Chapter 549: Human Words, Ghost Words, and Demon Words

The sky was like a burning scroll, radiating outwards from Boundless. It relentlessly burned outwards, turning everything in its path to ash. In moments, nearly half the sky was consumed, reaching up to Qin Mu's head. Then, the entire sky of the world surrounding Qin Mu was completely incinerated.

The Demon race's world vanished, and a different world materialized before his eyes.

Qin Mu ignored Boundless, who was approaching, and instead surveyed his surroundings. Towering structures, black and jagged, rose like a dense forest from the vast gray mist. Numerous members of the Demon race bustled about like industrious worker ants, crafting colossal siege machinery, while others were engaged in combat drills.

Only when he spotted a dim, indistinct crescent sun hanging in the eastern sky did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

He was still in High Emperor Heaven. The Demon race world Boundless had just revealed was truly terrifying, and he truly had no desire to remain in that realm of destruction.

High Emperor Heaven's sun was a divine creation, its sunlight not particularly intense. It couldn't dispel the demonic energy shrouding the Demon race territories; even the meager light that fell upon Qin Mu felt cold, utterly devoid of warmth.

The world Boundless had just revealed was, indeed, merely an illusion.

“Senior Boundless went to such great lengths to abduct me; surely it wasn't merely to show me your Demon race's history of suffering?”

Qin Mu averted his gaze and stated gravely, “You should know that your history of suffering has no bearing on me. However, your invasion of High Emperor Heaven, inflicting hardship upon the Human race, that is indeed my concern.”

Boundless approached him, stating slowly, “Young friend Qin, are you so certain that you are Human?”

Qin Mu's eyes flickered. “What are you trying to say, Senior Boundless? Please speak plainly.”

“You are of the Demon race.”

One of Boundless's faces turned directly towards him, speaking, “And a very high-ranking Demon! Perhaps even of a higher bloodline than myself!”

Qin Mu paused, then pointed at him and burst into uproarious laughter, gasping for breath.

Boundless remained impassive, quietly waiting for Qin Mu's laughter to subside, until he could laugh no more. Only then did he slowly ask, “Has no one ever told you that you are of the Demon race?”

Qin Mu straightened, taking a ragged breath, and chuckled, “Indeed, someone has. In my youth, within the Central Palace of the Great Ruins, I encountered a sealed Demon God. He told me I was of the Demon race. However, he was attempting to deceive me, hoping to possess my body and escape his seal, but I saw through his deception. I managed to trick two and a half Demon race hand seals from him. That Demon God sought to deceive me for my physical body. Senior Boundless, what is it that you wish to trick out of me?”

Boundless took a step forward, his neck twisting so his back head rotated to his left side. He said, “I don't wish to trick anything from you. While half of what we, the Demon race, say is false, the other half is true. When that Demon God who sought to possess you told you that you are of the Demon race, that statement was made to earn your trust, and therefore, it was true.”

Qin Mu suddenly seemed to melt, his body dissolving into a black shadow that skimmed across the ground.

His speed was immense; in an instant, the black shadow had traversed over a hundred *li*.

Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief, materializing from his shadow form, only to hear Boundless's voice echo: “Perhaps you're still somewhat unconvinced. But haven't you noticed how smoothly your vital qi flows, without any hindrance, when you perform the Demon race's hand seals?”

Qin Mu froze, realizing he was still no closer or farther from Boundless, only now he stood to Boundless's left, whereas moments ago he had been behind him.

Boundless chuckled, “The fact that you can learn Demon race divine arts so effortlessly and unleash them without any hindrance is precisely because you are also of the Demon race!”

Qin Mu soared into the sky, pushing the Divine Stealing Legs technique to its absolute limit, tearing through the air.

Moments later, Qin Mu, hurtling through the air, saw Boundless directly in front of him. His expression shifted dramatically, and he immediately veered off, dashing away at full speed.

A few moments later, he found himself having run back again, now dashing furiously on Boundless's right side.

Qin Mu's momentum halted; he plummeted from the sky and sank into the earth. After burrowing an unknown distance underground, he emerged, only to see Boundless's heel.

He remained amidst the towering structures, and Boundless continued to walk unhurriedly ahead.

“However, you are also Human, and equally proficient at cultivating Human divine arts.”

Boundless's voice drifted back from ahead. “You are half-Human, half-Demon, which is why you can so easily master the divine arts of both races. You sparked a desire in me to cherish your talent, which is why I brought you here.”

Qin Mu dusted the dirt from his clothes, sneering, “Venerable King, your method of 'invitation' is quite unique.”

He simply gave up trying to escape and instead matched Boundless's pace. Boundless heard Qin Mu cease calling him 'Senior' and instead use 'Venerable King,' and one of his faces curled into a smile.

Qin Mu's shift from 'Senior' to 'Venerable King' might seem a casual change of address, but it carried subtle implications. Calling him 'Senior' was intended to remind Boundless that Qin Mu was a junior, implying that an elder would lose face by outright killing a junior.

The address 'Venerable King' also harbored a subtle intention; it was the Demon race's honorific for Boundless. By using it, Qin Mu was implicitly placing himself within the Demon race, attempting to lower Boundless's guard.

Of course, such subtle maneuvering was entirely useless against Boundless.

“Unlike the Human race, who possess vast and fertile lands and enjoy inherent advantages, the Demon race originates from Youdu.”

Boundless gestured for him to follow closely. “Within Youdu, there are countless wronged souls. Their resentment and demonic essence, over eons, gave birth to the ancestors of the Demon race. They are Demon Gods born from the evil thoughts prevalent in the world, and their procreation eventually led to the birth of the Demon race as a whole.”

Qin Mu was slightly taken aback, not understanding why Boundless was telling him these things.

“After the Demon race came into existence, they were not welcomed by Youdu and were driven out by Tu Bo. Thus, from our very inception, we, the Demon race, were wanderers, compelled to roam in search of a dwelling place. We were also shunned by other races, and the places we managed to find were often treacherous. Yet, despite all this, we survived, however…”

Another of his faces rotated into view. “Nevertheless, our world still descended into ruin. For the survival of our race, we were forced to invade High Emperor Heaven. In truth, I came to find you to discover a method for both the Human and Demon races to coexist. The moment I first saw you, a thought struck me!”

That face appeared incredibly sincere as he proposed an enticing suggestion: “If you help me unify High Emperor Heaven, I will grant you dominion over the Human race! This way, you can govern the Human race, ensuring their preservation, and I will govern the Demon race, ensuring their preservation as well! Is this not a perfect solution for both sides?”

His eyes, bright and keen, fixed on Qin Mu, awaiting his reply.

Qin Mu pondered for a moment, then cautiously probed, “Venerable King just stated that half of what the Demon race says is true, and half is false. So, I must ask, of all the words you just uttered, which ones were lies?”

Boundless twisted his neck, revealing a different face. This one's expression was grim as he calmly retorted, “What do *you* think?”

Qin Mu smiled faintly. “Venerable King's proposal is excellent. Let's proceed exactly as you suggested.”

Boundless's grim face momentarily froze. Qin Mu continued, “We'll divide High Emperor Heaven into two. I'll rule the Human race, you rule the Demon race, and everyone can live in peace. Venerable King, you can now hand over all Human captives within the Demon race territories to me.”

Boundless's grim face stared intently at him. Suddenly, with two distinct clicks, his neck slowly rotated a full circle, revealing a third face—blue-skinned, fanged, and utterly terrifying.

Qin Mu let out a long breath, a smile playing on his lips. “I now understand how much of what Venerable King says is true, and how much is false. Venerable King, your true objective isn't High Emperor Heaven; it's still the Great Ruins. High Emperor Heaven is merely a stepping stone for you. If I were to help you annex High Emperor Heaven, you would then perform a blood sacrifice on it to gain access to the Great Ruins!”

Boundless let out a cold snort, leading Qin Mu towards a broken cliff. With a ferocious expression, he growled, “My disciple, Boundless Feathered Owl, died by your hand, did he not? I could set aside this grudge and offer you wealth and glory, yet you treat me as a fool! Do you believe the Celestial Master can block me? Do you believe those few deities of your Human race can stop me?”

Qin Mu took a few steps forward and looked down, his expression changing dramatically.

Before him lay a vast chasm, where countless members of the Demon and Human races toiled, diligently carving colossal and magnificent grand altars.

There were hundreds of these altars!

The Saint Woodcutter had called upon friends and allies, summoning twenty-four stone statues from the Great Ruins. These statues had revived and become deities, forming a spectacular sight as the twenty-four pyramid-shaped grand altars aligned in a row.

But now, the sight within this chasm was infinitely more magnificent than those twenty-four grand altars!

Hundreds of altars—this was clearly meant to summon hundreds of gods and demons!

Qin Mu's eyelids twitched, and he spoke in a hoarse voice. “You couldn't possibly summon so many gods and demons! Even if the true Celestial Court were to assist you, they couldn't grant you this much power! And you wouldn't dare to accept such a massive army of gods and demons!”

Boundless shook his head. “I could indeed invite Celestial Court gods and demons to descend, but I truly wouldn't dare to summon them.”

Cold sweat beaded on Qin Mu's forehead, and he immediately shook his head. “Your world is connected to High Emperor Heaven, so those you intend to summon aren't Demon Gods from *your* world; they could simply cross over directly. Two thousand years of inter-world warfare surely means countless Demon Gods from your realm have perished in battle. The remaining number of Demon Gods isn't large; there would be no need for so many altars…”

Boundless regarded him coldly. “Keep guessing. If you guess correctly, I will grant you a path to survival.”

Qin Mu's heart gave a violent lurch; he clenched his fists, instantly understanding what Boundless intended to summon.

“The ancestors of the Demon race! Those Demon Gods born from the resentment, malevolence, and demonic nature festering within Youdu! You intend to summon them!”

Boundless let out a hearty laugh, quite pleased with himself. “What do you think of this idea?”

Qin Mu composed himself, shaking his head. “Venerable King, you must be truly desperate to summon them. With the inherent nature of these Demon Gods, born from malevolence, I fear it won't be as simple as just destroying the Human race; they'll likely destroy all of High Emperor Heaven!”

“That is precisely why High Emperor Heaven must be blood-sacrificed.”

Boundless offered a slight smile, and all three of his faces spoke in unison, “To use High Emperor Heaven as a stepping stone to enter the Great Ruins! However, I have an even better idea: I've heard you constructed a Spirit Energy Transfer Bridge. If you build a few such bridges for my Demon race, I can spare your life.”

Qin Mu cautiously probed, “Does Venerable King truly dare to let me build bridges for the Demon race? Are you not afraid I would tamper with them?”

Boundless's expression subtly shifted, and he stated coldly, “Are you absolutely determined to refuse me?”

Qin Mu quickly replied, “Senior…”

Boundless flicked his sleeve and sneered, “Don't bother with such cunning! Calling me 'Senior' is useless! I treated you with sincerity, recognizing you as a prodigious talent; even the Celestial Master couldn't conceive of something like a Spirit Energy Transfer Bridge, yet you could. That's why I've spared your life until now, out of appreciation for your abilities! Do you truly believe I wouldn't kill you? When have my Demon race ever been known for integrity?”

His formidable demonic aura surged. Qin Mu's face paled dramatically, pressed by the overwhelming might until he could barely breathe. He hastily retreated a few steps and, with the last ounce of air in his lungs, cried out, “Actually, I come from Carefree Village!”

Boundless was about to strike a fatal blow but immediately stopped upon hearing this. He sneered, “You claim to be from Carefree Village? What proof do you have?”

Qin Mu's face was flushed, struggling to breathe.

Boundless retracted his demonic might. Qin Mu gasped for air, then pulled a jade pendant from his chest. “I have a token from Carefree Village as proof!” he said. “Venerable King, you should recognize a token from Carefree Village, shouldn't you?”

Boundless reached out to snatch it, and the jade pendant automatically detached, flying into his hand.

Qin Mu's heart pounded wildly. He quickly suppressed the frantic beat, striving for a steady rhythm. “King Yama said I must never let the jade pendant leave my person, or ill fortune would strike. Now, I can only rely on this to escape. I hope it works…” He then thought, “...Hmm, why hasn't anything bad happened yet? Is it because I'm too close to the jade pendant?”