Mo Fan ultimately left, setting off across the sea with Xiao Huang in a small boat.
He had originally wanted to head deep into the Southern Border to witness that world-shaking battle, but in the end he gave up the idea.
Whether it was the Demon Saint King or that peerless sword cultivator, both far surpassed him. There was simply no need to risk his life out of mere curiosity.
Moreover, judging from the voice that had echoed through the sky, the two sides had briefly clashed. The resulting commotion had spread across nearly half the Southern Border.
Yet the exchange lasted only a very short time before everything returned to silence, leaving Mo Fan unsure what had actually happened.
So he chose to depart.
Originally, the Golden-Winged Demon King had intended to provide him with a huge ship. However, Mo Fan had limited manpower and knew nothing about sailing, so he simply asked for a sea chart and a small boat before hurrying on his way.
The chart had been left behind by merchants from the Southern Border long ago. For a being like the Golden-Winged Demon King, such things were naturally in plentiful supply.
Thus, Mo Fan and Xiao Huang sailed the little boat only until they were completely out of sight of the coastal port city. Then they stowed the boat away, transformed into a blazing sun, and, with Xiao Huang in tow, flew towards the Divine Domain continent.
The boat had been nothing more than camouflage. Mo Fan was certainly not foolish enough to travel the whole distance by boat.
As for Xiao Huang, he had volunteered to come along.
According to the information Xiao Huang had obtained, his mother had apparently left the Southern Border and headed for the Divine Domain. His purposes this time were, first, to search for news of his mother, and second, to see with his own eyes what the true human territory was like, and whether it was really as prosperous as the rumours claimed.
The Monster Network was structured like interlocking rings in a chain. Even without Xiao Huang, it would continue to function normally. In fact, up to now, apart from the women Mo Fan had just recruited and the demons of Black Wind Mountain, no monster in the entire network knew who its real leader was.
This was the brilliance of Xiao Huang’s management. He had even packaged himself as nothing more than a minor demon within the network.
Of course, Xiao Huang had not thought of such things at the beginning. But after being hunted by numerous great demons, he gradually learned to be cunning. He began concealing his identity and shifted the network’s operation from a pyramid hierarchy to this ring-based system.
By a stroke of fortune, the Monster Network had evolved into its present form.
No one knew who the leader of the Monster Network truly was, nor whom it ultimately served. Ninety-nine percent of the cultivators in the network did not realise it belonged to Black Wind Mountain. They instinctively assumed the Monster Network belonged to the Saint King of Moon-Gazing Valley.
Even the demons inside the network believed this, and over time the major demons across the Southern Border naturally came to accept it as fact, considering it perfectly reasonable.
Given Her ambition, creating such a network made complete sense. And without Her secretly fuelling its growth, how could the Monster Network have expanded so rapidly to cover the entire Southern Border?
The lesser demons in the network might not have high cultivation, but their ability to gather intelligence was absolutely first-rate.
Of course, this was mainly due to the nature of demons. Unlike humans, they were poor at keeping secrets, so a great deal of information naturally leaked out over time.
Thanks to the current operating model, even without Xiao Huang in command, this enormous intelligence apparatus would continue running automatically. Information would randomly flow to various locations, be collected by Xiao Huang’s trusted subordinates, and finally be delivered to Black Wind Mountain.
Mo Fan flew for several days straight.
Naturally he stopped to rest from time to time. The biggest headache was having to release the humans to get some fresh air while also finding food for them.
Whether the women or the children, they were all ordinary mortals with no ability to go without food. Staying inside Xiao Huang’s storage pouch for too long would cause problems.
This was the main reason Mo Fan’s journey had slowed so much.
Eating, drinking, and relieving themselves were all troublesome matters. He could hardly let them defecate inside Xiao Huang’s pouch, could he?
Last time the children had vomited inside it, Xiao Huang’s face had stayed dark for days. If they actually left faeces and urine in there, he would probably want to eat the kids alive.
During this period, a major event also occurred in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.
It was connected to the peerless sword cultivator Mo Fan had seen.
After clashing with the being from Moon-Gazing Valley, that sword cultivator had continued westward and eventually entered the Phoenix Cry Mountain demon domain directly.
That day, Mo Fan’s true body had not even entered seclusion. Upon learning the sword cultivator’s route and realising he would pass right over Black Wind Mountain, Mo Fan’s scalp went numb with fear.
He immediately organised all the minor demons on the mountain to hide inside the caves. Then he himself went to the peak and waited silently.
At the same time, he took out the feather to contact Granny Sparrow at the Fire Phoenix Palace. He informed her about the sword cultivator and asked for her help.
Although the chances were high that the peerless sword cultivator would not attack unprovoked, Mo Fan still felt uneasy. He worried the man might take offence at something and casually erase Black Wind Mountain from the Demon Spirit Range.
Just as the White Tiger Saint King had once annihilated the two great human sects in the Southern Border.
Yet Granny Sparrow’s reply reassured Mo Fan considerably.
“Fan’er, there is no need to panic. He is coming for the Saint King. With the White Tiger Saint King’s old agreement in place, he should not violate it.
Of course, unless someone courts death, he ought not to attack a bunch of minor demons.
If he really dared to do so, he probably would not leave these Ten Thousand Great Mountains alive!
So relax. Nothing will happen!”
“Granny, is he the one who came from Inverted Mountain to seize the immortal sword?” Mo Fan asked.
“Indeed. To be precise, he is the Sword Head of Inverted Mountain!”
“The Sword Head of Inverted Mountain?”
“There was once a rumour that the Empress left a sword at Inverted Mountain, but no one could comprehend it. Later, a heaven-defying sword cultivator genius understood that sword and remained at Inverted Mountain, where he was honoured as the Sword Head.
When news of the Sword Head first spread, countless sword dao experts went to challenge him, only to be defeated one after another. From then on, the Sword Head gained another title.
The greatest sword cultivator under heaven!”
“Hiss!”
Even Mo Fan could not help drawing a sharp breath when he heard this.
The greatest sword cultivator under heaven. That was a heavy title indeed. No wonder merely passing by had produced such terrifying pressure!
“Granny, should you leave the Fire Phoenix Palace for now?”
Mo Fan asked cautiously. He was genuinely worried for Granny Sparrow’s safety, given the man’s fearsome reputation.
“There is no need. And you need not worry about this old woman. Battles at the Saint King level are already beyond my ability to interfere with. I cannot get involved, so I am most likely safe.”
After ending the conversation, Mo Fan felt much more at ease. As long as the Sword Head did not attack Black Wind Mountain, he could not care less how powerful the man was.
Moreover, from Granny Sparrow’s relaxed tone, he vaguely guessed something.
The Fire Phoenix Saint King had most likely already refined the immortal sword, which gave her considerable confidence!
In fact, Mo Fan never saw the Sword Head pass over Black Wind Mountain. The sounds of battle erupted from the direction of Phoenix Cry Mountain first.
Although he did not witness it personally, the heaven-shaking explosions made it easy for Mo Fan to imagine how fierce the fight was.
The commotion lasted a full half-day before finally subsiding.
Mo Fan had thought everything was over and immediately sent a message to Granny Sparrow, but received no reply, which filled him with worry.
Only on the third day, when he once again felt those terrifying explosions, did he realise the battle had not ended. They had simply moved elsewhere and continued fighting.
The combat persisted until noon on the third day before finally coming to a complete stop.
“The Sword Head has withdrawn. The Saint King is gravely injured. From today onward, the Fire Phoenix Palace will be sealed. Fan’er, take good care of yourself. Whatever happens, do not act rashly. Preserving your life is the most important thing!”
When Granny Sparrow’s message finally arrived, Mo Fan was stunned, but at the same time he breathed a huge sigh of relief.
At least it meant Granny Sparrow was safe.
