Chapter 311 : Arrived
Chapter 311: Arrived
“Too frightening.”
After returning to the Celestial Master Temple, Chen Ming wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
A Ghost King was a powerful existence among ghost creatures, equivalent to the Human Fate Palace Realm and the Transformation Demon Kings among the Demon Race. An existence of that level was absolutely not something he could contend with right now.
He had never expected that Ghost King to be so shameless. After discovering him, it actually personally took action to eliminate him.
If he had not reacted quickly and activated the Lightning Escape Technique within the Celestial Master Robe at the very first moment to flee, he might already have been finished.
This place was truly dangerous.
Seeing that he was unharmed, Jade Wutong also let out a sigh of relief and said, “Hall Master, do not panic. Inside the Celestial Master Temple it is very safe. Not to mention a Ghost King—even if a Ghost Emperor personally arrives, it still cannot break in.”
“Was that person just now the newly appointed Hall Master of the Heavenly Punishment Hall?”
At this moment, a drifting and uncertain voice came from outside.
“Cang Yue offers his greetings.”
Then a rough voice said, “That one just now was the new Heavenly Punishment Hall Master? His strength is so weak. Don’t you claim to have the fastest speed? Why didn’t you catch up? If we had killed him just now and seized the Purple Mansion Jade Register, we could have escaped from here…”
“If you idiot hadn’t exposed your aura and allowed him to sense the danger, this king would have already captured him.”
“Hmph. Your own incompetence, yet you dare blame this seat!”
“Enough. Stop arguing.”
Finally, a sharp and thin voice sounded.
The other two snorted at the same time and finally fell silent.
Chen Ming listened to the three voices outside and looked toward Jade Wutong with a questioning gaze.
Jade Wutong transmitted his voice secretly: “Besides Ghost King Cang Yue, there is also the Dragon Demon Xuan Li and the Great Demon Snake Yu.”
Good heavens.
The three greatest natural enemies of the Human Race had all arrived—and every one of them was an existence equivalent to the Fate Palace Realm.
He had only just broken through to the Yang Spirit Realm. Wasn’t this making things too difficult for him?
He said aloud, “The arrival of the three seniors is truly an honor for this junior. However, it is inconvenient for me to go out to greet you, so I hope you will not take offense.”
Several strange laughs immediately sounded outside.
“Human brat, don’t think that flattering us will make this seat spare you. Sooner or later, I will personally twist off your neck.”
“Hee hee. The dignified Hall Master of the Heavenly Punishment Hall actually calls us seniors. What a rare spectacle through the ages. How exactly did you become this hall master?”
Chen Ming said, “Originally we bear no grudges against each other. It is only because of our identities that we stand on opposing sides. If we encounter one another, naturally we must decide life and death. Right now you cannot break in, and you cannot attack me. There is no need to keep shouting about killing.”
Ghost King Cang Yue sneered. “What, do you, the Heavenly Punishment Hall Master, want to make friends with us?”
Chen Ming said, “Friends are impossible. But that does not mean communication is impossible.”
“Haha. If you could release us from this Demon Suppression Tower, then becoming friends would not be impossible.”
The tone was clearly mocking.
“That is naturally impossible.”
Dragon Demon Xuan Li said angrily, “This human brat has a slick tongue and must be a treacherous person. Stop wasting words with him here. You had better hide in that temple for the rest of your life. If you dare step out, this seat will definitely kill you.”
“Heh heh.” That was Ghost King Cang Yue.
After that, there was no more movement outside.
Chen Ming thought the three of them had left and was about to speak when suddenly the voice of Great Demon Snake Yu sounded again.
“Hall Master, when you arrived, did you see my ancestor?”
“Your ancestor?”
“My ancestor is trapped on the ninth floor. When you entered the Demon Suppression Tower, you must have seen him. Please help deliver a message. If the Hall Master agrees, I can guarantee that the demons on the first floor will not take the initiative to trouble you.”
“What message?”
“Just tell my ancestor: the egg has hatched.”
“Very well. If I encounter your ancestor, I will pass on the message.”
“In that case, many thanks. I will not disturb you further. Farewell.”
The voices outside disappeared as well.
After waiting for a while, Chen Ming transmitted his voice to Jade Wutong.
“The ancestor Snake Yu mentioned… could it be that little green snake on the ninth floor?”
Jade Wutong nodded. “Most likely. Anyone who can reach the ninth floor is at least a Demon Saint. Since the Demon Suppression Tower was built, those who have reached the ninth floor can be counted on fewer than ten fingers.”
“I have something I do not understand. Please enlighten me, senior brother.”
“Hall Master, please ask.”
“Why do these demons insist on breaking out of this Demon Suppression Tower? In this regard, it seems different from other immortal estate secret realms.”
Jade Wutong shook his head. “I do not know the reason.”
Chen Ming said, “Those three terrifying existences have already set their sights on me. There is no point staying here. I will leave this place in your care.”
“Hall Master, rest assured. I will guard this place.”
……
Chen Ming went to the second floor.
Just like before, he appeared inside a Daoist temple. Two people were guarding it, one of whom was Jade Lingzi, who had fled from the first floor.
He chatted with them for a while and learned about the situation on the second floor.
There were far fewer demons here, but their average strength was higher—at least equivalent to First Rank martial artists.
Moreover, these demons and ghosts were extremely good at hiding their traces and escaping. Hunting them was not an easy task.
Of course, there were also existences at the Divine Treasury Realm and even the Fate Palace Realm.
After hearing this, Chen Ming gave up the idea of going out to hunt demons.
Clearly, his Nine Heavens Divine Lightning was far too conspicuous. Once he used it, it would attract Fate Palace Realm existences.
So he quickly left and went to the third floor.
He visited each floor one by one, roughly understanding the situation inside the Demon Suppression Tower. It was truly alarming.
The strength of the Demon Realm, the Demon Domain, and Hell far surpassed the Celestial Master Mansion. Inside the Demon Suppression Tower, the balance of power between the two sides had already been completely broken.
On the Celestial Master Mansion’s side, there was not even a single Fate Palace Realm expert.
On the demon side, however, there were no fewer than ten such existences.
If it were not for the advantage of the home field and the existence of safe zones, the people of the Celestial Master Mansion would have long since been slaughtered.
But if things continued like this, sooner or later the living space within the Demon Suppression Tower would be completely occupied by those demons.
The only good news was that the power of the Demon Suppression Tower still remained.
The higher one went, the stronger the suppression against demons became.
Especially after the seventh floor. There, even a Demon King would be suppressed and drop an entire major realm, able to display only Demon Core level strength.
As long as the Demon Suppression Tower did not fail, the Demon Realm, Demon Domain, and Hell could not overturn the situation.
This information was told to him by an old Daoist on the fifth floor.
That old Daoist’s cultivation was unfathomable—at least above the Third Tribulation. Among everyone in the Celestial Master Mansion, he was the strongest.
Taking the opportunity, Chen Ming asked about something.
“Martial Uncle, where has the Celestial Master Mansion’s supreme treasure, the Demon-Slaying Sword, gone?”
The Purple Mansion Jade Register recorded that the Celestial Master Mansion possessed a supreme treasure called the Demon-Slaying Sword. Yet he had not seen it inside the Heavenly Punishment Hall.
The old Daoist said, “The Demon-Slaying Sword is on the body of a Demon God.”
Chen Ming asked in shock, “What? How could that be?”
“Many years ago, a certain hall master encountered a Demon God on the eighth floor. That hall master burned his life to deliver a sword strike that pierced the Demon God. From then on, the Demon-Slaying Sword has remained in that Demon God’s body. On the eighth floor.”
“….”
Such a thing had actually happened.
Chen Ming could only give up the thought of retrieving the Demon-Slaying Sword.
A Demon God was equivalent to the Origin Embryo Realm—a pinnacle powerhouse in the world, an existence worthy of being called a great mighty figure.
With a single breath, it could blow away his Yang Spirit.
……
Chen Ming arrived at the ninth floor again and appeared on the high platform, seeing that little green snake once more.
Though small, it was a Demon Saint.
In this era, if a Demon Saint entered the human world, it could probably throw the entire world into chaos.
He greeted it first.
“Senior, we meet again.”
The little green snake lay limply on the ground. Opening its eyes weakly, it said, “So it’s you.”
“Senior seems to be in poor condition.”
“Isn’t it because of you? You brought that jade register inside, and that fellow’s power has increased again. It’s pressing down so hard that my flesh and blood are about to shatter.”
That fellow?
Chen Ming looked at the statue of the Vast Emperor and asked, “If I remain here for a long time, will you be crushed to death?”
“What nonsense.”
The green snake suddenly straightened its body and said proudly,
“I am the Azure Emperor. How could I be crushed to death by a fellow who doesn’t even have a brain left?”
Chen Ming probed cautiously, “How long has senior been suppressed here?”
“Five thousand years…”
Halfway through speaking, the green snake seemed to realize something was wrong and glared at him.
“Why are you asking that?”
Five thousand years?
Chen Ming clicked his tongue in amazement.
If it was not boasting, then this green snake was truly terrifyingly strong—suppressed here for so many years and still alive.
If he could kill it, how much experience would that give?
As soon as that thought appeared, the green snake said,
“You want to kill me?”
“No.”
“Hypocrite.”
The green snake sneered.
“Among the past Heavenly Punishment Hall Masters, there has never been a single one who didn’t want to kill me. I’m not afraid to tell you—right now is when I am at my weakest. You can try. Maybe you really could kill me.”
“Senior truly knows how to joke.”
Chen Ming did not stay any longer and left directly.
After a long time, the green snake lowered its head again and spoke to the air.
“Did he discover you?”
There was no answer.
The green snake closed its eyes again and said nothing further.
……
Chen Ming had no intention whatsoever of passing Snake Yu’s message.
He was the Heavenly Punishment Hall Master. Between him and the Demon Realm there could only be life-and-death hostility. How could he possibly deliver messages for them?
He had only said that to extract information.
Returning to the Heavenly Punishment Hall, he quietly comprehended his cultivation.
This place was a holy land for cultivation.
Every second, his Nine Heavens Divine Spirit Art gained several points of proficiency.
In a single day, it could increase by more than one hundred thousand points.
If he could maintain such a speed, it would take only twenty to thirty years to raise the Nine Heavens Divine Spirit Art to the eleventh level.
At this realm, every level required billions of experience points.
The Demon Suppression Tower truly was a good place to farm experience. That single strike of Nine Heavens Divine Lightning earlier had harvested more than two million experience points.
Unfortunately, this was not a dungeon.
The bosses here had brains.
Once they discovered his existence, they immediately came to kill him, giving him no chance to farm minor monsters.
Chen Ming shook his head, removed the robe, left the Heavenly Punishment Hall, and returned to reality.
His Yang Spirit had left his body, so he naturally could not remain away for too long, lest some accident occur.
The Linjiang Prince’s Residence was not exactly a safe place.
……
Over the next few days, Chen Ming continued as usual, visiting the various military camps to test the Imperial Guard officers.
Although after reaching level one hundred the experience gained from defeating Third Rank and Second Rank martial artists had decreased, even mosquitoes were still meat.
Of course, he had another purpose—to lure out that Divine Treasury Realm expert from the Nine Nether Sect.
However, the other party was extremely cautious.
Several days passed without any action, as if waiting for something.
In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.
During this time, the Emperor no longer summoned him. Perhaps he had realized that Chen Ming could not help him solve his worries.
From various bits of gossip, Chen Ming learned about the fierce arguments in the imperial court.
Some supported sending the Eldest Princess for a political marriage—the pro-peace faction.
Others opposed it and advocated war.
The two sides argued fiercely, and more and more officials were forced to choose sides.
Meanwhile, the envoys from the northern nations were arrogant and domineering every time they entered the palace.
It was said that the leader of the northern delegation was a prince with Peak First Rank strength. He went around challenging others.
Every time he defeated someone, he would humiliate them severely.
If no one dared accept the challenge, he would mock them relentlessly.
Chen Ming had no intention of accepting such challenges.
It was better to avoid this kind of limelight.
One day, an imperial decree arrived.
It appointed him as a Red-Robed Officer of the Six Gates.
Several months ago, Hall Master Hong of the Six Gates had already said he would let Chen Ming take the position. Yet it still took months before the official decree arrived.
The efficiency was truly low.
After accepting the decree, Chen Ming set out early the next morning to report to the Six Gates.
Originally, only Divine Treasury Realm experts could serve as Red-Robed Officers of the Six Gates. Chen Ming received the position because of his special status.
Each Red-Robed Officer possessed great authority.
From now on he would no longer be fighting alone. He could recruit subordinates.
If he could recruit a group of Second Rank and Third Rank martial artists, that would bring him a steady stream of experience points every day.
Chen Ming rode in the same carriage as before.
He held the Great Mountain Sword, gently stroking the small earth snake coiled around its scabbard.
Since entering the capital, the earth snake had been asleep.
It seemed to be preparing to shed its skin—likely about to advance a rank.
So Chen Ming often carried the Great Mountain Sword with him, feeding it pure earth-attribute Astral Essence to accelerate its evolution.
“Hm?”
After the carriage traveled some distance, the ancient mirror hanging from Chen Ming’s neck suddenly emitted a chilling cool sensation.
Sweeping with his divine sense, he discovered a vague figure standing ahead—waiting for him to run straight into it.
Finally arrived.
Chen Ming felt delighted.
After waiting so many days, the fish had finally taken the bait.
This person was truly bold—actually daring to take action inside the Imperial City.
Chen Ming did not crush the jade token given by Chang Yunshan.
If he had not reached the Yang Spirit Realm, he would naturally summon the Heavenly Dao Alliance.
But now…
This head was his for the taking.
Chen Ming did not act immediately.
Instead, he waited patiently.