C1265 Confused
The newcomer wore a gentle smile as she arrived.
Dressed in a floral maxi dress, she landed gracefully, first reprimanding the Black Oil Barbarian Ox, then mentioning the Demon Palace's past amicability towards Yu Yuan.
Noticing Yu Yuan's expression turn sour, she wisely fell silent.
She then nonchalantly moved next to the towering black man, crouching down to peer into a hole leading downward, scrutinizing it intently.
The Black Oil Barbarian Ox, seemingly uncomfortable with her proximity, awkwardly stepped back to maintain a deliberate distance.
This subtle interaction caught Yu Yuan off guard, prompting him to become more cautious.
Memories of his history with the Demon Palace and its members flooded his thoughts, stirring a mix of emotions.
He vividly recalled his venture into the Desolate Swamp at the invitation of the Python Queen, Xu Zixi, a gesture he knew was backed by the Demon Palace.
It was there, in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, that he had earned the recognition of the Optimus Sword's sword soul.
Perhaps due to Yu Zhu's influence, the Demon Palace had consistently shown him kindness. Both Xu Zixi and the venerable Golden Elephant Ancient God had extended olive branches on behalf of the Demon Palace.
He had declined them all.
When troubles arose and adversaries from the Spirit Void Sect and Devil Palace sought to target the Yu family, the Demon Palace had been instrumental in their defense.
At a glance, the Demon Palace appeared to have treated him well.
Yet...
Images of the colossal eight-legged spider being slain by the purple phoenix beyond the skies, and the resplendent Peacock King impaled by a purple feather, involuntarily surfaced in Yu Yuan's mind.
If the highest authority of the Demon Palace could so easily dispatch the eight-legged spider, could he not discern Yu Zhu's true nature?
Why then, did he choose to cultivate Yu Zhu's potential?
Moreover, why was the Demon Palace increasingly open to embracing and recruiting human prodigies?
By imparting the Demon Spell to talents like Xu Zixi, Zhan Tianxiang, and Zhao Yafu, integrating them into the Demon Palace, what deeper purpose was being served?
Their practice of the Demon Spell, akin to those of the Ancient Desolate Sect and the Evil Sect, also emphasized physical endurance.
Zhan Tianxiang possessed the Elephant God's Demon Mark and its power within him. Python Queen Xu Zixi had mastered the use of numerous pythons, and Zhao Yafu, under the tutelage of the White Divine Tiger, had rapidly advanced in her abilities.
Members of the Demon Palace practiced unique Demon Spells, yet adhered to the conventional cultivation system of the Boundless Human Race.
Their practices were identical to those of the cultivators from the upper sects, the lower sects, and the Devil Palace.
The great demons of the Demon Palace weren't categorized into ten levels based on their bloodlines.
It seemed as though the Demon Palace had intentionally crafted a novel Demon Spell specifically for humans.
For instance, when the cultivators of the Divine Soul Sect ventured into the Starfield, they adopted a new cultivation method, enabling beings with special bloodlines to train using the human spiritual energy framework.
Yu Yuan was awash with contemplation.
Having ventured beyond the Boundless Human Race, encountering numerous non-humans, uncovering many secrets, and assimilating a wealth of disjointed knowledge through the Life Altar and the blood of various races' champions, he had developed a distinct perspective on the power and bloodlines of all creatures. His worldview had shifted accordingly.
He sensed that the Demon Palace had been adapting through the ages, becoming increasingly formidable.
He recalled that initially, the Demon Palace did not welcome humans.
At some point, the Demon Palace began to seek out gifted individuals from the Profound Sky Continent, inducting them and imparting the esoteric Demon Spell.
Through the Demon Palace's teachings, children and adolescents could embark on a path of cultivation akin to those from the three upper sects and the Devil Palace.
Yet, to date, no human cultivator of the Demon Spell had ascended to the exalted ranks of the Demon Gods within the Demon Palace.
The Unrestrained Stage was the pinnacle for those humans pursuing the Demon Spell.
Yu Yuan stroked his chin, his gaze speculative. He pondered from a different perspective, sensing that the Demon Palace's evolution and its outreach to human cultivators undoubtedly held a deeper significance.
But for the moment, he could not unravel its mysteries.
The Black Oil Barbarian Ox and the newly arrived female Great Demon exchanged a few words, and their urgency seemed to dissipate. They refrained from hastily diving underground.
They were thoughtfully considering Chen Qinghuang's predicament, communicating through their secret arts.
The female Great Demon remained crouched, not questioning Yu Yuan, seemingly oblivious to the 'Blood Prison' Demon Blade that had unleashed a crimson tide, nor to the Heaven Shaking Ape, once a member of the Demon Palace, now grown massive...
After some time had passed...
"Lady Lvliu, was it because of you that you escaped your predicament?"
The woman, whose true form was that of a fish, suddenly lifted her head, her eyes sparkling with an unusual light, and blurted out the question.
"It's hardly a secret," Yu Yuan responded icily.
"Commander, you once held a status in the depths of the Outland Star River far superior to that of the Heaven Shaking Ape."
The woman spoke these words with a glance at the blood soul of the Heaven Shaking Ape, which had suffered from the Demon Blade's backlash. A sneer curled her lips. "It seems a shame for the Commander. He is our aquatic race's leader and should have ascended to Demon God before Lord Sky Tiger."
"Hold your tongue!" bellowed the black bull.
"What's not to be said?" the woman huffed, her eyes filling with a sense of injustice. "Consider this: our Demon Palace could have had four Demon Gods! The Commander is locked away in Sword Prison, surely due to human treachery. Were it not for their interference, our demon kind would boast five Demon Gods."
"And that includes the one from the Great Swamp!"
The enigmatic woman, right in front of Yu Yuan, spoke out in defense of Lvliu.
Her demeanor and speech conveyed deep reverence for Lvliu, who, after years of confinement in Sword Prison, seemed to be the water demons' pride in her eyes.
When she mentioned the Sky Tiger, her tone lacked any real respect, betraying her nonchalance.
Yu Yuan's thoughts shifted, and he suddenly recalled Lvliu's own grievances with the highest authority in the Demon Palace.
Lvliu indeed harbored much frustration and bewilderment, particularly concerning the Demon Phoenix.
He was merely confined within Sword Prison, unlike the eight-legged spider or the Peacock King, who perished in the strange reaches of the Outland Star River. Whether the Demon Phoenix had shown leniency or was simply too formidable to confront—killing him might have led to complications too great to justify.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
One by one, the frenzied Golden Rock Beasts arrived from all directions, slowly revealing themselves.
Upon seeing the Golden Rock Beasts, a look of schadenfreude crossed the woman's face. She gestured to the Black Oil Barbarian Ox and remarked, "Jin Lih would be heartbroken to know his kin perished so abundantly here."
The Black Oil Barbarian Ox sneered, "I have no ties with Jin Lih anyway."
"Neither do I," the woman chuckled eerily.
They both observed that this group of Eighth Level Golden Rock Beasts had lost their intelligence before even reaching the meteorite, as if they had regressed from demonic beings to mere beasts.
Neither of the two great demons had a good relationship with Jin Lih. Had it been any other great demon, they might have intervened or tried to stop the situation.
But since it was the Golden Rock Beasts, they immediately adopted a stance of disinterest.
The Demon Blade, Blood Prison, conjured a sea of blood while the roaring Heaven Shaking Ape slowly diminished, and the other six blood souls grew in strength.
"Go!"
With a mere thought, Yu Yuan sent a wave of the blood sea hurtling towards the first Golden Rock Beast.
He bared his teeth in a cold laugh at the woman and the Black Oil Barbarian Ox, then with a stomp, he soared towards the second Golden Rock Beast.
"Aren't you afraid I might dive down?" the woman asked, her voice laced with mirth.
Yu Yuan remained silent.
"Your lack of fear actually makes me worried."
The mysterious woman flung her long sleeve toward the hole she had approached earlier, and then a stream of colorful fish swam gracefully down into the abyss.
It was clear she was biding her time, waiting for the moment Yu Yuan would be vulnerable.
