Chapter 47: Secrets

The Wild Ox stomped the earth, the Great Roc spread its wings, the Fierce Tiger descended from the mountain… Several Nirvana-level demon cultivators struck out at once, stirring the clouds in the heavens. Murderous energy spilled forth in all directions, the winds and clouds gathering ominously.

“If one were to judge by this alone, you could hardly be called weak,” Hong Yun remarked, watching the supernatural manifestations surge toward him. The fierce winds caused his robe to billow. As these attacks reached him, he raised an eyebrow with slight disdain, swept out his sleeve, and unleashed his own river-like phenomenon. Sword energy rampaged, scattering the attacks that had nearly reached his face.

Reeling from the impact, the five demons could not withstand it and retreated. Yet, after all, they were Nirvana-level demon cultivators who had trained for years; their cultivation did not fully disperse. Though they staggered and were flung back, they managed to steady themselves midair.

“If this is the extent of your skill, I fear you might leave me unsatisfied,” Hong Yun said, looking at the longsword in his hand. He shook it lightly, posed with the sword, and smiled radiantly. “Perhaps you should withdraw for now. I fear I might lose control and… kill you all.”

The Bull Demon, hearing these words and feeling his slightly numb arm, tensed inwardly. Such disparity reminded him of his first encounter with the son of the Demon Emperor.

Yet being a demon, like being a man, meant not losing face. The conflict had arisen when Peng Yang provoked Fu Yue, leading to Hong Yun’s intervention. The others had only come to lend support, never expecting to make a spectacle of themselves instead.

For a moment, the Bull, Lion, Tiger, and Leopard Demons all considered retreat, but pride forbade them from speaking first. Instead, they all looked to the instigator.

Peng Yang, feeling their gaze, wished he could shed a layer of feathers to hide his shame. Facing the composed Hong Yun, resentment gnawed at him, but knowing he could not win, he could only utter a few harsh words for solace.

“You have formidable skill. Today, the Five Demon Gate’s brothers admit defeat. But in the future…”

Hong Yun, hearing this, paused in surprise, then found it amusing. Impatience flickered in his eyes, and his murderous aura surged once more. “One more word, and I’ll flay you alive.”

At this, the five demons abandoned their parting words and slunk away in dejection.

Watching their receding figures, Hong Yun sheathed his sword and bowed respectfully. “Zhao Jingcheng, at your service, Master Guixiansui.”

He gazed in that direction. After a long while, a deep sigh drifted over. “I never imagined you could detect my presence.”

When the figure finally appeared, it had not transformed into human form, but remained a black tortoise, only about ten feet long.

The first words it spoke made Hong Yun’s heart tense. “Of course. To wield such inconceivable means, to usurp another’s vessel, and fully integrate with it—your abilities are beyond my current calculations.”

The atmosphere grew heavy.

“I have long heard of your divination skills, Master Guixiansui. Why not try to divine my origins?” Hong Yun, surprised, put aside his earlier courtesy. “Why not attempt to tell where I come from and where I’m going?”

Divine your origins? Guixiansui floated in midair, scrutinized Hong Yun for a moment, and suddenly laughed.

“Your affairs are of no concern to me, nor to our demon clan. In this Realm of the Treasured Vase, there is much I do not know. My innate skill is simply to seek fortune and avoid disaster. If I dare not divine, it is because you are a variable—an agent of fortune and disaster, shrouded in unpredictability. Any calculation would be meaningless.”

Hong Yun saw the old tortoise’s thoughtful look and straightened his robe, smiling. “Since you won’t divine, I have a secret of immense importance. Would you like to hear it?”

A secret!

At this, Guixiansui’s murky eyes flickered. A strong sense of danger welled up within him—his instinct. Yet his heart’s desire urged him to know.

If one hesitates, one must act decisively!

The patterns on his shell began to glow, and when the light faded, he opened his eyes, resolute. “I am all ears.”

He took the bait?

Hong Yun was momentarily taken aback, not expecting the other to agree. He pondered for a moment, then devised a way. He retrieved a crystal jade pendant, infused it with the information he wished to impart, and handed it to the demon king.

Had this been a Roc King or an Elephant Marshal, Hong Yun would not have dared, but before him stood the demon clan’s prophet, one who always considered the consequences—he would never act without reason.

With a gesture, Guixiansui drew the jade to him, pressed it to his brow, and absorbed its contents. When he opened his eyes, he was deeply shaken.

“No wonder it is a path of certain death. So… that is the truth.”

He closed his eyes, his breath gradually calming. The vitality in his body slowly faded, until only a flicker remained.

His face became serene—facing death, he no longer cared for the world’s intrigues.

“Do you have any regrets, Master Guixiansui?” Hong Yun asked quietly, noting the other’s frailty—at this point, even an ordinary treasure-body demon cultivator could have slain him.

“To know this truth is enough for me; I have no regrets,” the old tortoise replied, his gaze fixed on the distant east. “Besides, learning such a secret leaves me without regret. And on this final journey, I am accompanied by an old friend—I am no longer alone.”

As he finished, his flesh and shell began to dissolve, transforming into wisps of murderous energy and enigmatic light, scattering in all directions.

Such is the fate of those at the Metamorphosis Realm when they fall.

Hong Yun watched in silence for a while, then continued northward. With the death of Guixiansui, the demon guardian of Demon Gate Mountain, the commotion would not go unnoticed.

…

Human race, Cangya Tower.

Atop the tower’s star platform, an old man sat cross-legged. Suddenly, his brows furrowed. He began to calculate, and in the blink of an eye, his face turned from red to pale. Then, with a cry, he spat a mouthful of blood.

“How… how could this be…” he muttered. His energy waned, and he sighed. “After all these years, I still lost by a move.”

As he finished, his body, like Guixiansui’s, faded away without a trace.

No mark of him remained in the world.