I have the face of a great demon.

Quiet.

Everything was so quiet.

There were no more explosions of fireballs, nor the cries of Tiezhu; everything fell silent.

Liu Xingchen's sword, like the coldest star in the night sky, was pressed against Hua Laodao's neck, motionless and silent.

Hua Laodao remained motionless and silent, like a sculpture forgotten by time.

Tie Zhu was stunned by what he saw. His eyes widened as he stared blankly at the scene before him, without any reaction.

The atmosphere was eerily silent.

The three remained locked in this stalemate for a while, until finally, a bitter smile appeared on Hua Laodao's lips.

"Great Demon, you win, I lose."

"Make your move. When I planned to lure you into the Wuhua Sect's secret realm, I was already prepared to die."

"It's a real shame I couldn't kill you."

"Ha ha ha ha……"

"What am I thinking? How could a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator like me possibly kill a great demon?"

"If a great demon were so easy to kill, he wouldn't be a great demon."

"You've really hidden it well. You can still hold back even after I beat you so badly. You truly deserve to be called a treacherous and cunning demon."

"Have you said enough?!" Liu Xingchen suddenly roared, and the sword in his hand trembled violently, drawing a line of blood on Hua Laodao's neck.

"I've said it countless times, I'm not a great demon!"

Why won't you believe me?

Old Hua stopped talking, gave him a disdainful look, and stubbornly waited for his death.

At this moment, Tie Zhu finally regained his voice, and he cried out, "Brother Xingchen, don't kill Master! He's our Master!"

In Liu Xingchen's mind, the ghost was like a chattering parrot, constantly chirping:

"Kill him, kill him! What use is such a muddle-headed master?"

"My little master is not a bad person, but he is not so easy to bully."

"Our principle is: we will not attack unless we are attacked. If we are attacked, we will retaliate."

"Stop arguing!" Liu Xingchen was in a state of confusion. Although he hadn't spent much time with his master, he could feel his master's kindness and warmth.

This unconventional master would even go to the streets to sell miracle pills in order to earn a little money.

This unique master would travel to the countryside to catch ghosts and exorcise demons.

He used those herbs to concoct so-called "miracle water," which he sold to ordinary people, claiming it could "cure all diseases."

He also turned the exorcism talismans into amulets and sold them all over the streets, claiming they could ensure safety.

Aside from the master in front of him, there's probably no one else in the entire cultivation world willing to do these things.

Liu Xingchen knew that these trivial matters that cultivators disdained to do were precisely what ordinary people needed.

The master in front of them was like an immortal who had fallen to the mortal world. He had cultivated for so many years and finally succeeded in establishing his foundation. However, in order to avenge the Wuhua Sect, he insisted on plucking the tiger's whiskers of that great demon and confronting that terrifying existence that everyone avoided.

Although his master had mistaken him for a demon, Liu Xingchen knew that this was fate.

Even if it were someone else, they would still see themselves as a great demon.

With a clang, Liu Xingchen sheathed his sword, turned around, and left without looking back, leaving Hua Wufeng and Tie Zhu stunned on the spot, unable to recover for a long time.

Liu Xingchen stopped at the edge of the secret realm. He took a deep breath, as if trying to inhale the last trace of mystery in the realm.

Then, without hesitation, he stepped out of that invisible boundary and into the outside world.

Liu Xingchen flew through the night sky on his sword. The stars were scattered, but they could not guide his direction.

Tie Zhu and his master left due to a misunderstanding, leaving his world suddenly empty. He needed a place, a place where he could temporarily forget everything.

He chose a mountain forest, a place far away from the hustle and bustle of the world.

In this tranquil mountain forest, Liu Xingchen found his own little world. He could be alone, keeping company with all things in nature and with that rare solitude.

He is no longer the naive newbie who knew nothing.

After a period of training, he has become very proficient in wilderness survival and can easily cope with various challenges.

His life became simple and regular. Every day, besides searching for food and water, he devoted himself to cultivation in order to forget all his troubles.

A month later, Liu Xingchen was pleasantly surprised to find that he had successfully broken through to the sixth level of Qi Refining.

This unexpected progress dispelled much of the gloom in his heart.

After a month of training and reflection, Liu Xingchen's mood has calmed down considerably.

It's time to leave this mountain forest and go out into the world.

Liu Xingchen flew on his sword again and soon found a small town.

Outside the town, Liu Xingchen gently landed his flying sword and then walked into the leisurely town.

Liu Xingchen landed his flying sword outside the town, expecting his arrival to cause a commotion.

However, when he entered the town, he found that the people there ignored his arrival, as if he were just another ordinary passerby.

This area is not far from the Wuhua Gate Secret Realm, and it is a region rich in spiritual energy, so it is not surprising that cultivators come and go.

People can occasionally see immortals flying on swords, sometimes even landing directly in front of a shop to go inside and buy things.

People have gotten used to this, and apart from maintaining a sense of awe towards the immortals, there's nothing to be surprised about.

Liu Xingchen couldn't help but laugh at himself; all his caution along the way now seemed somewhat unnecessary.

The town was bustling with people.

Shops lined both sides of the street, their signs gleaming in the sunlight.

The vendors shouted loudly, promoting their goods; the sounds rose and fell, full of vitality.

People moved among the stalls, some looking down to pick out items, others haggling over prices, their faces beaming with satisfaction and joy.

Liu Xingchen brushed past the bustling crowd. Despite the noisy and lively atmosphere around him, he felt as if he were in another world. A strange feeling crept into his heart, as if he were the only person left in the whole world.

"This must be what loneliness feels like," Liu Xingchen sighed inwardly, a bitter smile playing on his lips, as he continued walking forward.

However, he was unaware that a pair of eyes were watching him intently from the windowsill on the second floor of a restaurant.

The man only glanced at him briefly before turning away nonchalantly, pretending to admire the scenery outside the window.

As Liu Xingchen's figure gradually disappeared into the distance, the man secretly peeked at his back one last time before quickly retreating.

Seeing this, the other guests at the same table couldn't help but ask curiously, "Elder Yun, what's wrong? What are you looking at?"

"Don't look down, that person... that's a great demon!"

"What? The great demon!" Upon hearing this, the other guests at the table were so shocked that they almost jumped up.

"Silence! Silence!" Elder Yun quickly made a shushing gesture. "Don't alarm the great demon. Let's discuss our strategy after he's gone a bit further away."