However, no matter how they thought about it, they never expected that the place would be completely deserted. Although their whereabouts were well concealed, they also lost their direction in the search.
We can't expect them to search planet by planet in this vast demon realm. If that were the case, they might not find Zhang Yaqi even in a million years, let alone a hundred.
So, what should they do in such an absolutely unexpected situation?
Just as Xiao Wenbing was pondering, Long Shi suddenly changed his expression, looked into the distance, and said softly, "Someone is coming."
( ) Coffee sorting
Volume 4, The Divine Artifacts, Chapter 281: First Encounter with the Demon
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Many experts simultaneously released their divine senses to investigate. Of course, with their top-tier cultivation, it would be easy for them to remain undetected if they were focused on concealing themselves, especially for ordinary demon experts whose abilities were far inferior to theirs.
However, Xiao Wenbing didn't have that much patience. He asked directly, "Who is it?"
"I don't know, but this aura... hmm, it's definitely a demon." A sharp glint flashed in Long Shi's eyes, and his words carried a faint killing intent.
He had just imitated Xiao Wenbing, spreading his divine sense in all directions, and had not yet withdrawn it.
After absorbing the Dragon King's reverse scale, Long Shi's cultivation level reached the pinnacle among dragons, making him inferior even to the current Dragon King.
Therefore, although the demons were far away, he had already sensed them.
As for his unfriendly tone, it was because on Zhenmo Star, the demons had actually sent a monster like the Dark God to the cultivation world, and he and Feng Hua had almost lost their lives because of it. Therefore, they had no good feelings towards the demons.
"Kill him," a Heavenly Thunder Palace elder said coldly.
If it weren't for these demon cubs, they would still be cultivating properly in the Thunder Palace. Why would they have traveled thousands of miles to the Demon Realm and wasted their cultivation?
Xiao Wenbing shook his head slightly and said, "It's not easy to get two good-for-nothings to come to our door. Wouldn't it be a waste to kill them?"
Long Shi was taken aback and nodded slightly. Since the current situation was beyond everyone's expectations, it would be good to capture two people alive for questioning.
"Alright, you decide." Feng Baiyi's voice was soft, but everyone could hear it.
The elder was about to retort, but after hearing Feng Baiyi's words, he immediately shut his mouth and remained silent.
Xiao Wenbing was amazed. It seemed that Feng Baiyi's trip was far more than just acquiring a Heavenly Thunder Sword. He sighed inwardly and immediately ordered, "Butterfly Fairy, Starry Sky Illusionary Realm."
Butterfly Fairy responded and casually waved her hand, sending an invisible beam of light emanating from her small hand. In a short while, the light had enveloped everyone.
"Alright, Master," Butterfly Fairy said happily. The thought of being able to help her master made her feel quite pleased with herself.
"Shh...be quiet," Xiao Wenbing whispered.
"Mmm." Butterfly Fairy responded obediently, but she answered in a voice that was as low as it could be: "In the Starry Sky Illusionary Realm, apart from experts at the Tribulation Transcending stage, no one else can hear our voices."
"Ah." Xiao Wenbing was taken aback, and his admiration for that old fellow, the Food King, grew even stronger. If he had obtained this magic weapon, he would never have passed it on to anyone else.
"Truly worthy of being the brainchild of the former King of Illusion."
Long Shi glanced around and saw that the scenery remained unchanged throughout the entire space. However, his companions had vanished in an instant, as if he were suddenly the only one left in the vast world. If he hadn't known that this was a wondrous function of the Starry Sky Illusionary Realm, he probably would have cried out in surprise long ago.
However, with his current level of insight, he couldn't see any flaws, which was what truly impressed him.
"The Butterfly Fairy lineage was once renowned throughout the world for its illusion magic, what a pity..."
Feng Hua's voice echoed from the void. Clearly, even this top expert in the history of the Phoenix Clan was deeply impressed.
However, this situation of not being able to see anyone but only hearing voices was indeed quite strange. Xiao Wenbing's heart stirred, and he stretched out his large hand, reaching towards the direction of the Butterfly Fairy.
Sure enough. In his memory, he touched a soft, smooth little hand. Then he asked softly, "Is there a way for me to see it?"
It seemed like a soft "hmm" came from the small hand. Suddenly, Xiao Wenbing felt a strange energy coming from the small hand, flowing through his meridians and around his eyes. He closed his eyes, opened them, and sure enough, he could see the positions of everyone.
At this moment, it seemed as if he was wearing a peculiar pair of glasses, making everything appear to have an unusual color. Long Shi and the others seemed to be covered by a transparent film; perhaps this mysterious substance was what made them invisible.
He was filled with admiration; the power and ingenuity of this magical artifact were unlike anything he had ever seen in his life.
A short while later, two small black dots appeared ahead.
Long Shi quickly whispered, "Fellow Daoists, be careful, don't make a sound, the demon is coming."
Xiao Wenbing was about to explain that as long as they were not cultivators at the Tribulation Transcending stage or above, they were nothing to fear, but with a thought, he swallowed those words back down.
The two demons flew at extremely high speeds and arrived at the seal in no time.
Upon closer inspection, Xiao Wenbing and the others felt a great weight lifted from their hearts. The cultivation levels of these two individuals were definitely not low; even in the cultivation world, they would be considered top experts equivalent to the Nascent Soul stage.
However, in front of the thirty-six Venerables here and the nine Heavenly Venerables of the Heavenly Thunder Palace, they are nothing.
Perhaps only Butterfly Fairy could lose to them, but that was the Butterfly Fairy before the Demon Suppression War. The Butterfly Fairy now possesses the wondrous Starry Sky Illusionary Realm. Even when facing Long Shi and Feng Hua, as long as they don't manage to catch her off guard like a blind cat dragging a dead mouse to its death, escaping will be no problem at all. With such abilities, she naturally has nothing to fear from these two anymore.
Xiao Wenbing had this thought because he was unaware that the once-renowned Starry Sky Illusionary Realm, a treasure that shook the entire cultivation world, had been reforged by the Devouring King himself, who had imbued it with an extremely vicious Devouring Technique. Otherwise, Xiao Wenbing's evaluation of it would never have been so low.
The closer the two demons got to the seal, the more cautious they became. When they were a hundred feet away from the seal, they stopped on their own.
They stood side by side in mid-air, all their divine senses focused on the seal. However, the Divine Tree Venerable's illusion technique was extraordinary, and it was clear that someone of this level could not see through it.
“Pattiman, do you see the seal has loosened?” a demon asked.
"No, I don't see any changes."
"Hmm..." The demon pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "If we're talking about changes, there are some."
Xiao Wenbing and the others, who had already concealed their bodies, were shocked. They hadn't expected that this demon's abilities were truly extraordinary, as he was able to detect something amiss. Could it be that he had even discovered the Star Dou Illusion Realm?
Thinking of this, apart from Butterfly Fairy who was still confused, everyone else gathered their spiritual power, ready to kill him first and silence him if he made any strange move.
Patiman looked at the seal hesitantly, and after a moment, he finally looked enlightened and said, "I understand, there have indeed been some changes. Sage, you have a good eye..."
Long Shi and the others gasped simultaneously. How could the demons be so perceptive? They could spot something amiss even at the Nascent Soul stage. What about the Separation and Union stage, or the Tribulation stage? The thought that the demons' strength far exceeded their expectations filled them with worry.
Sari smiled slightly and said, "Normally, this seal would occasionally emit a little lightning and fire, but now it is completely still. It seems that the seals of the Venerables have finally taken effect."
Upon hearing this, Long Shi and the others immediately rolled their eyes, their deep concern turning into a wry smile.
It turned out that it wasn't that they had any flaws, nor that the demons had exceptional eyesight, but rather that their seal was too perfect, completely blocking even the slightest spark of lightning.
"We sensed a change in the seal just now, and we thought some bastard had dared to disobey the Venerables' orders and come to the area within a thousand miles of the seal on his own. But it turned out to be just a false alarm..." Patiman also breathed a sigh of relief. Before they came here, they were also worried and uncertain. Now that they have confirmed that the situation has not only not worsened, but has shown signs of improvement, they are naturally overjoyed.
Sare nodded slightly, hesitated for a moment, then flew a little closer, arriving ten steps away from the seal.
Patiman was startled and immediately stepped forward to pull him back, saying, "Are you crazy? Getting so close! You're not a Venerable One. What if that lightning and fire spews out again? Do you want to die?"
Sari's body trembled slightly, clearly thinking of Lei Huo's fears, and he involuntarily shivered. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Now that the seal is completely sealed, everything should be fine, right?"
"Hmph." Patiman snorted angrily and said, "The Venerable Ones have all said that it will take at least another month to completely seal this seal. Have you forgotten?"
"Yes, logically it should have taken another month, so how could it have happened so quickly?"
Patiman was taken aback, then shook his head blankly.
After a moment's thought, Sárez said, "I'll go up and take a look." With that, he slowly and carefully approached the seal.
Xiao Wenbing and the others felt another wave of worry. Dozens of powerful spiritual energies were poised to be unleashed once more. As long as the demon named Sare discovered even the slightest clue, these powerful energies would swarm in and blast him into nothingness.
Just as Sari was about to approach the seal, Patiman suddenly shouted from behind, "The Venerable One is surely right. Perhaps the lightning on the other side is weak." Sari hesitated immediately. Patiman shouted again, "It's best not to touch it. If it causes any anomalies and the seal collapses, we can't afford the consequences."
Sage paused, clearly struck a nerve by those words. He glanced once more at the seemingly unharmed seal, then finally turned back.
Xiao Wenbing and the others breathed a sigh of relief. That Sare was lucky to be alive. Little did they know that in that instant, he had already walked back and forth between the gates of hell dozens of times.
"What do we do now?"
"Go back and report to the elders."
Volume Four: The Divine Artifacts, Chapter 282: The Demon Lord
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The two demons discussed for a moment, then flew quickly into the distance.
After they left, a ripple suddenly appeared in the air, and the figures of Xiao Wenbing and the others emerged from the void.
Seeing the two disappear without a trace, Xiao Wenbing said with a wry smile, "So, when we arrived in the Demon Realm, we unintentionally helped them out."
"Indeed, we overlooked this as well. Besides the power of order, what other power in this world could completely seal the power of chaos? Alas... the Dragon-Phoenix Barrier is too perfect." Long Shi sighed, but his voice sounded like it contained a hint of smugness.
"Yes, it was almost exposed as perfect," Feng Baiyi said coldly.
Long Shi was taken aback, and his expression immediately turned awkward. Feng Hua and the other Dragon Phoenix Venerables smiled slightly and turned their heads away, ignoring him.
Xiao Wenbing found it amusing. It was one thing to extoll the power of order in front of so many Heavenly Venerables of the Thunder Palace, but to add the ability to completely seal the power of chaos was another. Naturally, such words wouldn't be pleasant to hear.
Fortunately, Feng Baiyi and the others knew that Long Shi had not meant it, otherwise the nine Heavenly Venerables would probably have challenged Long Shi on the spot.
Chaos versus order, heavenly thunder versus divine dragon, hehe... they're evenly matched, but no matter how you look at it, it seems that the Celestial Venerables who wield the secondary sword of heavenly thunder and can effectively invoke the Chaos Wall have a better chance of winning.
"How about we make a few more small openings in the seal?" Xiao Wenbing casually changed the subject.
"No way." Almost simultaneously, seven or eight voices shouted in unison. How could such a terrible idea be suggested?
Shrugging, Xiao Wenbing chuckled, "Since it won't work, let's not discuss the seal anymore. In my opinion, these demons have a great fear of the seal. Now that it's been repaired, they're probably overjoyed and won't touch it easily." With that, Xiao Wenbing turned to the exceptionally tall and thin Divine Wood Venerable and asked, "Venerable Venerable, how long can your illusion last?"
The venerable one pondered for a moment and said, "As long as no one tries to crack it, several hundred years is always possible."
"Several hundred years? That's enough." Xiao Wenbing sighed, and the others sighed inwardly as well. Their search for the Qiankun Circle was only limited to a hundred years, but the illusion's validity period was several hundred years, which was more than enough.
However, the fact that the effect of a mere illusion could last for hundreds of years speaks volumes about the power of this Divine Tree Venerable.
"Oh, right." Xiao Wenbing suddenly remembered something and asked Long Shi, "Senior Long, have any of your dragon clan members defected to the Demon Realm?"
Long Shi was taken aback at first, then a flash of anger crossed his face. If the person in front of him hadn't been Xiao Wenbing, he might have already made a move. But even now, his expression was grim. His eyes and mouth twitched, and he said decisively, "Impossible."
Xiao Wenbing nodded silently, then turned his gaze to Feng Hua and asked, "Senior, are there any experts from the Phoenix Clan...?"
The latter immediately shook his head, interrupting him, and said, "There are absolutely no Phoenix Clan members who have gone to the Demon Realm."
He responded with a sound of agreement. Xiao Wenbing looked at the tall, thin Divine Tree Venerables, but before he could ask them anything, one of them said, "There is absolutely no such thing."