This place was Yanming City in the East Wilderness. Recently, a major event had occurred at Zhongling Mountain outside the city. It was said that the Great Evil God, who had perished with Qiongqi sixteen years ago, had been resurrected!
As this rumor spread, opinions varied, attracting attention from idle individuals across all realms.
Many people rushed to Yanming City to investigate whether this devil god, whose death had involved many powerful figures across the Three Realms, was truly dead or alive.
Thus, lately, the light of the teleportation array in Yanming City had never ceased, with people continuously arriving. The square was bustling with activity and very noisy.
Shen Liuxiang emerged from a corner teleportation array and was startled when he unexpectedly heard someone call his name, giving him a fright.
He turned his head to look and saw a couple standing at an angle, staring at the dejected back of a small child not far away. The man shouted: “Shen Liuxiang—the Great Evil God—is here! Come back quickly!”
The small child, who had been walking away in a temper, paused, his whole body trembling. He immediately turned and ran back to his parents, the little bun on top of his head swaying.
He was still fuming: “Hmph! How annoying!”
Shen Liuxiang: “…”
The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. Fortunately, he had used a disguise technique in advance; otherwise, traveling less than fifty kilometers from home would have caused a huge commotion.
Shen Liuxiang had earned enough spirit stones in the Devil Realm and gathered some information.
The Demon Realm had changed greatly. Zhou Xuanlan now resided in the Xuanyao Palace, surrounded by numerous dangers—not a place an ordinary cultivator could easily approach.
Considering his Foundation Establishment cultivation, Shen Liuxiang didn’t dare to intrude recklessly. Wanting to meet him more safely, he heard that Ao Yue was in Yanming City in East Wilderness, so he came here, planning to have him lead the way to Xuanyao Palace.
Walking on the main street, Shen Liuxiang saw several immortal sect disciples at a glance, as well as other cultivators from the cultivation world moving among them.
In the past, this scene would never have existed—human cultivators wouldn’t dare to appear openly in the demon realm. But perhaps due to having jointly experienced the great crisis caused by the demon beast, in the past decade or so, especially after Zhou Xuanlan became the Demon Emperor, relations between the Three Realms had eased considerably.
Nowadays, ordinary cultivators appearing in the demon realm, or people of the demon race appearing in the other two realms, was no longer a rare occurrence.
A small stall by the street was selling fresh oranges. Without a storage pouch, Shen Liuxiang could only buy two oranges to satisfy his craving.
He held one and took a bite, scanning his surroundings as he ate. After looking for a while, he felt a deep sense of incongruity.
There were many people wearing red clothes on the street, both men and women. Not only that, but out of every ten people on the street, there was one who resembled him somewhat—the eyebrows and eyes, nose and lips, red hair ribbon… like deliberately applied makeup or disguise techniques.
Shen Liuxiang blinked, puzzled, when he heard a commotion ahead.
The Cloud-Viewing Platform was located in the city. Standing on it, one could overlook most of Yanming City, making it an excellent place to enjoy the scenery. Usually, there were many visitors, and the platform was often so crowded that one could hardly find a place to stand.
But today, the stairs to the Cloud-Viewing Platform had been sealed off by the city lord, with heavy guards posted, arousing curiosity among the city’s residents, who speculated whether some important figure was coming.
At around 3-5 PM, a slender figure dressed in red clothes and wearing a black veiled hat, escorted by numerous guards and personally by the city lord, slowly ascended the stone steps and quietly sat down on the Cloud-Viewing Platform.
The onlookers fell silent for a moment, all remembering a certain rumor, with disbelief on their faces.
“Could it be that he really has been resurrected?”
“It must be! Counting back, this rumor existed three years ago. At that time, the North Lun Sword Venerable behaved unusually and never came to sweep the tomb again. Also, Immortal Lord Ling Ye never visited Zhongling Mountain during festivals again…”
“Since then, every day there have been people claiming to be Shen Liuxiang, either going to Qinglin or North Lun, although none dared to go to Xuanyao Palace or the Imperial Palace.”
“Heh, how would they dare? After all, visiting immortal sects might still result in being politely sent away, but the other two places—one might go but never return alive!”
“Anyway, the one on the platform who can cause such a stir for City Lord Mu, it’s almost certainly him, right?”
“Who knows? Wearing a conical hat, with black gauze covering the face, how can one clearly see if it matches the portrait…”
Halfway through speaking, this person stopped. They saw the person sitting quietly on the Cloud-Viewing Platform suddenly remove the veiled hat, the light gauze sweeping across a fair face. Phoenix eyes glanced at the spectators below, the corners of lips curving up, revealing a beautiful, gorgeous face.
“Shen-Shen Liuxiang?!”
“Exactly like in the portrait! Actually truly alive!”
“Perhaps it’s another disguise technique?”
“Impossible, the city lord would certainly see through such a technique. How would a fake be treated like this?”
“Ahhh, I thought the portrait was exaggerated, but he really can look as beautiful as in the portrait!”
The base of the platform was in an uproar. Shen Liuxiang, standing in the outermost circle of the crowd: “?”
He turned his head and asked the person beside him: “Friend, do you know who that is?”
Beside him stood a young man with a short knife at his waist, fair-faced. Though he had come of age, he still had somewhat of a youthful appearance. Holding a steaming pancake in his hand, about to take a bite, he heard the question and replied with surprise: “You don’t know him? Shen Liuxiang, the one who refined Qiongqi sixteen years ago.”
“Huh?”
Shen Liuxiang raised his head, looked at the red-clothed man on the Cloud-Viewing Platform, then glanced around, seeing no one showing hostility. “Isn’t he the Great Evil God who can stop children from crying at night? Why isn’t anyone afraid of him?”
The young man eating the pancake pressed his lips together and said: “Fifteen years ago, the Imperial Princess awoke and said the Great Demon King was making false accusations, slandering her brother. Shen Liuxiang refined Qiongqi only because he had no choice, to prevent the Great Demon King from controlling it.”
Shen Liuxiang was stunned: “Does anyone believe that?”
The young man shrugged: “Half and half.”
At this moment, a woman in front of them turned around and snorted: “Who would believe such a thing? Isn’t it just to maintain the face of the Imperial Palace? After all, this person was once a young lord of the Imperial Palace, and now he’s the older brother of Emperor Xingchen.”
As her words fell, a crisp voice came from behind Shen Liuxiang: “Why not believe it? If he had truly refined Qiongqi out of greed, why would the great figures of the Three Realms be heartbroken over his death? Over the years, his grave has never been cold and lonely.”
Shen Liuxiang’s eyes widened. A grave? His?
“Where is it buried?”
The pancake young man replied: “Just outside the city at Zhongling Mountain.”
Shen Liuxiang looked down at himself. His true body was here, and had been in the Demon Palace before. Who buried him? What was buried? Why was it buried here?
He was completely confused, but had no time to think now, as the woman in front and the woman behind had started arguing.
Shen Liuxiang and the pancake young man were caught in between, their ears buzzing from the noise. They exchanged a glance and quickly retreated from the battlefield.
Before leaving, he stuffed the remaining orange into the hand of the young woman behind him: “Thank you.”
The young man, who had finished his pancake and was dusting off his hands, heard this and asked: “Why thank her? She was speaking up for Shen Liuxiang, not for you.”
Shen Liuxiang hummed a laugh but didn’t speak.
The pancake young man looked back, thoughtfully glancing at the person on the platform, then rubbed his stomach and sighed: “I’m so hungry.”
Shen Liuxiang raised an eyebrow, saw a tavern ahead, and invited the young man to go with him, which would be a good opportunity to ask some questions.
The pancake young man looked depressed: “I don’t have any spirit stones.”
Shen Liuxiang: “I do.”
The young man looked hesitant: “I eat a lot.”
Shen Liuxiang took out his money pouch, weighing it in his palm: “It should be enough.”
As the words fell, the young man grabbed his wrist, and a gust of wind carried them away: “Anyone who treats me to a meal is a good person. My name is Gu Taotao, pleased to meet you!”
Shen Liuxiang was currently at the Foundation Establishment stage and couldn’t discern Gu Taotao’s cultivation level. But judging by how they reached the tavern in the blink of an eye, the other party must be at least at the Golden Core stage or higher, though his identity remained unknown.
It was evening, and the tavern had few empty seats, but the two were lucky. By chance, on the second floor, some guests had just left, vacating seats.
Shen Liuxiang sat down, his gaze extending out the window, able to see the activity at the Cloud-Viewing Platform.
He heard someone say the city lord had gone to invite Ao Yue, so he could eat and wait here. Gu Taotao called over a waiter, asked about the specialty dishes, pressed his lips together to prevent drooling, and swallowed: “One of each dish, Liuliu, will your spirit stones be enough?”
Shen Liuxiang: “Enough, but is your stomach big enough?”
Gu Taotao had ordered about three tables full of dishes. He thought the two of them couldn’t finish them all.
Gu Taotao thought for a moment, then nodded: “Actually, my stomach really does feel insufficient. In that case, let’s order two of each dish.”
Shen Liuxiang: “?!”
While the dishes were being prepared, the waiter brought tea, wine, and some appetizers.
Shen Liuxiang picked up his teacup, about to ask Gu Taotao who had already grabbed his chopsticks and started eating. His ears twitched slightly as he heard a group of cultivators at a nearby table whispering, discussing him.
Shen Liuxiang drank his tea, ears perked up to listen.
As he listened, he almost spat out the tea in his mouth.
“The one on the Cloud-Viewing Platform is most likely Shen Liuxiang. What are we going to do?”
“What’s there to fear? The demon beast is dead, and with the Demon Emperor around, there’s no need to worry unnecessarily.”
“You’re completely wrong! Don’t forget, he’s someone who can straddle several boats at once, and even if a boat capsizes, he continues to make waves!!”
“You mean…”
“Hmph, that scoundrel Shen Liuxiang wreaked havoc throughout the Three Realms. If he’s alive, he’ll likely stir up trouble again,” the speaker sighed heavily, sinking into deep despair.
“Think about it. Before his death, who knew that he not only had entanglements with His Majesty the Demon Emperor, Emperor Xingchen, and Immortal Lord Ling Ye, but was also involved with North Lun Sword Venerable, the Devil Realm Lord, Daqian Sect Master, and others! He truly cast a wide net, not missing anyone in the Three Realms!”
Shen Liuxiang choked on his water, covering his mouth and coughing lightly.
Meanwhile, this statement seemed to open the floodgates of conversation, eliciting strong resonance from others in the tavern.
“Indeed, indeed! If not for North Lun Sword Venerable traveling thousands of miles every few days to sweep his tomb, never letting a speck of dust settle on Shen Liuxiang’s grave, who would have known their deep relationship?”
“More than just deep! I think the Sword Venerable is deeply in love, but unfortunately—”
“I’ve heard a bit about the Sword Venerable, but that’s not all. His close disciple brother, and the new Sword Sect Master Ning Runxin… both were entangled with Shen Liuxiang. But this Devil Lord, I never imagined, was so heartbroken after Shen Liuxiang’s death that he hasn’t stepped out of the Devil Palace for a full sixteen years!”
“This… sigh!”
“All of what you’ve said is actually somewhat understandable. The only one I can’t comprehend is Daqian Sect Master Ming Tan. He’s the one who single-handedly created his sect and led Daqian to replace Xiyang as one of the Three Great Immortal Sects. Why does he also frequently come to sweep the tomb, often crying bitterly, still unable to believe that it’s Shen Liuxiang buried there!”
“This… sigh!”
“And there’s more…”
“Sigh!!!”
The purple-clothed young man by the window silently swallowed his tea. Gu Taotao, noticing his unusual expression and hearing the surrounding discussions, said softly: “Are you an admirer of Shen Liuxiang, feeling they’re slandering him?”
Shen Liuxiang displayed an expression of indescribable complexity.
Gu Taotao looked out the window, pointing at the red-clothed youth on the Cloud-Viewing Platform, consoling him: “Don’t be upset. As far as I know, actually none of these people are true. He only has one true love—the Demon Emperor.”
Shen Liuxiang bent his finger toward himself: “Don’t point randomly.”
“I’m not pointing randomly,” Gu Taotao extended his other hand, pointing again. “The Demon Emperor’s beloved is him.”
Shen Liuxiang narrowed his eyes slightly, catching his other hand as well. Gu Taotao asked: “What are you doing?”
“Don’t point randomly. If you want to point, point at me,” Shen Liuxiang said. “Zhou Xuanlan’s beloved is me.”
Gu Taotao quickly looked around: “Shh, how can you call the Demon Emperor’s name out loud in public?”
Shen Liuxiang said: “It really is me.”
Gu Taotao withdrew both hands, looked at the ordinary-looking young man who would be lost in a crowd, put a peanut in his bowl, and nudged the wine pot with his fingertip.
“Liuliu, if only I had given you a peanut earlier, you wouldn’t be this drunk.”
Shen Liuxiang: “…Get lost.”
Gu Taotao giggled. Just then, the dishes arrived, and he eagerly started eating. But just as he picked up a slice of fish, he saw Shen Liuxiang’s expression change as he flipped out the window.
“Shen Liuliu?!”
Above the Cloud-Viewing Platform, a dark cloud floated over.
A massive figure with gray wings retracted, transforming into human form as it landed. The crowd below exclaimed in surprise, calling out “Lord Ao Yue.”
Ao Yue: “Where is he? Is it truly him without mistake?”
The Yanming City Lord hurriedly said: “He looks exactly like the portrait, and it’s not a disguise technique, which is why I dared to invite you over. If it’s really him, it also resolves a matter that has been troubling you. Please remember to put in a good word for me with His Majesty.”
Ao Yue sighed. It had indeed been troubling him.
Since the Evil Ghost Immortal Lord left, Zhou Xuanlan had become like a different person. That kind of pressure and aura made people involuntarily fearful. Over these years, Ao Yue hadn’t dared to interact with him much, and even eating chicken legs day and night wasn’t enjoyable anymore.
Recently, hearing that Shen Liuxiang had appeared in Yanming City, uncertain whether it was true or false, Ao Yue had rushed over as well.
Unfortunately, after waiting for several days, they were all disguises. Today, hearing City Lord Mu say this wasn’t a disguise, he finally felt a bit of anticipation.
“Let me be clear upfront, if it’s fake, I’ll…”
Ao Yue snorted threateningly, but as he looked up and saw the figure on the platform clearly, his words halted.
On the Cloud-Viewing Platform, a beautiful red-clothed youth was holding an orange, biting into it without peeling. Then, as if sensing the gaze, phoenix eyes looked back, lips curving as he said: “Ao Yue, what’s wrong? Don’t you recognize me?”
“Aoowoo—!”
Ao Yue howled with shock and joy, his form flickering, appearing on the Cloud-Viewing Platform.
“Evil Ghost Immortal Lord, it really is you!!!”
After sixteen years, the Evil Ghost Immortal Lord seemed to have changed a bit, but among all the people he had seen, only Shen Liuxiang ate oranges without peeling them. It must be him without a doubt!
Ao Yue was extremely excited. He grabbed the red-clothed youth’s arm and flew down from the high platform with him. “How come you only have Qi Condensation level cultivation now? But it doesn’t matter, Zhou… your disciple will certainly have a way!”
The red-clothed youth’s eyes flickered slightly: “Is that so? I wonder when I can see His Majesty the Demon Emperor.”
Ao Yue was stunned, frowning: “What are you calling him ‘His Majesty’ for? That’s so distant.”
The youth immediately said: “I’m just joking. When I see him, I’ll naturally still call him Zhou, Zhou Xuanlan.”
Only then did Ao Yue smile with satisfaction, saying: “Time is of the essence. I’ll take you to Xuanyao Palace right now, to let Zhou Xuan… the Demon Emperor know. He’ll definitely be overjoyed!”
Ao Yue’s arrival, along with his personal certification that this person was Shen Liuxiang, the master of the Demon Emperor, instantly caused the crowd of onlookers around the Cloud-Viewing Platform to expand by several circles. The place became so crowded with people that they almost spilled into another street.
Shen Liuxiang, rushing from the tavern, found himself trapped in the middle of the crowd, unable to move forward or backward.
He wanted to shout loudly, but with the noisy hubbub around him, even shouting until his voice broke would be useless. Seeing Ao Yue looking excitedly at the impostor, he nearly coughed up three liters of blood in anger.
This impostor only had a sixty to seventy percent resemblance to him, yet Ao Yue could mistake him?
All those years of chicken legs, truly fed to the dogs!
Ao Yue suddenly sneezed violently, looked around at the sea of people, whose expressions were even more excited than his own.
“Is Lord Ao Yue taking him to Xuanyao Palace? Is he going to meet the Demon Emperor? Could he really be our Demon Empress?!”
“Don’t speak nonsense. Has His Majesty visited Zhongling Mountain even once in sixteen years? I think he’s long moved on!”
“Well said! The Demon Emperor is no longer the person he was sixteen years ago. How could he still care about him? Besides, can you imagine His Majesty showing favor to anyone?”
At these words, the surrounding crowd hurriedly shook their heads, reaching a consensus: “He would probably turn to ashes before even getting close to the Demon Emperor!”
Ao Yue noticed the young man beside him looking uneasy and said: “Don’t listen to their nonsense. The Demon Emperor…”
Just as he was about to offer some consolation to the Evil Ghost Immortal Lord, he suddenly sensed something and raised his head.
A tall figure appeared in the sky, silhouetted against the setting sun, making it impossible to see his face clearly. But one could feel a pair of cold, heavy black eyes with a fierce glare, scanning the crowded people below.
A sharp wind blew, causing ripples in his long black robe.
The entire street suddenly fell silent.
—The Demon Emperor.
Why had he suddenly come to Yanming City? Could it be for Shen Liuxiang?!
Questions continued to bubble up in everyone’s hearts, but under the heart-trembling pressure, no one dared to make a sound. They only dared to steal glances at Ao Yue and the city lord in front.
City Lord Mu and his subordinates hurriedly bowed, saying in unison: “Greetings, Your Majesty!”
Ao Yue, eager to inform Zhou Xuanlan, didn’t bow but instead waved and shouted loudly: “Over here, the Evil Ghost Immortal Lord is—”
Before Ao Yue could finish, he heard the sound of wind and looked up to see a purple-clothed youth flying over his head.
With only Foundation Establishment cultivation, one couldn’t hover in the air.
This youth was standing on a dry tree branch he had picked up from somewhere, flashing over the heads of the crowd in the street. His clothes fluttered, and when his eyes curved in a smile, it added a touch of spiritual charm to his otherwise plain face, making him somewhat pleasing to look at.
But before people could see more, they watched as this youth threw himself at the Demon Emperor.
Like an octopus, he wrapped his arms around the Demon Emperor’s neck, clinging to him, then turned his head and brazenly kissed him on the cheek.
“Zhou Xuanlan, I’ve returned.”
The crowd below: “?!!!”
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What’s going on?!
Thank You for the new chapter (๑˙❥˙๑)