Shen Yunhao's residence was a side hall within the vast complex of the Demon Emperor's Palace. Only after stepping outside the hall could one truly appreciate the grandeur and magnificence of the main body of the Demon Emperor's Palace.
Within the palace walls, Shen Yunhao could not see its entirety, but the towering, uniquely shaped giant buildings before him, and the distant, shadowy silhouettes of palaces that seemed to connect with the sky, were enough to awe him.
The area covered by the Demon Emperor's Palace is absolutely enormous, beyond imagination!
Bai Xiaoruo pulled Shen Yunhao along for several minutes until they arrived in front of a palace that was entirely black.
Compared to the grand palaces seen along the way, this black palace appeared unusually understated and simple.
It is not particularly tall, and its exterior walls are smooth as a mirror, without any superfluous decorations, only a sense of weight and antiquity accumulated over countless years.
However, standing in front of this black palace, Shen Yunhao felt an indescribable sense of oppression.
It stood there silently, not like a palace, but more like a peerless ferocious beast that had concealed all its aura and slept there for eternity, as if it would open its eyes at any moment and devour any living being that dared to approach.
Looking at the dark building in front of her, which exuded a heavy and oppressive feeling, Bai Xiaoruo sighed softly. Her voice, unusually, lacked its usual carefree and easygoing nature, and instead carried a hint of seriousness that was hard to detect.
"This is where Uncle usually lives—the Xuanming Palace."
"The Xuanming Palace?"
Shen Yunhao was taken aback upon hearing this, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.
He had assumed that, given the status and strength of the Demon Emperor Ye Wushang, his palace, even if not named with an imposing name like "Demon God Palace" or "Hall of Ten Thousand Demons," should be extremely luxurious and magnificent. He never expected that it would have such a strange name that sounded somewhat profound and even carried a chilling aura.
Bai Xiaoruo seemed to sense his confusion and nodded, explaining, "This is just where Uncle rests; it's not considered the core of the entire Demon Emperor's Palace. Over there—"
She pointed to a towering building in the distance, still clearly visible in the night, reaching into the clouds. "That Sacred Fire Hall is the main hall where Uncle usually handles the affairs of the demon race and receives his subjects!"
Shen Yunhao looked in the direction she pointed and saw that the building called "Holy Fire Palace" was shining with a mysterious luster of black and gold. Countless intricate and ancient carvings were engraved on the palace, flowing with shimmering light in the night.
Even more chilling was the sight of a black and gold giant bird, seemingly invisible yet undeniably real, slowly circling above the main hall, emanating a sense of oppression that sent shivers down one's spine.
The entire Sacred Flame Hall possesses an eerie yet dazzling beauty...
Shen Yunhao then nodded in realization.
So, does this mean that this Demon Emperor is actually someone who prefers a low-key and quiet personality in private?
"Uncle is inside, you... go in by yourself."
Bai Xiaoruo stopped and looked at Shen Yunhao.
Shen Yunhao pointed to his nose, somewhat uncertain: "Me? Going in alone?"
“Yes! Uncle only wants to see you…” She paused, then added, “Actually… you don’t need to be too nervous. Uncle is a very good person. Since he was willing to personally save you, he definitely won’t make things difficult for you…”
Even so, the thought that he was about to face the person standing at the very pinnacle of the entire Tianji Continent still made Shen Yunhao's throat feel dry and his heart beat faster involuntarily.
"So be it, if it's a blessing in disguise, it's a curse; if it's a curse, you can't escape it... Since we're already here, there's no running away..."
He took a deep breath, silently comforted himself, and finally nodded to Bai Xiaoruo before walking alone toward the dark palace door.
...
Not only on the outside, but the interior decoration of the Xuanming Palace also embodies an extreme simplicity and unpretentiousness.
The interior of the hall was extremely dimly lit, almost pitch black.
Only a few clusters of dark red candles flickered weakly and eerily on the walls on both sides of the passage, barely dispelling the darkness in a small area. A faint, peculiar scent, like that of a cold flame, filled the air.
Looking around, there are no gorgeous decorations or embellishments in the entire hall. The walls and columns are made of the most original black stone, without any extra carvings or patterns.
The entire space was empty and silent, with only the echo of Shen Yunhao's own footsteps reverberating, carrying a kind of heart-pounding resonance.
Shen Yunhao walked forward for a while and soon arrived at a relatively spacious hall.
The hall was simply furnished, with only a black chair at the far end.
At this moment, sitting on the stone seat was a man dressed in a black robe, his head slightly lowered, flipping through a thick book in his hands.
He was still dressed in the same clothes as when he appeared by the Dark Abyss, but his fierce aura had been completely subdued. Now, sitting there, he looked like an ordinary scholar.
It is worth noting that his eyes, which were originally strangely red and black, have now become a pure, deep black, like an endless night sky, making people feel as if they are about to lose themselves in them.
There was no one else in the hall besides him. Shen Yunhao had never seen this person before, so he figured it must be the Demon Emperor Ye Wushang.
Noticing Shen Yunhao's arrival, the man looked up from his book, his pure black eyes sweeping over Shen Yunhao indifferently before closing the book and speaking directly without any further explanation:
“Someone wants to see you.” He stood up and casually tossed the thick book onto the stone platform beside him. “Come with me for a moment.”
"..."
Shen Yunhao was completely dumbfounded, his brain seemingly crashing for a moment.
What's going on?!
He had thought that the Demon Emperor wanted to see him, but instead sent Bai Xiaoruo to deliver the message—this process was already absurd enough. He never expected that now that he had met the Demon Emperor himself, she was... also the one who delivered the message!?
The real "protagonist" is actually hiding in the back!
After Ye Wushang finished speaking, he stopped looking at him, turned around and walked towards a side door at the back of the hall.
Shen Yunhao stood there stunned for a while before he reacted. He didn't dare to ask any more questions, so he quickly composed himself, took a step, and hurriedly followed.
The corridor behind the hall was even more secluded and had more branching paths than the one in front.
Shen Yunhao was in a state of unease and had no time to observe carefully. He simply followed the black figure in front of him step by step.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, passing through several downward-sloping passageways, Ye Wushang finally stopped in front of a seemingly inconspicuous door.
Looking at the thick stone walls beside him, gleaming with a cold metallic luster, and the tightly closed door in front of him, Shen Yunhao couldn't help but let an absurd thought rise in his mind...
This is... could it be some underground prison in the Demon Emperor's Palace?
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