Chapter 15: Secret

Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Secret

Li Ye cast out a total of three sets of bait.

The first set was Cao Bin, the Eldest Senior Brother of the Profound Light Sect.

The second set consisted of Wen Ziqian and He Zifan, the Third Elder’s disciples from the Celestial Dao Alliance who were traveling abroad. It was their first time descending the mountain. Having heard about the Dragon Emperor Spell, they originally planned to intercept Shi Xiang but got lost along the way. They then stumbled upon the Fun People Club committing murder in Honglou Village, plunged headfirst into the mess, and were completely surrounded by Li Ye and his men.

The third set was the two Households Commanders from the Great Chu Country’s Inspection Department. The Inspection Department wielded immense power, responsible for monitoring all officials and investigating misdeeds by figures in the Martial World. The Fun People Club’s actions had walked right into their crosshairs, and the two foolhardy Households Commanders who came to investigate the cause were also captured alive by Li Ye.

The shock that the Demon Qi brought to these martial artists was earth-shattering; it completely overturned their past understanding of the world. Intelligent life in any world harbored a deep-seated desire to evolve to a higher level. To them, Li Ye was the equivalent of a close encounter of the third kind. Even if Li Ye defined himself as a Star Thief and a villain, it did not hinder their yearning for an Immortal’s life.

Having hope was always better than having none. Besides, it wasn’t like they could find any good people right now anyway.

Therefore, Li Ye convinced them with ease. In the hearts of Cao Bin and the others, leading their masters or superiors to meet Li Ye was actually a good thing. It wasn’t considered betrayal at all. They believed that even if their masters eventually realized they had been deceived, they would not blame them.

After sending off the two Households Commanders, Li Ye was just planning to return to Sirius Valley when suddenly, a voice popped into his mind. "Li Ye, you’re doing very well."

Li Ye abruptly stopped in his tracks.

The next moment, he quickly took out his Team Emblem, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"That’s right, it’s me." The Team Emblem emitted a faint yellow glow, as if it were breathing, or perhaps speaking.

"You developed sentience?" Li Ye’s heart pounded rapidly. During his three months of training at the Demon Hunting Bureau, no one had ever told him that demons could develop sentience. They had only warned him that overusing demons would cause him to lose his true nature and become their puppet.

"We were born with sentience; we were just sealed away by the Demon Suppression Tower," the Team Emblem’s voice echoed in Li Ye’s mind again, carrying a hint of anger.

"Demon Suppression Tower?" Li Ye licked his lips and reflexively asked, "What Demon Suppression Tower?"

"The Demon Suppression Tower is exactly what it sounds like. You don’t even need to ask," the Team Emblem said in a foul tone, seemingly loathing even the name. "Without the Demon Suppression Tower, how could you possibly tear through space?"

So that was why!

Li Ye had long wondered why the Demon Hunting Bureau suddenly possessed time-traveling technology. So this was the source!

The Demon Suppression Tower?

The Demon Hunting Bureau had truly hidden a lot from them!

Li Ye chuckled derisively, shook his head, and asked, "Where did you guys come from?"

"I don’t know," the Team Emblem replied. "Since I gained consciousness, I’ve always been in the Demon Suppression Tower..."

"Does every trace of Demon Qi have consciousness?" Li Ye asked suddenly, struck by a thought.

"Of course," the Team Emblem affirmed.

"So, every demon can communicate with its user?" Li Ye asked again.

"Communication is impossible," the Team Emblem said. "Any demon connected to the Demon Suppression Tower will have its sentience sealed. I don’t know why the Demon Suppression Tower’s seal on me suddenly failed, either. Perhaps it’s because the tower is too far away from us, or perhaps you inadvertently did something."

"I was just developing the Team Emblem’s abilities in my own way," Li Ye muttered to himself. He asked, "Since you’ve developed sentience, tell me what your Derived Skills are. How do I unlock them?"

"I don’t know." The Team Emblem’s response echoed in Li Ye’s mind. "Although I’ve regained my consciousness, many of my memories seem to be missing. I only vaguely know that I was once very powerful. I don’t know what my abilities are, nor do I know why I was locked in the Demon Suppression Tower. Right now, only two things matter most in my consciousness."

"What are they?" Li Ye asked.

"To escape the Demon Suppression Tower and to strengthen myself," the Team Emblem replied.

Traces of Demon Qi would devour one another to strengthen themselves. This much aligned with what the Demon Hunting Bureau had claimed. But did the people at the Demon Hunting Bureau know that the demons’ true goal was to escape the Demon Suppression Tower?

The Team Emblem’s sudden awakening had exposed Li Ye to quite a few secrets, yet as his knowledge increased, the fog before his eyes seemed to grow even thicker. "So, you were locked in the Demon Suppression Tower before this?"

"Perhaps!" the Team Emblem said.

"Does the Demon Suppression Tower also have sentience?" Li Ye asked again.

"It definitely does," the Team Emblem said, its voice dripping with venom. "Otherwise, how could it seal us? It even tied a leash behind my back so it can drag me back at any moment. Li Ye, let’s cooperate!"

"Cooperate on what?" Li Ye asked.

"You help me break free from the Demon Suppression Tower’s control, and I will grant you immense power," the Team Emblem said. "At the time, the Demon Suppression Tower’s seal shattered, and Demon Qi escaped. Earth has the most Demon Qi, and they will constantly devour each other. One day, a great demon that you humans cannot control will be born.

"Relying on your Demon Hunters and the demons with sealed abilities, it’s absolutely impossible to defeat those great demons. Going back is just seeking death. You might as well find a way to stay in this universe. The two of us can join forces and dominate this world..."

Fuck!

Li Ye was stunned once again. For a moment, he suddenly couldn’t figure out if the Team Emblem had truly developed sentience, or if he had been eroded so much by the Demon Qi that he had already lost his true nature.

The Demon Hunting Bureau had absolutely no records of demons possessing consciousness. If there were, it was impossible for Yang Feng not to mention it. Telling him would have allowed him to take precautions early on—after all, the mortality rate for Time Travelers was so high! Moreover, it wasn’t like every single Demon Hunter would deliberately hide the fact that demons had sentience!

Wait.

Were the Time Travelers really dead?

An unbelievable thought suddenly sprang up in Li Ye’s mind, one that gave him goosebumps. Suppose the demons regained their consciousness because they were too far away from the Demon Suppression Tower. If that was the case, would the Time Travelers who learned the truth really be willing to go back?

After all, Earth currently wasn’t much different from a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The current peace was merely temporary. Just as the Team Emblem had said, if the Demon Qi on Earth devoured each other and birthed a super demon, could the Demon Hunting Bureau really withstand it?

Meanwhile, in this world where he currently resided, he had already become an Innate Master with the help of Demon Qi in just a short span of over ten days. If he continued like this, becoming a Grandmaster would be just around the corner, and surpassing the Grandmaster realm wouldn’t be impossible either...

One had to know that Grandmasters were already at the very top of the pyramid in this world. With the help of demons, he could completely throw his weight around and live a life happier than even an emperor’s.

Back on Earth, his family had practically been wiped out by demons. Was there really a need for him to go back? On one hand was a happy and joyous life, and on the other was a precarious reality where one’s life was constantly on the line...

At this very moment, Li Ye suddenly felt utterly lost. He swallowed hard and asked, "How do we break free from the Demon Suppression Tower’s control?"

"By devouring," the Team Emblem replied, its tone growing excited as it seemingly sensed Li Ye’s wavering resolve. "I can sense that there are two traces of Demon Qi in this world. If we devour them, I believe I will have the confidence to sever the Demon Suppression Tower’s hold on me..."

Two traces of Demon Qi?

Li Ye shuddered and abruptly snapped back to his senses.

He had once thought that the enemy a Time Traveler had to face was a single trace of Demon Qi. He never expected there to be two.

No wonder the mortality rate for Time Travelers was so high!

On Earth, whenever a great demon caused trouble, a whole team of Demon Hunters would mobilize at the same time. Yet now, he had to face two of them all by himself. The Demon Suppression Tower was truly a piece of work!

Forget about throwing his weight around and dominating the world!

He needed to survive first!

Taking a deep breath, Li Ye said, "Alright, I promise you. The two of us will work together and take down those two traces of Demon Qi."