mtl008 Chapter 287 The future is long
Chapter 287 The future is long
The hall quickly returned to its usual silence, with only the faint crackling of the flames.
Ye Shang remained standing in the same spot, his eyes slightly closed, seemingly still digesting the powerful energy contained within the demonic soul he had just devoured.
A moment later, he slowly opened his eyes, a thoughtful look flashing across his crimson pupils.
He was carefully studying the words Wufeng had said before he died.
Perhaps those words weren't entirely false.
At least the claim that Hui was the mastermind should be true.
However, Juechen's identity and Hui's deeper purpose remain shrouded in mystery.
However, now is not the time to delve into these matters.
With the wind gone, it's as if a dangerous pawn planted by Hui has been removed, and a potential threat to Yuan Xiao has been temporarily eliminated.
But Hui himself, and that mysterious Juechen, remain in the shadows.
Nightfall turned and looked out of the castle window at the eternally dark, hopeless abyss of sky.
Xiaoxiao should be safe for now.
As for catching up with Xiaoxiao, that's something for them to do in the future.
Now, he has more important things to do.
Nightfall's figure transformed into a wisp of red gauze and quietly vanished into the castle's main hall.
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Skyfall City, with its towering buildings reaching into the clouds, exudes authority as the core of the Beast World.
Ye Shang had suppressed most of his demonic energy, but his scarlet eyes and unusual aura still attracted many wary or curious glances as soon as he entered the central building.
However, he didn't care and walked steadily inside.
Not long after entering the hall, a tall figure was seen hurrying out through the internal passage with a solemn expression; it was Di Lin.
Di Lin also noticed Ye Shang's presence almost immediately.
He paused, his sharp golden eyes sweeping over, and when they landed on Ye Shang, his brows immediately furrowed, and the unique pressure of the dragon race silently spread out.
"How dare you! You think you can just wander into Mutian City like a monster?"
He sensed the dense and pure demonic energy emanating from the other person, indicating that he was no ordinary orc.
Ye Shang stopped in his tracks. Facing Di Lin's oppressive aura, he smiled slightly. The smile carried a familiar coolness belonging to Zhi Ye, mixed with Shang Wan's unique cynicism.
"Dragon King, how have you been? Your temper is still as fierce as ever. It's been so long, don't you recognize us brothers?"
Upon hearing this, Di Lin's golden eyes softened slightly, and he carefully examined Ye Shang.
The man before me was unlike anyone I had ever known before, but the occasional glint in his scarlet eyes, the unique aura that blended two familiar feelings…
Di Lin's eyes showed obvious surprise, and he hesitated before asking, "It's... Zhi Ye and Shang Wan, the two of you? This aura... you've merged?"
"Dragon King has a good eye." Ye Shang nodded, his tone calm. "That's right. Now, there are no more Zhi Ye and Shang Wan, only Ye Shang."
Di Lin remained silent for a moment. He was somewhat surprised that the Blood Demon King brothers had "returned" in this way.
He nodded, his stern expression softening slightly: "Anyway, it's good that you're back. She... has been very worried about you."
The "she" in this context naturally refers to Yuan Xiao.
"Xiaoxiao already knows," Ye Shang replied briefly, then got to the point, "I'm here to talk to you about something."
Di Lin glanced at the sky, then, remembering the urgent news he had just received, said, "Then get to the point."
“No wind, I’ve already taken care of it,” Ye Shang said, dropping the first message directly.
Di Lin's pupils contracted slightly, but he wasn't too surprised.
He wasn't completely unaware of the commotion in the Abyss of Hope, but he hadn't expected Nightfall to act so quickly and decisively. "It seems your strength has recovered quite well."
Ye Shang nodded.
"He confessed that it was Hui who instructed him to impersonate Shang Wan, intending to harm Xiao Xiao and incite internal strife within the Abyss of Hopelessness so that he could profit from it," Ye Shang said. "Regarding Hui, I think the Dragon King should already have a conclusion in his heart, right?"
Di Lin's face darkened, and he slowly nodded, his golden eyes flashing with a chilling light: "His heart is despicable, and his actions deserve to be punished. I have just received definite news about his whereabouts and am about to go find him."
Nightfall's crimson eyes lit up: "Perfect. However, before we go find Hui, there is one more person we need to keep an eye on." He paused, then uttered the name, "Jue Chen. According to what Wu Feng said before he died, Jue Chen also helped Hui, and it's very likely that he was more than just an accomplice."
“Jue Chen?” Di Lin frowned again. The name was somewhat unfamiliar to him. “Who is Jue Chen?”
“A low-level demon who once served us brothers, he was somewhat clever and knew a bit of illusion magic,” Nightfall explained. “But Windless claimed that Absolute Dawn was the Earth Demon King.”
"The Earth Demon King?!" Di Lin was genuinely surprised this time. The Earth Demon King had disappeared for many years; could he have been hiding as a servant by Zhi Ye and Shang Wan's side all this time? "This... is there any evidence?"
"Wu Feng identified him and swore an oath with his demonic soul. He said he didn't truly kill the Earth Demon King back then. Later, the Earth Demon King appeared as Jue Chen, but his memories and powers seemed to be damaged, and he was controlled by Hui." Ye Shang shared the information he had obtained. "Do you think that's possible?"
Di Lin fell into a brief moment of contemplation, his fingers unconsciously tapping his arm. After a while, he murmured, "The Earth Demon King... it's not entirely impossible that he's still alive. His disappearance back then was suspicious, and the rise of the Wu Feng family was sudden."
But as far as I know, the Earth Demon King is kind and steady. Although he is a demon king, he never intentionally does evil, and his reputation in the Abyss of Hope isn't bad. If he really has been alive all along, and is still disguised as a servant…”
Di Lin shook his head, his face showing confusion. "This doesn't make sense from any angle. Even if a demon king is temporarily down on his luck, why would he willingly serve two other demon kings for so long? If he did this on purpose to infiltrate, then what is his goal?"
Ye Shang nodded slightly; this was precisely the source of his doubts.
"That's what I think too. We can't completely trust what Wu Feng says, but Jue Chen is probably a bit suspicious."
“I will investigate this matter personally.” Di Lin stroked his chin. “If Jue Chen is indeed the Earth Demon King, and is connected to Hui, then Hui’s ambitions are probably greater than we imagine. If not…”
He looked at Ye Shang, "Then this might be Wu Feng's scheme to sow discord. In any case, Jue Chen is now a key figure."
“I understand.” Ye Shang nodded. “This is all the information I got from Wu Feng today.” He looked at Di Lin. “Is the Dragon King going to find Hui in person?”
“Indeed.” A fierce glint flashed in Di Lin’s golden eyes. “Now that we know where he is hiding, I can no longer allow him to roam free. It’s time to settle all old and new scores.”