“Let me guess?” Chuiyi Zi flapped his wings, his eyes rolling as he seemed thrilled at the chance to speak, his excitement overpowering his fear.
After a brief pause, he began rapidly: “Looking at you like this, it hasn’t been a full sixty years in the outside world, maybe just a few decades. Yet, even in a few decades, you’ve become unfathomably formidable, even scarier than the usual demon kings and demon gods I meet. What extraordinary encounter did you have? What benefits did you gain?”
“Did you trip and fall off a cliff, ending up in the secret realm behind Shaolin? It’s said to be the pure land of the ancient Arhat Anan, hiding the Buddha’s Palm. Hey, did you learn a few techniques—smiling while holding a flower? Solemnly declaring yourself the only honored one? Realizing emptiness of the four elements?”
Chuiyi Zi kept rambling on, increasingly digressive. Meng Qi maintained an outward smile while listening quietly, inwardly cursing himself for giving this chatterbox an opening, practically asking for self-inflicted torment. If his socks and Taoist robe weren’t manifestations of Daoist power, he would have torn them off and stuffed them into Chuiyi Zi’s mouth again!
In the dim cavern where the echoes of a bubbling spring reverberated, Chuiyi Zi, after spinning an intricate tale, finally circled back to the main point: “Do you think I speak to just anyone? Back at Shaolin, I recognized your heroic spirit and sensed your extraordinary nature—that’s why I initiated our conversation. Tsk tsk, I’ve been inside the Demon Emperor’s Hall for countless years, and you certainly didn’t find it by following me. It must have been those fools who, lacking the Demon Emperor’s Decree, couldn’t even enter the Hall properly, carelessly coming and going and leaving traces behind!”
“Don’t deny it. Your gaze says it all!”
Meng Qi took a deep breath, determined to rectify his mistake. Seizing the opportunity, he cut in bluntly and solemnly said: “Indeed, but sometimes one is forced into desperation, leaving no choice but to reveal oneself.”
Before Chuiyi Zi could speak, Meng Qi glanced at him and asked, “Do you have the Demon Emperor’s Decree?”
“Hahaha,” Chuiyi Zi laughed heartily, his short arms crossed over his round belly. “I’m the sole descendant of Kunpeng! Do I need the Demon Emperor’s Decree? A single spit would open that door!”
“Pity though, I can only open the door but not remove the restrictions. I’ve been thrown out countless times…” Meng Qi coldly added.
Although both the Demon Emperor’s Hall and the Jade Emptiness Palace served as abodes for supreme beings, they were fundamentally distinct. The latter was unclaimed, a realm where one could venture at their own peril, whereas the Demon Emperor’s Hall had perpetually been under the guardianship of demons from the Xiao Qian Cave of Yuxu Mountain, acting upon the Demon Emperor’s decree, thus marking it as a sovereign domain. To trespass here was comparable to infiltrating the Jade Emptiness Palace in the absence of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable—a venture laden with inconceivable hazards.
Therefore, without understanding the specific conditions inside, Meng Qi had no intention of attempting infiltration. What if there was a Great Sage guarding within? Or the Demon Emperor’s forbidden techniques capable of detecting any transformation?
Reuniting with Chuiyi Zi, chatting and conversing, was quite pleasant.
Chuiyi Zi, never one to lose an argument, immediately pointed at the Demon Emperor’s Hall and cursed: “It’s all because of those bastards who entered the Demon Emperor’s Hall early, taking treasures and tampering with the restrictions. I’ve had the worst luck, wandering in here for countless years without obtaining my ancestral inheritance…”
He covered his mouth, as if he had let something slip, but after a quick glance, he casually continued, “The Demon Emperor’s Hall conceals the bloodline inheritances of Great Sages from across the multiverse, including my ancestor, the ‘Master of Demons,’ Kunpeng. It’s said this was done to prevent the loss of these legacies during the end of an era…”
Meng Qi nodded slightly, gazing naturally at the ancient and obscure Demon Emperor’s Hall.
Indeed, the Demon Emperor was an ancient supreme being who had survived at least one cosmic cycle!
Chuiyi Zi kept chattering: “Knowing this is useless to you. You’re not of the demon race, unable to contain the bloodline to enhance yourself…”
Meng Qi looked him up and down, observing that compared to their time at Shaolin, his physique and demonic energy had grown tremendously, elevating him to the ranks of top demon lords. He smiled and said, “It seems your time in the Demon Emperor’s Hall hasn’t been entirely wasted, has it?”
“Of course. Who do you think I am? The one and only Kunpeng, a great demon renowned for wisdom.” Chuiyi Zi laughed proudly again. “The Demon Emperor’s Hall is filled with treasures beyond count. They think adjusting the restrictions will stop me from finding my way? Our patriarch once presided over the Demon Emperor’s Hall for many years!”
After a stream of nonsense, he looked at Meng Qi eagerly: “We’re practically childhood friends, old companions.”
Childhood friends my foot… Meng Qi twitched his lips slightly.
Chuiyi Zi said earnestly, “You are now more dangerous than the demon gods I’ve secretly observed. If we join forces, we can sneak in—no, march straight into the core of the Demon Emperor’s Hall openly and reap boundless benefits.”
Seeing his old friend’s extraordinary strength, he had thoughts of cooperation.
“Why would I enter the Demon Emperor’s Hall?” Meng Qi smiled and asked in return.
“You didn’t come here to enter the Demon Emperor’s Hall? Then what are you doing here?” Chuiyi Zi exclaimed in astonishment.
“Just taking a stroll,” Meng Qi answered solemnly.
Chuiyi Zi was momentarily stunned, then launched into a tirade: “Do you know how many treasures are inside? Divine weapons, magical artifacts, pills, talismans, inheritance secrets—nothing is missing, each a masterpiece…”
“I don’t lack them,” Meng Qi cut him off. “The place is filled with deadly restrictions. I have no reason to risk my life.”
Chuiyi Zi immediately retorted: “What’s there to fear? I’m here! Look how many years I’ve roamed here unscathed, undetected by those bastards! Let me tell you, the Demon Emperor’s Hall itself is extraordinary—it’s the Demon Emperor’s most important possession, a house of time, space, and spirit. It exists in the past, in the future, in every place, connecting all times and spaces. Just open the door, and you can return to antiquity…”
A supreme treasure of the Nirvana level? This was the Demon Emperor’s most prized possession? Meng Qi felt even more grateful that he hadn’t acted rashly and barged in.
“Moreover…” Chuiyi Zi suddenly lowered his voice. “According to our ancestor’s will, the deepest part of the Demon Emperor’s Hall might still conceal the Demon Emperor’s greatest secret…”
He used his eloquence to try and entice Meng Qi into cooperation.
The greatest secret of the Demon Emperor? At their current level, to pry into the greatest secret of a being from the Other Shore? Did he have a death wish? Meng Qi sneered, intrigued yet unwilling to take such an enormous risk.
Therefore, he maintained an ambiguous stance, continuing his conversation with Chuiyi Zi while deftly extracting valuable information. For instance, he learned that the Demon Emperor’s Hall had countless doors leading to various locations, with its main entrance situated in the Divine World. He also discovered how demonic beings frequently utilized the connection between this place and the East Sea’s Eye to traverse between the Divine World and the mortal realm.
“Has the Peacock King or the young master of the Fox Clan appeared recently?” Meng Qi intended to reach out to these two first, preferably the latter, as she was the heir of a Demon Saint and would be thrilled to see him weaken the Demon Buddha.
Chuiyi Zi shook his head: “The little fox has come and gone several times, but I haven’t seen the Peacock King for ages. That arrogant demeanor of his is practically begging for a beating. Every time I see him, I just want to throw a punch…”
The proud descendant of Kunpeng muttered.
…
The sun sank into the East Sea, dyeing the horizon crimson—a magnificent yet melancholic sight.
The sacred peak still stood, though on the verge of crumbling. The Heavenly Cave here had already collapsed. A towering figure stood at the precipice, gazing at the setting sun. His features were sharply defined, his silhouette clear-cut, his eyes proud yet suffused with reminiscence—no longer bearing their former arrogance. It was indeed the Overlord.
Wudai Xuannu approached from behind, her voice clear and gentle: “A Heavenly Immortal Peak against another, a peerless opponent against another, the Demon Emperor’s Nine Revolutions against the Hegemon’s Six Cuts. Wu Daoming still fell in defeat and death. My husband can rightfully be called the strongest Heavenly Immortal of all generations.”
The Hegemon withdrew his gaze, tenderly looking at Wudai Xuannu: “Yes, I’ve experienced the limit of the Heavenly Immortal realm. There’s no need to linger in this stage any longer. It’s time to retreat for cultivation and break through to the legendary realm.”
The slash he had just executed against the Demon Sovereign was the pinnacle of his swordsmanship!
Achieving the legendary realm and ascending to the realm of Creation would allow him to sweep away those ancient, undead experts like dead leaves in the wind!
“Then let’s return,” Wudai Xuannu smiled.
The Hegemon nodded slightly: “I have one small matter to settle. I’ll be back soon.”
“What small matter?” Wudai Xuannu asked in confusion.
The Hegemon smiled: “When I first attained the Dharma Body realm, I pursued a demon to the East Sea’s Eye, but it managed to escape. That incident left me with lingering doubts. Though often forgotten, when one sees ‘oneself as oneself,’ it’s best to settle such matters first. And now, I happen to be right at the East Sea.”
“Then I’ll wait for my husband’s return,” Wudai Xuannu smiled.
The Hegemon turned, took a step, and plunged into the sea, heading straight for the Sea Eye.
Through the surging waves and layers of dark waters, the Hegemon beheld the ancient and shadowy Demon Emperor’s Hall.
“The Demon Emperor’s Hall?” He raised his eyebrows, unsheathed his thunder blade, and prepared to investigate this place.
Purple lightning flashed, and the Demon Emperor’s Hall appeared to have no restrictions as its massive door slowly creaked open, revealing a dark and unfathomable interior.
…
“You’re at least a descendant of Kunpeng. Why not just go talk to the little fox directly instead of sneaking around for inheritance?” Meng Qi deliberately steered the conversation in this direction.
Chuiyi Zi’s black face turned bright red, an unusual sight as he stammered incoherently.
At that very moment, Meng Qi heard the heavy creak of the previously shut door of the Demon Emperor’s Hall being thrown open—and the Peerless Blade hidden in his sleeve abruptly disappeared!
He looked in astonishment and met a pair of domineering, disdainful eyes.
Eyes he could never forget.
The Zhonggu Hegemon!
Crackling, their gazes met, and purple lightning thunderously struck the center.
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