Is This Some Kind of Open Audition?

Three hundred li away, in an unnamed mountain valley.

Venus Star Lord and True Man Xu Jingyang had followed Su Yuan's instructions and set up a formation around the valley's perimeter to conceal tracks and sever all detection.

True Man Xu Jingyang maintained the hand seals that kept the formation running, worry unconsciously surfacing on his face.

He turned to Venus Star Lord beside him and whispered:

"Venus Star Lord, is it not too risky for the two of us to toil here maintaining the formation while Little Su goes in alone to negotiate with those six long-established demon kings? What if the talks fall through and they start fighting..."

Venus Star Lord was intently adjusting one of the formation nodes. At this, he shot Xu Jingyang an annoyed look.

"Nonsense! Do you think this old man wouldn't rather be back on the flying vessel, drinking immortal tea, listening to immortal music, and resting comfortably?"

"But would you dare let that brat Su Yuan set up this 'Two-Polarity Dust-Concealing Formation'? Hm? Do you think he even knows how?"

He paused, then cursed in exasperation:

"That brat's every last bit of skill is in his scheming head and slippery tongue! Other than a few escape techniques to save his life, have you ever seen him properly form a decent hand seal? Set up a complete formation?"

True Man Xu Jingyang was left speechless, then laughed and shook his head.

"Sigh, that is true. Thinking back, I have indeed never seen Little Su use any particularly exquisite spellcraft. I have no idea how this child cultivated his way to this level. He truly is an anomaly."

Venus Star Lord smiled.

"Still, this old man has quite a bit of confidence in him. Besides—"

His tone shifted as he mocked himself.

"The 'bounty' offered by the Heavenly Court this time is generous enough to tempt even me, let alone those country-bumpkin demon kings of the lower realms."

As they spoke, a streak of golden light shot past.

Sun Wukong grabbed Su Yuan by the arm and came to a dead stop directly before Venus Star Lord.

"Hehe, old Taibai, Xu Heavenly Master, we meet again!"

Wukong greeted them with a grin, clearly in high spirits.

Venus Star Lord and Xu Jingyang hurriedly cupped their hands.

"Great Sage, we trust you have been well. Your bearing surpasses even that of old!"

Su Yuan swiftly took four sets of loose black robes, identical to those from the black market, out of his storage artifact.

He efficiently put one on himself, pulling the hood low to hide his face, then handed the rest to the others.

"Great Sage, stop chatting and put this on. Don't expose your identity."

Then he took out another stack of black robes, walked to a conspicuous spot at the valley entrance, and neatly piled them atop a rock.

Beside them, a line of small words floated in the air by means of spiritual power: "Take one yourself. No noise."

After finishing all this, Su Yuan returned to a large rock in the center of the valley and sat down.

His eyes watched his nose, his nose watched his heart. Like an old monk in meditation, he quietly waited for "fated demons."

Sun Wukong wore a black robe, but there was no way he could sit still. He sat beside Su Yuan, scratching at his ears and cheeks while muttering:

"It's useless, Little Su. I know my brothers best. Every one of them is an iron-boned hero who values loyalty! You're destined to waste your effort."

Su Yuan reminded him quietly:

"Stop crossing your legs and shaking them around. Anyone can tell at a glance you're a monkey."

"What a pain!"

Wukong complained.

"How about Old Sun hides in your ear again? Better than being bored stiff out here."

Before Su Yuan could agree, Sun Wukong had already transformed into a streak of golden light and drilled inside.

"Great Sage, I need a small favor from you. Pluck a handful of hairs..."

And so it went, this and that.

The moment Wukong heard it, he was delighted.

"Hehe! Interesting! Too interesting! Old Sun is good at causing trouble! Watch me!"

As he spoke, Su Yuan's ear tingled slightly. He heard Wukong mutter an incantation as he silently plucked a tuft of hair, brought it to his mouth, and blew—

In an instant, twenty or thirty figures clad in identical black robes silently appeared throughout the valley, every one of them radiating towering demonic aura.

Su Yuan looked at the valley, which had suddenly become so "lively," and nodded in satisfaction.

Done! This is exactly the effect I wanted!

He secretly congratulated himself.

It was like those future real estate offices. Before a launch, they would always hire a bunch of people to queue up as fake buyers, creating the impression that properties were being snapped up; or like those trendy milk tea shops that hired people to crowd around their entrances, making their drinks seem impossibly in demand.

Human nature remains the same throughout the ages, and immortals and demons are no exception. The principle is simple: the more sought-after something is, the more it makes people itch to have it.

These Great Sages all think highly of themselves. Each one thinks he is a one-of-a-kind prize, ready to put on airs and demand the moon from me. Well, now they can take a look at this scene! Dozens of "demon kings" are waiting here! Let's see who can still sit tight!

He continued giving instructions to Wukong in his ear:

"When someone arrives, have them occasionally whisper among themselves and look anxious and impatient. Better yet, have a few come ask me now and then, 'When will it begin?' or 'I got here first, can I get a discount?' Let them complain about having waited a long time."

Very soon, a black-robed figure landed soundlessly on the ground.

Su Yuan immediately heard Wukong's voice transmission.

"No sound when he landed. It's that big cat."

The Lion-Camel King had just opened his mouth to speak in his deep, muffled voice.

But as his gaze swept across the valley, he abruptly discovered that more than twenty black-robed figures stood scattered throughout it!

Their faces were hidden beneath their robes, but the faint demonic auras drifting from them clearly belonged to powerful demons not to be trifled with!

The Lion-Camel King's heart skipped a beat.

What is going on? Wasn't this supposed to be a damn secret recruitment? Why are there so many competitors here? Is the Heavenly Court casting a wide net? Could Big Bird and Little Snake be among them?

His originally haughty manner involuntarily softened. He pushed through the crowd and moved to the center.

"Ahem! Envoy, this king has arrived! What exactly are your terms?"

Su Yuan remained silent, merely raising a hand to signal him to wait calmly.

At that moment, one of the "black-robed duplicates" also strolled up near Su Yuan and asked impatiently:

"Honored Envoy, when exactly will this begin? I turned down several important matters to come here. Are we still going to keep waiting?"

His tone carried obvious irritation.

Another "duplicate" cooperatively gave a cold snort, rebuking him for cutting in line and telling him to get to the back.

The Lion-Camel King's heart sank even further.

The Heavenly Court is making such a huge move this time?

Immediately after, golden light flashed, and the second Great Sage arrived.

One Great Sage after another continued to arrive, and the pressure on everyone grew still greater.

Sun Wukong was having the time of his life. He even controlled two "black-robed demon kings" to fight over their spots, continuously clashing their auras against each other.

Another "black-robed demon king" shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Envoy! State your terms already! If they're suitable, I can settle this right now!"

The demon kings nearby joined in the commotion.

"Envoy! I'm cheaper than him! I only want ninety percent!"

"I'll take eighty percent!"

"Envoy, I only want half the reward! I'll offer the other half to you as tribute!"

The last Great Sage to arrive saw the dozens of "demon kings" in the valley and was completely dumbfounded. He blurted out:

"Damn it! How many are you Heavenly Court people trying to recruit? Why are there so many here? Is this some kind of open audition?"