Chapter 124: How Tall is the Demon Sovereign? (A Super Long Chapter of 5,000 Characters)

Chapter 124: How Tall is the Demon Sovereign? (A Super Long Chapter of 5,000 Characters)

In the span of a hundred years, the world had transformed beyond recognition.

To ordinary people, a hundred years could be a lifetime.

Even for cultivators below the sixth realm, a hundred years was still considered a significant portion of their lives.

Especially during this particular century, the changes that swept across the land far exceeded those of the previous thousands, or even millions, of years.

First and foremost was the destruction of Tianjian Mountain, an event whose impact would be felt for generations to come.

What kind of place was Tianjian Mountain?
It was the headquarters of the Tianjian Sect, the lair of the number one power in the world.

For tens of thousands of years, the Tianjian Sect had produced more than one tenth realm cultivator, and its influence in the Five Regions could be said to be deeply entrenched.

For such a massive force to be wiped out would usually take a long time, with its complete downfall occurring only after thousands or even millions of years.

Yet now, it had been crushed in an instant.

What was even more crucial was that it wasn't just the disciples of the Tianjian Sect who had perished.

Right before Tianjian Mountain was destroyed, the sect's founder, Tianjian Zi, was celebrating his eight hundredth birthday. At that time, countless powerful individuals from forces friendly to the Tianjian Sect had gathered on Tianjian Mountain.

However, they all perished along with the mountain.

This led to heavy losses for most of the forces in the Five Regions.

In the face of the Demon Path's aggression, the native forces of the Five Regions were completely routed.

In just the first ten years of the century, the Demon Path had achieved the formidable feat of unifying the Five Regions. Even during the Tianjian Sect's heyday, when numerous forces had submitted to them, they had never truly unified the Five Regions. They had only gained their allegiance, falling far short of true unification.

Yet, the Demon Path had accomplished this.

To be precise, the reason the Demon Path was able to achieve such a feat was entirely because of Lin Yuan.

If not for Lin Yuan crushing the lifeblood of the righteous forces in the Five Regions, the Demon Path would have inevitably become entangled in a protracted struggle, and even if they had managed to unify the regions, it would have taken far longer than a decade.

Of course, the Demon Path's so-called unification of the Five Regions was only in terms of appearance.

In secret, there were still quite a few remnants of the original Five Regions' forces who attempted to launch counterattacks to reclaim what was once theirs.

However, with Lin Yuan's presence, all resistance was futile.

Even without leaving the underground palace, Lin Yuan's Yin and Yang avatars were enough to inflict heavy losses on the resistance forces.

Despite this, the resistance continued.

The intervals between each attempt were simply growing longer, as the resisters gradually realized that they stood no chance against the Demon Sovereign, Xiahou Yuan, in a direct confrontation.

They could only lurk in the shadows, biding their time.

In the Eastern Region, there was a city by the sea called Binhai City.

In an inn within this city, a storyteller was passionately recounting tales to his captivated audience.

"Not long ago, a group of powerful individuals appeared in the coastal region, suspected to be surviving disciples of the Qingliu Sect from a hundred years ago. The Qingliu Sect was annihilated by the Demon Path back then, and its remaining disciples fled overseas. Now they have returned, and it certainly doesn't bode well."

This storyteller was evidently well-informed, as he offered his own insights on the matter.

"In my opinion, the Eastern Region is about to face troubled times again."

The storyteller's words were filled with emotion.

For common folk like them, chaos in the world was definitely not a good thing.

In a corner of the inn, an old man with white hair and beard took a sip of his drink, a look of contentment on his face.

If there were a ninth realm cultivator present, they would have sensed that this old man's aura was unfathomably deep, indicating that he, too, was a ninth realm cultivator.

However, this old man was different from other ninth realm cultivators. He did not crave power or wealth; he merely enjoyed traveling through the Five Regions and savoring fine wines.

"The osmanthus-flavored brew here in Binhai City is getting better and better," the old man commented with a nod.

"Grandpa, don't drink too much," a young girl of about thirteen or fourteen years old tugged at the old man's sleeve.

"Didn't you hear what the storyteller just said?"

"Troubled times are coming to the Eastern Region."

"Oh," the old man replied nonchalantly as he continued to savor his drink.

"Grandpa," the girl said, her eyes welling up with tears. She couldn't help but ask, "Do you think the Five Races will intervene?"

"Why are you, a young girl, worrying about such things?" the old man scolded, giving her a glance. But when he saw the tears brimming in her eyes, he quickly tried to comfort her. "I don't know if troubled times are coming to the Eastern Region, but recently, some people from the Dihu Sect asked me to help them occupy a place with earth-grade primal qi springs. I refused, of course."

"Ah?" the girl exclaimed.

"Did you agree to it, Grandpa?" Her eyes lit up with hope.

"Of course not," the old man shook his head. "At my age, I'd rather just enjoy my remaining years in peace."

He had no desire to go against the Demon Sovereign.

Who was the Demon Sovereign? He was the strongest cultivator in hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years.

Ordinary cultivators might not understand the concept of cultivating one's Yuan Spirit to a height of a hundred thousand feet.

But as a ninth realm cultivator himself, the old man was well aware of the difficulty and the awe-inspiring power that such a feat entailed.

"Besides," the old man continued, "with the Five Regions under the rule of the Demon Path, things aren't much different from before."

He glanced at his granddaughter, a strange expression on his face.

Ninety-odd years ago, the Demon Path had unified the Five Regions.

The old man had witnessed it all.

At first, he had thought that hard times were ahead for all living beings. After all, with the Demon Path ruling the world, how could the Five Regions possibly prosper? Wouldn't all living creatures be enslaved and used as resources for Demon Path cultivators?

However, as time passed, the old man realized that his fears had been unfounded.

After unifying the Five Regions, the Demon Path had proactively spread a cultivation system known as the Martial Way.

This cultivation method had a low threshold for entry, and the Demon Path even dispatched people to explain and guide others in its practice.

Such a beneficial act had never occurred in the past tens of thousands, if not millions, of years.

The various major forces of the Five Regions in the past would never have shared their cultivation techniques to maintain their own status.

Much less would they have sent people to provide guidance.

It was simply...
The old man couldn't find the words to describe such a gesture.

He merely felt that the Demon Sovereign's thoughts and actions far exceeded those of ordinary people.

"Grandfather, I want to go to the Central Domain and visit the Demon Path's sacred ground," the young girl said softly.

The Demon Path's sacred ground was the underground palace where Lin Yuan cultivated.

In a mere hundred years, this underground palace had become a sacred site for the Five Regions, attracting countless cultivators who came to pay their respects.

Of course, to avoid disturbing the Demon Sovereign, all cultivators were only allowed to observe from a distance of fifty li away from the underground palace.

"The Demon Path's sacred ground?" The old man hesitated.

However, upon remembering that he had never done anything to oppose the Demon Sovereign over the years, his expression immediately relaxed.

"Alright," the old man nodded, giving his consent.

Beneath the underground palace, beside the Spring of Primordial Qi...

Lin Yuan sat with his legs crossed, his aura completely suppressed as he sat there, appearing as if he were standing in another dimension.

He seemed illusory and ethereal.

[Name: Xiahou Yuan (Lin Yuan)]

[Identity: Holder of the Gate of Myriad Worlds]

[Bound Talent: Heaven-defying Comprehension]

[Current State: Consciousness Descended]

[Remaining Time: One hundred and forty years]

"There's still one hundred and forty years left," Lin Yuan muttered to himself as he glanced at the illusory words below his line of sight.

Unknowingly, he had already been in this world for one hundred and sixty years.

More than half of the three-hundred-year limit had passed quietly.

"Sixteenth Realm," Lin Yuan assessed his current state.

In the past hundred years, Lin Yuan had broken through two realms, advancing from the Fourteenth Realm to the Sixteenth Realm.

However, upon reaching the Sixteenth Realm, Lin Yuan vaguely felt that this realm seemed to be the limit of this world.

Going any further might trigger the world's instinctive rejection, possibly even expelling him from the world.

For example, he might be banished beyond the boundaries of this world?

"No, that's not right. The world's limit shouldn't be the Sixteenth Realm."

"Could it be because of that 'black hole' in the north?"

Lin Yuan's thoughts churned as his gaze once again turned towards the north.

Over a hundred years ago, Lin Yuan had sensed the presence of a massive black hole in the far north, beyond the endless seas.

This black hole constantly devoured the world's primal qi, causing the upper limit of power in this world to decrease.

Five million, or even ten million years ago, there were still traces of Eleventh Realm powerhouses.

However, in the past few million years, Tenth Realm cultivators had become extremely rare.

Perhaps in a few more million years, Ninth Realm experts would also become a legend.

It was indeed this 'black hole' that was lowering the upper limit of this world, making it almost unable to accommodate Lin Yuan's power.

"Over the past few million years, every time a Tenth Realm powerhouse emerged, they would disappear from the Five Regions within decades or a hundred years, most likely drawn towards that 'black hole' in the north," Lin Yuan mused.

Lin Yuan's expression was pensive as he considered the fate of those Tenth Realm cultivators.

After the Demon Path unified the Five Regions, Lin Yuan gained access to a vast collection of ancient texts, allowing him to learn about the ultimate fate of those Tenth Realm experts over the past few million years.

Just as Lin Yuan was pondering the mystery of the 'black hole', he seemed to sense something, and a look of surprise flashed across his face as he turned his gaze towards the east.

According to Lin Yuan's perception, thirty li away from the underground palace, two figures were stealthily approaching.

One of them was an old man with Ninth Realm cultivation.

The other was a curious young girl, around ten years old, who was eagerly peering towards the underground palace.

Lin Yuan's gaze fell upon the young girl.

"The White family still has descendants," Lin Yuan murmured as he closed his eyes, a wave of emotions washing over him.

The White family had a deep connection with Xiahou Yuan. Before Xiahou Yuan had perfected his demonic cultivation, he had fallen in love with the White family's eldest daughter. However, due to Xiahou Yuan's numerous enemies, the White family had been implicated and wiped out from top to bottom.

The White family held a special significance for Xiahou Yuan.

Back then, Tianjian Sect's 'Luan E' had disguised herself as 'Bai Qing'er', claiming to be a descendant of the White family, which was why she had been able to gain Xiahou Yuan's trust.

Otherwise, how could a cold-blooded person like Xiahou Yuan have possibly invested so many emotions in a woman? In the end, his emotional turmoil had forced him to suppress his heart demon and seal himself in the abyss of Da Yuan.

However, now...

Lin Yuan sensed the bloodline of the White family in this young girl, and it was not an act like Bai Qing'er's, but a genuine familiarity emanating from her bloodline.

Thirty li away from the underground palace, the old man's heart was pounding wildly. They were already quite close to the thirty-li mark, much closer than the designated fifty li limit.

"Little White, are you sure it's safe to come this close?" the old man asked again, his voice filled with worry.

Initially, he had brought the young girl here to observe the underground palace from fifty li away, just like all the other cultivators.

However, as they were touring the area, the young girl had led him down a small path that took them within the fifty-li limit, and now they were only thirty li away from the underground palace.

This fact made the old man break out in a cold sweat. The mere thought of the Demon Sovereign Xiahou Yuan, who had single-handedly crushed Tianjian Sect, made the old man's legs turn weak.

"Grandfather, what are you afraid of? Many people have walked down this path to get a closer view of the sacred ground," the young girl explained excitedly as she led the way.

"Are you sure?" The old man was now regretting bringing the young girl here.

Although she was not his biological granddaughter, he had picked her up from the wilderness and raised her as his own, developing genuine paternal feelings for her.

"Of course, I'm sure," the young girl replied, her eyes shining with determination. "Many people have already walked down this path before us, and they didn't encounter any problems."

"I hope so," the old man muttered as he calmed himself down, trying not to overthink the situation.

He could also tell that the path they were walking on had been trodden by many others before them.

However, being this close to a formidable figure like the Demon Sovereign still filled the old man with dread.

"Grandfather, you're too timid," the young girl teased.

"Timid," the old man thought to himself, feeling helpless.

He didn't know how to refute her accusation.

Just then, a tall figure silently appeared in front of the old man and the young girl, blocking their path.

The tall man stood silently, his thoughts unknown.

Upon seeing this, the young girl immediately broke into a grin. "Look, Grandpa."

"We're not the only ones on this path; others want a closer view of the sacred site too." The girl added.

"That's good," the old man sighed in relief.

The tall man stood there, devoid of any cultivator's aura. To the old man, this was a sign of safety, indicating that even ordinary people could approach without incident.

The girl continued along the narrow path, and after walking for quite some time without encountering anyone, she was delighted to come across this tall man. She eagerly struck up a conversation, "Are you here to view the sacred site too?"

"View the sacred site?" The tall man turned his head, glancing at the girl without answering.

"Don't be shy now. Besides viewing the sacred site, who else would come here?" The girl assumed he was just shy.

"Since we've met, why don't you join us? My grandfather is amazing; he's a top expert in the Five Regions." The girl extended an invitation.

The tall man remained unmoved, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

This left the girl perplexed. What was wrong with this man? He was like a mute, and she couldn't tell if he had understood her.

"Let me tell you this," the girl continued, "my grandfather is a ninth realm cultivator. Do you know what that means? In all the Five Regions, there aren't more than a hundred cultivators at the ninth realm, and my grandfather is one of them. If you stick with us, you don't have to worry about your safety."

"Are you his adopted granddaughter?" The tall man finally spoke, his voice deep and magnetic.

He hadn't sensed any trace of the White family's bloodline in the old man.

"Ah?" The girl was taken aback.

"How did you know?" She asked, her eyes widening as she was sure she hadn't mentioned this to the tall man.

"Could it be that you're..." The girl's eyes lit up. "Are you a fortune teller who can see what's true and what's not, and that's how you knew I'm not his biological granddaughter?"

"Little White," the old man muttered, his voice trembling as he dared not look directly at the tall man.

However, his voice was so soft that the girl didn't notice.

"I didn't expect you to have some real skills. I always thought those fortune tellers were frauds." The girl became intrigued, as the tall man had instantly seen that she and the old man were not blood-related, indicating he was no ordinary man.

"Come now," she continued, "predict for me when I'll be able to become a strong cultivator like my grandfather."

The girl stood on her tiptoes and patted the tall man's shoulder. "Rest assured, if your prediction comes true, you won't be forgotten. My grandfather has a lot of treasures, and you can have anything you want."

"Little White!" The old man beside her was shocked to see the girl patting the tall man's shoulder, and he nearly fainted from the surge of emotions.

Just as the girl stood on her tiptoes to pat the tall man's shoulder, the air seemed to freeze.

One figure after another appeared in their surroundings.

Each figure exuded an aura of a cultivator at the peak of the ninth realm.

There were twenty cultivators at the peak of the ninth realm, standing silently nearby.

The leader among them exuded an aura beyond the ninth realm.

However, since these figures appeared behind the girl, and given her low cultivation level, she didn't sense anything unusual.

The old man beside her, though, was acutely aware of what was happening. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and his legs trembled as he nearly knelt on the spot.

"Retreat," the tall man said calmly, his hands behind his back.

Instantly, all the figures disappeared as if they had received an order.

The narrow path returned to its previous state.

Only the old man knew what had just transpired.

He and the girl had just narrowly escaped death.

"You resemble an old friend of mine," the tall man said with a slight smile, reaching out to ruffle the girl's hair.

"Oh!" The girl was bewildered and didn't resist.

"Go back now," the tall man said, "and cultivate well."

He raised his right hand and gently waved it.

The old man and the girl felt their vision darken, and when they opened their eyes again, they found themselves back at the fifty-li mark.

"Grandpa, what's going on?" The girl was confused.

It took her a while to process what had happened.

"Weren't we just talking to that tall man?"

"Little White!!!" The old man snapped out of his daze and grabbed the girl by her collar.

Then, he started running in the opposite direction of the underground palace.

After several hours, when they were tens of thousands of miles away from the underground palace, the old man finally stopped.

His face was still filled with fear.

"Do you know who that was just now?" The old man took a deep breath and raised his right hand as if to slap the girl, but in the end, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Ah?" The girl blinked.

"Who was he?" She asked.

"He's the Demon Sovereign," the old man said, his voice shaking. "He's the Demon Sovereign, Xiahou Yuan."

"The Demon Sovereign?" The girl's eyes widened in surprise.

After a long pause, she suddenly remembered a question she had always been too embarrassed to ask. But now that she had seen the Demon Sovereign and survived, she felt compelled to ask.

"Grandpa," she said, "people always say that the Demon Sovereign, Xiahou Yuan, is unfathomable. So, how tall is he?"

The girl looked at the old man expectantly.

"How tall?" The old man's eyes seemed to flash with the image of the tall man from earlier.

"He should be..."

"He should be as tall as the sky," the old man said.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end