Chapter 530: The Listening Clan
The Supreme of the Heavenly Palace's expression remained gentle, with no change at all, as though nothing could surprise him. Calmly, he spoke:
"For them, this is also part of the trial. Though it's harsh, the real battlefield can present unforeseen situations at any moment. If they are wise enough, they should be able to handle such predicaments."
Clearly, he had no intention of intervening in this matter.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Chu and the others subtly shifted their gazes, faintly feeling that this might be a test set up by the Supreme of the Heavenly Palace.
After all, the Supreme was already at the Immortal Emperor level, possessing the ability to predict the past and future, and to see through the events of the world. How could he not have foreseen this situation?
"If they unite and cooperate, they should be able to compete. It depends on whether they can suppress their arrogance," said Emperor Jiang calmly, agreeing with the Supreme's words.
"Wait, the number of ancient demons gathering over there seems to be increasing. They are using some kind of innate secret technique to draw more demons in!"
"That's the Listening Clan, one of the Seven Bloodlines of the Ancient Demons."
Emperor Chu said, maintaining a calm demeanor.
Among them was a member of the Listening Royal Clan. The occurrence of this scene seemed inevitable, and it appeared that this was part of the Supreme of the Heavenly Palace's deliberate arrangement.
The other emperors' eyes flickered, looking toward the Supreme.
"If they gather up to a few thousand, I fear no one will be able to handle it. Even those few geniuses will be in trouble," said Emperor Tianzhao in a low voice.
The Supreme of the Heavenly Palace smiled, "No worries. If it really comes to that, and they can't resolve it with their full strength, I will have my disciple take care of it."
The emperors turned their attention to a young man sitting under the Supreme's divine avatar, one of his direct disciples, a peak Immortal King who had long made a name for himself in the South Domain.
The young man, upon feeling their gaze, didn't even lift an eyelid, merely lowering his head as he stared absentmindedly into the void, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.
"Look, ancient demons are gathering in other places as well."
"These ancient demons are gathering for warmth, as is their usual habit."
At this moment, in the True Immortal Secret Realm, besides the mountain range from before, there was another location near a river where a group of ancient demons had gathered.
In the center of this group, there was an ancient demon with long drooping ears, distinct from the other demons.
This was a member of the Listening Clan, said to have the ability to hear sounds that transcend time. Of course, only those of the highest cultivation in the Listening Clan could accomplish such a feat.
This anomaly in the secret realm had been reflected in the projections seen by the Immortal Dynasties, and everyone began to feel nervous.
The gathering of these ancient demons was on a massive scale, while on the human side, most warriors fought solo, with only a few paired up. Even then, those small groups were powerless against these demon hordes.
"Someone's about to encounter them!"
"That's Princess Hongyun of the Tianzhao Immortal Dynasty. She killed more than a dozen ancient demons by herself earlier—she's incredibly strong."
"Uh-oh, she's heading straight toward them!"
Through the projection, countless people in the Tianzhao Immortal Dynasty became anxious.
Although they weren't familiar with Princess Hongyun before this South Domain Battle, the outcome of the battle would greatly affect the honor of their Immortal Dynasty, so they naturally hoped their own people would go far.
In the secret realm, a figure in red swiftly used Instant Transmission, arriving at the location where the ancient demons had gathered by the river.
She inhaled deeply, sensing the thick malice in the air, her eyes showing a smile. With such a strong aura, the number of demons there must be significant.
Though she had already obtained Dao Fire and secured her place for the next stage, hunting for more was also a form of proof.
She believed that others capable of doing the same were also gathering more Dao Fire.
In the blink of an eye, she reached the riverbank.
But as soon as she arrived, the heavy malice overwhelmed her, almost choking her.
When she focused her gaze, her stunningly beautiful face froze for a moment. There, in front of her, were hundreds of ancient demons, with at least a dozen or more emitting a terrifying and obscure aura.
"This is..."
She stood still for a moment, then saw the hundreds of ancient demons glaring at her.
Suddenly, the surrounding world darkened, as if an invisible dark barrier was cast over the area, enveloping everything.
"Princess Hongyun!"
Outside the secret realm, countless people in the Tianzhao Immortal Dynasty saw Princess Hongyun surrounded by a dark, Dao-like force.
Moments later, a figure holding a delicate white arm appeared, chewing it expressionlessly.
Emperor Tianzhao's face changed slightly. Hongyun was his daughter, extraordinarily talented. While not the most gifted in the Tianzhao Imperial Family, she was deeply loved by him.
Moreover, with her strength, she would have easily passed the first round of the trial and might even have had a chance to break into the top ten in future battles!
Now, she had fallen here.
Emperor Chu and the others looked at this scene in silence, their brows furrowed slightly.
It was unclear whether it was bad luck or her overly arrogant nature that led to this. She had not fully explored the situation and rushed in without caution.
Undoubtedly, the girl had not yet faced many setbacks, and thus, had not learned enough caution.
Also, her luck seemed poor. Despite having the ability to pass the first trial, fate did not favor her.
Fate was the most difficult thing to understand. The deeper one's cultivation, the more one could feel the weight of fate and the preordained existence of everything in the world.
Everything's end had long been written out; some people simply saw their own demise unfolding in advance.
Emperor Tianzhao's gaze grew solemn, and he silently sighed. Fortunately, her soul still existed, and with her next reincarnation, she would gain another lesson.
"Other locations are also gathering. Once they reach a certain number, they will definitely unite," said the Empress of Yuan Zun.
At this moment, in the True Immortal Secret Realm, there were indeed more places where large numbers of ancient demons were gathering.
The Supreme of the Heavenly Palace watched quietly, smiling as he said, "They've prepared in advance. For these youngsters, it might be too soon to face this, but it's fine, I'll give them a little hint."
As he spoke, a rumbling sound echoed through the True Immortal Secret Realm.
Suddenly, vast red clouds gathered in the sky above the ancient demon gathering.
These red clouds reflected the figures of hundreds of ancient demons, though somewhat blurry, they were still very noticeable from afar.
The red clouds seemed like markers, exposing the gathering of the ancient demons.
Upon seeing this, the emperors relaxed slightly. With this hint, anyone who rashly approached would truly deserve what happened to them.
They only hoped that the young ones would band together to face this challenge.
...
"Hmm?"
On the mountaintop, Emperor Linchen, who had been drinking, suddenly saw the sky tens of thousands of miles ahead turn red.
At the same time, a strong, malicious aura emitted from there, carried by the red clouds, as if a gust of foul wind was sweeping toward him.
"Such a strong malice. How many ancient demons are gathered there? Based on the intensity, it must be at least several hundred or even a thousand!"
Emperor Linchen set down the wine jug in his hand, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
However, he quickly smirked, stood up, and patted the dust off his clothes, muttering to himself, "This is getting interesting."
As he spoke, he stepped forward and, in the blink of an eye, used Instant Transmission several times to move closer to the red clouds.
At the same time, other geniuses within tens of thousands of miles also took note of the sudden appearance of the red clouds. Some were shocked, others delighted. Many hurried toward the red clouds, while some chose to be cautious and steered clear.
Before long, a number of figures gathered near the red clouds.
Some had excited expressions, but as they got closer and saw the scene reflected in the red clouds—hundreds of ancient demons gathering together—many of them paled and immediately turned to flee.
"Hmm?"
Li Hao, who had been searching for ancient demons, also noticed the red clouds that suddenly appeared in the distance, along with the intense and familiar scent.
He paused for a moment, his eyes lighting up as he sped toward the red clouds.
"Wait for me!"
Gu Xingwan cried out, hurrying after him. Along the way, she saw several streaks of light traveling toward the red clouds from a few thousand miles away.
Soon, they all stopped a thousand miles from the red clouds and clearly saw the blurry image reflected in the red clouds.
"So many?"
Li Hao was delighted as he saw the outlines of hundreds of ancient demons. This was far more than he expected, and it was incredibly tempting.
Suddenly, Li Hao sensed several familiar auras, his gaze sharpening. He waved to Gu Xingwan and flew toward the source.
"Hao Tian."
As soon as Li Hao appeared through Instant Transmission, Lin Qingying, dressed in a green robe, saw him and immediately exclaimed with delight.
But soon, Lin Qingying noticed Gu Xingwan following behind Li Hao. Seeing the young girl in a goose-yellow long dress with bright eyes and graceful beauty, her expression froze for a moment. However, she quickly regained her composure and asked Li Hao:
"Who is this?"
"She's a friend."
Li Hao noticed the subtle change in Lin Qingying's eyes, but he had no ulterior motive and answered honestly.
Lin Qingying, upon seeing Li Hao's gaze, understood he was telling the truth. She quietly relaxed and then asked, "Did you come here for the ancient demons as well? But the numbers seem overwhelming. I thought there were only a dozen or so."
"This situation is indeed a bit bigger than expected," Li Hao turned to look, his expression turning serious.
Just then, he suddenly noticed a figure in the distance and smiled, calling out, "You've come too."
Emperor Linchen, seeing Li Hao, scanned the two women beside him. He couldn't help but smile and, in an instant, appeared in front of them, teasingly saying, "You seem to be living a more carefree life than I am."
Li Hao shook his head in exasperation and replied, "Are you here for the ancient demons too?"
"Yeah, gathering so many at once, it's almost a disaster," Emperor Linchen glanced at the red clouds, his expression unchanged.
"Indeed," Li Hao nodded. The number of ancient demons was overwhelming. If an ordinary person encountered them, escaping would be nearly impossible.
At this moment, Gu Xingwan and Lin Qingying also started to size up Emperor Linchen. Both were astonished, sensing the depth of his power. It gave them a feeling of being overwhelmed—if they were to become his enemies, they felt they would be defeated in an instant.
At that moment, several streaks of light gathered from afar, but they all stopped a thousand miles from the red clouds, cautious not to get too close.
These figures were exuding powerful auras, or in some cases, no aura at all. They were all observing the red clouds and also keeping an eye on the movements of the others.
Suddenly, two streaks of light shot toward Li Hao's group.
When the light faded, two young men appeared, both with extremely cold expressions.
"Hmm?"
The two of them clearly recognized Emperor Linchen, and their faces changed slightly. One of them whispered, "The Imperial Clan?"
Emperor Linchen looked away from the red clouds, glanced at them indifferently, and said nothing.
Sensing the pressure in Emperor Linchen's gaze, the two young men's expressions darkened. They hadn't expected to encounter a member of the Imperial Clan here, a difficult adversary. Fortunately, the man didn't show any hostility toward them at this moment.
"You're the one with the youngest soul age, right? You dare to come here? You've got guts. How about we team up and handle this ancient demon tide together?"
One of the youths extended an invitation to Li Hao, saying, "I'm Miao Bujie from the royal family of the Chijiang Immortal Dynasty."
Li Hao pondered for a moment. He could handle this ancient demon tide on his own, but it would expose many of his hidden cards. If someone were to help, it would be more advantageous.
"If we team up, I can give you some Dao Fire, but the ancient demon bodies are mine," Li Hao said.
Miao Bujie was taken aback, giving Li Hao a surprised look, but then he agreed, "No problem."
He then turned to the other youth beside him and asked, "What about you? Will you join?"
"Sure," the second youth replied succinctly, his cold gaze flicking toward Emperor Linchen. Clearly, he was hoping to invite him as well.
Emperor Linchen, seeing Li Hao accept Miao Bujie's offer, looked at him for a moment and chuckled, "You seem very interested in the ancient demon bodies. Do they serve some purpose?"
"Collecting them," Li Hao coughed lightly. Saying something as strange as "cooking ancient demons" in such a public setting would surely raise some eyebrows.
Emperor Linchen chuckled, "You truly have strange habits. But if you want them, once I handle these ancient demons, I'll send them to you."
"Thanks," Li Hao said without hesitation.
Miao Bujie looked at Li Hao with a sidelong glance. He hadn't expected the soul-age youngest person to have such good relations with the Imperial Clan. This made him regard Li Hao with more caution. He turned to Emperor Linchen and said, "With you joining, we should find a few more people, and then we can start."
Emperor Linchen gave him a faint look, saying, "I never team up with others. I'll handle these ancient demons myself. You can handle things as you wish, but be careful not to get in my way."
Miao Bujie was stunned, his expression showing a hint of disbelief. With so many ancient demons, he was expected to handle them alone?
These weren't ordinary True Immortal Realm ancient demons, but elites, some of which were even from the royal family.
"I'll go ahead," Emperor Linchen said, not waiting any longer. He said gently to Li Hao and immediately flew toward the red clouds.
Li Hao watched him leave without following.
"Is that your friend? He's going alone?"
Lin Qingying asked softly, a look of concern in her eyes.
Li Hao nodded and said, "It's fine. He should be able to handle it."
Gu Xingwan was stunned, asking, "When did you get to know such a strong person?"
"Just recently," Li Hao smiled.
At this point, Emperor Linchen was already heading toward the red clouds.
The ancient demons within the red clouds had already been alerted, and their furious roars echoed, as though they were cursing the Heavenly Palace Supreme for his unfairness.
Suddenly, a towering divine avatar appeared in the sky—it was Emperor Linchen.
At the same time, the many streaks of light that had gathered to observe the red clouds were all shocked. They hadn't expected anyone to dare to face the challenge alone.