271: Chapter 271 I Can Help You Become the Demon Lord

Chu Sheng retracted the Zhu Xian Sword Formation, the four zhu xian swords hovering beside him, their Sword Qi restrained, yet they did not return to their sheaths.

The Lord of the River climbed up from the ruins, patted the dust off his body, and looked at Chu Sheng with a bitter smile.

"This Lord… admits defeat." His voice was hoarse, carrying a hint of helplessness.

Chu Sheng did not speak, simply looking at him.

The Lord of the River was silent for a moment, then opened his mouth: "Don't you want to know why those two swords flew over on their own? And about that person who stole the sword."

Chu Sheng nodded.

The Lord of the River waved his hand, and from behind a rock beside the ruins, a black figure slowly walked out.

It was exactly that Man in Black Robe who stole the sword.

He lowered his head, not daring to look at Chu Sheng, nor daring to look at the Lord of the River.

The Lord of the River looked at him and sighed: "Take off your hood."

The Man in Black Robe hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took off the hood.

Revealing a pale, delicate face.

It was a woman.

Her features bore some resemblance to the Lord of the River, with a hint of stubbornness and unease between her brows.

Chu Sheng was stunned for a moment.

"She… is your daughter?"

The Lord of the River nodded: "This Lord's only daughter."

Jiang Ling lowered her head, her voice very soft: "I'm sorry…"

Chu Sheng ignored her, looking at the Lord of the River, waiting for his explanation.

The Lord of the River walked over to a relatively intact stone and sat down, patting the spot beside him to signal for Chu Sheng to sit as well.

Chu Sheng did not sit, simply standing there with his arms crossed.

The Lord of the River didn't mind, and began to speak on his own accord.

"Years ago, this Lord was sent by Greed to guard the Duanhun River; it was not that this Lord was unwilling to submit. What Greed wanted was not this Lord's loyalty."

His gaze fell upon Jiang Ling, his eyes complex.

"What he wanted was her."

Chu Sheng's brows twitched.

"That person Greed wants everything. Treasures, Cultivation Techniques, Divine Abilities, beauties… he wants them all. He set his sights on this Lord's daughter, wanting her to be his Demon Consort."

Jiang Ling lowered her head even further, her fingers clutching the corner of her clothes, her knuckles turning white.

Chu Sheng said: "Demon Consort? Isn't that a good thing?"

The Lord of the River sneered: "A good thing? You don't know Greed's character. None of his Demon Consorts have lived past a hundred years. They weren't killed; they were tortured to death. Greed likes to torture people, and the prettier they are, the more he tortures them."

Chu Sheng's expression darkened.

He remembered those Magic Treasures pierced by chains in the Reverse Demon Tower, and the Physical Body of Feng Wa that had been tortured for thousands of years.

That person Greed is indeed capable of anything.

"This Lord refused. Greed didn't fly into a rage; he just smiled and said, 'Then you can stay a few more years at the bottom of the Duanhun River.' Then he reinforced the Seal of the Wanxiang Pavilion Old Ancestor and trapped this Lord here. This imprisonment has lasted for thousands of years."

Jiang Ling raised her head, looking at Chu Sheng, her eyes red.

"It's me… it's my fault. I shouldn't have stolen your sword. I… I just wanted to get your attention so that you would come here. My father said that only you could help him break the Seal."

Chu Sheng looked at her, was silent for a moment, and then said a very cold sentence.

"So what? What does this have to do with me?"

The woman in black's face turned pale instantly.

The Lord of the River's expression didn't look good either.

Chu Sheng continued: "Your father was trapped here by Greed, you stole my sword to lure me here, and then your father tricked me into the array, wanting to use me to break the Seal. You two father and daughter sure know how to calculate."

"But—have you ever thought about why I should help you?"

The Lord of the River opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing came out.

Chu Sheng turned and walked away.

The figure in black chased after him two steps, her voice carrying a weeping tone: "Please… help my father…"

Chu Sheng did not look back.

He walked to the edge of the small town and stopped.

It wasn't because he was soft-hearted; it was because he discovered he didn't know how to get out.

Although the Lord of the River's Seal was shattered, the Seal of the Wanxiang Pavilion Old Ancestor remained.

That light barrier had been shattered by his Zhu Xian Sword Formation, but the Foundation of the Seal remained, like an old tree with its trunk cut off, its roots still buried in the ground.

Chu Sheng took a deep breath, turned around, and walked back in front of the Lord of the River.

"This Lord cannot send you out. As long as the Wanxiang Pavilion's Seal remains unbroken, the people here cannot leave for a single day. If this Lord cannot leave, you cannot leave either."

Chu Sheng's face darkened.

He thought to himself: This old thing is still trying to use him.

His hand pressed onto the hilt of his sword, and Sword Qi began to surge again.

The Lord of the River quickly waved his hand: "Young friend, calm your anger; this Lord is not threatening you. This Lord is telling the truth. The Wanxiang Pavilion's Seal can only be opened with the Wanxiang Pavilion's unlocking method or by brute force from an external power. This Lord has no unlocking method, but you… you have the Zhu Xian Sword Formation, you can break it."

Chu Sheng said: "Why should I help you?"

The Lord of the River looked at him, a flash of determination in his eyes.

"This Lord can give you something. Something you cannot refuse."

Chu Sheng sneered: "What thing?"

The Lord of the River took a deep breath, as if having made some kind of decision.

His voice was very soft, but every word drove into Chu Sheng's ears like nails.

"This Lord can help you ascend to Demon Venerable."

Chu Sheng was stunned.

His smile froze on his face, and his hand slid down from the sword hilt.

He stared at the Lord of the River, trying to detect a lie in that person's eyes.

But all he saw was a kind of desperate determination.

"What did you say?" Chu Sheng's voice was a bit hoarse.

The Lord of the River repeated it word for word: "This Lord can help you ascend to Demon Venerable."

The small town went quiet.

Jiang Ling covered her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Those Soul-Body Cultivators hiding in the houses, who knows when they had poked their heads out, staring this way, not daring to let out a breath.

Chu Sheng stood in the ruins, looking at the Lord of the River's aged face that carried a hint of madness, silent for a long time.

His heart was beating very fast.

Demon Venerable.

That was the goal he had always been thinking about, but had never spoken out loud.

He took a deep breath and exhaled that turbid Qi.

"How will you help?" he asked.

The corners of the Lord of the River's mouth slowly curled up.

He did not answer, simply saying: "First, let this Lord out."

Chu Sheng looked at him, then looked at the light barrier that was still faintly glowing.

He nodded.

"Fine. I will trust you once."

The Lord of the River smiled, a very relaxed smile, as if he had put down a heavy burden.

Chu Sheng turned around, and the four zhu xian swords were unsheathed once more.

This time, his target was not the Lord of the River, but the Wanxiang Pavilion Seal that had trapped the Lord of the River for thousands of years.

The sword light flared up, and the entire small town trembled.