156: Chapter 156 Demon Tomb, Heavenly Demon's Arrogance

[The war between the Righteous and Demon paths remained in a stalemate for three years.]

[Fighting stopped and started, then started and stopped again.]

[Neither side could push further, yet neither was willing to be the first to bow their head.]

[The Old Ancestors of the Central Region and the Demon Race sat at the negotiating table, engaging in a war of words, refusing to yield even an inch.]

[The people below continued to fight; you might kill a hundred of mine today, and I would kill two hundred of yours tomorrow.]

[The waters of the Duanhun River never cleared, remaining red throughout.]

[Chu Sheng's early stage of the Sea Opening Realm had completely stabilized.]

[The Taixu True Scripture broke through to the fourth layer, "Grand Void," finally allowing him to transform between void and reality; in a single thought, his form could dissipate and re-condense in another location.]

[Old Grandfather said, "This is the true beginning of the Taixu True Scripture; the first three layers were all about building a Foundation."]

[Chu Sheng said, "Why didn't you say so earlier? I've been practicing for twenty years only to find out the beginning was just a warm-up."]

[Old Grandfather said, "If you couldn't even get through the warm-up, what would be the use of telling you about what comes after?"]

[Chu Sheng felt he had a point, but it was still frustrating.]

[Yu Rumeng's injuries flared up again.]

[The wound carved by Grandmaster Jiang's fishing rod three years ago had never fully healed.]

[She forced herself to command the battles, and after every fight, she would enter secluded meditation to heal, lasting anywhere from ten days to half a month.]

[Chu Sheng was incredibly distressed, but he couldn't help.]

[What could someone at the Sea Opening Realm do for an injury at the Dao Palace level?]

[He could only leave her the best Medicinal Pills and stuff all the Heaven And Earth Treasures he had refined into her hands.]

[Yu Rumeng would accept them every time, then slip them back into his Storage Pouch when he wasn't looking.]

[Old Grandfather said, "Can you two stop being so polite with each other?"]

[Chu Sheng said, "Shut up."]

[Chu Zhan slew three great Cultivators from the Central Region on the battlefield, making his name famous across all nations.]

[Those three were quite well-known in the Central Region and had come to the Northern Region just to pad their achievements.]

[Chu Zhan charged in alone carrying his axe and split the three of them apart with three strikes, clean and efficient.]

[When the news spread, both the Righteous and Demon paths were in an uproar.]

[Chu Zhan said, "Dad, didn't you teach me? If you can't win, run; if you can't run, call for help."]

[Chu Sheng asked, "Who did you call?"]

[Chu Zhan shouted, "Mother—"]

[Yu Rumeng descended from the sky and slapped Chu Zhan into the ground with a single palm.]

[Chu Zhan crawled out of the pit, mouth full of mud, laughing as he said, "Mother, you're really amazing."]

[Yu Rumeng said expressionlessly, "Don't shout next time, I'm in secluded meditation."]

[Chu Dou's Alchemy skills broke through to the fifth rank, allowing him to refine Medicinal Pills for the Spirit Sea Realm.]

[He refined a batch of healing pills for Yu Rumeng using rare medicinal herbs he collected on the battlefield; after refining for seven days and nights, the entire Alchemy room shook when the pills were completed.]

[Yu Rumeng took one, closed her eyes to feel the effect for a moment, and said, "The effect is good, it's already very well done."]

[Chu Dou was so happy he couldn't sleep; he got up in the middle of the night to refine another batch, but the cauldron exploded, leaving his face blackened with soot.]

[The Palace Master Su Yousi suddenly summoned Chu Sheng.]

[Chu Sheng went to the Nine Nether Palace, his heart pounding with unease.]

[This woman usually bickered with him whenever they met; a formal summons like this definitely meant nothing good.]

[The Palace Master Su Yousi sat in the main seat, looking at him with a profound gaze, and said, "You carry the aura of the Taixu True Scripture."]

[Chu Sheng's heart tightened, but his expression remained unchanged.]

[The Palace Master Su Yousi continued, "Is that old thing, Grand Void, still alive?"]

[Old Grandfather floated out from the ring.]

[His phantom had solidified quite a bit; he had absorbed enough remnant souls over the years to finally manifest a human form.]

[He looked at the Palace Master Su Yousi and said calmly, "Little girl, you've grown quite capable."]

[The Palace Master Su Yousi's expression changed instantly; she stood up abruptly and gave a respectful bow: "Senior Grand Void."]

[Old Grandfather waved his hand and said, "Enough, enough. This seat is currently just a remnant soul, no need for these formalities."]

[Chu Sheng was stunned.]

[He looked at Old Grandfather, then at the Palace Master Su Yousi, his mind buzzing.]

[What exactly was this old man's background?]

[The Palace Master Su Yousi explained that the Taixu Divine Sect was once the overlord of the Central Region, and Old Grandfather was the Sect Master, whom all Cultivators in the world revered.]

[It was only after several major Righteous Sects joined forces that the Taixu Divine Sect was destroyed.]

[Chu Sheng looked at Old Grandfather, who didn't speak, only floating there in silence.]

[The Palace Master Su Yousi told Chu Sheng that the true Foundation of the Demon Race did not lie in the Nine Nether Palace, the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons, or the Blood God Sect, but in the Demon Race Holy Land in the far north—the Demon Tomb.]

[Countless Ancient Demon Kings slept there, some having lived for over a thousand years; they were the true heritage of the Demon Race.]

[The reason the Righteous Sects didn't dare to completely exterminate the Demon Race wasn't because they couldn't win, but because they didn't dare to push them too far.]

[If all those old monsters were to wake up, the entire Northern Region would be turned upside down.]

[Chu Sheng asked, "Why don't those Devil Kings wake up?"]

[The Palace Master Su Yousi said, "They are waiting. Waiting for a true Demon Venerable to appear in the Demon Territory. Above the Dao Palace is the Divine Ability Realm; only upon reaching that Realm is it possible to lead the Demon Race to truly unify the Northern Region and even set sights on the Central Region."]

[Chu Sheng asked, "Does Yu Rumeng know?"]

[The Palace Master Su Yousi said, "She knows. Every Palace Master Su Yousi of the Nine Nether Palace knows."]

[Old Grandfather suddenly spoke: "This seat also wanted to visit the Demon Tomb back then. I didn't have the chance before the Taixu Divine Sect was destroyed."]

[The Palace Master Su Yousi glanced at him but said nothing.]

[This kid had gone off to fight someone again; he had a gash on his arm and blood was everywhere, yet he was still smiling.]

[Seeing Chu Sheng enter, he said, "Dad, you're back."]

[That night, Chu Sheng told Yu Rumeng what the Palace Master Su Yousi had said.]

[Yu Rumeng was silent for a while before saying, "Those Devil Kings will not wake up easily. Not unless the Demon Race reaches a moment of life and death."]

[Chu Sheng asked, "And now?"]

[Yu Rumeng said, "Not yet."]

[Chu Sheng asked again, "Then when will it be?"]

[Yu Rumeng looked at him and didn't speak.]

[Chu Sheng understood. Soon.]

[Chu Sheng asked Old Grandfather.]

[Old Grandfather was silent for a long time before speaking: "When this seat traveled the world, I saw an awakened Ancient Demon. That old thing had lived for untold years and crushed a great nation with a single palm strike."]

[Chu Sheng asked, "What happened after?"]

[Old Grandfather said, "Later, he was suppressed by the combined forces of the Central Region; they fought for a month, and many Dao Palace experts died before they finally put him down."]

[Chu Sheng said, "Then isn't that incredibly powerful?"]

[Old Grandfather said, "Powerful indeed, but existences of that level will not act lightly. They are also waiting."]

[Chu Sheng stood by the window, gazing toward the north.]

[That was the direction of the Holy Land of the Demon Clan.]

[He suddenly had a premonition that one day, he would go there.]

[The war between the Righteous and Demon paths reached its fifth year.]

[The Old Ancestors of the Central Region and the Demon Race finally reached another fragile agreement, each withdrawing their troops a thousand miles, with the Duanhun River as the boundary.]

[Old Grandfather said, "This is good enough; a five-year stop is still a stop."]

[Chu Sheng asked, "What about after five years?"]

[Old Grandfather said, "We'll worry about five years from now when five years have passed."]

[Yu Rumeng's injuries became even more severe.]

[The wounds from three years ago combined with the exhaustion of these five years meant she finally couldn't hold on any longer.]

[She entered secluded meditation to heal, throwing all military affairs to Chu Sheng.]

[Chu Sheng was busy beyond belief, with endless documents to process, supplies to coordinate, and demon generals to appease every day.]

[Chu Zhan was causing trouble nearby, saying, "Dad, you're no good, you can't even handle these small things."]

[Chu Sheng said, "If you're so capable, you do it."]

[Chu Zhan actually tried, and on the first day, he almost burned down the military rations.]

[Chu Sheng kicked him out of the camp tent, saying, "If you go near the Military Supplies Depot again, I'll break your legs."]

[Chu Zhan left feeling aggrieved; he also found it strange that his father was always a bit stronger than him—no matter how strong he got, his father got stronger too, and he could never win.]

[Chu Dou refined pills without looking up, saying, "Serves you right."]

[The Palace Master Su Yousi summoned Chu Sheng once again.]

[This time it wasn't to the Nine Nether Palace; she sent people directly to fetch him.]

[Chu Sheng asked, "Where are we going?"]

[The messenger said, "The Demon Tomb."]

[Chu Sheng's heart sank.]

[He asked, "Is Yu Rumeng going?"]

[The Palace Master Su Yousi said, "Her injuries aren't healed; you are going alone."]

[Chu Sheng said, "That won't do, I have to take care of her."]

[The Palace Master Su Yousi said, "This is an order."]

[Chu Sheng wanted to say more, but the Palace Master Su Yousi had already turned and left.]

[Yu Rumeng came out of meditation.]

[She was silent for a long time after learning of this.]

[She looked at Chu Sheng with a very calm gaze and said, "Go. I'll wait for you."]

[Chu Sheng held her hand: "Wait for my return."]

[Yu Rumeng smiled and said, "Alright."]

[Chu Sheng followed the Palace Master Su Yousi to the Demon Tomb.]

[The far northern lands were covered in snow and ice year-round, and the wind felt like knives against the face.]

[The Devilish Qi was so thick it had condensed into substance; a single breath made one's lungs feel frozen.]

[The Demon Tomb was built underground, the entrance being a bottomless crack that was pitch black, like a wound split open in the earth.]

[Walking down, it grew darker and colder.]

[Chu Sheng couldn't help but shiver.]

[The Palace Master Su Yousi glanced back at him and asked, "Scared?"]

[Chu Sheng said, "It's just the cold."]

[The Palace Master Su Yousi ignored him.]

[The Palace Master Su Yousi said, "Hundreds of Ancient Demon Kings sleep within the Demon Tomb, the weakest of whom are at the Spirit Nurturing Realm. This is why the Righteous Sects can do nothing against the Demon Race. It's not that they can't fight; it's that they don't dare to."]

[However, the Devilish Qi below wasn't as dense as Chu Sheng had imagined, nor were there as many Devil Kings.]

[Deep within the Demon Tomb, Chu Sheng saw a massive statue.]

[That was the Ancient Heavenly Demon, the legendary ancestor of the Demon Race, whose strength was said to be terrifying and who had long since vanished into the river of history.]

[Beneath the statue, a person lay sleeping.]

[It was a man who looked to be in his thirties, with a cold face, his entire body radiating dense Devilish Qi.]

[He rolled over and let out a loud burp.]

[Chu Sheng suddenly understood why there were fewer Devil Kings in the Demon Tomb than expected; they might have all been devoured by him.]

[His Heavenly Demon Body was resonating, trembling.]

[Old Grandfather's voice exploded within the ring, carrying unprecedented terror: "Heavenly Demon Body! Pride! Run, quickly!"]

[The man opened his eyes.]

[His eyes were golden, like two clumps of burning flames, illuminating the entire Demon Tomb.]

[He looked at Chu Sheng and smiled.]

[He stood up, three zhang tall, as Devilish Qi surged out like a tide, making the entire Demon Tomb vibrate.]

["Heavenly Demon Body? lust?"]

[He looked down at Chu Sheng, his voice sounding as if it came from deep underground: "Weak. Too weak."]

Chu Sheng stared at the three-zhang-tall man before him, his entire body turning cold.

"Pride..."

He muttered to himself: "What the hell is this monster?"