"Pure fabrications to mislead the masses!" Daoist Canghong sneered coldly.
Daoist Zhenyi's eyes flashed with sudden realization. Transmitting a secret message to Qin Sang, he replied, "Why must you get angry, Fellow Daoist? Since Fellow Daoist Tianzheng will fully recover before long, won't the truth come out once he steps onto the battlefield? We can certainly afford to wait that long. If Fellow Daoist Tianzheng is indeed safe and sound, this poor Daoist will apologize to him on Daoist Qin's behalf..."
From the moment the negotiations began, Daoist Canghong had been aggressively offering one enticing condition after another.
Acquiring so much without lifting a finger—including Old Demon Ye's most crucial secrets—had seemed within easy reach. Pushing Daoist Canghong a little further to agree to a few more demands had felt barely acceptable.
Sin Abyss had suffered sudden upheavals, so it was only natural for them to be in a rush for peace talks. The Two Domains Alliance had been led along by Daoist Canghong's momentum the entire time, giving them no room to think more deeply.
If Old Demon Ye had murdered Old Man Tianzheng, Sin Abyss would be left with Daoist Canghong as their sole top-tier expert, making it impossible to hold out alone. On top of that, the cultivators who had taken the Kuyuan Pill were plagued by lingering side effects, meaning Sin Abyss's strength would only continue to wane.
"We are well aware of Sin Abyss's terms, but making a decision now is difficult. There is no need to continue today's talks. Farewell!"
The alliance masters cupped their hands, turned, and flew down from the cloud platform, leaving behind the dark, furious faces of the Sin Abyss party.
Daoist Zhenyi murmured, "The Xingheng Sect is the greatest sect in Sin Abyss. I placed a hidden mole within it long ago. Though his standing is nowhere near Fellow Daoist Qu's, he can still catch wind of any disturbances. Canghong is desperate for peace talks, which likely means they couldn't keep the news of Tianzheng's unexpected demise under wraps. Wait a few more days, and we will know the truth..."
***
Inside the Sin God Palace.
A secret realm veiled in darkness.
Here, it was impossible to see one's own fingers; the silence was dead and suffocating.
A stale, rotting odor hung in the air.
Suddenly, a burst of blood-red light flared in the dark, only to vanish an instant later, swallowed once more by the gloom.
Immediately following was the faint, phantom-like sound of footsteps, as though someone was slowly walking toward the depths of the darkness.
*Rustle, rustle...*
The footsteps grew clearer and clearer, each stride taken at an identical pace.
As the figure approached, a soft sigh broke from the depths of the dark.
"How many years has it been? You have finally come..."
The voice was raspy, grating like two iron plates scraping together, sounding like someone lost in a desert, parched to the brink of death.
There was someone else here, clearly trapped for an eternity.
*Hum!*
The void trembled faintly.
A glimmer of faint blue light erupted from an ancient restriction, within which the speaker was sealed.
The mysterious figure slammed against the seal, provoking the ancient restriction's power.
The newcomer halted at the boundary of the ancient restriction. His pale face was half-illuminated by the faint blue glow and half-shrouded in shadow—an eerie visage belonging to none other than Old Demon Ye!
Old Demon Ye's breathing was ragged. His Daoist robe was torn and stained with blood; being pursued by Daoist Canghong had not been easy, leaving him grievously injured.
Yet his expression remained calm and his gaze impassive. He paid no heed to his wounds and looked down at the ancient restriction.
Inside the ancient restriction was an abyss of blackness where nothing could be seen.
The mysterious figure trapped inside suddenly grew wildly agitated, shouting in a shrill voice, "Where are the things I asked for? Did you succeed?"
Without a word, Old Demon Ye tossed something forward.
*Thud!*
A skeleton slammed onto the ground—it was the Jade Bone Brocade Skin.
Old Demon Ye had brought it here as well.
"Be careful!" the mysterious figure shrieked in distress.
He seemed to scrutinize the Jade Bone Brocade Skin. After a brief silence, he burst into wild laughter. "Just as expected! To stay alive, that younger brother of mine was certain to cultivate this secret art and refine his own body! What a pity, what a pity—without blood food, he fell just short of refining a complete jade skeleton. Still, this body is enough to bear the restriction for me and help me break free! Did you see him? Did you tell him that I was the one who led you to him?"
The mysterious figure gloated maliciously, driven by some unknown grudge.
Old Demon Ye looked down at the left foot of the Jade Bone Brocade Skin.
The little toe looked completely out of place against the rest of the jade skeleton—it was not jade, but bloody bone.
"By the time I entered, his consciousness had already faded," Old Demon Ye said, shaking his head. "Still, he relentlessly sought blood food. Had he swallowed a few more Nascent Souls, killing him would not have been easy."
"He was already dead?"
The mysterious figure's tone sank abruptly. After a brief pause, he asked, "Just this jade skeleton isn't enough! What about the rest? There isn't much time left! Look at your pathetic state—not only are you heavily wounded, but even your Blood Demon avatar was destroyed. Don't tell me you failed! Back then, you insisted on going your own way and guarded against me at every turn. You talked so big back then!"
A flicker of disdain passed through Old Demon Ye's eyes. With a flick of his wide sleeve, several streaks of light shot out.
Among the streaks was a round crystal orb—the core of the Nether Crystal Pagoda.
The rest were Nascent Souls that Old Demon Ye had captured alive and sealed.
These Nascent Souls wore expressions of pure venom, wishing they could devour his flesh and sleep on his skin. But bound and stripped of all resistance, the only thing they could do was spit the most vicious curses at Old Demon Ye.
At the sight of the crystal orb and the Nascent Souls, the mysterious figure's tone instantly changed. He clicked his tongue in admiration. "Good! Excellent! I never imagined you could actually pull it off. Playing the entire world for fools—truly ruthless! You truly are the man capable of breaking free from my control and plotting against me instead!"
Old Demon Ye remained unmoved, devoid of any smugness. He countered, "Everything you asked for has been gathered. What comes next?"
"What is the rush? The time has not yet arrived. As long as you help me leave this wretched place, I will naturally tell you everything without holding back a shred."
The ancient restriction flickered incessantly as the mysterious figure grew impatient. "Everything is ready, lacking only the final spark! Why haven't you thrown the jade skeleton over to help me break free?"
Old Demon Ye ignored the figure's urging. Sitting down cross-legged, he said indifferently, "Since the time has not yet arrived, we shall wait until it does before letting you out."
"You!"
The mysterious figure erupted in fury.
The ancient restriction violently shook, but Old Demon Ye closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, completely ignoring the commotion.
After venting his rage, the mysterious figure calmed down and gave several mocking sneers. "Help me break the seal now, and I can use this time to recover a portion of my strength, giving us better odds. There is only one opportunity like this. You painstakingly plotted for nearly a thousand years—if you miss this chance, can you truly accept it? What are you afraid of? I already swore heavy oaths never to harm you, and I can even let you place restrictions upon me. Inner demon oaths, karma oaths... I have sworn them all."
Old Demon Ye raised his eyelids, finally willing to open his eyes.
"As far as I know, inner demon oaths are not impossible to break. As for karma oaths..."
He paused.
Old Demon Ye swept his gaze over the floating Nascent Souls, his eyes ultimately coming to rest on the most conspicuous one among them—Old Man Tianzheng.
Unlike the others, Old Man Tianzheng was not hysterical; there was neither panic nor hatred. His Nascent Soul remained seated in meditation, serenely awaiting whatever fate had in store.
Old Demon Ye cast a deep look at Old Man Tianzheng and said resolutely, "I, Ye, have never believed in karma!"
The ancient restriction flared once, then slowly dimmed.
Silence fell once more.
Chapter 1310