Shen Liuxiang shook his head lightly. Just as he was about to leave, there was a splash from the bathroom, followed by Ling Hua’s furious shout: “You, you—turn around!”
The door slammed open.
Waves rippled by the pool. Shen Liuxiang looked at the suddenly appeared Yao Mengyue, and at Ling Hua who had hastily grabbed an outer robe to wrap around himself, fuming to the point of grinding his teeth.
He was silent for a moment: “Shall you two continue?”
Ling Hua, having put on his clothes: “Continue what! Come back!”
Shen Liuxiang had no choice but to retreat back, and said to Yao Mengyue: “How many spies did you place?” She had come too quickly.
Yao Mengyue squatted by the pool, splashing water at Ling Hua who was trying to get out, while smiling brightly: “Not many, just three hundred. I finally caught you. I thought you really weren’t coming.”
Ling Hua wiped the water from his face. He had initially wanted to scold her, but seeing the woman’s eyes redden as she smiled, he sighed and spread his arms, saying: “I was delayed on the way, otherwise I would have arrived earlier. Don’t cry. Come down here for a hug.”
The woman on the shore immediately jumped into the bath, tightly embracing him.
Shen Liuxiang blinked, thinking it was better to give them privacy. He took a few steps, but was called back.
“Don’t rush,” Ling Hua said. “Can you take her away as well?”
As he spoke, he pushed Yao Mengyue away, telling her to quickly leave with Shen Liuxiang. As she was stepping out of the bath dripping wet, he tossed her a fur robe: “Did you come without extra clothes again? Put this on, then leave.”
Yao Mengyue was quite content. Once outside, she smiled brightly at Shen Liuxiang: “Where’s the Ninth Demon King? Why isn’t he by your side?”
The incident where the Ninth Demon King caught Shen Young Lord from the Imperial Palace as he descended from the sky had spread throughout the demon realm within days, becoming a beautiful tale of the moment. Yao Mengyue had naturally heard about it.
“He has business,”
Shen Liuxiang casually replied, then asked: “You just came like this? Hasn’t the Great Demon King assigned people to watch you?”
“As long as I don’t leave the Demon Capital, he won’t bother with me,” Yao Mengyue sneered. “Who knows what he’s planning? I only heard from others that I was getting married. It’s ridiculous!”
Shen Liuxiang pondered—if this was all a trap set by Heng Jiuyin from the beginning, what was his purpose?
A demon princess’s wedding, when guests would come from all directions to congratulate…
Shen Liuxiang was stunned, his eyes suddenly widening as he looked down at his feet, a chill rising in his heart.
When he and Ling Ye had examined the scroll, they could only vaguely see that the sealing place was somewhere in the Demon Capital area, so they had instinctively searched the secret realms around the Demon Capital. But they had overlooked one point: hundreds of years ago, the Demon Capital had also been wasteland covered with secret realms. It was only after Di Yunyu stayed there for a night that the place was transformed into flat ground.
Qiongqi might be right beneath the Demon Capital!
Heng Jiuyin had destroyed the scroll to prevent them from finding the sealing place, while simultaneously preparing another plan—using Yao Mengyue’s wedding to attract a large number of people to the Demon Capital, who would also become obstacles for them.
To examine the sealing place below, they would need to drive everyone away and overturn the Demon Capital.
But who had the ability to make everyone leave the Demon Capital?
Di Yunyu could. If he came… As soon as this thought arose, Shen Liuxiang’s heart skipped a beat.
If Qiongqi broke free from its seal, the people in the Demon Capital would be the first to perish, without even a chance to escape. If anyone in the world could save them, it would only be Di Yunyu. In this sense, all these people were essentially hostages, a clear message to Di Yunyu—if you don’t come, they’ll all die.
Seeing Shen Liuxiang leave with a furrowed brow, Yao Mengyue hurriedly asked: “Where are you going?”
Shen Liuxiang ignored her, repeatedly organizing and analyzing his thoughts. Heng Jiuyin had told them about the ascension, expecting they wouldn’t disturb Di Yunyu at this time.
Indeed, since learning that Di Yunyu was facing the tribulation lightning—his last chance to leave—if he failed, not only would his ascension fail, but his cultivation would completely dissipate, becoming just a lost soul under the tribulation lightning.
This outcome was unacceptable to both him and Xu Xingchen.
Therefore, Shen Liuxiang had always believed that Heng Jiuyin’s actions were aimed at the fierce beast, intending to release and control Qiongqi after Di Yunyu’s departure.
But thinking carefully now, the timing of Yao Mengyue’s wedding was too coincidental, right around Di Yunyu’s tribulation. If Heng Jiuyin had been targeting Di Yunyu from the beginning, with Qiongqi merely being a chess piece to force Di Yunyu to rush to the Demon Capital to save people during his tribulation…
Shen Liuxiang thought deeply. What benefit would Heng Jiuyin gain from all this? Disturbing Di Yunyu’s tribulation, the one ascending couldn’t be replaced… could it?!
Shen Liuxiang’s footsteps halted, his mind violently shaken.
For nearly a thousand years, no demon had successfully ascended. Heng Jiuyin had lived for four hundred years, but regardless of how high his cultivation was, he couldn’t achieve immortality. Without the path to heaven, he would eventually return to dust.
Could it be that he had some method to replace Di Yunyu in the tribulation and ascend instead?!
With an unsettled mind, Shen Liuxiang found Xu Xingchen, who was staring blankly at a magic scroll, his face showing signs of struggle. Seeing Shen Liuxiang’s arrival, he quickly stood up and obediently called out: “Elder Brother.”
Shen Liuxiang asked: “What are you looking at?”
“…Sealing technique,” Xu Xingchen lowered his head, hesitating before continuing, “I’ve discovered that the power of the barrier varies with the caster’s cultivation level. As Father Emperor’s cultivation dissipates, the barrier sealing Qiongqi has been weakening.”
Shen Liuxiang said: “Are you saying that when Father Emperor leaves during his tribulation, it will be when the barrier is at its weakest, and the fierce beast is most likely to break free at that time?”
This was practically a repeat of the monster descent hundreds of years ago when Di Yunyu gave up his ascension. The difference was that Di Yunyu had deliberately failed one tribulation before, weakening his cultivation, and he couldn’t afford to be so reckless again.
Xu Xingchen nodded: “I’m returning to the Imperial Palace tomorrow. Elder Brother, come with me. I want to cut off Shenqi Mountain’s connection with the outside world, preventing any news from reaching Father Emperor’s ears. We’ll just tell him we couldn’t find the fierce beast’s location, so he can focus on his tribulation. As for here… leave it to Heng Jiuyin, it’s his territory… we can’t worry about everything!”
Shen Liuxiang poured a cup of tea and shared his speculation with Xu Xingchen.
“He dares—!” Xu Xingchen’s face showed shock. “Heng Jiuyin dares to steal Father Emperor’s destiny! Impossible! Absolutely impossible!”
But even as he denied it, Xu Xingchen believed it somewhat. When Heng Jiuyin had spoken to him about ascension, the longing on his face was undisguisable.
Xu Xingchen suddenly stood up: “I’ll arrange it now. I’ll have Xinglian stay by Father Emperor’s side, watching him constantly, preventing him from leaving the Imperial Palace!”
Having said this, he took out a jade slip, but after probing with his spiritual power for a while, he received no response from Xu Xinglian.
“Perhaps she’s asleep.”
Putting down the jade slip, Xu Xingchen’s expression was tense, his face full of anxiety for Di Yunyu’s situation, uncertain of what to do next. He instinctively glanced at Shen Liuxiang.
Shen Liuxiang was silent for a moment, then curved his lips in a smile at him, and then vigorously rubbed his head, “Why the rush? What are you afraid of? If you can’t handle this much, how will you be Emperor in the future?”
Xu Xingchen’s throat choked, shaking his head continuously: “I, I don’t want to be Emperor anymore. Let Father Emperor continue.”
Although he had thoughts of becoming Emperor since childhood, he had never imagined that Di Yunyu would leave one day. He had thought Di Yunyu would always be with them.
Shen Liuxiang unconsciously clenched his hand, his nails digging into his palm, leaving deep bloody marks in his flesh. Yet on his face, he was smiling playfully, draping his arm around Xu Xingchen’s shoulders for a hug.
“I’ll tell you what, when you return to the Imperial Palace tomorrow, just cry like this in front of Father Emperor, wailing loudly. He’ll definitely soften his heart and agree to whatever you say… If you’re reluctant to let Father Emperor ascend, then work hard yourself, and one day you can also undergo the tribulation and leave, wouldn’t that be good? If you only focus on being sad, and then when my cultivation is complete and I leave too, taking Xinglian along with me, you’ll truly be pitiful and all alone—ouch!”
Shen Liuxiang exclaimed in surprise: “You bit me! Are you Ao Yue or something?!”
Shen Liuxiang had been comforting him for quite a while, only to get bitten. Annoyed, he slapped Xu Xingchen’s head, knocking his crown askew.
Xu Xingchen straightened his purple gold crown, refusing to apologize: “You spoke nonsense first.”
Shen Liuxiang raised his hand to rub his shoulder, grimacing in pain, suspecting he might be bleeding—Xu Xingchen had bitten quite hard. “I was just making a comparison! Why are you so angry!”
“I won’t allow it,” Xu Xingchen said coldly. “I simply won’t allow it.”
Seeing his attitude of “it’s not acceptable, not even as a hypothesis!” Shen Liuxiang couldn’t be bothered to argue anymore. He went to the window and looked at the sky.
In two more hours, it would be dawn.
At Ao Yue’s speed, Zhou Xuanlan should already be in the Eight Cardinal Realms. He wondered how he was doing now, and if he was all right.
##
Thank You for the new chapter ❤_(:3 」∠)_
I have a feeling we r in for a stressful situation 😭
I hope the emperor will be okay🙏