Chapter 2028: Sealed Land

Yun Jianyue's heart pounded. Did he already know about her relationship with Ah Zu? If he used this to threaten her, it could be quite troublesome...

As if sensing her doubt, Yun Shou smiled, "Humans may not know, but how could we not? Back at the Demon Imperial Court, you and the Regent King fought side by side; your relationship is very good. So, if you ask him to protect your brother-in-law, it shouldn't be a big problem."

Yun Jianyue was speechless.

Just then, Yun Shou continued, "Isn't Lu Sanyuan's rebellion a convenient opportunity? His army is currently leaderless. We can have them defect to Prince Wu. That way, they can turn over a new leaf and no longer bear the name of rebels. Prince Wu will also gain enough power to deter other factions."

"Of course, you won't be doing this for nothing. You can embed your trusted followers within them to secretly control those armies. Once Prince Wu ascends the throne, he can rightfully appoint you as the Imperial Preceptor, transforming the Demonic Sect into a true Holy Church. This has been the goal pursued by countless generations of your sect. Now that such a great opportunity is before you, if the past sect leaders had spirits, they would surely support your choice."

Yun Jianyue had to admit that this man was indeed skilled at inciting people. "In the past, your method would have been excellent. But now that otherworldly demons are attacking, all forces should be joining hands to resist the powerful enemy. Yet, you and Prince Wu are working behind the scenes on these schemes. Wouldn't that put the entire world in peril?"

"I never expected the Demoness, who is seen by the world as a ruthless killer, to have such a compassionate side?" Yun Shou looked at her with some surprise. "While that reasoning holds true, when the sky falls, the tall ones bear the brunt. Besides, those otherworldly demons can't invade this world for a while yet." He paused, then chuckled, "What's more, it's thanks to those otherworldly demons causing chaos that the Regent King and the elite Central Army were drawn away, giving Prince Wu such a prime opportunity."

Yun Jianyue's heart turned utterly cold. Ah Zu was fighting desperately to resist the otherworldly demons, striving to protect this world, yet there were still so many ambitious schemers within it, causing trouble for their own selfish desires.

"Are you perhaps concerned about the Regent King, Sect Leader?" Yun Shou then said, "Setting aside your friendship, the display of your divine power a few days ago is still fresh in my mind. Your cultivation should not necessarily be weaker than the Regent King's now."

Yun Jianyue's expression was odd; she naturally knew that Ah Zu had impersonated her. Speaking of which, Ah Zu had truly given her immense face. If that 'Ice Stone Woman' received news, would she be scared to death by "her" achievements and never dare to speak loudly in front of her again?

"That does sound somewhat interesting," Yun Jianyue said, feigning a bit of interest. She wanted to infiltrate their ranks to gather more information, which would allow her to help Ah Zu at a critical moment. As for those two women in the capital, it didn't matter who won or lost.

"However, my disciple recently disappeared, and I still need to spend time looking for her," she added, an idea striking her.

Yun Shou was startled. "The Saintess is missing? Wasn't she in Chou Chi just a few days ago? She played a huge role in controlling the situation there."

"My disciple and I had an argument," Yun Jianyue said vaguely.

Yun Shou, however, looked relieved. "Young people, a little temper is perfectly normal. We will also activate our intelligence system to help you search for the Saintess. We'll notify you immediately if we find any news."

Yun Jianyue nodded in satisfaction. "Then I'll trouble you with that."

Yun Shou's face broke into an even wider smile. "It is our honor that the Sect Leader is willing to cooperate."

***

In the Demon Clan's Azure Hill Nation, Zu An reluctantly bid farewell to Tu Shan Yu. It was a pity that the front line was urgent; otherwise, he could have properly played a first-person shooter game with this true vixen. However, after entrusting her with the matter of human reinforcements, a great weight lifted from his heart, and he once again quickened his pace towards the Sealed Land.

As he flew further north, he noticed the air around him grew increasingly cold. If he didn't use vital energy to protect his body, his clothes would quickly become covered in a layer of ice.

After a few more days, he was nearing the Sealed Land. Everywhere he looked, there was boundless snow, a thousand miles frozen solid, ten thousand miles of drifting snow. For a moment, he even thought he had arrived at the Great Snow Mountain.

"What's going on?" Zu An frowned. Although he had never been to the Sealed Land, he had read relevant information. While it was bitterly cold, the terrain should have been closer to tundra, with at least some signs of life. How had it become this desolate? Along the way, he had seen scattered houses, likely the residences of local hunters. But when he entered to investigate, they were all empty. Most of the daily necessities were still inside, and tables and chairs were strewn about, as if the inhabitants had suddenly encountered danger and fled in haste.

He looked up at the distant horizon, where a massive yellowish-brown halo glowed. A single beam of light from it shot straight into the sky, while the light below plunged unknown miles into the earth. The entire formation resembled a giant eye stretching across the heavens and earth, as if tearing open the very end of the sky. The spatial rift he had seen earlier in Purple Mountain was utterly insignificant compared to this. Even from a great distance, he could feel an inexplicably terrifying pressure. That was the Sealed Land, guarded by the Demon Clan for thousands of years!

Zu An took a deep breath. After defeating Zhao Hao, he had inevitably developed a hint of arrogance. But now, it seemed that the universe was so vast and full of wonders that a mere Earth Immortal was nothing before its might. After a long moment of distraction, he recovered, composed himself, and carefully surveyed the distance.

On the periphery of the yellowish-brown halo, a city was faintly visible: Iron Plains City, the northernmost city of the Demon Clan. In the Demon Clan's language, it meant "city on the ice plains," "fortress," and so on. Its primary purpose was to guard against the Sealed Land, as well as to provide logistical support and conveniences for the stationed personnel.

At this moment, he subtly detected signs of life there. Moving like lightning, he quickly flew over Iron Plains City. Soon, guards spotted him and began shouting warnings, with numerous crossbows and runic cannons aiming at him.

Just then, a pleasant female voice came from nearby, "Stop, everyone! That's the Regent King!" A remarkable young woman hurriedly stopped the soldiers at the city gate. Dressed in a colorful gown, she appeared vibrant and dazzling in this frozen world. Her hair was adorned with a light blue hair ornament, like a feather, which gave her graceful and mature demeanor a touch of girlish charm.

"Greetings, Regent King!"

"We're saved!"

The soldiers bowed one after another, unable to suppress their cheers. After all, Zu An's prestige from helping the new emperor ascend the throne back at the Imperial Court was too great, and many soldiers in the army circulated stories about him.

"Everyone, please rise!" Zu An landed on the city wall and, with a casual lift of his hand from a distance, the crowd felt as if they were being helped up by an invisible pair of hands, making them even more excited.

"Princess, long time no see." Zu An then nodded to Kong Nanwu, who was standing nearby.

Kong Nanwu bowed, then smiled faintly, "Brother Zu, your demeanor remains as impressive as ever."

Before the two could converse, a streak of five-colored light flew towards them. Seeing Zu An, the newcomer paused in surprise, then burst into laughter. "I thought there was a demon invasion, but it turns out it's you!"

Looking at the handsome middle-aged man before him, Zu An couldn't help but sigh in admiration, "King Ming is still so graceful and charming; it's truly captivating." He realized that all the beautiful girls he met seemed to have fathers who were progressively more handsome.

"I'm old, old, can't compare to your youthful prime," Peacock King Ming said, his smile widening. This young man was handsome and spoke so pleasantly; he truly liked him.

At this moment, an elder nearby also bowed to Zu An. "Greetings, Regent King." Zu An hastily helped him up. "You are too kind, Sir." This man was Kong Qing. The two had met in Yunzhong Commandery, where he had "taken the initiative" to extend significant goodwill on behalf of the Peacock Clan. Strictly speaking, Zu An owed him a favor.

Kong Qing felt a warmth in his heart. Their statuses were now incomparable, yet Zu An treated him as he always had, which was truly rare.

Peacock King Ming nodded slightly, thinking that this young man had a good disposition, not as arrogant as other members of the Demon Clan. *Hmm*, Wu'er usually had high standards, yet she always praised him endlessly whenever he was mentioned. Hearing Kong Qing say that the two seemed to have known each other among humans, and that Wu'er had even given him that precious peacock feather, it seemed he needed to find a way to bring them together. *Hmph*, my daughter was originally meant to be the Crown Princess, the new Demon Empress, but this boy made her a widow before she was even married. He must take responsibility! The only trouble was his seemingly ambiguous relationship with the Young Demon Empress. That might be acceptable, as the Young Demon Empress couldn't publicly marry him anyway. The real problem was that the Qiao family's daughter seemed to have an engagement with him. What a nuisance!

Zu An cast a strange glance at Peacock King Ming. Ever since they met, the king had been staring at him, first smiling, then frowning; his gaze was truly peculiar. He cleared his throat. "By the way, what's the situation at the Sealed Land now? Wasn't it said that the Young Demon Empress arrived with the Golden Crow Guards? Why haven't I seen her after all this time?" Logically, this city wasn't large, so if she had received news, she should have already appeared.

Hearing the concern in his voice, Kong Nanwu gave a half-smile. There were rumors that he and the Young Demon Empress had a secret affair. She had initially dismissed them as slander from defeated political rivals, but now it seemed they might not be entirely unfounded.

At this moment, Peacock King Ming's expression turned solemn. He led Zu An to a quieter spot on the city wall and finally spoke, "The Young Demon Empress entered the Sealed Land!"

"What!" Zu An was greatly shocked.

At this point, Kong Nanwu explained, "Previously, the Imperial Court suddenly received news of an incident at the Sealed Land. Many suspected Prince Xuan was involved, so the Young Demon Empress personally gathered experts and elites from various clans to come here and investigate the situation."

"According to our previous investigation, Prince Xuan did not become a traitor. Instead, the rift in the Sealed Land here was growing larger, and more and more demons were spilling out. Prince Xuan knew that if this continued, it would drain the Demon Clan of its last drop of blood. The reproductive capacity of those otherworldly demons is truly astonishing; we simply cannot outlast them. So, he led his army into the Sealed Land, hoping to repair the original seal."