Yu Xuanshi exited the inn and dashed toward the direction that he detected.

　　 He found that his target was not stationary but was heading north as well. In fact, his target traveled at a speed that was not far behind his. It made Yu Xuanshi more confident that he was chasing Zhe Ying.

　　 The Heavenly Demonic Sect did not have a lot of disciples. Besides, only a dozen disciples had reached Level Eight. It was very unlikely to bump into one of them now.

　　 This person must be Zhe Ying!

　　 He sped up. His target followed suit as if trying to run out of his sensing range.

　　 He contemplated for a moment. He went with his gut and abruptly activated a secret skill. His speed increased instantaneously, making him twice as fast as before. In the blink of an eye, he had cut short the distance between them. The Heavenly Demonic Energy he was following became clearer as well.

　　 Jiang Ziwen bolted out of the small town like a gust of wind and headed south. However, based on his senses, the other person’s speed was extremely fast as well. In fact, the person seemed to be faster than him. Though he had just started giving chase, he had already lost track of his target.

　　 This worried him. He went all the way to his maximum speed while sprinting southward in a bid to get closer to his target so that they would reappear within his sensing range.

　　 About ten minutes later, he still could not sense his target’s Heavenly Demonic Energy. It was as if it had disappeared.

　　 Jiang Ziwen grew more and more anxious. He had lost his target and also had no idea what was happening on the other side either. Could it be that Zhe Ying had recovered from the complications of casting secret skills overnight?

　　 It would be arduous to find him again after losing track of him this time. This boy was like a dragon which had plunged into the sea, it would be near impossible to catch him again!

　　 They were now guilty of failing to capture him!

　　 Once this thought occurred to Jiang Ziwen, he suppressed his anxiety and immediately reorganized his thoughts. Jiang Ziwen came up with two possibilities as to why he had failed to catch up with his target even though he had given his all in the pursuit. He was either falling far behind or the boy had switched directions and he had made a mistake.

　　 He could only bet on one possibility and make the best out of his dire situation. As a last resort, Jiang Ziwen gritted his teeth and activated his secret skill. He continued sprinting south, determined to go until the very end.

　　 Fifteen minutes later, he still had not picked up on the Heavenly Demonic Power. At that moment he knew that he was going in the wrong direction.

　　 Jiang Ziwen felt dejected and sighed in helplessness. In the end, he deactivated his secret skill and turned around, deciding to regroup with Yu Xuanshi. He also wanted to see if his colleague possessed better luck than him. Perhaps there was still a chance to capture the little brat Zhe Ying!

　　 He secretly promised himself that if they could really capture Zhe Ying, he would give Zhe Ying a hard time before anything else to vent all his frustrations.

　　 Yu Xuanshi gave his all in the chase and finally spotted Chu Li in a dense apricot forest.

　　 Chu Li was still disguised as a middle-aged man. His ordinary looks would have been easily missed for he stood inconspicuously in the crowd.

　　 He sat under an apricot tree, eating some rations in silence.

　　 Yu Xuanshi landed behind him and the two were now ten meters apart.

　　 “Zhe Ying!” Yu Xuanshi could not tell for sure that the person in front of him was Zhe Ying. His life force was different from the previous Zhe Ying. This person’s Heavenly Demonic Power had eight levels of cultivation, which was similar to himself. The alternations in his life force were unlike Zhe Ying’s either.

　　 He thought that it was better to be safe than sorry. After all, this person could still be Zhe Ying.

　　 Chu Li set his rations down and turned to look at Yu Xuanshi before exclaiming in surprise, “Who are you?”

　　 Yu Xuanshi frowned. “No, who are you?”

　　 “Why does my identity concern you? You’re what, a disciple from the Heavenly Demonic Sect?” Chu Li replied.

　　 “That’s right!” Yu Xuanshi scoffed. “Zhe Ying, nice disguise there!”

　　 Chuli shook his head and said, “Who is this Zhe Ying that you’re talking about? I’m not a disciple of the Heavenly Demonic Sect!”

　　 “No way!” Yu Xuanshi sneered, “Stop pretending!”

　　 Chu Li responded with an annoyed look, “Are you looking for trouble here? Don’t think only you Heavenly Demonic Sect people know Heavenly Demonic Power. Us of the Great Heavenly Demonic Palace are the true heirs of the Heavenly Demonic Power. You Heavenly Demonic Sect people are merely impostors!”

　　 Yu Xuanshi was astounded. He was skeptical of the story since he had never heard of the Great Heavenly Demonic Palace.

　　 Chu Li asked scornfully, “Do you Heavenly Demonic Sect people know the secrets of the Heavenly Demon Statue?”

　　 Yu Xuanshi frowned at him.

　　 Chu Li continued in disdain, “You guys don’t even know the true secrets of the Heavenly Demon Statue, what a reckless misuse of good gifts! The Heavenly Demon Statue should have never been used like how you guys used it. You all are better off joining us Great Heavenly Demonic Palace!”

　　 “Nonsense!” Yu Xuanshi reacted angrily.

　　 His beliefs had begun to sway. To him, Chu Li did not seem like he was lying. Could there really be a Great Heavenly Demonic Palace?

　　 The key difference was that the life force on Chu Li was noticeably different than the previous him. In a state of deep slumber, the Heavenly Demonic Orb had altered his Heavenly Demonic Energy, which made it very different from yesterday. Differentiating Heavenly Demonic Energy was the only way of telling Heavenly Demonic Sect disciples apart. Yu Xuanshi felt uncertain because of the story laid before him.

　　 Chu Li pursed his lips and said, “Wow. You Heavenly Demonic Sect people really have no idea what’s going on outside of your own closed little world. I’m only forty years old, yet I’ve already reached the eighth level of Heavenly Demonic Power. There are a few more of us like me in the Great Heavenly Demonic Palace. You’d be called weak if you can’t reach the ninth level before turning a century old!”

　　 “Why haven’t I heard of you then!” Yu Xuanshi murmured doubtfully.

　　 Chu Li shook his head and said, “We’re only allowed to step foot outside the Palace once we’ve reached the eighth level, so who else can find us?… It’s merely a coincidence that I happened to bump into you today. I’m only meeting you cause I’m in a good mood. Otherwise, why else do you think you can see me?”

　　 “How many of you are there in the Great Heavenly Demonic Palace?” Yu Xuanshi asked.

　　 “Twenty,” Chu Li replied.

　　 Yu Xuanshi’s lips pulled into a grin.

　　 Chu Li replied nonchalantly, “We have ten Level Nines.”

　　 Yu Xuanshi frowned. “You’re kidding.”

　　 “What do I get from tricking you?” Chu Li scoffed. “Actually, you guys have cultivated your Heavenly Demonic Power incorrectly. It’s flawed and incomplete!”

　　 Yu Xuanshi said, “Incomplete?”

　　 Chu Li continued, “Heavenly Demonic Power was always meant to be just one heart technique together with Heavenly Demonic Devouring Technique. Did you all inherit them as two separate heart techniques?”

　　 “They’re supposed to be one?” Yu Xuanshi frowned.

　　 Chu Li picked up a broken twig. After drawing a few strokes on the ground, he threw aside the branch and said, “Come, see if I’m right!”

　　 That piqued Yu Xuanshi’s curiosity. He stepped forward to take a look.

　　 Two silent finger forces drifted towards him.

　　 Though his curiosity was strong, he still maintained vigilance toward sneak attacks. He hurriedly stepped backward. However, these two finger forces had already calculated his likely reaction. It was at times like now where the Nature Restoration Manifestation’s power would peak for a finger force struck him successfully.

　　 “You!” Yu Xuanshi’s eyes widened.

　　 In a split second, Chu Li stepped forward to seal Yu Xuanshi’s acupuncture points. With a smile on his face, he said, “My apologies, Honorable Master Yu!”

　　 “You… Are you really Zhe Ying?” Yu Xuanshi’s acupuncture point for speech had not been sealed.

　　 With a cheeky smile on his face, Chu Li answered him, “What do you think, Honorable Master Yu?”

　　 “How did you?”

　　 “I’ve advanced to the eighth level, Honorable Master Yu, and I have you to thank for that,” he said before proceeding to seal Yu Xuanshi’s acupuncture point for speech. Then, he pulled out a box that he had with him. Inside were nine long gold needles that glimmered with a golden brilliance under the bright sun as they pierced into Yu Xuanshi’s nine primary acupuncture points.

　　 Chu Li was extra cautious when it came to Level Eight Masters out of fear of any sudden changes.

　　 Yu Xuanshi’s Heavenly Demonic Orb was contained and could no longer cast any unique skills.

　　 Chu Li did not dare be reckless, thus he sealed the acupuncture points again. He carefully checked them as well to prevent Yu Xuanshi from performing the Acupoint and Meridian Alterance Technique.

　　 After Chu Li had Yu Xuanshi totally under control, Chu Li immediately cast the Heavenly Demonic Spirit Devouring Technique.

　　 Complemented by his profound strength, Chu Li’s Heavenly Demonic Spirit Devouring Technique became more and more powerful. Although Yu Xuanshi’s Heavenly Demonic Orb was very sturdy, it was still swallowed up by Chu Li. About fifteen minutes later, Yu Xuanshi’s Heavenly Demonic Orb became as big as a basketball and had only one level left.

　　 Chu Li smiled. He cupped his fist before undoing the seals on Yu Xuanshi’s acupuncture points and retrieved the nine gold needles. He then fished out a cylinder.

　　 “Bang!” A golden flame exploded in the middle of the sky.