Chapter 570: The Might of the Ancient Great Demon

"I kept feeling something was off about this coffin. Someone's missing—where's Jin Caiwei?"The Qiongqi tribe uses "Jin" as their surname, so Jin Caiwei was the "little Qiongqi" that Immortal Fairy had mentioned.Lu Yang was speechless."Why does that sound so strange?" he thought.

"Wait, someone's coming. Quickly gather your senior sister and the Meng family boy and leave," Immortal Fairy warned."Someone's coming to *this* place?" Lu Yang wondered. Knowing Immortal Fairy wouldn't lie to him, he turned to his third senior sister."Third Senior Sister, we need to hide quickly! Someone's entering the tomb!""How do you know?" Third Senior Sister was puzzled. She hadn't detected anyone; how had Lu Yang? "And why would anyone come to a tomb? Has another Qiongqi died?"

Lu Yang, looking composed, said, "Eldest Senior Sister gave me a magic treasure before we left. It has a warning ability, and it's currently signaling danger, so someone must have entered.""Eldest Senior Sister is *that* biased?" Third Senior Sister didn't doubt him; such a treasure seemed like something Eldest Senior Sister would possess.The three quickly put everything back in its original place and stealthily returned to the mechanism room. To prevent tomb raiders from discovering the tomb's mechanisms, the mechanism room had a spirit-sense-blocking function, making it an ideal hiding spot.No sooner had the three hidden themselves than they heard footsteps from the passage entrance.

"From the sound of it, there are two demon beasts. One is an adult Qiongqi, and the other seems to be... a Dijiang?"Third Senior Sister's hearing was astonishing; she could identify the species of the newcomers just by their footsteps."A Qiongqi and a Dijiang? That combination doesn't sound like tomb raiders, nor does it sound like a funeral procession," Meng Jingzhou said, scratching his head.As the two demon beasts passed the mechanism room, Lu Yang trembled with fear, terrified of being discovered.

"Clan Leader Jin's suggested meeting place is certainly unique," the Dijiang tribal member said, a smile on his face but fear in his heart. Upon entering the tomb, he felt as if something was watching him, yet there were no other demons around apart from Clan Leader Jin. Could it be the ancient Qiongqi statue above their heads staring at him? Was the ancient Qiongqi still alive? The thought sent shivers down his spine, and he quickly shook his head, trying to dismiss the terrifying idea.Clan Leader Jin smiled. "After all, this is an important matter. It must be settled under the witness of our ancestors to show how seriously our tribe takes the Dijiang's proposal."

"The Dijiang tribe came to the Qiongqi tribe with such a grand display?" Lu Yang transmitted a message to his third senior sister; he didn't dare speak aloud. Outside, the Qiongqi tribe's security was extremely tight, a level typically reserved for visits from the Dragon or Phoenix tribes. Although the Dijiang tribe was a major clan, they shouldn't warrant such treatment from the Qiongqi. And they brought them into the Qiongqi tomb?Third Senior Sister frowned, also not quite understanding. She had been busy lately, excavating tombs of various major clans, and hadn't paid much attention to the demon realm's movements.

Clan Leader Jin and the Dijiang envoy walked further and further away, their voices fading until they were barely audible. Only a cultivator like Third Senior Sister, who had specially trained her hearing, could make out the content of their conversation in the main tomb."Greetings, Old Ancestor," Clan Leader Jin said, kneeling before the black coffin.Out of respect for the ancient Qiongqi's might, the Dijiang envoy had no choice but to follow suit and kneel.

"The Dijiang tribe has been very active in the demon realm lately. Several of my old friends have mentioned you.""The moment the Taotie clan leader told me about your tribe's idea, it truly startled me. Unifying the demon realm and establishing a demon nation—that's an extraordinary ambition."Clan Leader Jin stared coldly at the Dijiang envoy."What's even more surprising is that the Taotie tribe agreed to your proposal and willingly submitted."This was precisely why Clan Leader Jin felt as if he was facing a formidable enemy and brought the Dijiang envoy to the Qiongqi tomb. The Taotie tribe was comparable in strength to the Qiongqi tribe; why would they submit without a special reason?

The Dijiang envoy sighed. "There's no other way. A great era is approaching, bringing countless opportunities. The Great Xia's national power is strong and steadily rising, supported by the Five Great Immortal Sects. Even the Four Great Demonic Cults can't stir up trouble there; one, the Immortal Cult, was even removed from existence.""In contrast, our demon realm, though its heritage has never been broken since ancient times and its overall strength is even greater than Great Xia's, is fractured. We fight amongst ourselves and are divided into three factions based on our attitudes towards humans.""Our demon realm is like a pile of loose sand. How can we compete for opportunities in the future?""If my Dijiang tribe were to unify the demon realm, then absorb the Sea Clan and establish a supreme demon nation, then Great Xia and the Buddha Kingdom would be nothing but trifles!"

Clan Leader Jin looked at the Dijiang envoy, growing highly wary. The envoy's expression was fanatical, not faked, which meant he genuinely believed this could be achieved. Where did the Dijiang tribe's confidence come from?"Does the Dijiang tribe have any peerless experts?" Meng Jingzhou transmitted, asking."As I recall, the Dijiang tribe does have a Tribulation Transcending stage Demon Emperor. Strong, yes, but not strong enough to support such a vast ambition for the Dijiang tribe.""If you go back three hundred thousand years, there was a Half-Immortal, but they died of old age long ago."

"It's rare for your noble tribe to consider the demon realm as a whole; Jin admires that. However, my Qiongqi tribe has no interest in contending for supremacy, nor do we care about any demon nation. Envoy, please leave," Clan Leader Jin said, unceremoniously issuing an expulsion order. The Dijiang tribe spoke grandly of a supreme demon nation and contending in a great era, claiming Great Xia and the Buddha Kingdom would be mere dust. But Great Xia was not so easily dealt with; a fierce battle was inevitable. As clan leader, he could not lead his tribe into such peril.

"Leave?" The Dijiang envoy revealed a chilling smile, which seemed even more terrifying in the tomb. "Clan Leader Jin, you seem to have misunderstood something. I didn't come here to negotiate with you.""What are you doing!" Clan Leader Jin roared, spreading his two wings, his tiger eyes wide and round, letting out a sky-shaking roar.As he spoke, the Dijiang envoy pulled a bone token from his embrace. The character "Di" was inscribed on it.

The moment the token was produced, a terrifying pressure emanated from it, as if a hundred thousand mountains were pressing down on Clan Leader Jin. The entire space shook and trembled.Several figures appeared on the token: one was crimson like blood, with nine snake heads and cold eyes—the great demon Jiuying. Another's body was as vast as a mountain, like a mighty lion, with two upward-curving tusks resembling celestial blades—the great demon Taotie. There was also the White Tiger, master of killing intent, majestic and glaring in all directions. In addition, there were many other peerless great demons exuding similar powerful pressures.

Clan Leader Jin trembled, unable to stand steadily, almost falling to his knees. These great demons were actually the ancestors of various tribes, beings known as Demon Emperors! This meant that these Demon Emperors had all submitted to the Dijiang tribe!Most remarkably, among these great demons was a colossal figure, red like a blazing sun, with six legs and four wings, its eyes agile and greedy. It was the ancient Dijiang, a Half-Immortal great demon!

"Clan Leader Jin, submit to the imprint of my ancient ancestor!" The envoy burst into laughter, activating the token again, making the pressure even more intense. He had already used this method to brand many major tribes with a slave imprint."This grandson is still alive?" Immortal Fairy recognized the ancient Dijiang at a glance."Like the Phoenix clan's prodigy, he possesses a prototype Dao Fruit of the Law of the Jungle. This kind of prototype Dao Fruit allows one to control beings weaker than themselves, and even dictate their life and death!""That strong?" Lu Yang was greatly surprised."Just average. When I was a Half-Immortal, he'd be nothing more than a ten-move opponent."

The ancient Dijiang was not a particularly strong entity in Immortal Fairy's eyes, but for Clan Leader Jin, it was as if the sky was falling! Under the immense pressure, Clan Leader Jin managed to pull a faint smile onto his lips, struggled to steady himself, and slowly opened his tiger paw. Lying on it was a pristine white feather.An ancient Qiongqi feather! He had seized the opportunity while bowing to the black coffin to unseal and retrieve this feather!The envoy immediately sensed trouble. Unlike his ancient ancestor, a Half-Immortal known for controlling living beings, the ancient Qiongqi was renowned for its combat prowess!

Clan Leader Jin activated the ancient Qiongqi feather, letting out a sky-shattering roar. The tomb shook, the earth trembled, and a body larger than a mountain filled the entire main tomb, exuding a pressure that made the envoy shiver.The ancient Qiongqi lowered its head. Its pupils reflected the figures of the ancient Dijiang and those beings known as Demon Emperors. It looked disdainfully at the ancient Dijiang, baring its huge maw and exhaling a bloody mist. Then, with a blood-red gaping mouth and a semblance of a smile, it slowly spoke:"Fellow Daoist, how about showing some respect?"