Chapter 575: Demon Emperor Seal (Part 2)
In Yun Che's hand was a dense and gentle protective profound light. Back then, when Yun Canghai gave it to Yun Che, he instructed him not to look inside and to personally hand it over to Xiao Yaohou. Yun Che had never inspected it since.
It wasn't until he encountered the life-or-death crisis of the Primordial Mystic Ark that he finally examined the contents within that light... He wanted to know what exactly his grandfather had been willing to endure a hundred years of pain to protect with his life...
As Yun Che extended his arm, all eyes converged on that white protective profound light. Slowly, the light silently dissipated, and a dazzling red radiance burst forth, breaking free along with a scorching aura.
This was a small jade seal, flat at the bottom and carved on top with an exquisite three-legged fire bird. The red light emanated from this three-legged fire bird. It was exquisite and delicate throughout, crystal clear, yet it also exuded a faint, imposing majesty. Its eyes were a piercing blood-red, like cold stars in the dark night, almost impossible to look at directly.
Seeing this dazzling red jade seal, Xiao Yaohou shot up as if struck by lightning. Huai Wang, Zhong Wang, Yun Canghai... all the clan heads and commandery princes changed expressions dramatically, and cries of shock overlapped into a thunderous uproar.
"D-Demon Emperor Seal!!"
The jade seal in Yun Che's hand was identical in form and radiance to the legendary Demon Emperor Seal! Form and radiance could perhaps be imitated, but they also felt the unique Golden Crow aura that belonged exclusively to the Demon Emperor Seal! Especially those of the Illusion Demon Royal Clan with Golden Crow bloodline—under this Golden Crow aura, their blood trembled uncontrollably, and an irresistible spiritual pressure pressed heavily upon their souls...
Even if it seemed impossible, even if it was inconceivable, even dreamlike, the unmistakable Golden Crow aura told everyone who had ever seen the Demon Emperor Seal... This was the lost Demon Emperor Seal... No mistake! It was absolutely not fake!
The reactions of Xiao Yaohou, the clan heads, and the commandery princes, along with those thunderous words "Demon Emperor Seal," shocked even those who had never seen it before, throwing the Yaohuang Palace into another uproar. The loss of the Demon Emperor Seal a hundred years ago was a great calamity known to all in the Illusion Demon Realm, and recovery had long seemed impossible. No one expected that the seal lost for a century would suddenly... appear before their eyes, catching everyone completely off guard.
Among all present, the most agitated was undoubtedly Xiao Yaohou. Though she tried to suppress it, her eyes showed the strongest turmoil in a hundred years—because the significance of the Demon Emperor Seal to her far exceeded its importance to anyone else in the world. It wasn't just about reclaiming the most vital treasure of the Demon Emperor Clan; with the Demon Emperor Seal, she could enter the Golden Crow Ancestral Realm in Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley, truly awaken her Golden Crow bloodline, and achieve a huge leap in strength—from her current Mid-stage Emperor Lord directly to Peak Emperor Lord, making her unrivaled within the Illusion Demon Realm.
Most crucially... once her Golden Crow bloodline was awakened, she could easily release the spiritual pressure within the Demon Emperor Seal, exerting irresistible authority over all who possessed Golden Crow blood. Had she obtained the seal earlier, how would those princely mansions and Guardian Clans have dared to act arrogantly or harbor treacherous intentions?
Thus, the appearance of the Demon Emperor Seal was an unexpected blessing for her! It would completely change her fate and make her the true Demon Emperor of the Illusion Demon Realm.
"Demon Emperor Seal... impossible... impossible!" Though Huai Wang's mouth exclaimed "impossible," the pressure that nearly made him want to kneel told him clearly that this was undoubtedly the real Demon Emperor Seal. His face changed repeatedly—if Yun Che's appearance had disgusted him like swallowing a fly from head to toe, then the emergence of the Demon Emperor Seal was like a heavy hammer smashing down, shattering his meticulously prepared plan beyond repair... making it impossible to proceed further.
Without the Demon Emperor Seal, Xiao Yaohou was merely a "little demon queen" who couldn't awaken her bloodline, whose strength, talent, and even gender made her hard to accept.
But if she obtained the Demon Emperor Seal... she would instantly become invincible under heaven, commanding the world, becoming the spokesperson of the Golden Crow deity, the complete inheritor of the Demon Emperor bloodline... the true Demon Emperor of the Illusion Demon Realm! Whether she was female was no longer important at all.
The clan heads were either shocked, overjoyed, or unable to believe their eyes for a long time. They looked at Yun Qinghong, only to find him equally astonished—clearly, even he didn't know that the Demon Emperor Seal lost for a century was actually in Yun Che's possession.
"Could it be... Father..." Yun Qinghong murmured softly.
"Yun Che! How... how did the Demon Emperor Seal end up in your hands?!" Helian Kuang shouted, his eyes wide and voice trembling.
That was the question everyone wanted answered.
Yun Che gave a cold smile and said, "This Demon Emperor Seal was entrusted to my grandfather by the previous Demon Emperor. Since it was the previous Demon Emperor's trust, my grandfather would rather die than let it fall into any outsider's hands... It was naturally handed to me by my grandfather himself!"
"You're lying!" Zhong Wang stepped forward, his voice dark and unsteady. "Yun Canghai died a hundred years ago, and the Demon Emperor Seal was lost then... You weren't even born then, so how could it have been given to you? Moreover, the seal was lost in the distant Tian Xuan Continent—how did it come into your possession? How exactly did you obtain it?"
The return of the Demon Emperor Seal should have been a joyous event for the entire Illusion Demon Realm, but Zhong Wang's voice sounded nothing short of furious and frustrated. Yun Che sneered coldly, withdrew his arm, and unhurriedly put the Demon Emperor Seal back into the Heavenly Poison Pearl.
To others, it was the Demon Emperor Seal, but to Yun Che, it was his grandfather's century of faith, a century of suffering, and immortal loyalty...
Seeing Yun Che openly put away the Demon Emperor Seal, everyone exchanged glances. Helian Kuang's face changed, and he finally found an excellent excuse to rebuke. Pointing his finger, he roared, "Yun Che! How dare you! Instead of returning the Demon Emperor Seal to Xiao Yaohou, you keep it for yourself... Is your Yun Clan planning to seize it for your own gain?!"
The faces of those in the western seats, including the Yun Clan members, also shifted... The Demon Emperor Seal belonged to the Demon Emperor Clan. Its significance to the clan and the entire Illusion Demon Realm was known to all. If he hadn't revealed it, no one would have known, but since he took it out—before Xiao Yaohou and before the assembled heroes—and then put it away instead of immediately presenting it to her, it was undoubtedly extremely inappropriate.
Facing Helian Kuang's rebuke and the changing gazes of the crowd, Yun Che remained unmoved. With a stiff expression, he said, "Don't you all want to know why this Demon Emperor Seal, lost in the Tian Xuan Continent, is in my hands? I'll tell you the answer now..."
Yun Che stepped back, and as his voice fell, a flash of light came from the Heavenly Poison Pearl. A completely transparent crystal coffin appeared before him. Inside the coffin lay an old man with graying hair, covered in filth, his face withered, ugly, and fierce.
"...!" Yun Qinghong's entire body tensed, his chest heaving violently. Mu Yurou also stood up. They didn't speak, didn't try to stop Yun Che's actions. Together, they silently watched the old man within the Eternal Pivot.
Skin and bones, a withered face, messy gray hair, beard, and eyebrows—he looked like a terrifying, malicious ghost. After just a few glances, people felt uncomfortable, completely baffled as to why Yun Che would suddenly produce such an ugly, withered old corpse. But gradually, among the Yun Clan and the Guardian Clans, people began to stand up. Some eyes widened more and more, some lips trembled violently...
Because from this old man's form, they caught a faintly familiar outline... and a deep, spiritual resonance!
Yun Duanshui and Yun Waitian were closest. They stared blankly at the old man in the Eternal Pivot for a long time, their bodies shaking. Yun Duanshui opened his mouth and let out a hoarse, barely audible voice: "Could it be... could it be... could it be..."
"It's... it's... the Clan Head..."
[It was fine for days in minus twenty-something degrees, but the moment I got home, it all exploded... I feel like I'm dying...]