NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 302: Chapter 324: Silence!
He sat quietly, listening to Jiang Yun recount his experiences over the years. The process of meeting Zi Yan upon first descending to the Dou Qi Continent, his time studying at Canaan Academy, his journey of growth on the Dou Qi Continent, and also the turbulence after arriving in the Great Thousand Worlds.
Jiang Yun's life, compared to Jiang Hong and the others, was very short, merely around forty years, far from the thousands of years lived by figures like the Sacred Heavenly Demon Emperor, whose lives could form an ancient history. However, his short life was also splendid and magnificent.
Jiang Hong listened to Jiang Yun's recount with a gratified smile on his face. Although he had already heard most of these experiences when Jiang Yun returned from Qing Ming Tower, listening to Jiang Yun personally narrate them brought about a new sense of emotion.
"Our Xiao Yun has grown up. Not only is his strength immense, but even his ability to attract girls is impressive," Jiang Hong said in a weathered yet gratified voice, looking at Jiang Yun teasingly.
"When there's a chance, I'll bring them to meet you," Jiang Yun responded with a light smile, pouring a cup of fragrant tea for Jiang Hong.
"Good, good! Yun'er, you've now established a family; even if I fall the next second, I have no regrets," Jiang Hong chuckled while stroking his beard. However, deep within his eyes, there was a trace of worry. Not long ago, he was personally summoned by the Sacred Heavenly Demon Emperor to become the guardian of the Wan Mo Hall's Scripture Pavilion. Although this position was extremely important, it had always been managed by the Sacred Demon Clan.
Jiang Hong, being from the Evil Spirit Clan, had no chance to access such core things; it was all because of Jiang Yun, making him somewhat apprehensive. As he suspected, upon arriving at the Wan Mo Hall, Jiang Hong was restricted to this location, effectively placed under house arrest.
"Don't say such things. How can Grandfather speak of falling before witnessing the sights he hopes to see?" Jiang Yun gently rebuked. He was well aware of Jiang Hong's predicament and did not fear what the Sacred Heavenly Demon Emperor might do to Jiang Hong as long as he remained strong. Jiang Yun was worried that Jiang Hong might lose the will to live, which he would not allow.
Jiang Yun's scolding made Jiang Hong's face turn slightly flushed; he hadn't expected Jiang Yun to see through his thoughts. Was his grandson really this perceptive? Embarrassed, he picked up the tea and took several large gulps.
Jiang Hong knew what sight Jiang Yun was referring to. It wasn't anything other than the Evil Spirit Clan living normally and honorably in this universe, no longer being tools used by the Outland Evil Clan to break the Heavenly Evil God's seal. He hoped for the Evil Spirit Clan to live in unity and harmony rather than in the deadly struggles of the current lifestyle. This was his lifelong wish, or rather, the lifelong wish of all the Evil Spirit Clan.
To achieve this, everything must be smoothed out. Although Jiang Yun was strong, he was still far from that level. "What are your plans next?" After a long silence and once the atmosphere had eased, Jiang Hong looked at Jiang Yun and asked softly.
"I intend to supplement myself and practice the cultivation methods of this world." Jiang Yun slowly stood up, gazing at the seemingly endless bookshelves not far away, filled with countless heritage jade slips. These were the essence of tens of thousands of years of Outland Evil Clan's cultivation heritage, invaluable.
If exchanged for Supreme Spirit Liquid, Jiang Yun reckoned it would be enough to purchase ten Tian Luo Continents. "Your cultivation has surpassed mine; I don't understand these things, but I'm familiar with this place, so let me show you around." Jiang Hong also stood up, walking to Jiang Yun's side, looking kindly at him. "Alright!" Jiang Yun didn't refuse his grandfather's good intentions, and the two of them walked through the endless bookshelves one after the other, bringing some brief vitality to the quiet space.
Now, Jiang Yun was sitting cross-legged in front of a statue. This statue was small, unlike the other statues that were thousands of feet tall; it was merely a hundred feet high, naturally formed, lifelike, exuding a transcendent aura. The statue wore long clothes, with long hair draped behind it, its body tall and upright. Its face gave an impression of vagueness, and there was a black vertical eye on its forehead, slightly open with a thin slit, suggesting the extreme of darkness within.
"Heavenly Evil God, or rather, the Sacred Demon Clan's true body inheritance." Jiang Yun looked at the statue with a solemn expression. The Heavenly Evil God was born of the Sacred Demon Clan, and although the Outland Evil Clan were all evolutions of his power, the Sacred Demon Clan was undoubtedly the royal family among them. Perhaps even now, the Sacred Demon Clan still practiced the Heavenly Evil God's inheritance.
That was the Sovereign's inheritance; who wouldn't be tempted? Since he had encountered it, Jiang Yun had no reason to choose otherwise. It didn't matter whether a cat was black or white, as long as it could catch mice. Besides, his own Dao path also held reflections of the Sacred Demon Flame. The Sacred Demon Flame was the holy fire of the Sacred Demon Clan. For Jiang Yun, apart from the Evil Spirit Clan's inheritance, this Sacred Demon Clan's inheritance must be the most suitable for him.
Jiang Yun sat cross-legged in front of the statue, both hands resting flat, with a heart thought, a surge of soul power emerged from his body, transforming into a soul incarnation carrying a noble aura, and approached the statue. As Jiang Yun's soul approached, the statue buzzed, its vertical eye on the forehead slightly fluctuating and then slowly opening, emitting a beam of light towards Jiang Yun's soul.
Sensing no danger, Jiang Yun didn't resist, letting the light fall on his soul. In the next moment, an enormous amount of soul information poured into his soul. The terrifying soul information was like a flood, sending waves of stabbing pain through his soul, feeling as if his soul was being pierced. Fortunately, everything proceeded with no danger, as terrifying as Jiang Yun's soul strength was. Otherwise, he might have been overwhelmed by the surge of soul information.
The full title of the Heavenly Evil God was the Nine-Eyed Evil God. When four eyes were opened, his strength surpassed that of an Immortal Great Emperor of the half-step Sovereign Realm who had his name engraved on the Heavenly List. Upon opening the fifth eye, he could rival Xiao Yan and Lin Dong, both half-step Sovereigns. Once all nine eyes were opened, he would be a Sovereign Realm powerhouse, and this true body inheritance could allow members of the Sacred Demon Clan to open one eye on their foreheads, bringing their power to the level of future Xiao Yan and Lin Dong, stronger than those of the Holy Grade but weaker than half-step Sovereigns, capable of inscribing their true names on the Heavenly List.
However, achieving this level was extremely difficult. Over thousands of years, only the Sacred Heavenly Demon Emperor within the Sacred Demon Clan had reached this step. Even so, this inheritance was immensely precious, no less valuable than the original true bodies of the Great Thousand.
He had bet correctly! While Jiang Yun was accepting the Sacred Demon Clan's inheritance, the Sacred Heavenly Demon Emperor in the Wan Mo Hall seemed to sense something, looking towards the location, murmuring, "The Sacred Demon Clan, huh?" "But it's not surprising, considering I count as his guide!"
With the murmur, silence returned to the grand hall, only the occasional tapping sound of the Sacred Heavenly Demon Emperor lightly drumming his armrest reverberating, indicating that the emperor's inner state was far from calm, as he continuously pondered the feasibility of his plan.
Time flowed by, and no one knew what kind of transformation Jiang Yun was undergoing within. During this period, the Great Thousand World was particularly uneasy. The Outland Evil Clan repeatedly invaded the four extreme borders of the Great Thousand World, causing a series of battles filled with blood and fire. Thanks to the presence of the Red Flame Temple, the Green Mountain Sword Domain, and the Great Thousand Building, the northern, western, and eastern extremes of the Great Thousand World, though frequently embroiled in wars, remained mostly under control. Only the southern region saw the Outland Evil Clan seemingly fixate on it as a weak defense point, besieging it heavily and causing significant losses in territory.
Finally, the main headquarters of the Great Thousand Palace had to send two Holy Grade Heavenly Sovereigns to reverse the declining situation and repel the Outland Evil Clan's offensive. During this time, not only was the native Great Thousand World affected, but countless lower planes dependent on it also faced ferocious assaults from the Outland Evil Clan.
The Outland Evil Clan had lost nearly thirty demon emperors consecutively to Jiang Yun's hands. While their forces were vast and not irreparably damaged unless these were thirty Heavenly Demon Emperors, the loss was still not insignificant. As a result, the thirty-two tribes of the Outland Evil Clan offered many rewards, encouraging clans to elevate to demon emperor status.
Consequently, many clans within the Outland Evil Clan, lacking a demon emperor, went utterly mad, scouring the cosmos for lower planes, indirectly causing developmental deviations in some.
Time passed just like that, and three years into Jiang Yun's seclusion, news from the Sacred Abyss Continent spread throughout the Great Thousand World. Demon Slayer King Qin Tian, in a battle with the Outland Evil Clan, encountered an extraordinary space-time storm that drew him into the Outland Evil Clan's hinterlands, with his life and death unknown.
Initially, many regretted the loss of the young Demon Slayer King. However, just two months later, Qin Tian returned to the Sacred Abyss branch of the Great Thousand Palace, carrying a Heavenly Demon Emperor's corpse, leaving countless people dumbstruck.
Then, word that Qin Tian had slain a Heavenly Demon Emperor in the Outland Evil Clan's hinterlands caused an uproar across the Sacred Abyss Continent and the entire Great Thousand World. This was a feat achieved only once in a thousand years. The last person to do so was the unparalleled prodigy, Jiang Yun!
Seeing their similar paths, both slaying a Heavenly Demon Emperor with an immortal-grade body, it was hard not to think of Qin Tian as the next Jiang Yun.
Qin Tian's feat of killing a Heavenly Demon Emperor even drew the attention of the Grand Elders of the Great Thousand Palace headquarters. The event was so incredible that an elder who hadn't left the Great Thousand Palace's Northern Desolation Hill headquarters in decades had to personally go to the Sacred Abyss Continent to verify the truth.
Once verified by a Grand Elder of the Great Thousand Palace, Qin Tian's fame soared, and with Jiang Yun's retreat, his renown seemed to be quickly catching up to, if not surpassing, Jiang Yun's.
Qin Tian's legendary act, upon close examination, undeniably contained some inconsistencies. Slaying a Heavenly Demon Emperor with an immortal-grade body was nearly impossible, let alone the Heavenly Demon Emperor of the Mind Clan, one of the top thirty-two clans. Not even True Dragon Emperor could assuredly conquer him.
Yet, Qin Tian, an immortal-grade, claimed victory and transported the corpse from the Outland Evil Clan's hinterlands? It sounded implausible. How could he enter and leave so conspicuously, carrying a Heavenly Demon Emperor's body? Were the Sacred Heavenly Demon Emperor and others blind?
In summary, it all seemed highly suspect. But with the facts presented, they had no choice but to believe unless they could foresee the Sacred Heavenly Demon Emperor's meticulous plotting. No one expected that the Mind Heavenly Demon Emperor's deception would elude even Holy Grade Heavenly Sovereigns.
This event bolstered the morale of the Great Thousand World's warriors, invigorating them against the Outland Evil Clan, and even pushing the battle lines into the Outland Evil Clan's territory. Had those areas not been tainted by demonic energy, they might have reclaimed significant land.
Amid the confrontation, many new talents emerged, most notably Xiao Yan. Originating from the same plane as Jiang Yun, Xiao Yan was a fire dao master, allegedly possessing the mythical Indestructible Flame Body, harnessing all fires for himself. This left countless people awestruck. It was rumored that Jiang Yun also had the Indestructible Flame Body, so hearing the same about Xiao Yan, originating from the same plane, invited much conjecture about their relationship.
Moreover, Xiao Yan was also a master of alchemy like Jiang Yun, earning the title of Flame Emperor and also being dubbed 'Little Jiang Yun'. (Xiao Yan: This plot feels familiar?)
Despite many of Jiang Yun's opportunities being intercepted, Xiao Yan rose powerfully, forging his own name in the Great Thousand World. Recently, in a battle, he teamed with three high-ranking Demon Slayer Masters and blew up a Ghost Demon Emperor, gaining widespread fame.
(End of Chapter)