Pausing for a moment, I activated my qi sensing technique and looked in the direction Yan Ya had flown. Indeed, dozens of presences, all of them high-level demonic beings with qi at or above green, were gathered together. Three were blue qi and two were purple, indicating that this group of demons was not to be underestimated!
However, upon closer inspection, I noticed they weren't entirely clumped together. Instead, they were divided into two groups, though their proximity made them appear as a single mass of demonic energy from my distant vantage point.
Coincidentally, Yan Ya was flying back. I waved her over, then raised both my arms. With another dive, she lifted me into the air, and once we were aloft, I shouted, "Throw me onto that mountain peak where they are! I need a clearer view!"
An eagle's cry.
Three kilometers was too close, with only a valley separating us.
Landing on that peak, I could see directly without needing my qi sensing technique. Below the mountain stood a brightly lit building resembling a Taoist temple. Many "people" were gathered in the courtyard, arranged in rows on either side. Some were seated, some were standing, and in the central area, two individuals were visibly trembling. It looked like two factions were engaged in a martial arts competition.
Of course, to Yan Ya, they were just a bunch of demons, with no discernible difference between a competition and anything else.
Yan Ya transformed back and landed beside me. "See them? It's them."
"How long has it been?" I asked.
"I'm not sure. When I flew by here in the first half of the night, I saw them, and they're still causing trouble."
"Did you bring clothes?" I asked.
"No."
"Then go back and get some. I'll wait for you below."
"Ah?" Yan Ya was surprised. "Why are you going down?"
"To check out the excitement. It's such a good opportunity. I'm the Demon King, after all. I should mingle with the masses and understand the common demon's plight," I said with a smile.
"But… they… we don't know if they're from the Shan Hai clan or the Bai Ze clan!" Yan Ya worried, as she couldn't tell.
"It's fine. I'm human. And look at them, they're all dressed and behaving appropriately. They probably won't make things difficult for me. Hurry and go," I reassured her.
"...Alright." Yan Ya flew back to base. This area seemed to be a scenic spot. From the mountaintop down, there was a modern stone path. These stones were all manufactured products, not genuine, and the difference was palpable underfoot.
Perhaps fearing that I might not be able to handle any special situations alone, Yan Ya flew back before I reached the foot of the mountain. She transformed, changed her clothes, and also told me, "I've told Kun Kun, and she'll be here soon too."
In Yan Ya's eyes, she and Kun Kun, both powerful blue-qi demons, were likely enough to deal with these ordinary imps. After all, the number of blue-qi great demons in the entirety of Yan Xia was extremely small, with only a few dozen registered by Sabia. I alone accounted for eight of them. Who would have thought that in such a desolate place, two more blue-qi great demons would appear?
I looked back. There was a canyon facing the sea where the base was located, unobstructed from my qi sensing technique. The aura of a fox demon had already appeared at the edge of my perception and was rapidly approaching.
Let's hope she brought clothes.
By the time Yan Ya and I descended to the foot of the mountain and were nearing the Taoist temple's entrance, the fox demon had caught up. As expected, she was carrying her clothes coiled around her tail. After she changed, the three of us walked side-by-side towards the Taoist temple to pay our respects.
It was called "Shen Feng Guan," not a particularly impressive name, suggesting it wasn't a legitimate Taoist temple. Judging by the condition of the architecture, it was clearly newly built, and it was unclear whether demons or the local government had constructed it.
A row of cars was parked in front of the gate, all with license plates from Ji Province. I wondered which city they were from. Judging by the setup, it looked like a sect had come to challenge the local demons.
The temple gate was closed, but when I pushed it, it actually opened. Inside, there was a screen. I had observed this from the mountaintop. Beyond the screen was a main hall, and only by passing through the hall could one see the site of their competition.
The three of us skirted past the screen. They finally noticed the intrusion of outsiders. A green-qi presence rushed rapidly into the main hall. Upon exiting, it transformed into the image of an old, frail, and slow-moving Taoist priest.
"How did you gentlemen get in?" the old Taoist demon asked, surprised but composed.
"The door wasn't locked," I said, pointing behind me. "The three of us got lost."
The old Taoist glanced at Yan Ya and the fox demon behind me, and his eyes immediately gleamed with sharpness. He clearly recognized their identities and was about to close the door. I extended my foot to prop it open. "Hey, hey, esteemed elder, we are truly lost. We were passing by and heard quite a commotion from behind, like there were many of our kind, so we came to take a look."
"Your kind… you are not," the old Taoist frowned.