Chapter 1328 |
Chapter 1328: Ancient Desolate Demon King
“I hope the legacy left by the Ancient Desolate Demon King does not disappoint me.”
After staring at the black palace for over ten seconds, Su Jingzhen took a deep breath and strode toward its entrance.
As he approached, the energy radiating from the palace grew increasingly violent, even generating a repulsive force aimed directly at him.
“Since I’ve come this far, you can’t stop me.”
Su Jingzhen sneered and once again drew upon the full power of the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Enveloped by the vast might of the world, the repulsive force from the black palace couldn’t affect him in the slightest.
Even the black brick in his hand continued to emit a dark glow, absorbing the surging Dao power the moment it drew near.
Unimpeded, he reached the palace entrance.
The doors were tightly shut, adorned with countless inscriptions. Sensing Su Jingzhen’s arrival, some of the inscriptions suddenly ignited, releasing waves of ferocious, malevolent energy that coalesced into a crimson light, instantly engulfing him.
At that moment, the special mark on Su Jingzhen’s forehead flared to life. The aura of the previous generation’s Demon God began to emanate from him.
Feeling this aura emerge unbidden, Su Jingzhen’s heart trembled. Then, the palace doors shuddered, and all the remaining inscriptions blazed to life.
As an immense pressure built, the doors quaked and swung open with a resounding bang.
Su Jingzhen distinctly sensed a powerful presence deep within the palace, slowly awakening.
“Could it be that the Ancient Desolate Demon King was also a subordinate of the previous generation’s Demon God?”
This thought surfaced in Su Jingzhen’s mind, and the more he considered it, the more certain he became. After all, ever since the previous generation’s Demon God had bestowed the mark upon his forehead, it had only activated in the presence of that Demon God’s subordinates.
Muttering to himself, Su Jingzhen stepped into the palace.
As expected, the interior was a separate realm, resembling a sea of stars. Countless stars glimmered around him, each radiating terrifying power.
Su Jingzhen recognized this as the legacy of the Ancient Desolate Demon King.
With a sweep of his divine consciousness, he detected powerful treasures, formidable martial techniques, and a variety of rare, precious items—akin to the treasuries of top-tier Demon King Realm factions.
Though excited, he refrained from collecting them immediately. Instead, his gaze fixed on the deepest reaches of the starry expanse, where one star shone brighter, seemingly drawing energy from the surrounding sea of stars to awaken.
He approached it.
In less time than it took to burn an incense stick, a faint figure began to materialize atop that star. Its aura was ancient and formidable, both savage and sacred, reigning over the sea of stars like the sovereign of this domain.
Without needing to ask, Su Jingzhen knew this was a projection or remnant will of the Ancient Desolate Demon King.
The closer he drew, the more brilliantly the mark on his forehead glowed, eventually projecting a thin beam of light onto the illusory form of Ancient Desolate Demon King.
As the light touched it, the figure’s eyes snapped open. It rose to its feet, its once-blurred gaze sharpening, a flicker of excitement crossing its face.
The towering figure then dropped to one knee before Su Jingzhen.
“Ancient Desolate Demon King pays homage to the Demon God!”
A deep, resonant voice reverberated through the starry expanse.
Caught off guard, Su Jingzhen paused, then smiled. “Ancient Desolate Demon King, there’s no need for such formalities. I am not the Demon God—merely an envoy chosen by the Demon God to walk the mortal world. No need to be so excited.”
At this explanation, a hint of confusion crossed the figure’s face, but it quickly stood, brushing the matter aside, its expression still alight with enthusiasm.
“Envoy, this remnant will of mine has slumbered for countless ages, waiting silently here for your arrival.”
“You’ve been waiting for me?” Su Jingzhen asked, surprised.
Ancient Desolate Demon King nodded. “Countless ages ago, I received instructions from the Demon God to preserve the core energy of the Ancient Demon Sect for the envoy’s arrival. For endless years, I dared not squander even a shred of power, conserving as much as possible within the Ancient Demon Palace.
My consciousness remained in deep slumber until today, when I sensed your presence and awoke.”
Su Jingzhen’s astonishment deepened.
Did this mean that, even in the era of Ancient Desolate Demon King countless ages ago, the previous generation’s Demon God had foreseen this day?
The more he uncovered about the world’s secrets, the more bewildered Su Jingzhen felt. Mysteries surrounded him, yet their truths remained elusive.
“If you’ve been waiting for me, what of the other seven regions?” Su Jingzhen asked, studying the figure.
“The Heavenly Demon Sect, the Earthly Demon Sect, and the other five ancient demon sects are like the Ancient Demon Sect. However, I do not know their current state. Since you, the envoy, have come here, you may take all that the Ancient Demon Sect has left behind and investigate the others one by one.
In my view, the other seven sects are likely in a similar condition—clinging to existence across countless ages, awaiting your arrival. Now, please accept everything here.”
Ancient Desolate Demon King’s tone brimmed with excitement, as if eager for Su Jingzhen to claim it all so he could finally find peace.
Su Jingzhen’s gaze swept the sea of stars once more. It seemed the Ancient Desolate Demon King could offer no further insight into the other seven regions, but what he had learned was sufficient for now.
Looking back at the figure, he posed one final question: “If I take everything here, will you dissipate and cease to exist in this world?”
The Ancient Desolate Demon King smiled faintly. “I am already dead. This remnant will has lingered far too long. I harbor no regrets about departing this world.”
His tone carried calm acceptance, devoid of reluctance.
Su Jingzhen returned the smile. “Your remnant will still retains some true spirit, doesn’t it?”
The Ancient Desolate Demon King nodded. “Without the true spirit, even the natural erosion of energy over such a vast span would have caused me to fade entirely.”
Su Jingzhen pressed on. “Since you still possess a true spirit, I can prevent its dissipation and even grant you a chance at rebirth. Do you trust me?”
His eyes burned with anticipation as he regarded the Ancient Desolate Demon King. He could sense that its aura surpassed that of the Fire Pupil Demon King or even the Soul Devourer he had previously encountered.
If he could revive them within the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, they might swiftly regain their peak strength. On his journey through the central trial, he could potentially gain eight such formidable allies.
Should they all recover their full power within the Pure Land, he would face the current generation’s Demon God with greater confidence.
Of course, he didn’t expect the Ancient Desolate Demon King or the others to aid him in protecting the Immortal Realm—that was implausible. Beyond the complexities of the Immortal Realm, his greatest foe, the current Demon God, remained an enigma he had yet to confront.
Moreover, he had not yet encountered the forces loyal to the current Demon God. He knew that if his identity as the envoy of the previous generation’s Demon God were exposed, he would face relentless peril among the Starry Sky Demons.
It was time to forge some trump cards for himself.
At Su Jingzhen’s words, the Ancient Desolate Demon King froze, then its eyes gleamed with fervent hope.
“Envoy, are you serious? Do I truly have a chance?”
Su Jingzhen smiled. “Do you doubt me?”
“No, no, of course I believe you, Envoy! But what must I do to assist?”
“You need do nothing. Simply don’t resist, and I’ll handle the rest.”
With that, Su Jingzhen raised the black brick, now ablaze with intense dark light. Wherever the light touched, energy and stars vanished. The radiance spread swiftly, dimming the space as stars winked out one by one.
The Ancient Desolate Demon King watched in awe. He could feel the energy, hoarded for countless ages, being transformed.
As his form lost the support of the starry expanse’s power, it began to fade, teetering on the brink of dissolution.
Seeing this, Su Jingzhen redirected the black brick’s dark light to envelop Ancient Desolate Demon King. Instantly, the figure stabilized, no longer fading.
Infused with world power, Ancient Desolate Demon King even felt a long-forgotten sense of vitality.
“Do not resist!”
Su Jingzhen’s voice rang out as the world power surged. In the next instant, Ancient Desolate Demon King’s figure vanished from the starry expanse, reappearing atop Creation Peak in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.