C1124 The Demon God Body!

A man and a woman emerged side by side in a cave, its surface as reflective as a mirror.

The man, with his long silver hair and a perpetual casual smile, was none other than Tan Junshan.

The woman's beauty was striking; she was Svale, an elder of the Mondnacht Clan who had once encountered Yu Yuan in the Plover Realm.

"Bet you didn't see that coming, huh?" Tan Junshan's grin was radiant as he greeted Yu Yuan with a wave.

Svale offered a demure smile, nodding subtly to Chen Qinghuang and Yu Yuan without uttering another word.

Yu Yuan's expression stalled.

It dawned on him that he hadn't seen Tan Junshan or Svale since he had acquired the Demon Blade, Blood Prison.

Neither had made an appearance during the turmoil in the Plover Realm. It seemed likely that Tan Junshan and Svale had departed from the Plover Realm long before.

But what brought them to the Death Nest?

Yu Yuan, furrowing his brow, turned to the Luan Bird Queen, who had chosen not to don her crown to conceal her features after Tan Junshan and Svale's arrival, and inquired, "What's going on?"

"They moved here from the Galaxy Crossing we left earlier," Chen Qinghuang explained calmly. "Once this cave was refined, I could temporarily transform it into a crossing. Tan Junshan and I go way back, and we've fought side by side in the past."

"Girl, shouldn't you be addressing me as Senior Tan?" Tan Junshan teased with a mischievous smile. "When you first ascended to the Yang God Stage and ventured into the Outland Star River, I rescued you from the Devaputra. What's this? Now that you've grown in strength, you consider us equals?"

Chen Qinghuang maintained her cool demeanor, choosing not to engage with his banter.

Yu Yuan, however, discerned that there was an extraordinary bond between Tan Junshan and her.

He recalled how Tan Junshan had stepped in to subdue the Green Willow Demon in Luan Bird City, enabling her to leverage the city's power to confront Zu Ann.

Clearly, she and Tan Junshan had been covertly communicating, sharing a silent accord.

Yu Yuan stroked his chin, observing the pair, while occasionally casting a thoughtful glance at Svale of the Mondnacht Clan.

"A Freezing Devaputra," Svale, the elder of the Mondnacht Clan, said with a squint and a smile. She glanced at the Ice Concubine, who stood beside Yu Yiyi, and inquired of Chen Qinghuang, "Is she a participant as well?"

"No, but she has been here before," Chen Qinghuang responded.

"To this place?"

Yu Yuan's interest piqued. As he spoke, his soul consciousness spread like unseen water, seeping into the ground beneath him.

The dim world around them was marked by collapsed mountains and fractured canyons. It seemed there once were forests, yet no lakes or water sources were evident.

Nor were there any boundary walls.

Pervasive, corrupt energies filled the air, omnipresent and even lurking deep within the earth.

His soul consciousness wandered the underground, finding nothing amiss. The Life Altar within him detected no signs of life's vitality.

Yet, as his soul consciousness moved beneath the surface, it seemed to drain him significantly, leaving him feeling weakened shortly after.

"Is there anything peculiar here?"

Having come up empty-handed, Yu Yuan turned back to Chen Qinghuang and earnestly asked for insight.

"In the Boundless Land, the Demon Palace, along with the Desolate God, we have a total of four Demon Gods: the Demon Phoenix, Qilin, Sky Tiger, and the Desolate God," Tan Junshan interjected, seemingly unconcerned that the four Tenth Level Demon Gods might sense his location or overhear his words.

As a member of the Silver Moon Sect at the Peak of Unrestrained Stage, Tan Junshan spoke of the Demon Gods without a hint of reverence.

"Another Demon God from the Demon Palace, of the same kind as the Desolate God, is the one before the White Divine Tiger."

Tan Junshan's smile turned towards Yu Yuan.

"I'm aware. It's said to be a Tenth Level Moon Swallowing Ape," Yu Yuan acknowledged with a nod.

In his past life as Hong Qi, the Moon Swallowing Ape had been dead for many years, reportedly encircled by the Devaputra Race in an Outland Star River and slowly worn down to death.

The event was so distant in time that he hadn't paid it much mind in his former life, and his recollection was vague.

"Yes, from the same era as the Golden Elephant Ancient God, the Moon Swallowing Ape was reputed to be even more formidable," Tan Junshan remarked, his gaze drifting to the Gloom Star River outside. "It was besieged and slain by the Devaputra Race. With the combined force of three Great Demon Gods, the Tenth Level Moon Swallowing Ape met its end in the Outland Starry Sky."

Yu Yuan was momentarily stunned before it dawned on him, and he asked with surprise, "Could it be the current Serene Starfield?"

"Correct."

Svale from the Mondnacht Clan nodded gently.

"I know a few things as well."

Ice Concubine glanced at Yu Yuan, then turned her gaze to Tan Junshan and the Luan Bird Queen, seemingly waiting for something.

"It appears you once held some status within the Freezing Devaputra," Svale remarked, a slight movement in his eyebrows indicating a newfound interest. He was looking at Ice Concubine, now reduced to a fiend by the Evil Sect's treasured enslavement. "Among the three Great Demon Gods who slew the Moon Swallowing Ape, one hailed from your clan."

He could tell that Ice Concubine's soul had fundamentally transformed, marked by a peculiar soul imprint.

Clearly constrained by this mark, Ice Concubine had lost her freedom. Initially, Svale hadn't paid much attention to her, given her status as a former Freezing Devaputra, but upon discovering she knew the secrets of this place, he regarded her with increased respect.

After a brief hesitation, Ice Concubine nodded, "The one you speak of was indeed my ancestor. She was later slain by the Demon Palace's Demon Phoenix, effectively trading her life for the Moon Swallowing Ape's."

"I see," Svale responded.

"Go on, tell us what you know," Yu Yuan encouraged.

"The three Great Demon Gods who vanquished the Moon Swallowing Ape included the current patriarch of the Outland Devaputra, the former patriarch of the Blood Devil Clan, and my ancestor," Ice Concubine explained candidly, sharing her knowledge. "The Devil Soul of the Moon Swallowing Ape was consumed by the most formidable of the Outland Devaputra and my ancestor, which strengthened their own Devil Souls. The Blood Devil Clan's patriarch received the Demon Body of the Moon Swallowing Ape."

"The Demon Soul and Demon Body were consumed by the three participating Great Demon Gods?" Yu Yuan asked, taken aback.

"Yes," Ice Concubine confirmed with a nod.

"You certainly know quite a bit," Tan Junshan said with a smile. "Have you been here before? Why did you come?"

"My ancestor obtained an artifact from the Moon Swallowing Ape. It resonated when my sister and I were passing through here," Ice Concubine recalled, pressing a finger to her forehead. "We explored the area but found nothing. And then, the artifact vanished without a trace."

"Haha," Tan Junshan clapped his hands and burst into laughter. "What a coincidence. Haha, the relic you're talking about, is it a silver fork by any chance?"

The Ice Concubine's expression shifted subtly. "How did you know?"

Tan Junshan chuckled once more.

"Come on, no more secrets."

Chen Qinghuang was growing impatient. She gazed down at the land beneath her, slowly emerging from the Death Nest. Hovering a few meters above the ground, she began, "The Demon Body of the Moon Swallowing Ape is likely still down there, sealed by Grec. A Tenth Level Demon God's remnants, bones, and blood are invaluable treasures."

Looking up at Yu Yuan, she continued, "The Demon Bone of the Moon Swallowing Ape contains a terrifyingly potent lunar essence. Tan Junshan and Svale could use it to craft divine weapons perfectly suited to them. Its Demon Blood could aid you in refining the Life Altar, transforming it into a Yang God body."

"Besides, there are likely other unique items suitable for you."

"This place, after all, is the secret base of the Great Demon God, Grec. As the current leader of the Blood Devil Clan, he surely left behind many valuable treasures."

Chen Qinghuang spoke at a measured pace.

Yu Yuan listened, his heart racing with excitement. A Demon God from the Demon Palace lay beneath the earth, and Chen Qinghuang, Tan Junshan, and Svale were plotting to seize this chance.

"How long have you been planning this?" he couldn't resist asking.

"We stumbled upon this secret a hundred years ago," Tan Junshan revealed, holding a gleaming silver fork that seemed to gather infinite moonlight, bright and pulsating with formidable power.

Upon seeing the familiar fork, the Ice Concubine appeared both agitated and helpless.

"The legacy of the Moon Swallowing Ape sensed its Demon Body below and entered it on its own accord," Tan Junshan explained, glancing at the Ice Concubine. "This artifact, his Demon Weapon, eluded your grasp because you couldn't refine it. You could only watch it depart. Back then, Grec had not yet risen to the rank of Great Demon God, and the area below was still under seal."

After the former chief of the Blood Devil Clan passed away, Grec, who was born with the Life Altar, was brought here by the elders. That's when he learned the secret and found the silver fork. Unfortunately, the fork was of no use to Grec, so he sold it.

"The fork ended up in the hands of a powerful member of the Mondnacht Clan, who later died in battle," Tan Junshan clarified.

"My father was the one who got the fork," Svale interjected. "He was killed by members of the Profound Sky Sect, and the item was left behind on the Outer Battlefield."

"I came into possession of the item," Tan Junshan continued. "Originating from the Silver Moon Sect of the Boundless Land, I managed to refine it. Through it, I unraveled the secret. However..."

He shook his head, a wry smile on his face, "Despite knowing this secret for a century, I've been powerless to act on it. Once Grec advanced to the Tenth Level, becoming the chief of the Blood Devil Clan and a true Great Demon God, anyone who dares to rip apart the earth to uncover the secrets below will incur Grec's wrath."

He paused before adding, "I certainly don't want to provoke him."

Chen Qinghuang chimed in, "Nor does he wish to share this secret, lest the Demon Palace reclaim the body of the Moon Swallowing Ape."

With their explanations, Yu Yuan gained a clear understanding. He realized why they were now seeking the body of the Moon Swallowing Ape.

At this moment, Grec was confined within the Plover Realm. Even if he wasn't killed, there was no chance of his return.

Now was their prime opportunity to break open the earth and explore the remains of the Moon Swallowing Ape!

Should they miss this chance and Great Demon God Grec manage to break free, even in a weakened state, they would never be able to retrieve anything from beneath the earth again.

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