557: Zhen Tianhou, about the outside world

“Marquis, a Demon King? Isn't there no Demon King in this world?” a young general beside him asked, puzzled.

They were the generals guarding the North Sea, and the man in blood-red robes was a Clone of Marquis Zhentian left in Zhenhai Prefecture.

“Could it be the vanguard of a Demon King, already arrived ahead of schedule?”

Another middle-aged general said with a grim expression. If a Demon King had indeed arrived early, that would not be good.

“It’s not a true Demon King, just a wisp of a Demon King’s Qi.”

“Has anyone entered Zhenhai Prefecture recently?!”

Marquis Zhentian said indifferently.

“Yes, Yan Luo Temple contacted us and said that the new Chu Jiang Wang would come to Zhenhai Prefecture, head to Nether Abyss, and seek blood of the god slayer and Top-Grade Spirit Stone to repair the divine array of Gui Xu Forbidden Land.”

The middle-aged general responded. Marquis Zhentian asking this naturally wasn’t about ordinary people.

“This wisp of Demon King Qi should be something he produced. He’s probably refining some special Puppet, which generated a trace of Demon King Qi.”

Marquis Zhentian’s blood-red robes fluttered, and with a wave of his large hand, his Dharma power swept out like an ocean. The Heavenly Tribulation Qi within a hundred-mile radius completely dissipated into nothingness.

Although he resided deep in the North Sea, he was well aware of every move within Great Chu.

He also had full command of Chu Jiang’s personal information.

He was not only powerful and a Prodigy in talent, but also had considerable research in Artifact Refining and Puppets. In the entire Zhenhai Prefecture, it was estimated that only he had the ability to conjure such a thing.

“A Rongtian Tenth Rank at such a young age, even more exaggerated than Yuan Shouyi.”

“Let’s go meet him!”

Marquis Zhentian said indifferently.

“Yes!”

Although the several generals didn’t believe Chu Jiang could create a Demon King-level Puppet, they still nodded.

The next moment.

Ice flower lotus Seals bloomed beneath Marquis Zhentian’s feet, and the entire Void Realm seemed to freeze. The several people instantly vanished from this world.

…

At this moment, outside Nether Abyss.

Chu Jiang, who was meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them and looked at the distant Void Realm, softly saying, “Someone’s here!”

He saw.

In the Void Realm ahead, an ice lotus bloomed, and several figures appeared out of thin air.

The leader, in blood-red robes, had an ethereal aura. He showed no signs of cultivation, appearing like a Mortal.

“This person is extremely strong!”

Far stronger than the Nine Nether Underworld Flood Dragon before. Chu Jiang secretly observed. This was a manifestation of cultivation reaching an extremely profound level, completely restrained.

In the entire North Sea, only Marquis Zhentian possessed such cultivation and was in Zhenhai Prefecture.

Among the seven first-Rank Marquises of Great Chu’s frontier, three were under his command.

“Greetings, Marquis Zhentian!”

The two guardians of Yan Luo Temple’s Nether Abyss clearly recognized Marquis Zhentian.

Chu Jiang also slightly cupped his hands and said, “Greetings, Marquis Zhentian.”

Marquis Zhentian’s true body should be in the Bei Hai Gui Xu Forbidden Ground and would not easily leave. This should be his Clone.

Even a Clone was this strong.

No wonder Chu Emperor could rest assured leaving him to guard the greatest source of calamity for the Great Chu Dynasty.

Anyone who could advance to Rongtian in the Era of Dharma Decline by relying on themselves was no simple person. Their talent, even in ancient times, could be called a top Prodigy.

Chu Emperor relied on the power of the Dynasty’s Luck. As for what Yuan Shouyi and Marquis Zhentian relied on, it was unknown.

“Marquis Wu’an, there’s no need for such formalities. We are of the same Rank, so there’s no need for such etiquette.”

“I am a few years older than you, so I will presumptuously call you Brother Chu, how about it?”

Marquis Zhentian said with a faint smile.

“No problem at all!”

Chu Jiang nodded slightly. Marquis Zhentian was actually a member of the imperial family, but he was not enfeoffed as a King. The reason was Chu Emperor’s reforms; even imperial family members who could be enfeoffed as Kings were extremely rare.

Every King enfeoffed would consume a large amount of resources for upkeep. Before the current Chu Emperor took office, the entire Great Chu had hundreds of enfeoffed Kings, and the miscellaneous Marquises added up to tens of thousands.

These people consumed an enormous amount of treasury every year.

The Seventh Chu Emperor, who was Chu Emperor’s father, faced several attacks from the Demonic Tide in the North Sea. To alleviate financial pressure, he had already issued a decree in his later years: only imperial family members could be enfeoffed as Kings, and those without meritorious deeds could not be enfeoffed as Marquises.

When the current Chu Emperor took power, he cut even more drastically.

Even imperial princes found it difficult to be enfeoffed as Kings. Without great merit, they could at most be enfeoffed as second-Rank Marquises. Furthermore, he stopped the stipends of ninety percent of the idle Kings and Marquises, and all formerly hereditary titles were given time limits, with the Rank of the title decreasing by one Rank with each transmission.

This initially caused huge turmoil, but it was all suppressed with Ironblood.

Logically speaking, not to mention that he was already an imperial family member, Chu Emperor’s brother, even by merit, Marquis Zhentian’s achievements could have long earned him the title of King.

Chu Emperor had also brought it up, but Marquis Zhentian politely declined.

It truly echoed the saying: “Being enfeoffed as a Marquis is not my intention; I only wish for peace in the seas.”

Look, even Chu Emperor’s brother hasn’t been enfeoffed as a King, so why are you all still jumping around?

To this day, in the entire Great Chu, in the nearly two thousand years since Chu Emperor took power, the number of enfeoffed Kings has not exceeded ten, far lower than previous emperors.

After all.

The imperial family had always cut others to support themselves; cutting themselves was a first.

“Let’s talk in the sky!”

Marquis Zhentian said.

Chu Jiang nodded. The two stepped into the sky, soaring straight into the clouds. One took steps accompanied by thunder, the other by blooming ice lotuses.

In the Void Realm, the surroundings were Sealed by the two, with a barrier placed to ensure no one could spy.

“Brother Chu, this Demon King Puppet, you refined it, didn’t you?” Marquis Zhentian said with a faint smile.

“Indeed, it was made by me!”

Chu Jiang did not conceal it, speaking calmly.

“Refining a Demon King Puppet will produce a large amount of Demonic Qi. You need to clear the residual energy from heaven and earth in time, otherwise, if discovered by someone with ulterior motives, it’s easy for them to deduce your true location.”

“Although there are only a few people in this world who can threaten you, you still need to be cautious to avoid being detected.”

Marquis Zhentian reminded him.

Chu Jiang nodded. He had been negligent; this was indeed a hidden danger and he couldn’t be careless. But Marquis Zhentian’s words seemed to imply something, so he asked, “Are there outsiders here too?”

After he was promoted to Yan Luo of Yan Luo Temple, he also gained access to some secrets, top-secret intelligence that he couldn’t have known before.

Among them were the words “outside the domain.”

“Outside the domain” meant not in this world, neither the barbarians, nor Sun Moon Country, nor the few tribal nations of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.

It was far from the North Sea, another world, beyond human reach.

Its name was unknown.

In Yan Luo Temple’s database, there were only a few brief records.

“Yes, the Eternal Life Alliance Leader is an outsider,” Marquis Zhentian said.

Chu Jiang frowned slightly. This Eternal Life Alliance Leader was actually an outsider.

“Where exactly is this ‘outside the domain’? Are they also our enemies?” Chu Jiang asked.

“I’m not very clear about the situation outside the domain; I know very little. However, your Yuan Siming has been to the outside of the domain.”

“He might be the only person in Great Chu, or even the entire world, who has been to the outside of the domain. In a while, he might return, and you can ask him.”

Marquis Zhentian said.

A hint of surprise flashed in Chu Jiang’s eyes.

The Demon Suppression Division’s Yuan Siming had actually been to the outside of the domain; this truly exceeded his expectations.

He was truly a mysterious figure.

In the Void Realm, the two continued to exchange simple words for about a quarter of an hour before leaving with their people.

Chu Jiang also returned to the ground, closed his eyes to rest, and continued to wait for the opening of Nether Abyss.

Time flowed by.

Chu Jiang opened his eyes and looked at the Void Realm ahead.

He saw.

A simple Black Gate appeared in front, manifesting from within the Void Realm. A purplish-black Dao road extended to the end of the darkness, as if leading to the Underworld.

Nether Abyss had opened.

Boom!

Chu Jiang, taking Old Ten with him, stepped inside. Their figures quickly disappeared onto the ancient road.