The immortal is beside me

Chapter 68: The Country Born Because of Him (Available Tomorrow Night)

Under the gaze of everyone, the Demon King living among the paulownia trees flapped his wings and cried out loudly.

The clear cries echoed throughout the demon capital. Within a few breaths, the locust trees scattered throughout the city blossomed, and a shower of flowers swept up from the sky, sweeping across the entire capital. Wherever the rain of flowers touched, the grass and trees sprouted branches, and all things blossomed.

Endless life—this was the power held by the Phoenix. It was the king of this world, and every blade of grass and tree in the Qishan region became its limbs.

The people at the Transcendent Research Institute perched on the tree branches were equally awed. They weren't from the Qishan demon tribe, but the moment the phoenix's cry fell, they felt a tingling sensation throughout their bodies, a sudden enlightenment rushing through their heads, as if their entire skulls were vibrating with the cry.

Humans are the most intelligent creatures in the world. But in front of the Demon King, they felt like they had turned back into primitive animals. Under that crimson figure, they felt an inexplicable urge to bow down in worship.

"This is the Demon King," someone in the team sighed softly.

Just from looking at the information and pictures, they had already had some idea of ​​this king of monsters. But when they actually saw him, they realized how pale the mere description was.

In this age without kings, princes, generals, or ministers, they saw the true aura of an emperor in a demon. It didn't need to do anything; simply standing there was enough to make people look up to it.

The drums below began to beat again, and this time it brought a real spectacle.

Just like festivals on earth, the flower viewing festivals in the demon country also have celebration programs.

Amid the beating of drums, the attendants took turns to perform: a white rabbit played the piano, a peacock danced, a bird held a lantern in its mouth, and a red fox performed a show, all of which matched the rain of locust flowers in the sky, forming a picture of all things celebrating together.

The scene of rain of flowers blending with the monsters was truly eye-catching, but few people in the Super Research Institute were interested in appreciating it. All their eyes were fixed on the giant red shadow at the top.

It sat upright atop a giant tree, quietly watching the people rejoicing below. Its golden eyes were filled with a deep feeling, as if it were reminiscing about something.

After the first few sections of singing and dancing, there was a unique opera of the demon tribe.

Before the golden statues of “Emperor and Immortal”, a simple wooden stage was erected, but without the curtains commonly seen on human stages, the performance was performed on the spot with the surrounding green mountains and golden trees as the backdrop.

Several costumed little demons walked onto the stage and were divided into two groups. On one side was a lion, an elephant, and a roc, while on the other side was a "man" wearing a red robe and a mask, with a red bird accompanying him. They stared at the three demons opposite them.

Compared with human society, the costumes and props of the demon country are so crude that they are unbearable to look at. If they were to be placed outside, they would not even be considered 50 cents. However, against the backdrop of the surrounding natural landscape, combined with the magic inspired by the demon power, it has a special charm.

"The moon on Mount Qi once shone on the dancing fairies!"

"A hundred birds pay homage to the phoenix and drink its sweet wine!"

"Who would have thought that the three demons would roar and gather to block out the light from the sky?"

"The bloody rain and wind obscured the sun!"

The opening verses truly had a touch of operatic strains. Accompanied by the beats of drums and clappers, the "three demons" on stage lined up with bared fangs and claws, their demonic power emanating, stirring up a small storm on the stage.

"The weeping blood of wronged souls stains the sky, and the wails of all spirits shake the world."

"Suddenly, an immortal appeared on the clouds, and the clear sky and blue sky reappeared in the mountain stream!"

The storm on the stage suddenly dissipated, and a cluster of flames ignited from the center. In the flames, the "immortal" in red clothes and the red bird with red feathers appeared, followed by flames. The originally gray stage suddenly became bright.

"Fire burns the corpse forest to break the miasma, sword slashes the three demons and splits the azure sky!"

"Three souls fell into the waves of the underworld, and Mount Qishan saw the bright sun again!"

The flames swept across, engulfing the three demons on the stage, dimming the sweeping black wind. The blazing flames illuminated the silhouettes of the Red-Robed Immortal and the Red-Feathered Sparrow. They walked to the center of the stage, looking at each other and nodding.

The red bird flapped its wings and said, "Thank you, Immortal, for the opportunity."

The Red-Robed Immortal nodded and responded, "We all share the same responsibility."

The two turned around simultaneously and sang the final tune to the demons in the audience.

"Look at the spring mud giving birth to new green, and all kinds of creatures flying in the frosty sky!"

The entire event reached its climax amidst the singing and dancing. The little demons on all sides cheered and leaped for joy to the music, their cries of joy echoing throughout the capital.

"I saw this opera last time I came for exploration. I didn't expect it to be performed this year."

On the viewing platform, a senior researcher in the team rubbed his chin and said, "It seems that this should be a fixed program of the annual conference."

Cheng Xiaomeng beside him did not respond, but continued to adjust the camera in his hand, zooming in further, and staring at the phoenix above through the display screen.

It remained motionless on the platform, its gaze cast downward at everything below. On the screen, those golden eyes, cast low, seemed to hold a faint trace of sadness. Cheng Xiaomeng was stunned. This was the climax of the celebration, the entire Demon City was immersed in joy, so why was this Demon King so sad?
Did it remember something? Or someone?

She thought of the guess she had made before: after traveling together for many years, the Phoenix suddenly returned to Mount Qishan, while the immortal disappeared. It was very likely that the immortal passed away on the way, ending the thousand-year journey, and the Phoenix returned home to establish the Demon Kingdom.

Cheng Xiaomeng suddenly shuddered, and a bold idea flashed through her mind like lightning.

The murals scattered throughout the demon city, the carefully preserved relics, the legends that permeate the land, and the lively opera before our eyes.
Along the way, this vast demon country is full of traces left by immortals, like a monument erected for him.

This guess was so shocking that her hand holding the camera shook.

Sweeping the world, subduing the demons, being crowned as emperor, preaching to the people. This world-shaking feat, this miraculous country, was not for the pursuit of supreme power, but only to preserve the traces of someone's existence.

The Qishan Demon Kingdom is a country born for him.

The music gradually faded, and the play was coming to an end.

On the wooden stage, the three demons had already fallen, and the red-robed "immortal" and the red bird saluted the surroundings in synchronization, causing the demons below the stage to boil over with thunderous cheers in an extremely enthusiastic manner.

The Demon King on the throne just watched quietly.

Its past story was being performed on the stage, but there was no immortal in red by its side anymore.

On the viewing branch below, Cheng Xiaomeng stared at the figure reflected on the display screen, silent.

The play must eventually come to an end.

Soon, the last music faded away, and the "actors" on the stage took their bows. All that remained in the huge square were the excited cheers of the crowd and the applause of the people from the Super Research Institute who were watching from the branches.

According to the agenda, this opera was the last item of the conference, and it also announced the end of their exploration trip.

Whether as an audience of the show or as a celebration of the ending, they all deserve applause for this scene.

"You know what, this Demon Country's program is really quite unique. I didn't expect the Demon King would even bring this here."

"Not only do they have unique legends, but they can also be adapted into original operas. The culture of this demon country has truly developed to a considerable level. I might be able to publish a paper based on this when I return."

"If you're going to start a project, take me with you. I also want to carefully consider the connotations of that immortal legend."

The group clapped and chatted, and a few of them were about to pack up and leave. However, at this moment, the bustling noise around them suddenly stopped.

An invisible aura swept across the entire venue, and the entire world seemed to be silenced in an instant. The echoing melody, the boiling crowd of monsters, and the applause on the branches were all abruptly cut off. All the eyes in the venue raised their heads at the same time, looking towards the source of the aura.

As everyone focused their attention, the phoenix, which had been sitting upright atop the golden sycamore tree, suddenly stood up, its feathers flaring out like an emperor rising from his throne and unfurling his sword. This single movement drowned out all other sounds on the field.

The demons fell silent under the might of the phoenix, and the people at the Transcendental Research Institute on the branches held their breath. No one knew why the phoenix had suddenly moved, and the sudden surge of momentum made it almost impossible for them to think.

Everyone was looking at the Demon King on the throne, but the Demon King's eyes were only fixed on a figure on the ground.

The man stood beneath the locust tree beside the stage, only a dozen steps away from the seething demons, yet seemed to blend in, unnoticed by any presence. He raised his hand, as if only seconds ago he had been applauding the wonderful opera, his every move like a true audience member.

In this boiling scene, no one noticed the sudden appearance of the audience, but the Demon King who was perched high on the Wutong tree, a thousand feet away, saw it at a glance.

Then, the high and mighty Demon King stepped down from his throne.

Under the gaze of the crowd, the phoenix on the phoenix tree suddenly spread its wings. This movement alone caused the entire golden phoenix tree to tremble. It flapped its wings and lifted off the phoenix branch where it sat. Its entire body transformed into a flaming meteor, flying towards the ground in a near-dive.

A strong wind swept all around, and everyone in the Super Research Institute on the observation deck was blown to and fro. The little demons gathered in the square hurriedly scattered. The originally crowded square suddenly had a huge open space. A giant red bird landed on the ground, but did not look at the people around it. Instead, it folded its wings and landed directly in front of the locust tree where the man was standing.

"what's the situation?"

On the branches, people from the Super Research Institute held down the equipment that was almost blown over and looked up in confusion.

Cheng Xiaomeng, who was standing in front of them, quickly adjusted the focus and zoomed the camera in the direction where the phoenix was heading. In the camera image, a figure wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants appeared completely on the screen. Only in this way could they see the man's appearance clearly.

He stood there, staring quietly at the giant bird in front of him. After a while, he slowly walked forward, stretched out his hand, and stroked the red bird's drooping forehead.

"After hundreds of years, you have become a real phoenix."

(End of this chapter)