CHAPTER 182: CHAPTER 178: CENTIPEDE RIDGE

Wang Wu had to admit, there was still a significant gap between him and Wolf Bu’er.

Previously, the reason he was able to take down Wolf Bu’er with the Companion Demon Vine was mainly because the Companion Demon Vine was indeed strong, at the Fifth Grade.

Secondly, and most importantly, Wolf Bu’er did not resist or dodge.

In fact, as the Peak of Grade Six, despite following the agility route, its overall strength was not something Wang Wu, an Eighth-Grade Minor Demon, could easily challenge.

Say no more, Wang Wu, who weighed at least nearly two thousand pounds now, was being carried by Wolf Bu’er, who could still run like the wind, over mountains, as if on flat ground, most importantly, leaving no trace on the snow.

Oh, well, actually this was the effect of a demon technique.

Wolf Bu’er’s control over ice and snow was definitely at a masterful level, able to instantly overpower Hei Youliang, and overwhelmingly defeat Wang Wu many times over.

So it wasn’t that no footprints were left, but rather the ice and snow would restore themselves as they passed.

Just like this, every one hundred miles of mad sprint, Wolf Bu’er would stop to observe the surroundings, then continue another hundred miles. After a total of three hundred miles, it would stop, first using the Wolf Gaze Divine Techniques to map the environment, taking a break, before carrying Wang Wu onwards.

Anyway, along the journey, Wang Wu was very comfortable, unprecedentedly comfortable, never having been so relaxed.

The legendary big carrying the small was indeed so enjoyable, sister, I don’t want to work hard anymore.

After one day, Wang Wu and Wolf Bu’er successfully ran a thousand miles, but not along the original route they had taken; rather, they shifted about several hundred miles south of that route.

The reason for this was that there was a very powerful Demon King in this area.

Wolf Bu’er knew this like the back of its hand.

"This is the northern area of Centipede Ridge, also the territory of the third publicly known Quasi-Millennial Old Monster in the West Wilderness. To be precise, it’s an old demon that’s lived for eight hundred years, self-styled as the Flying Earthworm General, currently at the Peak of Grade Two, quite unique. It is said to have eight hundred lairs, three thousand nests, so sneaky that even Lu Wuchen could do nothing about it."

"Naturally, the Mad Tiger King, the Great Ape King, including the former Ancient Bear King, also could do nothing about it, and it seems that this Centipede General is closely related to Grandpa Tree. It is said that it is the only one above Fifth Grade allowed to enter the Black Forest."

"But with every advantage comes a disadvantage. Although the Flying Earthworm General is elusive, making even Lu Wuchen unable to catch it, it naturally doesn’t have any subordinates, this Centipede Ridge, known as the Eight Hundred Great Mountains, stretches north and south with complex terrain, mountains within ridges, ridges within mountains, layer upon layer, one mountain after another, from above it looks like a large centipede. Thus the name Centipede Ridge."

"And in this area, underground passages are strewn like a web maze, with large rivers passing below, making it the most favored place for the West Desolate Demon Race to conceal themselves, as well as a hub for logistics and trade. The most famous West Wilderness Grand Gathering of the Demon Race takes place here. It’s said that when it’s most bustling, it in no way loses to the cultivation cities of the Human Race."

"What a pity! Our current identities are special, we cannot expose ourselves, otherwise, I would have to take you to experience it."

"Moreover, although Centipede Ridge is nominally led by the Flying Earthworm General, in reality, there are thousands of Demon Kings of all kinds; any cat or dog can call themselves king, making it very chaotic, with many Human Race spies and spirit beasts lurking around. So you must be extra careful not to be deceived."

"I brought you here to find peace amid chaos, for great concealment lies in the city, making it safer than hiding in the wilderness."

"We’ve arrived!"

As he spoke, Wolf Bu’er had already come to a light halt from its fast pace, Wang Wu then jumped down, only to see mist rising before him like a sea of clouds, seeing nothing. However, when a mountain breeze blew past, revealing a vague outline, he finally saw that beneath that sea of clouds were crisscrossing enormous canyons, like a chessboard, separating mountain peaks.

These peaks were like pieces of tofu, with the largest area at the summit being mere tens of thousands of acres, and the smallest less than a dozen acres.

Steep cliffs surrounded them on all sides, with canyons below of unknown depth.

This kind of terrain is indeed rare.

"Follow me!"

Wolf Bu’er leapt down, Wang Wu, lacking the skill, could only climb, descending along the cliff for about several hundred meters. Looking down, it was still shrouded in mist, with no bottom in sight.

But on the cliff, suddenly there appeared a huge cave entrance, dozens of meters high and wide, not seeming naturally formed.

"This is the Centipede Cave, said to be excavated tens of thousands of years ago, the excavators unknown, now attributed to the ancestors of the Centipede General."

"And within a radius of five thousand miles around Centipede Ridge, there are supposedly hundreds of thousands of such Centipede Caves, interconnected, with big caves containing small caves, small caves hiding other caves, so complex it’s mind-boggling, unless with Heaven and Earth Destruction level techniques, it’s really hard to deal with."

Wolf Bu’er led the way while talking to himself.

Wang Wu couldn’t help but ask, "What exactly is the Heaven and Earth Destruction? Why can only the Human Race release it in the West Wilderness, but the Demon Race can’t release it within Human Race territory?"

"Why not? It’s just that the cost is too high. In the Human Race territory, experts abound, arrays and restrictions are everywhere, and cultivation cities also gather a lot of spiritual qi, so the conditions for releasing the Heaven and Earth Destruction are very harsh."

"In contrast, the West Wilderness, because there is no existence of Demon Emperor level, cannot stop the Celestial Realm Great Cultivators of the Human Race. They can come and go freely, deploying the Heaven and Earth Destruction at their leisure. If you want to stop them, you must leave your territory to have a just and honorable fight with them in the wilderness. If you can’t win, then you can only watch helplessly as they release the Heaven and Earth Destruction."

"However, in Centipede Ridge, it’s difficult to release the Heaven and Earth Destruction, as one prerequisite condition is an abundance of spiritual qi, where a large amount of qi can gather in a region in a short time."

"Centipede Ridge is located behind the Great Snow Mountain and Heavenly Dao Mountain, so the Human Race can’t mobilize a large army to attack, and Lu Wuchen alone can’t do it."

"Moreover, the Centipede Ridge area is active with the largest Demon Race settlement in the West Wilderness. Despite constant internal strife, if the Human Race attacks, they can still unite and retaliate. Dozens or hundreds of Third Grade and Fourth Grade Demon Kings joining forces, even Lu Wuchen would have to think twice."

"Finally, there is insufficient spiritual qi. With so many demons, there’s not enough local spiritual qi to share, how could there be excess spiritual qi for releasing the Heaven and Earth Destruction?"

As they spoke, Wolf Bu’er and Wang Wu had already passed through several centipede caves, some large and some small, winding around until they reached the canyon ground, but not truly the canyon bottom. This was a place opened in the middle of the canyon, an area of about a dozen square kilometers, and on one side, the canyon was still bottomless.

But on this open land, one could see stretches of spirit fields, houses arranged in a staggered manner, and orderly roads, quite like a small Human Race town.

Wang Wu was dumbfounded; could this be the heartland of the Demon Race? If he were told this was the depths of a utopia, he’d believe it!

At this moment, Wolf Bu’er did something, and a strand of spiritual light enveloped her entire body. Within seconds, she transformed into a tall, well-proportioned girl in white, only her wolf ears remained unchanged, making her almost indistinguishable from the Human Race.

No, there was still a difference. If it were a Human Race girl in white, she would tend to be very delicate, graceful, but this girl in white, Wolf Bu’er, exuded a wild and untamed aura, not at all delicate.

"What are you looking at? Haven’t you seen a person before? I’m at the peak of Grade Six; transforming into a human form is a basic ability!"

"What about me?" Wang Wu asked instinctively.

"You can’t transform, so just stay like this. I carried you before, now it’s my turn on top."

As they talked, Wolf Bu’er leapt up lightly and rode on Wang Wu’s back.

"Stop dawdling, go!"

What’s going on here?

Wang Wu had no choice but to jog along, and as they passed through the village, he could see some busy figures, but without exception, they all bore traits of the Demon Race. It seemed here it was an honor to transform into human form?

As he was thinking this, Wolf Bu’er explained, "The Demon Race has a variety of species, each with its own characteristics, often with age-old feuds that surpass even the hatred between Human Race and Demon Race. If they live together, interacting in their true forms would inevitably lead to countless disputes."

"So over time, for the sake of compromise and stability, everyone agreed to interact in human form. Changing identities naturally reduced conflicts. These are lessons learned from countless bloody experiences."

"Don’t be fooled by the peacefulness here. If you came here three thousand years ago, you’d probably have been grabbed by a Great Demon as a snack."

"If you came two thousand years ago, you’d have to face a group of demon bandits trying to kill you."

"If you came a thousand years ago, you might find a way to become a follower of a Great Demon, fighting desperately only to earn a foothold."

"But now, every spot you see, every place you can rest is already claimed. You can’t take by force, but you also won’t be killed or robbed maliciously, because there are rules of fair trade to back you up."

"This is the current customary practice in Centipede Ridge. Some demons may ignore the rules and cause trouble, but most demons will abide by them."

"Then what is the core driving interest here? There must be enough benefits for these common practices to exist, right?" Wang Wu asked.

"Oh, you little bear cub, you get straight to the point. Yes, the most important core interest here at Centipede Ridge is the Profound Iron Ore Layer. It’s the biggest wealth generator that attracts large numbers of demons to settle here and drives the trade of other goods."

"Similarly, the worsening situation in the West Wilderness and the Human Race’s encroachment have caused many foreign demons to migrate here. Their cultivation needs have also given rise to many new industries, like the famous West Wilderness Grand Gathering—a gathering even known within Human Race territory. It’s said that in order to buy and sell goods at the West Wilderness Grand Gathering, some unspeakable Cultivation Cities of the Human Race have reached secret agreements with the Great Ape King and the Mad Tiger King."

"They can participate in the West Wilderness Grand Gathering under limited terms and restrictions. During this period, both sides must restrain each other."

"But the West Wilderness Grand Gathering happens only once every ten years, and there’s still five years until the next one. Otherwise, I’d take you for a tour."