Chapter 1 Xu Jingming

Xu Jingming had been gone from Cheng An Prefecture for more than a month. His mansion remained a ruin, untouched by squatters or unauthorized builders.

Now, two figures stood amidst the rubble: a burly man with a large beard and the local Demon Subjugation Division official, Liu Chang.

"Sir," Liu Chang said, "Ever since Wu Ming's battle with the Dongming Mountain Lord, this residence has been in ruins. Over a month has passed, and it remains unchanged."

The burly man surveyed the surroundings carefully, frowning. "According to the files, the Dongming Mountain Lord repeatedly cried out for help before his death?"

"Yes."

Liu Chang nodded. "The commotion was significant. Using secret techniques, I remotely observed and clearly saw the Dongming Mountain Lord repeatedly pleading for help. Judging from his expression and tone, he appeared to be genuine! He even cried out for help just before dying."

"His master? Do you think it could be a Heavenly Demon?" the burly man asked.

"The Dongming Mountain Lord was at the peak of the Earth Demon realm. He wouldn't willingly acknowledge an Earth Demon as his master," Liu Chang said. "Moreover, if a Earth Demon were lurking in the shadows, he shouldn't have been able to escape Wu Ming's notice. So… considering all the information, there's a better than 50% chance that a Heavenly Demon was concealed at the time."

The burly man nodded. "But I've examined the ruins and scoured the surrounding ten *li*, and I haven't found a trace of Heavenly Demon aura."

Liu Chang hesitated before saying, "We're just speculating, after all. Perhaps we're wrong?"

"Two possibilities," the burly man mused. "One, we're wrong, and there was no Heavenly Demon lurking. Two, a Heavenly Demon did come, but his strength is greater than mine! I can't detect any trace of him."

"Greater than yours, sir?" Liu Chang exclaimed, surprised.

"I'm only a Seventh Realm Demon Subjugator, after all. There are Heavenly Demons stronger than me." The burly man paused, then continued, "Do you know where Wu Ming is?"

"He didn't meet with us at the time; he only spoke a few words with the Qi family before leaving the prefecture city with his old servant," Liu Chang said. "He hasn't returned in over a month."

"Very well, you may return," the burly man instructed.

Liu Chang bowed slightly and departed.

The burly man stood alone in the ruins.

"Based on the speculation, there's a high probability that a Heavenly Demon is lurking nearby, and he hasn't made a move because he sees the Demon Subjugator Wu Ming as prey." A cold smile touched the burly man's lips. "He must have determined from Wu Ming's growth trajectory that Wu Ming will soon become a high-realm Demon Subjugator! His moment will come when Wu Ming reaches the Seventh Realm?"

"How laughable!"

"This Wu Ming, upon descending into the Demon Subjugation world, initially struggled to kill even a city patrolman who was one of the thirty-six envoys of Dongming Mountain. Killing the Azure Lake Demon God was also quite taxing, but a few months later, he was able to kill the Dongming Mountain Lord," the burly man thought. "Clearly, this Wu Ming must also be a peak Eighth Order in reality. After descending, he's gradually becoming familiar with the Demon Subjugation techniques, which explains his rapid increase in strength."

"If I'm not mistaken, he'll soon reach the level of the Sixth or Seventh Realm," the burly man mused.

Peak Eighth Orders have only reached the limit of their physical bodies.

Their minds are still far from becoming Source Lifeforms. Therefore, upon arriving in the Demon Subjugation world, most of them are only Sixth or Seventh Realm Demon Subjugators. After cultivating for some time and improving, most of them can become high-realm Demon Subjugators.

"That Heavenly Demon doesn't know that we Demon Subjugators, descending from the outside world, have already reached an extremely high level of mental consciousness. He could have hunted earlier."

"But he doesn't understand, so he's patiently waiting in the shadows."

"A Heavenly Demon with suspected Eighth Realm strength is beyond me. I'll have to summon my companions," the burly man thought. "As long as we discover Wu Ming's whereabouts and investigate the surrounding area, we might be able to find this Heavenly Demon."

Within the human race of the universe, peak Eighth Orders who enter can mostly cultivate into high-realm Demon Subjugators.

They act like hunters, seeking out Heavenly Demons.

For them, the obsessions of Human Demons and Earth Demons provide little benefit! The obsessions of Heavenly Demons… that's a different story! But Heavenly Demons are too few, and each one conceals his aura and hides.

"Heavenly Demons are too cunning; they hide one by one, disguising themselves as humans. Finding a Heavenly Demon is simply too difficult." The burly man shook his head slightly, then vanished silently.

Time passed, and half a year went by in the blink of an eye.

Chi Yun Province, Lan Ping Prefecture, within the prefecture city.

A young man and an old hunchbacked servant checked into an inn.

"Prepare a few of your signature dishes and bring over two jars of good wine," Xu Jingming said as he and Wu Qi set down their luggage.

The waiter immediately responded, "Please wait a moment, honored guests. I'll arrange it right away."

This was a secluded courtyard, one of the inn's top-tier accommodations.

Xu Jingming looked toward the entrance and smiled. "We have a distinguished guest."

Wu Qi's expression changed at once, and he nervously looked toward the entrance.

A figure appeared from the void, materializing in the courtyard. It was a middle-aged woman.

"Uncle Qi, go inside and rest. This person is also a Demon Subjugator; I'll chat with her," Xu Jingming said.

"Yes, Young Master." Wu Qi glanced at the middle-aged woman before quietly returning to his room.

The middle-aged woman smiled at Xu Jingming. "Mr. Wu Ming, you must have guessed my purpose."

An invisible wave enveloped the two of them, isolating their conversation from all prying eyes.

"In the past six months, two high-realm Demon Subjugators have sought me out," Xu Jingming said. "They all wanted to track down the whereabouts of a Heavenly Demon. I can assure you that I've never seen a Heavenly Demon, and I don't know where he is."

"You've never seen one?" The middle-aged woman frowned slightly. "Could it be that the Dongming Mountain Lord in your Cheng An Prefecture was deliberately lying before his death?"

"I don't know," Xu Jingming said, shaking his head. "Perhaps he was lying, or perhaps the Heavenly Demon is too skilled at hiding."

"After learning that you and your servant had arrived in the prefecture city, I took the initiative to investigate all suspicious individuals around you," the middle-aged woman said, shaking her head. "I found no Heavenly Demon."

The middle-aged woman then smiled. "I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Liu Yinshu, an Eighth Realm Demon Subjugator. I've established an organization to help high-realm Demon Subjugators called Listening Tower. High-realm Demon Subjugators can join. After joining, everyone can help each other with magical artifacts, materials, information about the whereabouts of Heavenly Demons, or even business dealings in the real world."

"The high-realm Demon Subjugators in Listening Tower mainly operate in the Chi Yun Province area," the middle-aged woman said. "I've reviewed your file, Mr. Wu Ming. You should be a peak Eighth Order in reality. After entering the Demon Subjugation world, you quickly became familiar with the Demon Subjugation techniques and rose to the Sixth Realm."

Xu Jingming smiled slightly.

"Countless civilizations in the human universe have many Eighth Orders who come to the Demon Subjugation world to give it a try," the middle-aged woman said. "They try all sorts of possibilities, not just the Demon Subjugation world."

Xu Jingming nodded. "It's all for that sliver of hope to break through and become a Source Lifeform."

"Many people try for a few decades and then leave," the middle-aged woman said. "But the Demon Subjugation world has one good thing: from the realm of a Demon Subjugator, one can determine how far their mental strength is from becoming a Source Lifeform."

Xu Jingming was taken aback.

That's right!

The Primordial Research Institute can accurately measure his mental strength index.

But ordinary Eighth Order cosmic lifeforms don't have that opportunity. However, they can use the Demon Subjugation world to roughly determine their mental strength level.

"The Seventh Realm is considered average in terms of mental strength among peak Eighth Orders. An Eighth Realm Demon Subjugator represents a very high level of mental strength. The Ninth Realm… is even closer to becoming a Source Lifeform," the middle-aged woman said.

Xu Jingming understood very well.

According to the data compiled by the peripheral members of the Primordial Research Institute, a mental strength index of 6,000 can roughly reach the Seventh Realm. A mental strength index of 9,000 can roughly reach the Eighth Realm. A mental strength index of 9,500 can roughly reach the Ninth Realm.

With the aid of Icy Flower Spirit Fluid, the threshold can be slightly lowered.

"Mr. Wu Ming, if you reach the Seventh Realm, you're welcome to join Listening Tower," the middle-aged woman said with a smile. "It's not that we disdain your lack of strength, but only those with the strength of a high-realm Demon Subjugator can deal with Heavenly Demons."

"I understand," Xu Jingming said. "It's because I'm not strong enough."

"I believe that Mr. Wu Ming will soon reach the Seventh Realm. At that time, you can contact me at any Listening Tower in any prefecture city in Chi Yun Province," the middle-aged woman said.

Xu Jingming nodded. "I'll consider it."

"Then I won't disturb you any longer." The middle-aged woman smiled and her figure gradually faded away, disappearing.

Xu Jingming frowned slightly.

The Demon Subjugation world, as the Demon Subjugation world that helps the most with mental strength, has indeed gathered a large number of Eighth Order cosmic lifeforms. And those who can become high-realm Demon Subjugators are even more so peak Eighth Orders.

Each peak Eighth Order generally has a very powerful influence in reality.

"Eighth Orders form forces, and trade can also be conducted in reality?" Xu Jingming thought. "There are a very large number of Eighth Orders in the Demon Subjugation world, so it is entirely possible to form a very large group in reality."

Of course, Xu Jingming's ambition was not here! His goal was to become a Source Lifeform.

"I haven't seen a single high-realm Demon Subjugator in Cheng An Prefecture before! But in the past six months, including today's… three high-realm Demon Subjugators have come to find me, all to track down Heavenly Demons." "This shows how difficult it is to find Heavenly Demons," Xu Jingming thought. "Fortunately, I'm only in my thirties and have limited experience. The obsessions of Earth Demons… are quite helpful to me." "If I want to find a Heavenly Demon in the future, I'm afraid it won't be easy."

Xu Jingming also learned this from the information.

Ordinary Human Demons are constantly being bred in any prefecture city, and the members of the Demon Subjugation Division often go to kill them.

Many Earth Demons sit in one place, dominate and act arbitrarily, making them easy to find.

Only Heavenly Demons!

"Heavenly Demons hide among countless humans," Xu Jingming thought. "And the very few who dare to openly show their identities and occupy one side have reached an unbelievable realm."

Ninth Realm Demon Subjugators are close to Source Lifeforms, but they dare not say they can deal with all Heavenly Demons.

Like Chi Tong, the Ninth Realm Demon Subjugator, he suffered a setback.

"Young Master," Wu Qi came out of the house. "Has the person left?"

"It was someone tracking down Heavenly Demons again," Xu Jingming said. "They couldn't find them, so they came to ask me."

"There are so many Earth Demons causing havoc everywhere in the world. They don't go to solve them, but instead try so hard to track down a Heavenly Demon?" Wu Qi shook his head and sighed.

At this time, the waiter came to deliver the wine and dishes.

"Young Master, let's have dinner first," Wu Qi said.

Xu Jingming sat down, also thinking: "I wonder if there is a Heavenly Demon watching me in secret."

"Forget it, I'll still focus on studying the *Light Beam Chapter* and improve my divine power. The stronger I am, the more confident I will be in dealing with Heavenly Demons." Xu Jingming no longer thought about it. In the past six months, he had made very rapid progress.

Every Eighth Order cosmic lifeform improves quickly at the beginning, but it gets slower and slower, until it stagnates.

Like Xu Jingming's 'Senior Brother Gu Shan', his mental strength index was 9,123 points at the age of five hundred, but in the next five hundred years, he was still some distance away from 10,000 points.

Like Senior Sister Kabuya, who was ranked seventh, she joined the Primordial Research Institute not long ago, and at the age of 155, her mental strength index exceeded 5,000 points.

"In the past six months, my mental strength has improved quite quickly, and with the help of Icy Flower Spirit Fluid, I have already broken through to the Sixth Realm." Xu Jingming thought, "But my divine power is not perfect enough."

Learning divine powers is fast.

But creating one's own is too difficult.

The next morning.

Xu Jingming went out for a walk, and Wu Qi also went out to inquire about the local Earth Demons.

"How lively."

Xu Jingming came to a market. In the market, many vendors were selling goods. Xu Jingming watched many people bargain, and saw some vendors with their children. In the past six months, he had refined the obsessions of many Earth Demons.

The experiences of each Earth Demon were integrated into Xu Jingming's consciousness, and their strong obsessions impacted Xu Jingming's mind.

Xu Jingming also had more empathy for the lives of these ordinary people.

"It's like reincarnation in the myths of Blue Star," Xu Jingming thought, "The ordinary people of this world live here for decades, working hard, getting married and having children… isn't that like reincarnating and experiencing a lifetime?"

"What is virtual?"

"Decades of emotional investment is real."

In the past six months, Xu Jingming had traveled to various places and watched the lives of all living beings. He refined the obsessions of demon heads and experienced their encounters.

He knew that these demon heads were too biased and had all gone the wrong way. But Xu Jingming could understand them.

"The humanity I have seen in reality is not as complex as the humanity I have seen in the Demon Subjugation world." Xu Jingming was also growing, and he felt that the benefits of the Demon Subjugation world were not only mental refinement.

Seeing all living beings, and experiencing them while refining demons, was another gain.

For the young Xu Jingming, this aspect of growth was very obvious.