Demon Sect Holy Land, This Trip Was Not in Vain

When Serena and the others came down, they found Dorian Owen (Dougie) frozen in a bizarre pose, just standing there, looking completely baffled.

“Dougie, what are you doing?” He’d lifted his foot to take a step, but was stuck there, not moving, with a green leaf perched on his head. Anyone who didn’t know better would think he’d been hit with a pressure point.

As Serena asked, she glanced at Ninth Royal Uncle Nolan—maybe he’d done something? But Nolan just turned away coolly, uninterested.

Did he really need to bother with a fool like this?

“Ninth Royal Uncle said I’m not allowed to move.” Dougie took the chance to complain, looking utterly aggrieved.

“Uh...Ninth Royal Uncle won’t let you move?” Serena looked over at Nolan again, but he kept ignoring her.

There’s just no communicating with a fool like this.

Dougie nodded hard. “Serena, I’m telling you, you should find yourself another man. Ninth Royal Uncle changes his mind way too fast. He just told me to scout ahead, and then immediately said I wasn’t allowed to move.”

Honestly, if Dougie hadn’t explained, everyone would still be confused. But now it all made sense—The Master of Mystic Healer Valley was laughing so hard he was shaking, while Dougie’s own master just covered his face in shame.

This idiot isn’t my disciple, nope, definitely not my disciple.

Dougie, could you be any more embarrassing?

Serena, ever the kind one, didn’t mock Dougie—instead, she lifted the ban: “You can move now.”

“Really?” Dougie’s face lit up with surprise.

“Of course it’s real.” Serena saw Dougie sneaking a look at Ninth Royal Uncle, so she added, “Ninth Royal Uncle says you’re allowed to move.”

Later, Serena asked Dougie why he listened to Ninth Royal Uncle so much. Dougie, feeling wronged, said: I’m scared he’ll throw me in a dungeon.

It’s just too terrifying, okay?

Well, it takes a villain to keep another villain in check. Serena didn’t say much more—Dougie’s wild temperament only settles down when Ninth Royal Uncle’s around.

With the human stake Dougie finally sorted out, the group moved on, the dark guards leading the way.

Compared to the eerie, bloody Demon Hall above, this place was practically paradise. Sunlight streamed in, warm on their bodies; a gentle breeze carried the scent of grass, and sometimes even flowers.

“This must be the Demon Sect’s rear mountain. Who’d have thought Dougie would stumble right into it?” Dougie’s Master boldly guessed at the place’s purpose: “This is probably the Demon Sect’s emergency evacuation route.”

The Assassin Alliance has places like this too—escape routes for life-or-death emergencies.

But before Dougie’s Master could finish, someone immediately contradicted him.

“No, this is the Holy Land.” Zed had been trailing out of the Demon Hall with a blank little face, but finally spoke up.

“Holy Land? You mean a place for the dead?” Usually, any place called a ‘Holy Land’ is where the dead end up.

Zed nodded, his face tense and tight, sticking close behind Serena, terrified that Ninth Royal Uncle might leave him behind.

Ninth Royal Uncle had already delivered him to the Demon Sect—he wasn’t Nolan’s responsibility anymore, and Nolan could just walk away.

“Uh...” Dougie’s Master looked mortified, his face turning beet red—he wanted to slap himself.

Serves you right for copying Dougie. Serves you right for talking too much.

Great, open your mouth and you immediately say something wrong.

Luckily, both Ninth Royal Uncle and Serena were decent people—they didn’t mock Dougie’s Master, just silently kept moving forward. Soon, a faint rustling sound reached their ears.

“Everyone, be careful.” No need for Ninth Royal Uncle to give orders—the group instinctively formed a protective ring around Serena, the Master of Mystic Healer Valley, and Zed.

“Sounds like a wild animal.” Dougie, with his sharp ears, soon confirmed: “It’s probably a snake—I think I hear it hissing.”

“A snake? There’s a snake here?” The Master of Mystic Healer Valley was baffled.

They hadn’t even seen a single rabbit on the way here, which meant someone had cleared the place out—there shouldn’t be any wild animals at all.

“It’s the Holy Beast—the Demon Sect’s Holy Beast. It’s always guarded the Holy Land.” Zed was just a child, but he knew a lot.

“Holy Beast? A giant python? Like the one you have?” Ninth Royal Uncle drew his sword and told the Master of Mystic Healer Valley to hand him a bottle of medicine.

Zed nodded, then added after a moment’s thought, “It’s stronger than mine. Please don’t kill it—it’s the Holy Beast.” His voice grew smaller, as if he realized he didn’t have the right to say no.

Ninth Royal Uncle didn’t push him further. Instead, he carefully sprinkled the medicine on his sword. Soon, the blade glowed blue. He tossed the bottle to the dark guards, who followed suit.

“Me too!” Dougie never wanted to be left out. The Master of Mystic Healer Valley didn’t mind, tossing him a bottle: “Catch! Be careful. If you get poisoned, don’t expect me to save you.”

“Is this really poison? How strong is it?” As an assassin, Dougie had a special fondness for poisons and assassination skills.

“It kills with a single cut—you can try it.” The Master of Mystic Healer Valley made a throat-slitting gesture.

Dougie rolled his eyes at the Master, then copied the dark guards, sprinkling poison on his sword. When the blade glowed blue, he stashed the rest away. The Master stared: “I only lent it to you, not gave it! Aren’t you going to give back what’s left?”

“If you gave it to me, it’s mine—why should I give it back?” Dougie retorted confidently. Seeing the Master about to argue, Dougie quickly shushed him: “Quiet, the Holy Beast is coming.”

The Master was too angry to speak, but Dougie had a point—the giant python’s head had already appeared before them.

“A thousand-year python? That big?” Dougie’s eyes widened—the snake’s head was bigger than a human’s. Worst of all...

Suddenly, another head popped out. Ignoring the grass, the two-headed python slithered toward them at lightning speed.

“It’s a two-headed python.” Ninth Royal Uncle tensed up.

“Can a two-headed python really get that big?” Dougie swallowed hard.

The snake’s body was thicker than his thigh—and as for how long it was...well, they still couldn’t see the tail. If this thing wrapped around him, he’d be squeezed to death for sure.

“No, normally it can’t. That’s why this one’s the Holy Beast.” The Master said smugly, earning a “Pfft” from Dougie.

“Enough! It’s coming.” The two-headed python slithered closer, its four eyes gleaming as if it could see them. Its ugly heads bobbed, and its blood-red tongues flicked out menacingly.

“This snake really is a monster.” The vicious glare in its eyes sent chills down their spines—one pair of eyes fixed on Ninth Royal Uncle, the other on Serena, as if it wanted to swallow them both whole.

“What’s going on? That two-headed python keeps staring at you two.” Dougie’s Master, still embarrassed from earlier, only spoke after double-checking.

“It’s probably sensitive to scent. Ninth Royal Uncle and I killed one of Zed’s pythons.” Facing the python’s murderous stare, Serena felt genuinely nervous.

She hated these cold, slimy things—absolutely disgusting.

Even worse, the filthy thing was lunging right at her...

Was she really that easy to bully?!