Chapter 364: You Look Down on Me?

The outside of the grand hall, though imposing, was actually rather plain. The materials used all looked quite ordinary.

It was only due to the enhancement from the Array that it gave off such a commanding presence.

So when Lu Sangjiu got a clear look inside, she was genuinely surprised.

The interior was a world apart from the exterior. Everything was dazzlingly opulent. Even a single pillar was made of superb Refining Materials—the kind that Nascent Soul Level Demon Cultivators would fight to the death for.

Fortunately, Lu Sangjiu was someone who had seen the world, so after a brief moment of surprise, she quickly regained her composure.

Anyone else would have been blinded by the room full of treasures, forgetting everything else and trying to dismantle the hall on the spot.

Lu Sangjiu stepped into the hall. She had only taken a few steps forward when the main doors shut automatically.

She was currently circulating Spiritual Power, so she had been on high alert the moment she entered. But other than the doors closing on their own, nothing else happened.

After a slight hesitation, she continued forward without looking back. She took a few more steps, then tilted her head up slightly to look at the black statue in the center of the hall.

It was the statue of a man, seated with his eyes closed, exuding a natural air of authority.

The statue was carved from Black Obsidian, giving it an understated luxury. A faint light seemed to flow across its surface. This, too, was an excellent Refining Material, one that could be forged into top-grade items or even Magic Treasures.

Lu Sangjiu stared at the statue for a while but saw nothing out of the ordinary. She then scanned her surroundings again. She found nothing dangerous, but she also couldn’t find any other exits.

’From the outside, however, the palace had looked immense. It couldn’t possibly be just this single floor. There must be a mechanism to trigger to get to the other areas,’ she thought.

She glanced at the cushion on the floor before the statue. After a moment’s thought, she walked over, knelt, and bowed sincerely. "This junior, Lu Sangjiu, pays her respects to Senior."

"My master, senior brothers, and I stumbled into this Forbidden Land. We were fortunate enough to find the entrance to the Demon God Hall. Please, Senior, show us the way out of the Forbidden Land. This junior would be eternally grateful."

’This senior who built the Demon God Hall was a legendary figure from thousands of years before her time. Addressing him as Senior and offering a bow was no great loss.’

Unfortunately, she waited for quite a while but heard no response.

Puzzled, she raised her head, a look of confusion in her eyes. ’...Could it be that he didn’t leave a remnant soul behind?’

’Generally, one only sets up a statue of oneself to house a remnant soul.’

’Besides, legend says the Demon God Hall is a place of inheritance. To pass on a legacy, there should be a remnant soul.’

’Or perhaps too much time has passed, and the remnant soul has already dissipated?’

’Or maybe someone already claimed the inheritance from the Demon God Hall, turning this place into a dead land?’

’No, that’s not right. If someone had successfully claimed the inheritance, it makes no sense that they would leave a hall full of treasures behind.’

After a moment’s thought, Lu Sangjiu tentatively switched her Spiritual Energy to Demonic Qi, instantly transforming into a true Demon Cultivator.

Sure enough, in the next instant, she clearly felt a change in her surroundings!

The once-dead hall suddenly felt as if something had awakened, and a powerful pressure began to spread.

Lu Sangjiu quickly bowed again, repeated her earlier words, and then waited with an anxious heart for a response.

A moment later, a man’s lazy voice spoke up. "Haven’t seen a living person in nearly a thousand years. That was one comfortable nap... a pity you had to disturb it."

His tone was calm, with no hint of anger, yet Lu Sangjiu’s heart still tightened.

’This Senior... He isn’t the type to wake up grumpy, is he?’

Instantly on high alert, Lu Sangjiu scrambled to explain herself. "This junior did not mean to disturb you, I only wish to leave the Forbidden Land! I heard the Demon God Hall has a path out, so I implore Senior to grant us passage!"

The voice fell silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "You mean you didn’t come for my inheritance?"

"What... Do you look down on my inheritance? Is that why you disdain it?"

Lu Sangjiu: ???

She could clearly hear his voice turn icy on that last sentence.

’Wait, how can he just accuse me like that? When did I ever say I disdained his inheritance?’

’I was just worried that asking for too much would complicate things!’

’If I were alone, I’d probably try for the inheritance. But Master and the others are here. They can’t use a Demon Cultivator’s legacy, and they’re all in a hurry to get out and save someone. How could I waste time like this?’

But from the sound of it, he clearly thought she looked down on him and was getting angry.

Her mind raced, and she hurried to defend herself. "Senior, you’ve misunderstood!"

"The reason this junior didn’t mention the inheritance... is because I am rather special. I am an Immortal Demon Dual Cultivator."

"So I thought that perhaps I wouldn’t be able to use the inheritance even if I obtained it, which is why I didn’t dare to ask."

"As for my master and senior brothers... they are Immortal Cultivators and cannot practice a Demon Cultivation Technique."

As she said that last sentence, Lu Sangjiu was extremely nervous, terrified he would fly into a rage the moment he heard the words "Immortal Cultivator."

’Then again,’ she reasoned, ’even though Master and the others aren’t in the hall, they’re right outside the door. Even as a wisp of a remnant soul, this Senior should have detected them long ago.’

Sure enough, the man wasn’t angry. He just asked with some interest, "Immortal Demon Dual Cultivation? For real? Let me see."

Lu Sangjiu obediently switched back to her Spiritual Energy state. The man clicked his tongue in amazement. "Immortal Demon Dual Cultivation... Heh, that’s a first for me. Interesting."

"How did you manage it?"

Lu Sangjiu wasn’t about to reveal all her secrets, so she simply said she had a chance encounter and received an inheritance from a senior. That senior, she explained, had left her a power that could suppress both Demonic Qi and Spiritual Energy, aiding her cultivation.

In her telling, she pushed all the credit onto the senior who had given her the inheritance, as if it had little to do with her own abilities.

It was hard to tell if the man believed her or not. After a long silence, he finally spoke again.

"Fascinating. A pity I am but a remnant soul, unable to test it for myself."

His words carried a faint hint of regret. Then, Lu Sangjiu felt his Divine Thought fall upon her, scanning her from top to bottom, inside and out.

"However, my inheritance doesn’t actually distinguish between Immortal Cultivators and Demon Cultivators. You, and those people outside, can all give it a try."

Lu Sangjiu was a little surprised. "It doesn’t matter if you’re Immortal or Demon? But a moment ago, when I was using Spiritual Power, I couldn’t wake you, Senior..."

"Oh, that’s just because I don’t like Immortal Cultivators."

The voice said, somewhat capriciously, "But you, little one, have shown me something new. So, for your sake, I can give all of you a chance."

"If any one of you can obtain the inheritance, I will send you all out of the Forbidden Land. Do you dare to try?"