Chapter 1337: Persuasion

Sun Wukong glanced at the thought-formed Meng Qi and said, “This is as far as Old Sun can help you. What you say to Her Majesty is your own affair.”

Meng Qi, unfazed, instead bowed solemnly and respectfully:

“Many thanks, Great Sage!”

Faced with such reverence, Sun Wukong grew slightly uneasy, scratching his head and urging, “Hurry inside, hurry inside.”

Withdrawing his gaze, Meng Qi continued through the series of doors. Before long, a crimson dais and an ancient cauldron came into view, surrounded by swirling mists and an intoxicating fragrance. Raising his eyes, he saw layers of veils obscuring his vision, his divine sense unable to penetrate, allowing only a faint glimpse of a hazy figure in the depths, exuding a palpable aura of gentleness and compassion.

“Su Meng pays his respects to Your Majesty,” Meng Qi declared, bowing deeply without glancing aside.

From behind the layers of white veils came a serene and indifferent voice: “Since you are of the human race, address me as ‘Her Majesty’.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty.” Deep within the Demon Emperor’s palace, the thought-formed figure of Meng Qi rippled like water, shimmering with faint purple light. Without the host’s permission, he could not even exist here.

“Your visit today must concern the matter of the Other Shore?” The Demon Emperor’s voice passed through the veils, calm and unreadable, devoid of joy or sorrow.

Meng Qi took a quiet breath and replied evenly, “Your Majesty sees all. This junior has indeed come for this matter.”

The white veils swayed as if brushed by a gentle breeze, but the Demon Emperor remained silent.

Seeing this, Meng Qi continued unprompted: “Your Majesty created humanity and all living beings in the earliest epochs of antiquity, wielding the authority over life. You are both the Emperor of Demons and the Ancestor of Humans, always impartial—until the Daoist Deity recognized humanity’s cultivation potential, and the Primordial Heavenly Venerable showed favor. To restore balance, you gradually extended more protection to the demon race, yet you still showed great care for the Human Emperor of old.”

The “Human Emperor of old” referred to the true Human Emperor who dominated the late ancient era.

“A pity his prejudices ran too deep, unwilling to embrace the demon race…” The Demon Emperor sighed softly from behind the veils.

From this, Meng Qi inferred that She had stood by and watched the Human Emperor’s fall without offering aid… He mused inwardly before continuing, “Your Majesty is the Ancestor of Humanity, the source of this junior’s very flesh and blood. This is a debt of gratitude, not karma, and thus I dare not presume to ask for anything in return—only to express my heartfelt reverence.”

“In this junior’s view, the new Other Shore candidate Your Majesty favors should be the Great Sage Equaling Heaven. Born of the demon race, a product of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable’s efforts to reduce karmic burdens, and with ties of gratitude to the Ancient Buddha of Bodhi, He maintained good relations with nearly all factions before the Battle of Ling Mountain. Moreover, He possesses the indomitable will to defy the heavens themselves. With sufficient accumulation, nothing but Himself would stand in His way to the Other Shore.”

The Demon Emperor’s voice grew ethereal: “Born of demons yet trained in Buddhism under the Golden Cicada, He would surely treat humanity with equal fairness.”

Her response tacitly confirmed Meng Qi’s speculation.

“Yet the Battle of Ling Mountain changed everything,” Meng Qi said calmly. “His ties to Buddhism were severed, leaving lingering resentment. Moreover, He suffered grievous wounds, nearly perishing, and only recovered His peak strength through the Daoist Deity’s unrelenting ‘alchemy’ over hundreds of thousands of years. But this cost Him countless opportunities, leaving His accumulation inferior to Maitreya and Yang Jian. His ascension to the Other Shore cannot proceed naturally.”

Furthermore, the Golden Emperor, who now held the Tang Monk’s remains, would hardly welcome the Great Sage’s liberation from the sea of suffering.

The mists swirled in silence as the Demon Emperor remained quiet once more, seemingly waiting for Meng Qi to continue.

“The surviving Great Sages may reach the Perfected Creation realm through the changes of the apocalypse and various opportunities, but the Other Shore remains nearly impossible for them. Taili obtained the relics of the Peacock Bright King, refined five innate Five Elements tail feathers, and ascended to Creation—yet the Other Shore remains an insurmountable distance away… Counting them all, only the fox Qingqiu remains. She inherited the legacy of the Demon Sage, embodying the Five Virtues, advancing steadily. Even if not yet at Perfected Creation, she is close. Yet compared to this junior, who stands at the storm’s center, she lacks the peril that forges unexchangeable tempering. Her opportunity lies in the next epoch—if there is one.”

Meng Qi spoke methodically, borrowing Yang Jian’s phrasing in his final words to emphasize his own role in determining whether a next epoch would exist.

Before an Other Shore existence, humility was irrelevant—laying out one’s strengths plainly was the only way.

After listening, the Demon Emperor replied without inflection: “What of the Nine Spirits Sage? Or Yang Jian?”

The Nine Spirits Sage was an ancient demon who had reached Perfected Creation during the Journey to the West era. Guarding the gates of the Netherworld for eons had yielded rewards, and most crucially, He was a disciple of the Green Emperor—supporting Him would also secure the Green Emperor’s goodwill. As for Yang Jian, his whereabouts were mysterious, and his accumulation was nearly unparalleled in the present age, perhaps even surpassing Maitreya.

“Yang Jian himself is unwilling. Were he to agree, this junior would gladly support him wholeheartedly,” Meng Qi replied evenly.

If Yang Jian broke free from the sea of suffering, it would mean gaining an Other Shore ally—one as steadfast as the Daoist Deity in aiding him. The balance of power would shift, and even if the enemy unleashed the Demon Buddha, they would at best hold a slight advantage. Meng Qi could then calmly prepare for his own ascension, a scenario infinitely more favorable than the present.

Alas, this was obvious to all.

“As for the Nine Spirits Sage…” Meng Qi said no more, uttering only five words: “Two Other Shores, one sect.”

And not in the broad sense of Buddhism or Daoism—this referred solely to the Fusang Ancient Tree Domain!

The Demon Emperor did not press further on the Nine Spirits Sage, instead adopting a faintly amused tone:

“By your reasoning, who else but you could be the new Other Shore?”

Meng Qi met the layers of veils with a steady gaze and declared solemnly: “More importantly, this junior does not seek Your Majesty’s direct intervention.”

“Oh?” The Demon Emperor expressed mild curiosity.

“The Demon Sage’s death was largely due to Ananda, who later fell into demonhood and madness. This is also why Your Majesty has shown me kindness—to prevent His fulfillment,” Meng Qi said gravely. “This junior asks only one thing: when I ascend to the Other Shore, may Your Majesty watch over Ling Mountain and prevent the Demon Buddha’s escape. No direct participation in battle is needed.”

“And today, I pledge this: should I reach the Other Shore, I will treat demons and humans equally, so long as there are no repeats of the ancient demon uprising.”

The Demon Emperor pondered briefly before responding: “Keeping the Demon Buddha contained is already my intent. Your resolve only strengthens this.”

“But I must remind you: what you can envision, so can we.”

With that, a breeze stirred, the mists billowed, and Meng Qi’s form dissolved into a wisp of purple vapor, vanishing from the Demon Emperor’s hall.

“Your Majesty, how could he be so audacious? Asking You to watch Ling Mountain—what then will he use to oppose the Golden Emperor? The combined might of the Daoist Deity and the Green Emperor pales before Amitabha and the Ancient Buddha of Bodhi, to say nothing of the Unborn Old Mother!” The veils fluttered, revealing the enchanting visage of the fox Qingqiu, her dissatisfaction with Meng Qi’s earlier assessment evident.

The Demon Sage Spear in her hand had already awakened to the Other Shore level.

The Demon Emperor’s voice drifted softly: “Only an Other Shore can oppose an Other Shore. His contingencies are none other than the Heavenly Dao Monster, Emperor Fu, the possibly undead Celestial Emperor, and perhaps more Other Shore-level supremes. Thus, while he baits the hook with himself, he has Gu Xiaoshan scheming in the shadows—particularly focusing on the Heavenly Dao Monster, closely tied to the Eastern Emperor.”

“The Supreme Demon Heart forged through the Karma of All Causes and the Primordial Heart Seal is indeed extraordinary. But what supernatural abilities he excels in, what techniques he has learned—which Other Shore existence does not know them? Who has not foreseen his possible moves?”

“What he can envision, so can we. What seems smooth sailing now likely conceals deadly traps ahead.”

Frowning, Qingqiu asked, “Then where lies his chance of survival?”

“That depends on what secrets Gu Xiaoshan learned from the Primordial Heavenly Venerable—secrets unknown to us,” the Demon Emperor replied impassively.

“The Primordial Heavenly Venerable?” Qingqiu startled.

…

Jade Emperor Mountain, Profound Heaven Sect.

In a quiet chamber housing the Blade of Time, the sect’s current leader sat meditating, immersed in arduous cultivation.

Suddenly, his eyes opened, revealing a glint of purple. Before him, the blade’s light rippled like water, instantly sealing the hall.

“You were forged from the Celestial Emperor’s body and have never acknowledged a master through the ages,” Meng Qi, temporarily controlling the sect leader through the Supreme Demon Heart, addressed the Blade of Time. “You must know the Celestial Emperor has not truly perished—that He still awaits His return.”

The Blade of Time shimmered faintly, unmoved.