Chapter 1374 |
Chapter 1374: An Acquaintance from the Immortal Realm
"Hurry, hurry, catch up to that person!"
Su Jingzhen's expression suddenly turned serious.
Watching the figure gradually disappear into the crowd, he quickened his pace.
After descending the gangway, he rushed in the direction the figure had gone.
Behind him, Mo Xuantian was momentarily stunned but quickly followed.
He had never seen Su Jingzhen look so grave before.
His divine consciousness immediately locked onto the person Su Jingzhen had indicated.
As a Demon King, unless the target was of the same level, there was no way they could escape his detection.
However, when Su Jingzhen saw the person's face, his brows furrowed.
It was a face completely unfamiliar to him, utterly different from the one in his memories.
Yet, there was a faint sense of familiarity in the person's demeanor and aura.
Seeing Su Jingzhen and Mo Xuantian, the man frowned.
"What do you two want?"
The man's expression turned wary.
In that instant, he seemed to recall everything he had experienced in his life, confirming that he didn’t know Su Jingzhen or Mo Xuantian.
"Old friends meeting by chance—why pretend not to know each other? How about we find a quieter place to talk?"
Su Jingzhen didn’t hesitate and gave Mo Xuantian a meaningful look.
Mo Xuantian’s aura subtly enveloped the green-robed man before them.
In the next moment, the energy of a Demon King surged, and with a flash, the three of them vanished from the port.
Feeling Mo Xuantian’s aura, the green-robed man’s face turned pale.
He tried to resist but was completely overpowered by the Demon King-level energy.
When his aura flared, it revealed that he was a Demon General Realm cultivator, though only at the third stage.
"Who are you people?!"
The man struggled frantically, but Su Jingzhen only smirked coldly.
Meanwhile, Jin Zhongbao and his group, who had been following behind, were stunned.
"Where did they go? How did they disappear so quickly?"
Jin Zhongbao’s divine consciousness spread out wildly, covering the entire port, but there was no trace of Su Jingzhen or Mo Xuantian.
At the same time, in a spatial rift Mo Xuantian had created not far from the port, Su Jingzhen and the others reappeared.
Su Jingzhen looked at the handsome green-robed man before him and, without hesitation, revealed his true appearance—the face he had used back in Linjiang City.
Mo Xuantian and Mo Xuanling had already seen Su Jingzhen’s true face when they entered the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and knew about his multiple identities.
However, for Mo Xuantian and the others, multiple identities weren’t a big deal.
For any powerful figure, this wasn’t unusual.
As long as one of Su Jingzhen’s identities was that of the Demon God’s Envoy, that was enough.
Seeing Su Jingzhen’s true face, the green-robed man’s expression changed dramatically.
"You... you’re Su Jingzhen! How... how is this possible? How could you be in the Boundless Demon Realm?!"
Seeing Su Jingzhen’s face, the man felt as if his soul had left his body, and a sense of absurdity washed over him.
He instinctively pinched himself hard, and the sharp pain confirmed that this wasn’t a dream.
Su Jingzhen was really standing before him.
Then, a look of panic flashed across his face.
"Su Jingzhen, our feud ended back in Qingzhou when I fled after my defeat, right? Now that we’ve met in the Boundless Demon Realm, it’s fate. We should help each other establish ourselves here, not dwell on past grievances, right?"
As he spoke, there was a hint of fear in his eyes.
This man was none other than Feng Mingyan, the former young master of the Feng family, who had caused Su Jingzhen some trouble back in Linjiang City.
After losing to Feng Qingya in Yunmeng City, Feng Mingyan and his faction’s core members had disappeared.
Su Jingzhen had tried to track them down but found no trace of them in Qingzhou or the Luo River region.
Back then, Feng Mingyan had been nothing more than a spoiled brat with mediocre cultivation talent.
So, even though Su Jingzhen couldn’t find him, he didn’t pay much attention.
After all, in Su Jingzhen’s eyes, once he had soared to greater heights, a small-time opponent like Feng Mingyan was insignificant.
Whether he lived or died didn’t matter.
But Su Jingzhen never expected to see him again after so long, and in the distant Boundless Demon Realm, no less.
Seeing him now, Su Jingzhen was not only surprised but also felt a sense of unreality.
After all, a low-level cultivator from back then had now leaped to the Demon General Realm, even surpassing Su Jingzhen in cultivation.
It was truly unbelievable.
Without hesitation, Su Jingzhen asked, "Tell me, what’s going on with you? And this face of yours is completely unfamiliar. Change back to the Feng Mingyan I knew. I preferred your arrogant, unruly self."
Su Jingzhen spoke calmly, his hands behind his back.
Although his cultivation was inferior to Feng Mingyan’s current level, if he tapped into the power of the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, his combat strength would far surpass that of a mere third-stage Demon General Realm cultivator.
Moreover, Mo Xuantian’s presence ensured that Feng Mingyan couldn’t cause any trouble.
A third-stage Demon General Realm cultivator was no match for a Demon King.
After a moment of hesitation, Feng Mingyan complied, reverting to the arrogant young man Su Jingzhen remembered.
Glancing at Mo Xuantian, Feng Mingyan couldn’t hide the fear in his eyes.
Then he added, "I am Yan Xiao, a disciple of the Boundless Demon Sect!"
He quickly revealed his true identity.
In the Boundless Demon Realm, being a core disciple of the Boundless Demon Sect was a status that commanded respect and pride.
But before a Demon King, his status meant nothing.
Su Jingzhen nodded.
Yan Xiao, or Feng Mingyan, continued, "You should know that the Feng Mingyan you knew in Linjiang City was just an avatar of mine. Well, not exactly an avatar—it was a strand of my true spirit, severed by a special technique and sent into the reincarnation cycle of the immortal realm.
Before awakening, that avatar had its own consciousness. So, the actions of Feng Mingyan back then have little to do with my true self. I’m willing to compensate you for any grievances. If you need any treasures or resources in the Boundless Demon Realm, I’ll do my best to get them for you."
Hearing this, Su Jingzhen was slightly shaken, though he had suspected as much.
At his current level, he knew that both the immortal realm and the Boundless Demon Realm had special techniques where cultivators, when reaching the peak of the Immortal King Realm and attempting to break through to the Immortal Emperor Realm, would use avatars to gather different life experiences for the purpose of merging with the Dao.
This wasn’t unusual.
From what he had heard, Boundless Snow had used a similar method.
Since both Feng Mingyan and Boundless Snow were from the Boundless Demon Sect, it made sense that they would use the same technique.
But this raised a new question for Su Jingzhen.
Using avatars to merge with the Dao and break through to the Demon General Realm was normal, but for both avatars to reincarnate in Qingzhou and cross paths with him seemed a bit too coincidental.
"Your true spirit reincarnated in the same place as Boundless Snow? That seems a bit too convenient, doesn’t it?"
Su Jingzhen asked, eyeing Feng Mingyan.
The latter looked slightly embarrassed and replied, "Originally, the purpose of severing my true spirit and reincarnating was to get closer to Senior Sister Boundless Snow. We’re both from the Boundless Demon Sect, so there’s already a karmic connection between us.
When I found out that her true spirit had reincarnated in the immortal realm, I naturally followed suit. Given our shared sect connection, our reincarnation locations ended up being close.
However, my true spirit didn’t awaken immediately after reincarnation, so even though we were reincarnated nearby, I didn’t manage to form a deeper connection with Senior Sister Snow."
As he spoke, there was a hint of regret in his tone.
Hearing this, Su Jingzhen understood.
Feng Mingyan’s innate talent and strength were inferior to Boundless Snow’s, and after reincarnating, he had become a spoiled brat.
His original intention had likely been to use this opportunity to form a karmic bond with Boundless Snow through his avatar, so that when the avatar was recalled, their true selves in the Boundless Demon Sect would have a deeper connection.
Perhaps he had even hoped for something more.
Before Su Jingzhen could ask further, Feng Mingyan continued, "Unfortunately, Senior Sister Snow awakened much earlier than I expected. Moreover, I didn’t realize that her true spirit had reincarnated in the immortal realm not just as Dantai Xuening, but also as the Yunmeng Goddess long before that.
Not long ago, after the Yunmeng Goddess awakened, she erased all traces of her existence in the immortal realm and took the entire Qingzhou land with her. Qingzhou was brought to the Boundless Demon Realm, which allowed me to awaken as well.
However, my talent and foundation are limited. Even after recalling all my avatars and merging with the Dao, I only reached the third stage of the Demon General Realm.
Well, now you know everything I have to say. Honestly, I should have realized earlier that someone with your absurd talent couldn’t possibly be a native of a backwater like Linjiang City. I should have guessed that you were like me.
Now that we’ve met again in the Boundless Demon Realm, it’s fate. What’s your true identity? Perhaps we can work together on our path to the Dao in the future."
As he spoke, a glimmer of hope flashed in Feng Mingyan’s eyes.
He instinctively believed that his assumption was correct—Su Jingzhen couldn’t possibly be a native of Linjiang City.
"One last question. Why were you on that warship? It seems you’ve already made a trip back to the immortal realm after merging with the Dao?"
Su Jingzhen narrowed his eyes and asked.
In the Moluo Realm, he had used the name "Jingzhe," while in the immortal realm, his name was well-known.
Given how close the two names were and how outstanding he was in both realms, if Feng Mingyan had returned to the immortal realm, he would have surely made the connection.
Hearing this, Feng Mingyan’s expression tensed slightly.
Then he replied, "I did go to the Moluo Realm and tried to return to the immortal realm, but I didn’t have any strong hostility toward the beings there. I just wanted to find some traces Senior Sister Boundless Snow might have left there, to use as a way to curry favor with her.
Unfortunately, the passage between the immortal realm and the Moluo Realm was already closed. I tried many times but couldn’t get through, so I had to return."
"Of course, in the Moluo Realm, I heard a lot about your legends, which further convinced me that you weren’t just a native of the immortal realm."
After a pause, Feng Mingyan added, "Regardless, meeting in the Boundless Demon Realm is fate. As I said before, I’m willing to compensate you for what my avatar did. In the Boundless Demon Realm, we can cooperate."
As he spoke, Feng Mingyan’s tone became more cautious.
No matter what background or resources he had, no matter how he might later use Su Jingzhen’s identity to seek revenge, right now, he was at Su Jingzhen’s mercy.
He had to survive first.
Su Jingzhen knew that Feng Mingyan’s words were likely true.
Running into him here was unexpected.
But since they had met, Su Jingzhen had no intention of letting him go.
In fact, after revealing his identity to Feng Mingyan, Su Jingzhen couldn’t allow him to regain his freedom.
Whether to kill him or not depended entirely on Su Jingzhen’s mood.
Su Jingzhen then sneered, "There’s one thing you got wrong. I am indeed a native of the immortal realm, and I came to the Boundless Demon Realm with a special mission. So, now that we’ve met here, do you think you still have a chance?"
Su Jingzhen was being blunt now.
Hearing this, Feng Mingyan’s expression changed dramatically.
The caution and wariness in his eyes grew even more intense.
But he forced a smile and said, "Fellow Daoist Su, you must be joking. How could a native of Linjiang City reach the Boundless Demon Realm in less than two years?"
Though his face remained calm, he was panicking inside.
Su Jingzhen chuckled, "I don’t want to waste any more time with you. If you don’t want to die right now, don’t resist!"
Mo Xuantian, standing beside him, cooperated perfectly, unleashing the pressure of a Demon King onto Feng Mingyan.
Feng Mingyan couldn’t maintain his composure any longer.
Utter fear filled his eyes.
"Wait, wait... let’s talk this out, let’s talk this out!"
In the next moment, he wisely chose not to resist.
Su Jingzhen then took out the black brick.
With a flash of dark light, Feng Mingyan was sucked into the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
At the peak of Creation Peak, Feng Mingyan was stunned by the sight of Little Green and the tree demon’s massive forms.
Then, his expression turned to one of horror.
"This is... the legendary perfect world, the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss!"
Seeing Feng Mingyan’s reaction, Su Jingzhen was momentarily surprised.
He hadn’t expected Feng Mingyan to recognize the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss so quickly.
It seemed that any cultivator who reached the Demon General Realm or higher knew about the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Was there some deeper reason for this? Su Jingzhen wasn’t sure.
"Fellow Daoist Su... is this really the legendary Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss?"
After realizing where he was, Feng Mingyan seemed to forget about his own safety, his curiosity overwhelming him.
Su Jingzhen didn’t mind confirming it.
He nodded.
Feng Mingyan grew even more excited.
He dropped to his knees, kowtowing repeatedly toward Little Green’s radiant, towering form.
Seeing this, Su Jingzhen was even more puzzled.
He had originally planned to kill Feng Mingyan after bringing him into the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, to settle their past grievances.
Although Mo Xuantian could have erased all traces of Feng Mingyan’s death in the spatial rift, Feng Mingyan was still a core disciple of the Boundless Demon Sect.
If the Boundless Demon Sect sent a powerful figure to investigate, they might even deploy a Demon King-level expert, which could cause trouble.
Since they had just arrived in the Boundless Demon Realm, it was better to be cautious.
But now, Su Jingzhen began to consider other possibilities.
Given Feng Mingyan’s, or rather Yan Xiao’s, status in the Boundless Demon Sect, he might still be of some use.
After all, Su Jingzhen’s goal was to get close to Boundless Snow.
"Although keeping you alive might have some use, the resources in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss aren’t for you."
As he spoke, Su Jingzhen willed the world’s energy to gather.
Feng Mingyan was immediately transported to a barren space.
This was a temporary space Su Jingzhen had created, not very large, more like a prison.
However, the spiritual energy here was quite dense.
Seeing this, Feng Mingyan looked confused.
As Su Jingzhen’s consciousness appeared before him, Feng Mingyan immediately pleaded, "Fellow Daoist Su, everything I said earlier is true. I have no intention of being your enemy. In fact, I can cooperate with you in the Boundless Demon Realm. I’m even willing to become your most loyal subordinate. For this, I can swear a heavenly oath!"
Feng Mingyan’s expression was deadly serious.
But Su Jingzhen shook his head.
Whether it was his avatar or his true self, Feng Mingyan’s past behavior had already sealed his fate in Su Jingzhen’s eyes.
"There’s no need to say more. Stay here for now. If I need your cooperation, I’ll come find you."
With that, Su Jingzhen’s consciousness dissipated from the space.
Even though Feng Mingyan was now a third-stage Demon General Realm cultivator, there was no way he could break out of this space created by the world’s energy.
"Wait, Fellow Daoist Su, I’m sincere! I truly want to cooperate with you in the Boundless Demon Realm!"
"Fellow Daoist Su, come back!"
"..."
Feng Mingyan kept shouting.
The excitement he had felt upon realizing he was in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss had turned to despair.
Meanwhile, Su Jingzhen turned to Mo Xuantian.
"Let’s go. This was just a small detour. It might also be our chance to enter the Boundless Demon Sect. Jin Zhongbao and the others are probably getting anxious by now."