me everything."
’He was interested in anything that could earn him Sin Coins.’
"The Demon Crowd plans to move away from the outer mountains and take refuge in Lingyun Stronghold, deep within. There is a protective Array there, making it relatively safer. We were intercepted on our way."
"But we heard from other Demon Generals that a Chen Family’s Mountain Master is leading a team and has already found clues leading to Lingyun Stronghold..."
"We were on our way to deliver a warning!"
The Demon General dared not hide a single detail, nor did he try to deceive the Demon Monarch. He honestly reported the matter of the Chen Family’s Mountain Master.
Even if the Lord Demon Monarch felt the risk was too great and was unable to help directly, simply using his profound methods to send a message to Lingyun Stronghold, telling the Group of Demons to evacuate, would still save many lives.
The Little Demons raised their heads in terror, about to plead with him.
Their eyelids suddenly twitched as they saw the Lord Demon Monarch had already vanished, taking his own Demon General with him.
Only his concise voice drifted through the air: "Lead the way."
"..."
The Little Demons remained stunned for a long time, staring at one another. For a moment, they even forgot to stand up.
They had heard of this Demon Monarch’s fame.
But only now, having truly met him, did they realize those rumors were far from enough to describe this lord’s benevolence.
He had faced such a dangerous matter without a hint of hesitation, without making a single demand, and had simply agreed so decisively.
"I heard that this lord’s Demon Mountain was destroyed by the Demon-slaying Bureau, so he harbors a monstrous killing intent. That’s why his methods are a bit cruel, as he seeks revenge against the Immortal Families. Seeing this now, maybe it’s true!"
"No wonder. I heard that too. Demon Monarch Bi Hai is desperately trying to catch up to this lord, wanting just to meet him, but has never succeeded."
"For real?"
The demons looked over, stunned.
In their minds, Demon Monarch Bi Hai was a peerless beauty, one of the most stunning in all of Anren Prefecture.
To think that even being pursued by such a celestial beauty couldn’t make him slow his pace.
"Of course it’s true. They say this lord is handsome and his Cultivation is unfathomable. You all saw him just now; it’s no lie. It’s only natural that Demon Monarch Bi Hai would be smitten."
"..."
Far in the sky, a line of figures streaked toward them at high speed, having clearly spotted the group of Little Demons.
They were just about to descend and ask questions when they overheard the hushed conversation.
The curvaceous figure of the leader paused mid-air, and a strange expression appeared on her cold, beautiful face.
Demon General Ling Liu clamped a hand over her mouth. She glanced back, thinking about how they were, in fact, pursuing him, and her expression grew strange.

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