Once the discussions quieted down, Snake King spoke in a heavy voice. "What is certain is that the mutations are accelerating. We may well see the final outcome within a hundred years. Barring unforeseen events, everyone present should live to see that day. This might be the greatest opportunity for our generation of cultivators! It is an unprecedented transformation. We must prepare as early as possible. At the very least, we of the demon race must advance and retreat together if we wish to seize more treasures!"
Rubbing his palms together, Red Tail Demon King said excitedly, "Let us do as Snake King says! There is no deep-seated blood feud between us to begin with. If there are any grievances, we might as well set them aside for now. Let the humans fight among themselves! The messier it gets, the better—preferably until they tear each other apart and can never unite again!"
The various demon kings wore differing expressions, but none voiced an objection.
Demon King Yu glanced around the room. "No one can say for sure how Ziwei Palace will evolve in the future. However, entering Ziwei Palace next time will still require the help of the human grand formation. Summoning all of you here today was precisely to discuss our next excursion there."
As the demon kings deliberated, Qin Sang rarely chimed in, gleaning many hidden secrets of Ziwei Palace from their words.
Finding it odd, Red Tail Demon King sent a voice transmission to ask, "Fellow Daoist Mingyue, you do not seem very enthusiastic. Are you not planning to go to Ziwei Palace?"
"I have heard that Ziwei Palace has been picked clean time and time again, and I know nothing about it. Finding any treasures there would likely prove difficult, so I truly have little interest. I will return and ask my master's opinion before deciding. Having reached the Nascent Soul stage not long ago, my most pressing concern is consolidating my cultivation and practicing divine abilities," Qin Sang replied.
Before long, the demon kings agreed upon a simple set of guidelines, leaving room to adapt as circumstances warranted.
Then, one of the demon kings finally brought up the war that Qin Sang was most concerned about.
"The Sin God Palace and Ziwei Palace are connected. Since we detected abnormalities in the Ziwei Palace immortal formation, the Sin Abyss has surely noticed them as well. Could they sound a temporary retreat like last time, take the opportunity to recover their strength, and resume fighting after the Ziwei Palace excursion ends?"
Demon King Yu nodded. "That is precisely the second matter we need to discuss. Not long ago, a message arrived from the humans. They share a similar suspicion, but their dominant feeling is vigilance."
"Oh? How so?" The demon kings grew intrigued.
"In truth, with the scattered news you have received, all of you have surely sensed that the Sin Abyss's current offensive seems rather strange. Since the war began, the Sin Abyss has charged in aggressively, putting on the posture of an all-out assault, yet their momentum falls far short of their last invasion. The Tianxing Alliance only lost a few cities before stabilizing their footing, and the two sides have been locked in a stalemate for several years now."
Demon King Yu tapped his fingers lightly against the armrest. "Old Daoist Zhenyi worries that the Sin Abyss is deliberately lulling the Alliance of the Two Domains into complacency. If the alliance lets its guard down, an unexpected turn of events could catch them completely unprepared—especially on the eve of Ziwei Palace's emergence. However, I suspect the Alliance of the Two Domains is unwilling to just keep taking blows passively and harbors other intentions. Dragging the fight out like this is an immense burden on the Sin Abyss as well. Is the foundation of the Sin Abyss truly unfathomably deep, or is it merely putting on an empty bluff?"
"Are you saying Old Daoist Zhenyi wants to launch a proactive strike?"
The demon kings exchanged glances. One of them sneered, "Were it not for the ancestral covenant, we wouldn't lend them a single soldier! We've already lent so many demon soldiers to the human race, yet he still finds it insufficient. Has he come knocking because he expects us to intervene in person?"
With a flick of his finger, Demon King Yu released a stream of light. "These are the terms proposed by the humans. You may take a look first. If you head to the front line, you only need to operate the city defense grand formations from within the walls and command the demon troops. If things take a turn for the worse, you are free to retreat immediately. Should there be other arrangements in the future, you may negotiate with the humans personally before deciding whether to go..."
Pausing, Demon King Yu added, "Before everyone here, I will speak plainly. I still hope the Alliance of the Two Domains can hold off the Sin Abyss. I don't know if it is just my imagination, but over these years, the few Sin Abyss Nascent Souls I've encountered—especially Old Demon Ye—have given me an increasingly uneasy feeling. That sinister, eerie aura is something not even Old Demon Tongyou exuded after perfecting his demonic arts."
Snake King immediately voiced his stance. "I share the same sentiment. If the Xiaohan Realm is swallowed by the Sin Abyss, it will likely be difficult to uphold the ancestral covenant as before. Once this council concludes, I will personally make a trip to the front."
The stream of light circled the hall.
After examining the terms, the dissenting voices grew markedly fainter.
The compensation offered by the humans was indeed generous. More importantly, being tasked only with defending cities drastically reduced the danger. Even in defeat, escaping ahead of time would not be difficult for Transformation stage great demons of their caliber.
For a time, the grand hall fell into silence as the demon kings weighed the pros and cons.
In the end, some demon kings accepted, while others declined.
Qin Sang was among those who agreed to intervene.
He had intended to visit the front lines anyway.
Born of the human race and with many friends and connections in the Xiaohan Realm, he was bound to do his part. With his movement techniques, preserving his life would not be difficult even in the face of danger.
If they truly proved no match for the enemy, there would be no alternative; he could only flee like a stray dog and wander elsewhere.
Disguising himself as a demon king to take part in city defense would also earn him compensation.
What caught Qin Sang's eye was a rare spiritual wood known as golden sunken wood.
The ebony sword had no need to devour additional spiritual wood for the time being.
However, he wanted to prepare a second spirit sword in advance. The magic treasures he had previously seized were not quite suitable. Qin Sang planned to collect spiritual materials and forge it himself, which would also hone his artifact-refining skills in preparation for subduing the Nanming Primordial Fire in the future.
A spirit sword was best aligned with the wood element, making spiritual wood the most harmonious material to forge it with.
Golden sunken wood possessed a remarkably hard texture, naturally imparting an extra degree of sharpness once refined into a magic treasure, making it an excellent choice.
Once the two most important matters were settled, Demon King Yu raised several minor topics, and the council soon drew to a close.
At the end, the demon kings took the opportunity to hold a small trade fair to exchange what they had for what they needed.
Having advanced only recently, Qin Sang's wealth lagged far behind that of these seasoned demon kings, leaving him to look on at item after item while practically drooling.
The things he had the most of were items like fiend demon pills and demon bones. Bringing those out before so many demon kings would be difficult to explain.
Once the trading concluded, the demon kings dispersed.
Qin Sang also prepared to head south after leaving Myriad Demon City.
Red Tail Demon King bid Qin Sang farewell, agreeing to meet again in the future.
He had explicitly refused to take part in the war. In his words, no treasure was worth risking his life for another race.
Returning to his temporary palace, Qin Sang fetched White Crane and Fat Chicken. After purchasing a few items in Myriad Demon City, he headed straight out of the gates.
Not long after leaving the city, Qin Sang flew alongside the two birds for a stretch when a sharp glint suddenly flashed in the depths of his eyes.
Immediately after, his figure came to an abrupt halt, and he turned to look behind him.
The two demon beasts hastily stopped and looked back as well. They were not far from Myriad Demon City, separated only by a few mountain ranges.
At this moment, the mountains were cloaked in dead silence, with no other figure in sight.
"Master, what's wrong?"
Sensing that something was amiss, Fat Chicken carefully edged closer.
Qin Sang swept his gaze across the area and suddenly locked his eyes onto a mountain peak. Letting out a cold snort, he raised his voice. "Fellow Daoist, tailing this king for no apparent reason cannot be a mere coincidence, can it?"
Chapter 1168