The Master and His Wealthy Fiancée

Liu Ling looked utterly innocent, her beautiful eyes even glistening with tears.

"It wasn't my fault, Master! I didn't expect the suppression within the Array to be so intense. I pushed my Transformation Technique to its absolute limit and was still detected. I had no idea that forming a contract would let me pass through the Guardian Array!"

In Liu Ling's mind, her arrangement with Chen Dong was a fair transaction. She didn't see herself as being under his control, so she naturally didn't consider herself a subordinate of the Human Race who would be acknowledged by the Guardian Array.

Chen Dong knew through their contract that she wasn't lying, and he couldn't bring himself to be harsh with her while she looked so innocent.

Ji Yixin sized up Liu Ling and remarked, "A Golden Core Great Demon is truly a rare sight. And one that can take on such a perfect human form... If not for the Guardian Array, I wouldn't have noticed a thing. Her Innate Divine Techniques must be extraordinary!"

Upon hearing this, everyone cast envious glances toward Chen Dong. They couldn't speak freely within the Guardian Array, but their burning stares said it all.

The aura Liu Ling currently revealed was that of the Golden Core Stage, so everyone mistook her for a Golden Core Great Demon.

A Golden Core-level Beast Taming Contract was astronomically expensive, something they couldn't even dream of. Even if one had a Beast Taming Contract, they still needed to subdue a powerful great demon, which was piling one difficulty on another. With enough Spirit Stones and power, killing a Golden Core Great Demon might be easy. But getting a great demon to willingly sign a contract was incredibly difficult, especially after the great war between the Human and Demon Races. Nowadays, the Demon Race would rather die than submit.

The few great demons the Cyan Sky Sect possessed had all been subdued before the war between the Human and Demon Races. Now, owning a Golden Core Great Demon was even rarer than possessing a Tier Four Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact. Many disciples from prominent clans owned a Tier Four Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact, and some, like Zisang Jin, even wielded the Tier Six Peach Blossom Divine Sword. Therefore, commanding a Golden Core Great Demon was an incredibly flashy and prestigious affair.

Seeing that Chen Dong had no intention of continuing the conversation, Ji Yixin said no more. They couldn't linger for too long inside the Guardian Array, lest they look like unsophisticated Loose Cultivators. His expression turned slightly cold as he gave Chen Dong a curt nod and led the group onward.

Chen Dong and Liu Ling remained at the back of the group. They were incredibly fortunate to have passed that ordeal.

About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the group emerged from the great Array. The entire All Heaven Guarding Array was like a thick city wall, and they had just passed through a tunnel that ran through it.

The squad of Cyan Sky Sect disciples that had led the way stopped there, and the thirty-seven Loose Cultivators immediately became more vigilant.

"We'll part ways here. Even though a Cyan Sky Sect mission team has cleared the initial path, it is still extremely dangerous outside the Array. I hope you all return safely." After saying his piece, a Golden Core Stage Loose Cultivator led a few others away.

Chen Dong also gave a brief bow to the others before quickly heading off along his planned route, with Liu Ling following close behind.

Outside the Guardian Array, flying at high altitudes was a major taboo. No one would choose to fly in the Demon Race's territory unless they were desperately fleeing for their life. Although this was Chen Dong's first time outside the Guardian Array, he had already committed all the common knowledge about this place to heart.

The area within a ten-li radius of the Array was still relatively safe. People on missions frequently passed through, clearing out a secure zone. The more powerful great demons had long since given up on ambushing humans who had just left the Array. Whenever a great demon's aura was detected, the Human Race would spring a trap, launching an ambush from the Guardian Array. This gave them the tactical flexibility to attack or defend. The great demons, far from their own Spirit Veins and with limited supplies, would only be wasting resources by setting traps. As long as the Guardian Array stood, lying in wait outside was a futile endeavor.

In the first few months after the Guardian Array was erected, great demons still came to probe and attack it. But after learning a few harsh lessons, they stopped coming one by one.

Chen Dong sped through the relatively safe area and entered a dense forest. From this point onward, not even a Golden Core Stage expert would dare venture alone. It was teeming with demonic beasts. The Demon Race couldn't be bothered to deal with the humans themselves, so they had driven hordes of low-intelligence demonic beasts here, which served as another form of containment.

Although these demonic beasts were not very intelligent, their power was not to be underestimated, and they were extremely numerous. Adding to that, members of the Demon Race often patrolled the area to hunt humans, making anywhere more than ten li from the great Array exceedingly dangerous.

Chen Dong's Divine Sense was comparable to that of a Late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. The moment he was outside, he could sense countless demonic beasts lurking in the mountain forest. And that was just what he could perceive; there were others skilled in stealth that he couldn't detect by their presence alone.

Relying on his powerful Divine Sense and Mu Qingzhu's Void Sword Intent, Chen Dong moved as if through an uninhabited land. Liu Ling, for her part, possessed a special method of concealing her aura that made her seem like a mortal; if she wasn't right next to him, Chen Dong wasn't certain he could sense her at all.

For the two of them, the Demon Realm did not yet pose much of a danger.

As they passed through the territory of yet another Tiger Demon, Liu Ling sent a mental message: "Master, this isn't normal at all!"

"Why is that?" Chen Dong asked.

Keeping pace with Chen Dong's rapid movement, Liu Ling replied, "There are checks and balances for all living things. Even demonic beasts have natural predators and prey. Though they've been herded together, they should still follow the Celestial Dao's principle of survival of the fittest. There ought to be some competition, but this thousand-li stretch of forest is just too quiet!"

Chen Dong was puzzled. "Isn't that normal? They were driven here to hunt the Human Race. Why would the Demon Race let them fight among themselves?"

"No," Liu Ling disagreed. "Without a member of the Demon Race directly commanding them, they wouldn't be this docile. This can only mean one thing: there's a demon nearby!"

Chen Dong's heart skipped a beat. 'The Demon Race!' Yet, he hadn't detected the presence of any such being with his Divine Sense.