Chapter 628: Mutual Exposing of Scars

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense.

The first thing the Demon Emperor did upon arrival was to ask for Jiang Fan? Had Jiang Fan done something that greatly concerned the Demon Emperor?

Jiang Fan's heart skipped a beat. He bowed and replied, "Yes!" Bound at the feet, he shuffled forward with small, slow steps.

The Demon Emperor frowned slightly. With an impatient flick of his sleeve, Jiang Fan felt the world spin. When he reappeared, the Demon Emperor's face was mere inches away.

What a technique! Jiang Fan was secretly alarmed. Even a peak Core Formation Ninth Stage cultivator couldn't come close to achieving this, could they?

Facing the Demon Emperor at such close range, he could even hear the Demon Emperor's steady, powerful breaths, like an ancient beast slumbering in a dark abyss. Jiang Fan tried to remain calm, not letting panic show, lest the Demon Emperor notice any flaws.

The Demon Emperor picked up the chains on Jiang Fan and examined them intently. His gaze swept over the chains, inch by inch. Jiang Fan couldn't help but feel uneasy. Did the Demon Emperor suspect he could undo the chains?

"How did you win last night?"

After examining the chains and finding no flaws, the Demon Emperor raised his eyes and looked into Jiang Fan's. It turned out he was highly suspicious of how Jiang Fan, with his hands and feet bound, could have thrashed Mu Ziyu. He had suspected Jiang Fan might have secretly unfastened the chains.

So that's what he was asking about! Jiang Fan felt a wave of relief and calmly replied, "I caught him off guard."

The Demon Emperor pondered this. No matter how much he was caught off guard, the opponent was still an Eighth Stage Core Formation cultivator. Could Jiang Fan really have beaten him so badly? However, Jiang Fan had acted on behalf of his daughter. Since he hadn't broken free from the chains, it was fine.

"I heard Ling Shu gave you a bottle of Memory Silverwater? Let me see it." Jiang Fan's heart sank. He had guessed correctly. The Demon Emperor was indeed concerned about the Memory Silverwater. He needed to inspect it personally to be at ease. If he were to produce the Memory Silver Sand at this moment, it would simply be a free gift to the Demon Emperor. Without a word, he took out the jade bottle.

The Demon Emperor took it, examining it meticulously, even closing his eyes to probe it with the powerful spiritual energy of a Nascent Soul cultivator. A moment later, a hint of disappointment appeared in his eyes.

"It seems it's truly useless," the Demon Emperor murmured, then reluctantly tossed the jade bottle back to Jiang Fan. It was something that even the Tiger Demon Emperor, who was close to the Soul Transformation stage, couldn't do anything about. He didn't think he had any use for it, so he might as well return it to Jiang Fan. Feeling a quiet relief, Jiang Fan tucked it into his sleeve and said, "Does the Demon Emperor have any other instructions?"

The Demon Emperor smiled faintly and patted his shoulder: "You performed well last night. If you serve my demon race wholeheartedly, in the future, I might consider undoing your chains."

Jiang Fan sneered inwardly. He could undo the chains anytime; why would he need the Demon Emperor's permission? "Thank you, Demon Emperor," Jiang Fan said, cupping his hands.

The Demon Emperor nodded and flicked his sleeve. Jiang Fan felt the world spin again, returning to Liu Li's side.

Just then, outside the great hall, gongs resonated and banners fluttered. A long procession was majestically approaching the Demon Emperor's Hall. The expressions of the demon race members became serious. The North Sea Demon Race delegation had arrived! Under the gaze of hundreds of eyes, the group entered the Demon Emperor's Hall.

Yu Qingxuan led the way, with four deputy envoys following behind. Behind them were four spirited and powerful young male and female sea demons. They were the prodigies of the North Sea Demon Race who had come for this exchange and study visit.

"Yu Qingxuan, by command of the North Sea Demon Emperor, leads his people to pay respects to the Azure Sky Demon Emperor." Yu Qingxuan bowed first. The others behind him solemnly followed suit, not daring to be disrespectful. No matter how much they normally looked down on the mainland demon race, the one before them was a Demon Emperor, and they had to show him the utmost respect.

"Rise, and be seated," the Demon Emperor said with a slight smile. Yu Qingxuan cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Azure Sky Demon Emperor."

After everyone was seated, both sides exchanged polite greetings. The Demon Emperor said, "I hear the North Sea has not been peaceful recently. Your clan has suffered considerable casualties. Do you need any assistance?" The others were secretly surprised. So the North Sea Demon Race had encountered significant trouble.

Yu Qingxuan's face stiffened for a moment before returning to normal. He smiled and cupped his hands: "Thank you for your concern, Azure Sky Demon Emperor. The incident has subsided. Although my clan suffered some casualties, we also gained quite a bit. We unexpectedly discovered a Soul Transformation stage ruin hidden deep beneath the sea." He truly hadn't expected the Azure Sky Demon Emperor to be so well-informed! He had learned so quickly that something had happened to the North Sea Demon Race. This time, the North Sea Demon Emperor had specifically instructed him not to deepen the animosity between the two races. One reason was that the North Sea Demon Race had been greatly weakened this time, and it was not advisable to make enemies outside.

A Soul Transformation stage ruin? The Demon Emperor's pupils constricted. He only knew that a great change had occurred in the North Sea not long ago. Something ferocious had burst out of the North Sea, leading to heavy casualties for the North Sea Demon Race. According to his information, three peak Core Formation Ninth Stage experts had perished, and more than a dozen Core Formation Ninth Stage cultivators had died. The number of clan members below that stage was incalculable. But he hadn't expected the North Sea Demon Race to turn misfortune into fortune by discovering a Soul Transformation stage ruin! A hint of envy flickered in his eyes. Why hadn't the mainland demon race encountered such a good opportunity?

Yu Qingxuan's eyes gleamed as he said, "I also heard that your esteemed clan seems to be at war with the human race? And has suffered considerable losses. I heard your Undead Army was completely wiped out. Your clan's Undead Army was a rare and extraordinary force, which the North Sea Demon Emperor has expressed admiration for on multiple occasions. It's truly a pity to lose them like that!"

So, they were going to reopen each other's wounds, were they? Who's afraid of whom! At this, it was the Demon Emperor and the seated demon powerhouses' turn to be embarrassed. Jiang Fan found it amusing. Both sides were trying to put the other down. He picked up some fruit from the table, munching on it while listening with a grin.

"Cough, cough..." The Demon Emperor cleared his throat. "Envoy Yu's information isn't quite up to date. Our Undead Army did indeed suffer a defeat. However, the culprit has been successfully captured and brought to the demon race."

Yu Qingxuan chuckled. "The culprit? What kind of culprit is so powerful as to cause the complete annihilation of an army of ten thousand undead?" He thought the Demon Emperor's excuse was a bit flimsy. How grand was a battlefield with an army of over ten thousand? Could a mere one or two individuals really turn the tide of battle? Unless that person was a Nascent Soul level existence.

The Demon Emperor indifferently raised his wine cup and said, "Before last night, Deputy Envoy Mu probably never imagined he'd be beaten savagely by a junior, did he?"

Yu Qingxuan's smile froze. Only he and the Demon Emperor knew about this matter. Yet, it was being revealed now in front of the entire demon race hierarchy and the visiting delegation. This instantly made him want to sink into the ground. With some indignation, he said, "Well, that's still better than having an army of over ten thousand undead wiped out by a single person!"

The Demon Emperor was also secretly annoyed. So, he was going to endlessly harp on the demon race's sore spot, was he? He slammed his wine cup down and softly called out, "Jiang Fan! You're the one involved! Tell us, who is more humiliated?"

Swish, swish, swish— As his voice fell, the gazes of the demon race members all simultaneously shot towards Jiang Fan, who was happily munching on a piece of melon.

Jiang Fan paused. *I was just enjoying the drama between your two races! What does this have to do with me?*

He put down the melon and said, "I... just broke through to the Fourth Stage Core Formation this morning!"

"So that means last night you were still at the Third Stage Core Formation." The Demon Emperor said with a half-smile, "A dignified Eighth Stage Core Formation expert of the North Sea Demon Race couldn't defeat a junior at the Third Stage Core Formation. Such a record has never occurred in my mainland demon race."

Yu Qingxuan was startled! Not only was the opponent a junior, but he was only at the Third Stage Core Formation? He had always thought it was a top junior of the demon race, around the Seventh Stage Core Formation. Who knew he was only at the Third Stage Core Formation!

"How is that possible?" Yu Qingxuan looked at Jiang Fan, noticed his hands and feet were bound, and couldn't help but be stunned. Why would someone with bound hands and feet be present at such an occasion? Then he suddenly realized, "You're the human captive? The one who annihilated the army of ten thousand undead?" He chuckled. He immediately felt less embarrassed. "Heh heh, an army of over ten thousand undead, wiped out by a Third Stage Core Formation junior. In comparison, it's not embarrassing at all for Deputy Envoy Mu to have lost to him."

The Demon Emperor's face darkened. He said in a deep voice, "Jiang Fan! You're the one involved! Tell us, who is more humiliated?"

Jiang Fan was dumbfounded on the spot.