Chapter 1138: Bright Moon Demon King

The Human Realm

The Human Realm

Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea.

Since Qin Sang arrived, it had been very peaceful, with no major incidents.

Qin Sang occupied Yun Youzi's former cave residence, a wooden hall located within the basin, built in the center of towering ancient trees. Being in the demon domain, everything Qin Sang saw filled him with a sense of novelty.

In the early morning, the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea was fresh and vibrant with greenery.

Above the basin, what appeared to be a layer of mist was in fact the manifestation of a spirit formation's power, yet it did not impede the sunlight from entering.

Along the edge of the basin, a diligent guard comprising demon beasts and plant spirits stood watch over the Demon King's dwelling, preventing any intruders.

After Qin Sang's arrival, the guards became even stricter than before.

Old Macaque even took the trouble to personally guard the basin entrance.

Suddenly, a sharp cry broke the tranquility.

“Squeak...”

In the gorge, demon monkeys screamed one after another.

They were giving a warning: an outsider was present.

At this moment, Old Macaque was seated cross-legged on a large boulder at the cliff top, eyes tightly shut, facing the rising sun, absorbing the purple qi and practicing his cultivation, much like an immortal cultivator.

Hearing the cries, Old Macaque suddenly stood up, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. With a low roar, he leaped down from the boulder, transforming into a gust of demon wind that swept towards the gorge entrance.

At this moment, a man in feathered robes stood before the gorge.

Beside him stood a black fox with a white tail, its eyes darting about, appearing extremely cunning.

The feathered-robed man looked identical to a human. Facing him, the demon guards were hesitant and fearful, their expressions showing deep apprehension, not daring to approach even an inch.

This was enough to prove the man's identity.

“Demon King Lihong!”

Seeing this person, Old Macaque's heart jolted. He waved his hand to dismiss the lesser demons, then respectfully stepped forward and bowed, saying, “This old macaque greets Demon King Lihong. My subordinates were disrespectful; please forgive them, Your Excellency.”

“They were merely performing their duty. What offense have they committed?”

Demon King Lihong smiled, showing no offense whatsoever, and spoke kindly, “This King has not visited the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea for many years. I wonder if Senior Bamboo is currently in his dwelling? This King has an important matter to discuss.”

Old Macaque's expression remained unchanged as he replied, “Reporting to Your Excellency, our Great King is currently in secluded cultivation, and it is uncertain whether he will emerge today. This old macaque will go and report to the Great King now; please wait a moment, Your Excellency.”

“How dare you!”

The white-tailed black fox snarled, “My Great King has come to deliver an order on behalf of Demon King Yu! How dare you disrespect my Great King and make us wait here in this wilderness?”

“Do not be rude!”

The feathered-robed man glared at the white-tailed black fox, then looked around. “The Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea is indeed beautiful and lives up to its reputation. A little wait is no bother. You may go now.”

“Yes.”

Old Macaque bowed respectfully and turned to leave.

Watching Old Macaque's retreating figure, the feathered-robed man's gaze flickered. He then turned to look at the verdant bamboo sea, seemingly truly captivated by the scenery.

Not long after.

Old Macaque returned.

“The Great King requests your presence...”

Demon King Lihong and the white-tailed black fox followed Old Macaque into the basin.

The white-tailed black fox craned its neck, looking around curiously.

Old Macaque paid no heed, leading them into the reception hall.

Inside the great hall, there was a figure, but it was not the person they wished to see; rather, it was the Willow Spirit.

“Greetings, Demon King Lihong.”

The Willow Spirit likewise did not dare to show the slightest neglect.

“Who are you?”

Demon King Lihong frowned, displeased, and said, “Where is Senior Bamboo?”

“Our Great King is currently in secluded cultivation, at a critical point in his retreat, making it inconvenient for him to appear. He has commanded this junior to...”

Before the words were finished.

The white-tailed demon fox suddenly leaped out with a 'whoosh', pointed at the Willow Spirit, and burst into curses, “Impudence! Even if Senior Bamboo is in seclusion, does he not have a moment to spare? I see you are falsely relaying orders! A mere Willow Demon dares to prevent my Great King from meeting Senior Bamboo and thus jeopardize an important matter? Can you bear the responsibility?”

Being rudely pointed at, the Willow Spirit's expression stiffened.

However, Demon King Lihong stood there silently, clearly condoning the white-tailed demon fox's actions.

He sighed softly, “If Your Excellency does not believe me, this junior can only go and report again...”

“No need...”

Suddenly, a deep, resonant voice emanated from behind the main hall, carrying a subtle yet unmistakable pressure. “I, Bamboo, apologize for not greeting you personally, and hope Fellow Daoist Lihong will not take offense.”

Feeling this terrifying pressure, fear appeared in the white-tailed demon fox's eyes. It snapped its head back, its earlier arrogance completely vanishing.

Demon King Lihong's gaze sharpened slightly. He swept his eyes across the hall but saw no figure. Nevertheless, he did not dare to show any disrespect, cupping his hands towards the empty space and saying, “Lihong greets Senior Bamboo. It has been many years; I hope Senior is well.”

“Not very well.”

The voice sighed softly, “When you last came, I encountered a mishap in my cultivation and was forced into seclusion. To this day, I have not found a way to completely resolve the hidden danger, so I cannot leave my dwelling freely. Since you've come this time at the behest of Fellow Daoist Yu, is it about troop deployment again? I have already commanded my subordinates to train diligently. I wonder how many more will be transferred this time?”

Demon King Lihong replied, “Reporting to Senior, Lihong's visit this time is indeed, first, for troop deployment. The Abyss of Sin has once again erupted in conflict, and this battle may be extremely brutal, with the human race repeatedly urging us. Second, there is an extremely important matter...”

“Oh? What could be more important than troop deployment?”

“This...”

Demon King Lihong hesitated, “Before my departure, Demon King Yu instructed Lihong that this matter is of great importance and must be personally delivered to Senior, not handed over by a lesser demon, to avoid any mishaps. Here, I'm afraid...”

He glanced at the Willow Spirit standing by, his meaning quite clear.

“I just said that I had a mishap in my cultivation and cannot emerge from seclusion. Did Fellow Daoist Yu truly say that he must see me in person, and that it cannot be handed over by a Willow Demon?”

The voice was low, clearly carrying a hint of displeasure.

Even Demon King Lihong felt the pressure.

He steeled himself and nodded, “Precisely. This matter concerns the fate of all Demon Kings in Heavenly Demon Hill. Those juniors are not qualified to participate and might instead cause panic.”

“It concerns the fate of Demon Kings? Is it that serious?”

A light chuckle echoed from the void. “Since a Demon King must appear... Mingyue, there's no need for you to hide. Come out and meet Fellow Daoist Lihong.”

At these words, Demon King Lihong looked up in astonishment.

“Yes!”

An affirmative response came from the back hall. Then, a figure pushed open a door and entered, walking before Demon King Lihong. He smiled faintly, cupped his hands in a bow, and said mildly, “Fellow Daoist Lihong, this must be your first time seeing me. My moniker is Mingyue.”

Demon King Lihong was stunned.

He had intended to use the influence of Demon King Yu to test the waters and force the Bamboo Demon to appear.

However, he had not expected that the one forced out would not be the Bamboo Demon, but a stranger.

This person had a pair of green wings on his back, and his demon qi was extremely pure. Furthermore, he possessed the unique fluctuations and pressure of a Demon King, clearly indicating he was a transformed Great Demon.

And he was an unknown Great Demon, one whom Lihong had never seen before!

Then, the voice from the void resonated again, “Lihong, Mingyue is my disciple. He is also a transformed Demon King, so he should be qualified to speak with you directly. Let Mingyue handle the subsequent matters...”