Chapter 1861: Nine Nether Emperor's Body Parts

Dong Rui let out a long breath. "I thought that old scoundrel Qianhuan hadn't quite died, and his Sea of Consciousness was stirring up trouble again."

Old Lady Zhu, for her part, said, "Qianhuan's Sea of Consciousness is truly like an egg basin; so many people went in, and in the end, only you emerged."

Lingguang was also overjoyed, but as soon as it leaped onto He Lingchuan's shoulder, it instantly recoiled. Pointing at his back, it asked suspiciously:

"Where did this cloak come from?"

It remembered perfectly clearly that He Lingchuan had worn only the Black Armor of Emperor Jiuyou while fighting in Qianhuan's Sea of Consciousness. So how did he suddenly have a cloak on his back when he reappeared?

The cloak was solid black on one side and blood-red on the other, with a thumb-sized, dark red precious bead at the fastening, which hung perfectly over He Lingchuan's chest.

Moreover, the cloak gave it an extremely fierce sensation, making it unwilling to touch it.

He Lingchuan flicked the cloak with a finger. "Behave yourself."

Amazingly, after he flicked it, the cloak obediently hung down, no longer fluttering.

Old Lady Zhu noticed something amiss. "This bead has a very strong radiance."

He Lingchuan didn't keep it a secret. "This is the Solitary Dragon City from Qianhuan's Sea of Consciousness."

"A 'Solitary City'?" Old Lady Zhu exclaimed, startled. "This bead is a city? Is it the Grand Evolution Celestial Pearl?"

"That's right," He Lingchuan said with emotion. "Qianhuan seized it from Dragon City over 150 years ago and then refined it himself in the Upside-Down Sea for sixty years, never expecting it would ultimately return to its rightful owner."

He wasn't sure what exactly had transpired with the Grand Square Pot before Dragon City's fall, or why it had willingly given the Grand Evolution Celestial Pearl to True Man Qianhuan.

Perhaps it knew clearly that only by falling into Qianhuan's hands could the Grand Evolution Celestial Pearl continue its tempering in the mortal world.

Now, the Grand Square Pot likely allowed He Lingchuan to bring out the Grand Evolution Celestial Pearl for the very same purpose:

To let the pearl accompany him and continue its journey through the human realm.

Lingguang pointed at the cloak, its eyes full of wariness.

He Lingchuan answered its query, "This is the Blood Demon."

"What?" everyone exclaimed in unison, utterly astonished.

Before entering the mirror, the Blood Demon had been a mass of red mist; inside the Solitary Dragon City, it was a grotesque monster. How had it now transformed into an unadorned cloak, draped over He Lingchuan?

Lingguang asked curiously, "You didn't destroy it?"

He Lingchuan smiled and casually pressed the Grand Evolution Celestial Pearl, releasing the Blood Demon.

As a result, the cloak behind him dematerialized into a mass of red mist and lunged towards the little monkey.

The Blood Demon disliked its unpleasant words.

Lingguang squeaked and hid behind the Ghost Ape.

He Lingchuan simply waved his hand. "Don't scare Lingguang, come back."

The red mist slowly drifted back, reforming into a cloak behind him.

"I signed a contract with it," He Lingchuan explained. "From now on, it will attach itself to this cloak and fight alongside me." The cloak was a magical artifact he had bought from the capital city, possessing some wondrous uses, but it had remained idle. With the Grand Square Pot's assistance, the Blood Demon successfully merged with the cloak, representing a fusion of the immaterial and the tangible.

The Grand Evolution Celestial Pearl served as the medium.

The Blood Demon's prowess had been fully demonstrated within the Upside-Down Sea, even achieving significant feats during the battle between immortals and demons. Had it not encountered an opponent like Miao Zhantian, or an unconventional contender like He Lingchuan, it would have undoubtedly swept all before it.

Lingguang worried, "Won't keeping something like this harm your accumulated good karma?"

Given its compassionate nature, it had always found the creature rather distasteful.

"You've got it backward," Old Lady Zhu interjected. "Letting this thing go would be the true karmic burden. Young He controlling such a heaven-forsaken creature, preventing it from going out and committing misdeeds, is actually a good thing."

Dong Rui glanced sidelong at He Lingchuan. A question had been on his lips several times, but he finally couldn't hold it back:

"Old Clam said you're a wandering soul from Dragon City. That's not true, is it?"

Nearby, Wan Qifeng and the other Black Armor soldiers immediately pricked up their ears. There were certain questions they found inconvenient to ask, but it was perfectly appropriate for Mr. Dong to pose them.

He Lingchuan countered, "What do you think?"

"Nonsense," Dong Rui said, scratching his head. "You don't look like someone with such deep-seated grievances. But you do often speak cryptically; that much is true."

He Lingchuan often displayed strokes of genius, as if "divinely" aided. He and Old Lady Zhu weren't unaware of this; they simply chose not to pry.

After all, who doesn't have their own little secrets?

But with Qianhuan's revelation, He Lingchuan's secret seemed a bit—too immense!

"Deep-seated hatred doesn't need to be displayed constantly," He Lingchuan said. "Hate isn't just spoken; it must be internalized, savored, and transformed into an endless impetus for moving forward."

"I am He Chunhua's eldest son, the genuine article," He Lingchuan affirmed, knowing he had to give them a clear answer to put their minds at ease. "I merely gained the legacy of Dragon City by chance. However, after today, we will likely be irreconcilable with the Celestial Demons."

The audience before the Haoyuan Golden Mirror had heard everything he said to Qianhuan and Miao Zhantian.

Dong Rui chuckled, "Wasn't that already the case before?"

From the destruction of the Stargazing Tower in the Heavenly Palace to the strategic deployment at the Flash Gold Plains, even he, slow as he might be, knew He Lingchuan was targeting the Celestial Demons. This journey to the Upside-Down Sea simply made it even more explicit.

Wan Houfeng and the others pressed their hands to their hearts and declared in a solemn voice, "We pledge to follow our Lord until death!"

He Lingchuan nodded, then looked at Xiao Wencheng's body by the mirror and sighed softly.

"Appearances can be deceiving," He Lingchuan said. "Xiao Wencheng made a pact with me before entering the mirror, meaning he was prepared not to return."

Old Lady Zhu asked curiously, "I found him so timid and hesitant; he really didn't seem like someone who would dare to face Miao Zhantian head-on."

"Sect Master Xiao lacked extensive experience in commanding large-scale battles and was often hesitant and cautious in his actions," He Lingchuan explained with a sigh. "But one thing truly commendable about him was his courage to take responsibility. You saw how utterly obedient he was to Qianhuan, and how protective he was of the Illusory Sect, yet he disregarded ordinary mortals. Why was he so hesitant and cautious? Aside from his natural disposition, it was also due to the immense responsibilities he carried."

"Those who bear no responsibility can, of course, be utterly reckless," He Lingchuan mused. In his original world, why were middle-aged people with elderly parents and young children the easiest to manipulate? Was it not precisely because they had responsibilities both above and below, leaving them vulnerable? "Ha, those who act completely carefree aren't necessarily true heroes."

Having said this, he gently patted the mirror.

"Illusory Sect."

Before Xiao Wencheng was summoned by He Lingchuan, he had positioned the Illusory Sect's people by the Upside-Down Lake.

The Haoyuan Golden Mirror flashed, and the arrival of He Lingchuan and Old Lady Zhu immediately drew the attention of the Illusory Sect disciples.

They hadn't taken two steps when someone ahead immediately shouted, "Stop!"

The voice was tense.

He Lingchuan saw that it was none other than Lu Jing and the other cultivators who had guided them up Stone Dragon Peak when they first entered the Upside-Down Sea. It seemed they had survived the numerous battles that had transpired.

The current situation in the Upside-Down Sea had left them completely bewildered, and their gazes towards He Lingchuan were complex and inscrutable; they simply didn't know how to react.

He Lingchuan said gently, "The Great Celestial Demon Miao Zhantian has been eliminated. I'm looking for your Elder Liu."

This was both good news and a warning.

Miao Zhantian was dead, and Lu Jing had witnessed the cultivation and abilities of these individuals. How could he possibly handle them on his own?