Chapter 35: Demon Clan Grand Gathering

Endless mountain ridges, two figures sped swiftly.

This humble Daoist certainly didn't misjudge; the first time I saw Brother Yang Zhu, I knew you were extraordinary.

Duan De kept following Yang Zhu, constantly bragging, talking nonstop.

You already have the Myriad Souls Banner; why are you still following me?

The matter with the high monk is settled, yet Duan De keeps following Yang Zhu without leaving; he must have another motive.

Brother Yang Zhu, that's not right; you have peerless bearing, and I, this humble Daoist, wish to befriend you—what's wrong with that?

Duan De wore a fawning expression, eager to ingratiate himself with Yang Zhu.

You damned fatty, you wouldn't want me to go grave‑robbing with you, would you?

Given Yang Zhu's understanding of him, he surely wasn't holding back any good fart.

"No way!" Duan De flatly refused, putting on a solemn air, speaking loftily: "This humble Daoist is studying tombs..."

Before he could finish, Yang Zhu accelerated and shook him off; no matter how Duan De chased, he couldn't keep up.

Hey! Brother Yang Zhu, don't go—this Daoist still hasn't finished speaking!

Duan De jumped with anger, then quickly calmed, muttering softly: 'We are fated to meet; we will surely see each other again.'

Yang Zhu didn't want to take part in grave‑robbing ordinary tombs, but Duan De, this scoundrel, specialized in digging up others' ancestral graves.

He even eyed the ancestral tombs of ancient clans; one could say his audacity knew no bounds, constantly hunted by many, his infamy far‑reaching.

Yang Zhu suddenly thought of the black dog; after parting from the great demon's tomb, they had been separated for about two months, and he wondered how the creature was faring.

Given the black dog's cleverness, it should be fine; there's no need to worry too much.

Like that black dog's disposition...

Yang Zhu muttered to himself, if those two met, they'd surely hit it off, guaranteed to team up for a big score.

The Nanling mountain range spanning thousands of miles is no exaggeration; Yang Zhu spent half a day and finally reached the nearest city.

Yang Zhu concealed his aura, entered the city discreetly, picked a random tavern to sit, and overheard people discussing.

The place where the Sacred Body Dao‑fetus appeared isn't far; that sunken pit he made still remains.

It's a pity I never saw the person; I truly wish to behold the Sacred Body's grandeur.

News of Yang Zhu had long spread; while people sipped tea and enjoyed the scenery, they chatted about it with relish.

Recently there is to be a grand gathering, said to be very mysterious.

I've heard that too; it seems to be receiving a mysterious figure, the invitees being great demons, and I don't know if they're plotting something.

Soon, Yang Zhu gathered another piece of information from those two.

Mysterious figure… great demons...

Yang Zhu muttered, his intuition telling him this was unusual; he immediately decided to attend the gathering.

The gathering wasn't secret; many had heard of it. After sitting for a quarter hour, Yang Zhu had basically gathered all the information.

The gathering took place in a dense mountain ridge, the territory of the Flood Dragon clan, which among demons possesses relatively strong bloodline.

Following the information he'd gathered, Yang Zhu set out; en route he met a demon whose purpose seemed the same as his.

That demon had only reached the first level of the Dao Palace; Yang Zhu subdued him in a few moves.

Are you going to attend the gathering?

Yes… yes, what do you intend to do?

The demon, seeing himself bound by a human youth, was somewhat startled and instantly became alert.

Who is invited to the gathering, and what is its purpose?" Yang Zhu directly asked the reason.

Heh, I don't know!

Seeing the other's unwilling expression, Yang Zhu flicked his finger, and with a 'sizzle' severed one of the demon's arms.

Ah! It kills me!" The intense pain made the man gasp cold air, break out in a cold sweat, and only then realize the youth before him was extraordinary.

This is your last chance.

Yang Zhu stood with hands behind his back, and a single glance terrified the opponent into cold fear.

I'll talk, I'll talk.

The man nodded repeatedly, took a puff of smoke, then continued: 'I'm not entirely clear on the gathering's purpose either; it seems to be to receive an ancient clan, and the invitees are all demons of considerable strength.'

Upon hearing the words 'ancient clan,' Yang Zhu furrowed his brow; logically some ancient clans have already awakened, yet he didn't expect them to act so soon.

They have crossed a region to come to Nanling; they surely have important secret deliberations, and the matter is of great significance—otherwise they wouldn't go to such trouble.

Afterward Yang Zhu asked for more details and learned that a token was required to participate; he then turned his gaze back to that person.

This jade slip is the token.

The man was perceptive; he quickly produced a jade slip and offered it.

In two days you will regain your freedom.

After clarifying everything, Yang Zhu sealed the man, took him to a hidden place, hid him well, left a word, and departed.

Yang Zhu employed a secret technique, altering his appearance and aura simultaneously, disguising himself as a demon.

In the lush, verdant mountains, ancient trees towered, the scenery was beautiful, and a splendid white jade palace stood there.

Even from afar, demons blocked all the roads leading there.

Do you have a token?

After presenting the token, Yang Zhu successfully entered and arrived before the white jade palace.

The white jade palace was extremely luxurious, built entirely of jade inside and out, even the floor being fine jade.

Dozens of guards flanked the palace, each wielding sharp weapons, stern‑faced, scrutinizing every entrant; should they spot an intruder, they would immediately drive him out.

They glanced at Yang Zhu, found nothing amiss, then proceeded to scrutinize the rest of the crowd.

Many demons came and went, yet not a single human was present—clearly this was intentional.

Walking up the white jade steps, Yang Zhu arrived at the palace gate. Inside the hall were many jade tables, and the alluring maidens moved like butterflies, light and graceful, holding trays and distributing various rare fruits and mountain and sea delicacies.

Yang Zhu chose a somewhat secluded spot to sit down, enjoying the delicacies while waiting for the grand gathering to begin.

"West Elder, I didn't expect you to come as well."

"Haha, all the nearby sects with decent strength have been invited."

Most of these people are monster clans from the Dao Palace and the Four Extremes Secret Realm, and they belong to some sects of the nearby forces; they are figures like elders.

"What do you say the Flood Dragon King invited us here for? Why is it so mysterious?"

"I'm also curious; no information has been leaked."

Yang Zhu didn't expect other monster clans to have no information either; even more certain, this trip will bring a considerable gain.

"Have you heard of the Sacred Body Dao Embryo? The Zhu Mountain of the Heavenly Demon Sect was killed, causing their sect leader to have no mind to come to the appointment."

"All the human prodigies have come out; unfortunately our clan has few prodigies, only the Southern Monsters have some fighting strength."

It's surprising they came for no reason; those people quickly changed the topic, turning back to talk about Yang Zhu.

As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately caused quite a stir.

Many monster clans lamented the humans' dominance, as various powerful physiques emerged, enough to overwhelm them.

Some also worried that Yang Zhu being too dominant would be unfavorable for them as he grows; it would be best to join forces and slay him.

"This is no small matter; don't speak recklessly, a mistake could lead to eternal ruin—who knows if Yang Zhu has any immortal forces backing him."

While rushing the manuscript, if there are any poorly written parts, please point them out; I will try to revise them.

(End of Chapter)