Chapter 431: Su Chen

On the lone cliff, wild winds howled.

Su Chen, facing the black-clad man bearing an ancient sword, clasped his fists and bowed deeply.

“Disciple Su Chen, pays homage to the Nine Heavens’ Demon-Slaying Ancestor.”

His demeanor was solemn; among the celestial deities, very few earned Su Chen’s genuine respect—and this man was certainly one.

The Nine Heavens’ Demon-Slaying Ancestor, the Northern Pole’s True Martial Xuantian Emperor, this human ancestor rose from weakness, spent his life slaying demons and exterminating monsters to protect humanity’s peace, never killing the innocent—he deserved this bow.

The True Martial Emperor accepted Su Chen’s bow, his gaze settling on him, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

“You know me?” the True Martial Emperor spoke, his voice deep and resonant.

“Your name is known throughout the Three Realms,” Su Chen stood straight, his expression calm.

The True Martial Emperor studied Su Chen from head to toe, his brows slightly furrowed.

“Su Chen…” the True Martial Emperor murmured the name; he felt he had heard it before.

After a moment, he recalled Su Chen’s identity, and curiosity stirred in his gaze.

“Long ago, during the affair of the real and fake Great Sage Equaling Heaven, I heard a human youth devised a plan for Sun Wukong, persuading Doumu Yuanjun to intervene and force the Jade Emperor to strip the Buddha of his position and cast him into reincarnation. Was that human youth you?”

Su Chen nodded: “It was this disciple.”

The True Martial Emperor’s pupils contracted sharply; behind him, the True Martial Demon-Slaying Sword let out a clear chime, trembling within its scabbard, radiating piercing sword qi.

This was not the True Martial Emperor preparing to strike—it was the sword itself, sensing a threat, reacting instinctively.

The True Martial Emperor’s heart churned with turmoil.

During the celestial upheaval, he had remained stationed in the Northern Continent and taken no part.

Later, he heard that this human youth had been no more than a Xuan Immortal, relying entirely on unknown connections to sway Doumu Yuanjun into forcing the Jade Emperor to yield.

But now, with his divine sight, the True Martial Emperor gazed upon Su Chen—and found he could not fathom the young man’s depth.

Su Chen stood there, not a trace of spiritual power leaking from him, perfectly fused with the surrounding heavens and earth.

Yet the True Martial Emperor clearly sensed a power slumbering within Su Chen, one capable of destroying heaven and earth.

This man possessed at least the cultivation base of a Great Luo Jin Xian.

Worse still, Su Chen’s physical body radiated a perfect, inviolable completeness—even this lifelong warrior, the Nine Heavens’ Demon-Slaying Ancestor, felt a faint threat from it.

Though his own cultivation had only reached the peak of Great Luo Jin Xian, the True Martial Emperor, by virtue of his celestial position as Northern Pole’s True Martial Xuantian Emperor and with the aid of heavenly dao, could rival a Semi-Sage.

Yet now, facing Su Chen, he felt an instinctive wariness.

“What a formidable physical body,” the True Martial Emperor withdrew his gaze, calming the ancient sword behind him, his tone brimming with unhidden admiration. “In such a short time, you’ve reached this realm. For humanity to produce a genius like you is truly humanity’s fortune.”

Su Chen smiled faintly: “Your reverence flatters me—I merely stumbled upon fortune.”

The True Martial Emperor looked at Su Chen, his admiration for his talent swelling.

He had guarded the Northern Continent for countless eons, witnessing the brutality and savagery of demonic races, and the scheming of celestial deities.

This young man, with his extraordinary talent and decisive actions, if brought into the celestial court, would be a tremendous asset to humanity.

“You are human, and gifted beyond measure—why associate with demonic races?” the True Martial Emperor deliberately invoked the demons’ evil reputation, testing Su Chen.

“Your reverence is mistaken,” Su Chen met his gaze without deference or arrogance. “All beings in the Three Realms possess spirit. Though demonic races include cruel, bloodthirsty ones, does humanity lack wicked men who commit crimes and bring ruin upon the world?”

The True Martial Emperor frowned, offering no rebuttal.

Su Chen continued: “In the Demon Alliance, I established rules: no member may arbitrarily harm humans, no innocent may be slaughtered. Violators are executed without mercy. For the past century, within the Alliance’s domain, humans and demons have coexisted without conflict. I have restrained the demons, preventing them from wreaking havoc in the mortal realm—this aligns with your mission of demon-slaying and protecting the Dao.”

The True Martial Emperor fell silent; he had his own intelligence network.

Since the formation of the Demon Alliance, demonic disturbances in the Southern Continent and Eastern Holy Continent had sharply declined.

Merely from this, Su Chen’s contribution to humanity surpassed that of many celestial deities.

“You have indeed earned merit by restraining demons with rules,” the True Martial Emperor’s tone softened. “But demonic races are wild by nature—how long can you, alone, hold them in check? If you are willing to leave the Demon Alliance, I shall personally petition the Jade Emperor to recommend you as a celestial deity. With your cultivation, you could become a principal god, legitimately protecting all beings. Why remain in the mortal realm bearing the tainted title of Demon Alliance strategist?”

This was an olive branch thrown by the highest celestial power—if Su Chen accepted, he would instantly enter the apex of the Three Realms’ power structure.

Su Chen’s expression remained unchanged, though internally he scoffed.

He had long seen through the celestial court’s ways: aloof and arrogant, treating all beings as mere pawns. Moreover, once inside, he would be bound by the Divine Register, stripped of freedom—he would never join.

So he shook his head, refusing outright.

“Thank you for your kind offer, Your Reverence—I deeply appreciate it,” Su Chen gazed at the distant sea of clouds. “The celestial court’s rules are too numerous. I am used to freedom and cannot bear restraint. Besides, celestial deities protect the court’s dignity, not necessarily the peace of all beings. In the mortal realm, I act by my own rules—and find true ease.”

The True Martial Emperor heard Su Chen’s words, and a complex emotion flickered in his eyes.

He knew well the corruption within the celestial court—those lofty immortals, vying for fortune and worship, treating mortals as chess pieces.

His long vigil in the Northern Continent was, in part, an escape from the court’s power center.

“Each has his own path—I will not force you,” the True Martial Emperor sighed deeply, dropping the matter of recruitment.

The tension between them eased; without opposing stances, they stood side by side, more like seekers of the Dao with divergent paths.

Cold winds on the lone cliff whipped their robes.

The True Martial Emperor turned, his gaze fixed on the distant Soul-Cutting Mountains.

Above the range, black demonic energy churned and surged, blotting out the sun.

The Furious Rhinoceros Demon Sovereign and the Golden Roar Demon Sovereign led their armies in a fierce assault on the Soul-Cutting Mountains.

“Furious Rhinoceros, Golden Roar,” the True Martial Emperor sensed two Great Luo Jin Xian auras, his voice cold and heavy. “These two have hidden themselves well—I never noticed them all these years.”

“The demonic races of the Northern Continent have always been fragmented, scattered. Even with a few Taiyi Jin Xian demon kings, they could never rise to power. Yet now, two Great Luo Demon Sovereigns have suddenly emerged, seeking to forcibly unify the Northern Continent’s demons.” The True Martial Emperor asked gravely, “Su Chen, you dwell among demons—what do you discern?”