Chapter 582: Meng Jingzhou Has Black Curtain

The Phoenix Elder nodded. He had entered the Ancient Creation Realm in his youth and knew that with Jiang Shishi’s state of mind, it would be difficult for her to reach the third level; she would most likely be eliminated. Since she had not been eliminated, it meant her state of mind had greatly improved.

To become a qualified leader, one's own strength is not enough; one must also be cunning and learn to be thick-skinned. The Qiongqi Clan Chief was best at being thick-skinned.

“Who else hasn’t come out yet? Jiang Shishi and Su Lian’er?” An elder from the Demon Clan counted the participants, noticing that the prodigies from the Phoenix Clan and the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan were still inside.

“No, there are two others inside, following Jiang Shishi,” Qin Feng shouted. Although he didn’t know Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou’s races or names, he could never forget their faces.

“Oh, following Jiang Shishi?” The Nine-Headed Infant Clan Elder narrowed his eyes, sensing a problem. “Elder Jiang Wei, this isn’t right. Everyone agreed that each clan could only select one person to enter the Ancient Creation Realm. Your Phoenix Clan sent three people?”

He was eager to shift the blame, and according to Qin Feng’s account, the elimination of the Demon Alliance prodigy in the first stage was undoubtedly related to the Phoenix Clan!

“What if three people went in?” Elder Jiang Wei sneered, completely unafraid. In terms of heritage, the Phoenix Clan was the strongest race in the Demon Realm. Even the ancient Di Jiang would not dare to control them for now. The Dragon Clan was divided into two branches, one in the Demon Realm and one in the East Sea, so their heritage was also split. The Dragon Clan branch in the Demon Realm could not compete with the Phoenix Clan in terms of heritage.

Elder Jiang Wei willingly took responsibility for the situation. He couldn’t possibly say that Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were humans, and then, if asked about their origins, admit they were from the Dao Inquiry Sect. Saying Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were both from the Phoenix Clan might still avoid a fight; the Phoenix Clan was known for being overbearing. But if he said they were from the Dao Inquiry Sect, even the bystand tribes would likely get involved. If Gan Tian saw her side being bullied and called Yun Zhi over, the situation would become even more chaotic.

“The Phoenix Clan is truly overbearing,” tribes from the Demon Alliance, such as the Taotie Clan and the White Tiger Clan, stepped forward to support the Nine-Headed Infant Clan. If they could seize this opportunity to heavily damage the Phoenix Clan, they would gain favor with the ancient Di Jiang.

“The Phoenix Clan has vast resources, so it’s fine for them to have two hidden prodigies enter,” the Dragon Clan Elder stepped forward to support the Phoenix Clan. He had learned that Ao Yue had entered the second level with Jiang Shishi’s help and obtained spirit fruits to heal his hidden injuries. This kindness had to be repaid.

“I think the Phoenix Clan’s exception this time is understandable,” the Jade Rabbit Clan Elder waved his sleeve and stepped forward.

“My Celestial Dog Clan…”

“My Ba Xia Clan…”

More and more demon clans stood up to voice their support for the Phoenix Clan. Aside from the Demon Alliance members, all the demon prodigies present had received help from the Phoenix Clan.

The Third Senior Sister’s eyes twitched as she “watched” this scene. What had these two youngsters done in the secret realm? Why were these demon clans acting as if they’d drunk a mind-altering potion, all siding with the Phoenix Clan? This wasn’t how it was when their master and the others entered the secret realm.

Lu Yang and his three companions were teleported to the third level by Luo Hong. The third level was very dim, almost completely dark, with nothing else visible. Luo Hong took out four straw mats and, like dealing cards, they floated to the ground.

“Don’t be nervous, all of you sit down. The four of you performed very well in the first two levels. Even if you don’t pass the third stage, your rewards will be much greater than others.”

In the first level assessment, Lu Yang, Meng Jingzhou, and Jiang Shishi were tied for first in history. In the second level assessment, Lu Yang scored the highest, followed by Meng Jingzhou, then Jiang Shishi, and finally Su Lian’er. The overall assessment ranking was the same as the second-level assessment. Lu Yang’s score was the highest in history, and Meng Jingzhou’s was second highest.

Lu Yang appeared the least nervous, sitting down when told to. The four of them sat.

“So, want to bet on who gets a higher score in the third stage?” Meng Jingzhou winked at Lu Yang, wanting to win back a round.

“That’s not good,” Lu Yang said with a smile, though his expression clearly had nothing to do with "not good." Both of them were unwilling to admit defeat. What kind of bet was it if the outcome was predetermined?

Meng Jingzhou saw Lu Yang’s smile and knew he agreed, so he asked, “What’s the prize for the winner?”

“You say.”

“The loser grants the winner one request.”

“It’s a deal!”

Neither of them placed restrictions like “within one’s ability” or “within moral bounds.” They both knew the other’s requests would certainly fall within those parameters, so no further explanation was needed.

Luo Hong cleared her throat.

“As demon races, you must not forget history. You should learn from its experiences and lessons.”

“This third stage will test your mastery of the ancient history of the demon race.”

Lu Yang: “…”

Meng Jingzhou: “…”

Damn it, there’s foul play here. What’s there left to compete for?

Luo Hong was unaware of Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou’s internal thoughts and continued with the process.

“After I ask a question, you can buzz in to answer. A correct answer earns one point, a wrong answer loses one point, and no answer earns no points.”

“Considering historical changes, I will ask questions from the perspective of present-day demon races.”

“Now, for the first question: To which race did the Demon Immortal belong?”

Jiang Shishi and Su Lian’er were both stunned. Who knew which race the Demon Immortal belonged to? Many demon scholars studied ancient history, and there were various conjectures about the Demon Immortal’s true form. Should they just guess?

“The Demon Immortal did not belong to any race; he was the only Qilin in the world.”

Lu Yang answered lazily. This was purely a bonus question. Meng Jingzhou yawned, completely bored, already considering what to eat when they returned.

“Correct, one point.”

Jiang Shishi and Su Lian’er looked at Lu Yang with surprise and uncertainty. Did he guess correctly, or did he actually know the Demon Immortal’s true form?

Lu Yang thought to himself, "This is just the beginning. If you want to hear the Qilin Immortal’s dark history, I could tell you for three days and three nights without stopping."

Luo Hong was quite surprised; this question was answered very quickly. The questions in the third level were random; each test had different questions, and she was only responsible for marking right or wrong, not providing the correct answers.

“Second question: Did the Phoenix Clan’s Ancient Ancestor force the Demon Immortal to use a sword array? If so, please describe the scene from an objective and fair perspective.”

Jiang Shishi’s eyes lit up. She might not know other things, but how could she not know about the Phoenix Clan’s Ancient Ancestor? Su Lian’er looked at Jiang Shishi with envy. Why wasn’t there a question about the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan?

Jiang Shishi excitedly raised her hand and said, “I know this one! My Phoenix Clan’s Ancient Ancestor once spoke true words, suppressing the Demon Immortal so much that he couldn’t lift his head and knelt on the ground with a thud. Under immense pressure, the Demon Immortal activated a sword array, wanting to resist, but still failed and was defeated!”

“This is the famous ‘One Word Immortal Kneel’!”

“I speculate that this must have been when the Demon Immortal had not yet become an immortal.” Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense how the Demon Immortal could be defeated by the Phoenix Clan’s Ancient Ancestor.

“Incorrect, minus one point.”

“What?!” Jiang Shishi suspected she had misheard. This was a story she heard from her Clan Chief, absolutely true and reliable. How could it be wrong?

Seeing no one answering, Lu Yang sighed softly and said, “Senior, I’m not entirely sure which specific event you’re referring to, but the only thing I can confirm is that on that day, when the Demon Immortal returned home, the Phoenix Clan’s Ancient Ancestor stared at him and coldly asked, ‘Which lover did you go to see?’”

“Upon hearing this, the Demon Immortal’s face changed drastically. He pulled out a sword array, then knelt on it with a thud, swearing to the heavens that he wouldn’t dare to do it again, and if he did, he would be struck by five bolts of lightning.”

“Correct, plus one point.”