I Can See Through Everything

I Can See Through Everything

“Burning his Nascent Soul? This junior is rather decisive.”

As the Demon Lord of Annihilation set his Nascent Soul ablaze, turning into black flames that poured into the black bone claw, its power surged. With a violent struggle, it broke free of the massive spatial vortex’s suppression and tore through the skies, fleeing.

The gray-robed elder’s face showed a trace of helplessness.

Had he been a hundred years younger, even with the Demon Lord of Annihilation burning his Nascent Soul, escape would have been impossible. But now, with his lifespan nearly exhausted and his blood and vitality depleted, he could no longer unleash his full strength. If he forced it, his remaining years would be consumed even faster, leaving him powerless to resist the decline. All he could do was watch the enemy leave.

Still, perhaps this was for the best. If the black bone claw were truly left behind, the Demon Lord of Annihilation would surely have gone mad.

An upper-grade demonic artifact—even to a Seven-Tribulation Nascent Soul expert—was an absolute treasure. There was no way he would abandon it. If they truly fought to the end, the Demon Domain would not sit idly by.

At present, the Netherworld Palace had no desire for full-scale war with the Demon Domain. This result was acceptable.

With the Demon Lord of Annihilation departing with his demonic artifact, the trial space once again fell silent.

In the distance, the elephant-nosed man and the Dao Heir of Dao Xu Temple gasped for breath, their faces filled with the terror of surviving death. When that palm of the Demon Lord had descended, they had truly believed they were doomed. Who would have thought fortune would turn, leaving them alive? Relief welled in their hearts.

Only Lu Qing remained calm, his eyes steady.

He felt no regret over the Demon Lord reclaiming the black bone claw. Not only could he not refine such a demonic artifact, but when he had used his ability to probe earlier, he already knew the claw was still firmly under the Demon Lord’s control. It could never fall into his hands.

What surprised him was instead the appearance of the gray-robed elder.

He had already been prepared to use the Realm Exit Pearl to leave this space entirely. Now, it seemed he might not need that final card.

Still, Lu Qing did not relax. A thread of his divine sense constantly hovered within the Realm Exit Pearl. At the slightest hint of danger, he would activate it without hesitation.

“Young one, you are truly remarkable.”

The gray-robed elder sighed, then turned his gaze to Lu Qing, looking him up and down with a smile.

“Senior flatters me,” Lu Qing replied calmly.

“This is no empty praise. To face the Demon Lord of Annihilation while still in the Golden Core Realm, and yet remain composed, neither servile nor overbearing—such steadiness, across the world, I doubt more than a handful could match.”

Lu Qing only shook his head.

The reason he had stayed so calm before the Demon Lord’s Nascent Soul Avatar was simple: he had the confidence to survive. With the Realm Exit Pearl in hand, why should he abase himself? Were it not for that safeguard, he too might not have stood so firmly. But such truths could not be spoken aloud.

Instead, he bowed deeply. “Thank you, senior, for saving me. Without your intervention, I would already be dust and ashes, body and soul destroyed.”

“These are trifles,” the gray-robed elder waved dismissively. “This trial was arranged by our Netherworld Palace. Naturally, no outsider may intervene. Forget a mere Demon Lord of Annihilation—even if Demon Lord Black Sky himself came, he would still be forced back!”

Demon Lord Black Sky?

The name made Lu Qing’s mind stir.

He remembered—the demonic cultivator bound within his Li Huo Cauldron had once been among the 108 Demon Generals under this very Demon Lord Black Sky. That black bone claw too was called the Heavenly Demon Bone Claw.

It seemed Demon Lord Black Sky was surely one of the most formidable demon lords in the Demon Domain.

But Lu Qing did not ask further. Instead, he said cautiously, “Senior, the trial is not yet over. I still need to collect more Trial Jade Tokens. May I…”

“There is no rush. With your strength, the first place is already yours beyond doubt. Earlier, did you not save that young girl of Bilu Palace? Release her now. I am acquainted with her master, and I will owe you a favor for it.”

The elder spoke with a hint of embarrassment.

Indeed, this was why he had personally intervened to stop the Demon Lord of Annihilation. He could not stand by and watch Lu Qing actually slay the Holy Maiden of Bilu Palace.

“So that was it. Please don’t misunderstand, senior. My earlier words were only to provoke that fiend. I never intended to truly offend the young lady.”

Lu Qing explained, then waved his hand. A ray of light shone, and the Holy Maiden of Bilu Palace appeared, released from the Li Huo Cauldron.

When confined, he had sealed her inside a separate spatial cage, cut off from the cauldron’s secrets, so there was no risk of her discovering anything.

She emerged with a dazed expression, still reeling from the sudden shift. Within the pitch-black cage she had sensed nothing, and now, released without warning, she was momentarily lost.

“My lady, earlier I spoke harshly. Please forgive me. Senior, I will take my leave. I will not disturb your reunion.”

Without waiting for her response, and after gaining the elder’s consent, Lu Qing transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the distance.

He hadn’t even bothered to seize the Trial Jade Tokens from the elephant-nosed man or the Dao Heir of Dao Xu Temple. In the presence of the gray-robed elder, he dared not risk probing further.

This left the Holy Maiden even more bewildered. She recognized Lu Qing as the one who had both saved and imprisoned her. But what of the vanished demon, or this elder whose calm aura alone inspired reverence? Who was he?

“I know you have many questions,” the gray-robed elder said, tossing her a jade bottle. “But first, heal your injuries.”

She caught it, looking unsure. “Senior, this… what is…”

“Ask that boy over there when you’re ready. I must go.”

Without another word, his figure faded into nothingness.

Her heart trembled as she realized she had not even seen how he left. Clearly, this was a senior far beyond her comprehension.

Looking down at the pill bottle, she hesitated, then swallowed one. The medicinal power spread quickly, her wounds knitting together, vitality surging back. Relief washed through her, and she flew toward the Dao Heir of Dao Xu Temple below.

Meanwhile, the elephant-nosed man, seeing the elder depart, let out a long breath. The weight pressing on him finally lifted. With one last glance at the Holy Maiden and the Dao Heir, he quietly slipped away—this time without fanfare. After witnessing the battle between the gray-robed elder and the Demon Lord of Annihilation, he knew the trial was far deeper than he had imagined.

And Lu Qing’s display of strength had shaken him to the core.

Never had he thought a Golden Core Realm cultivator could reach such terrifying heights. Though he too was at Ninth Transformation perfection, compared to that ghost-masked youth, he felt like they were not even in the same world.

That ghost-masked man—just what kind of cultivation had he undergone?

…

Within the hidden chamber, more than a dozen shadowy figures stirred.

“So it was the Grey-Robed Venerable who emerged. I thought another would intervene.”

“It is said he shared old ties with Bilu Palace’s late Palace Master. It seems the rumors were true.”

“Of course. That is likely the only reason he stepped forward.”

“Silence! The affairs of the Venerables are not for us to gossip about.”

“Still, the Demon Lord of Annihilation lost a Nascent Soul Avatar today. That is no small loss. He will need decades to recover.”

“A pity the black bone claw could not be left behind. Had it been seized, our Netherworld Palace would gain a precious upper-grade demonic artifact.”

“Best not to dream. A treasure of that level is a foundation of the Demon Domain. If we had kept it, other demon lords would have demanded answers.”

“Indeed. Though we do not fear war, there is no need to provoke one now.”

Their voices buzzed and fell quiet.

The destruction of the Demon Lord’s Nascent Soul Avatar was no surprise. He might rule a corner of the Demon Domain, but before the Netherworld Palace, he was nothing. Any elder could have destroyed his clone with ease.

What drew their attention more was Lu Qing.

“With such talent, do you think that ghost-masked youth might be accepted by that great one as a disciple?”

“Hard to say. He is perhaps the most astonishing genius I have ever seen. But someone clearly stands behind him. Whether that great one will take him in is uncertain.”

“Exactly. His background is questionable. The great one may not wish such a disciple.”

“Let us wait and see. First place in this trial is clearly his. When the time comes, we shall see how the higher powers decide.”

Their discussion faded, and all eyes turned back to Lu Qing.

As expected, events unfolded just as they had predicted.

The ghost-masked youth continued to sweep across the Trial Grounds, seizing Trial Jade Tokens. Perhaps the brush with death at the Demon Lord’s hand had changed him, for he showed mercy to human and beastkin cultivators, sparing their lives while stripping their tokens.

But whenever he met demons, he struck without hesitation. Whether they begged or not, he cut them down. No exceptions.

Thus, it did not take long for him to gather more than half the Trial Jade Tokens in existence, his lead unshakable.

Shua!

With a flick of his sword finger, a ray of Sword Qi severed the head of a seventh-transformation demon, its possessions flying into his grasp.

“Mm. By my count, I now hold sixty percent of all tokens.”

Checking the glowing points within his tokens’ inner space, Lu Qing confirmed his tally. Even if he stopped now, no one could challenge his first place.

And beyond the tokens, he reaped much else. Many Golden Core cultivators had carried storage artifacts full of spirit stones. He had grown quite wealthy.

As for guilt? He felt none. Those who dared enter the Netherworld Palace’s trial knew death awaited. The very rules demanded slaughter. Compared to that, sparing their lives while taking their treasures was already merciful.

But demons were different. His hatred of them, sharpened by Cang Jue and the Demon Lord of Annihilation, burned deep. Every demon he met seethed with hostility, eager to devour him alive. Against such foes, Lu Qing showed no mercy.

One strike. No survivors.

“Pity these demons’ spirit stones are tainted with demonic qi. They cannot be used so easily.”

He turned one over in his hand. Unlike ordinary stones, black mists swirled inside, sinister and eerie.

He knew the Demon Domain’s land was steeped in corruption. Even its spirit stones carried demonic qi. To use them meant first purging the taint—or risk contamination, loss of cultivation, even falling into the demonic path.

“I wonder… could the Heavenly Witch Body of Ten Thousand Tribulations refine this demonic qi?”

The thought sparked in his mind. That ancient Wu Clan technique was created by a supreme being after studying countless tribulation beasts and paths of cultivation. Its greatest strength was devouring alien energies to strengthen the body. At its peak, it could even consume tribulation lightning itself.

Surely mere demonic qi would not pose a problem.

But he did not experiment here. Ever since the gray-robed elder’s appearance, he knew the Netherworld Palace was watching. Refining demonic qi was best tested later, in safety.

If it worked, he would gain yet another path for advancement.

Pocketing the corrupted stone, Lu Qing no longer hunted tokens. Instead, he carved a cave into a mountainside and sealed himself within, meditating.

With his lead assured, there was no need for excess bloodshed. Who knew how the Netherworld Palace might react if he went too far under their gaze?

Besides, the trial was nearing its end.

So he waited.

Perhaps because he held so many tokens, no one dared challenge him. The final three days passed without disturbance.

Then, at last, when the time came…

A column of light pierced the heavens, signaling the trial’s end.