The appearance of Deng Jue made Chen Shuangbai realize that the gates of the Water Mansion had most likely already been breached.
After all, with so many Golden Core True Person and Golden Core demon kings watching from outside, if they all exerted their strength together, even if it took a long time, they could wear down the restrictions placed on that sect member.
He had already spent a considerable amount of time in front of that main hall, and by now, quite a few people must have already poured in.
Before the palace gate.
The three-way balance of power between the human and the two demons was already established, but now that Chen Shuangbai has suddenly appeared, the atmosphere has become quite tense.
But that's not all.
It seemed that the previous fight with Deng Jue had been too loud, attracting onlookers. Soon, two more people arrived, one human and one demon, both at the Golden Core level.
The scene then became a standoff between three Golden Core True Person cultivators who were originally human cultivators and three Golden Core demon kings who were originally Demon Cultivator.
The atmosphere became even more subtle.
Chen Shuangbai looked around and saw that the two people were cultivating the Golden Core. One of them was wearing a black Daoist robe, with a clear and handsome face, three long wisps of beard flowing down his chest, holding a jade whisk, and surrounded by a faint light. He had an otherworldly temperament and was obviously a True Person who cultivated the orthodox Daoist methods.
The other one appeared to be a young man, dressed in a purple outfit, with a sword on his back. His body was surrounded by shimmering purple flames, and his eyes were bright and piercing, clearly indicating that he also practiced the way of the sword.
As for those three Golden Core Demon Kings...
He had indeed seen one of them, Mo Jia from Black Wall Cave. The other two were different. One wore a colorful feather robe and a golden crown, with a strange face. The other was surrounded by water vapor, with pitch-black eyes, shiny scales on his neck and arms, and a fishy smell. He must have been a sea Demon Beast in human form.
The six looked at each other, not in a manner typical of human cultivators and Demon Cultivator standing together, but rather with mutual hostility and wariness.
Just as the atmosphere was growing increasingly tense, the gaunt Daoist priest, dressed in a dark blue robe, suddenly spoke.
"I am Xuanqing from Purple Luo Island. This Grotto-Heaven so vast, the treasures inside must be extraordinary. But rather than fighting before the restrictions are lifted, and ending up losing both people and wealth... how about we put aside our differences and join forces to break the restrictions first?"
Purple Luo Island...
Chen Shuangbai's face remained expressionless as she silently recalled this power.
He was somewhat well-known at sea, not through a sect, but through the Aristocratic Clan. On the island, he was said to be surnamed Li... so his full name should be Li Xuanqing.
The demon kings and True Person present all showed thoughtful expressions.
A moment later, the flamboyantly dressed demon king spoke first, sneering, "You think we can just join forces like that?"
"You humans are known for their cunning and deceit; I do not believe you!"
Upon hearing this, Daoist Xuanqing was not annoyed. His face remained smiling as he looked at the demon king among the three, the one with the bright white scales, and said with a smile, " Demon King Shuiying, what do you think?"
Among the Sixteen Demon Caves at sea, there are quite a few demons who are birds, beasts, and sea creatures. This gorgeous demon king is obviously a bird demon. Judging from her colorful feathers, she is probably the Peacock from the [ Colored Light Cave ].
As for that stinking, bright white scale-covered demon king... the Demon King Shuiying, he must have been a sea beast that had become a demon.
Upon hearing this, the Demon King Shuiying remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking, his voice low and hoarse, as if carrying the salty smell of the sea. " King Huaguang, the restrictions in front of this palace are extremely strong. I tried to break them just now, but I couldn't... Human cultivators do have some skill in this area."
The Peacock Demon King, known as the King Huaguang, chuckled softly and snorted coldly. Although he did not object further, he did not explicitly agree either. He simply crossed his arms and watched coldly from the sidelines.
Daoist Xuanqing then looked at Mo Jia and asked with a smile, " Demon King Moling... I wonder what you mean?"
Mo Jia's slanted eyes flickered slightly, his dark green pupils carrying a smile, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, as he laughed, "Since King Huaguang and King Shuiying have no objections, I naturally have none either."
"Only..."
His snake-like eyes swept between Chen Shuangbai and the sword-wielding youth, and he chuckled softly, "But I'm afraid these two... probably won't agree."
Daoist Xuanqing looked over upon hearing the sound.
In his mind, the two, being human cultivators, should have strongly supported him.
But since Mo Jia had already spoken, he naturally had to ask as well. So he walked over, a businessman's smile on his face, raised his hand in a gesture of greeting, and was about to ask, "May I ask who you two are...?"
Before Chen Shuangbai could speak, the young man with the sword on his back gave a cold laugh. The bluish-purple flames clinging to his robes seemed to come alive with the laugh, spreading to the ground and taking the shape of a red bird. The air instantly became scorching hot.
Purple Luo Island?
He scoffed, his gaze sweeping over Daoist Xuanqing with disdain, and mocked, "Where did this chicken and dog come from, daring to make me grovel and form an alliance with such a lowly demon!"
Even with his thick skin, Daoist Xuanqing's face flushed red and then blackened from the sword-wielding youth's direct sarcasm. He opened his mouth to curse, but then he saw the image of the phoenix emerging from the purplish-blue flames and suddenly remembered something, asking in a low voice:
"The image of the Crimson Bird... Are you Du Taixuan of the [ Fuluo Sect ]?"
The young man carrying the sword, Du Taixuan of the Fuluo Sect, Middle Golden Core Stage True Person, coldly observed this rare Golden Core from Purple Luo Island and sneered, "There's no reward for recognizing him."
"Our Fuluo Sect has never allied itself with demons; the alliance is hereby called off."
That's all.
Without waiting for Daoist Xuanqing to say anything more, the fire beneath his feet soared into the sky, transformed into a red bird, and then vanished in a streak of red light.
Chen Shuangbai found it amusing.
This person probably felt that he couldn't defeat these three Golden Core Demon Kings alone, but the sect's rules of conduct made it difficult to get close to demons, so he simply left to avoid violating his principles of conduct.
Seeing him leave, Daoist Xuanqing's face remained furious, but he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Chen Shuangbai observed this and thought to himself that the Fuluo Sect must be quite extraordinary at sea.
With Du Taixuan gone, only two people and three demons remained in this place.
Daoist Xuanqing looked at Chen Shuangbai, wanting to ask a question, but at this moment, Mo Jia suddenly interrupted, chuckling softly, "You've come to the right person."
"This True Person Xuhong of the Jade Spring Sect treats breaking restrictions like a piece of cake!"
Mo Jia revealed Chen Shuangbai's identity, and the others immediately understood.
Daoist Xuanqing was alright, but the other two demon kings stared intently at Chen Shuangbai, as if they were sizing him up or comparing him, trying to see what was so extraordinary about this young man.
But facing the gazes of the four Golden Core cultivators, Chen Shuangbai showed no fear whatsoever, standing there openly, the sunlight falling on him, making his eyes shine brightly.
Looking into their eyes is like facing a bottomless, icy pool, where undercurrents surge beneath the calm surface, making one dare not underestimate them in the slightest.