Xu Xian's arrival sent ripples of unease through the entire Demon Abyss.
Coupled with the previous rumors, the demon people were filled with fear and trepidation.
Upon receiving the news, Jin Qing quickly appeared outside the Blazing Fortress.
When she met Xu Xian, she appeared unfamiliar and reserved.
Though she was an elder, she humbly conducted herself as a junior.
"Jin Qing greets Senior Xu."
Among the tens of thousands of armored soldiers at the Blazing Fortress, not a single person felt this was inappropriate.
In the world of cultivation,
Race did not matter.
Strength was respected above all.
The current Xu Xian was invincible under heaven.
Addressing him as a senior was only fitting.
Xu Xian remained as kind as ever. Looking at the woman before him—whose appearance remained unchanged despite the passage of several centuries—he signaled that there was no need for such formality and added a greeting.
"It has been a long time. I hope you have been well?"
Jin Qing responded sincerely, "Thanks to you, all is well."
To an ordinary person, this might have sounded like a polite platitude.
Only Xu Xian and Jin Qing understood that it was the literal truth.
During these four hundred years in the Demon Abyss, power had been centralized because of the birth of the Demon Son. By leaning on Xu Xian's influence, the heavenly demon race did not dare to voice any dissent.
Jin Qing's reforms had proceeded smoothly.
In the Demon Abyss of today,
Although they still occupied only a corner of the world and no new gods had been born, the lives of the demon people within were already vastly different from what they once were.
To say they lived in peace and prosperity was no exaggeration.
All of this was a gift from Xu Xian.
Xu Xian smiled slightly and asked, "Shall we talk here, or...?"
Understanding his intent, Jin Qing stepped aside and made a gesture of invitation. "Please!"
Xu Xian nodded and walked boldly into the Blazing Fortress. Under Jin Qing's guidance, they headed straight for the Nether Capital.
After the two left,
The Blazing Fortress instantly erupted into a fervor. The demon guards gathered in small groups, whispering and commenting on what had just occurred.
"Why is he here?"
"It must be because of the Ascension Platform?"
"Tsk tsk, I heard he's only four hundred years old, yet he's already the strongest in the mortal realm..."
"More than that, he was already the strongest at thirty. That was the year he held the Sword Inquiry of the world and became invincible..."
"It's a pity our Demon Son hasn't come out of seclusion yet. I wonder if he could still fight him?"
"Hard to say..."
"Still, he's quite polite, which doesn't match the rumors."
"Nonsense. The Wendao Sword Sect is the number one righteous sect in the world, and he's their ancestor. How could his character be lacking?"
...
On the way to the Nether Capital,
Jin Qing did not say much.
Xu Xian did not initiate conversation either.
The two did not walk quickly. They even took a detour, traveling along the banks of the Nether River, passing through many towns and seeing many demon people.
They heard the cries of street vendors,
And the sounds of students reading.
Amidst the mundane bustle of daily life, the commoners lived in peace and contentment, and the sound of laughter lingered long...
It was vastly different from four hundred years ago.
Xu Xian understood Jin Qing's intention. He felt greatly heartened by what he saw, even though he hadn't personally participated in these changes and the demon people were not of his own race.
But,
That is how people are.
One instinctively wants to be near beautiful things, to appreciate and praise them.
Xu Xian was no exception.
He felt that this was quite good.
If only,
In Fanzhou,
Or perhaps,
Across the starry sky,
All tribes and all nations could live without conflict and war, coexisting peacefully and developing together—how wonderful that would be.
If everyone in the world could be like those in the Wendao Sword Sect, free from scheming and deception, how marvelous that would be.
But...
This was merely a dream.
Even if the Demon Abyss was currently thriving, it was only temporary. Things would eventually change; chaos and stability were fundamentally cyclical.
He said to Jin Qing, "It seems your blueprint is being realized quite smoothly."
Jin Qing did not deny it and expressed her gratitude once more. "Thanks to you."
Xu Xian laughed. "I did nothing. I cannot accept such credit."
Jin Qing did not insist. She gave a faint smile and looked at the cities of the Demon Abyss, saying meaningfully, "They are all your subjects. Whether you accept it or not, they all revere you as their master, and so do I..."
Xu Xian caught the underlying meaning in Jin Qing's words.
He naturally understood the status that the Demon Son, Bai Mang, held in the hearts of the demon people, which remained unchanged even after four hundred years.
Since they were his subjects, Xu Xian would naturally protect them.
However,
The one who had come today was Xu Xian, not Bai Mang.
He did not respond and continued on his way. "Let's go."
Jin Qing remained silent and followed quietly.
Seeing that Jin Qing's mood was a bit low and filled with deep worry, Xu Xian took the initiative to find a topic to ease the tension. "Is Chi Ji doing well?"
"She has reached the eighth rank," Jin Qing replied.
Xu Xian became thoughtful. Breaking through from the sixth rank to the eighth rank in four hundred years was not considered slow.
It seemed the child had been practicing hard...
He asked again, "What about Huang Xiao?"
Jin Qing was startled. She hadn't expected that he would still remember that boy, Huang Xiao.
But on second thought, it wasn't surprising, as there had been much history between him and Huang Xiao back then.
She responded truthfully, "He is at the peak of the eighth rank and is currently attempting to break through to the ninth-rank demon god stage."
Xu Xian nodded and said to himself, "Mm, not bad. That means they're capable of taking the lead now..."
He spoke with intent,
And she listened with a heavy heart.
Jin Qing's eyes narrowed slightly. "They are still a bit young."
Xu Xian naturally understood Jin Qing's thoughts. He caught her gaze out of the corner of his eye and teased, "Heh... you seem to think more highly of that child from the Qing family. What was his name again?"
"Qingmu."
"Right! That child's mind is indeed steady."
Jin Qing denied it. "He is also young..."
Xu Xian said meaningfully, "Everyone has their youth. Besides, they're nearly a thousand years old now; they aren't that young anymore. When it's time to let go, you must let go. You have to give the younger ones a chance."
Jin Qing hesitated for a moment before finally whispering, "I will keep that in mind."
Xu Xian said nothing more, and Jin Qing remained silent as well.
They walked all the way to the Nether Capital. The massive city that never slept was teeming with traffic and even more prosperous than before.
Xu Xian caught a fleeting glimpse as they passed through. He could see mortal demons in the inner city and heavenly demons in the outer city.
This indicated that the racial prejudice had been slowly fading over the past four hundred years.
Xu Xian asked casually, "Can heavenly demons and mortal demons intermarry now?"
Jin Qing replied ambiguously, "It is now permitted in the Nether Records."
Xu Xian understood.
Permitted by law,
But not yet by reality.
It made sense.
The bloodline theory was not something that could be changed overnight. Four hundred years was too short to alter the heavenly demons' pursuit of pure bloodlines.
He comforted her, "Take it slow."
Jin Qing hummed in agreement but tested the waters by saying, "I'm just afraid... I won't live to see it..."
Xu Xian did not deny the possibility, only saying, "Some things don't necessarily have to be seen with your own eyes. As long as the path is correct, if you don't finish the journey, someone else will walk it for you."
Jin Qing bowed her head.
"I stand corrected!"
As they approached the Demon Palace, Xu Xian smiled and said, "It seems everyone has arrived. Let's go; we shouldn't keep them waiting."
Jin Qing replied, "Alright!"
...
Stepping into the Demon Palace, the Eleven Demon Gods had already been waiting for a long time. Upon seeing Xu Xian enter, they all rose and watched him...
Looking at the youth before them, the Eleven Demon Gods' emotions were complex.
Over the span of four hundred years,
They had long since learned that Xu Xian was Bai Mang.
Now,
Seeing him again,
They didn't know whether to treat him as the Demon Son or the Leader of the Sword Dao.
It was very confusing!
Xu Xian, however, was not at all reserved. He walked straight to the head of the long table, sat down, and gestured for everyone to join him.
"Don't just stand there. Sit down and let's talk."
The various Demon Gods looked at one another, and finally, they all looked toward Jin Qing.
Jin Qing said calmly, "Since the senior has asked you to sit, then everyone should sit."
Hearing this, the Demon Gods sat down one by one. Each of them, however, was exceptionally constrained—their eyes darted about, their bodies were tense, and their expressions were nervous...
Chi Ming, still the impatient one, was the first to speak. He asked, "I wonder, what is the purpose of... Senior Xu's visit to the Demon Abyss?"
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