The debate over opening the Nether Gate had raged within the upper echelons of the Demon Abyss for four years. Most of what Chi Ji knew was common knowledge among the heavenly demon race.
There wasn't much information available.
It mostly concerned the origins of the Nether Gate and the Nether Beasts sealed behind it. It also touched upon the rift between her father and the high priest, caused by their differing opinions on whether to open the gate.
She also mentioned that, for some unknown reason, the matter had recently been shelved.
She knew this because she hadn't seen her father lose his temper in a very long time.
After Chi Ji finished speaking, Xu Xian asked her to leave. He told her she could go and that she shouldn't get involved anymore, no matter what happened.
He didn't hold back on his words either, bluntly telling her to stop causing trouble for her father and for him.
The words were harsh, yet Chi Ji didn't feel any resentment. She knew that Xu Xian was doing it for her own good and was truly looking out for her.
Still, she tried to press him, asking if he was really certain he could resolve this crisis.
Xu Xian promised her confidently that he had trump cards and could definitely protect himself.
Chi Ji left with a mixture of doubt and reluctance.
She had actually wanted to ask Xu Xian if he had learned the Nether Fire Secret Art. If he truly had, the high priest might actually step in to protect him.
But... it had only been half a month since she had given it to him.
Half a month. Even if he were an unparalleled genius, it was impossible to master it in such a short time.
That art was the most difficult of all primordial demon arts. Just copying it once had taken her an entire day.
Perhaps she could only pray that the Supreme Demon Lord would protect Bai Mang.
But did the Supreme Demon Lord even exist?
Even if He did, would He really protect a mere third-class demon youth?
The answer had already been clear from the moment she first lied in the Nether Hall to protect him.
If the Demon Abyss truly had a god, how could the demon race have fallen to such a state?
No one stopped Chi Ji when she arrived, and no one stopped her when she left. However, the news of her visit spread through the upper echelons of the Demon Abyss with lightning speed.
The Demon God Palace, the Demon Court, the Nether Religion, and even some restless marquesses and princes received the news.
To those in the know at the Demon God Palace and the Demon Court, it wasn't surprising. They already knew that Bai Mang had a history with the goddess of the Crimson Demon Palace. To them, she was just delivering a message, which wouldn't hinder their plans.
Furthermore, they had already received intelligence that although the Crimson Demon claimed he wouldn't interfere, his Crimson Demon Guards were secretly on the move. Their new commander, Chi Wu, had already led his men to lie in wait within Vagrant Alley.
His intent was obvious.
Chi Ji had come alone, but she certainly did so with the Crimson Demon's tacit approval.
At a time like this, they naturally didn't dare to act rashly. They were already dealing with the high priest on the surface; if the Crimson Demon joined the fray, things would become truly troublesome.
The demon gods who received the news didn't react much either.
They simply ordered the plan to proceed. Various factions secretly increased their personnel, completely sealing off the area surrounding the Outer City.
The moment they detected any unusual movement from the white-haired demon, even the slightest hint of an escape attempt, they would immediately move in for the kill.
That day, the Nether Capital was a whirlpool of hidden currents and looming storms. A great shift was quietly unfolding...
After Chi Ji left, the little book spirit expanded its monitoring range, peeking clearly into everything within a ten-mile radius of the small courtyard.
A patch of ruins in the vagrant lands had become a gathering point for ten experts at the greater demon king stage, over a hundred at the lesser demon king stage, nearly a thousand sixth-rank demon generals, and even more fifth-stage cultivators.
Some were lurking in the shadows, while others were disguised and hidden in plain sight.
Some worked in groups, while others were busy monitoring one another.
It was extremely complicated. In this tiny patch of land, it was no exaggeration to say that a single step could crush a pile of nascent soul experts.
Xu Xian felt somewhat helpless, yet he didn't believe they would deploy such a massive force just to deal with a minor demon master like him.
He also didn't believe those hidden in the shadows were of one mind; they likely all had their own ulterior motives.
Besides, if they really just wanted to kill him, they should have struck immediately after Chi Ji delivered her message.
Yet, they clearly only increased their numbers without any intention of acting immediately.
If someone claimed they were waiting for nightfall—waiting for the vagrants of these lands to go out for food to minimize casualties—Xu Xian wouldn't believe it for a second.
Those lurking in the shadows were sent by the heavenly demon race. He didn't think these high and mighty heavenly demons truly cared about the lives of these vagrants.
To some extent, they probably wished for a suitable excuse to wipe these people out entirely.
To the heavenly demon race and this Nether Capital, these people were merely worthless ants, parasites living in the city like cockroaches.
Therefore, they weren't waiting for nightfall, and he wasn't their only target.
The little girl, Bai Gan, was definitely part of the equation.
Even if he really had illicitly learned a primordial demon art, they could just kill him. There was no need for such a massive commotion.
Only they knew their true intentions.
However, it wasn't hard to guess. They likely wanted to use his death to send a warning to the high and small priests who controlled the Demon Abyss, or perhaps to serve as a wake-up call to a certain group, or even to seize power.
Of course, they might also just be genuinely wary that someone extraordinary was standing behind him.
Who knew.
Xu Xian only knew that there were massive interests at stake.
He was slightly touched by Chi Ji's visit, and more importantly, he had gained some intelligence.
The little girl, Bai Gan, hadn't left last night, yet the small priest had met with the Crimson Demon last night.
Through his Pupil of Insight, he could see that the little girl was here in her true form, not a spirit body. Thus, he could basically conclude that the little girl was the high priest.
Based on Chi Ji's words and the information he had gathered in the Nether Capital recently, Xu Xian could deduce why the high priest was contacting him.
She sought two things:
First, she wanted to uncover the origin of the sword strike outside Ze Capital. By pushing him into a dangerous situation, she could test whether his trump card was truly related to that sword strike and if its master was here because of the Nether Gate.
Second, she wanted to see if he could learn the Nether Fire Secret Art.
Based on Chi Ji's words, it wasn't hard to guess that this high priest was desperate to revitalize the demon race. The nether fire was the sacred fire of the demon race, their flame of hope.
If he could learn it, Xu Xian was certain the high priest would step in to protect him.
Unfortunately...
The time was too short. He hadn't mastered it yet.
However, he did have a way to make her believe he could learn it.
Or rather, he only needed to let her know that he possessed the ability to translate the primordial demon script to save his own life.
But the problem returned to the fundamental issue: the opposing side wasn't just after him, they were after her too. They were determined to use his death to shatter whatever obsession the high priest held.
So, Xu Xian doubted if the high priest could even protect him.
He organized and digested the information in his mind, thinking hard to find a way to break the deadlock.
He murmured softly, "I'll prepare two paths. If she can't protect me, I'll use the matter of the Nether Gate to turn the tables... a gamble."
Hearing his thoughts, the little book spirit said speechlessly, "Another gamble?"
Xu Xian said calmly, "Life itself is one giant gamble."
The little book spirit pouted and stayed silent. His acting tough came from Li Qingshan, and his love for gambling came from Ye Xianyu—nothing but bad habits.
Still...
It couldn't really blame its master; he had always been rather unlucky.
No matter where he went, he encountered absurdly unfortunate events for no reason at all.
It often wondered if its master had used up a lifetime of good luck just to meet it.
Rate on N.U.
