Chapter 1142: An Old Demon Acquaintance |
The other party has been lying in wait inside the demon king’s cave dwelling and has only acted now. Could it be that, like me, this person has slipped in together with the guards during the shift change? The thought was chilling.
The Sky-Eyed Butterfly had detected nothing at all.
Qin Sang judged that the possibility of the other party being a Spiritual Infant cultivator or a Transformation Realm great demon was very small. Otherwise, he would have long since been exposed under that person’s gaze.
Steadying himself, Qin Sang did not act rashly. He slowed his pace and quietly followed.
The favored concubine's room was brightly lit. An azure wolf stood guard at the foot of the mountain with a group of lesser demons, each of them crestfallen.
The feast ahead was filled with celebration, yet they alone had endured scolding.
The concubine had vented all her anger on them. Only after she had grown tired of berating them and returned inside did they gain a moment of peace.
"All of you, keep your eyes open! If anything happens, I will seal your cultivation and throw you into the Myriad Serpent Cave before the king even gives the order!" The azure wolf had been holding in his frustration. His eyes suddenly flashed with ferocity as he bared his teeth. "Who's there?"
In the next instant, a gray falcon demon emerged from the shadows and flew straight toward the azure wolf and his group. His movements were extremely cautious, as though he feared alarming the concubine.
The lesser demons moved to surround the falcon demon, but the azure wolf barked them back. "The white-feathered eagle sent you?"
The gray falcon could not speak human language. He nodded hurriedly, flew before the azure wolf, and carefully set down the pouch on his back. A crisp clinking sound rang out, accompanied by a faint, rich fragrance of wine.
Then the falcon respectfully stepped aside and raised a wing, pointing upward.
"The king ordered you to deliver the celestial wine?" The azure wolf’s eyes lit up. He tore open the pouch and saw it filled with bottles of fine wine. The gloom in his chest instantly vanished. He clamped several bottles in his jaws and tossed the pouch behind him. "Brothers, the king did not forget us! Take it and share!"
The lesser demons had long been drooling. Overjoyed, they rushed forward to grab the wine.
"What fine wine!" The azure wolf drained a bottle in one gulp, smacked his lips, and praised it endlessly. "I heard this celestial wine was purchased from Demon King Yuan. It truly lives up to its name."
After downing three bottles in a row, the azure wolf glanced at the gray falcon and sneered. "Your king might as well be called the white-haired mouse. Timid as a rat! The king told him to deliver wine to me, yet he did not dare come personally."
The gray falcon replied, "Wolf King, please calm your anger. Lord Eagle is stationed at the front mountain and cannot leave."
The azure wolf let out a derisive snort. Then his expression suddenly froze. The lesser demons were equally stunned.
This gray falcon had never been enlightened by the king, yet he had just spoken human language.
"Down! Down! Down!" The gray falcon lifted a wing and gently pressed it downward.
The lesser demons rolled their eyes back and collapsed unconscious, dropping to the ground in an instant.
The azure wolf was a Demonic Core Realm great demon and was not so easily overcome. But when he tried to pounce at the falcon, he felt his entire body go limp, his demonic power stagnating. He could not muster any strength.
"You…" The azure wolf crashed to the ground, still attempting to resist with all his might. Suddenly, a flash of light filled his vision. A net of lightning interwoven like a web descended over his head. A wave of searing pain struck him, and he fainted.
"This Drunk Immortal Liquor was not easy for me to purchase from Immortal Demon City. Even late-stage Demonic Core cultivators can be knocked out. A pity they only take effect after being swallowed." The gray falcon’s eyes gleamed with pride as he swiftly dragged the azure wolf and the others into the shadows.
Then he opened his beak and spat out a round pearl. The moment the pearl left his body, the gray falcon suddenly transformed, his aura surging dramatically.
His feathers were no longer gray but silver-white like lightning itself, gleaming as though bolts of electricity were constantly coursing along his wings.
He resembled a lightning beast born from lightning. His eyes were sharp, his talons like swords.
Though his shape still resembled a falcon, his bearing now far surpassed what it had been moments before. The difference was like the bright moon compared to a firefly.
More astonishing still, the gray falcon had previously been merely a Demonic Spirit Realm lesser demon. Now he had leapt directly to the middle stage of the Demonic Core Realm.
"This Mirage Pearl my mother left me is quite useful for disguises. The only drawback is that I must seal my cultivation to achieve perfection. Being ordered about by you lot all these years nearly suffocated me!" he said.
He kicked the unconscious azure wolf, then looked up toward the favored concubine’s room. The pearl flashed, mist surged, and after swallowing it again, he transformed into the azure wolf and silently swept upward.
Within a grove of trees, Qin Sang concealed himself in the shadows and watched everything unfold.
When he saw the falcon demon’s altered appearance, a sense of familiarity suddenly stirred within him.
"No way, right?" Qin Sang stared at the falcon’s silver-white feathers.
He suddenly recalled the scene from years ago when he and Wandering Man had infiltrated Endless Valley in search of the Night Lily. There, they had witnessed a Lightning-Devouring Falcon battling two human Spiritual Infant cultivators.
This falcon demon, whether in aura or cultivation, could not compare to the Transformation Realm Lightning-Devouring Falcon. Yet his appearance bore a striking resemblance.
Qin Sang remembered that the Lightning-Devouring Falcon had a fledgling, one he had even teased at the time.
Is this an old demon acquaintance? Qin Sang thought.
After confirming that he was merely a middle-stage Demonic Core falcon relying on a rare treasure for disguise, long hidden among the demon ranks and not nearly as terrifying as imagined, Qin Sang felt his tension ease. He quickly followed.
Inside the favored concubine’s chambers, gauzy curtains hung lightly, and a white jade vanity stood within. At first glance, it seemed like the boudoir of a human woman.
In truth, the mistress of the chamber, the demon king’s favored concubine, was indeed a female cultivator.
She possessed stunning beauty but mediocre talent. She remained stuck at the Fake Core Realm. However, she was deeply favored by Demon King Qianji, who had promised to spare no effort in helping her break through to the Core Formation Realm.
Whether in cultivation or background, she posed no threat to the position of the demon king’s main wife.
She understood this well. Thus, she merely put on airs and vented her anger on the lesser demons, rather than truly storming the banquet. At this moment, there was no trace of anger on her face. She was seated before the mirror, combing her hair, radiant and alluring.
"Your Highness, the king has sent your favorite celestial fruits and fine wine," the azure wolf’s voice sounded from outside.
"These are just empty gestures! Why did he not deliver them personally?" The concubine snorted. Her spiritual consciousness swept outward. Seeing that it was indeed the azure wolf delivering the items himself, she opened the barrier at the entrance to her room. "Leave it outside!"
"Yes!"
Suddenly, the concubine sensed something amiss. Through the mirror, she saw in horror that the azure wolf had somehow entered her room and now stood behind her.
"How dare you?!" Fury and shock filled her voice. A chill suddenly wrapped around her neck as a silver chain tightened there.
"Your Highness, do not act rashly. I know the king has given you many protective treasures. If I grow nervous and make a mistake, and you perish here, that would be unfortunate." The falcon demon’s mist dispersed, revealing his true form.
"What do you want? I was forcibly abducted by him. I know nothing!" Seeing an unfamiliar falcon demon, the concubine was terrified. She did not dare move.
"I did not intend to question you," the falcon said calmly. Then a streak of lightning flicked from his fingertip.
The concubine’s vision went black, and she lost consciousness.