Chapter Eighty-Five
"Demon Venerable, what has happened?" The Demonic Beast guarding beside the prison flames cautiously asked upon noticing the Demon Venerable's unusual expression.
"Yuan Qi has discovered the Demonic Qi I left within Hong Yi," the Demon Venerable replied with a cold, grim expression.
"Isn't that one-third of your Demonic Power?" the Demonic Beast exclaimed in shock. "Demon Venerable, you were already injured by the immortal net. If you lose the Demonic Qi within Hong Yi as well, I fear your Demonic Power will barely maintain itself above the level of a Demigod."
The Demon Venerable looked at the Demonic Beast. "What, are you afraid I can no longer protect you all?"
"This subordinate dares not!" The Demonic Beast shuddered and hurriedly responded.
"Hmph."
The Demon Venerable frowned deeply, gazing toward the direction of the God-Slaying Flower. Seeing it look toward the God-Slaying Flower, the nearby Demonic Beast silently averted its eyes.
"Demon Venerable, are you planning to...?"
The Demonic Beast had just spoken when the Demon Venerable cast a cold glance its way. Terrified, it lowered its head, not daring to ask further.
The Demon Venerable rose from the prison flames and flew toward the God-Slaying Flower.
The God-Slaying Flower was located at the entrance of the Nine Nether Purgatory, its roots intertwined and densely packed. This Demon Creature could devour all living beings below the level of a god. Even an ordinary High God, when facing a swarm of God-Slaying Flowers, would meet the fate of being swallowed alive.
It was the most terrifying creature in the Ancient Divine Realm and the Three Realms. No one knew when it began to be imprisoned within this Nine Nether Purgatory.
The Demon Venerable stopped before the God-Slaying Flower. Sensing its presence, the slumbering God-Slaying Flower trembled slightly, appearing quite pleased. Its enormous petals lingered affectionately over the Demon Venerable. Yet, the Demon Venerable pursed its lips tightly, seemingly quite impatient with the God-Slaying Flower's proximity.
The intertwined roots of the God-Slaying Flower slowly parted, clearing a path for the Demon Venerable. Behind the God-Slaying Flower, a vast expanse of Demonic Qi stretched deep and unfathomable, evoking a sense of dread. The Demon Venerable looked toward that Demonic Qi, concealed the apprehension in its eyes, and walked inside.
When the unfathomable Demonic Qi within the God-Slaying Flower sea appeared, the Demonic Beasts not far away prostrated themselves on the ground, not daring to lift their eyes.
Only after the Demon Venerable disappeared deep into the God-Slaying Flower sea did they raise their heads, exchanging meaningful glances.
The Nine Nether Purgatory imprisoned the most vicious and malevolent Demonic Beasts from the Ancient Divine Realm and the Lower Three Realms over hundreds of thousands of years. Many of these ancient Demonic Beasts possessed strength surpassing that of High Gods. The great war between gods and Demonic Beasts over seventy thousand years ago was caused by Demonic Beasts escaping from the Purgatory and wreaking havoc across the Three Realms.
Their submission to the Demon Venerable was not because it was the most fearsome wielder of Demonic Power within the Nine Nether Purgatory, but because it was the one chosen by the presence within the God-Slaying Flower sea.
Otherwise, given its cultivation level when it first entered the Nine Nether Purgatory, it would have been torn apart by the Demonic Beasts within a century ago.
Deep within the God-Slaying Flower sea was not as cold and terrifying as the Demonic Beasts imagined. Here, a sea of red flowers drifted, and upon it stood a quiet white jade stone chair.
On the stone chair, a person reclined half-lying.
He wore white robes, barefoot, with black hair reaching his waist. His features were not exceptionally beautiful but were pleasant and comfortable to behold.
Despite appearing so gentle and harmless, the Demon Venerable dared only to stand at the edge of the flower sea. The moment that person opened his eyes, the Demon Venerable half-knelt and prostrated itself on the ground.
"I pay my respects to the Venerable One."
That person looked toward the Demon Venerable, a trace of laziness in his eyes.
"I have said before, I hold no divine rank, no honorable title. There is no need for honorifics. Simply address me by my name."
"Yes, Lord Profound One."The Demon Venerable still dared not raise his eyes, responding softly in affirmation. He did not know who Profound One was, only that he possessed boundless Demonic Power. He was the master of this God-Slaying Flower Sea, yet he cared nothing for the Demonic Beasts imprisoned in the Nine Nether Purgatory.
Every Demonic Beast confined to the Nine Nether Purgatory knew that the God-Slaying Flower Sea had an owner, but none knew exactly who Profound One was. He himself was the only one chosen by Profound One in the past seventy thousand years.
"Qing Li, you have come to see me. What is the matter?" Profound One slightly lowered his gaze, looking at the half-kneeling woman, and spoke lazily.
Only then did the Demon Venerable look up—it was none other than Qing Li of the Fox race, who had been banished to the Nine Nether Purgatory by Shang Gu a century ago.
She looked toward Profound One and replied softly, "My Lord, I originally intended to use Hong Yi to incite war between the Immortals and the demons. However, at the critical moment, Hong Yi regained consciousness, causing me to be injured by a High Immortal of the Immortal Tribe. Now, the Demonic Qi I left within Hong Yi has also been detected by Gu Jin of Great Marsh Mountain..."
"Oh?" A trace of profound meaning appeared on Profound One's eternally unchanging face. "Yuan Qi has awakened."
If not for the awakening of the Primordial Chaos Power, how could he have detected the demonic form hidden within Hong Yi?
Hearing his words, Qing Li was inwardly startled. She had never told Profound One Gu Jin's true identity, yet without leaving the Nine Nether Purgatory, Profound One still knew who Gu Jin was.
"Yes, Yuan Qi awakened at Great Marsh Mountain and has already ascended to the rank of High God."
"You have come to see me because you fear that once the Demonic Power you left within Hong Yi is destroyed by Yuan Qi, your power will be greatly diminished, and you will no longer be able to command those ferocious beasts outside?"
"Yes." Qing Li lowered her head. "The great task remains unfinished, and I am unwilling to accept it."
Not a ripple stirred in Profound One's eyes as he said indifferently, "You have already exchanged your demonic spirit for this Demonic Power. What more can you offer me?"
Even knowing that the person before her was the most detached, Qing Li could not help but feel a chill in her heart. She looked at Profound One and said, "My Lord, you are trapped in this sunless Nine Nether Purgatory. Do you not wish to leave? Your Demonic Power is unparalleled throughout the ages. If you are willing to leave, not only the Three Realms but even the Ancient Divine Realm..."
Before she could finish, Profound One turned his gaze toward her. A single light glance felt like the scrutiny of the dead.
"Whether I stay or leave, where I wish to go—these matters are not for you to decide."
Qing Li abruptly fell silent, not daring to speak further. She lowered her head, her words resolute: "My Lord, I will surely plunge the Immortals and demons into chaos and establish the Demon Tribe as the ruler of the Three Realms. I beg you to help me one last time."
"Is that so? Establish the Demon Tribe as the ruler of the Three Realms?" Profound One remained as languid as ever, but he waved his hand. "The time is not yet right. Leave."
"My Lord, now that Yuan Qi has regained the Primordial Chaos Power, if I cannot defeat him, then..."
A faint smile curled at the corner of Profound One's lips. "The most useless thing in this world is brute force. Since you alone have managed to throw the Three Realms, which Bai Jue protected, into such chaos, what difficulty is there in stirring up a little more? If you wish for my help, show me your capabilities."
He closed his eyes and spoke no more. Seeing that he refused to assist, Qing Li dared not show even a hint of resentment. She quietly rose and retreated from the flower sea.
Even after leaving the God-Slaying Flower Sea, her back remained icy cold. Not even when facing Shang Gu a century ago had she felt such unease.
But with this Profound One, Qing Li felt a certain sensation every time she saw him—fear, an indescribable fear.
Profound One was different from Shang Gu and Tian Qi. Though those gods disregarded the Mortal Realm, there was still compassion in their eyes.
This man's eyes held only cold detachment forever. To him, all living beings in this world were no different from mountains and rivers—all were lifeless things.A hundred years ago, when she had just entered the Nine Nether Purgatory, she happened to encounter a group of Demonic Beasts that had carelessly disturbed the God-Slaying Flowers. For some unknown reason, Profound One, who had not left the flower sea for tens of thousands of years, appeared that day. All the Demonic Beasts within ten miles of the God-Slaying Flowers were slain by his hand.
In the blink of an eye, all living beings turned to dust. Even when killing, his eyes held only indifference.
Qing Li did not know who he was or where he came from. She only knew that he had been in the Nine Nether Purgatory long before all the Demonic Beasts were imprisoned here. He was the king of the Purgatory, the most powerful and terrifying Demon.
Profound One clearly possessed the strength to break free from the Nine Nether Purgatory, yet he willingly remained behind this sea of flowers for thousands upon thousands of years. He watched as the Demon Tribe struggled on the brink of extinction, bullied by the Three Realms, yet remained unmoved.
Unwilling to be imprisoned here, driven solely by revenge, she ventured alone into the God-Slaying Flower Sea. With her last breath, she knelt before Profound One, spoke of her hatred and resentment, and offered herself as a sacrifice, willingly allowing her soul to be devoured by the God-Slaying Flowers after death. Only then did she gain the Demonic Power of a High God.
For the next hundred years, relying on the Demonic Power bestowed by Profound One, she defeated all the Demonic Beasts in the Purgatory. She promised to lead them out of their cage and stand once more in the Three Realms, thus establishing her sole dominance over the Nine Nether Purgatory.
This was her third time seeing Profound One. As in the past hundred years, he remained indifferent to everything in the world.
Qing Li paused her steps, frowning as she recalled Profound One's expression just moments before.
No, when he heard about Gu Jin's awakening, he had clearly been stirred. Doubt arose in Qing Li's heart. If Profound One cared about Yuan Qi, what exactly was his relationship with those True Gods of the Ancient Divine Realm?
Ancient Divine Realm, Star-Gazing Pavilion.
Blazing Sun, who was playing chess with Shang Gu, felt a slight movement between his brows. He gazed toward the direction of Purple Moon Mountain, momentarily lost in thought.
Since Bai Jue returned, Shang Gu seemed like a different person—chatty and gossipy every day. She glanced at the direction Blazing Sun was looking toward and asked, "What's wrong?"
Blazing Sun shook his head. "Nothing."
But Shang Gu was not so easily fooled. She raised an eyebrow. "Looking at you like this, are you perhaps thinking of that person?"
Seeing Blazing Sun remain silent, Shang Gu stroked her chin, quite curious. "I heard he held me when I was little. Blazing Sun, what kind of person was he really..." Shang Gu shook her head with a smile. "No, what kind of True God was he?"
The world only knew that the Ancient Divine Realm had four True Gods who lived as long as the heavens. Apart from the four of them, no one knew there was a fifth True God in this world.
Profound One, born on the Cosmic Altar on the same day as Blazing Sun two hundred thousand years ago, the progenitor of Demonic Power in the world.
But although he was a True God, he was born with a heart of stone, showing no mercy toward all living beings. The Demon Creatures born from his hands became the source of chaos in the Ancient Divine Realm and the Three Realms. Before the Ancestral God shattered the void and departed, he could no longer endure Profound One's indifference to all things, yet could not bear to destroy the only True God in the world who possessed Demonic Power. Thus, he created the Nine Nether Purgatory, imprisoning him there under Tian Qi's watch.
Now, counting the years, he has been imprisoned in the Nine Nether Purgatory for over a hundred thousand years.
"He did hold you. You were only a few years old at the time." Blazing Sun remained unmoved; even with Shang Gu's indirect probing, he was unwilling to speak of matters concerning Profound One.
"Blazing Sun, what do you think he's really thinking? Father God has already turned to nothingness. The Nine Nether Purgatory clearly cannot hold him. Why would he rather stay alone in the Purgatory for over a hundred thousand years than return to the Divine Realm?"Blazing Sun's hand holding the chess piece paused, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes, which had remained unperturbed for millennia.
The chess piece fell onto the white jade board with a crisp sound, but Shang Gu never received Blazing Sun's answer.
At the same time, within the Immortal Locking Pagoda of the Wind Spirit Palace in the Heavenly Palace, Chang Que stared at the Demonic Qi around Hong Yi's neck, utterly astonished.
"Your Highness, the one who slaughtered Great Marsh Mountain..." He hesitated, glancing at Yuan Qi's expression before continuing, "Was it Hong Yi, or the Demonic Qi within him?"
Yuan Qi's voice was cold and heavy, "What difference does it make? Whether it was him or the Demonic Qi within him, Great Marsh Mountain was ultimately destroyed by his hand."
Chang Que fell silent, not daring to mention Great Marsh Mountain again. "Since Your Highness knows there were hidden circumstances behind Hong Yi's actions that day, why not wait until the truth is uncovered before punishing him? Instead, you agreed to High Immortal Yu Feng's proposal to punish Hong Yi with the Nine Heavens Profound Thunder at the Azure Dragon Platform in three days?"
Yuan Qi looked at the Demonic Qi around Hong Yi's neck, his gaze darkening.
"This Demonic Qi is extremely strange. My seal has only just been lifted, and I have forcibly elevated my Divine Power to the level of a High God. I am still unable to expel this Demonic Qi from Hong Yi's body. As long as the Demonic Qi remains within him, it is a constant threat. The Nine Heavens Profound Thunder is derived from the laws of heaven and earth—it is the greatest nemesis of Demonic Qi."
Chang Que suddenly understood. "Your Highness, you intend to use the Nine Heavens Profound Thunder to force the Demonic Qi out of Hong Yi's body in full view of everyone. That would prove that the disaster at Great Marsh Mountain is related to the Demon Tribe, thereby persuading High Immortal Yu Feng and the others to delay killing Hong Yi and seek the true truth."
Yuan Qi nodded. "Until all truths are uncovered, Hong Yi must not die."
By the time Yuan Qi and Chang Que returned from the Wind Spirit Palace, dawn had already broken.
The two walked slowly along the path. The immortal maidens who passed by, upon seeing Yuan Qi, blushed and flustered from afar. Though they were seasoned attendants accustomed to serving High Immortals, they could not tear their eyes away from the legendary Divine Lord.
Yuan Qi paid no heed, continuing toward the Sunlit Palace. Before reaching the palace gates, he suddenly halted.
Chang Que noticed the change in his expression and followed his gaze. Sure enough, he saw Ayin standing before the Sunlit Palace, holding a brocade box.
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