Chapter 1462: Unsealing the Seal

His hair was matted, perhaps with blood or sweat, exposing much of his scalp and making him resemble a middle-aged man suffering from male pattern baldness.

There was a massive gaping hole in his chest, so large that one could see the wall behind him through the opening.

An ordinary person would likely have died instantly from such an injury, yet the Demon Emperor's aura remained steady. Golden flames flickered all over his body, indicating he was frantically using the Golden Crow Sacred Flame to repair his wounds.

At this moment, the Demon Emperor also sensed something amiss. He opened his eyes and looked in their direction. Upon seeing Zu An and his group, he was momentarily stunned, having never expected to see them there.

The Golden Crow Crown Prince hastily positioned himself in front of the Demon Emperor, declaring, "Don't even think about taking advantage of his weakness! As long as I'm here, you won't harm a single hair on my father's head!"

Wu Liang's eyes darted around. During the recent battle between the Demon Emperor and Qiongqi, both he and the Golden Crow Crown Prince had been too outmatched to intervene. Now, their combat power was still largely intact.

He pondered whether to seize this opportunity to betray the Demon Emperor and team up with Zu An's group to eliminate him. Otherwise, remaining under the Demon Emperor's thumb, he might not survive until the end.

Seeing his son's filial display, the Demon Emperor secretly cursed him as a fool. Wasn't this just exposing their weakness?

He shoved the Crown Prince standing in front of him aside. His gaze burned as he stared at Zu An and the others. "I didn't expect you would still dare to come here," he said.

Zu An smiled faintly. "As the saying goes, 'Fortune favors the bold.' If we weren't brave enough, how could we encounter such a good opportunity?"

At this moment, the other three women understood each other implicitly. They dispersed, ready to act at any moment.

Wu Liang also quietly stood up, ready to make his move.

At the same time, he felt a bit dejected, realizing everyone else was in pairs while he was alone and vulnerable. If he helped them, he wouldn't be able to stand against them later by himself.

The Golden Crow Crown Prince nervously swallowed, watching Zu An and the others. He had been traumatized by Zu An. Although he kept telling himself that his cultivation was superior, his two crushing defeats, coupled with the absence of his divine artifact, meant his confidence in defeating them was steadily diminishing.

Moreover, those women were all formidable in their own right.

"Do you really think you can take advantage of my vulnerability? It's a pity you arrived a little late," the Demon Emperor said. At that moment, he stood up. The massive hole in his right chest had completely healed, and the formidable pressure of an Earth Immortal radiated outwards. Aside from his dishevelled appearance, he seemed completely unharmed.

Seeing his injuries fully healed, Zu An and the others were greatly shocked, their hearts sinking to rock bottom.

They thought, *If only we had come sooner. Now that he's recovered, the situation has completely reversed...*

Various negative emotions surged within them, and they all felt more or less regretful.

Zu An, however, had an idea. He smiled and put away his weapon. "What are you talking about, Demon Emperor?" he said. "We are all trapped together in this unknowable land. Meeting again here is like encountering an old friend in a foreign land. We're overjoyed just by seeing you again; why would we even think of taking advantage of your vulnerability?"

The Demon Emperor was slightly taken aback. He seemed to be deep in thought and did not react with anger.

Wu Liang almost choked on his saliva, thinking, *This guy's shamelessness has a bit of my own flair!*

He immediately relaxed his entire body and abandoned the idea of making a move.

The Golden Crow Crown Prince urgently said, "Father, don't listen to him. This kid is only putting on an act because he saw you recover. Let's take this opportunity to deal with him together."

Hearing this, Yan Xuehen and the other three women immediately became wary, ready to act at any moment.

The Golden Crow Demon Emperor frowned. *How is it that after not seeing them for a while, their injuries have largely recovered? How could it be so fast! Did they encounter some extraordinary fortune?*

He withdrew his gaze from the three women and looked at Zu An. "How exactly did you undo the puppet curse?" he asked.

Zu An smiled faintly. "Of course, I have my methods."

His expression clearly indicated that he wouldn't reveal such a secret.

As expected, the Demon Emperor did not press the issue. "Boy, I must say I admire you," he said. "Especially that phrase just now, 'meeting an old friend in a foreign land.' This world is indeed somewhat strange. Since we both come from the same world, there's no need for internal strife. How about we cooperate and unravel the mysteries of this world together?"

The Golden Crow Crown Prince grew anxious and was about to speak, but his father stopped him with a gesture.

"I was just thinking the same," Zu An replied without hesitation, agreeing immediately. At the same time, he gave the three women a subtle look.

Having faced life and death together so many times, they mostly understood the meaning behind each other's gazes.

He had indeed agreed to cooperate, but he was also reminding everyone to be cautious.

Cooperating with the Demon Emperor was akin to asking a tiger for its hide. Unfortunately, the Demon Emperor's injuries had already healed, and any further confrontation would only result in mutual destruction.

The only thing they didn't understand was why the Demon Emperor had agreed. After all, his cultivation was higher than theirs, and he had the Golden Crow Crown Prince and Wu Liang to assist him.

However, being exceptionally intelligent individuals, they quickly realized that the Demon Emperor must have used some secret technique to rapidly recover his injuries upon seeing them arrive.

Although this secret technique was fast-acting, it certainly couldn't compare to a proper recovery and might even have severe side effects.

Furthermore, this secret realm was full of dangers, and he was unwilling to engage in an all-out battle with them, lest they all perish there.

Zu An's agreement was also understandable. On one hand, he genuinely needed the information the Demon Emperor possessed. On the other hand, the Demon Emperor's hasty recovery meant his combat power was currently at its peak, and a decisive battle at this moment would undoubtedly come at a great cost. As time went on, the Demon Emperor's combat power would only decline.

Understanding all of this, they felt relieved.

At this point, Zu An seized the opportunity to ask, "Your Majesty, what exactly is this place?"

Before the Demon Emperor could answer, an excited voice suddenly rang out: "Haha, Qiongqi is dying! The four great seals are about to be broken! I can already sense my father's presence!"

Zu An focused his gaze and saw a blue-white, spectral entity shoot out from the Demon Emperor's body. He was secretly astonished. *It seems the Demon Emperor's gains from this trip are indeed significant. What exactly is this spectral entity? Is this fierce beast on the ground the Qiongqi he mentioned? No wonder it's so extraordinary. It's a pity it still fell to the Demon Emperor. What are these "four great seals" he spoke of? And who is his father?*

Zu An had too many questions in his mind at this moment. However, he soon noticed that although the spectral entity, Danzhu, was very agitated and trying to emerge, a faint golden light bound its surface, clearly indicating it was controlled by the Demon Emperor.

"Ugh..." At this moment, the fierce beast nearby let out a long sigh, then its limbs twitched, and it breathed its last.

Immediately afterward, Qiongqi's body began to dissipate, transforming into a ball of yellow light.

The Demon Emperor reached out, and a yellow gem flew from the ball of light into his hand.

Everyone present was highly cultivated, and with their keen eyesight, they clearly noticed some strange lines on the gem, whose shape resembled a miniature version of Qiongqi.

Zu An thought to himself, *The spectral entity just mentioned "four seals." Does that mean the Demon Emperor has already obtained four such gems? Why do I feel like I'm on a hidden side quest while the Demon Emperor is progressing through the main quest?*

"This is the place where Qiongqi, one of the Four Fierce Beasts, resides," the Demon Emperor explained. "Earlier, we successively broke the seals of Taowu, Taotie, and Hundun. According to this fellow," he continued, casually toying with Danzhu's soul in his hand as he looked at Zu An, "an ancient emperor named Yao is sealed here. I've told you so much; since we're cooperating, you should also tell me what you've gained during this time, shouldn't you?"

He mused, *Just now, there were so many powerful auras on the other side, even a power that instilled fear in me. Perhaps it's related to Zu An's group. Although I don't believe these few could participate in a struggle of that level, by simply observing, they must have obtained some information I didn't know.*

Zu An was about to answer when suddenly, a series of cracking sounds came from the ground.

Immediately afterward, the ground cracked open at a visible rate. Then, the ground beneath their feet gave way, and they all plummeted downwards.

The group was caught off guard. *The aftermath of the previous battle was so intense, yet the surrounding cave remained largely intact,* they thought. *Who would have thought that after the battle, the ground would suddenly crack open instead?*