Pu Yunchuan.
Ziyue never imagined that Pu Yunchuan, whom they had been searching for for so long, would actually be here.
Was the person she had always been waiting for actually dead?
"You remember this name, right?" The old Celestial Master said with a gentle smile, "It's not surprising. When the Ancient Demon who absorbed Pu Yunchuan reported this matter, almost no one in the entire clan believed it. If he hadn't proven it time and time again, we wouldn't have believed that such a thing could actually happen."
"And then..." Ziyue asked, taking a deep breath.
"So later, after we confirmed that what that kinsman said was true, the Warlock Dynasty plan began."
Ziyue: "So the so-called Warlock Dynasty wasn't actually the pinnacle of warlocks at all, but rather a scheme orchestrated by you Ancient Demon?"
"It's not quite like that," the old Celestial Master said with some emotion. "That was indeed the pinnacle of sorcerers. Back then, we looked down on the dragon race, thinking they had to rely on weak humans to contend with the Heavenly Python Palace. But it wasn't until we truly understood these prey that we realized the potential of the human race was truly extraordinary. We, as alien races, hadn't seen through it all these years, and were fortunate enough to keep them as prey all this time. We were really lucky."
" The Warlock Dynasty existed for only ten thousand years. Ten thousand years may be a long time for hundreds of generations in the short lifespan of humans, but for us beings, it is just a blink of an eye. Yet, in such a short time, those humans were able to innovate magic techniques that had not evolved for billions of years to an unimaginable degree. Fortunately, humans have inherent disadvantages, otherwise, where would we be in this world?"
"I'm afraid it's not just humans, is it?" Ziyue sneered.
Humanity's innovative spirit is inherited from real-world humans. If used properly, it can indeed lead to groundbreaking innovations in techniques in a very short time. That's what the Dragon Palace faction did back then. However, the Dragon Palace faction has been doing this for over a Samsara, monopolizing the world for millions of years. How could humanity alone possibly have achieved such a leading position?
"Of course," the old celestial master grinned, "The glory of the Warlock Dynasty owes much to those Reincarnator!"
Ziyue: "I've always wondered, how did you manage to track down those Reincarnator?"
This was the memory she least wanted to recall. Not only was she caught immediately, but her entire family was slaughtered. Afterward, she had to watch helplessly as her compatriots were also captured and, like herself, turned into experimental beasts, suffering their own tortures. The worst part was that they had to kill each other.
She still can't remember how she got through that period.
"I can only say that Heaven has blessed our Ancient Demon Clan." The Celestial Master grinned wildly at the mention of this. "When Pu Yunchuan arrived here, the first thing he wanted to fight was never us Ancient Demon, but the Four Great Guilds. He knew that to fight them, he had to unite with the oppressed Reincarnator and find them in a short time. So he developed a method to quickly identify Reincarnator. Unfortunately, before he could implement it, he was unexpectedly killed by an Ancient Demon who suddenly awakened during a trip to explore the ancient lands."
"Our Ancient Demon Clan can absorb a portion of the memories and talents of other species, but it just so happens that we have taken this crucial part. It can only be said that fate is not on the side of those Reincarnator; they are destined to be nothing more than nourishment for our Ancient Demon Clan."
"Is that so?"
Knowing the whole truth, Ziyue felt an icy chill in her heart. Was this all there was to the truth?
All of this was caused by just one fatal mistake by Pu Yunchuan?
How ridiculous!
You, who always enjoyed making things difficult for players and creating monster-level challenges, never thought you'd end up losing it yourself, did you?
But you've caused us so much suffering!
Ziyue lowered her head, unsure whether to cry or laugh, feeling utterly exhausted, suddenly overwhelmed by a weariness that made her not want to continue.
"It's not time to rest yet, Ziyue," the old celestial master said. "The Ancient Demon Clan is at a critical juncture. If we succeed this time, it will be the glorious moment for our Ancient Demon Dynasty. How long are you going to wallow in depravity?"
"What do you mean?" Ziyue was taken aback.
"Even now, do you still believe you are one of the Reincarnator?" Celestial Master Zhang sighed, "Your Highness!!"
Ziyue: "."
--
"Senior, are we really going to take this slow journey by merchant ship?" Wei Gongzhan frowned as he looked at the slow-moving merchant ship. From Wei Gongcheng, he sensed that this mission seemed very urgent, but Ao Zhen's itinerary did not seem to be in a hurry.
Ao Zhen glanced at the other person, somewhat puzzled. This young man didn't seem to have much experience, so why recommend him?
" The South Sea has been unsealed for almost two years. In such a long time, even if the South Sea families are slow, they must have unsealed many South Sea creatures. If the strategy is well-planned, there is a high possibility that there will be scouts like the Youyun Jellyfish. Those creatures have tentacles that can extend for thousands of meters and sense areas hundreds of miles away. It is impossible to enter the sea silently. As for the land, it is even more troublesome. If you want to travel quickly without consuming your vital energy, you have to use a dragon steed. These horses with dragon blood can be sensed by aquatic creatures thousands of miles away."
"If you walk there quickly, you'll deplete your energy and blood, and you won't be able to recover quickly outside, which isn't a good thing."
"I see." Wei Gongzhan scratched his head sheepishly, immediately understanding what the other person meant.
He now understands that what the force lacks most right now is Blood Essence Stone. Top experts like Ao Zhen recover very slowly once they use up too much of their blood essence.
Because the Earth Spirit is not yet abundant, people of their level cannot use something called Dragon Breath Spell to quickly restore their physical strength. At present, only Great Azure Mountain in Jiangnan with the most abundant spiritual energy, can barely supply Ao Zhen Dragon Breath Spell.
If they were outside, excessive exertion would be fatal for them.
Although merchant ships are slow, they are more discreet. Trade with Jiangnan is something that no power except the Northern Lands wants to refuse, including Cloud Capital. In order to attract people and wealthy merchants, the South Sea will not refuse all kinds of luxury goods from Jiangnan. It has opened up the most friendly policies to promote trade. The volume of trade in the coastal defense is huge, and the inspection is very lax. This is the intelligence brought back by various merchants.
Murong Yunji, standing to the side, remained quite calm. She had done this kind of thing—infiltrating enemy territory through caravans—quite a few times before. She hadn't expected that these top-tier demons had some tricks up their sleeves and weren't much different from humans.
"I really don't understand, why does Chen Qing have so many things to do every day?" Murong Yunji yawned and said, "We clearly don't have enough troops right now, yet you still have to meddle in the affairs of the South Sea. Even if something really happens in the South Sea, what does it have to do with us?"
" Senior Murong, our lord is a figure as formidable as His Majesty. If he cares about something, it must be urgent. Please treat it with utmost care." Wei Gongzhan frowned.
"It's not your place, you brat, to lecture me." Murong Yunji sneered.
"Actually, I'm also very curious," Ao Zhen said. " The South Sea Dragon King has been around for so many years, and he always seems to be indifferent to everything. Among the four seas, the South Sea's resources are second only to the East Sea China Sea, but he seems to have no presence. He likes to smooth things over and never fights for anything good. My father once said that the South Sea might be plotting something bigger."
"Your father, the one you had a falling out with?" Murong Yunji raised an eyebrow.
Ao Zhen said coldly, "Although they've fallen out, his judgment has always been very sharp. That South Sea Dragon King is indeed not quite normal; if he truly has grand ambitions..."
At this point, Ao Zhen suddenly frowned and looked sharply towards the bow of the ship.
"What's wrong?" Murong Yunji was taken aback, then looked around warily.
"I don't know why," Ao Zhen stood up solemnly, "I just feel... there's a very uncomfortable, strange feeling about this place. Something's not right."
Upon hearing this, Wei Gongzhan looked ahead and saw the dock of South Sea City.