Dao Equaling the Heavens
Chapter 194 - 147 Saint Heir of the Devil Clan, After the Devil Emperor

And the little mouse was quite sensible, not circulating its Mana at all throughout the process. Mana is the foundation of all offensive means; without Mana, everything is illusory.

After some questioning, Gu Wen roughly understood the situation.

First, there weren’t only four exceptional demons from the Devil Clan entering the Human Race Earth Realm; Jun Yan’s message mentioned those who had had actual contact with various Immortal Sects. The Devil Clan was able to find the location of the Sword Control Sect’s secret realm reportedly because someone inside the Immortal Sects had informed them.

Second, the field mouse did not know how many exceptional demons there were, but it remembered that the Saint Heir of the Sky Fox Clan had met with at least eight other exceptional demons.

Third, the Saint Heir of the Sky Fox Clan was in a town a hundred miles from here.

The Saint Heir of the Sky Fox Clan was named Hu Yuan, and was one of the branches of the fox demons of Jianmu Qingqiu Grotto Heaven, accompanied by a demon at the Demon King level.

The Demon King is comparable to a True Monarch, and above that is the Saint, also referred to as the Devil Emperor due to different systems.

A Demon King is approximately at the Body Integration Realm, and at most the Mahayana Realm. The previously encountered yellow-furred demon was a demon king in the Body Integration Realm; outside, Chi Yu Zi had to walk on eggshells around him, whereas the situation was entirely the opposite in Immortal Land.

According to Gu Wen’s observations, combining ordinary and perfected, typically the Seventh Level is for the Returning to Void Stage, the Ninth Level for the Body Integration Realm, and the Twelfth Level for the Dao Foundation of the Mahayana Realm.

Because there are many at the Eighth Level of Dao Foundation, but very few at the Ninth Level, up to this point Gu Wen had only personally seen Yu Hua with a Ninth Level Dao Foundation.

Therefore, starting from the Eighth Level Dao Foundation, continuing to accumulate upwards, above the Twelve Heavens requires perfection in five levels of Dao Foundation, which is Golden Core Perfection.

"I am actually at a stage that most great powers find impossible to breakthrough."

Gu Wen suddenly came to a clear understanding.

The Golden Core stage is a watershed, the difference between a True Monarch and a Venerable. Whether one can cross over is one thing, and how many transitions the Golden Core has after crossing over is another.

His overcoming of levels was accumulated in such a manner; others had one True Spirit, he had five, others had a Golden Core at Third Transition and he, at Ninth Transition.

At this time, having said everything in one breath, the field mouse faltered and tremblingly said, "This is all the little one knows, please, Venerable, spare my life."

"So, it’s just a little mongrel from a side branch and yet it dares to call itself a Saint Heir?"

Chi Yu Zi was extremely disdainful upon hearing the name.

Gu Wen asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"The Human Race prioritizes cultivation and Dao lineage to establish hierarchy, whereas the Devil Clan distinguishes lineage between direct and collateral based on bloodlines, which is often discernible from surnames. Among the fox demons, Tushan is seen as the emperor, the Su surname is royal, followed by Hu, Huang, Bai, Kang, Zhao."

What Chi Yu Zi said sparked curiosity in the field mouse, who pricked up its ears to listen; to it, the demons from beyond its world were like gods.

"Besides the Tushan and Su surnames, others are merely branches, mere servants within the Devil Clan. Once a servant, always a servant."

"Can’t one turn the tables through cultivation?"

"It’s possible, but such instances are extremely rare; bloodlines determine the heights one can reach."

Gu Wen pondered; the once hazy Devil Clan became clearer to him, no longer shrouded in mystery.

They are all beings, all part of an ordered society, and all driven by seven emotions and six desires, merely humans clad in beastly skin.

The biggest difference between the Devil Clan and the Human Race is probably that the Human Race’s path of cultivation is entirely meritocratic, while the devil kind operates on a nobility system.

Chi Yu Zi asked, "So, what’s your plan?"

Gu Wen decisively said, "Strike first to gain the upper hand; you and I will go find that Sky Fox Saint and kill him later."

He has never been one to hesitate. Previously, when standing at a crossroads needing to choose, he would be exceedingly cautious, but once a path was set, he was more decisive than anyone.

This is both a result of his experience in business and a survival instinct.

Timing is crucial in making money and just the same in killing.

At this moment, it was Chi Yu Zi who felt conflicted, anxiously saying, "Doing so might draw more people; the Earth Core Crystal isn’t fully nurtured yet. The Devil Clan must surely have ways to communicate with each other; even if we kill him, word will get out."

The closer she was to forming an indestructible Taoist Body, the more conflicted she became.

"It doesn’t matter; combat is about life and death. All scheming and tricks end with death, just like how in a battle between two armies, every tactic is aimed at weakening the other side, and speed is of the essence."

Gu Wen slightly drew the re-formed silhouette of the Immortal Sword from its sheath, his gaze icy, and when he looked up again, Chi Yu Zi’s expression was still fraught with concern.

He said with a firm and decisive tone, "If you’re unable to make a decision, just listen to me, kill whomever I say to kill."

Chi Yu Zi nodded slightly.

Then, their gazes turned toward the plump field mouse, which Chi Yu Zi was gripping tightly, her face showing a fierce light.

"Please, Venerable, spare my life, spare my life!"

The field mouse trembled all over, urine streaming uncontrollably, and as Chi Yu Zi’s fingers slowly tightened, its voice gradually faded and its breath began to weaken.

Even so, it still didn’t use its Mana; not fighting back even as its life was slipping away.

It seemed they had indeed caught a soft persimmon with this field mouse.

Chi Yu Zi’s grip hesitated, not following through with the killing, conflicted about the differences between humans and devils, yet she did not let go.

Gu Wen said, "Goodness is what makes a human, while evil degrades to a beast. If you’re sure it hasn’t killed anyone, you can spare its life."

"It hasn’t killed anyone; killing isn’t a crime, but devouring is."

Chi Yu Zi’s eyebrows furrowed deeply, struggling to say, "This little mouse has no malevolent aura; its qi is very pure and seems not to have engaged in extensive Blood Food cultivation."

Consuming Blood Food, also known as Meat Spirit Medicine, could involve any living being, but humans are the most numerous and contain the most abundant vital essence and three souls and seven spirits.