Chapter 363

Xiao Minghuang's eyes flickered as she listened silently.

She didn't know why the Demon Emperor had turned against his wife and daughter, but in this cursed land of the Southern Wilderness, nothing would surprise her.

Xiao Minghuang didn't ask any questions. Drunken Immortal Hermit felt a little strange, so she explained, "Initially, the mortal demonic path cultivated by the Demon Emperor was actually a kind of Daoist practice that integrated cultivation into ordinary life. Rather than calling it a demonic path, it was just a lineage established by cultivators in the Southern Wilderness, so it was habitually given that name."

"There is no special method required to cultivate this path. Simply return to your true self and live freely, and you will gradually improve your cultivation."

Xiao Minghuang frowned, vaguely guessing what was going on, but remained silent.

Having said that, the Drunken Immortal Hermit paused, then continued, "Later, the Demon Emperor's path of cultivation could perhaps be called the true Demonic Path!"

"As far as I know, the essence of this lineage lies in having someone connected to one's spiritual karmic connection. When the time is right, this person is killed, and one's cultivation level can advance by leaps and bounds!"

As she spoke, her eyes filled with sorrow, she said mournfully, "This person was called the Red Dust Beacon... Back then, this person was my mother. Now, this person is me..."

Xiao Minghuang's heart clenched slightly. Although she had long guessed that the Demon Emperor was cultivating the true evil demonic path, she never expected that he would actually slaughter her own wife and daughters!

Seeing the hatred surging in the eyes of the Drunken Immortal Hermit, a chill ran through her heart. How could a human being be so cruel!

Although the Drunken Immortal Hermit did not explicitly state it, Xiao Minghuang could deduce that the Demon Emperor must have finally attained enlightenment and become emperor after killing his beloved wife.

The Drunken Immortal Hermit's face was deathly pale, his eyes filled with sorrow. He murmured, "First it was my mother, now it's my turn. I am the last person in this world connected to him. If he kills me, he will probably become an immortal on the spot..."

"Since you know the Demon Emperor will kill you sooner or later, why do you work for him?"

Although Xiao Minghuang felt disgusted by the Demon Emperor's behavior, these were all statements made by the Drunken Immortal Hermit alone. Based on the principle that a single piece of evidence is insufficient, she did not believe it immediately.

"Of course, it's for revenge!"

The Drunken Immortal Hermit sneered, his expression icy cold, as if frozen in ice. "The Demon Emperor is too powerful. If I rely on my own strength, I will never have any hope of revenge. But if I have a powerful ally, then everything will be different."

Xiao Minghuang frowned slightly and said, "The external aid you're talking about, is it the Eastern Pole Emperor?"

"No!"

The Drunken Immortal Hermit shook his head, looked at Xiao Minghuang, and said seriously, "The outside help I'm talking about is you!"

What does this mean?

The Drunken Immortal Hermit said, "You are the protagonist of this era. If anyone could..."

"Me?" Xiao Minghuang was stunned, then couldn't help but chuckle.

As if remembering something, she said in a daze, "So you've been lying to me all along. You weren't on the Demon Emperor's orders to contact me at all, were you?"

"The princess is absolutely right." The Drunken Immortal Hermit was exposed, but he did not panic at all. Instead, he looked relieved.

"The Demon Emperor is too powerful. If I directly ask the princess to fight against him, she might not agree. But if I say it's to fight against the Blood Demon and the Asura Path, it's much simpler. Plus, with all the benefits, the princess is more likely to agree."

Xiao Minghuang shook her head. "You lied to me. The previous agreement is null and void. It ends here between us."

After saying that, she turned to leave.

The Drunken Immortal Hermit hurriedly chased after her, urgently saying, "Princess, please wait!"

Xiao Minghuang stopped and turned to look at the Drunken Immortal Hermit with a blank expression, saying, "Is there anything else?"

The Drunken Immortal Hermit took a deep breath, mustered his courage, raised his eyes to meet Xiao Minghuang's gaze, and solemnly said, "I lied to the princess before, and that was my mistake. From now on, let's be frank. I will now tell the princess my true plan in its entirety, and I ask that the princess seriously consider it!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Minghuang pondered for a moment. Although the Drunken Immortal Hermit had deceived her, she had indeed kept her promise.

He kept his promise to help her advance to the Supreme Realm.

Aside from inviting her to a banquet and killing the Blood Demon, the Asura, and the Quanyuan Supreme, he had no other schemes against her.

Moreover, there was never any possibility of harmony between her and the Eastern Pole Emperor, and her killing of the Quanyuan Supreme only exacerbated the already tense relationship.

Therefore, there is no place for her in Zhongtian Dongji.

Currently, she is in the Southern Wilderness. If the Drunken Immortal Hermit's plan can improve her situation, it is not impossible for her to cooperate with him.

With that in mind, she said indifferently, "Speak."

Seeing that her attitude had softened slightly, the Drunken Immortal Hermit breathed a sigh of relief and said softly, "Princess, you should know that life has an end, and a realm also has an end. For the Eastern Pole of the Central Heaven, the era has restarted six times, and there is still one chance left. But for the Southern Wilderness, it has already come to an end."

"The world of the Southern Wilderness is much smaller than that of the Eastern Pole. In addition, with the fusion of worlds, the Heavenly Dao of the Southern Wilderness is almost completely suppressed by the Heavenly Dao of the Central Heaven and the Eastern Pole. Therefore, the Heavenly Dao of the Southern Wilderness actually has no chance to be merged again. Once it is severed, it will lead to the annihilation of the world!"

"The reason why the Demon Emperor unsealed me from the Spirit Source more than ten years ago was because the Southern Wilderness Epochal Annihilation. He had to dare to sever the Boundary Source and truly ascend to immortality before the Heavenly Dao completely decayed, otherwise he would decay and perish along with the Heavenly Dao."

Seeing that she was hesitant to get to the point, Xiao Minghuang frowned slightly and said, "I don't like beating around the bush."

The Drunken Immortal Hermit took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Then I'll get straight to the point. Although the Demon Emperor is strong, he is not invincible. Before he takes the crucial step of severing the Boundary Source, his strength will be greatly weakened. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the princess can seize the Boundary Source and kill the Demon Emperor!"

"The Demon Emperor cannot defeat the Eastern Pole Emperor, so he cannot maintain the existence of the Heavenly Dao by expanding. But the princess is different. If she can quickly launch an attack after merging with the World Source and expand the boundaries of the world, then the existence of the world will also continue. If the princess can completely defeat the Eastern Pole Emperor and take the World Source of the Eastern Pole of the Central Heaven into her possession, then she will naturally overcome this calamity with ease!"

After hearing the plan of the Drunken Immortal Hermit, Xiao Minghuang knew that the most crucial point of the whole matter was the timing. If they could not take advantage of the window of opportunity when the Demon Emperor had severed the source of the realm but had not yet become an immortal, then once the Demon Emperor successfully ascended to immortality, there would be no chance left!

After a moment's thought, Xiao Minghuang asked, "The Demon Emperor isn't stupid. With the Eastern Pole Emperor eyeing him covetously from the outside and the Blood Demon and Asura factions harboring treacherous intentions from within, how could he possibly sever his own World Origin if he wasn't certain of his safety?"

"Of course I have a way."

The Drunken Immortal Hermit smiled slightly, a resolute glint in his eyes, and said, "Besides confirming safety, there is another way to force the Demon Emperor to sever his own World Origin ahead of time!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Minghuang paused slightly, a possibility arising in her mind.

"You want to force the Demon Emperor to commit suicide prematurely at the cost of your own life?"

"The princess is indeed exceptionally intelligent; nothing can be hidden from you."

The Drunken Immortal Hermit smiled slightly, but there was no joy on his face; he seemed completely calm.

But Xiao Minghuang knew that at this moment, her emotions were on the verge of collapse.

481. Fighting Three Immortals Alone (Bonus Chapter)

"Princess, once you slay the Demon Emperor, you will not only obtain all of his resources, but also the Southern Wilderness Origin. With this, facing the Eastern Pole Emperor will not be difficult, thus resolving your dilemma. Princess, would you be willing to grant my terms?"

The Drunken Immortal Hermit stared intently at Xiao Minghuang.

Xiao Minghuang fell silent.

She knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If things went as planned, she would slay the Demon Emperor, merge with the Southern Wilderness Origin, defeat the Eastern Pole Emperor, and integrate all the remaining Origins of the Five Directions One Realm. From then on, only one Heavenly Dao would remain in these five worlds, and she would benefit immensely from it. The benefits would be unimaginable; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she would soar to great heights and roam the world like a dragon!

However, if things don't go smoothly, or if it turns out to be a scam, she might find herself trapped in a difficult situation...

Xiao Minghuang knew that life always presents us with choices...

Of course she knew that, theoretically speaking, the Supreme Being, the Earth Immortal, and the Great Emperor were all on the same level and had not transcended the limits of a single world.

Earthly Immortals reside in this world, yet they can communicate with the celestial realm and grasp a trace of Immortal Qi, making them utterly superior to Supreme Beings.

The Great Emperor merged with the source of the realm, acting on behalf of the will of Heaven, and was the ruler of the realm. No one could challenge the majesty of Heaven.

Both of these are far superior to Earth Immortals!

If one can merge with the source of the realm and communicate with the celestial realm to master Immortal Qi, then one is invincible among invincible beings!

Xiao Minghuang guessed that both the Demon Emperor and the Eastern Pole Emperor had mastered Immortal Qi while merging with the source of the realm. The Heavenly Dao of the Southern Wilderness was weak, while the Heavenly Dao of the Eastern Pole in the Central Heaven was strong. Based on this, the Eastern Pole Emperor should be stronger than the Demon Emperor. However, Xiao Minghuang did not know who had a higher concentration of Immortal Qi.

However, either of these two is far stronger than Xiao Minghuang!

If she were to face a Demon Emperor at his peak, she probably wouldn't have much of a chance. But if it were a Demon Emperor who had severed his own World Source and was only in the Earth Immortal state, she felt she had a better chance.

After pondering for a long time.

Xiao Minghuang slowly said, "I promise you."

"However, this is a one-time exception, and I hope you will keep your promise."

"Don't worry, there will never be a second time!" The Drunken Immortal Hermit's lips curled up slightly, as if he had already anticipated Xiao Minghuang's choice, appearing confident and assured.

Central Demon City.

Inside the Shi Mansion.

When Xiao Minghuang and the Drunken Immortal Hermit appeared in the mansion, the Netherworld Demon Venerable was overjoyed.

"Miss, Princess, you're back!"

Hearing his address, the Drunken Immortal Hermit explained, "The Netherworld Demon Venerable is a member of my mother's clan, absolutely reliable!"

"Miss, you..."

The Netherworld Demon Venerable hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"I've already told the princess the whole plan, and she's promised to help us."

Upon hearing this, the Netherworld Demon Venerable breathed a sigh of relief. He had originally thought that, given Princess Xiao's personality, she might turn on him on the spot once she discovered she had been deceived.

From the beginning, he did not approve of deceiving Princess Xiao, but Drunken Immortal Hermit insisted, he did not object.

What are your plans for the future?

Xiao Minghuang asked.

"Head to the Devil Palace, confront the Demon Emperor, and then proceed according to plan!"

"The Drunken Immortal Hermit said in a deep voice."

Upon hearing this, the Netherworld Demon Venerable was slightly startled. "So soon? Shouldn't we wait for the princess to rest for a while longer?"

The Drunken Immortal Hermit looked at Xiao Minghuang and said solemnly, "The Demon Emperor already knows about the death of the Blood Demon Ancestor. If you cannot confront the Demon Emperor soon, once he mobilizes his subordinates, you may have to face more than just the Demon Emperor!"

"Subordinates?" Xiao Minghuang frowned slightly and said, "The Blood Demon Ancestor is dead. Perhaps the Asura Ancestor remains? But these two are not of one mind with the Demon Emperor, so why would they risk their lives for him?"

The Drunken Immortal Hermit shook his head and said, "The Demon Emperor's subordinates are not Six Paths Earth Immortals, but rather servants he cultivated himself, just like Ren Wuqing. If he hadn't died at the hands of the princess, he would have become an Earth Immortal sooner or later."

"These servants all have some flaws and cannot exist for long, so they are usually sealed within the Spirit Source and only appear when they are needed for battle."

"Therefore, we must hurry, otherwise the princess will probably have to face several more Earth Immortals!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Minghuang felt that the Demon Emperor might have already made preparations, and she would inevitably have to face even more enemies.

"How many Earth Immortal servants does the Demon Emperor have in total?"

At this moment, the Netherworld Demon Venerable spoke up, "At least two people, and at most no more than four."

The thought of potentially facing four Earth Immortals filled Xiao Minghuang with a surge of excitement, making him yearn for an immediate battle!

It had been a very, very long time since she had a truly satisfying battle.

After discussing with the Drunken Immortal Hermit, Xiao Minghuang decided to set off immediately for the Devil Palace.

Half a day later.

The Drunken Immortal Hermit stood before the Devil Palace gate, gazing up at the towering, dark red pagoda that seemed to reach into the clouds, his expression complex.

Let's go.

After saying this casually, Xiao Minghuang took the lead and walked towards the Devil Palace.

Seeing this, the Netherworld Demon Venerable followed closely behind.

Guards were stationed outside the Devil Palace. Seeing the three approaching, the Guard Captain quickly came forward, giving Xiao Minghuang a careful look before asking:

"So you are the Drunken Immortal Hermit. May I ask if you have any edicts from the Devil Master?"

The Drunken Immortal Hermit explained, "This representative of the Southern Wilderness Peace Negotiation Envoy Group has important matters to discuss with the Devil Master."

As she spoke, she took out a gold medal and handed it to the Guard Captain. He looked at it, nodded, and respectfully said, "Please come in!"

Xiao Minghuang and his two companions stepped into the Devil Palace.

As soon as Xiao Minghuang stepped into the Devil Palace, she felt that the surrounding environment was constantly changing.

This is... spatial teleportation!

Xiao Minghuang paused, realizing that the so-called Central Devil Palace was actually an independent small world, even more stable and powerful than the small worlds of the holy lands and aristocratic families in the Eastern Pole of Zhongtian!

Inside the Devil Palace, luxury and splendor were on full display, exuding an aura of dominance.

The three walked along the wide palace corridor, heading straight into the depths of the Devil Palace.

Along the way, they encountered many guards from the Devil Palace. These guards all had cold and stern faces, sharp eyes, and exuded a murderous aura, like a sharp sword with its edge fully exposed!

Xiao Minghuang glanced at them and realized that the lowest level among these guards was the Saint Realm.

Saint...

In the outside world, whether in the Eastern Pole or the Southern Wilderness, they are considered a dominant force!

Xiao Minghuang felt a chill run down her spine.

Soon, the three arrived at a magnificent palace, which was the residence of the Demon Emperor.