Bai Mang was busy with his own plans, leaving Jin Yu to her own devices. Although Jin Yu was displeased, she was also somewhat puzzled by Bai Mang's reaction.
But it was merely a passing curiosity.
Bai Mang was suspected to be of the Immortal-Demon lineage and claimed to be a descendant of the Demon Lord from beyond the Blazing Fortress.
Perhaps he truly had seen the sky outside the Demon Abyss, or perhaps he had even been to places farther than she had ever imagined.
She did not press him for answers.
She chose silence.
The two of them traversed the sea of clouds and arrived at the majestic Nether Hall. The golden giant dragon beat its wings, soaring into the firmament before diving down to perch atop the hall's peak.
Like a golden statue, it shone brilliantly in the sunlight, adding a touch of splendor to the grand palace.
Following the Small Priest's lead, the two entered the hall, crossed the main lobby, and ascended the internal stairs.
Finally, she pushed open a door and led him into a room.
The decor was ancient and somewhat gaudy, yet within that gaudiness was an unmistakable air of nobility.
The Small Priest leaned against the doorway and said flatly, "This is my sister's room. From today on, it belongs to you."
Xu Xian stepped inside and looked around. It was difficult to imagine that the High Priest, such a sensual and refined woman, would have a room like this.
He supposed that, deep down, she must be a conservative woman.
He walked to the window of his own accord. From there, the view was excellent, with the distant mist sea fully visible.
"Fine, you may leave."
The Small Priest stared deeply at the youth's back and gave a small, silent pout. She offered a casual reminder, "Don't go wandering off. If you need anything, find me downstairs. I stay in the room on the far left."
Xu Xian ignored her, simply pacing around the room.
The Small Priest did not bother to seek further snubs and walked away without closing the door for him.
He had not even become the demon son yet, but he was already putting on such airs.
To her, Bai Mang truly felt like the stories described: a petty man flush with success.
Xu Xian naturally did not take her words to heart. The moment the Small Priest left, he stepped onto the balcony of the luxurious room.
Stepping into the air and riding the wind, he headed straight for the mist sea.
He had to see for himself what exactly was going on with this so-called end of the sky.
While he was at it, he wanted to see what the deal was with that Nether Gate, and whether the Nether Beasts that could threaten the Wendao Sword Sect truly existed behind it.
He traveled openly without concealing his presence. The golden giant dragon opened its eyes and glanced at him.
Jin Yu also stood by a window, watching him with a look of disdain as she muttered a quiet complaint, "He really can't stay still for a second."
She did not have a good impression of Bai Mang. At their first meeting, he had taken a table, portraying greed to the fullest.
Later, she had thrown him into the lake, and he had taken the opportunity to disappear, leaving her and her sister to take the blame, which perfectly illustrated his cunning and treachery.
And now, he had schemed to involve her and her sister in his plan to become the master of the Demon Abyss.
Originally, she had not been opposed to it and even felt he had some sense of responsibility, wondering if she had misjudged him.
It was not until last night, while chatting with her sister, that she accidentally heard her mention that Bai Mang only wanted to be the demon son to make money—and a lot of it.
Her opinion changed once again.
She could not understand how anyone in the world could want to be a ruler just for money.
Power, fame, ambition, territory, beauties...
Any of those would be more convincing than money.
It was preposterous!
If he became the demon son, could the Demon Abyss truly be revitalized?
She was skeptical.
Bai Mang was exceptionally talented, had a mysterious identity, and possessed means that ordinary people could not comprehend.
He might truly be a qualified demon son, provided one ignored his character.
She did not interfere, nor did she plan to, even though her sister had told her to keep an eye on Bai Mang and not let him run around.
She figured Bai Mang was not an idiot and would not mindlessly wander into the mist and get himself lost.
If he did, it might actually be for the best, saving the Demon Abyss from being lost to him in the future.
...
On the other side, Xu Xian already stood before the towering Nether Gate.
Looking up to examine it, he felt a strange sense of familiarity.
He felt that this gate was somewhat similar to the gate of the Heaven Beyond the Sword on Zhujian Peak that led to the Spirit Sword Pool.
The only difference was that the gate to the Heaven Beyond the Sword was open, while the one before him was closed.
He glanced out of the corner of his eye at the contemplative Little Book spirit and asked, "Well? Can you see anything?"
The tiny book spirit held its elbow with one hand and stroked its chin with the other, shaking its head. "I can't tell."
"You're not so great after all," Xu Xian took the chance to mock it.
The Little Book spirit speculated, "However, I suspect this should be the entrance to a small spatial world. It has simply been closed. Hmm... the Demon God Command that girl mentioned earlier should be the key to opening this gate."
Xu Xian gave a dismissive snort. "You're just stating the obvious."
He felt it was redundant to even ask.
As for what was inside or what the Nether Beasts were, he reckoned he would only know after collecting the Demon God Commands, opening the Nether Gate, and heading inside.
Gathering the Demon God Commands would not be difficult, but as for opening the Nether Gate, he would pass for now.
His current self did not yet possess the absolute power to deal with unknown crises.
He did not want to accidentally get himself killed in there.
However, that old tortoise might know something. Once he raised the third floor of the Sword Tower, he could ask about it and get the full story first.
As for whether to open this gate, that would depend on whether there was something like a Divine Sword Pool behind it.
One with another hundred immortal swords.
He bypassed the Nether Gate and continued to approach the so-called mist.
The Little Book spirit hurried to catch up.
The mist was hazy and drifted freely, right before his eyes, within arm's reach.
Nothing could be seen within the mist; his vision could not penetrate it even by a fraction.
Strangely enough, this mist could block not only vision but also divine sense. Even the Pupil of Insight could not see through it at all.
When his divine sense extended forward, Xu Xian could feel a strange force silently swallowing his thoughts.
He tried to reach out and touch it, but he only grabbed empty air. Within the mist, he could sense no moisture, nor could he sense any demon qi or spirit qi.
"This mist is not simple," he whispered.
The Little Book spirit, without Xu Xian noticing, dove headfirst into the mist and vanished. After a long while, it finally re-emerged from Xu Xian's forehead.
Its small brow was tightly furrowed.
Xu Xian asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
The Little Book spirit ignored him, lost in its own thoughts.
"What a grand undertaking."
Xu Xian's curiosity was already strong, and the book spirit's reaction only intensified it. Desperate for an answer, he pressed, "What grand undertaking? Do you recognize this mist?"
The Little Book spirit looked at him, then back at the mist sea, and said slowly, "This mist is Chaos Mist."
Hearing this, Xu Xian muttered quietly, "Chaos Mist."
Then, raising his voice, he asked, "What is Chaos Mist?"
The Little Book spirit explained, "The mist emitted by Chaos is known as Chaos Mist."
Xu Xian searched his mind for common knowledge regarding Chaos.
He said in surprise, "You're saying this mist is the Chaos Mist emitted by Chaos?"
"Yes, I shouldn't be wrong about this."
Xu Xian's throat bobbed. He still found it hard to believe. "How could Chaos Mist appear in Fanzhou?"
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