An Explanation

Zhuang Gaoxian turned around and looked at Du Ruhui, who had arrived almost at the same time as Song Hengjiang. "Prime Minister Du, do you know what this place is?"

Du Ruhui furrowed his brow in thought.

He wasn't considering the answer, but whether he should speak and how he should put it.

At last, he said, "For this cave to evade the perception of a Current Era True Lord... After thinking it over, I can come up with only one possibility. Ancient texts record that an Ancient Demon Den once existed within Zhuang territory. I've never known where it was. I never imagined... it would be beneath Qing River!"

Song Hengjiang lowered his eyes, as if resigned to his fate. He knew there was no way to undo what had happened.

He had stumbled upon this Ancient Demon Den by chance many years ago with a friend. As far as he knew, no one else in the Present World knew of it.

But he hadn't expected Zhuang Gaoxian to reach True Insight, then come calling out of the blue today and spend his divine sense searching the entire Qing River basin until he found this place. Nor had he expected Du Ruhui, with his vast knowledge, to know even such ancient secrets as Demon Dens.

"So it's an Ancient Demon Den!"

Zhuang Gaoxian suddenly understood. Demons were no longer human in essence, and their dens were naturally strange as well. True Insight allowed one to grasp the essence of heaven and earth and perceive the Present World, but Demon Dens were separated from it by an especially deep barrier.

Still, finding this place was an impressive feat.

A Divine Presence cultivator wouldn't have been able to detect the Demon Den at all, even if he had spread his spiritual