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Chapter 115: The Mighty Demon's Aura (Subscription Requested)
Chapter 115: The Mighty Demon's Aura (Subscription Requested)
"Where is it?"
Lin Yuan asked bluntly, confident in Nuan Shu's abilities and certain that he would find what he was looking for without cutting any corners.
"Master," Nuan Shu immediately divulged all the information he had gathered.
Apparently, ever since Lin Yuan's suppression in the Great Abyss eighteen layers deep twenty-five years ago, Mo Yang, the Demon Lord at the peak of the Ninth Realm and one of Xiahou Yuan's most trusted aides, had secretly begun constructing an underground palace.
The plan was to use this underground palace as a base to once again unify the Demon Path across the Five Regions and establish a new lair.
This palace was built upon a natural primal qi vortex, one of heavenly grade.
Primal qi vortices were places where the earth's primal qi was most dense and abundant.
And among the Five Regions and Four Seas, there were only a handful of heavenly-grade primal qi vortices.
Mo Yang, the Demon Lord, had discovered this vortex and left it untouched until Xiahou Yuan was suppressed and all hope was lost. Only then did he begin to utilize it, with grand ambitions.
Unfortunately, Mo Yang had lofty goals but lacked the terrifying level of control and suppression that Xiahou Yuan had over all the demon heads.
Thus, he was destined to be unable to command all the demon heads and could, at most, establish a single Demon Path faction.
Mo Yang's construction of the underground palace was shrouded in extreme secrecy.
If it weren't for the fact that Xiahou Yuan had only recently been suppressed at that time, and a few demon heads still held some loyalty, quietly informing Nuan Shu about it, it is unlikely that Nuan Shu would have been able to find a suitable breakthrough location for Lin Yuan so quickly.
"However..." Nuan Shu hesitated.
"The underground palace built by Mo Yang, the Demon Lord, is not only secretive but also extremely dangerous. It is said to be guarded by not just one, but several heavenly-grade demon formations."
A heavenly-grade demon formation was enough to suppress and kill even a Ninth Realm cultivator.
"Master, if you plan to enter that underground palace, you must be extra cautious," Nuan Shu warned in a low voice.
"It's fine," Lin Yuan said calmly.
A few days later, Lin Yuan and Nuan Shu arrived at a hill, followed by Bian Mao and numerous other demon heads.
"This is the entrance to Mo Yang's underground palace," Nuan Shu whispered.
"Primal qi..." Lin Yuan faintly sensed a massive primal qi vortex.
However, this primal qi vortex seemed to be sealed somehow, not emitting even a trace of qi.
This was quite normal.
Usually, without external interference, a primal qi vortex would slowly emit primal qi in all directions.
But in doing so, the concentration of qi in the core of the vortex would decrease.
Therefore, whenever a primal qi vortex had an owner, it would be isolated from the outside world to maintain and enhance the concentration of qi within.
Since this underground palace was Mo Yang's lair, there was no way any qi would have leaked out.
"It's sufficient for my breakthrough to the fifth stage," Lin Yuan nodded slightly, evidently satisfied.
"Master, I'll lead the way," Nuan Shu stepped forward and activated the mechanism beside them, causing the hill to reveal a hidden entrance.
Beneath the hill, within a spacious underground palace...
The Nine Demon Lords were gathered in a grand hall, engaged in a heated debate.
Normally, as Ninth Realm Demon Lords and top cultivators in the Five Regions, it would be rare for them to be in one place. They would usually be scattered across their respective territories in the Five Regions.
But now, they were all assembled in the underground palace, arguing with each other.
The reason for this gathering was the news of Xiahou Yuan's escape from the Great Abyss.
These Nine Demon Lords were once Xiahou Yuan's most trusted aides.
After Xiahou Yuan's suppression, they divided up the Demon Path's territories among themselves and had no intentions of rescuing Xiahou Yuan.
Rescue Xiahou Yuan? What for?
When Xiahou Yuan was still around, these Demon Lords, who roamed the Five Regions with impunity, had to curb their actions. Even slaughtering a village for cultivation purposes was heavily restricted.
On the surface, it seemed like Xiahou Yuan was leading the Demon Path against the righteous sects like Tianjian Sect, resulting in the Demon Path's unprecedented power and glory.
But only they knew the bitter truth behind this facade.
With Xiahou Yuan in the picture, it was like having a sword hanging over their heads at all times. They could no longer kill and cultivate without a care in the world.
If not for Xiahou Yuan's terrifying and incomprehensible level of control over the demon heads, these Nine Demon Lords would have rebelled long ago. Forget about facing off against the righteous sects; they would have turned on Xiahou Yuan.
"Now that Xiahou Yuan is out, what should we do?"
"What's going on with Tianjian Zi? Wasn't the Great Abyss supposed to be inescapable? Useless!"
"First, we must confirm whether Xiahou Yuan truly escaped from the Great Abyss."
The Demon Lords questioned each other, and despite their efforts to suppress their auras, the pressure they exuded was palpable, making it impossible for ordinary Seventh or Eighth Realm cultivators to even approach.
"Enough."
"It's true that Xiahou Yuan has escaped from the Great Abyss."
One of the Demon Lords, with narrow eyes that gave off a yin aura, spoke up.
"Jiang Jianke, who was stationed outside the Great Abyss, is dead, and so are the guards. Their souls have been searched."
The Demon Lord paused for a moment before continuing, "Xiahou Yuan has indeed escaped."
Upon hearing this, the grand hall fell silent.
All the Demon Lords remained silent.
Xiahou Yuan was free.
What should they do now? Keep watching? Or proactively admit their mistakes?
If they continued to watch, they might anger Xiahou Yuan. But if they admitted their faults, would Xiahou Yuan forgive them?
No matter which option they chose, the Demon Lords felt that dealing with the aftermath would be challenging.
"Not only has Xiahou Yuan escaped, but his strength has recovered to at least the Ninth Realm."
"Ninth Realm?"
"How is that possible?"
A hot-tempered Demon Lord couldn't contain his surprise.
Aside from the fact that Xiahou Yuan had been suppressed and his physical body and primordial spirit sealed by Ninth Realm peak cultivators like Tianjian Zi, he had also been impaled with millennium deep-sea essence gold through his hip bone, locking his limbs in place.
Even without considering the fact that he had been suppressed in the eighteenth layer of the Great Abyss for twenty-five years, it was hard to imagine that even a Tenth Realm cultivator, a rarity not seen for tens of thousands of years, could withstand such torture.
"Some time ago, I secretly instigated Bian Mao and Yin Shi Liu, both at the peak of the Eighth Realm, to make a move on Xiahou Yuan."
"And?"
"I haven't heard from Bian Mao and the others since."
The plump and beautiful Demon Lord spoke up, withholding some information—namely, that she had also sent one of her disciples along with Bian Mao and Yin Shi Liu.
"Bian Mao and Yin Shi Liu..."
Upon hearing these names, the Demon Lords in the hall frowned.
They had also heard of these rising stars in the Demon Path.
Especially Yin Shi Liu, whose assassination techniques were enough to make even Ninth Realm cultivators wary.
It would be nearly impossible for an ordinary Ninth Realm cultivator to deal with these two quietly.
When the plump Demon Lord said that Xiahou Yuan had recovered to the Ninth Realm, she was not exaggerating.
"Mo Yang, what do you have to say?"
"Now that he's out, what should we do?"
A Demon Lord with a furrowed brow turned to Mo Yang, the leading Demon Lord.
The reason these Nine Demon Lords had gathered was due to Mo Yang's invitation.
When Xiahou Yuan was still around, Mo Yang had been their leader, and even after Xiahou Yuan's suppression, Mo Yang's influence had been the most significant among them.
"What should we do?"
"I, for one, do not wish to return to the way things were before."
Mo Yang, the Demon Lord, let out a cold laugh.
Hearing Mo Yang's stance, the remaining eight Demon Lords breathed a sigh of relief. Not only Mo Yang, but they also had no desire to return to the way things were.
"Mo Yang, quickly tell us your plan." The Demon Lord who had spoken first immediately asked.
Knowing Mo Yang's character, they were sure that he had the confidence and a backup plan to make such a statement.
"After Xiahou Yuan leaves the Great Abyss, he will definitely seek revenge on the Tianjian Sect." Mo Yang countered.
"Twenty-five years ago, Tianjian Zi personally sealed Xiahou Yuan. If he doesn't take revenge, do you think Xiahou Yuan will be able to endure it?"
"Indeed."
"That Tianjian Zi was also despicable, using Bai Qing'er to break Xiahou Yuan's state of mind."
"Now that Xiahou Yuan is out, he won't cause us any trouble for the time being."
"But the Tianjian Sect is not to be trifled with, and Tianjian Zi is known as the strongest in the world."
"Xiahou Yuan seeking revenge on the Tianjian Sect is something we can watch from the sidelines."
The Demon Lords nodded in agreement with Mo Yang's words, feeling relieved.
"However..."
"What if...?"
Suddenly, the plump and beautiful woman frowned and asked, "What if Xiahou Yuan doesn't go after the Tianjian Sect but comes after us instead?"
The woman had voiced the greatest worry among the Demon Lords.
Indeed, what if? Xiahou Yuan was not someone who could be understood through common sense.
"What if?" Mo Yang coldly smiled again.
"That is why I called you all here."
"Although this possibility is small, it still needs to be considered."
Having lived for hundreds of years, Mo Yang naturally thought of every possibility.
"This underground palace took me twenty years to build, and inside, I've set up nine Heaven-grade demon formations."
"As long as the nine of us sit within these formations, we can borrow the advantage of the location. Even a Tenth Realm expert would have to think twice before attacking."
"As for Xiahou Yuan, he will definitely be helpless against us, and after a while, he will naturally not want to waste time on us."
"Even if he does, we can secretly contact Tianjian Zi. I'm sure he would be very interested in Xiahou Yuan."
Mo Yang confidently explained his plan.
As a Demon Lord, he didn't mind cooperating with the righteous sects.
"Nine Heaven-grade demon formations?"
"Mo Yang, you really went all out."
"No wonder I felt a sense of oppression when I entered this underground palace. So it was because of the Heaven-grade formations."
The other Demon Lords were astonished. They were well aware of the power of Heaven-grade formations; a single one was enough to suppress a Ninth Realm cultivator. What more nine of them?
"Alright."
"These are the cores of the formations. Familiarize yourselves with them."
Mo Yang willed it, and eight jade stones appeared before the eight Demon Lords.
"Cores?"
"Marvelous! These nine formations are not separate entities but function as a whole. As the main controllers of the formations, we can manipulate their power with a mere thought."
The eight Demon Lords quickly comprehended and were overjoyed.
No wonder Mo Yang was so calm; he had such an ace up his sleeve.
At this moment, the eight Demon Lords finally relaxed and smiled. Ever since they learned of Xiahou Yuan's escape, they had not had a moment of peace.
Just then, a man dressed in black rushed in, his face filled with panic.
"Demon Lords, there's someone... someone has broken in!"
The man's voice trembled as he still couldn't believe what had happened.
"Someone broke in?"
Mo Yang's pupils constricted.
As the one who built this underground palace, he had deployed a large number of Eighth Realm demon experts outside, including over ten Eighth Realm peak cultivators.
In this situation, how could an outsider break in?
The underground palace was intricately designed with passages in all directions, and with the suppression of the Heaven-grade formations, any attempts at detection would be futile.
Even a Ninth Realm cultivator could be trapped for a period.
"What's going on?" Mo Yang demanded an explanation.
Just then, faint footsteps could be heard.
The Demon Lords looked up and saw a tall woman standing at the door.
Upon seeing her, the nine Demon Lords frowned.
"Nuan Shu?"
"How did you..."
Mo Yang was astonished.
The other eight Demon Lords were equally perplexed.
They naturally recognized Nuan Shu, who had been one of the thirty-six protectors, second only to the nine Demon Lords, back when Xiahou Yuan was still around.
Just as Mo Yang was about to question Nuan Shu further, a tall figure appeared beside her.
The moment they saw this figure, the nine Demon Lords' minds buzzed.
"Xia... Xiahou Yuan?"
The nine Demon Lords felt as if they were seeing a ghost.
They had just been discussing how to deal with Xiahou Yuan, and now he stood before them.
"Your Honor."
Mo Yang quickly reacted and bowed slightly to Xiahou Yuan. "I don't know why you have come to this underground palace, but is there anything you require of us?"
Although he sincerely did not want to face Xiahou Yuan, Mo Yang thought that he could struggle a little, considering the measures he had taken over the years, including the nine Heaven-grade formations and the nine Ninth Realm Demon Lords.
Moreover, even when facing the Xiahou Yuan of the past, Mo Yang wouldn't have felt so hopeless.
"This place belongs to me now. What do you think?"
Lin Yuan scanned the surroundings and felt the dense primal qi in the air before speaking.
"Your Honor, surely you're joking?"
Mo Yang's face stiffened.
He had gone through great pains and spent twenty years building this underground palace. How could he just hand it over?
Not to mention that there were nine Heaven-grade formations inside. Mo Yang believed that he was not afraid of anyone.
"If you don't give it to me, I'll take it myself."
Lin Yuan took a step forward and entered the palace.
"Attack!"
Mo Yang tensed up and immediately activated the Heaven-grade formations without hesitation.
The other eight Demon Lords exchanged glances. At this moment, they were all on the same side, and none of them wanted to be controlled by Xiahou Yuan again.
Boom! From all directions, above and below, left and right, the air suddenly condensed.
An invisible oppressive might emerged.
Buzz! ! Streams of demonic energy appeared from all around the grand hall,
one became two, two became four, four became eight...
In an instant.
Countless strands of demonic energy intertwined and weaved, following a specific trajectory to form a killing formation.
However.
Just as Lin Yuan's right foot stepped into the inner hall, The endless demonic energy that had emerged from all parts of the grand hall suddenly froze.
The killing formation, which had already taken shape and was entirely composed of demonic energy, began to boil as if receiving a command. It swirled around Lin Yuan's feet, and a might far surpassing anything before erupted.
The demonic aura was overwhelming.
As Lin Yuan entered the inner hall, Mo Yang, the Ninth Realm peak Demon Lord, was already kneeling on the ground, unable to stop himself from kowtowing repeatedly, not knowing why he felt compelled to do so in Lin Yuan's presence!
Lin Yuan walked past the Demon Lords, who were prostrated on the ground, their bodies trembling, and ascended the steps to sit on the main seat in the hall.
He leaned back slightly, looking down at the kowtowing figures in the hall.
A little writer's block.
It's the end of the month, and if I don't vote with my monthly tickets, they'll expire.
Heartfelt thanks~ (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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