No spiritual root? I devour the origins of all paths.

Chapter 31 Demon Emperor

The news of Fen Tian's return to power reached the mortal realm in less than a day.

Jian Xuan stood before the crevice of Broken Sky Cliff, staring at the brief message from Ling Chen on the communication jade slip, remaining silent for a long time. The jade slip contained only one line: "Burning Heaven has returned, the three swords are reunited. The location of the Spirit Realm array base has been locked; the next step is to proceed to the old site of the Conferred God Platform." There was no further description, no mention of how scorching the flames of the Extreme Flame Forbidden Land were, nor of how the Flame Servant's trial had nearly burned him to a crisp. But Jian Xuan had known Ling Chen long enough that he could glean from that overly concise line what had happened. Knowing that kid's nature, the more understated the description, the more devastating the ordeal.

He didn't reply to the message. He simply put the jade slip into his sleeve and looked up towards the direction of the rift in the spirit realm. The rift had widened by another finger's width in the past few days, and the sealing inscriptions at its edge were shattered every few days. The disciples guarding Broken Sky Cliff had begun to get used to this silent tremor, no longer as panicked as they had been at the beginning. But he wasn't used to it. Three thousand years of cultivation intuition told him that this was not a good omen. The Demon Lord's power was continuing to recover, the rift was expanding at an accelerated rate, and their greatest reliance—the sword mark on the back of Ling Chen's hand—was ultimately just the last line of defense in the mortal realm before the spirit realm's array base was activated, not a means of attack.

"Send a message to the three major sects," he said to the disciples behind him, "the seal on the spirit realm is weakening. All disciples traveling outside must return to their sects within three days. The mountain-protecting formation is now on level two alert."

The disciple in charge obeyed and left. Jian Xuan remained standing before the crack, his robes fluttering in the turbulent air emanating from it. He did not turn back. Behind him, towards the main peak of the Qingyun Sect, the three cracks on the sword monument were exceptionally clear in the moonlight, like three swords hanging precariously.

Meanwhile, in the spirit world.

After retreating from the Extreme Flame Wasteland, Ling Chen and his group of four rested for half a day in a secluded cave on the outskirts of the mountains. The commotion of Burning Heaven recognizing its master was too great—the pillar of light that shot into the sky illuminated almost half of the northeastern sky of the Spirit Realm, and it was impossible for demon scouts within a radius of hundreds of miles not to have seen it. In fact, they had already encountered two waves of patrolling demonized beasts during their retreat, and although they dealt with them swiftly, their whereabouts had clearly been exposed.

"We need to move it as soon as possible." Ling Chen stored the Burning Heaven sword into the Myriad Dao Returning to Ruins Diagram. Unlike the Broken Thought sword, which needs to be carried close at hand, the Burning Heaven sword's fire attribute is too flamboyant. Walking in the Spirit Realm, where demons abound, would be tantamount to holding a torch and shouting, "I'm here!" However, the Myriad Dao Returning to Ruins Diagram can isolate the Burning Heaven sword's overflowing fire-type spiritual energy fluctuations. As long as the sword is in the diagram, the demons cannot pinpoint its exact location. The only cost is that the sword intent resonance will be temporarily suppressed. Su Qingyuan cannot perceive the Burning Heaven sword intent through Frost Condensation, and the connection between the three swords is reduced to a very faint aftershock of resonance.

"The site of the Conferred God Platform is in the northwest of the Spirit Realm, at least two thousand miles away as the crow flies." Su Qingyuan squatted on the ground, using the tip of her Frost Condensing Sword to draw a simple map on the rocky ground. "At our previous pace, it would take seven or eight days without encountering any battles. But the demons already know our location, so going in a straight line is like crashing into a demon cultivator's outpost. Taking a detour would take at least twice as long—half a month to twenty days."

Han Tie wiped the demonic blood from his sword without looking up: "The time wasted taking the detour, is enough for the Demon Lord to accumulate several rounds of power?"

Su Qingyuan did not answer. Everyone knew the answer—time was not on their side.

"No detours." Ling Chen stared at the simple map on the ground, pointing to a location between the northeastern mountains and the northwest Conferred God Platform. "Go this way. We need to find someone. Elder Mo, how far is Bai Ze's old stronghold from here?"

"The nearest contact point for the demon race is at Ghost Cry Mountain, two hundred miles southwest. But you have the aura of a human on you, so the demon race won't easily believe you. Even if you produce the Myriad Dao Returning to the Void Map, they might not accept it. They've been betrayed by humans too many times; a single divine artifact isn't enough to build trust."

Xiao Lie wiped the fine lines on the sword's surface, corroded by demonic blood, and interjected without turning his head, "Then let's make them believe with our fists. Aren't the demon race fond of strength? A few fights will do the trick."

Han Tie silently gave a thumbs up from the side.

Two days later, at Ghost Cry Mountain.

The terrain of Ghost Cry Mountain was more treacherous than Ling Chen had anticipated. The entire mountain peak rose in a spiral shape from the crimson wasteland, resembling a twisted giant sword thrust upside down into the ground from a distance. The mountain walls were steep and sheer, perpetually shrouded in dark red miasma. The mountain was riddled with jagged rocks, each boulder's outline resembling a crouching monster within the miasma. At the foot of the mountain, at the entrance, stood a group of half-demons—not many, only seven or eight, but each possessing a cultivation level above the peak of Qi Gathering. Leading them was a cold-faced woman, tall and slender, her arms covered in silver-gray scales, her pupils vertical like those of a cold-blooded animal. She stood at the mountain pass, arms crossed, scrutinizing them.

"Human cultivators? What are you doing at Ghost Cry Mountain?" The tone wasn't hostile, but it was full of vigilance.

Ling Chen stepped forward: "I am Ling Chen of the Qingyun Sect. I have important business to discuss with the Demon Emperor Bai Ze."

The woman's gaze swept over the tassel of the Broken Heart Sword at Ling Chen's waist, and she sneered, "The Demon Emperor is not here. Lord Bai Ze has not returned to Ghost Cry Mountain for a long time. You are too late—several months ago, he set off to find an old artifact, the Ghost Shark Scale, and has not returned since. If there is nothing else, please leave."

When is he coming back?

"I don't know. He probably doesn't want to come back if he can't find Kisame Scales." The woman turned to leave.

Ling Chen paused for a moment, then summoned the Myriad Dao Returning to Nothingness Diagram from his dantian. The ancient scroll slowly unfurled in mid-air, releasing the sealed chaotic aura. The half-demon guards simultaneously paled—the aura wasn't harmful, yet it caused all half-demon bloodlines to tremble slightly. It was an instinctive reverence etched into the memories of the demon race's bloodline, a reverence that had cleansed the chaotic origins of the entire spirit realm ten thousand years ago when the Celestial Venerable and the Demon Emperor fought side by side.

"I am the reincarnation of the Celestial Venerable, and I have important matters to discuss with the Demon Emperor. Please be sure to inform me of his whereabouts."

The woman turned around, her vertical pupils contracting sharply. She stared at Ling Chen for a long time, as if trying to discern something from his eyes. Then she gestured with her chin towards the cave entrance, her tone softening slightly: "Come in."

The cave's interior was a completely different world. The natural lava passage had been transformed into a rugged and sturdy stone fortress. Inside, half-demons bustled about; some were carrying ore, others repairing armor, and a few children played around a glowing crystal ball in a corner. The children's pupils were varied, some vertical, some horizontal, clearly indicating different degrees of hybridity. The woman led Ling Chen and his companions into a stone chamber. A simple stone table and benches sat on the table, along with a pot of steaming beast bone tea. She gestured for them to sit wherever they liked, then sat down herself and poured herself a cup.

"My name is Yin Lin, the captain of the Ghost Cry Mountain branch." The woman held a rough ceramic cup in both hands. "I apologize for my previous neglect. In recent years, there have been too many demonic cultivators posing as messengers of the immortal sects to extract information. When we see human cultivators visiting, we usually treat them as swindlers first."

"What is Kisame Scale?" Ling Chen asked.

"An ancient demonic artifact, said to be able to open the barrier deep within the Netherworld Sea, sealing within the demon race's war arsenal from the ancient war between gods and demons ten thousand years ago—armor, weapons, and spiritual herbs, crucial to the survival of the demon race. The last message the master left us before departing was, 'If he does not return within three months, seal off the mountain and defend it.'" Silver Scale lowered his eyes, looking at the tea leaves floating in the ceramic cup. "Now three months have passed, and he still hasn't returned."

Ling Chen then asked what the Netherworld Sea was. Yin Lin's answer was brief: "The sea where the Spirit Realm and the Demon Realm meet. A place that living people cannot enter."

Ling Chen and Su Qingyuan exchanged a glance. The Demon Emperor went to a place inaccessible to the living to find a demonic artifact, and then failed to return on time—this didn't sound like a coincidence. The Demon Lord's resurrection was imminent, and the seals throughout the Spirit Realm were loosening; border areas like the Nether Sea had likely already experienced changes.

"We need to find him. Not just to save him—the Demon Lord is about to break the seal, and we need the allies of the demon race. Humans and demons fought side by side ten thousand years ago, and now the crisis is repeating itself. Only by joining forces can we stop the Demon Lord."

Yin Lin remained silent for a long time. The tea in her cup had gone cold, but she hadn't drunk a drop. She raised her head, her vertical pupils gleaming faintly in the dim stone chamber: "Give us a day to confirm your identity. If you are truly the reincarnation of the Celestial Venerable, the demon race will certainly do everything in its power to help you."

Ling Chen nodded. Yin Lin got up and walked to the corner of the stone chamber. She took out a dusty animal skin scroll from a hidden compartment in the wall. The scroll was densely covered with drawings of the mountains and seas of the spirit world. She pointed to a section of sea painted in ink black at the edge of the map and tapped the ink mark lightly twice with her fingertip.

"The master's location before his disappearance was roughly in the southeastern part of the Netherworld Sea, but the specific ghost shark scale he was looking for sank near an unnamed deserted island in the southeast. We sent search teams to look for it, but none of them returned. That place is close to the Demon Realm Rift, and the demonic energy there is even denser than in the Extreme Flame Forbidden Land. Only the demonic power of a Demon Emperor can resist its erosion."

Han Tie interjected, "Didn't your superiors leave behind any protective artifacts? Like a soul lamp or something, so they could at least know whether he's dead or alive?"

Yin Lin glanced at him: "The Demon Emperor doesn't need a Soul Lamp. His vitality is so strong that he could soak in the Demon Realm rift for months without any major problems. But the fact that he hasn't returned means he's not exhausted, but trapped."

Ling Chen stood up. "That barrier can only be opened by the Demon Emperor himself?"

"Yes. The Nether Sea Seal is the last barrier set up by the demon race and the human race ten thousand years ago. Only Lord Bai Ze himself can open it. If something happens to you, not only will the armory inside be completely sealed off, but worse, the barrier itself is also one of the last barriers sealing the gate to the Demon Realm. Once the barrier collapses, the gate to the Demon Realm will open directly in the depths of the Nether Sea."

"Should we prioritize finding Bai Ze or opening the war reserve depot?"

Yin Lin's tone was unwavering: "Find Lord Bai Ze. With him, the demon race can unite. Without him, even if the armory is opened, no one can afford those ancient armors. His life is more valuable than the armory." Her voice trembled almost imperceptibly at the end, as if she realized that her words meant she had placed the safety of her lord above the survival of the entire demon race, but her expression remained unchanged.

Su Qingyuan put down her teacup, her voice calm: "We will be ready to depart by tomorrow. Captain Silverscale, thank you for your trust."

Yin Lin stood up and pushed the animal hide scroll in front of Ling Chen: "You're welcome."

Xiao Lie and Han Tie had already finished two pots of beast bone tea while left in the passageway outside the reception room. Han Tie, while drinking, studied the scale patterns on the half-demon guards, concluding that these patterns were highly similar to the Silver Scaled Flood Dragon from the ancient monster atlas in the Iron Sword Sect's library. Xiao Lie counted the glowing ores floating on the cave ceiling; after counting to over three hundred pieces, he finally saw Ling Chen and Su Qingyuan push open the door and emerge.

"The deal's done?"

"We'll set off tomorrow to find the Demon Emperor."

Han Tie put down his teacup: "A place where living people can't get in?"

"Not necessarily." Ling Chen glanced down at the increasingly hot sword mark on the back of his hand, its eerie blue light shining brightly in the dim cave. "The reason living people can't get in is probably because the demonic energy is too dense. But I have the Myriad Dao Returning to the Void Diagram, whose chaotic power can devour demonic energy, so I can at least hold out inside for a while. If the Demon Emperor himself is trapped in the Netherworld Sea, and we don't go, he will be sealed in place for thousands of years like Yan Shi."

Su Qingyuan suddenly smiled, which was rare for her: "Sword servants test comprehension, ice servants test loyalty, and fire servants test willpower."

"Where's Bai Ze?"

Ling Chen lowered his head and pondered for a moment: "...It's probably Bai Ze testing whether one is persistent enough in repaying favors."