Hollow Ridge became lively once again.

Considering that the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance could start a war at any moment, many demonic cultivators worked day and night to repair the formations and strengthen defences. Wu Yimei was extremely busy every day.

Du Meng, who no longer needed to be chased by Xie Huai, finally breathed a sigh of relief, albeit with complicated feelings from the past.

But even if he was unwilling, he could only obey orders now.

The demonic sects in the Spiritual Immortal Realm learned that the demon Lord had returned, and even Du Meng re-submitted. Under the formidable pressure of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, many demonic sects gradually chose to join Hollow Ridge voluntarily.

The population on Hollow Ridge kept increasing.

Fang Li didn't worry about preparing for battle; he entrusted everything to Wu Yimei. At least until the threat from the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance was resolved, he wasn't afraid of these demonic cultivators betraying him.

In the sleeping chamber of the Demon Palace.

Smoke curled in the room.

Fang Li's robe was loose, his eyes slightly red. He hummed lightly, trying to sit up from the bed. However, when he attempted to rise, Xie Huai pulled him back into his embrace.

Was this the strength of the number one person in the world?

Even though Fang Li's body was extremely strong, he felt a bit overwhelmed now. He quickly held Xie Huai's hand, saying in a deep voice, "We should gradually progress in cultivation and balance work with rest."

Xie Huai's black eyes glanced over Fang Li's slightly flushed face, and with a smile in his cold eyes, he murmured in his ear, "Your Excellency is right."

Fang Li let out a sigh.

Since he had reached a bottleneck in cultivation and made no progress even after staying in seclusion for days, it was time to go out and relax a bit!

When Fang Li got out of bed, his legs trembled a bit. He meticulously put on his black robe, cleared his throat, and then said in a serious tone, "I'll go and check on the progress of the formations being built on Hollow Ridge."

Xie Huai didn't stop him, his lips curling slightly as he said, "I'll accompany Your Excellency."

Fang Li thought that as long as he wasn't in the room, it would be fine, so he nodded.

The two went out together.

The demon servants outside the sleeping chamber immediately knelt respectfully when they saw the Lord finally come out of seclusion.

Fang Li walked in Hollow Ridge.

It was becoming more and more similar to nine years ago, bustling and crowded with demonic cultivators everywhere. When these cultivators saw him, they all saluted respectfully.

Many of them had seen Xie Huai nine years ago when he was brought back as a prisoner by Fang Li. They disapproved of Xie Huai's arrogance and abuse of favour from Fang Li. But now, seeing Xie Huai standing beside Fang Li, their feelings were different. He indeed had the qualifications to be arrogant due to his favour.

After the two walked away, these demonic cultivators couldn't help but whisper.

"Our Lord truly has the ability. He actually subdued the Gentleman of Jade. You didn't see it, but I did! The Lord and the Gentleman of Jade stayed secluded for ten days. They must have been rejoicing every night!"

"To make the number one person in the world, the Gentleman of Jade, submit to him, our Lord truly deserves to be the number one in the demonic path. He's given us demonic cultivators some face!"

"Hey, did you notice the marks on the Lord's neck? Who would have thought that the Gentleman of Jade, who seems so cold, is actually quite passionate in private..."

"But speaking of it, the Lord always followed the Gentleman of Jade's advice back then. Now it seems like he's even more concerned about the Gentleman of Jade. In the future, who knows who will be the master of Hollow Ridge? It's foolish to let desire cloud your judgment!"

Fang Li's ears turned slightly red as he felt embarrassed. What nonsense were these people talking about?

Just as Fang Li felt uneasy, Xie Huai suddenly held his hand and smiled gently, "It's all right."

Fang Li was taken aback.

Xie Huai's eyes contained a smile as he said meaningfully in a low voice, "To make the Lord lose his senses for me is my honor."

Fang Li looked at Xie Huai in astonishment.

He couldn't refute that statement.

If Xie Huai wasn't so handsome, would he have fallen for a man?

Fang Li cleared his throat, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

Xie Huai held Fang Li's wrist with his fingers, paused for a moment, then leaned close to Fang Li's ear and said meaningfully, "But they say I'm arrogant because of favouritism. To not disappoint the Lord's love, it seems I'll have to work harder in the future to serve the Lord..."

Fang Li: "..."

Wherever the two went, they attracted attention. Fang Li was admired and respected by the demonic cultivators, while Xie Huai seemed in good spirits, completely indifferent to the gossip. However, Fang Li's mood became heavier...

He regretted coming out this time.

While he had gained face, the substance...

If this continued, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to leave home when he returned. Fang Li's expression stiffened, and he said stiffly, "Let's go back."

However, Xie Huai continued to hold his hand and walked forward. He said lightly, "Didn't we agree to inspect the formations? I'll accompany Your Excellency."

Fang Li: "..."

For the first time, Fang Li felt overwhelmed by the admiration of others. However, since he had proposed going out first, he could only continue reluctantly.

As they walked, they ran into Wu Yimei returning from outside.

Seeing the tightly clasped hands of the two, a displeased expression flickered in Wu Yimei's eyes. Xie Huai had been monopolizing the Lord's time these days. It wasn't easy to see the Lord even for a moment. Now that the Lord had finally come out, he was behaving like this. After all, the Lord was the number one person in the world. He should be a bit more dignified!

 

Although Wu Yimei still found Xie Huai unpleasant, he would never show it in front of Fang Li. He took a deep breath and respectfully said to Fang Li, "I have something to report."

Something to report? Finally, they could go back!

Fang Li nodded and smiled, "Alright, let's talk about it when we get back."

They returned to the study room in the sleeping chamber.

Wu Yimi glanced at Xie Huai. He needed to discuss matters with Fang Li. What was Xie Huai doing here? However, Xie Huai remained indifferent, showing no intention of avoiding anything.

Fang Li used to avoid Xie Huai whenever he was with Wu Yimei. Now that Xie Huai was the closest person to Fang Li, there was no need for him to avoid anything.

Indeed, Fang Li didn't notice Wu Yimei's expression at all and directly asked, "What do you have to say?"

Wu Yimei felt a bit suffocated under Xie Huai's gaze. It seemed that Fang Li couldn't see anything when Xie Huai was around. He had no choice but to say to Fang Li, "The Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance has been amassing troops near Xuanxing Tower. The elite forces of the Four Great Immortal Sects are mobilizing, along with tens of thousands of cultivators from other sects. They could attack Hollow Ridge at any time."

Fang Li pondered.

Fu Junling had recently attempted to use a soft approach, asking Fang Li to hand over the Black Talisman. Fang Li had firmly refused at the time. But now it seemed that Fu Junling was losing patience. This might be just a show to pressure Fang Li. If he didn't hand over the Black Talisman obediently, they might resort to force.

However, it also indicated that Fu Junling didn't actually want to act now...

Xie Huai suddenly spoke lightly, "Since the Saint is willing to fight, we shouldn't be afraid. Let's fulfill his wish."

Fang Li smiled.

Xie Huai indeed understood him well.

If Fang Li hadn't exposed Fu Junling's identity, he might have continued to hide it. Now that Fu Junling had revealed himself and was leveraging the power of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, but hesitating to act, it was evident that he had concerns.

Fu Junling currently had two concerns: he wasn't confident in dealing with Xie Huai, the number one person in the world, and he was afraid that he would use the Black Talisman with the risk for Fu Junling to perish.

Hence, he was reluctant to act.

Fang Li wouldn't be intimidated by Fu Junling.

Since Fu Junling currently didn't have the confidence to deal with them, there was no reason to wait for him to gain confidence... They should give him some motivation to force his hand.

The initiative should be on their side.

*

Thousands of miles away, at Xuanxing Tower.

The hall that had been shattered by Xie Huai's sword was now abandoned. Xuanxing Tower had erected another suspended hall as the current meeting place for the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance.

Fu Junling sat at the top, supporting his chin with one hand, with a calm and slightly closed eyes.

Below, the leaders of various sects were discussing animatedly.

Qi Ding had been in high spirits lately!

The reincarnation of the Holy Venerable was actually in his Xuanxing Tower, which meant that the fortune was smiling upon his Xuanxing Tower!

Although the Holy Venerable was the leader of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, his close relationship with Xuanxing Tower made them the foremost among the Four Great Immortal Sects. Since the Holy Venerable preferred not to involve himself in worldly matters, it was only natural for Xuanxing Tower to handle the messy affairs of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance.

With many cultivators gathering at Xuanxing Tower recently, the leaders of various sects showed much more respect to him, and many were trying to get closer to him...

Qi Ding was pleased with himself and served Fu Junling attentively, following his every word.

Xin Hanzhou stood indifferently on the side, watching Qi Ding's triumphant appearance. How could he not see Qi Ding's ambitions? Qi Ding obviously had grand ambitions.

Although the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance was established by Jiuxiao Mountain, he was not as persuasive as the Holy Venerable. He hadn't been able to take the position of the leader of the alliance for so many years. As long as the Holy Venerable was in power, he wouldn't say anything, but if the Holy Venerable didn't interfere in affairs anymore, who would become the leader of the alliance was still uncertain.

Ji Yuyao sat with closed eyes on the side, showing no interest in the position of the leader. However, there were some issues with her cultivation technique that had not progressed over the years. If she could get some advice from the Holy Venerable, it would be excellent. For this reason, she was willing to follow the other's orders.

Only Ming Yin, the master of Cloudbank Keep, stood silently in the corner with a group of disciples from Cloudbank Keep, not saying a word.

Although they were both among the Four Great Immortal Sects, Cloudbank Keep was subtly marginalized.

Even though Xie Huai decisively injured himself and left Cloudbank Keep, he was still originally from Cloudbank Keep, and there were still many rumours and gossip surrounding him.

Ming Yin looked worried.

Although Cloudbank Keep had to recognize the authority of the Holy Venerable, recalling what Xie Huai had said before, Ming Yin couldn't help but feel uneasy. He didn't want to doubt the Holy Venerable, but he didn't want to doubt Xie Huai either...

No matter how many legends there were about the Holy Venerable, they were all too distant in the past. Ming Yin didn't understand him, but he had seen Xie Huai grow up with his own eyes. He knew Xie Huai's character very well and knew that he would never compromise with the demons. There must be something hidden in this. Could it be that the Holy Venerable really...?

But now he couldn't say anything.

As the current master of Cloudbank Keep, he had the responsibility to protect the sect. He couldn't act recklessly and disregard the consequences. Now he could only hope that Xie Huai could take care of himself.

Not long ago, news came that the Demon Lord had returned to power.

It was said that Xie Huai was sitting side by side with the Demon Lord, openly accepting the demon's worship, and had already become a demon himself. Ming Yin felt both heartache and anxious. The inevitable battle between the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance and Hollow Ridge was approaching, and he truly didn't want his beloved disciple to turn his blade against him.

"Oh, isn't this Ming Yin, the master of Cloudbank Keep? Now that Xie Huai has become a demon lord, what do you, his master, think?" The lord of Sifang Fort sneered.

Ming Yin's face turned ugly.

His disciples behind him were also very angry. If it had been before, how could the lord of a mere Sifang Fort dare to speak to their master like this!

Ming Yin raised his hand to stop his disciples behind him. His voice was hoarse as he said slowly, "Xie Huai is no longer a disciple of Cloudbank Keep. I'm afraid I can't answer your questions."

The lord of Sifang Fort snorted coldly. Ming Yin was still protecting Xie Huai... Cloudbank Keep had such a rebellious disciple, and they would be ridiculed in the future!

People from other sects also discussed one after another.

News of the Demon Lord's return was well-known. Not only did Yuyi Jun stand by the Demon Lord, but now Du Meng and Wu Yimei also surrendered. In recent days, many demons had voluntarily joined Hollow Ridge.

The demons gathered on Hollow Ridge, ready to fight against the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance.

Many people were puzzled.

Why didn't the Holy Venerable take action?

When the Demon Lord had just returned, the Holy Venerable should have acted and killed the Demon Lord in its infancy! Now that the Demon Lord had unified the demon world, if they went to war again, wouldn't more people be injured or killed?

The fear caused by the Demon Lord nine years ago was still deeply engraved in their hearts. They truly didn't want a repeat of what happened nine years ago.

But the Demon Lord had returned.

Many people were dissatisfied with this. They thought that the Holy Venerable was too compassionate and indecisive. How could he expect the demon lord to ask for punishment himself? It was impossible! The demon lord should have been killed directly!

Could it be that the Holy Venerable wasn't confident in killing the demon lord?

Or was it that he wasn't confident in dealing with Yuyi Jun?

Such thoughts suddenly arose in some people's minds, but out of awe for the Saint's dignity, they didn't dare to speak them out loud.

People were worried and didn't know what the Holy Venerable's plan was. But now, only the him had the hope of fighting against Yuyi Jun. They could only pin their hopes on him.

*

Fu Junling closed his eyes slightly, seemingly asleep, but in fact, every whisper in the hall didn't escape his ears.

He remembered Fang Li again.

He really had a stubborn personality. He had tried to tempt him with his senior brother's identity, but he didn't respond. When he tried to use the momentum of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance to suppress him, Fang Li directly responded by calling back the Demon Lord. He was determined to confront him...

Actually, as long as he handed over the Black Talisman, he wouldn't have taken action against him.

Why force him to act?

Xin Hanzhou understood everyone's thoughts and said respectfully, " Venerable, now that the demons are gathering on Hollow Ridge and are at odds with our Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, I believe we shouldn't wait any longer. Please give the order to besiege Hollow Ridge!"

Xin Hanzhou's words resonated with everyone's thoughts. The leaders of various sects below echoed one after another, clamouring to besiege Hollow Ridge and destroy the demon lord.

Fu Junling's expression finally changed slightly.

He slowly stood up.

Looking at the letter of challenge in the hands of the messenger.

So, you want to force me to take action? Do you really think I won't do anything to you?

Or are you truly arrogant enough to think you can oppose me?

Fu Junling's expression gradually turned cold as he looked down on all beings, indifferent and ruthless. The letter of challenge flew into his hand, and he raised his eyes, slightly parting his lips, saying, "Very well."

 

Translator : DarNan