Chapter 590: The Hidden Hand

Although Yun Che referred to it as a "guess," the four reasons he laid out, when considered together, were clearly overwhelmingly close to the truth.

Yun Qinghong and Mu Feiyan had long harbored similar suspicions regarding three of Yun Che's points. For years, they had been perplexed as to why the eleven strongest Yun family members, who had joined forces a century ago, were all annihilated on the Profound Sky Continent. Even if the Four Sacred Grounds of the Profound Sky Continent were incredibly powerful, they should only have been able to defeat or repel them, not utterly destroy them.

Only today did they learn that upon entering the Profound Sky Continent, they had immediately fallen into the "Heavenly Might Soul Suppressing Array," which sealed profound energy.

Yun Che was absolutely right: sustaining the "Heavenly Might Soul Suppressing Array," which could seal eleven high-level Emperor Monarchs, for even a single moment would require an immense amount of energy, far beyond ordinary comprehension. Thus, it was impossible for the array to have been continuously active there. This clearly indicated that Yun Canghai and his companions' arrival time and location were known in advance!

This single point was sufficient proof that there was undeniably a traitor within Demon Imperial City.

And this "traitor" could only be from Duke Huai's Palace!

"So, the true culprits who killed the Former Demon Emperor and the Young Demon Emperor—the ones who brought such great calamity upon our Illusory Demon Realm—were not those so-called Sacred Grounds of the Profound Sky Continent, but rather... Duke Huai's Palace!" Mu Yubai punched the ground, then stood up, trembling with furious indignation.

"I had thought that Duke Huai's Palace only began to harbor ambitions after the Young Demon Emperor's death and the severance of the Demon Emperor's bloodline. I never imagined it would be..." Mu Yuqing gritted her teeth. "Their entire family has enjoyed the Demon Emperor's lineage's grace for thousands of years, yet they committed such an atrocious act, bringing disaster upon the Illusory Demon Realm—an act that heaven and earth would not tolerate! If all of this is true, then Duke Huai's Palace... is utterly unforgivable!"

"Given these four reasons Che'er has put forth, it's simply impossible for them to be false!" Mu Feiyan's chest heaved violently, his eyes blazing with fury. "Although I occasionally entertained this suspicion before, I always dismissed it, absolutely unwilling to believe that a princely manor could commit such an act, one that would provoke both gods and men and be intolerable to heaven and earth! I never imagined... they actually are such a group of monsters! For their ambition, they killed the Former Demon Emperor, the Young Demon Emperor, and Yun Canghai... they caused the Demon Emperor's bloodline to be severed... and left the entire Illusory Demon Realm in turmoil for a hundred years..."

The more Mu Feiyan spoke, the more agitated he became, his breathing quickening with rage and sorrow. When Yun Che explained the reason for Yun Canghai and his companions' downfall, he realized that the vague suspicion he had refused to believe for the past century was, in fact, true.

For years, they had harbored an intense hatred for the Four Sacred Grounds of the Profound Sky Continent, and the entire Illusory Demon Realm regarded the Profound Sky Continent as a demonic land. Only today did they discover that the true demons who had brought such immense disaster upon the Illusory Demon Realm were right here, within Demon Imperial City! And they were members of the royal family.

Who could have imagined such a thing? Who would have even considered it?

Even those factions aligned with Duke Huai's Palace would never have conceived that Duke Huai's Palace was the sinister mastermind behind it all.

Xiao Yun, standing beside them, was utterly dumbfounded, his eyes wide. Every word he heard at that moment struck him like a bolt of lightning.

Yun Qinghong's hands were tightly clenched, and he murmured, "The people who killed the Demon Emperor, harmed my father, and ruined my Yun family have been right beside us all this time... This profound hatred... it's irreconcilable!"

He slowly raised his head and said, "However, judging by this, the one who first harbored this ambition should not have been Duke Huai! At the time of the initial invasion from the Profound Sky Continent, Duke Huai was only around thirty years old. It's utterly impossible that he possessed such ambition and cunning, much less that he could have colluded with the Profound Sky Continent's people on his own without detection..."

Mu Feiyan and the others were suddenly startled. Mu Yukong exclaimed, "Could it be... Duke Huai's father—Prince Ming!?"

"But Prince Ming has always been incredibly kind and discreet in his dealings. Even with commoners, he never displayed any princely airs. He was always fiercely loyal to the Former Demon Emperor, obeying his every command... He had absolutely no interest in fame or fortune. Over a hundred years ago, when Duke Huai was thirty-seven, Prince Ming eagerly relinquished his position as the palace lord to Duke Huai, then went off to travel and enjoy himself, no longer concerning himself with anything. His carefree and detached nature was renowned throughout the city, so much so that many people almost forgot his name... How could it be him?" Mu Yuqing said in disbelief.

Mu Feiyan was momentarily stunned before he suddenly spoke. "Back then, I always admired Prince Ming's character and maintained a good relationship with him. But during one drinking session, Yun Canghai explicitly warned me that while I could be friends with Prince Ming, I should never confide in him. When I asked why, he explained that Prince Ming was too serene, so much so that it always struck him as unnatural. Furthermore, if Prince Ming truly were detached from everything, why would his profound strength cultivation be so exceptionally high...?"

"Prince Ming's strength is considerable?" Yun Che quickly asked.

"Indeed!" Mu Yubai nodded, his face grim. "Among that generation, the Former Demon Emperor was the strongest, followed by the Demon King. Prince Ming's profound strength cultivation was second only to the Former Demon Emperor and the Demon King. A century has passed; his cultivation should now have surpassed that of the Demon King from back then."

"Alas," Mu Feiyan sighed deeply. "I dismissed Yun Canghai's warning back then... Even when Duke Huai's ambitions became obvious, I never suspected Prince Ming himself. At most, I merely cursed heaven for giving him such a rebellious son."

Yun Che's brow furrowed. "Grandfather, are you saying... you haven't seen Prince Ming at all these years?"

"Precisely." Mu Feiyan nodded. "Before the Former Demon Emperor's demise, Prince Ming transferred the position of palace lord to Duke Huai. He then sought leave from the Former Demon Emperor, claiming he wished to travel the Illusory Demon Realm carefree and enjoy a life of leisure... Since then, whether it was the Demon Emperor's lineage facing enormous upheaval or Duke Huai revealing his ambitions, he never reappeared. To get him to step forward and stop Duke Huai, the Little Demon Empress and I both tried our utmost to find him, but we found nothing. Indeed, the Illusory Demon Realm is so vast that with his strength, if he doesn't wish to be found, no one can find him."

"Now that both the Former Demon Emperor and the Demon King have passed away, and the Little Demon Empress's Golden Crow bloodline has yet to awaken, Prince Ming's strength... is undeniably the greatest in the Illusory Demon Realm, unmatched by anyone!" As he spoke, Mu Feiyan's breath hitched noticeably, and everyone's expressions instantly turned grim, a sudden chill running through their bodies.

The clearer the truth became, the more terrifying it seemed.

Duke Huai's strength had already grown to an extent that the Little Demon Empress couldn't possibly match. Now, with the addition of Prince Ming, a man of immense cunning and terrifying power, the already grim situation was spiraling ever deeper into the abyss.

This shadow, enveloping the Demon Emperor clan and casting gloom over the entire Illusory Demon Realm... What could they possibly use to fight against it?

The room fell silent, save for the sound of somewhat ragged breathing. After a long silence, Mu Feiyan sighed deeply, his brow furrowed, and said, "As it stands now, the only hope lies in the awakening of the Little Demon Empress's bloodline!"

"If the Little Demon Empress's bloodline awakens, how much can her strength increase?" Yun Che asked.

Yun Qinghong calmly stated without hesitation, "Once the bloodline power of any Demon Emperor awakens and they cultivate the *Golden Crow Burning World Record*, their strength will become unrivaled in the Illusory Demon Realm! A thousand years ago, when the Former Demon Emperor awakened his bloodline at the fourth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm, his profound strength directly soared to the ninth level. The Little Demon Empress's current profound strength is at the fifth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm. After her bloodline awakens, her profound strength will increase to at least the peak of the ninth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm! Moreover, with the *Golden Crow Burning World Record*, she will be fully capable of matching a tenth-level Sovereign Profound Realm practitioner! Concurrently, her awakened Golden Crow Flames will exert tremendous suppression on royal family members who possess only a faint Golden Crow bloodline. By then, even Prince Ming would be no match for the Little Demon Empress."

"I see," Yun Che said, a hint of surprise in his expression. He had previously understood that each Demon Emperor, upon entering the Golden Crow Ancestral Land with the Demon Emperor Seal, would experience an immediate surge in profound strength, becoming unrivaled in the world. It turned out this was not an exaggeration at all.

Since the Little Demon Empress had now obtained the Demon Emperor Seal, she would be able to enter the Golden Crow Ancestral Land, and the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley was also scheduled to open in just half a month.

"Given that a bloodline awakening would lead to such a dramatic increase in the Little Demon Empress's strength, then..." Yun Che said, his brows furrowed. "If I were Duke Huai, I would use every possible method to prevent the Little Demon Empress from entering the Golden Crow Ancestral Land within the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley!"

"Exactly!" Mu Feiyan nodded, his gaze stern. "So, in half a month, when the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley opens, I will summon those old fellows, and personally escort the Little Demon Empress to the Golden Crow Ancestral Land!"

***

Demon Imperial City, Duke Huai's Palace.

When Duke Huai returned to his palace, his expression was eerily calm, like still water. Yet, anyone who came close to him involuntarily shivered violently, their hearts pounding, too apprehensive to approach.

"Your Highness, the Master wishes to see you immediately upon your return," a sallow-faced man with short horns on his head whispered, greeting Duke Huai as he stepped through the palace gates. He bore a striking resemblance to Venerable Rock Dragon, whom Yun Qinghong had gravely wounded.

Upon hearing "the Master," Duke Huai's brow twitched. He gave a slight nod and strode forward. After a few steps, he suddenly paused, turning his head to ask, "How are Ye'er's injuries?"

The sallow-faced man replied, "His Highness Huiye's injuries are more severe than anticipated. The power that struck him was incredibly overbearing and has not yet been fully dispelled... I fear His Highness Huiye will require at least three months for recovery."

Duke Huai's brow furrowed slightly. Without a word, he walked silently into the rear courtyard.

Opening the barrier and entering a secret passage, Duke Huai finally stopped before a wide, dark bead curtain. Behind it, a shadowy figure was vaguely discernible.

Duke Huai knelt on one knee, closed his eyes, and said, "Father..."

"No need for more words. I am already fully aware of today's events," a low voice emanated from behind the dark bead curtain. It was impossible to discern the owner's age from the voice, which seemed both ethereal, as if from beyond the heavens, and chillingly cold, as if from purgatory.

"Yun Qinghong's injuries suddenly healed two months ago, and his profound strength recovered. I thought this might be the only unforeseen variable. I never imagined his son would actually..." Even with Duke Huai's composure, he couldn't help but grit his teeth fiercely at the mention of Yun Che. Today's humiliation, shame, and defeat were utterly unprecedented in his life!

"You cannot be blamed for this. Yun Qinghong's son is incredibly formidable and brought back both the Demon Emperor Seal and Yun Canghai's remains. Even if I had been present today, it would have been difficult to reverse the defeat," the voice behind the bead curtain stated. "The failure to execute today's plan is secondary. The truly malevolent outcome is that the realm's allegiance has shifted towards the Yun family. Because of this, we must not make any rash moves for at least twenty years."

"...I will personally tear that Yun Che into a thousand pieces!" Duke Huai stated fiercely.

"Such a loss of composure, this is the first time I've heard it from you. It seems you suffered a complete and utter defeat this time," the voice behind the bead curtain said, calm and chilling like the boundless night. "But he is extremely cunning, yet dares to be so utterly unrestrained; he must have something to rely on! In this world, the most terrifying enemy is an unknown one. Attacking him, whether openly or secretly, before uncovering all his secrets, would be an unwise move."

"I understand that," Duke Huai said through gritted teeth. "I will immediately dispatch people... mobilize all our informants to uncover all his secrets! Especially his sect... and how he managed to come here from the Profound Sky Continent!"

"No! Now is not the time for that," the voice behind the bead curtain grew even colder. A cluster of crimson-black flames suddenly ignited in the darkness, flickering like a will-o'-the-wisp in an abyss. "I called you here to kill someone."

"Who?"

"The Little Demon Empress."

"What?" Duke Huai's head snapped up.

"Now is the best time to kill the Little Demon Empress," a terrifying, cold laugh echoed. "And it's an opportunity she handed to us herself. She is not only alone right now, but also deep within the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, a place no one will approach."

"She believes she can awaken her bloodline simply by obtaining the Demon Emperor Seal... How naive..."

"This matter must not alarm anyone; the fewer people involved, the better... To ensure absolute certainty, I, your father, will personally accompany you, so she dies without a trace! Hahahahahahaha..."

The crimson-black flames flickered wildly amidst the maniacal laughter, and a chilling wind swept through, causing the bead curtain to rustle.