As Xu Yi and Ji Buwang departed Monkey King Mountain, only the Four-Winged Blood Horse and the Snow Leopard came to see them off.
The two demonic beasts watched until the figures of Xu Yi and the other grew smaller and smaller, finally disappearing from view. They then turned to head back.
After a few steps, they spotted the Black Ape brothers squatting in the grass.
The two demonic beasts were a little puzzled.
"Boss Black, King Kong, what are you..." the Four-Winged Blood Horse asked.
The leader of the Black Apes did not answer. He leaped away from them in a single bound.
King Kong hesitated for a moment, then smiled at the two demonic beasts before chasing after them.
The Four-Winged Blood Horse muttered a complaint to the Snow Leopard. The Snow Leopard gently swished its tail and leaped forward, leaving the Four-Winged Blood Horse behind.
Immediately forgetting its complaint, the Four-Winged Blood Horse cried out and began to chase after the Snow Leopard.
...
"What are you thinking about?"
Xu Yi was startled at first, then realized Ji Buwang was speaking to her. She shook her head gently, rubbing the Soul Untying Bell in her hand with her fingertips.
She hadn't been thinking about anything.
Ji Buwang immediately changed the subject. "Have you noticed that ever since we left Monkey King Mountain, everything has been calm as we've traveled?"
When it came to important matters, Xu Yi became much more serious. "Yes, I've noticed that too. It's as if the demonic beasts already knew we were here and deliberately avoided us."
Xu Yi and Ji Buwang had been prepared to be attacked by demonic beasts along the way, but they hadn't expected to travel through the Divine Continent so openly for the past few days without encountering any obstacles.
When things are unusually quiet, there's often a hidden danger.
Xu Yi swept her divine sense forward and happened to spot a three-headed crocodile in the Nascent Soul stage sunbathing by the riverbank not far away.
The moment Xu Yi's divine sense swept over, the three-headed crocodile glared ferociously in her direction, then hastily turned and fled into the depths of the river.
Xu Yi and Ji Buwang exchanged a look and, without hesitation, pursued the three-headed crocodile.
An hour later.
The three-headed crocodile lay belly-up, unable to flip over. A human figure stood steadily on its abdomen, pinning it down. It could only emit unpleasant cries.
"Spare me, spare me..."
All three heads wailed simultaneously, which Xu Yi found rather noisy.
She walked up to the three-headed crocodile and struck its left and right heads with her Chastisement Ruler. "Silence."
The crying immediately stopped.
Xu Yi pointed her Chastisement Ruler at the middle head. "You will answer whatever I ask next. Do you understand?"
The three-headed crocodile hesitated and did not answer immediately. Ji Buwang frowned and applied a little more pressure with his foot.
"Ah!" The three-headed crocodile yelped in pain and quickly stammered, "I understand, I understand."
"Do you recognize us?"
"No, no, I don't."
The three-headed crocodile didn't even realize how guilty its eyes looked as it spoke.
"Lying."
Xu Yi struck the chin of the middle head with her ruler again.
Unlike the previous warning, this time Xu Yi didn't hold back. The three-headed crocodile's teeth ached from the blow.
It let out another pained cry and then pleaded, "Don't hit me anymore, don't hit me! I, I really don't know you, but I've heard of you."
"Oh?" Xu Yi raised an eyebrow. "Tell me everything you've heard."
The three-headed crocodile, subdued by the might of Xu Yi and Ji Buwang, had no choice but to reveal the truth.
It turned out that the Monkey King's act of killing the Sky-Swallowing Python had spread throughout the Divine Continent through beasts like the Savage Bull.
The demonic beasts that had been clamoring to join forces with the demon race had all quieted down. Many demonic beasts, fearing the Monkey King's divine might, had voluntarily left the organization of the Eight-Tailed White Fox and returned to their own territories.
The three-headed crocodile was one of them.
Because of the battle at Monkey King Mountain, many demonic beasts were paying attention to its movements.
They did not know the Monkey King was dead, but they saw Xu Yi and Ji Buwang appearing near Monkey King Mountain from time to time.
Recalling the previous incident where three great demonic beasts had issued a kill order against Xu Yi and Ji Buwang, not only had they failed to kill the pair, but the Sky-Swallowing Python had ultimately lost its life.
The demonic beasts were not foolish. They immediately added Ji Buwang and Xu Yi, along with those monkey demons, to the list of people not to provoke.
This was why the demonic beasts retreated at the sight of Xu Yi and the other.
Xu Yi was half-believing the three-headed crocodile's explanation. After asking a few more questions and confirming that the three-headed crocodile was not deceiving them, she did not strike the killing blow and let it go.
Feeling that it had saved its life, the three-headed crocodile scurried away on its short legs, afraid they would change their minds.
"So, we're benefiting from the Monkey King's fame this time."
Mentioning the Monkey King, Xu Yi couldn't help but sigh.
Fearing that the monkey demons on Monkey King Mountain would be threatened after his death, the Monkey King had used his remaining spiritual power to imprint his soul mark in the cave dwelling of Monkey King Mountain before he died, to protect it.
As long as other demonic beasts approached Monkey King Mountain, they could feel the Monkey King's oppressive aura emanating from it.
As long as a great demonic beast like the Eight-Tailed White Fox didn't personally attack Monkey King Mountain, the truth of the Monkey King's death would not be revealed.
The Monkey King had been incredibly thoughtful and meticulous in considering the future of the monkey tribe, and Xu Yi and Ji Buwang also benefited from his foresight.
"Since that's the case, we can increase our speed further and reach the Demon King's Palace as soon as possible to find the Demon King's whereabouts."
"Alright."
Xu Yi agreed with Ji Buwang's suggestion, and they both simultaneously increased the speed of their spiritual energy circulation, their figures flashing like lightning, disappearing in an instant.
Xu Yi had been to the Demon King's Palace once before; it was located below Yangshen Trench.
However, that palace was used by the previous Demon King and had been sealed after his ascension.
Before the Golden-Winged Great Peng Bird took over, it had built a new Demon King's Palace elsewhere, and this was the new palace Xu Yi and Ji Buwang were heading to.
Perhaps for easier command of the demonic race, the Golden-Winged Great Peng Bird had built the palace in the central part of the Divine Continent, not too far from Monkey King Mountain.
A day later, Xu Yi put away her map and said to Ji Buwang, "It's just ahead."
Ji Buwang nodded and whispered, "We mustn't be careless."
Xu Yi's expression tensed slightly, and she nodded subtly.
They both agreed that if the Eight-Tailed White Fox still intended to attack them, the Demon King's Palace would be the best place for an ambush, so they were extra cautious.
However, perhaps the death of the Sky-Swallowing Python had truly deterred the Eight-Tailed White Fox. Xu Yi and Ji Buwang continued to advance until they saw the outline of the Demon King's Palace without encountering any surprises.
The Golden-Winged Great Peng Bird's feathers all shimmered with a golden luster, and it was particularly fond of the color crimson gold.
From a distance, the Demon King's Palace, under the sunlight, emitted a dazzling golden light, making it very conspicuous.
"Ji Buwang, I feel like something's not right."
Xu Yi stopped in her tracks, unable to ignore the fleeting sense of unease.
"Something is indeed not right."
Ji Buwang looked at the palace ahead, which resembled a coiled ancient beast, his mind racing.
After a moment of thought, he said, "This place seems a bit too quiet."
Hearing this, Xu Yi immediately understood why she felt uncomfortable. Just as Ji Buwang said, it felt as if they had entered a dead land upon arriving here; even the sound of the wind had disappeared.
Suddenly, Ji Buwang's expression changed. He grabbed Xu Yi's arm and pulled her back.
"Let's go!"
Xu Yi's eyes widened slightly as she looked ahead. She thought she heard a strange sound.