Volume One: The Hidden Dragon in the Abyss, Chapter 131: Rumors

The methods of the Demon race remain as inscrutable and mysterious as ever. The surging demonic energy seemed intent on swallowing him whole. Ahead, mountains loomed, and a perfectly square, massive city stood firm amidst the peaks, connected by stone bridges and mountain gates. High beams reached toward the sky, and upon the city walls were inscribed the two characters for "Demon Capital," exuding an indescribable sense of dread. The mountain forests seemed to stretch toward the horizon, and the countless hills and valleys hid the accumulated secrets of the Demon Realm from millennia past. It was a scene of majestic, expansive, and desolate grandeur.

The Lord of Jin had no time to study it; he only wished to escape as quickly as possible. Suddenly, black dragons soared into the air, rushing toward him. It is difficult for others to imagine just how formidable the Lord of Jin truly is, or the extent of his power. Only now was his divine might fully revealed—the courage and capability one expects of a monarch with countless renowned generals under his command. In this night, black mist permeated the air, and black light enveloped his body. Even the clouds seemed to take on hideous and terrifying shapes.

In the dark, a song suddenly drifted through the air—ethereal and uncertain, carrying a touch of loneliness and sorrow, laden with grief and longing. The Lord of Jin looked toward the horizon, where a woman floated in the gray mist. She was graceful and ethereal, like a fairy. At that very moment, Wang Chuan, traversing the void, felt a resonance and looked toward them from afar. Their gazes seemed to meet across the distance. Wang Chuan saw his father and was surprised that he, too, possessed the power to reach this place. For so long, he had rarely concerned himself with him, and had never truly seen him clearly. Wang Chuan wanted to close his eyes, but he could not. After a moment of silence, his figure streaked off into the distance.

This must be what a true Demon God is. When the Great Dao collapses and the myriad worlds return to chaos, their shackles will finally be broken, and only then will one truly witness the true terror of their power. The Demon God was singing softly, as if enticing him to come closer. The more Wang Chuan fled, the closer that Demon God seemed to draw behind him. Seeing this, the Lord of Jin took a long breath, and divine light erupted from him; he was like a divine sword unsheathed, thrusting toward the adversary.

His figure vanished in an instant, crossing space and time. The woman suddenly shrieked as her body grew larger and her face more hideous, finally breaking free from the constraints of her mortal skin to reveal her true form. With eight legs and two heads, she moved with terrifying speed through the void. Having shed her disguise, she was like a tiger granted wings, whistling as she chased down Wang Chuan!

Black clouds emerged, blanketing the area ahead and descending upon the Lord of Jin like a cage. The void was filled with demonic energy, and the phantoms of Demon Buddhas flickered, each raising their palms to strike at him! These phantoms, though illusions, seemed to manifest into reality, gaining physical form. Every strike carried the power to shatter the heavens. The Lord of Jin took a step, and a massive vortex appeared, spinning violently. Gale winds whipped about like thousands of blades, slicing through the air. The demonic shadows grew more intense and thick, dancing like madmen, surging forward with bodies of steel and stone.

Clang, clang, clang...

The gale-force blades were shattered, and the turbulent storm was suppressed! A massive, hideous face of a Demon God appeared in the sky, its eyes flashing with greedy, cunning light, its mouth wide open as if to swallow him whole.

"Go!"

In the blink of an eye, Wang Chuan arrived at his side. He unleashed his Dragon-Capturing Claw, gave a gentle push, and propelled the Lord of Jin out of the area. With a tear in space, he sent him away, and the vortex boomed as it sealed shut. The Lord of Jin had not expected that his trip to the Demon Realm to find his son would result in a meeting such as this.

After a moment of disorientation, the scene before him went black, and both Wang Chuan and the hideous Demon God vanished. That Demon God possessed immense power. It opened its mouth and exhaled, creating a fierce gale. Within this wind, the world became violent, and demonic sounds echoed from all directions, surrounding Wang Chuan.

Boom...

Thunder rolled through the sky. Wang Chuan hesitated. The adversary was determined to seal all his retreat paths; wherever his energy probed, there was a defense like a wall of copper and iron, isolating his divine sense. Yet, given his own abilities, he could not be killed, and being trapped was only temporary. Wang Chuan wondered what other tricks they had up their sleeves.

He scrutinized the distant Demon Gods—they were massive, with handsome faces, yet radiating a thick, malevolent demonic aura. They were setting up a formation on the perimeter, not daring to approach, using some method to deal with him. Pillars like pillars of heaven stood tall, wrapped in chains that were driven deep into the ground. It seemed as if he were being pulled, though he did not know where they intended to take him.

As Wang Chuan approached, he grew curious and noticed the strangeness of the pillars. They actually bore human faces; the pillars themselves seemed to be their bodies, rooted into the earth. Each face had its mouth wide open, blowing forcefully to create the storm. The tempest swirled around him, but once Wang Chuan broke through this obstacle, they seemed caught off guard, letting out strange cries before quickly vanishing.

"Demons? What kind of monsters are these?"

Wang Chuan unleashed his Dragon-Capturing Claw, tightly gripping one of the pillars.

"Gods?"

They shrieked in sudden terror, darting about as if losing their minds, yet unable to escape the pillars, their faces shifting across the stone surface like ripples on a calm lake.

"You possess an ancient aura. Are you relics from that era?" Wang Chuan asked curiously.

He pointed two fingers, easily pinching the face on the pillar from afar, rendering it motionless.

"Waaah..." The face suddenly erupted into hysterical laughter, tears streaming down. "They're dead, they're all dead! Their bodies and souls are gone! I ran, I ran fast. Dead, dead, I'm so scared, I fled far away, we can't beat the God race, waaah..."

The Great War of those years?

Wang Chuan sighed, released them, and looked toward the distant Demon Gods. If this was all they had, it was time for him to leave.

...

"My poor child, how can I let you do this?" Queen Yu wept while holding Xu Wei.

Xu Wei remained strong, comforting her mother with a smile. "Mother, it’s fine. I will return," she said firmly.

"The Kingdom of Yu does not need you to be the one to protect it," the King of Yu said, his heart heavy.

"Father, it is time for your daughter to do something. You have suffered too much," Xu Wei replied. "I am fine. I will finish what you have not yet completed, fulfill your aspirations, and protect the people of Yu."

After a long time, the carriage slowly departed from Pu City, flying the banners of Yu as it headed east, much like the patriots of the world rushing toward the Northern Barbarians. Even when the levees break and the great rivers overflow, there will always be those who stand up.

A plain, unremarkable carriage followed the procession. Before long, the curtains parted, and a cute little head poked out from a small window, blinking curious eyes.

"Father, where are we going?"

"To Yang City. Your brother is there, too," Xu Qing answered.

Their group followed in Xu Wei’s wake, keeping a low and quiet profile. They acted as if they were strangers, speaking to no one. If not for Xu Wei’s decree, they might have been mistaken for mere cargo.

"Husband, didn't you say you would never enter the Kingdom of Jin?" Han Keru asked from the side. She had noticed earlier, when they came from the Kingdom of Hua, that Xu Qing had deliberately taken a long detour to avoid stepping even once into Jin. She hadn't asked then, but today, they were openly following Xu Wei into Yang City.

"Times change. That person is no longer in Jin, otherwise, there would be no need for me to return. I am here to protect the Princess," Xu Qing sighed. "I never imagined she would have such courage!"

She was returning to Yang City to carry Wang Chuan’s banner. With the Crown Princess present, the world would know that the Crown Prince of Jin was also there. Such resolve was something Xu Qing wouldn't have dared to imagine before. In this time of crisis, it was someone like her who stood up. And she was pregnant, at this very juncture. Why, oh why, did Wang Chuan not return?

To take care of Xu Wei, the carriage train moved slowly; Xu Qing estimated it would take more than twenty days to arrive. Moreover, she had chosen the shortest and most convenient route, passing through the Kingdom of Wei, and had formally submitted documents in her capacity as both the Princess of Yu and the Crown Princess of Jin. But would the King of Wei let her pass so easily?

"Husband, I heard he has returned," Han Keru whispered cautiously, glancing ahead. Along the winding road, one could catch glimpses of the luxurious and noble carriage at the front, where Xu Wei sat.

"Hush, it is best not to mention that person," Xu Qing gestured for silence.

Han Keru nodded, suppressing her curiosity. Rumors had spread the moment they left Pu City: Wang Chuan had returned! And at this moment, he was in that very carriage! Although no one seemed to have seen him, many firmly believed he was there. Only then would Xu Wei be returning to Yang City at such a time. If Wang Chuan were there, everything would fall into place.

Pu City was filled with conflicting reports. Some claimed to have seen Wang Chuan with their own eyes... others said he was severely wounded and needed to rest... and some whispered that this was all a conspiracy by the King of Yu.

Even the accompanying guards cast surreptitious glances at the carriage, hoping to see something. So many people were waiting for Wang Chuan. His wife had left the safety of her home, departed her homeland, and gone out to face the storm ahead. Whether it would be a tempest or a tidal wave, no one could say.

"But, the sun still hasn't appeared today," Han Keru said, looking up at the sky, her voice full of worry.

The weather had been strange for a long time. Everyone knew the sun was behind the clouds, in a clear and bright sky, yet not a single ray of light reached the ground. It was as if the light were locked away or obscured.

"Do you think it's true?" Xu Qing asked, with a wry smile.

There was a prophecy from Tianxingzi that the world would fall into an eternal night, and only the arrival of a Saint would bring back the light. Many believed Wang Chuan was that Saint, and Han Keru seemed to be one of them. But now, with the rumors of Wang Chuan’s return—beyond the endless gossip—it felt different.

"Becoming a Saint is not that easy. Who is playing this game of building someone up just to destroy them?" Xu Qing muttered, speechless.