Chapter 1502: 兵分两路

Xu Yang suddenly turned around and gave the Demon Saint Qitian before him a mysterious smile.

“You wish to know the answer to this question, and perhaps many others do too. When we meet again, I will surely satisfy your curiosity.”

After saying this, Xu Yang, along with the several girls beside him, transformed into a streak of light and vanished back the way they came. Demon Saint Qitian gasped, and suddenly two reddish-brown beams of light shot from his pupils, piercing through everything concealed in the void, watching Xu Yang and his companions disappear into the distance.

Unbeknownst to him, numerous memories seemed to surface in his mind. In his memory, which had lain dormant for countless millennia, there was even a trace of Xu Yang's past appearance. Xu Yang, it seemed, also had no idea that this Demon Saint named Qitian was, in fact, a close friend who had fought alongside him hundreds of thousands of years ago in a bygone era.

“I trust you are well. It’s truly delightful to see the achievements you’ve made. I only wonder if you’ll still remember your old friend when we finally meet again face-to-face.”

Meanwhile, Xu Yang had already returned to Xiaohua and the others, and both Xiaoxiang and the cold woman’s expressions had returned to normal.

“Boss, did your trip go smoothly?” Long Kun couldn’t help but be the first to ask.

Xu Yang nodded gently. “Demon Saint Qitian didn’t pose much obstruction to us. On the contrary, he greatly approved of the opportunity to achieve reconciliation with the various powers of the Six Great Royal Clans. However, just as we had anticipated, the sole condition for the peaceful coexistence and negotiation between the Demon Race and the Human Race is the abolishment of the practice of binding human souls with demonic beasts. We reached a consensus on this point. Our next step is to locate the other Demon Saints at level ten, the top leaders of the Demon Race, integrate their power, and together go to meet the leaders of the Six Great Royal Clans.”

With the mission objective now quite clear, Xiaohua decisively opted to split up and act separately from Xu Yang.

“How about this, Boss, you take Xiaoxiang and this young lady and continue heading northwest. The end of that direction should be the hiding place of one of the other great Demon Saints. Long Kun and I will head southeast to find another Demon Saint. This way, we can increase our efficiency several-fold at the same time. Should any unusual situation arise, we’ll communicate via mental power.”

Xu Yang nodded gently. “This is the only way forward now; time is pressing. According to Demon Saint Qitian, the Blood Moon will likely descend in a few days. If we can’t complete the mission before then, I’m afraid a new round of large-scale conflict between the Demon Race and the Human Race will be unavoidable. Let’s act immediately.”

Having spoken, Xu Yang, leading Xiaoxiang and the cold woman—who represented the Misty Rain Royal Clan and the Xuanyuan Royal Clan respectively—rapidly advanced northwest. Xiaohua and the others, meanwhile, set off towards the southeastern end. Besides Demon Saint Qitian, there should be three more Demon Saint-level powerhouses in the entire Kunlun Abyss. Each of them was a top-tier figure possessing unparalleled, formidable demonic power. Only by uniting and appearing together could they represent the billions of demons in the Kunlun Abyss and make a collective decision, granting the Demon Race sufficient leverage in negotiations.

Naturally, the more Demon Saint-level powerhouses assembled, the stronger their persuasive power would be. With Xu Yang, a crucial figure, orchestrating the entire situation, this negotiation between the Demon Race and the Human Race became the one with the highest chance of success in history.

Unbeknownst to many, Demon Saint Qitian had essentially placed his hopes on Xu Yang. He certainly harbored such a desire in his heart, but Qitian was well aware that even if all the top Demon Saints of the Kunlun Abyss were gathered, it would be difficult to contend with the strongest of the Six Great Royal Clans. After all, they were backed by the supreme gods of the Kunlun Divine Path, who were the rightful rulers. In the eyes of humans, the Demon Race had always been an inferior and lowly species. Without Xu Yang presiding over the situation, they would lack the necessary standing and qualifications to negotiate with the Human Race.

Therefore, Xu Yang was now shouldering the fate of the entire Kunlun Abyss and its billions of demon beings as he moved forward. Not long after, Xu Yang and his two companions arrived at the end of the northwestern region. This place was an endless inland lake, the largest and only internal body of water where the Demon Race of the Kunlun Abyss lived. In the deepest parts of this water, tens of millions of various Demon Race powerhouses resided. Their strength ranged from level three up to the level of a ninth-tier Demon Emperor. However, the tenth-tier Demon Saint whom Xu Yang and his companions wished to meet did not appear immediately. Instead, a large number of top-tier marine demons, those above the Demon Venerable level, emerged.

“What powerful pressure! These beings seem full of hostility towards us.” Xiaoxiang instinctively spoke first, unaware that the cold young woman beside her felt the same way.

“There’s nothing we can do. We are, after all, a noble race superior to them. The Demon Race is always so hostile when facing human powerhouses.” Although the cold young woman’s words were somewhat harsh, she immediately closed her mouth respectfully when she felt Xu Yang’s aura being released. Although this cold young woman, representing the Xuanyuan Royal Clan, always maintained a superior demeanor, Xu Yang could tell that her nature wasn’t bad. Her ‘lady’s temperament’ was simply a result of her upbringing over many years. However, deep down, the girl still possessed a good heart. If she truly were an unforgivable person, how could Xu Yang have brought her along?

“You are indeed the finest of the younger generation among the Six Great Royal Clans. I’m surprised you’ve reached the Mirror Heart Lake region so quickly. It seems the strength of this generation’s young powerhouses surpasses even that of the cultivators who came for trials in previous eras. What intrigues me, however, is that a mere three of you dare to step into the Mirror Heart Lake’s domain. That shows a certain disregard for your own lives.”

The one who spoke was an eighth-tier Giant Whale Demon. It was not a human-soul demonic beast but a pure whale-type demon. Its body was enormous, but because it had reached eighth-tier strength, it could partially transform into a humanoid form. Its lower body remained a massive whale tail, while its upper body took on a human appearance.

“Time is short, so I’ll be direct. The three of us have come here to find the tenth-tier Demon Saint hidden within Mirror Heart Lake—your clan’s true ruler. This time, I’ve come bearing Demon Saint Qitian’s mental power to meet. This matter concerns the future destiny of the entire Demon Race of the Kunlun Abyss. I hope the Demon Saint residing in the deepest part of Mirror Heart Lake will agree to a meeting.”

After saying this, Xu Yang unhesitatingly released Demon Saint Qitian’s mental power. As expected, the powerful aura of a tenth-tier Demon Saint quickly enveloped the vast surface of Mirror Heart Lake. All the high-level demon powerhouses who had surfaced gasped in unison, instinctively retreating over a dozen steps before finally stabilizing themselves.