Chapter 87 Shaoyu, who is your father?
The sight before them caused the three people, who were walking briskly, to stop involuntarily.
A magnificent city stood silently before them. This was the Demon Emperor City, the power center and prison of the demon race for millennia.
Strangely, this massive city, which should have been heavily guarded and filled with demonic energy, was eerily silent at this moment.
There were no patrolling guards on the city walls, and the watchtowers were empty. Even the dense demonic aura seemed lifeless and no longer active.
“Something’s not right,” Gu Zhinan frowned, his hand already on the hilt of his sword. “It’s too quiet. Even if we’ve made a huge commotion by opening the seal and attracted most of the demons to the passage, the imperial city shouldn’t be this empty.”
Fu Yunshu's divine sense spread forward like a tide, then withdrew after a moment, his expression grave: "There is almost no sign of life in the city. No, there is one place." He pointed to the very center of the city, to the palace complex whose grandeur and oppressive aura could be felt even from a great distance. "Only there, deep within the palace, is there an extremely powerful life force, and it seems to be only one."
Yin Lisheng's eyes darkened slightly; something was definitely amiss.
"Master, shall we still go in?" Yin Lisheng asked Fu Yunshu. Knowing there are tigers in the mountains, yet still heading towards them, is not a wise move. However, the "Concentric Pact" is very likely inside the palace, and they have no way out.
Fu Yunshu gazed at the silent black palace, his cold eyes showing no hesitation: "Go in, be careful."
Now that we're here, there's no reason to leave empty-handed. Whether it's a dragon's den or a tiger's lair ahead, we have to give it a shot.
The three landed in front of the palace gate, which was dozens of feet high. The gate was wide open, as if it was waiting for them to enter.
They traveled smoothly until they arrived at the main hall.
This was a colossal, circular hall, resembling an inverted dome. The interior was devoid of superfluous decorations; only nine massive, jet-black pillars, each requiring ten people to encircle, supported the dome. The floor was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the dim light from above.
At the far end of the hall, atop the jade steps, stood a massive, equally black throne.
And sitting on the throne was a person.
It was a man, dressed in a long, elaborate black robe, his long hair loosely draped over his shoulders. His face was extremely handsome, but in an almost eerie way, with deep-set eyes, a high nose, and thin lips pressed into a cold, hard line. Most striking were his eyes, their pupils a very rare golden color.
He exuded no aura of power, and his presence was almost entirely concealed. He simply sat there quietly, as if he were one with the entire hall and the world around him.
"They've finally arrived," the man said, his voice low but full of anticipation. "They're here faster than I expected."
Fu Yunshu and the other two immediately went on high alert.
“Demon Emperor Shaoyu.” Fu Yunshu stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the man on the throne. Though his words were questioning, his tone was certain. Besides the legendary Demon Emperor, who else was qualified to sit on this throne, symbolizing the supreme power of the demon race, and who else possessed such an unfathomable aura?
"It is indeed I, the Emperor." Shao Yu nodded slightly, his dark golden eyes sweeping over the three of them, lingering briefly on Yin Lisheng before quickly moving away.
He waved the jade slip in his hand, "What you're looking for."
Gu Zhinan's expression hardened. Shao Yu saw this, chuckled a few times, and said, "No rush, since you're here, you're a guest."
Shao Yu walked to the center of the main hall and stopped about ten feet away from the three of them. He spread his arms, his dark golden vertical pupils shone brightly, and the smile on his lips widened, becoming eerie and cold. "This 'Ten Thousand Demon Palace' of this emperor has been lonely for too long. It is rare to have such distinguished guests at the door, so naturally I must give them a good 'hospitality'."
The moment the words left his mouth, a sudden change occurred!
The entire hall began to shake and twist violently. The smooth ground beneath their feet rippled like water, and the nine giant pillars around them seemed to come alive, moving and rotating erratically.
At this moment, space was completely disrupted and reorganized.
"Be careful!" Fu Yunshu shouted sharply, his spiritual power surging, instantly forming a thick spiritual power shield around the three of them.
However, this protective barrier proved so fragile in the face of the distorted spatial rules. An irresistible and eerie tearing force surged forth, instantly leaving the barrier riddled with cracks.
"Master—!" Yin Lisheng only managed to utter one cry before his vision blurred, and the surrounding scenery shattered and spun like a broken mirror. The figures of Fu Yunshu and Gu Zhinan rapidly blurred and receded in his eyes.
He instinctively reached out to grab it, but his fingertips only touched the cold air.
The next moment, the world spun around.
All light, sound, and breath disappeared, leaving only boundless darkness and a nauseating feeling of weightlessness.
I don't know how much time passed; it might have been just a moment, or it might have been an incredibly long time.
Yin Lisheng crashed heavily onto the hard, cold ground, a sweet taste rising in his throat, almost causing him to vomit blood. He suppressed his discomfort, quickly rolled over to his feet, the Broken Abyss Sword already in his hand, and warily surveyed his surroundings.
This was no longer the spacious hall from before, but a narrow, winding corridor that seemed to have no end. Towering walls lined both sides of the corridor, making it appear like a labyrinth.
A rich, cloyingly sweet aroma filled the air, mixed with the smell of decay. The surroundings were eerily silent, save for Yin Lisheng's slightly rapid breathing and heartbeat echoing in the cramped space.
"Master... Peak Master Gu..." Yin Lisheng tried to transmit his voice, but it was like a stone sinking into the sea, unable to travel at all. His divine sense was also greatly suppressed here, only able to barely extend to a range of a few feet around his body, beyond which was only chaos.
Yin Lisheng took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Panic wouldn't solve anything; the most urgent task was to find his master and Peak Master Gu as soon as possible, and then find a way to leave this maze and find the true location of the Demon Emperor.
He carefully discerned the direction, chose a fork in the road on his left, and cautiously walked forward.
Yin Lisheng hadn't walked far when the view suddenly opened up, revealing a relatively spacious circular hall. He stopped in his tracks.
Something's not right. How could it be going so smoothly?
However, a suction force pulled him directly into the hall. Yin Lisheng felt his body lighten, and the scenery before his eyes changed and spun rapidly again. In the midst of the dizzying spin, he was forcibly dragged into the depths of the hall.
"Bang!"
His back slammed heavily against a cold, hard object, the shock making Yin Lisheng feel as if his internal organs had shifted. Immediately afterward, several cold chains appeared out of thin air like venomous snakes, instantly wrapping around his limbs and waist, binding him tightly to a giant, equally cold and black pillar behind him.
The chains tightened, not only restricting his movements, but also a cold and eerie power seeped into his meridians along the chains, attempting to suppress the flow of spiritual energy within his body.
Yin Lisheng groaned, mobilizing all his spiritual power to resist, but found that the invading force was extremely cunning and stubborn, completely different from the attributes of his spiritual power, and was difficult to dispel for a time. His face turned slightly pale, and fine beads of cold sweat seeped from his forehead. He tried to break free, but the chains did not budge, instead tightening more and more, making his bones creak.
"Don't waste your energy." A voice with a lazy smile rang out from ahead.
Yin Lisheng suddenly looked up, and Shao Yu appeared in front of him without him noticing.
He was still wearing that elaborate black robe, his long hair was unbound, and a few strands fell over his shoulders, making his strangely handsome face even more alluring and dangerous.
Shao Yu said slowly, a playful smile on his lips, "The more you struggle, the tighter the binding chains become, and the faster they devour spiritual energy. Little one, you'd better save your energy."
Yin Lisheng gritted his teeth, ceasing his futile struggles, but his eyes were sharp as knives as he stared intently at Shao Yu: "What do you want to do? Where are my master and Peak Master Gu?"
"Them?" Shao Yu chuckled lightly, casually toying with the jade slip in his hand engraved with the words "Concentric Pact". "Naturally, they'll enjoy the 'surprises' I've prepared for them in other corners of this maze. Don't worry, they won't die anytime soon, after all, Fu Yunshu's strength is undeniable."
His gaze returned to Yin Lisheng, scanning him from head to toe. His eyes no longer held the indifference and scrutiny of before, but were filled with undisguised interest and inquiry, even with a hint of unsettling greed.
“But you…” Shao Yu stopped in front of Yin Lisheng, so close that Yin Lisheng could clearly smell the strange scent on Shao Yu’s body, a mixture of cold fragrance and blood, and see his own slightly disheveled figure reflected in Shao Yu’s golden vertical pupils.
"Not bad, not bad." Shao Yu murmured softly, reaching out his hand. His long, cold fingers gently brushed across Yin Lisheng's dusty chin. The touch was gentle, yet it sent chills down Yin Lisheng's spine.
Shao Yu's fingertips slid down his chin to the side of his neck, feeling the pulse beating under his skin. A golden light flashed in his eyes. "A body full of vitality."
His fingers continued downwards, gliding over Yin Lisheng's slightly open collar due to his struggle, touching his firm, warm chest. Yin Lisheng tensed abruptly, his eyes blazing with fury, almost bursting forth, and he snapped, "Take your filthy hands off me!"
"Don't worry, I don't have any thoughts about you in that way," Shao Yu smiled nonchalantly, his fingertips pressing and caressing even more boldly, feeling the vigorous vitality and strong power contained in that young body. "What a perfect body, young and full of vitality, with a noble and special bloodline, an amazingly solid foundation, and already at the Tribulation Transcending stage at such a young age, it is simply one of the most perfect creations in the world."
He leaned down, close to Yin Lisheng's ear, his breath as cold as a snake's tongue: "You are infinitely better than this body of mine, which has been imprisoned for ten thousand years and is already decaying and decaying."
Yin Lisheng's heart sank suddenly. Thinking of what Yan Nanqiu had told them, a terrifying thought surfaced: "You...you want to possess someone else's body?"
“Impossible,” Yin Lisheng quickly shook his head in denial, “There is no blood relation between us.”
"Is that so?" His fingers traced down the lines of Yin Lisheng's arm, across the taut muscles, and finally grasped his wrist, which was bound by chains. His handsome face suddenly drew close to Yin Lisheng's.
"Your mother is Yin Lanyuan," Shao Yu said with a mocking look in his eyes, "and who is your father? Is it Ji Yuanqing?"
Yin Lisheng seemed to have a premonition of something, and feelings of fear and disbelief quietly rose in his heart.
“In terms of blood relations, I am your father.”
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