Chapter 663: Land of the Yuezhuo

Chapter 663: Chapter 534: Land of the Yuezhuo

Xiao Mo and Tushan Jing Ci seemed to be cut from the same cloth.

They never spoke a word of their own difficulties and troubles, only ever sharing good news and hiding the bad.

In the blink of an eye, another half-month passed.

Xiao Mo heard that the Ten Thousand Demon Alliance planned to negotiate with the Holy Demon Alliance and the Celestial Demon Alliance. They would discuss joining forces against the Human Race, and then dividing the Demon Race’s World amongst the three of them.

The location chosen for the talks was Nine Netherworld Mountain. The three factions agreed that each could only send a single Immortal Realm Cultivator.

From the Ten Thousand Demon Alliance’s side, it was naturally Elder Hongxia who went.

However, Xiao Mo didn’t think anything would come of these negotiations.

In his eyes, the three factions were just nursing their own ulterior motives.

Sure enough, ten days later, word came that the negotiations between the three Demon Alliances had officially broken down.

None of the three parties were satisfied with the conditions proposed by the others, and no one was willing to give an inch.

In the end, the three Immortal Realm Cultivators actually came to blows. They fought with such ferocity that the sky darkened, and the entirety of Nine Netherworld Mountain was razed to the ground.

But it was during this chaotic battle that Tushan Hongxia and the other two unexpectedly discovered an ancient ruin!

Unfortunately, the ruin was tightly sealed by an ancient formation, and the three of them were completely unable to enter.

Even so, through that seal, they could still clearly feel a domineering bloodline aura seeping out from the ruin’s depths, a sensation that was utterly terrifying.

The three of them immediately called a temporary truce and instead joined forces to investigate the origin of the ruin.

Another ten days passed, and Tushan Hongxia returned to Quicksand City.

The first thing she did upon returning to the city was to issue an announcement about the ruin.

It was through this that Xiao Mo learned the full details—

The ruin beneath Nine Netherworld Mountain was, in fact, the resting place of an ancient Yuzhu.

This mighty Yuzhu’s Realm was at least at the Ascension Realm, and might have even reached the legendary Lost Second Realm.

Furthermore, according to the Secret Realm Law detected by Tushan Hongxia and the others, the ruin would open on its own in one month.

When that time came, all Cultivators in the Middle Three Realms from any of the three Demon Alliances could enter freely and seek their own fortunes!

As soon as this announcement was made, every single Cultivator in the Middle Three Realms within Quicksand City was eager to try their luck!

That was the resting place of an Ascension Realm Great Demon!

It was sure to hold that Great Demon’s lifelong legacy and treasures.

Even if they only managed to obtain a tiny fraction of it, it would be a heaven-sent opportunity!

From Xiao Mo’s perspective, the Secret Realm was most likely real.

However, he didn’t believe the three Demon Alliances would be so kind as to open up such a prime Secret Realm for free.

Xiao Mo secretly guessed that there was probably some kind of trick hidden within this Secret Realm.

The day after the announcement was made, Xiao Mo was summoned to the City Lord’s Mansion.

“Greetings, Elder Hongxia.” Facing Tushan Hongxia, Xiao Mo bowed respectfully.

“Hahaha… Xiao Mo, you’re too polite.” Tushan Hongxia walked forward with a chuckle and personally helped Xiao Mo up.

She sized Xiao Mo up and down, nodding in satisfaction as she praised him:

“Mm, not bad, not bad at all. Worthy of being the one our Saintess values. Not only are you handsome, but your talent is also remarkable. Xiao Mo, your Realm Breakthrough into Nascent Soul right on the battlefield was truly a magnificent display.”

“You praise me too highly, Elder.” Xiao Mo lowered his eyes humbly, his tone respectful. “This junior only managed to enter the Nascent Soul Realm by a stroke of luck.”

“There’s no need to be so modest in front of me.” Tushan Hongxia smiled, then changed the subject. “Can you guess why I’ve called for you today?”

“This junior speculates…” Xiao Mo paused, then replied calmly, “It must be about the Yuzhu Secret Realm, correct?”

“Exactly!”

A serious look suddenly flashed in Tushan Hongxia’s eyes, and her tone grew solemn.

“To be honest with you, when the three of us discovered this Secret Realm, we were shocked beyond words. We, who had been fighting so fiercely, all stopped by unspoken agreement.”

“In this Yuzhu Secret Realm, setting aside whether there are ancient cultivation methods to reach the Lost Second Realm, just from the aura seeping through the cracks of the seal, I can determine that the Demon Pill buried inside is at least of the Ascension Realm level!”

“Unfortunately, the Yuzhu Secret Realm only allows Cultivators of the Middle Three Realms to enter. I’m afraid these old bones of mine won’t be able to partake in this monumental opportunity!”

“But Xiao Mo! For you, this is an absolutely once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”

“Please enlighten me, Senior.” Xiao Mo bowed respectfully again.

“Regarding your relationship with the Saintess, the Grand Elder has already told me everything. The Grand Elder’s intentions are clear: he hopes you can achieve sufficient merit on the battlefield. When that time comes, even if you wish to marry the Saintess, you’ll be able to silence all the gossip.”

Tushan Hongxia gazed at Xiao Mo with burning eyes, her expression full of expectation.

“And now, this is an opportunity bestowed upon you by the heavens! If you can obtain even just the Yuzhu’s Demon Pill or its essence soul within the Yuzhu Secret Realm, it would be a tremendous contribution!”

“I plan to have you go to the Secret Realm, and have Chen Jue, Xin Xiao’er, and two other Nascent Soul Realm Elders from the Ten Thousand Demon Alliance assist you. What do you think?”

“Senior, my relationship with Chen Jue… is probably not very good.” Xiao Mo shook his head helplessly, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

“I know.”

Tushan Hongxia gently patted Xiao Mo’s shoulder, her tone soft and consoling.

“But Chen Jue is, after all, a Prince of the Celestial Demon Country, and the Celestial Demon Country is a crucial ally to our Ten Thousand Demon Alliance. What’s more, you will be Tushan’s son-in-law in the future. If the two of you could use this opportunity to fight side-by-side and mend your relationship, wouldn’t that be the best of both worlds?”

“So, what do you say? Are you willing to do this old woman a small favor?”

Xiao Mo contemplated for a moment before finally nodding, his tone tinged with concession. “Since you’ve put it that way, Senior, this junior is naturally willing to bury the hatchet with Chen Jue.”

“Good.” Tushan Hongxia nodded in satisfaction.

“Then it’s settled. Go back and prepare. You’ll depart on time the day after tomorrow.”

“Yes.” Xiao Mo took his leave. “Then this junior will take his leave now.”

“Go on, go on.” Tushan Hongxia waved her hand, watching Xiao Mo depart with a smile on her face.

However, the very moment Xiao Mo’s figure disappeared from the hall’s entrance, the smile on Tushan Hongxia’s face slowly faded, replaced by a grim, murderous intent.

“Did you hear clearly everything I just said to Xiao Mo?” Tushan Hongxia spoke slowly to the empty hall, her tone laced with a chilling coldness.

Before her voice had faded, Chen Jue emerged from the shadows. He stood respectfully before Tushan Hongxia and bowed. “Yes, Senior. This junior heard everything perfectly clearly.”

Chen Jue looked up, the corners of his mouth curling into a slight smirk as an undisguised look of mockery flashed in his eyes. “He wants to mend our relationship? A mere member of the Human Race. Is he even worthy?”

“The Yuzhu Secret Realm is a world of its own and will only last for a brief ten days.” Tushan Hongxia glanced at Chen Jue, ignoring his comment. “If Xiao Mo dies in there, no one will ever know what truly happened. Therefore, it is the perfect place for a murder.”

She turned, took a Magical Treasure glowing with a faint light from her sleeve, and solemnly handed it to Chen Jue.

“This is my Lifebound Magical Treasure. Its rank has reached that of a Half-Immortal Soldier. I have already infused it with my Spiritual Power. Paired with this Talisman that I personally drew, it will be enough for you to activate it once.”

She raised her eyes and looked directly at Chen Jue. “You must use this opportunity to kill Xiao Mo inside the Secret Realm. Do you understand?”

“This junior understands! Please rest assured, Senior!” Chen Jue accepted the Magical Treasure and the Talisman with both hands, nodding with a solemn expression as a vicious glint flashed in his eyes.

Tushan Hongxia nodded slightly, her tone growing deeper. “Tushan’s Saintess ceremony will be held soon.”

She paused, her gaze landing on Chen Jue with profound meaning. “As soon as Xiao Mo is dead, after the ceremony, it will be time for your wedding to Jing Ci.”

“Eldest Prince…” Her voice was not loud, but every single word landed with heavy pressure. “Do not disappoint me.”