Chapter Forty: Pursuers in Hot Pursuit

"All right, let's go."

"Yes! Big Brother!"

Having asked everything he needed to know, Jiang Xuan could not be bothered to dawdle. With a surge of spiritual energy, his body drifted upward. The Empress and the Demon Lord followed closely behind, while the underlings, though a beat slower, quickly caught up.

"Hey! Big boss! Are you really just leaving like this?!"

The rat demon was bewildered. Was he really being let off so easily? Even a mosquito’s leg is still meat! The sudden stroke of luck left him momentarily stunned.

"If I don't leave, are you going to support me? Idiot." Jiang Xuan rolled his eyes. This guy wasn't even worth feeding on; why waste time with him? Besides, everything he had consumed previously was at least third-tier or higher. A second-tier great demon rat like this wouldn't provide much spiritual energy to absorb—it would barely be worth the wear on his teeth.

"Big boss! Can you let me follow you? I can do any dirty or tiring work!" Faced with the cruel reality, the rat demon knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Choices are often more important than hard work. If he followed the right person, the path to enlightenment would surely be...

"Are my many underlings just for show? They fight over the dirty and tiring work for me!" Jiang Xuan crushed the rat demon's hopes. "I find you a burden! It’s a mercy that I’m not eating you! Stop your incessant whining!"

Jiang Xuan shattered the rat demon’s hope. He was only stating the truth. Based on this rat demon’s abilities, any one of his underlings could easily beat him to a pulp. Cultivation level was important, but in the face of absolute strength, that importance took a backseat. Watching them fly away, the rat demon felt a profound sense of regret.

As they flew deeper into the dense forest, Jiang Xuan took the lead. He kept his speed slow, creating a "boiling frog" effect.

"Jiang Xuan, I have a feeling something is wrong," the Empress said, flying up from behind with a serious tone. "I sense ill intent surrounding us."

"Ill intent? I don't hear anything." Currently, his ability to overhear thoughts reached at least several kilometers. If there were danger, he would know immediately. The Demon Lord had discovered the rat demon earlier, but that was because of the trouble caused by Xiao Mei and the others' beauty. Jiang Xuan had learned his lesson since then; his mind was as calm as still water.

"I have also sensed it. This ominous aura... something is off," the Demon Lord appeared at his side, eyes fixed ahead.

Jiang Xuan’s gaze sharpened; he could not help but trust their intuition. "If that’s the case, let’s stop here."

"The moment we stop, the hidden arrows will fly."

"Yes, Big Brother!"

"Keep it down! Damn it!" Jiang Xuan spat back, exasperated.

Stopping on a lush, leafy tree, Jiang Xuan closed his eyes. *Spiritual energy +1+1+1+1+1+1...* Time was something to be squeezed out; even light sleep added to his spiritual energy. Why waste it? Moreover, to protect his underlings, the injuries he had sustained earlier had yet to fully heal. He had already used two medicinal pills for recovery; if he didn't plunder more resources soon, he knew they would find themselves in a precarious situation. In the days since, Jiang Xuan had discovered that this Constant Realm was significantly larger than the Outer Realm. He grew increasingly shocked by the extent of the map he had mapped out.

"They stopped? Are they not going any further?"

"The strongest among them is only a second-tier great demon. We are all sixth-tier; how could we not take them down?"

"Don't forget what the Elder said. We only need to investigate the situation."

"The seventh-tier expert from the Tyrant Sect was killed on his way back to Yan Capital. The strength of these fellows must not be underestimated."

"Yes, yes, let's get closer for a look. Since they’ve stopped, it’s a good time to investigate."

In his sleep, two voices chatted happily. At first, Jiang Xuan thought he was dreaming, but when the voices continued after he woke up, he realized someone had indeed been following them. It seemed the Empress and the Demon Lord had their own talents; perhaps this was a perception of malice that reached even further than his own mind-reading?

"Just a second-tier great demon. They say it has Golden Crow bloodline, but at most, it only has the strength of a fifth-tier great demon. The Elder should have just ordered us to kill them!"

"The meat of a Golden Crow bloodline... if we could eat a bite or two, it would be a huge boost!"

"Stop dreaming. You know the Elder’s methods. If we mess up, there is only one consequence: death!"

Listening to their voices, a cold sneer curled on Jiang Xuan’s lips. The source was coming from the south. It seemed the Hundred Beasts Sect had strict discipline. However, what puzzled Jiang Xuan was how they had discovered his group of demon beasts from such a distance, considering he was the one with the cheat.

"Underlings, wake up and get to work. We have resources coming to our doorstep."

"Huh? What’s going on? I was sound asleep!"

"It really is better to sleep at night! Much more comfortable!"

"Xiao Lan, why did you kick me away earlier? How distant of you!"

"Piss off, Flower-Mouth. If you dare touch me again, I’ll tell Big Brother and watch him beat you to death!"

"Don't, don't, don't! I..."

"One more word and I’ll tear your mouths open!"

With that, the noisy tree fell silent. Jiang Xuan didn't bother with nonsense, his expression growing grave.

"Let me state the situation clearly. Two sixth-tier great demons are approaching from the south. This will be a tough fight. If we can't take them down, we’ll likely perish here."

"What? Sixth-tier great demons! And two of them!"

"Damn it, I just got my new cultivation technique and haven't even had time to practice it!"

"Yeah, isn't this a huge problem? How could we possibly beat them?"

The underlings grew nervous. They were only first-tier great demons; how could they defeat two sixth-tier ones?

"Hmph, perfect. These two sixth-tier demons will serve as my whetstone," the Empress said.

"I was just worrying about not having time to practice. Fighting to foster growth—that is indeed a good choice," the Demon Lord added.

The reactions of the Empress and the Demon Lord were vastly different from the others. However, Jiang Xuan scoffed at their confidence. "You talk as if you’ve fought sixth-tier great demons before. Don't forget, you were wiped out by fourth or fifth-tier demons last time!"

"That’s not how you should put it," the Empress retorted. "I have recuperated for many days, my cultivation has improved, and I have mastered my new technique. Why can't I fight?"

"I was just careless last time. This time, they will certainly become my meal!"

*Heh!* These two really didn't shed tears until they saw the coffin! Jiang Xuan didn't bother arguing with them and issued his orders directly.

"Stop bickering and listen to me! We will set up an offensive formation here. When they arrive, we will swarm them and use the formation to slaughter them! Remember, you must give it your all. If we don't finish this in one strike, we’re the ones who will suffer later!"

"Yes! Big Brother! Task accepted!"