Chapter Ninety-Six: The Petition of Arsan

In the depths of a shadowy cavern, barely a trace of spiritual energy was perceptible.

An elderly man dressed in pristine white robes sat upon a jade-colored stone platform, holding a plate of items in his hands. His expression bore a hint of pity as he murmured to himself, “Xiao Long is dead. That fellow Asan is truly extraordinary. Willing to sacrifice everything for cultivation, driven by bloodstained vengeance and meticulous in thought—such a person is indeed a great loss. Perhaps we should have spared the A family tribe that time... What do you think?”

From the darkness, a pair of eyes suddenly appeared, their irises a pale crimson. “Ancestor Mu’s words are indeed wise.”

The voice was sharp and carried a pulling sensation, so piercing that anyone who heard it might feel uneasy.

Yet the elderly man showed no aversion, only pity as he spoke, “So, young one, what do you propose as a response?”

This elder was none other than Mu Long, the progenitor of the Wolf Plains, the sovereign ancestor of the Great Wolf Plains. Outwardly refined and scholarly, he bore more the demeanor of a literati than a cultivator.

“Obedient to Ancestor Mu’s commands.”

The man in the shadows narrowed his eyes; his red eyes flickered like dark flames in the night.

Mu Long stroked his face thoughtfully. “Did you not try to persuade Li Ge? You are a demon, and yet your companion came here. Why is he so stubborn, while you are so capable?”

The figure in the darkness was indeed a demon feared by humans.

He was clad in a garment that covered his body, but his exposed skin—his face and hands—was pitch black, his visage unlike that of ordinary men. Such appearance was typical of the fierce demons common among their kind.

Upon closer inspection, three deep gray veins marked his chest—innate markings known as “demonic tattoos” among many demons.

He shook his head. “Li Ge is originally a demon of the ancient rhinoceros clan, with a superior bloodline. How could I possibly compare to him?”

“Haha, but I find you more likable. Such an obedient demon as yourself is indeed rare.”

Mu Long revealed a smile tinged with dissatisfaction. “Yet I still do not wish for his death. Continue to persuade him. He is extremely important to me. If he obeys, with his status and that evil god’s idol, the things I can accomplish will multiply. I may even travel to the demon realm—a true hope.”

“Very well, I shall devote myself fully.”

The man bowed respectfully, yet beneath that gesture lay an unseen thread of loathing.

He had once been Li Ge’s attendant. In an unfortunate turn, the two were forced into the Wolf Realm.

This demon’s rank was that of a demon soldier, roughly equivalent to a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage. But Li Ge’s bloodline was extremely high; his strength surpassed most demon soldiers. With the amplification of the evil god’s idol, he was almost on par with cultivators at the Meridian Refinement stage.

As long as the idol remained, he did not fear the Wolf Realm’s spiritual energy and could survive.

Mu Long, upon learning of their presence, devised a scheme to steal the evil god’s idol and imprisoned the two, forcing their obedience. Under cruel torture, this demon betrayed Li Ge and became Mu Long’s second disciple, while Li Ge was detained for three years.

Mu Long nodded in understanding, slowly rising and heading toward the exit.

“As for Asan, if he truly feels no pain, let him face Ruxiu.”

He murmured contentedly and swiftly stepped out of the cave. With a loud thud, the cave entrance slammed shut.

Behind him, the two disciples trembled uncontrollably like sieves. They knew Ruxiu was regarded by cultivators as a great evil, exceedingly cruel. Previously, they quickly submitted, largely due to the tortures Ruxiu employed. Even so, at the mere thought of Ruxiu, their entire bodies shook and their hearts wavered.

Li Mu slowly stood and swallowed two pills.

In this recent battle, his injuries were severe. His body had been battered by the desert dust, as if flesh was being ground away by a millstone, with few unaffected parts.

Fortunately, most wounds were minor. After consuming some spiritual herbs, though his physical cultivation was insufficient to fully recover, his flesh and bones were far tougher than ordinary cultivators’. He could walk somewhat and, with rest, might recover fully.

The sand dust formation, which lost its imprint, slowly descended and condensed on the ground into a small square grid.

The grid measured a few inches but felt neither coarse nor rough; its edges were smooth and rounded. It was difficult to fathom how such exquisite craftsmanship could conceal so much sand within a single square.

Such a treasure was exceedingly rare.

Outside the sand dust blade and formation, Li Mu found dozens of beast pills, several jade fragments, several paper talismans arranged in formations, and one single talisman sheet. However, not a single spiritual crystal was found. Spiritual crystals were scarce within the Great Wolf Plains, where beast pills served as the common currency.

The talisman papers were those of the golden-clad type, fourth rank, but their side effects were severe—they operated slowly and consumed vast spiritual awareness.

Disciples personally taught by the Wolf Plains’ ancestor generally possessed such life-protection talisman papers, which could guard their lives. But using them recklessly was foolish; without refined spiritual awareness cultivation, it was akin to a blind person—utterly useless. For this reason, even when Mu Xiaolong’s life was in danger, they did not use them.

As for Mu Xie’s body, there was nothing more to say. Both men were disciples of the Wolf Plains ancestor, yet one was wealthy while the other was destitute.

After hiding all these items, Li Mu set fire to everything and slowly departed.

His flying shuttle moved slowly and not very high.

His current body could not bear rapid flight in the sky, and there was no remedy for that.

After only a short flight, someone caught up from behind.

“You haven’t left?” Li Mu’s expression darkened slightly but he was not worried. His spiritual senses were sharp and clear; the newcomer was Asan.

“Senior, please wait.”

On the flying cloth, Asan knelt with hands on the ground, bowing low in the customary greeting of the A family tribe to Li Mu.

Seeing Asan’s flattering smile, Li Mu furrowed his brow, suspecting what he might want.

“What is it you’re doing?”

Asan lay flat on the flying cloth. “Senior, I desire to avenge our blood feud and hope you will assist me in killing the Wolf Plains ancestor!”

His voice was loud, each word filled with hatred, yet the tone was sorrowful, evoking pity.

Li Mu’s face remained calm. “You must be joking. I am but a Foundation Establishment cultivator. You want me to kill a Meridian Refinement cultivator?”

“Senior, your talent is extraordinary and immeasurable. Just now, I saw you single-handedly defeat the thief’s two disciples with little effort, including a powerful elder disciple. I judge that within a few years, you could surpass the Wolf Plains ancestor. But relying on me alone—even fifty or a hundred years won’t suffice. Blood vendettas are endless.”

Asan was clearly using the Earth Escape Technique to hide nearby, observing the fight between Li Mu and Mu Xiaolong.

Li Mu’s expression was indifferent to Asan’s plea. “You should hide as much as possible. I will consider matters myself.”

He understood that if he had been killed just now, Asan would have used his escape technique and fled, pretending nothing happened. But now, refusing to act when needed and then coming to seek death from Li Mu—such a person was truly unworthy of trust.

Seeing Li Mu’s resolute words, Asan knew resistance was futile and lowered his head. “Even if you refuse, I am powerless. I take my leave here.”

“Better to remain hidden.”

Li Mu nodded slightly and guided his flying shuttle away.

As Asan watched Li Mu depart, he said no more. A glint of resentment flickered in his eyes.

He then vanished into the earth below.