Chapter 577: Demon Emperor Seal (Part 2)

Yun Che held a sphere of dense yet gentle profound light in his hand. When Yun Canghai had given it to him, he had instructed Yun Che not to inspect its contents and to personally deliver it to the Little Demon Empress. Yun Che had always respected this wish.

It wasn't until he faced the near-fatal peril on the Primordial Profound Ark that he finally examined what was inside the profound light. He wanted to know what his grandfather had been willing to protect with his life, enduring a century of suffering for it.

As Yun Che extended his arm, all eyes fixed on the white sphere of protective profound light. Slowly, silently, the profound light dissipated, and a dazzling red glow, accompanied by a scorching aura, broke free and shot forth.

It was a small jade seal, flat at the bottom, with a meticulously carved three-legged firebird on top. The red light emanated from this firebird. It was delicate and compact, crystalline and transparent throughout, yet it exuded a subtle majesty. Its eyes were a piercing, crimson red, like cold stars in the dark night, almost too intense to look directly at.

Upon seeing the radiant jade seal, the Little Demon Empress abruptly stood as if jolted by electricity. Prince Huai, Prince Zhong, Yun Canghai—all the clan patriarchs and commandery princes—their expressions instantly changed, and their exclamations overlapped into a thunderous roar.

"Demon... Demon... Demon Emperor Seal!!"

The jade seal in Yun Che's hand, in both appearance and glow, was identical to the legendary Demon Emperor Seal!

While its appearance and light might be imitated, they also simultaneously felt the unique Golden Crow aura emanating from the Demon Emperor Seal! Especially those of the Illusion Demon Royal Family who possessed Golden Crow blood, under this aura, their blood pulsed uncontrollably, and an irresistible spiritual pressure heavily weighed upon their souls.

Even if they found it impossible, incredible, or even dreamlike, the unmistakably clear Golden Crow aura confirmed to everyone who had ever seen the Demon Emperor Seal that this was indeed the long-lost Demon Emperor Seal. There was no mistake! It was absolutely genuine!

The reactions of the Little Demon Empress, the clan patriarchs, and the commandery princes, along with those thunderous three words, astonished everyone who had never seen the Demon Emperor Seal, causing the Demon Emperor Hall to erupt in an uproar once more. The loss of the Demon Emperor Seal a century ago was a well-known catastrophe for the Illusion Demon Realm, and its recovery had been considered utterly impossible. No one had imagined that the Demon Emperor Seal, lost for a hundred years, would suddenly appear before their eyes, catching everyone off guard.

Among everyone present, the Little Demon Empress was undoubtedly the most agitated. Though she tried hard to control herself, her eyes revealed the most profound turmoil she had experienced in a century. This was because the Demon Emperor Seal held far greater significance to her than anyone else in the world. Its recovery not only meant the return of her Demon Emperor clan's most vital artifact, but with the Demon Emperor Seal, she could enter the Golden Crow Ancestral Land within the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. Her Golden Crow bloodline would genuinely awaken, leading to a monumental leap in her power, directly advancing her from the mid-level Sovereign Profound Realm to the peak of the Sovereign Profound Realm, making her unrivaled within the Illusion Demon Realm.

Most crucially, once her Golden Crow bloodline awakened, she could easily release the spiritual pressure contained within the Demon Emperor Seal, creating an irresistible aura of might over all those with Golden Crow blood. If she had possessed this Demon Emperor Seal earlier, how would the royal palaces and Guardian Families have dared to act so brazenly or harbor disloyal thoughts!

Therefore, the appearance of the Demon Emperor Seal was undoubtedly a heaven-sent blessing for her! It would completely change her destiny and allow her to become the true Emperor of the Illusion Demons.

"The Demon Emperor Seal... Impossible... Impossible!" Though he gasped "Impossible," the overwhelming pressure that made him almost want to kneel unequivocally told him that this was indeed the genuine Demon Emperor Seal. Prince Huai's expression changed repeatedly. If Yun Che's appearance had made him feel utterly disgusted, like swallowing a fly, then the appearance of the Demon Emperor Seal was like a massive hammer blow, completely shattering his meticulously prepared plans, rendering them impossible to continue.

Without the Demon Emperor Seal, the Little Demon Empress was merely a "Little Demon Empress" whose bloodline could not awaken, whose strength, aptitude, and even gender made her unconvincing. But if she obtained the Demon Emperor Seal, she would instantly become invincible, dominating the world, serving as the Golden Crow Divine Spirit's representative and the complete inheritor of the Demon Emperor bloodline—the true Emperor of the Illusion Demons! Whether she was female or not would become utterly irrelevant.

The clan patriarchs were either shocked, delighted, or simply unable to believe their eyes for a long time. They looked at Yun Qinghong, only to find he wore a similar expression of astonishment. Clearly, even he was unaware that the Demon Emperor Seal, lost for a century, was actually on Yun Che.

"Could it be... could it be father..." Yun Qinghong murmured softly.

"Yun Che! The Demon Emperor Seal... how is it in your hands?!" Helian Kuang demanded loudly, his eyes wide, his voice trembling slightly.

Everyone wanted to know the answer to that question.

Yun Che gave a cool smile and said, "This Demon Emperor Seal was entrusted to my grandfather by the former Demon Emperor for safekeeping. Given that it was a trust from the former Demon Emperor, my grandfather would never have allowed it to fall into the hands of any outsider, unless he died. It was naturally handed to me by my grandfather himself!"

"Nonsense!" Prince Zhong stepped forward, his voice grim and fluctuating as he retorted sharply, "Yun Canghai died a century ago, and the Demon Emperor Seal was lost then. You weren't even born yet, so how could it have been given to you! And the place where the Demon Emperor Seal was lost was the distant Profound Sky Continent, so how did it come into your hands? How exactly did you get it?"

The return of the Demon Emperor Seal should have been a cause for universal celebration in the Illusion Demon Realm, but Prince Zhong's voice sounded nothing but exasperated. Yun Che merely gave a cold smile, withdrew his arm, and unhurriedly put the Demon Emperor Seal back into the Sky Poison Pearl.

To others, it was the Demon Emperor Seal, but to Yun Che, it was his grandfather's century of unwavering faith, a century of suffering, and his enduring loyalty.

Watching Yun Che brazenly put away the Demon Emperor Seal, people exchanged bewildered glances. Helian Kuang's expression changed, and he finally seized an excellent excuse to reprimand, pointing and shouting, "Yun Che! How dare you! Instead of returning the Demon Emperor Seal to the Little Demon Empress, you put it away yourself... Does your Yun Family intend to illegally possess the Demon Emperor Seal?!"

The expressions of everyone on the west side, including those from the Yun Family, changed as well. The Demon Emperor Seal inherently belonged to the Demon Emperor Clan, and its significance to both the clan and the entire Illusion Demon Realm was universally known. If he hadn't revealed it, others wouldn't have known, but since he had, and in front of the Little Demon Empress and all the realm's powerful figures, yet failed to immediately present it to her, instead putting it away, this was undoubtedly an extremely improper act.

Unmoved by Helian Kuang's reprimand and the changing gazes of the crowd, Yun Che's expression was rigid as he said, "Don't you all want to know why this Demon Emperor Seal, which was lost on the Profound Sky Continent, is in my hands? I'll tell you the answer now..."

Yun Che took a step back. As his voice faded and the Sky Poison Pearl shimmered, a completely transparent crystal coffin appeared before him. Inside the coffin lay an old man with white hair, a dirty and disheveled appearance, and a withered, gaunt, and hideous face.

"..." Yun Qinghong's body tensed, his chest heaving violently. Mu Yurou also stood up. They said nothing, nor did they try to stop any of Yun Che's actions. She and Yun Qinghong silently watched the old man within the Eternal Heaven Pearl.

Emaciated, with a withered face and messy, white hair, beard, and eyebrows, he looked like a ghastly, terrifying specter. People felt uncomfortable just glancing at him, completely baffled as to why Yun Che would suddenly present such a gaunt and unsightly corpse. However, gradually, within the Yun Family and among the Guardian Families, people began to stand. Some of their eyes widened, while others' lips trembled violently.

This was because, from the old man's body, they discerned a faintly familiar outline... and a deep, spiritual resonance!

Yun Duanshui and Yun Waitian were closest. They stared blankly at the old man in the Eternal Heaven Pearl for a long time, their bodies trembling. Yun Duanshui opened his mouth, emitting a hoarse, barely audible whisper, "Could it be... could it be... could it be... could it be..."

"It's... it's... the Patriarch..."