When Qin Sang’s spiritual consciousness swept across the lotus seed, he found that it did not seem to be an astra. Words appeared upon it, forming what looked like a secret technique.

Just as he was about to study it more carefully, Bai’s voice sounded in his mind, warning him. Qin Sang quickly withdrew his spiritual consciousness and put the lotus seed away.

"Outside!" Bai’s tone was solemn.

Qin Sang opened his eyes. In his struggle with Old Devil Mou, they had already reached the foot of Yitian Peak. Thin mist floated in the air, and his view was hazy and indistinct.

Stone forests spread in clusters, the mountains rising and falling in the distance. There was not a single figure nearby.

But after Bai’s reminder, Qin Sang also faintly sensed that someone was watching him. He immediately activated the Sky Eyes. His gaze pierced through Spirit-Suppressing Domain, faintly seeing layers of mountain shadows beyond its boundary.

On one of those peaks, a few figures stood, staring in his direction.

"How could there be so many people here? Is Old Devil Mou running straight into a trap?" Qin Sang was startled. He had thought that, being gravely wounded and near death, Old Devil Mou would flee alone rather than meet anyone.

Those figures had clearly been hiding nearby all along, positioned right along Old Devil Mou’s escape path. The commotion from Qin Sang’s interception must have drawn their attention.

Only a limited number of cultivators could enter the inner hall, which was vast and filled with countless hidden realms. Even fewer came near Dark Valley or Spirit-Suppressing Domain. For so many to gather here, watching the outside of the domain, something was clearly amiss.

Are they subordinates of the Devil Lord or members of another faction?

"No!" Qin Sang’s expression shifted. Something was wrong. Some of those figures had horns sprouting from their heads, others even bore tails.

"The demon race! Transformation Realm great demons!" he exclaimed.

Within Seven-Kill Hall, even in the inner hall, only ferocious beasts existed. Top-tier beasts were as strong as Transformation Realm great demons, yet for some unknown reason their ferocity corroded their minds, preventing any from attaining human form. These demons must have slipped in from outside.

So the Nine Phoenix Monarch had really sent her feather into the celestial barrier in order to smuggle herself inside, and she was not the only one. Many great demons had entered together.

These great demons are lurking on the border of the Spirit-Suppressing Domain. What are they plotting? Qin Sang thought.

Almost instinctively, Qin Sang activated the disguise technique that Yuan Zhu had taught him.

The great demons outside were likely restrained by Spirit-Suppressing Domain’s suppressive power, but that did not mean there were no stronger ones already inside.

If any late-stage Transformation Realm great demon had come in, they might be hiding somewhere within the domain even now.

Qin Sang’s thoughts raced. He did not wish to become an enemy of the demons or draw their attention.

The secret technique could veil him with a faint trace of Transformation Realm great demon's aura, confusing their senses and muddying the situation.

But when his eyes fell upon a taut, familiar face among them, his heart sank. The Nine Phoenix Monarch is here too!

The last time they met had been when the witch race opened the outer hall for the second time.

He had disguised himself as a demon then and crossed paths with her, later feigning death and escaping into a storm. Judging from her expression now, she had clearly recognized him.

Outside Spirit-Suppressing Domain, the gathered demon kings looked toward Yitian Peak with varying expressions.

They had been lying in wait here, preparing for the Jiao King and the Nine-Life Black Tortoise to steal the dragon corpse, yet they had unexpectedly witnessed the spectacular hunt of a human Spiritual Infant cultivator.

"It's him. How?" The Nine Phoenix Monarch narrowed her eyes. The man looked familiar, and she finally recalled that he was the demon pawn she had once believed dead.

The other demon kings were astonished when they heard her description.

"He was only at the Demonic Core Realm when Seven-Kill Hall last opened. In such a short time, he couldn’t possibly surpass us. How can he move freely within Spirit-Suppressing Domain and slay a Spiritual Infant alone? Are you sure you’re not mistaken?"

The domain’s barrier treated all races equally. It shouldn’t single out the demon race.

"The heavenly lightning earlier wasn’t that strong."

"The power of those black flames is hard to judge, yet I felt my heart tremble."

"His aura feels strange..."

The demon kings all murmured among themselves.

"I’m not mistaken! It’s him!" The Nine Phoenix Monarch fixed her gaze on Qin Sang.

If he is truly that same demon, one who has cultivated the Bloodburning Technique, he would have lost all chance to transform. If he is a human, he cannot possibly surpass me in cultivation. Otherwise, he would have captured me outright back then and taken the Heavenly Phoenix Feather and True Heavenly Phoenix Feather.

Now he dares to appear right under my nose, and I have failed to notice? Unforgivable!

Humiliated and furious, the Nine Phoenix Monarch declared, "Seven-Kill Hall has always been held by humans... That man must possess some treasure that shields him from the domain’s suppression!"

Before her words even faded, a crimson light streaked through the mist. The Nine Phoenix Monarch had already unleashed the True Heavenly Phoenix Feather without hesitation.

The other demon kings exchanged glances but did not intervene. Her reasoning might be correct; if they could seize that treasure, they too might enter the domain and search for the dragon’s corpse.

Unfortunately, none of them possessed a True Heavenly Phoenix Feather, so they could only watch.

At the sight of that red light, Qin Sang’s mind flashed back to the terrifying scene years ago, when the long feather’s might had pierced the celestial barrier and shaken the heavens.

Can that artifact resist Spirit-Suppressing Domain’s suppression as well? Qin Sang wondered.

Whoosh! Qin Sang cursed under his breath and turned to flee at once.

But to his shock, the long feather seemed to share the teleporting ability of a Spiritual Infant. It moved like a ghost; one instant it was at Spirit-Suppressing Domain’s edge, the next his vision was flooded with crimson light.

Within the red glow, a long feather flickered indistinctly, and a graceful figure gradually took form. It was the Nine Phoenix Monarch herself.

His path was blocked! Qin Sang was shocked and instantly changed direction without a moment’s pause.

The long feather descended from the heavens, flames spreading to form a blazing screen. The figure of the Nine Phoenix Monarch gradually appeared within it. Borrowing the power of the True Heavenly Phoenix Feather, she had successfully entered Spirit-Suppressing Domain.

Whoosh! Fierce flames danced wildly. The True Heavenly Phoenix Feather’s might was burning in full.

The Nine Phoenix Monarch poured all her strength into sustaining the feather’s power. Flames coiled around her body, forming a brilliant robe of radiance that made her look like a true Heavenly Phoenix walking out of the void itself.

Her breathing quickened, her face flushed, and she clearly felt the strain. She had to stabilize her form first and could not immediately chase after Qin Sang.

When her gaze fell upon the three-colored evasion light surrounding Qin Sang, a glint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

His evasion technique far surpassed that of ordinary Core Formation Realm cultivators. Since she had to divide her focus to maintain the True Heavenly Phoenix Feather, catching up to him would not be easy.

Her thoughts turned swiftly as she made her decision. In the next instant, her figure turned into a streak of crimson light and pursued relentlessly.

Whoosh! Whoosh! The two streaked through the stone forest in a desperate chase. Their evasion lights tore through the terrain, leaving trails of collapsed rock pillars behind them.

Several times Qin Sang tried to flee toward Yitian Peak, but each time, the Nine Phoenix Monarch intercepted and blocked him.

It was clear that she wanted to drive him out of Spirit-Suppressing Domain.

The star turban had already been used, and the Nine Phoenix Monarch would never give him a chance to cast the Lightning Control Technique. With only the nine devilish banners in hand, Qin Sang dared not stop to engage her directly.

Boom! The Nine Phoenix Monarch struck, and a vast blaze of colorful radiance turned into a soaring phoenix that crashed down from above.

That phoenix was woven from countless tiny feathers, each carrying an explosive, overwhelming power. It plowed straight through the stone forest, carving a blazing path as every stone pillar along the way was ground into fine dust.

Qin Sang felt the scorching aura engulf him, searing pain spreading through his entire body as though he were about to be burned to ashes.

The difference between him and a true Transformation Realm great demon was still enormous!