It is difficult for cultivators to conceive, and the same is true for demons. The stronger the cultivation and bloodline of a race, the smaller the chance of leaving offspring. Conversely, mortals have a relatively easy birth rate.
This is the balance under the laws of nature.
“We are all You Shu (Shu). To prevent the Demon Realm from falling apart due to the turmoil we caused, my mother made a decision on the day we were born.”
"Perhaps out of a bit of maternal pity, she didn't kill me directly, but kept it a secret."
“My brother You Shu Zai Ming is the only bloodline of the Demon Lord.”
"And I, You Shu, am in the shadows, an ordinary demon hidden in the Demon Palace, unable to see the sunlight."
Upon hearing this, Shen Ange recalled what she had once told her, and looked at her with eyes full of tenderness.
Therefore, You Shu, the demon who had made a deal with Ao Yushu, was actually her brother.
Han Tao thought for a moment and then pieced together the cause and effect of the matter.
Fu Mingxu was unaware of this detail and asked curiously, "Then how did you become the Demon Lord, and how did you know we were coming?"
After all, not long ago, You Shu was a demon who was seriously injured and could die at any moment in front of him.
Shen Ange added to the subsequent developments: "It's like this, A-Shu's brother somehow found out about the existence of this sister. Of course, the first thing he thought of wasn't so-called family affection, but rather that A-Shu's appearance was a threat to his inheritance of the Demon Lord's position."
“He fabricated a crime and forced Ashu to jump into the abyss of demons.”
By fate, You Shu first slipped out of the palace during the great war between the righteous and the demonic realms, where she unintentionally helped Shen Ange. When she jumped into the Demon Abyss and narrowly escaped death, she happened to land near the remains of Shen Ange's parents, who eventually retrieved them.
Upon hearing this, Fu Mingxu couldn't help but sigh softly, "Fate is truly wondrous."
When Han Tao heard his words, she looked down at him and softly hummed in response.
"Not long after A-Shu returned to the Demon Realm, You Shu also happened to return from his trip. For some reason, he was seriously injured and eventually died. Then A-Shu naturally became the new Demon Lord." Shen Ange finished speaking with a long sigh.
It sounds like You Shu got lucky and got a good deal.
But the message brought by Han Tao Youying naturally revealed that there were no such easy benefits. The important thing was that the outcome would ultimately benefit them; the process itself was less important.
At least, every power struggle in the Demon Realm has been accompanied by bloodshed and chaos.
Fu Mingxu felt like he had heard a long story, but the tumultuous events within were overshadowed by a happy ending. Apart from feeling a bit of admiration, there was no need for him to think about it in depth.
"I'm fine now." You Shu patted Shen Ange's back with practiced ease. "Luckily, you were by my side to get through these difficult times."
She was exceptionally beautiful, while Shen Ange was completely different – elegant and slightly aloof. Yet, the two of them standing together didn't seem out of place at all, as if it were meant to be.
Shen Ange smiled happily, "What's the big deal? We're best friends!"
Fu Mingxu felt a strange sensation when he saw the two of them looking at each other, but this feeling quickly disappeared when she spoke.
“The inn where you stayed earlier was one I opened in my early years.” You Shu’s eyes darkened, but she quickly chuckled. “The flowers and plants under the trees next to the inn are connected to my destiny.”
“Ge’er keeps talking about you. I saw that you two seemed to have something going on when you entered the Demon Realm, so I decided to bring you along.”
“Fellow Daoist Fu, it was your pills that saved my life back then. I, You Shu, am not someone who is ungrateful.”
In this way, most of Fu Mingxu's doubts were resolved.
He pointed to the person on the ground, "Then this..."
Shen Ange glared at him, "It's just something that demon general used to humiliate A-Shu!"
Fu Mingxu: The demons are indeed full of tricks.
But You Shu didn't care. She patted Shen Ange's hand and comforted him, "You don't need to get angry. If it weren't for the Demon Spirit, I wouldn't be interested in the position of Demon Lord at all."
She cupped her hands to Han Tao and the other man, and solemnly said, "To be honest, the reason I spread the news that I was going to cultivate a demon spirit was to lure out the great demon general who was by the side of the previous demon lord."
"He has methods for creating and removing demonic seeds."
Fu Mingxu's heart skipped a beat, and he looked up at him abruptly, his gaze burning like a burst of sunlight.
Han Tao's expression didn't change much. He looked directly at You Shu and asked in a cold voice, "What do you want?"
Being stared at by these two, especially meeting their eyes which held the instinctive gaze of a golden dragon, made her heart tighten.
"I want a demon spirit."
The Demon Spirit was something the former Great Demon General had always wanted to create, but with the Heavenly Ladder broken and no possibility of ascension, the previous Demon Lord preferred plunder and slaughter.
The bright light from the luminous pearl fell on Fu Mingxu's face, making it appear even whiter. At this moment, his heart was filled with excitement, and a faint blush rose to his cheeks, gilding his already not-so-monotonous white skin with a light, camellia-like rosy hue.
"So, is there some crucial connection between the Demon Seed and the Demon Spirit?" Fu Mingxu's mind raced. "The Demon Spirit existed ten thousand years ago, then became extinct, and then the demonic energy spread. The Demon Seed, on the other hand, appeared only a few hundred years ago."
"Based on this time difference, I'd venture a guess: is this artificial demon seed a substitute created by someone who once tried to recreate demon spirits?"
The smile vanished from You Shu's charming face, and her red lips parted slightly: "I know you want a way to remove the demon seed, which is probably the purpose of your trip. But I only know that there is a connection between the two, but I don't know the specifics."
"Without a demonic spirit as a guide, that person would not appear."
"Lord Han, this is a win-win situation for us."
She looked at Han Tao, her tone full of sincerity.
However, the other person's brows were furrowed, and his taut jawline was very cold and stern; he remained silent throughout.
Fu Mingxu was getting a little impatient. He nudged Han Tao with his elbow, but instead of urging him, he lowered his voice and asked, "Do you think there's a problem?"
Han Tao's gentle gaze swept across his face, but when she looked up at You Shu, her usual coldness returned. "What do you want from me?"
There's no such thing as a free lunch. Since You Shu has a way to lure out the former Great Demon General, why should she want to win together with him?
In other words, if she finds a way to remove the demonic seed herself, wouldn't she be able to do him a huge favor?
Is it really because of Fu Mingxu's kindness?
Han Tao didn't think so. Demons were a race whose desires outweighed their affections. Even if she wasn't ungrateful, she was certainly not selfless.
Sure enough, You Shu's next answer explained his doubts: "Opening the Demon Spirit Land requires not only the Great Demon General's incantation, but also dragon blood as a catalyst."
"The more powerful the dragon's cultivation, the better its blood."
Fu Mingxu's heart tightened upon hearing this, and he hurriedly asked, "Isn't there any other way? Other blood types won't work?"
You Shu shook her head: "The dragon race is favored by heaven and earth, and their blood carries a trace of the blessing power of the heavenly Dao. What I need is this trace of blessing power."
Since the disappearance of the demon spirit, the demon race, which takes demonic energy as the basis for cultivation, has become cruel and bloodthirsty. They have long been tainted by the evil fruits of heaven and earth, and a trace of curse power is hidden deep within their demonic source.
Demonic spirits are the origin of the demon race from ten thousand years ago, and are a cultivation path recognized by the Heavenly Dao, just like spiritual power.
However, once tainted by the evil karma and curses, it becomes impossible to open the land that once gave birth to demonic spirits.
Only dragon blood containing a trace of the power of the Heavenly Dao's blessing can dispel the rejection brought about by the karmic consequences and the power of the curse.
Han Tao is the most powerful dragon in the dragon race, and the power in its dragon blood is naturally the strongest.
He didn't answer immediately, but his jawline tightened even more. "Have you tried catching other dragons?"
Fu Mingxu's eyelids twitched, and he reflexively looked at him.
At that moment, he happened to catch the fierce glint that flashed in those golden eyes, as if a dragon had once suffered a terrible fate because of it.
You Shu was shocked to hear this, "Of course not!"
"Hmm." Faced with her astonishment, Han Tao acted as if it were just a casual question, and said calmly, "In that case, I agree with your method."
You Shu, who had just been on the edge of her seat, breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Thinking he was bluffing, she forced a smile and said, "As far as I know, the dragon clan in the City Lord's Mansion should still be intact."
Even Ao Yushu, who once colluded with the Demon Realm, is still alive and well.
Fu Mingxu was full of doubts. He knew that You Shu was right, but he was also not wrong about the surging emotions in Han Tao's eyes just now.
He couldn't say much in front of so many people, and decided to talk about it privately.
Having agreed to the matter of the demon spirit, the rest is up to You Shu to arrange.
"I hope Lord Han will cooperate with me in putting on a show, pretending to be an ordinary dragon that I captured," You Shu said. "That way, people will be more convinced."
After the four of them finalized the procedures, Fu Mingxu changed his appearance again and was deemed "acceptable" by You Shu, so he was allowed to stay in the side hall of the palace.
Shen Ange glanced enviously at the gold bracelet on his wrist and immediately understood.
Han Huan remained unconscious on the ground. After Fu Mingxu left, Shen Ange threw her out, saying, "How could someone from such a despicable place be sent to the Demon Lord?"
You Shu did not stop her actions, and said softly, "This is what the Demon General told me. If I don't choose those people, I will always be given these ugly and deformed people."
Shen Ange was furious upon hearing this. "Hmph, once you get the Demon Spirit, you don't want to be this damn Demon Lord. Come with me, and we can cultivate together while exploring the beautiful scenery of the Cangling Continent."
This demonic realm is covered in yellow sand, and slaughter is always taking place. She felt that You Shu was more suited to the life of a human.
You Shu blinked her beautiful phoenix eyes, and when she lowered her head, she exuded a charming and graceful aura, showing none of the imposing presence of a demon lord.
Seeing that she didn't object to his suggestion, Shen Ange felt an irrepressible surge of joy. He couldn't help but glance at her a few more times, letting her hold his hand and caress it.
She thought that Ah Shu must also consider her a close friend.
...
Following instructions, Fu Mingxu returned to the side hall and pulled the dragon bracelet off his wrist, throwing it on the table.
"Han Tao, are you hiding something from me?" He rested his chin on one hand, while using the other hand to flick the little dragon on the table. "Don't lie!"
Seeing that he was having fun, Han Tao cooperated and let him fiddle with the buttons as he pleased.
Fu Mingxu didn't hear a reply, so he poked the little dragon with his finger again as a reminder.
Just as the little dragon was about to transform into human form, its body stiffened, and the entire dragon snapped into a straight line.
Surprised, Fu Mingxu realized where he had randomly poked.
A note from the author:
Update is here!
Chapter 84
The atmosphere suddenly became awkward. Fu Mingxu, as if burned, hurriedly withdrew his hand and stammered, "I didn't mean to."
His gaze unconsciously drifted over a certain raised scale. "Who told you not to answer my question?"
Xiao Long rolled twice on the table, a flash of golden light appeared, and Han Taoluo sat down beside him.
"Yes, I'm not blaming you." He took Fu Mingxu's hand, not avoiding his gaze. "What do you want to ask?"
Fu Mingxu raised his head slightly and saw him looking down at him, his face reflected in those golden eyes, with an unusually focused gaze.