396: Chapter 396 The Demon Lord Su Yousi's Little Thoughts

The Wanmo Hall was not submerged deep underground like the Nine Nether Palace, nor was it an island isolated in a sea of blood like the Blood God Sect.

It was nestled among a range of mountains in the central region of the Demon Realm, and the terrain could not be considered steep.

Yet it rolled on continuously, as if someone had deliberately arranged it long ago, with the gaps between the Peaks being just right.

It neither appeared crowded nor made one feel desolate.

Leading Yu Rumeng through the final mountain pass, Chu Sheng slightly slowed his pace when he saw the outlines of the palaces hidden within the mountain mists.

"This is the Wanmo Hall?"

Yu Rumeng stood beside him, her gaze sweeping across the complex of buildings half-concealed in the grayish-white mist.

She had been here before, but every time it was as an outsider, guided to a side hall to wait for an audience.

Walking in this time as the master stepping into this Mountain Gate, the feeling was completely different.

Chu Sheng did not answer, simply continuing to walk forward along the mountain path.

The Demon Race Cultivators along the way visibly hesitated in their steps when they saw them.

Some recognized Yu Rumeng while others did not, but no one dared to step forward to block them.

Chu Sheng noticed a few people standing in the distance, casting their gazes over and observing for a moment.

Then they averted their gaze as if they did not wish to be noticed.

He withdrew his gaze without comment, continuing to walk towards the direction of the main hall.

The Evil Half-Immortal had already had people tidy up the main hall.

The furnishings inside the hall were somewhat simpler than before; overly intricate decorations had been removed, making it appear somewhat more spacious.

On both sides of the hall doors stood several Demon Race Cultivators wearing unified standard protective armor. When they saw Yu Rumeng, they slightly lowered their heads without saying much.

The Evil Half-Immortal was sitting in a side seat, having changed into a clean gray robe, the sleeve of his left arm hanging empty.

Seeing the two walk in, he slowly stood up and nodded at Chu Sheng and Yu Rumeng.

"The seal of the Wanmo Hall is already prepared, and most of the handover procedures have been completed. The rest depends on whether she herself can establish a firm foothold."

After he finished speaking, his gaze turned to Yu Rumeng.

Yu Rumeng looked around the great hall, as if estimating the capacity of this palace and her own carrying capacity.

She walked up to the master seat and stood still, not sitting down immediately.

First, she glanced at the sparse guards inside the hall and the vaguely visible figures of Cultivators on the distant mountain path, then turned sideways and asked a question.

"What is the current strength of the Wanmo Hall, specifically?"

She paused for a moment. "How many Cultivators above the Dao Palace Realm are left?"

The Evil Half-Immortal remained silent for a moment, as if tallying up the names in his memory that could still be of use.

Then he spoke: "Above the Dao Palace Realm, counting the one just crippled, along with Kuguo and Qiangui, plus some currently in seclusion, at most there are just over a dozen in total."

When he reached this point, his tone paused slightly.

"The world generally believes that the Central Region is the strongest, the Eastern Region and Southern Region are second, the Western Region is next, and the Northern Region hits rock bottom. This ranking has actually been fixed for a very long time."

It was as if he remembered something.

"In even earlier times, the Northern Region was not at the bottom like it is now. Even if it couldn't compare to the Central Region, it didn't lose to the Eastern and Southern Regions, and in even more distant eras, it even had the momentum to suppress the Central Region."

His gaze swept toward the outside of the hall.

"Although the Wanmo Hall has fallen on hard times now, its foundation is still there; it's just that there are not many people left who can support that foundation. The situation here is also a microcosm of the entire Demon Realm. Nowadays, someone at the Dao Palace can become a Palace Master, which would have been completely unimaginable in the past."

The Evil Half-Immortal's tone was flat, as if stating a fact he had already accepted, without self-pity or exaggeration.

Standing by the window, Chu Sheng listened to the Evil Half-Immortal's words without replying.

He had known from simulations that the Demon Realm's status was not high, but this was the first time he heard someone explain it so thoroughly.

"What are the views of those three major factions regarding the Heavenly Demon Ancestor?"

He asked.

The Evil Half-Immortal thought for a moment and said.

"Complicated. Some feel he was the person who led the Demon Race to its Peak, some feel he pushed the Demon Race into the abyss, and the rest feel he is just a name that has already disappeared, not worth discussing further."

The hall was quiet for a while, with no one speaking further.

The Evil Half-Immortal's gaze lingered on Chu Sheng for quite a while before speaking about the current situation.

"This old man indeed does not have much time left. My vitality is draining away, and according to the current rate of consumption, I can probably hold on for a few more months. By then, even if I don't want to leave, I will completely dissipate."

He paused for a moment, as if confirming that Chu Sheng had understood the weight of these words.

"The foundation of the Wanmo Hall is indeed more than what is seen on the surface. Aside from Kuguo and Qiangui, there are seven or eight Daocheng Realm old fellows sleeping underground, as well as two in the Tongxuan Realm. If they all wake up, they are indeed a force that cannot be ignored. But this old man did not wake them up."

He glanced at Chu Sheng.

"Because this old man thought about it and felt that you seem quite reasonable. Since you are also a demonic Cultivator, handing the Wanmo Hall over to you is at least better than handing it to those ignorant fellows."

In fact, there was another sentence in his heart that he hadn't spoken aloud; the Evil Half-Immortal had seen Chu Sheng's trump cards.

With both the Reverse Demon Tower and the four swords of zhuxian in his hands, even if those two Tongxuan Realm figures underground were awakened, there was no certainty whether Chu Sheng could be kept here.

If he couldn't be kept, the ultimate trump cards of the Wanmo Hall would be completely exposed.

If three Divine Abilities passed away together, even the final deterrent force would be gone.

By then, the Wanmo Hall would truly become meat on a chopping board, and goodness knows how many people would mock it.

Chu Sheng did not reply, but he did not deny it either.

The hall was quiet for a moment, and then a hurried sound of footsteps came from outside the hall doors. A demonic Cultivator wearing black light armor walked in briskly.

Stopping before the threshold, he bowed his head in salute, his voice carrying the panting breath of a hurried journey.

"Reporting to the Palace Master, there is movement over in the Beiyuan Kingdom. Their Cultivators have already set out, and the vanguard has crossed the border, pushing towards the direction of the Duanhun River."

After he finished speaking, he added another sentence, "Judging by their stance, it seems they intend to fight another major battle before winter sets in."

When Chu Sheng heard these words, he was stunned for a moment.

Immediately afterwards, as if remembering something, he silently cursed himself in his heart.

He had almost forgotten about the Righteous-Demonic War.

Those Cultivators of the Beiyuan Kingdom would not wait for him to finish dealing with the matters of the Demon Realm before making a move; they would fight when they were supposed to.

He glanced at the calmly expressionless Evil Half-Immortal, then looked at the grayish skyline outside the hall, and withdrew his gaze.

His tone carried a trace of imperceptible seriousness: "How many people did they bring?"

That demonic Cultivator was about to answer, but the Evil Half-Immortal waved his hand, signaling him to withdraw first.

Until that person disappeared outside the hall doors, he slowly spoke: "It seems this war is not yet over. On our side, we should also make some preparations."

Leaning by the window, Chu Sheng's gaze fell upon the grayish skyline outside the hall, running the news just reported by the demonic Cultivator through his mind.

The Cultivators on the Beiyuan Kingdom side had started to move, but judging by the timeline, it should only be the vanguard advancing tentatively right now.

A large-scale Righteous-Demonic War would not break out so quickly; at least for a period of time, small-scale friction would remain the mainstay, and the participating Cultivators shouldn't exceed the Dao Palace level.

He was in no rush to go to the border, letting things play out over there for now until the situation became clearer, before considering whether to go take a look personally.

The hall was quiet for a moment.

The Evil Half-Immortal sat in the side seat, holding a cup of thoroughly cooled tea in his hand.

After remaining silent for quite a while, Chu Sheng suddenly opened his mouth and said: "Fellow Daoist feels like a Human Race Cultivator as well, and I feel you have some connection to the Central Region?"

The Evil Half-Immortal lowered his head.

"When this old man was young, I was a Disciple of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion, originally walking the Righteous Path. Later on, I was framed by someone who claimed that this old man was secretly practicing Demonic Techniques. At that time, the evidence was insufficient, but the rumors had already spread, and no one in the Sect spoke up for me."

"This old man was expelled from the Sect, forced to wander about the Northern Region, and finally driven to a dead end, so I simply fell straight into the Demonic Path."

He paused, his tone carrying a calmness as if he had already figured everything out.

"This old man's life was practically ruined by that frame-up. But this old man does not intend to take this matter into the coffin."

Chu Sheng did not reply, simply changing the subject.

"You don't need to help Yu Rumeng for the time being. I'm leaving the Reverse Demon Tower with her; if anyone truly dares to force their way, she can at least hold out until I rush back. The Reverse Demon Tower was personally forged by Greed, and even Gluttony couldn't completely destroy it, so withstanding ordinary encirclements shouldn't be a problem."

The Evil Half-Immortal glanced at him: "Aren't you afraid this old man will secretly tamper with it?"

Chu Sheng said: "I am afraid. That's why I left the tower. If anyone really tries to lay a hand on the tower, I will know who did it."

The Evil Half-Immortal remained silent for a moment and did not continue that topic.

Chu Sheng did not linger long in the Wanmo Hall. When he walked out of the main hall, he turned back to glance at Yu Rumeng.

She was currently handing over matters with a few newly arrived Devil Kings. Noticing Chu Sheng's gaze, Chu Sheng nodded at her.

He did not return directly to the Nine Nether Palace, but stopped midway, casting his Divine Sense outward for a distance to confirm the movements over on Zhou Wantang's side.

Halfway there, he sensed a familiar aura surging in the distance, as if something was happening.

Zhou Wantang had not been idle these past few days.

She had picked a very suitable place, tampering a bit at the border between Madam Huayue and Madam Baigu's territories, making the devil generals on both sides believe that the other was secretly expanding their influence.

The friction between the two sides grew increasingly large, and since Madam Huayue and Madam Baigu had already disliked each other before, it eventually evolved into a Devil King war.

Taking advantage of the moment when both sides' attention was diverted, she circled around to the outer periphery of Elder Minghe's territory.

Using a forged Nine Nether Token, she lured away the Minghe Devil King.

Directly gathering the territories originally belonging to the three Devil Kings under her own name.

Inside the council hall of the Nine Nether Palace, Palace Master Su Yousi had just finished dealing with Yu Rumeng's mess and hadn't even had time to catch her breath when new news was delivered.

"Lord Palace Master, an unknown Devil King is running wild on our territory; the territories of Madam Huayue, Elder Minghe, and Madam Baigu have all been captured!"

Her gaze fell on the map of those three territories, her brows slowly tightening.

Elder Minghe's mansion had now changed owners.

Standing at the entrance of the Immortal Cave were two newly changed guards, wearing armor that they hadn't fully adapted to the restructuring, with newly issued tokens hanging from their waists.

The interior of the Immortal Cave hadn't undergone major changes, except for clearing out things that didn't originally belong here and replacing them with a batch of new furnishings.

Zhou Wantang was sitting in the master seat, perusing a newly compiled roster of territories.

At this moment, Dao Palace-level Devilish Qi suddenly spread from outside.

Palace Master Su Yousi landed above the Immortal Cave, looking down from above.

"Fellow Daoist? Who are you? Why are you running wild in my Nine Nether Palace's territory?"

She turned her head sideways and saw Chu Sheng.

Chu Sheng was speeding over from afar.

Palace Master Su Yousi had an ominous premonition.

"This brat? Why is he here again."

She paused for a moment, not speaking immediately, waiting until he came closer before saying anything.

Chu Sheng walked into the Immortal Cave, glancing at Zhou Wantang who was flipping through the booklet.

Then he glanced at Palace Master Su Yousi above, and then spoke a sentence.

"What a coincidence, Palace Master Su. This person is also my Dao Companion; why don't you two get acquainted?"

Zhou Wantang put down the booklet and stood up, her gaze lingering on Chu Sheng's face for a moment.

Then she walked to his side, naturally looping her hand into the crook of his arm with a practiced and natural movement.

"I calculated long ago that you would come."

Palace Master Su Yousi stood above, watching the scene of the two standing together, a sense of fatigue that she hadn't experienced in a long time welling up in her heart.

She felt that recently she had been continuously accepting one fact after another, and each one was harder to digest than the last.

Chu Sheng did not beat around the bush.

"Just casually arrange a Vice Palace Master position for me. It doesn't need to be too high; just enough for her to have a say in the Nine Nether Palace will do."

Palace Master Su Yousi remained silent for quite a while, as if evaluating whether she had any room for refusal.

Then she slowly nodded, considering the matter accepted.

She landed in front of the Immortal Cave, watching the backs of Chu Sheng and Zhou Wantang standing side by side.

He was indeed very good to his Dao Companions, and with his cultivation and strength, he could protect the people around him.

She glanced at her own palm; her former Dao Companion had died long ago—over a millennium ago—and she had long since grown accustomed to handling everything alone.

But at this moment she suddenly felt that if there could be a sufficiently powerful person standing by her side, perhaps it wouldn't be a bad thing.

Her own looks were not bad either; if she could...

Absurd!

She quickly suppressed this thought.

Zhou Wantang did not notice Palace Master Su Yousi's gaze; her attention was concentrated on Chu Sheng.

Tilting her head slightly, her voice carried a softness that seemed to seep out from some deep place: "How long have you been gone this time?"

Her tone carried a sense of relaxation, her fingertips resting lightly on his arm, neither exerting force nor letting go.

Chu Sheng could feel that the strand of Envy Demonic Qi on her body was slowly fluctuating, giving Zhou Wantang at this moment an alternative kind of beauty.

He said: "Let's settle the matters here first."

Zhou Wantang did not ask further; she turned sideways.

Reaching out to untie the ribbons of her outer robe, she walked into the inner chamber under his gaze.

"Am I beautiful?"

He turned sideways and saw Zhou Wantang leaning against the edge of the couch waiting for him, her expression languid yet carrying a hint of a smile, looking like she was at his mercy to be plucked.

The thoughts in his heart regarding the border and the Righteous-Demonic War were temporarily suppressed, as if gently brushed aside by an invisible hand.