Calm and Quiet

Xu Xian headed straight for his old courtyard after coming ashore.

The empty Inner City was desolate, and the small courtyard once filled with lush colorful trees was now littered with fallen leaves and broken branches.

He went straight to the pavilion, activated an isolation formation, and tossed Jin Qing onto the floor before peering out through a crack in the window.

Seeing that the demon gods had not followed him, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Fortunately, I bluffed them!"

The little book spirit followed close behind, entering the room and exclaiming how incredible Xu Xian was.

Xu Xian chuckled, acting calm and composed. "A small scene, just as expected."

He then looked at Jin Qing, who was lying on the floor like a dead pig, and asked gravely, "She is not going to die, is she?"

The little book spirit said confidently, "She won't die. She is just exhausted. Leave her there; she will be fine after a while."

Xu Xian nodded.

Jin Qing could not die yet; he still needed her support to secure his identity as the Demon Son.

Only then could he openly blackmail the Ten Great Demon God Palaces.

He muttered, "This woman's acting is not bad either. She was on the verge of death, yet she still acted like she was invincible."

The little book spirit commented fairly, "Mm-hmm, she is only slightly worse than you."

Xu Xian raised an eyebrow. "It is a world of difference!"

...

On the other side, above the Nether Pool, the demon gods remained in the sky.

The Small Priest summoned the golden giant dragon, glared fiercely at the ten demon gods, and was the first to leave.

She went to find Xu Xian.

Chi Yan shook his hand, retracting his spear, and recalled the Black Demon Dragon before leaving without a word, glancing back at the Nether Pool once more.

Only the remaining nine demon gods were left behind, looking battered and dazed.

They looked at each other in silence.

Someone could not help but ask, "Is what he said true? Is he really of the Demon Lord's bloodline, the Immortal-Demon Demon Son?"

Someone sighed, sounding somewhat helpless. "Even if he is not, he is now."

"What do we do?"

"Let us disperse."

"Just like that?"

"What else do you want to do?"

"I..."

The Qing family left, the Lan family left, and one by one, the demon gods departed. Finally, the two brothers of the Huang family left as well.

Some smiled bitterly, while others shook their heads in resignation.

The demons who had been kneeling watched the empty Nether Pool as it was swallowed by the rain again.

They stood up one after another, and a cacophony of voices rose like a tide.

Those who had not left the city returned, and those who had left squeezed their way back in.

However, the previous panic and fear were gone, replaced by the relief of surviving a disaster and a fervor that was hard to hide.

In pairs and groups, people talked of nothing but the Demon Son, the Demon Lord, and the name Bai Mang.

Some said the demon race was saved.

Some said the Demon Son was incredible.

Others said that with the Demon Son's arrival, the Demon Abyss was truly going to change.

Hope outweighed pessimism!

The heavenly demon race who had traveled far also returned, streaking across the sky like rainbows toward the Inner City, heading back to their homes.

The titled nobility gathered outside the Demon God Palaces, seeking an audience with the demon gods and clan heads, waiting for further instructions.

The Demon Son was born.

Whether it was a blessing or a curse was uncertain.

Should they apologize, curry favor, or ignore him?

How strong was the Demon Son, and would he target the heavenly demon race?

They needed an answer, a definitive one, and they also needed protection from the demon gods.

Especially those who had previously monitored or offended Bai Mang; they were already anxious and terrified.

The earthly demon race still hid in their homes, watching secretly.

They watched the reactions of the heavenly demon race and the movements of the demon gods.

In the city, the major neutral forces also returned one after another.

The city guards assembled temporarily to guard the city gates.

The Demon Court sent out enforcement squads to maintain order, disperse the crowds, and clear the bodies of those trampled to death.

At the same time, they comforted the demons who had lost loved ones.

Their attitude was firm, but the effect was obvious.

Soon, this city of millions regained its former order. The enforcement squads even managed to spare personnel to track down criminals who had looted and rioted during the chaos.

As for the entrance to the courtyard where Xu Xian once lived...

Unknowingly, a crowd had gathered, all of them from the heavenly demon race.

Though there were no demon gods, divine sons, or goddesses, anyone with a discerning eye could see that these people were of high status.

It could be said that almost every influential and famous demon in the Nether Capital had come.

There were scholars from the Demon Dao Pavilion, the General Commander of the enforcement squads, elders from the Nether Court, commanders of the city guards, and generals of the demon guards and Nether Guards.

They were all waiting for an audience with the Demon Son, Bai Mang!

In contrast, the Ten Great Demon God Palaces remained silent.

After the demon gods returned, they did not appear again, nor did they receive members of their own clans.

Throughout the day, the entire Demon Abyss seemed to be waiting for the Demon Son, Bai Mang, to respond.

But Bai Mang did not show himself. Not only did he stay hidden, he pretended to know nothing, leaving them all waiting.

No one knew what he was thinking, nor did they know if the current silence was the calm before the storm.

The acquiescence of the demon gods told them they could only wait, and keep waiting...

Xu Xian had no intention of appearing; he planned to let them wait indefinitely.

He would wait until they no longer wanted to. His image was now established.

He was the mysterious, noble, and supreme Demon Son.

As the Demon Son, how could he care about the thoughts and feelings of these people?

For these high-and-mighty heavenly demons, the more arrogant he was and the less he cared to acknowledge them, the more anxious they would become, and the more they would fear and respect him.

This was a rule carved into their bones.

In their world, he had to use their rules to face them so that he would not lose out.

Furthermore, although he had bluffed those demon gods, so far, not a single one had appeared or expressed support or loyalty to him.

There was no guarantee they would not take a desperate risk and act against him to stabilize their own power.

It was not that they would not take risks or be foolish; in the face of massive interests, even knowing they might die, someone would still choose to try.

What he needed to do now was wait—wait for Jin Qing to recover, wait for her to take a stand, and wait to see the reactions of the demon gods.

If one or two were willing to believe he was the descendant of the Demon Lord and choose to support him, then he could turn the tables and take control of the situation.

At the very least, with Jin Qing and Jin Yu, plus a golden dragon, he could protect himself.

By now, the two sisters had lost everything. They had no choice but to support him and try to gain the support of others.

Of course, if Chi Ming could support him, that would be even better.

If that truly happened, Xu Xian could really become a king. Then, he could summon them and hold a trial for them too.

They would have to hand over those Shadow Soul Stones whether they wanted to or not.

As for hidden dangers or dissatisfaction, once the money was in hand, he would flee immediately. Let them do as they pleased; let them try to come to the Wendao Sword Sect to settle the score!