Cloudsdale, hidden deep within the Hyacinth Tower.
Concubine Mingyue sat cross-legged in cultivation when her expression shifted. A palm-sized mirror suddenly appeared in her hand.
She pinched a spell between her fingers and pointed toward the mirror. A voice burst forth with excitement.
"Qiqi Lord, Lord Heijiao has located the exact position of the Demon Realm. He's prepared to activate the Tiangang Boundary Breaking Array and open the passage to summon the Demon God's descent."
A beautiful smile spread across Concubine Mingyue's face as she muttered to herself.
"After more than a hundred years of preparation, we can finally open the passage. Let's hope there are no more setbacks this time. Once the Demon Realm's army descends, Yu Fantian will be thrown into chaos. That alone should keep the Dao Saint Sect occupied for quite some time."
She pointed into the mirror and gave her response.
"Monitor the movement around Mirror Sky City. I'll be there shortly."
"Yes, my lord."
When the call ended, Concubine Mingyue raised her voice toward the hall's entrance.
"Someone."
A man with a long scar across his face quickly entered and bowed respectfully.
"What are your orders, my lady?"
"The passage is about to open. Inform the Li family—we're departing for Mirror Sky City immediately."
"Yes, ma'am."
Scarface responded with visible excitement.
Soon after, Concubine Mingyue and four others swept out of the city at high speed.
Outside the city, the Li family was already assembled, but leading them was not the family head, Li Jiuming. Instead, an old man with a ruddy complexion stood at the forefront, radiating a powerful aura.
This was Li Jiangxiong, the Li family's ancestor.
Over two hundred years ago, rumors had circulated that Li Jiangxiong had passed away. In truth, he was not only alive but had broken through to the God Transformation realm.
As Concubine Mingyue approached, Li Jiangxiong stepped forward and bowed.
"My respects, Lady Landlord."
Concubine Mingyue nodded. With a wave of her right hand, a delicate flying boat emerged in mid-air.
"Let's go."
The group boarded the flying boat and soared toward Mirror Sky City.
Roughly a thousand miles outside Mirror Sky City, Zhang Yuhe quietly trailed behind a monk dressed in green robes.
His rune soldier, formed from enchanted talisman paper, remained hidden in the shadow of the monk.
The group of green-robed monks traveled slowly, periodically stopping to inspect the defensive formations.
Zhang Yuhe was patient, following at a leisurely pace.
After nearly half a day, the monks completed their inspection of the final formation.
The leading monk sighed in relief and smiled at the others.
"That's the last one. Let's head back."
As they turned toward Mirror Sky City, Zhang Yuhe narrowed his eyes.
"So they're finally returning. Now I can get a better look inside the city."
He maintained control over the rune soldier, keeping it hidden within the shadows.
While concealing his presence, Zhang Yuhe split a wisp of his divine sense to observe through the rune soldier.
Less than fifteen minutes later, the group arrived at the city gates.
Through the rune soldier's eyes, Zhang Yuhe saw the faintly glowing characters above the gate: Mirror Sky City.
Oddly, the area outside the city was deserted.
Unlike other cities, bustling with people coming and going, Mirror Sky City stood eerily silent. Even the gates remained tightly shut.
A strange stillness hung over the place.
When the lead monk presented his identity token and sent a transmission, the city gates slowly creaked open, revealing a narrow passage.
He and the others flew inside.
Zhang Yuhe followed closely, keeping his rune soldier buried in the shadows.
Suddenly, a middle-aged man with a grim expression appeared.
The lead monk respectfully called out.
"Greetings, Sixth Uncle."
The middle-aged man nodded and asked, "No incidents?"
"None, sir. All formations remain undisturbed."
"Good."
The man retrieved a formation disk, inspected the group, then dismissed them.
"You're done for the day. Go and rest."
"Yes, sir."
As the monks dispersed, a thought struck Zhang Yuhe.
He shifted the rune soldier from the monk's shadow to that of the middle-aged man—Sixth Uncle.
Though thousands of miles away, Zhang Yuhe couldn't sense this man's exact cultivation, but it was clear his status within the He family far exceeded that of the previous monks.
He reasoned that following this man might reveal more crucial information.
After the group left, the middle-aged man flew deeper into the city.
The rune soldier trailed behind unnoticed.
As Zhang Yuhe observed through the soldier's eyes, he noted that the streets of Mirror Sky City were completely deserted.
It was like a ghost town.
The monks of the He family seemed to remain confined to their dwellings, rarely stepping outside.
Then something caught his attention.
"What is that?"
In the center of the city, a dense black mist hovered over a massive structure.
Peering closer through the rune soldier, Zhang Yuhe spotted a towering altar within the mist, surrounded by 108 black stone pillars that reached toward the sky.
At the center of the altar sat a monstrous figure—horned and humanoid.
Zhang Yuhe's eyes widened.
"A demon… just as I suspected."
Thanks to the Dao Saint Sect's extensive library, Zhang Yuhe had studied countless records about the demon race.
Though the rune soldier could only perceive a blurry figure, he recognized the creature immediately—it was from the Horned Demon Clan.
He quickly withdrew his identity jade token.
The discovery of an actual demon made reporting back to the sect an urgent matter.
Only one demon had been seen so far. There was no evidence yet of a full-scale invasion, but Zhang Yuhe had no intention of attempting heroics on his own.
The rune soldier couldn't detect the demon's aura, given the distance. Who knew how powerful this creature might be?
It could be a high-ranking entity.
He wasn't about to gamble his life alone. Calling for reinforcements was the smarter move.
Zhang Yuhe formed a spell and activated the jade token. Soon, a familiar voice responded—Elder Lu Mingfang.
"What is it?"
"Elder, I've found a demon in Yunzhong Prefecture."
Lu Mingfang's voice grew grave.
"Where exactly? Are you certain it's a demon? Is it alive?"
Zhang Yuhe's heart warmed at the concern, though he understood the elder's caution. It was his first time outside the sect—Lu Mingfang likely feared he'd made a mistake.
Besides, most demons should've perished long ago. It had been over 100,000 years since their last invasion, and their lifespans weren't infinite.
If he had simply stumbled upon a corpse, there was no need to panic.
Zhang Yuhe replied with certainty.
"It's alive. I'm positive. It's a Horned Demon, currently seated on an altar in Mirror Sky City."
He paused, then added, "Also, a strange array has been set up in the city. One hundred and eight black pillars surround the altar. The demon is seated cross-legged at its center. I'm not sure what it's for."
"…The Tiangang Boundary Breaking Array?"
Lu Mingfang's surprised voice echoed through the token.
Then his tone turned serious.
"Stay put. Do not act on your own. I'll dispatch a team immediately."