Verifying Truth and Falsehood

The Demon Gods’ gazes remained probing, but the doubt in their eyes was unknowingly being replaced by a hint of shock.

The Nether Records and the Demon Records were two ancient texts of the demon race. Both recorded that among the ancestral demons, there was a branch that called themselves the Immortal-Demons.

They had multicolored hair, as brilliant as a rainbow, and a pair of demon horns that also featured several colors layered one atop another, forming ring after ring.

It was also stated within those texts that the hair of the Supreme Demon Lord had ten colors, making him unique and peerless.

This matter was not widely known in the Demon Abyss. Even among the heavenly demon race, those who were not high-level members of the core power structure remained ignorant of it.

Xu Xian, a mere third-class mortal demon, should have found it impossible to access the core contents of the Nether Records or the Demon Records. Yet, he spoke with such conviction, as if he were stating absolute facts.

Was it a coincidence, or something more?

There were two possibilities. First, he was simply talking nonsense—whether he was guessing or had somehow learned it from the High Priest or Chi Ji was unknown.

Second, he had truly seen it in a grand dream.

Or perhaps the supreme master of the demon race had not truly died but had instead ascended to the Upper Realm, leaving a wisp of divine sense beneath that cliff that Bai Mang happened to encounter. Or perhaps He had chosen Bai Mang to bring guidance and revitalize the Demon Abyss.

It was impossible to say for sure.

Even if it sounded preposterous, the vast world was full of wonders. Who would dare claim it was definitely false?

The Wendao Sect had its Sword Ancestor, who left behind a stele and a chessboard that took ten thousand years to crack; then, a youth named Xu Xian appeared out of nowhere, carrying a divine sword. At the bottom of the Divine Moon Pool in the East Desolation, there was likewise some unknown secret. And in the North Sea, within that invisible boundary, there were eight ancient holy lands where peerless demon immortals resided. There even existed True Dragons that should have long been extinct.

All these things served as supporting evidence.

Why couldn't the Demon Abyss have its own similar hidden foundations and fortuitous opportunities?

Perhaps the Demon Lord had foreseen a great catastrophe for the demon race and had truly manifested in the mortal realm to bestow divine abilities and secret arts upon this boy.

If it was truly as he said, then they really wouldn't dare to do anything to Bai Mang. That would be the choice of the Supreme Demon Lord.

But he was, after all, just a third-class demon.

Since it involved the Supreme Demon Lord, they did not dare to speak recklessly.

The Wind Demon spoke in a heavy voice, "True or false, we will know once we test him."

"Correct."

"That is reasonable."

"Bai Mang, do you know what your fate will be if you have lied?"

Xu Xian remained calm and composed, smiling as he said, "I have already said it—I am prepared."

The crowd turned their gazes toward the High Priest.

"High Priest, if you would."

Jin Qing’s eyes flickered with an uncertain light. She took a deep look at Xu Xian before nodding in agreement. "Very well!"

With a gentle flick of her sleeve, an ancient book with a golden cover floated before her chest. She waved her hand, and under everyone's watchful eyes, the golden book drifted slowly across the square table, eventually coming to a stop in front of Xu Xian and descending gently.

"Please!"

As was common knowledge, two types of demon arts were stored within the Demon Dao Pavilion. One type consisted of demon arts of the current era, varying in rank, with copies kept in the various Demon God Palaces. The other type consisted of demon arts written in the ancestral demon script.

These were preserved from ancient times, some unearthed from ancient secret realms or great tombs. Because they originated from ancient times and were written in the ancestral demon script, they were known as primordial demon arts.

The ranks of these demon arts were difficult to discern, and it was unknown whether they were complete or mere fragments. This was because, to this day, no one truly knew what was written inside. Some, like the Nether Fire Secret Art, were at least known by name and origin; others were so obscure that even their names remained a mystery.

For over thirty thousand years, generation after generation of the heavenly demon race had entered the pavilion to meditate and study, and generation after generation of demon scholars had exhausted their life's blood, yet not a single person had ever deciphered them.

According to the records, only a handful of individuals had ever managed to comprehend a few of these books through some stroke of luck, learning these primordial demon arts by chance. Every one of them had achieved extraordinary things. There were past demon sovereigns of immense strength who possessed heaven-reaching abilities, and there were reclusive experts who could dominate an entire region with just a single divine ability.

Unfortunately, they were all dead. Among those currently living, the only one fortunate enough to have comprehended a primordial demon art was the High Priest.

To verify the truth, they could only rely on her. This was one of the reasons why they had so readily agreed to hand Xu Xian over to her. Only she could distinguish truth from lies!

Xu Xian did not hesitate. He picked up the ancient book and flipped through it casually. Upon opening the very first page, he spoke amidst the group's anticipation, "Hmm... this is a divination and deduction art."

The expressions of the crowd remained unchanged, and the High Priest showed no reaction. This fact was widely known; the High Priest was skilled in deduction precisely because of this manual. It wasn't strange that Xu Xian could identify it.

However...

In the next second, Xu Xian looked up and met the High Priest’s gaze from across the table, asking meaningfully, "However, I am curious. The sky of the Demon Abyss is as dark as ink, devoid of stars. High Priest, what exactly do you use to perform your deductions?"

The High Priest’s heart trembled, and a shimmering light flickered within her emerald eyes.

The Demon Gods’ gazes turned sharp, their desire for verification becoming exceptionally intense. Feeling the heat of their stares, the High Priest did not hide the truth; she nodded gravely in confirmation.

The hall immediately erupted into a flurry of whispers. Many could no longer sit still, becoming excited and restless. How could Xu Xian have hit the mark on something even they didn't know? Surely he couldn't have just guessed this as well?

"He really knows?"

"This..."

"This is getting more and more interesting."

The Small Priest was half-skeptical. She stole a glance at her sister, then stared intently at the youth. She wasn't sure if this was something Bai Mang and her sister had pre-arranged. If not...

Of course, the most shocked person was the High Priest herself, who sat upright with a seemingly calm face. Only she knew that there was no collusion between her and Xu Xian. He truly recognized the script. Even though Xu Xian had said it more than once, and even though he had always been full of confidence, she still could not hide the throbbing in her heart at this moment.

An irrational obsession began to grow within her: perhaps there truly was hope for the demon race. It was like encountering a beam of moonlight in the dark of night, dispersing the heavy fog. She was eager, yet she feigned composure as she calmly urged, "Continue?"

The sound of pages turning filled the air as Xu Xian read rapidly, scanning ten lines at a glance. He never looked up, yet he didn't forget to consult them. "Should I read it to you from beginning to end, or just give a brief summary?"

The crowd remained silent.

The High Priest pondered for a moment. "Just give a brief summary once you've finished."

To be honest, reading it from beginning to end would be useless. She had only comprehended the essence of the manual and gained certain inspirations, mastering its subtleties. As for what exactly was written on those pages, even she could not read it.

It wasn't just her; the predecessors from past generations who had been lucky enough to comprehend primordial demon arts were in the same situation. It was more like they had learned the demon arts in a dream. They understood the meaning, but they did not know the form of the characters. Were it not for this, they wouldn't still be completely ignorant of the ancestral demon script to this day.

The hall was silent, save for the sound of turning pages. No one hurried him. For the first time, the Demon Gods were being this patient.

Fortunately, the secret manual was not thick, and Xu Xian read quickly. In less time than it took to finish a cup of tea, he had finished reading. With a snap, he closed the book and proactively met everyone's gaze.

The youth scanned them one by one, his eyes finally landing on the High Priest. He lightly patted the golden book cover and said with a hint of regret, "This demon art is indeed exquisite. It’s a pity that it is an incomplete volume."