Inquiry about immortality

The voice rang in his ears, as if the other person were standing right behind him, inches away. The man in the red robe felt a chill run down his spine and quickly dodged away, only daring to look back after creating some distance.

Where he had just stood, flames flickered, and a small figure emerged from within them.

The figure was only the size of a palm, flickering like a flame, indistinct and hard to see clearly. Judging from its outline, it looked like an ordinary firebird.

But how could there be an ordinary firebird in this cave?

"Who are you!"

When the man in the red robe saw the petite figure, a deep sense of surprise flashed in his eyes.

There are currently five True Lords among the half-demons of Dafeng Plain, but only four have appeared on the battlefield. He is the fifth one, with the Dharma name Yanzhu True Lord. The royal family of the Zhuqian Dynasty is his descendant, so he also has the Vermilion Bird bloodline in his body!
At this moment, Yan Zhu Zhenjun realized that he could not see through this little firebird. Its aura and figure were as elusive as the bird's, as if it were just an avatar, or as if its true form was right here. It was hard to tell the difference between the real and the fake.

This means that the other party's cultivation level is not weak, and I cannot see through it!
What shocked Yan Zhu Zhenjun even more was that when he saw the other party, he felt a throbbing sensation from his bloodline inheritance.

Do not!
It wasn't just a thrill; there was also a subtle yet incredibly powerful pressure that shook him to his core!

This oppressive aura was intangible and intangible, originating from bloodlines, and bloodline inheritance was the very foundation of the demon race. The other party simply stood on a ball of flame, looking at him calmly, without deliberately doing anything, yet the oppressive aura naturally emanated, which only his own bloodline could feel, making him instinctively want to submit to the other party.

The other party is also a descendant of the Vermilion Bird, with a purer bloodline than his own, and extremely high cultivation!

Is this... the real Suzaku?

He is the only True Lord among the descendants of the Vermilion Bird of Dafeng Plain. He could not have come from Dafeng Plain, so where did he come from?

Yan Zhu Zhenjun considered two possibilities. The first was that the chaos of battle had alerted this person, who rushed over from elsewhere and sneaked into the cave amidst the confusion. The second possibility was somewhat alarming: had this person been here all along?

All factions believe that the Ancient Demon Court is hidden in this cave, and that when the Ancient Demon Court was destroyed, there may still be surviving demon stars.

An old monster who has lived since the ancient Demon Court era...

Thinking of this, Yan Zhu Zhenjun did not see the joy of the ancestor, but felt a chill down his spine. However, he quickly realized that the rise of the Dao Court was after the destruction of the Demon Court. If the other party was an old monster, he should not have said those words.

After the fall of the Demon Court, the four great holy clans of the ancient Demon Court, except for the Dragon Clan, have disappeared for many years, as if they were extinct.

Just now, he sneaked into the cave and found that the scene here was completely different from what he had expected. He didn't know where the Ancient Demon Court was. Then he suddenly noticed strange fluctuations here, so he came to check. Unexpectedly, he met a member of his own kind here.

Perhaps this person wasn't drawn here by the chaos; they were already searching for the Ancient Demon Court. As one of the four great holy clans, the Vermilion Bird clan certainly wanted to find the Ancient Demon Court even more than the Dragon and Phoenix clans.

The other party's words reminded Yan Zhu Zhenjun of a record in the clan's ancient texts.

It is said that their clan was not forcibly subdued by the Dao Court, but joined voluntarily. An ancestor entrusted them to the Dao Court, and they changed their name to Danhuan Clan, claiming to be descendants of the Spirit Ibis, deliberately distancing themselves from the Vermilion Bird Clan.

The records in the ancient texts are vague about that ancestor. After leaving them in the Daoist court, the ancestor disappeared and was never heard from again.

The True Lords of the Danhuan Clan throughout the ages have conducted research and suspect that the ancestor may be the real Vermilion Bird, or even a Heavenly Demon Ancestor who had no choice but to entrust them to the Dao Court due to encountering a powerful enemy.

Judging from the outcome, the Vermilion Bird Ancestor was ultimately defeated, and may even have been killed by his opponent. Otherwise, they would not have disappeared even after suffering humiliation in the Great Wind Plains until the Dao Court was destroyed.

As time passed, the Danhuan tribe gradually assimilated into the Daoist court and became just another ordinary person. Outsiders believed they were descendants of the Spirit Ibis, but only they themselves kept this secret for generations.

"who am I?"

When Yan Zhu Zhenjun questioned him, he was met with a strange laugh from the other party, a laugh that carried a hint of self-mockery.

The other party remained silent for a moment, not answering his question, but instead sighed deeply, "I didn't expect that even after the Dao Court has been gone for so long, there are still survivors in your branch. Has the guy who left you in the Dao Court never returned?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Zhu Zhenjun was greatly shaken.

The secret known only to the Danhuan Clan was revealed by the other party in a single sentence, and the other party seemed to recognize that ancestor, speaking in a completely impolite tone!
Recalling the oppressive aura emanating from the other party, Yan Zhu Zhenjun's expression changed slightly, and he cautiously asked, "Senior is..."

"Knowing my identity will do you no good," Suzaku said enigmatically.

Standing before Yan Zhu Zhenjun was naturally Zhuque.

Just now, as they broke through the formation, Suzaku sensed a powerful aura approaching, but it was too late to hide.

Fortunately, it was a descendant of the Vermilion Bird who came. If it had been a demon saint from the Dragon or Phoenix clan, the cultivation level they had faked with the climbing vine might not have been able to fool them.

Yan Zhu Zhenjun felt a chill run down his spine; the powerful enemy of that ancestor from back then might still be alive.

The Heavenly Demon Ancestor only possessed the ethereal and formless Tribulation, and his lifespan was unpredictable, so it was entirely possible that he had survived to this day.

"Please, senior, understand that the entire Danhuan clan yearns to recognize their ancestors and return to their roots every single day!" Yan Zhu Zhenjun earnestly said.

Zhuque sighed in a pretentious manner, "Where are your ancestors? Where is your lineage? Recognizing your ancestors and returning to your lineage will only bring you disaster. It's best to keep your Zhuque bloodline hidden and maintain the status quo."

"This junior simply wants to know, who is the enemy of my clan? The Ancient Demon Court has been destroyed for so many years, can't this grudge be resolved yet?" Yan Zhu Zhenjun asked, looking puzzled.

Zhuque stared at Yanzhu Zhenjun as if he were a fool, and said in a deep voice, "Have you ever thought about why the three of the four ancient demon courts—Xuanwu, Baihu, and Zhuque—all met tragic ends, while the other one is thriving?"

"dragon……"

Yan Zhu Zhenjun was startled and alarmed.

Zhuque, unwilling to elaborate, stopped Yanzhu Zhenjun from pressing further, saying, "I've said it before, getting too close to me will only bring disaster. This is for the best. You don't need to acknowledge your ancestors. When you encounter danger, I will secretly assist you... You were able to get in so quickly, which shows you have quite the means. Who are you serving, the Dao Court or not? The Dao Court probably wouldn't trust a half-demon, would it?"

Yan Zhu Zhenjun hesitated for a moment.

Zhuque narrowed his eyes slightly and suddenly said, "It's the new Demon Court, isn't it?"

It had just assumed that Yan Zhu Zhenjun's ability to infiltrate the cave was a method these half-demon Zhenjun had figured out on their own, and it had intended to trick him, but unexpectedly, it had actually tricked him out of something.

Judging from Yan Zhu Zhenjun's performance, there is clearly a master behind him.

Now that he's involved in the forces of Dafengyuan, he can't possibly side with the Dragon and Phoenix clans; otherwise, the half-demon would have been wiped out long ago. The Dao Court is a lie; the Azure Luan Clan and Qianzhou were brought in by Qin Sang to shield them from disaster. The answer is self-evident.

"Your senior has keen insight."

Now that he had been seen through, Yan Zhu Zhenjun no longer bothered to hide it.

"We had long suspected that the Ancient Demon Court was most likely hiding in the Seven Forbidden Lands. Therefore, while forging the Dragon Vein, they comprehended the method of slaying dragons and offering sacrifices to the heavens, and buried blood graves in the Seven Forbidden Lands in advance. It was through this method that I infiltrated the cave heaven. However, while other fellow Daoists had the intention of taking advantage of the chaos of the various wars, I felt that this was too risky and could very well lead to the extermination of our clan. Just as I was hesitating, the New Demon Court approached me. We are descendants of the Holy Clan of the Demon Court..."

Before Yan Zhu Zhenjun could finish speaking, Zhuque interrupted, "Foolish! The New Demon Court was created by those caterpillars to rebel against Dragon Island and Phoenix Pavilion. How could you expect to be valued if you join the New Demon Court?"

“I share this concern, but the situation is critical, and I have no better choice. Moreover, I believe that if I can make great contributions in the struggle for the Ancient Demon Court, I might be able to secure a place in the New Demon Court,” said True Lord Yanzhu.

"Ancient Demon Court?"

Zhuque chuckled and looked around. "Look around. Does this place look like it might be hiding an ancient demon court?"

Yan Zhu Zhenjun's expression changed drastically, "Senior means..."

"I've said enough today. Even if I told you the Ancient Demon Court isn't here, you might not believe me, and you might even think I'm lying to you. You can continue to follow the New Demon Court's arrangements, and the truth will eventually come out!"

Zhuque stretched and pretended to fly away. "I'll give you one last piece of advice. Although the Ancient Demon Court isn't here, it's still an ancient Qilin's grotto with countless treasures. Why not take advantage of the fact that all the forces are attracted to the Ancient Demon Court and plunder as many treasures as possible?"

"senior!"

Seeing this, Yan Zhu Zhenjun became very anxious and said repeatedly, "This junior believes in senior! But if we don't join the new demon court, where will this junior and the people behind me go?"

"I have more important things to do and cannot attend to you for the time being. Whether it's the new Demon Court or the Dao Court, or even those who are hedging their bets, it's good to take shelter under a big tree. You are just a small clan, and trouble will not befall you yet," Zhuque flapped its wings, its figure leaping among the flames, and disappeared from Yanzhu Zhenjun's sight in the blink of an eye.

Yan Zhu Zhenjun stood there for a long time.

Little did he know that the Vermilion Bird Ancestor in his eyes felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders and let out a long sigh of relief after leaving him.

Qin Sang and the little Qilin emerged from the small cave and learned what had just happened.

"This True Lord actually defected to the New Demon Court?" Qin Sang asked in surprise.

Qin Sang didn't know how many True Lords the half-demon had. It turned out there were more than four, and one more was hidden away.

I thought the Half-Demon True Monarch was truly worried about life and death, but I never expected that they could comprehend the Dragon Vein Secret Technique and sneak into the cave at such a critical moment. Indeed, any cultivator who can cultivate to this level should not be underestimated.

However, Xuanqiu Zhenjun probably never expected that their companions who had gone through thick and thin together would secretly defect to the new demon court.

Although it is unknown what kind of secret technique 'Slaying the Dragon to Sacrifice to Heaven' is, it is not difficult to guess that once True Lord Yanzhu uses such a secret technique, it should be able to help the Wood God Envoy gain the upper hand in the struggle for the Ancient Demon Court.

Perhaps, they can directly bring in the powerful figures from the New Demon Court.

Thinking of this, Qin Sang realized why. Because the existence of the little Qilin had been exposed, he and Zhuque had been on guard against the Wood God Envoy sending people to follow them, but they hadn't found anything, which was quite strange.

It turns out that the Wood God was cunning and had already found another way, so there was no need to risk offending the Dao Court by following them.

This chaotic battle was thrilling on the surface, and the intrigue and backstabbing behind the scenes were equally chilling.

However, Qin Sang was more concerned about something else, staring into Zhuque's eyes, "You just said that the Ancient Demon Court is not here? With so many powerful figures from the Dragon and Phoenix clans, could they have all made a mistake?"

"believe it or not!"

Zhuque rolled her eyes, too lazy to explain, and turned her wings back into green vines, focusing intently on activating the climbing vines.

Qin Sang frowned deeply.

While the Vermilion Bird may be unreliable in many ways, it wouldn't lie about something of great importance. And indeed, after entering the grotto-heaven, Qin Sang didn't sense her destiny star.

He looked up and saw a sea of ​​lava and fire filling the sky, forming an endless expanse of crimson clouds that covered the heavens and the earth.

……

North Sea.

The celestial demon god and the old dragon king of the sea are still locked in a standoff.

Time seemed to stand still in this sea area. Once the Mahayana Ancestors were to engage in battle, it would be no small matter. The destruction to the Great Thousand Worlds would be secondary; the far-reaching impact would be too profound, and it might even change the landscape of the Spirit Realm. Therefore, no one would act rashly.

The old Dragon King seemed to acquiesce to the Demon God's suggestion, waiting for the younger generation to determine the victor.

Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, the cave opened.

The demon god and the old dragon king, who were far away in the North Sea, both sensed it.

In the Milky Way, starlight twinkles faintly.

The old Dragon King suddenly raised his head, his eyes like the sun and moon, radiating divine light. His deep eyes seemed to be able to traverse billions of miles of ocean, reflecting the scene of the Great Wind Plains into his pupils.

"Ha ha……"

Suddenly, a soft laugh echoed from the starry sky, followed by a flash of starlight, and the Milky Way gradually disappeared.

‘Wow! ’

A wave crashed against the cliff, and the sound of water echoed all around, as if time had begun to flow again.

The old Dragon King's expression was somewhat gloomy, and his soft chuckle sounded like a mockery.

They mocked both races for their elaborate schemes, only to find that they had misjudged the situation!

Admittedly, the Qilin Cave may contain clues to the Ancient Demon Court, but its value is greatly reduced compared to the real Ancient Demon Court.

Throughout history, numerous Qilin Grottoes have been discovered in the Spirit Realm, yielding countless treasures. However, very few have been able to alarm the Mahayana Ancestor and cause various forces to engage in fierce battles.

"Humph!"

The old Dragon King snorted coldly and turned back.

……

Phoenix Clan Land.

Phoenix King held the Feather Token in his hand, waiting anxiously.

Orders had been issued, and he decided to proceed cautiously, awaiting intelligence from the front before making a decision.

If the front lines suffer heavy losses because of the Great Wind Plains, then he, as the King of the Phoenix, will also be held responsible.

Just then, the Phoenix King suddenly paused, looking at his palm in surprise. He didn't know when, but the Feather Token in his hand had disappeared into thin air.

……

The land of the Qingluan clan.

Many Qingluan Clan cultivators gazed in the direction of the Misheng Cave Heaven.

This grotto is said to be the Taoist temple of the clan's ancestor, and even within the clan, it has always been a legend.

Just recently, a sea of ​​clouds suddenly appeared in that area that the clan had designated as a forbidden zone, with clouds and mist filling the sky, making it mysterious and unpredictable.

"Huh? The sea of ​​clouds has disappeared!"

The Azure Phoenix Clan cultivators who were staring at the scene were discussing among themselves.

The sea of ​​clouds surged on the horizon, then receded like the tide. (End of Chapter)