Time passed day by day.
While Lu Yang was comprehending and rapidly improving within [Responding to Emperors], in the real world, Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue had finished resting and returned to the Heaven-Connecting Cloud Sea.
Sacred Fire Cliff.
As soon as Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue returned, she saw a boundless, brilliant light spreading out before her. Looking out, the light covered ten thousand miles, like crashing waves against a shore. Impressively, it was a lake. Both above and below the lake, like a clear mirror, reality and illusion were reflected. An ink-like figure stood upon the surface of the water.
"Fellow Daoist, you've finally returned."
Perfected Lord Hanguang Futian spoke with a half-smile. "Fellow Daoist took a trip to the Mystic Spirit World Realm. I wonder if you reaped any gains from that Immortal Lord Master of Tribulations and Ferryman of Karma?"
"Cut the crap."
Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue waved her hand and said casually, "Ming Zhu and Xuan Yuan. Ming Zhu belongs to me, Xuan Yuan belongs to you. This matter is beneficial to you as well."
Upon hearing this, Perfected Lord Hanguang Futian's eyes flickered slightly.
'So that's how it is!'
The moment he saw Great Sage Ming Zhu and Great Sage Xuan Yuan arrive together to seek refuge that day, he felt something was off, especially after learning the reason for their defection.
What True Demon? Wasn't it just Chong Guang?
Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue's former favorite disciple.
At the time, he concluded that Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue must be secretly plotting behind the scenes. However, after careful consideration, he still chose to accept the two Great Sages.
The reason was exactly as Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue just said: this matter was also beneficial to him. After all, Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue only needed one; the other naturally belonged to him. This way, he could also gain a Perfected Lord anchored to him, and one of the [Thunderbolt Flame] at that, perfectly matching his [Grand Torrent Water].
'I always felt Feixue's style didn't match our Saint Sect.'
'Looking at it now, she actually understands the game very well!'
At this thought, Perfected Lord Hanguang Futian's tone instantly softened considerably, and he smiled. "Those two demons are currently at my estate. Fellow Daoist may go see them at your leisure."
"Lead the way."
"Right away!"
Since there were benefits to be had, Perfected Lord Hanguang Futian's attitude towards Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue immediately did a 180-degree turn, enthusiastically leading the way.
Soon, the two arrived at a secluded estate on Sacred Fire Cliff.
Inside the estate, Great Sage Ming Zhu and Great Sage Xuan Yuan were regulating their breath. Seeing two streaks of light cross the sky and land in the hall, they hurriedly got up to welcome them.
Especially upon seeing the renowned Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue, their attitudes became even more earnest. They immediately cupped their hands and said, "These humble demons greet the Perfected Lord. That True Demon is wreaking havoc overseas, and the Old Dragon Lord, weak and incompetent, has already abandoned us and fled. Therefore, we have come to pledge our allegiance, only hoping the Perfected Lord will take us in."
"Hehe."
Hearing this, Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue smiled faintly. "You two are both smart individuals. You may stay. The Old Dragon Lord is wise; his actions towards you can be considered doing his utmost duty."
"..."
As these words fell, Great Sage Xuan Yuan and Great Sage Ming Zhu instantly exchanged a glance but didn't dare reply. They merely bowed deeply, burying their heads even lower.
Regarding the Old Dragon Lord's escape, although the two demons were initially filled with resentment and wished they could fight him to the death, they had now realized what was truly going on.
'The Old Dragon Lord has survived for countless years; his experience is vast. He probably saw right then and there that the Saint Sect was the driving force behind that True Demon. So, he did a favor at no cost to himself, deliberately fleeing to push us into seeking refuge with the Saint Sect... If we hadn't sought refuge with the Saint Sect then, we probably wouldn't have known a day of peace for the rest of our lives.'
The two demons weren't fools either.
The reason they came to pledge allegiance to the Saint Sect was also because they saw through the underlying issues. They determined their lives weren't in danger and only made the decision after careful consideration.
But despite saying that...
For the overseas demon race to fall to this state, where even two of their mid-stage Golden Core Perfected Lords had to lower their statures and beg for a way out, showed just how difficult the current times were.
'What will become of our demon race...'
At this thought, the two Great Sages even felt the urge to sob for a moment. They harbored countless thoughts but dared not show the slightest hint, forced to bury them deep within their hearts.
However, it wasn't just them.
Looking at the bowing Great Sages of the demon race, Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue slightly narrowed her eyes. No one noticed that her expression at this moment was actually somewhat complex.
'Are you unwilling? Do you feel suffocated?'
'That's how it is. Just think about it in your hearts, don't show it. Some things must be chewed up and swallowed into your stomach; they cannot be taken out for people to see.'
She looked up, her gaze piercing through the [Sea of Bitterness].
In a daze, she seemed to see a gaze silently descending from that boundless height above the [Sea of Bitterness], meeting hers.
'He is still watching me... Hehe.' Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue laughed at herself.
This was the Immortal Nexus.
This dreadful place had, to a certain extent, already achieved equality for all. Everyone was serving time in prison; the only difference was whether it was a large prison or a small one.
..
[Responding to Emperors]
Rumble!
Accompanied by a loud boom, Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon stumbled backward a step. On the other side, the sword-wielding black-robed man also retreated, a conspicuous sword mark left on his chest.
"Impressive."
The black-robed man praised softly, "What Dao is this? The Sword Dao? Unlikely, that is the Sword Lord's Dao. It seems to be a Great Dao that is similar yet different."
As he spoke, the black-robed man's body had already begun to disintegrate, centered around the sword mark. Yet he seemed oblivious to it, continuing his analysis to himself, "But even so, similarity alone is enough to inspire dread. Truly interesting. When did that petty Sword Lord become so magnanimous?"
"How did you cultivate this kind of Dao?"
"No comment," Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon shook his head.
"Sigh, boring," the black-robed man sighed. "Forget it, forget it. Consider the fourth orifice opened by you. Go on, go on. Talents are truly emerging in droves from the sea of light these days."
Soon, after watching Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon leave to comprehend the [Nascent Light Sea], the black-robed man sat cross-legged in the place of darkness, the sword mark on his body rapidly beginning to fade.
"Another one with extraordinary talent."
"The previous one possessed shocking comprehension, only slightly inferior to mine, and could be considered handsome among humans. This one is extremely skilled in combat and is passable in looks."
"But... what about the one before the previous one?"
"That challenger who, at first glance, was worse than a monkey, but whose light of wisdom was actually deeply hidden? Could it be that he suffered a moment of carelessness and died on the outside?"
The black-robed man muttered to himself, seeming to alleviate the loneliness of many years. "But regardless, since the sea of light is still here, it means my plan should have succeeded. However, with that Lord around, the atmosphere of the sea of light has probably deteriorated beyond repair. Surviving is likely not easy."
"Moreover, he even cultivates the Dharma Body."
After pondering for a moment, the black-robed man shook his head again, flicked his sleeve, and stood up.
"Forget it, it's not worth overthinking."
"Given that person's strength, he probably couldn't even defeat my second orifice self. Since he hasn't come for so long, I'm afraid that single comprehension didn't increase his strength by much."
"This is also normal."
"After all, no matter how deeply hidden his light of wisdom was, looking that ugly, his comprehension ability couldn't be that high. It's completely normal that he couldn't comprehend anything."
Unless he could comprehend it a few more times.
But [Responding to Emperors] had its own rules. How could he possibly open a backdoor for someone? If anyone was to blame, it was that person's own lack of talent.
In the blink of an eye, two and a half years had passed.
Inside the Lingxu Pavilion, Lu Yang sat cross-legged. As Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon exited the place of darkness, Lu Yang also finally concluded his eighth comprehension session and opened his eyes.
Rumble!
The next second, a full three fruit-shaped balls of light surfaced one after another around him, circling his body, bringing a satisfied smile to his face.
"I owe everything I have today to the hard work of my talents!"
"Three Dao Fruit Secret Methods."
"The Patriarch comprehended three times, Master comprehended four times, and I freeloaded seven times. I've finally reaped the rewards... Perfect timing, I should go challenge the stage myself now!"