Chapter 2289: Secret

Zu'an was startled, never expecting this answer.

Ever since he first encountered the demons, they had always been the aggressive attackers. Their demeanor clearly showed they had destroyed countless worlds, bringing calamity and wailing to innumerable realms. He had considered the demons' desperate motives before, but usually attributed them to greed and cruelty. He had never imagined it was because their own world was facing destruction.

"What could destroy your world?" Zu'an asked in a deep voice.

From their interactions over the past few days, it was clear that these demons were incredibly powerful. Even with their strength limited by this world's barriers, they still stood at the absolute peak of this realm, each possessing various miraculous skills and abilities. One could only imagine how powerful they truly were without these limitations. And there weren't just one or two such demons; there was a whole horde of them! How powerful must the demon world be? How could such a powerful world face the risk of destruction?

"Our world is indeed strong, but in the myriad realms of the universe, there are still too many more powerful and mysterious existences," the True Demon Emissary said, a look of fear appearing on his face as if remembering something. "A Doomsday Beast arrived in our world. Some worlds also call it a 'planetary weapon'."

"Ever since it descended, our entire world has been filled with countless violent hurricanes. Many of the cyclones are even larger than your world. If your planet were thrown into one of those cyclones, it would be instantly swallowed and torn to shreds by the hurricane." The True Demon Emissary spoke with lingering trepidation, clearly having experienced that apocalyptic catastrophe firsthand.

Zu'an: "..."

Initially, upon hearing about countless violent hurricanes, he had been somewhat dismissive, thinking, *No matter how powerful a hurricane is, how could it endanger a mighty world? Even many of the top masters in his own world probably wouldn't fear hurricanes.* However, after hearing the emissary's next sentence, he was instantly taken aback. He had never imagined hurricanes could be so immense.

"Didn't you ever think of fighting back? From our previous encounters, many beings in your world seem quite formidable."

"Of course we tried," the True Demon Emissary said, a bitter expression on his face. "But those terrifying hurricanes appeared too suddenly, destroying about ninety percent of our civilization almost immediately. In the thousands of years that followed, we organized countless counterattacks, but all were in vain. The only thing we managed to do was build cities underground, barely preserving the remaining civilization. However, after thousands of years of torment by the hurricanes, our world became increasingly weak, lacking various cultivation resources and even food."

Zu'an mused, *No wonder the various Demon Clan patriarchs previously said he needed vast amounts of cultivation resources and blood sacrifices.* He then asked, "So you tried to find new worlds outside and move here?"

"Exactly. Initially, the warmongers had the upper hand, wanting to directly kill that mysterious Doomsday Beast. But thousands of years of failure made everyone realize the truth, so they gradually started searching for other worlds as an escape." The True Demon Emissary gave a wry smile. "Unfortunately, our world is inherently brutal, and throughout countless ages, we had already conquered all nearby discoverable worlds. We couldn't find any others. Until someone remembered the failed invasion of your world many years ago, and so they made a comeback."

After hearing his explanation, Zu'an finally understood the full story. "What exactly happened with your attack on this world thousands of years ago?"

The True Demon Emissary shook his head slightly. "I'm not sure..." Sensing Zu'an's displeasure, he immediately panicked. "I really don't know! That great war thousands of years ago is a closely guarded secret throughout the entire demon world. Many records were destroyed, and it seems only a few elders know some details."

"Destroyed?" Zu'an frowned, surprised that he would use that word.

"Yes, destroyed," the True Demon Emissary explained. "I also sensed that the war from thousands of years ago seemed to hide some secret, intentionally concealed. But now, with our entire world facing the crisis of destruction, I haven't had the chance to investigate it."

Zu'an fell silent, thinking of Yu Men Beiqing, whom he had met in the sealed land. Her words at the time had been vague and seemed to hide various secrets. It appeared that the war back then was not simple. However, since he couldn't get specific information now, he stopped dwelling on that question and instead focused on a more practical matter: "When did you arrange for the demon world to transmit through the teleportation array you're building with the Four Symbols Stones?"

He intended to fully utilize the home advantage and seize the opportunity to set up a trap to capture all the demons in one fell swoop.

The True Demon Emissary shook his head. "There was no agreed-upon time. This was just my private endeavor. I found records of the Four Symbols Stones in an ancient book, but I didn't report it. Instead, I just came to this world with the other demons, then found an excuse to leave the main group and try my luck with the Demon Clan. I never expected my luck to be so good; there actually were Four Symbols Stones..." Mid-sentence, he suddenly became disheartened. *Good luck? Meeting this bringer of ill fortune was the worst luck one could ever have.*

"So, only you know about this?" Zu'an's heart stirred. He had previously thought the Demon Lord was deeply strategic, sending three visible groups to cause trouble while secretly using this one as a hidden path. Now, it seemed he had overthought it.

"Only a few people know," the True Demon Emissary said, a hint of melancholy in his voice. "I planned to report it to the Demon Lord upon my return and use it to gain more benefits for my family and myself. Unfortunately, all of that has come to nothing now."

"Tell me about yourself and your family's situation," Zu'an said.

The True Demon Emissary hesitated. "If I tell you, will you spare me?"

Zu'an stared at him coldly. "If your answer satisfies me, I can spare you from being sent to Avici Hell."

Upon hearing this, the True Demon Emissary breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't actually expected Zu'an to release him, given that he had dared to lay hands on his woman. *What was I thinking at the time?* He figured it was because he got carried away, nearing the completion of his grand scheme. *One should never get too ahead of oneself.*

As long as he wasn't confined to that terrifying Avici Hell, it was enough. "My family is one of the top families in the entire demon world, much like the Yun family's standing among the Demon Clan..." He then roughly recounted the relevant information.

Zu'an nodded slightly, gaining quite a bit of valuable information.

"Is the Demon Lord the strongest entity in your world? And who is stronger, he or the Slaughter Lord?" Zu'an continued to ask. He had a premonition that he would confront this Demon Lord sooner or later, and knowing oneself and one's enemy was key to victory.

"The strongest is naturally the Demon Lord. The Slaughter Lord was the leader of our demon world thousands of years ago, holding the same status as the current Demon Lord. His strength was formidable, but the current Demon Lord has the experience of his predecessors, and times progress, so he should be stronger now," the True Demon Emissary analyzed.

Zu'an secretly nodded. This True Demon Emissary was indeed not a mere fop; he was quite capable, and his analysis was perfectly reasonable.

"What abilities and magic treasures does the Demon Lord possess?"

"The Demon Lord, he..."

Just as the True Demon Emissary spoke halfway, Zu'an's expression suddenly changed because the True Demon Emissary's head exploded! His soul was instantly annihilated!

He had encountered similar incidents before. These demons believed that after dying in this world, they could be reborn in the demon world. They never expected that the Demon Lord had tampered with them; once they revealed certain crucial secrets, they would be utterly annihilated, body and soul. He had initially thought that by capturing the emissary's soul and confining it to the Underworld, he could evade the Demon Lord's methods. However, it proved impossible to guard against. It seemed the restrictions placed by the Demon Lord were indeed miraculous, even effective within the Underworld.

Thinking of this, his expression grew several shades more serious.