"They're back, they're back!"

"Du Yu is back, woohoo~" Amidst wave after wave of cheers and applause, two snow-white Immortal Deer barged into Red Team Zone 2's base camp.

Seeing the students cheering and jumping for joy, Du Yu's heart couldn't help but ripple with emotion.

Usually, he just hid in his own little corner, fighting battles on his own.

In his world, it seemed like he had only his Demon Pets for company.

A secret identity from the Otherworld, the need to protect Little Fen Yang, a tragic past and a trace of insecurity—these destined him to walk alone.

If Master Qing and Lin Shiwei hadn't taken the initiative to step into Du Yu's world, maybe he'd only have Li Mengnan as a friend—and chances were, even that would drift apart after he repaid her kindness.

Strictly speaking, Du Yu had never played any real role in a group before.

The closest was a few months back, during the monthly exam when he was dubbed "First Disciple" and tore someone's mouth to shreds.

Even though he was the First Disciple, Du Yu didn't belong to that group—at least… he didn't belong to that school or that place.

He'd stepped in because Master Qing allowed it, and also because he wanted to help Li Mengnan win back some dignity.

When it came to Demon Spirit Academy, Du Yu felt zero sense of belonging.

The only tie was Yang Qingqing; his entire sense of home rested solely in her.

As for those Paper Crane Disciples on campus, Du Yu didn't know a single one and didn't intend to, either.

Lin Shiwei had said before that it might look like everyone was on the same side, but they weren't truly a team yet.

Wasn't that the perfect way to describe Du Yu?

Now, dozens of students from various cities and academies—all those unfamiliar faces were beaming at him, applauding and cheering just for him, this feeling…

Is this what glory together means?

"Haha, feels great!" Lin Shihao laughed and strode forward, taking the flag Lin Shiwei handed him, "This is good stuff, gotta find a place to stash it."

Lin Shiwei was radiant, proud and confident, exuding the air of a commander: "So, what's next?"

Lin Shihao paused to think, then said, "Combining each student's Demon Pet's traits and Demon Skills, I've already formed a hundred-man squad to guard HQ together.

The few dozen left, I've had them form smaller squads with different tasks. Take Dong Yujun, Hu Haobin, and Shu Meng—form a cavalry team.

Your main task is to scout enemy movements, harass and wipe out foes. How does that sound, Sister Wei?"

Lin Shiwei nodded, agreeing with Lin Shihao's arrangements, but reminded him, "When putting together each team, don't just consider Demon Pet characteristics—also think about what the students themselves want.

Some want to fight on the front lines to earn points. If you chain them to base, it'll be a problem sooner or later."

Lin Shihao smiled, "Relax, I already checked their preferences with them... Hm? What's up with Du Yu?"

"What do you mean what's up?" Lin Shiwei's heart skipped a beat, and she glanced over her left shoulder.

She spotted Du Yu just as he recalled his Ghostly Firefly Doll and quietly slipped away from the team, heading alone into the southern Snow Forest.

Lin Shiwei grasped the deer antler, gave a slight tug, and Bai Lu immediately turned around to follow after Du Yu.

The flower vine twined around her loosened quietly, and Lin Shijiang landed steadily, not interested in following her cousin over there.

While heading out, Lin Shiwei was stopped by Li Mengnan.

"Du Yu said his Ghostly Firefly Doll might be about to advance," Li Mengnan urged her Dust Spirit Deer to Lin Shiwei's side, "He wants to see if he can advance along with it."

Lin Shiwei controlled her Dust Spirit Deer and slowed her pace.

Advancing?

Demon Tamer·Minor Achievement Stage?

For a moment, Lin Shiwei fell into deep thought. Once one reached the Demon Tamer tier, even advancing to a Small Tier took ages.

This final exam only lasted 48 hours; for a top student like Du Yu, every minute and second on the battlefield weakened the enemy.

If he spent three or four hours advancing…

If it were anyone else, Lin Shiwei might advise patience. But this was Du Yu—how could she possibly hold him back from advancing?

After all, this was just a final exam, but strengthening one's ability was a life-long matter for a Demon Tamer.

Countless Demon Tamers had their progress bottlenecked; some opportunities really do pass by in a flash.

After some more thought, Lin Shiwei said, "Mengnan, stay here with Du Yu and watch over him. I'll take the team out on our mission."

Li Mengnan hesitated, suggesting, "Why don't we all wait for him together?"

"Don't worry, it's fine." Lin Shiwei saw the worry in the girl's eyes.

She smiled, lifted a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind Li Mengnan's ear, and gently reassured her, "With Bai Lu around, no one can keep me anywhere I don't want to be."

Li Mengnan's cheeks flushed pink: "Mm…"

What's with this!?

I'm the big boss here, okay!

Still, Third Sis is so gentle. As expected of my third sis—she really does treat me different from the rest~

Yiren: "Nai~"

Bai Lu: "Nai."

The masters' decisions, the two Dust Spirit Deer naturally understood. Yiren also softly whispered some reminder to Bai Lu.

Li Mengnan watched one girl and one deer head off into the distance, watching her Third Sis gathering the team.

Dong Yujun and Hu Haobin were both riding Blazing Eye Steeds, while Lin Shumeng rode a Wind Trace Steed. These three imposing steeds didn't mind Lin Shijiang setting off at all.

They followed the Dust Spirit Immortal Deer's lead, quickly vanishing into the northern Snow Forest.

"Phew~" Li Mengnan let out a long sigh. She'd never felt this way before, like a general's wife seeing her husband off to war?

Carrying mixed feelings, Li Mengnan turned her deer's head, snow hooves stepping into the Snow Forest. Soon, at the foot of a bare Beard Tree, she found Du Yu sitting cross-legged, eyes closed in meditation.

"Come back and take a break," Li Mengnan said softly, tiptoeing up to rub Yiren's deer head with her own forehead.

At that very moment, Li Mengnan detected a surge of Demon Breath radiating from Du Yu.

Her eyes widened—was Second Brother really about to advance?

Every step at the Demon Tamer tier was a steep hill to climb.

The gap between Demon Tamer·Initial Stage and Demon Tamer·Minor Achievement Stage was probably even bigger than the gap between Demon Tamer Prentice·Initial Stage and Demon Tamer Prentice·Peak!

Once he advanced, facing the other examinees—most of whom were only at Demon Tamer·Initial Stage—Du Yu could flick them away like little kids, right?

There was a hint of envy in Li Mengnan's eyes. She leaned back against the tree, crossing her arms in front of her chest, and quietly lowered her gaze to watch Du Yu.

Tsk tsk~ If Second Brother doesn't open his eyes, his looks really drop a notch…

Just then, Du Yu, eyes still closed, suddenly said, "Cultivate!"

"Ah." Li Mengnan jumped, "What?"

Du Yu said, not very kindly, "With such dense Demon Breath here, why aren't you cultivating? What are you staring at me for?"

Li Mengnan blushed and retorted, "Who… who's staring at you!"

Du Yu: "Demoness, stop trying to deny it, you're distracting me!"

Li Mengnan: "..."

Little Fen Yang: "Stop fighting, you two, stop fighting~"

Du Yu: "Mm-hmm."

Little Fen Yang: "Focus! Take advantage of this chance, let's piece together the Demon Soul!"

"Hm?" Du Yu was a little surprised, but still listened to Little Fen Yang.

Du Yu focused his mind on his Forehead Acupoint, carefully directing the refined wisps of Demon Soul, trying to merge two strands of Residual Soul together, making a little stream into a small river.

The mysterious Little Black Gold Bird flitted back and forth inside Du Yu's Ren Meridian.

At this moment, Little Fen Yang's tail feathers no longer just carried rich Demon Breath—they were also trailing Residual Soul, blending beautifully together.

Spirit Ruins Acupoint, inside the Shadow Gu Tower.

A shadowy silhouette quietly appeared, standing at the tower's entrance, head tilted up—she had clearly sensed something.

She slowly lifted a hand.

The purified Demon Soul refined inside the tower gathered in her palm like a river, and just as fluidly, she sent it out of the tower.

"Mmm~ Thank you, Sister Ta." Little Fen Yang swerved off the Ren Meridian's main current.

With a long string of Residual Soul trailing from her tail feathers, she circled the Shadow Gu Tower once, and—passing by the entrance—picked up the Demon Soul that Sister Ta had sent out, returning to the Ren Meridian's main course.

The woman in black fog stood at the Ancient Tower's gate, leaning on a Black Rain Umbrella, quietly watching the Little Golden Crow flying away.

The Demon Soul she had sent off was, during the Little Golden Crow's flight, also stained with a fiery red…

Du Yu still stood under the Beard Tree in the Snow Forest, while inside him, a whole world was unfolding in spectacular fashion!

While working to piece together Demon Soul, he puzzled, "Little Fen Yang, is it really this hard to break through to Demon Tamer·Minor Achievement Level?"

Little Fen Yang: "No, no, no. Piecing together Residual Soul, fusing Demon Soul—these are all steps for advancing from Demon Tamer·Peak to Great Demon Tamer.

It's not actually something you're supposed to be doing within the Demon Tamer tier, during advancement."

Du Yu: ???

Little Fen Yang mumbled quietly, "You're a Demon Tamer now. Every time you advance, you break more bodily locks.

You're breaking through mortal limits, shattering the survival rules for the Human Race, trying to connect with all things in heaven and earth.

Take advantage of this breakthrough and prep a bit. Anyway, we were going to… whoa!"

Du Yu felt a little panicked and quickly asked, "What's wrong?"

Little Fen Yang: "Little You Ying just advanced! That went so smoothly, nothing to worry about."

Du Yu: "..."

Well, obviously!

The Demon Breath released by the Demon Breath Tree is made for you Demon Beasts!

As long as the Divine Tree isn't withered, I—the king—will cultivate no matter what, immune to heaven's crap.

Back in the Newbie Stage, as a Demon Tamer Prentice and Journeyman, Du Yu didn't really notice anything.

But after becoming a Demon Tamer, he could clearly feel that the heavens—the rules—were targeting him!

Little Fen Yang: "Du Yu is so weak~"

Du Yu was in no mood to argue, saying instead, "Don't actually fuse the Demon Soul, okay? I heard it'll draw heaven's wrath!"

Back then, when Senior Brother Fu Jianzhou advanced to Great Demon Tamer, he'd prepared everything in advance—even making sure Master Qing was there to protect him.

Senior Brother Fu also let slip afterward that, without Master Qing's protection, there's no way he could have made the breakthrough—he might have ended up dead from heaven's wrath.

"Silly Du Yu~"

"Huh?"

Little Fen Yang's tone was almost like she was fussing over an idiot: "What are you thinking? You want to actually fuse the Demon Soul?

I'm just building you a foundation, gathering your pitiful handful of Residual Soul into one pile first.

That way, Sister Ta can build up and polish it bit by bit later on.

We're still worlds away from a real, complete Demon Soul.

Heaven's wrath… well, right now you're too tiny, heaven can't even be bothered to spare you a look~"

Du Yu: "..."

Seriously, could you not put it quite so bluntly?

Do I—the king—not have any dignity?

Little Fen Yang muttered softly, "But with Sister Ta always here adding and polishing Demon Soul for you, maybe you won't even need to wait till you're a Great Demon Tamer to refine a complete Demon Soul."

Du Yu was a bit dumbfounded: "So will I be able to withstand the tribulation?"

Little Fen Yang: "No idea~ We can go find Aunt Qingqing!

When the time comes, let's hide under her skirt and have her fight heaven for us. She's super powerful~"

Du Yu: "..."

So in the end, is it Master Qing crossing the tribulation, or me?

Hide under her skirt… Ahem, only you would say that. If I—the king—ever dared, Master Qing would smack me good…

...

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