Chapter 557 - 333: Flower Sea Great Demon, Bai Ze Appears

Upon hearing the name Bai Ze, Lu Mingyuan instinctively scanned his surroundings.

But after searching for a long while, he couldn’t find a trace of Bai Ze.

’Gangzhu must be spouting nonsense,’ he thought.

"How dare you cry wolf! Taste my blade!"

Lu Mingyuan unleashed a piercing slash, his blade stirring the heavens. The Sword Intent was as magnificent as a cloud bank stretching for a thousand miles.

It sent Gangzhu flying.

He had to admit, Gangzhu was incredibly durable.

Any other Great Cultivator of the Thirteenth Realm would have been slain long ago.

But Gangzhu, relying on the power of his Flesh Body, was trading blows with him evenly.

And this was a result achieved only with the amplification of the Panwu Banner.

’It seems I’m still a long way from being able to kill a Throne Great Demon,’ he mused.

But he had the power of his Fate Grids.

As the battle dragged on, his "Martial Saint" Fate Grid began to slowly activate.

[Emperor Orange Fate Grid - Martial Saint, Refinement Level increased to 55%]

[Refinement Level reached 55%. Promoted Life Chart Traits - True Martial (High Level)]

[True Martial (High Level): Wield the Martial Fortune of a continent, enough to sweep through a nation. Your Martial Dao talent is peerless, your Martial Fortune is unrivaled, and you face no bottlenecks in your Martial Dao cultivation. Your cultivation speed is three hundred times faster than before. As time passes, you will suppress your opponent’s momentum and Destiny, and your Cultivation will increase dramatically.]

"Dragon Robe and Phoenix Attitude" and "Martial Saint" activated in unison.

Lu Mingyuan’s aura surged, climbing from the Early Stage of the Thirteenth Realm to the Mid Stage. "If I recall correctly, Bai Ze bound himself to Eternal Mist Mountain and will never leave seclusion. Even if he came in person today, how could he possibly save you?"p>

The synergy between the Divine Blade Zhu Xie and Lu Mingyuan grew ever more perfect.

"Lu Mingyuan, you’ve gone too far!"

Gangzhu was now truly enraged.

The next moment, torrents of the Ruishui River converged, forming a Celestial River stretching for countless miles. The mighty currents flowed out, blanketing the sky above the void before sweeping outward.

Lu Mingyuan’s expression shifted. He hadn’t expected Gangzhu to possess so much water from the Ruishui River.

Without a second thought, he began to retreat at top speed.

However, no matter how fast he moved, he couldn’t escape the Ruishui River.

Left with no choice, he had to mobilize the power of the Panwu Banner to suppress the Ruishui River in this space.

An earthy-yellow divine light flickered.

The Demon Power in the area was suppressed, and space itself compressed, forming a worldly prison.

Gangzhu gathered his boundless Demon Power, condensed a Fist Seal, and smashed it toward Lu Mingyuan with world-shattering might.

The Fist Seal released a terrifying demonic gale that seemed capable of shattering the heavens.

"Great Wilderness Divine Fist."

Lu Mingyuan met it with a Fist Technique of his own.

A towering Martial Dao Primordial Spirit Dharma Aspect materialized, wreathed in immense Thunder and rolling heatwaves, and collided with the demonic gale.

BAM!

The Fist Seal shuddered and shattered, reverting into the principles of the Great Dao and billowing Demon Qi, only to be obliterated by Thunder an instant later.

Gangzhu was truly worthy of his reputation as the Great Demon with the strongest Flesh Body in millennia.

His punch carried an unrivaled might, a blow that would have been enough to slay an Earth Immortal in the eyes of any observer. And yet, the Thunder Profound Techniques, representing the glorious might of the heavens, made Gangzhu’s heart tremble.

"You... you freak."

Gangzhu’s pupils shrank. He could clearly see his opponent’s three-headed, six-armed Martial Dao Dharma Aspect in the sky, brandishing a massive saber and preparing to strike.

Facing the Great Yan Martial Saint, he didn’t dare hold anything back and had already attacked with his full strength.

What shocked him was that no matter what ultimate move he used, his opponent seemed able to block it. This last punch, for instance, had been meant as a surprise attack.

Yet it had been deflected with ease.

BAM!

Under Lu Mingyuan’s two-pronged assault, the saber struck Gangzhu squarely in the chest.

PUH!

Gangzhu spat out a mouthful of Demon Blood as his body was sent flying, crashing heavily against the barrier formed by the Ruishui River.

Before he could recover, Lu Mingyuan was already upon him, raising the Divine Blade Zhu Xie and bringing it down viciously toward his head.

However, at that very moment, a pleasant, mature female voice echoed from the void. "It’s a rather dishonorable victory when you have to borrow a Magical Treasure from the Taoist Sect, isn’t it?"

From Lu Mingyuan’s perspective, the sky was suddenly covered in endless flower petals, transforming into a floral sea. The pink blossoms, petal by petal, could erode one’s consciousness and lull them into a deep slumber.

Fortunately, Lu Mingyuan possessed the "Celestial Exiled Immortal" Fate Grid and was immune to the Illusion Realm’s effects, allowing him to recover quickly.

He focused his gaze.

At some point, a woman had appeared beneath his blade. She wore a moonlight-colored palace dress and held a dark-green Oil Paper Umbrella. Her figure was exquisitely beautiful, graceful as the wind, and she stood with an otherworldly aloofness.

A flower hairpin was tucked into her cascading hair. The woman’s perfect lips moved slightly:

"Disperse."

The illusion of a floral sea, stretching for a thousand miles, vanished in an instant.

Everyone’s minds instantly cleared.

But the scene that had just unfolded in their minds would be impossible to forget.

A Fairy holding an umbrella had arrived amidst a sky full of flowers.

"The Flower Sea Great Demon... It’s her..."

Upon seeing the woman, the Sun Wheel Celestial Monarch lost his composure for a moment.

Memories of the past resurfaced, and a look of melancholy inevitably crossed his face.

"Who are you?"

Lu Mingyuan’s face was devoid of expression as he retreated several dozen feet. "Who are you?" he demanded.

The woman in the moonlight-colored dress seemed to bear little ill will. Reaching across the void, she helped Gangzhu to his feet and smiled.

"The Seven Thrones, Rain Master."

"You can also call me Si Yu."

Hearing this legendary name, a look of surprise appeared in Lu Mingyuan’s eyes.

"So you’re the Rain Master. The reincarnation of an Old God from the Celestial Court of old, the Flower Sea Great Demon."

Rumor had it that the origin of the Seven Thrones’ Rain Master was incredibly mysterious; that she had transformed from the remnant soul of an Old God from the Mythical Era.

Her true form was a Twelve-Petaled Realm Sea Mandala from the Outer World.

It was also said...

...that the Rain Master was a moderate in the Wilderness World, one who held goodwill toward the Human Race.

Indeed. At first, Lu Mingyuan almost couldn’t believe it.

The truth was, the Wilderness World was divided between moderates and radicals.

The moderates adhered to the non-aggression pact signed between the Demon Race and the Human Race tens of thousands of years ago.

The radicals, on the other hand, believed the Demon Race should rule the world and reclaim their ancient status as hegemons.

Lu Mingyuan said coldly, "I don’t care what your motives are. Gangzhu has slaughtered countless of my fellow humans. He deserves to die by Our blade."

The Rain Master shook her head and sighed. "And do humans not hunt demons to survive? Hatred has long festered between our races. If you wish to fight, you need not search for excuses."

"So, I imagine the Bai Ze that Gangzhu just mentioned has also come to this Grotto Heaven."

Lu Mingyuan said, probing.

’If the First Throne appears,’ he thought, ’then I’m afraid only the Yuqing Ancestor Master can handle him.’

"The Emperor of the Human Race in this era is shrewder than I imagined."

As soon as Lu Mingyuan finished speaking, a man in a white robe appeared above the Rain Master. He had long, raven-black hair, an incomparably handsome face, and a pair of deer antlers protruding from his head.

The First Throne, Bai Ze.

He had actually appeared right before him.

Lu Mingyuan instantly felt as if he were facing a mighty foe, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.

Before him now stood three Throne Great Demons.

The pressure was immense, like Mount Tai bearing down on him.

Among the Twelve Thrones, Bai Ze and the Rain Master were ranked among the strongest.

Bai Ze was ranked number one.

Seeing his reaction, Bai Ze chuckled. "Don’t be nervous. We didn’t come here with malicious intent. We simply wish to make a deal with you."

"A deal?"

Lu Mingyuan narrowed his eyes, wondering what tricks they were playing.

Bai Ze turned to the side and spread his fingers. Instantly, all five senses within the surrounding area were sealed off.

He said, "You are the Emperor of the Human Race. I believe you can make certain compromises and think things through clearly."

"Aren’t you curious as to why the Taoist Sect only arrived at the last possible moment?"

Lu Mingyuan didn’t immediately understand. He tried to contact the Yuqing Ancestor Master, but found he couldn’t get a message through. He could only ask passively, "What do you mean?"

"Have you ever considered whether the Taoist Sect truly has your best interests at heart?"

Bai Ze gave a slight smile.

"This Ascension Platform you’re after... are you certain you’re taking it for yourself, and not for the Taoist Sect?"

Lu Mingyuan had never considered this question before, not until Bai Ze spoke.

Only then did he realize that although he held the Ascension Platform, its final ownership might not be so simple to determine.

The Taoist Sect had been absent for so long, yet they arrived at the most critical moment.

Even Lu Mingyuan couldn’t fathom the deeper meaning behind their timing.

Bai Ze knew his words had hit their mark.

He got straight to the point. "The deal is quite simple, actually."

"You only need to promise that when chaos descends upon the world, you will not ignore the existence of the Demon Race. That is all."

"In exchange, I, on behalf of the Demon Race, can cede the Ascension Platform to you."

...