Great Demon - Chapter 70 Part 2

East Sea Monarch grew increasingly anxious, uncertain why she had come. He reassured himself that since the Cold Eye had already opened, the East Sea had no remaining treasures to offer.

No one sat beneath the Divine Venerable’s throne, and compared to her, even his dragon offspring seemed insignificant—certainly not worthy of her attention.

He cupped his hands respectfully and said, “Your DIvinity, please come inside.”

Changying nodded slightly but, as she followed him into the main hall, silently split off a wisp of divine sense and attached her thoughts to it.

Unseen and undetected, the divine sense clung to the white jade walls of the main hall and swiftly drifted away.

At a glance from East Sea Monarch, the waiting attendants skillfully presented fine wine and then withdrew.

Once the hall was empty, East Sea Monarch cautiously asked, “May I ask what brings Your Divinity here today?” He wasn’t foolish—he knew she hadn’t come simply for a cup of wine. Besides, the last time she visited, she didn’t even take a sip. Why would she suddenly care for East Sea’s wine now?

The main hall gleamed with gold, silver, and jade, shimmering like water and casting a pale glow over Changying’s already bloodless face. Any mortal who saw her would never imagine that this pale, frail-looking woman was the Divine Venerable of the Nine Heavens, revered by all the immortals.

Yet aside from her pallid complexion, nothing about her seemed weak.

“Has the East Sea been well recently?” Changying asked, tilting her head slightly.

“It is not worthy of Your Divinity’s concern. All is well,” East Sea Monarch responded hastily. Though he knew she had always been mindful of the Three Realms, he hardly thought the humble East Sea deserved her worry.

Changying nodded slightly. The golden ornament on her forehead swayed faintly, its luster dulled like it was covered in dust.

East Sea Monarch quickly averted his gaze, thinking that the East Sea’s vast wealth of gold and jade was at her disposal—if she wanted the entire main hall, he would gladly offer it.

“Are the youngsters all well?” Changying asked calmly.

East Sea Monarch nearly fainted on the spot. Had he somehow gained seniority out of nowhere? Though he was no youngling, he certainly wasn’t old enough to be addressed as an elder by the Divine Venerable.

Dazed and worried he had misheard, he quickly lifted his head to see her solemn expression. She was entirely serious—this was no joke. Hurriedly, he said, “They are all well. Shall I summon them for you?”

Changying tapped her index finger against the table. “No need. If East Sea Monarch says they are well, then I will take your word for it.”

Her detached wisp of divine sense had been cut off—there should not have been such silence around Jingyi unless something had happened.

Just now, when she released that divine sense, it was to locate Jingyi within the Dragon Palace and see what that bird was up to.

That scruffy bird was always on edge, stuck between realms with neither high nor low cultivation, and her abilities were nothing impressive. If someone wasn’t secretly supporting her, Changying wouldn’t believe it.

Not wanting to alert the person behind her, Changying refrained from asking the East Sea Monarch to summon her to the main hall.

A wisp of Changying’s divine sense crept along the white jade walls of the main hall and soon found Jingyi’s residence.

Unexpectedly, Jingyi was alone inside, with the door tightly shut and not a single attendant in sight—strange indeed.

Jingyi lay motionless on the bed, the brocade quilt pulled up to her chin, almost covering her entire head.

If she were a mortal, it could be explained as illness—but Jingyi was a phoenix girl of the Phoenix Clan, and one of her hun souls originally belonged to the Devil Lord. How could she fall ill so easily?

As Jingyi lay there, unmoving, a closer look revealed that she was trembling slightly, her breath rapid and uneven—clearly not asleep.

Sitting in the main hall, Changying quietly lifted the wine cup in front of her. Though she brought it to her lips, she did not drink. Her mind was already following that wisp of divine sense.

Seeing Jingyi trembling as if frightened, Changying guided her divine sense to climb along the edge of the bed, slipping into the bird’s hair and preparing to enter her spiritual sea.

Something must have happened in the past few days, Changying thought.

Upon entering the spiritual sea, she quickly found a trace of spiritual thread left from a few days ago. It was clear and resilient, untouched and undamaged.

Without hesitation, Changying dived into that spiritual thread and immediately glimpsed the scenes from that day.

That day, Jingyi had curled up in a corner, her head buried against her elbow, trembling as if under duress. Oddly, though Changying could hear Jingyi speaking, she could not discern… who she was speaking to.

Within the spiritual thread, the bird seemed to be talking to herself, like a mad devil, repeatedly asking who the person was and why they had lured her.

Just as she suspected—someone was indeed behind Jingyi. Yet that person had never revealed themselves. Could there be someone else in the Three Realms who had also reached the Ultimate stage?

Changying couldn’t figure out how this person had escaped her notice. If Jingyi’s words in the spiritual thread were true, then this mysterious figure had lured her to Shenhua Mountain two hundred years ago, leading her to kill a mortal. But… who could this person be?

So, two hundred years ago, Jingyi had not entered Shenhua Mountain without reason, nor had she touched the devil gate without cause. Yet from beginning to end, the one who lured her never appeared.

Emerging from the spiritual thread, Changying had initially planned to use the Turbid Mirror to reveal all of Jingyi’s actions one by one, but now there was a new complication. If Jingyi died, the person hiding in the shadows would become even harder to track down.

She could not fathom how this person had remained hidden for two hundred years. Could they be concealed within Jingyi’s physical form? But upon examining both her body and her spiritual platform, there was no sign of a second hun soul.

Changying’s thoughts snapped back to the present, her fingers trembling slightly against the wine cup as a sudden realization dawned on her.

It wasn’t someone else whispering to Jingyi—no, it was… her own devilish obsession.

Her cold, indifferent eyes darkened instantly, and she nearly shattered the wine cup in her hand.

Meanwhile, East Sea Monarch carefully recounted all the events that had occurred along the East Sea over the past century—even mundane details like when it rained or when the skies were overcast.

“These past hundred years, the East Sea has been peaceful, with abundant harvests and prosperity,” he concluded.

Changying gave a slight nod, her face expressionless. “Is Mangfeng currently holding any position in the Heavenly Palace?”

East Sea Monarch was momentarily stunned before responding quickly, “He holds no official position. The title of East Sea Monarch is hereditary. In a hundred years, I will retire, and Mangfeng will assume this role.” He paused, observing the Divine Venerable’s expression carefully, before adding, “Mangfeng entered the Spirit Wonder stage within a century and has assisted me in managing East Sea affairs since childhood. Though he does not yet hold the title, he is fully capable—Your Divinity need not worry.”

“So,” Changying’s voice slowed, her gaze sweeping over East Sea Monarch with cool detachment, “he remains without divine office?”

“Yes,” East Sea Monarch nodded immediately.

“Let him serve by my side,” Changying said calmly.

East Sea Monarch’s eyes widened slightly—such an honor was rare among immortals.

“I have benefited from the East Sea’s dragon energy. Naturally, I will not neglect the East Sea in return,” Changying explained, her tone steady and deliberate.

“Thank you, Your Divinity,” East Sea Monarch bowed deeply, his face flushed with excitement. Though overwhelmed with joy, he dared not display his glee too openly.

“Bring Jingyi along as well,” Changying added nonchalantly.

East Sea Monarch was even more overjoyed—who would have thought the Divine Venerable would show such favor to the East Sea?

***

In a mortal inn, the innkeeper’s assistant watched as a master and servant walked away, one after the other. He was not reluctant to see them go, but rather filled with unanswered questions.

During these past few days, he had often seen the green-clad servant girl standing outside the door, yet he had rarely caught a glimpse of the beauty inside.

That one glimpse had etched itself into his heart, lingering long after—such an exquisite face, yet it stirred no improper thoughts in him. It was like gazing upon the bright moon.

The moonlight, clear and cold, hung in his heart, refusing to fade.

Such a woman—what could her identity be? Even her servant girl seemed strange, standing motionless outside the room for days without showing any sign of weariness.

As they walked farther away, Hanzhu finally asked, “Mistress, are we just leaving like this?”

Zhuyou nodded slightly, rolling a mustard seed between her fingers. She knew that as long as the Turbid Mirror was in her possession, Changying would continue to seek her out.

“That person…” Hanzhu hesitated.

“Leave her be,” Zhuyou said as she walked.

Hanzhu wanted to protest—how could they just ignore her? What if she became a soul slain beneath that woman’s blade? But she swallowed the words and instead asked, “Where are we going now?”

“Westward. I’m searching for a place I saw in the Turbid Mirror,” Zhuyou frowned.

“What kind of place?” Hanzhu asked quickly.

“A desert—not like the devil’s domain with its eternal gloom. The sky is bright blue above, and golden sands stretch far below,” Zhuyou recalled slowly.

Changying was definitely hiding something from her. If she wouldn’t reveal it, then Zhuyou would find it herself.

She circulated the energy within her spiritual sea and felt it swell to the point of bursting. Her tribulation was nearing. If she did not find a way to evade Heavenly Dao, she truly faced a life-or-death ordeal.

As a divine offspring of the Phoenix Clan, even after becoming a devil, her tribulations were vastly different from ordinary devils. Surviving the thunder and fire tribulation would be impossible—unless her immortal bone was restored.

Zhuyou recalled Changying’s words, whispered softly beside her ear—how she would give her anything she wanted. She sneered inwardly—perhaps that dragon even meant to offer her immortal bone.

Foolish and naïve. She had her own way out. If she could harness the Devil Lord’s power, the road ahead would be smooth and unyielding. She didn’t need that dragon to suffer in her place.