Chapter 431

On the lonely cliff, the wild wind howled.

Su Chen looked at the black-robed man carrying an ancient sword before him, clasped his hands together, and bowed deeply.

"Junior Su Chen pays respects to the Nine Heavens Demon-Quelling Patriarch."

His attitude was solemn; among the gods of the Heavenly Court, there were very few who could earn Su Chen's heartfelt respect, but this man was definitely one of them.

The Nine Heavens Demon-Quelling Patriarch, the Northern Pole Suppressing Heaven True Wu Xuantian Emperor—this human sage had started from humble beginnings, spent his life slaying demons and quelling monsters to protect the peace of the human race, and never killed the innocent; he was fully worthy of this bow.

The True Martial Emperor accepted Su Chen's bow, his gaze landing on Su Chen with a flash of surprise.

"You recognize me?" the True Martial Emperor asked, his voice deep and resonant.

"Who in the Three Realms does not know the Patriarch's name?" Su Chen stood straight, his expression calm.

The True Martial Emperor looked Su Chen up and down, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Su Chen..." the True Martial Emperor chanted the name, as if he had heard it somewhere before.

A moment later, the True Martial Emperor recalled Su Chen's identity, and a look of curiosity appeared in his eyes as he looked at the young man.

"Back during the affair of the True and False Saint Qitian, I heard that a human had devised a strategy for Sun Wukong, causing the Doumu Yuanjun to step forward and force the Jade Emperor to strike down the Tathagata's fruit status and cast him into reincarnation. That young human junior—is that you?"

Su Chen nodded: "It is indeed this junior."

The True Martial Emperor's pupils contracted sharply, and the True Martial Demon-Quelling Sword on his back let out a crisp chime, the blade vibrating within its scabbard and emitting a sharp sword aura.

This was not because the True Martial Emperor wanted to strike, but because the True Martial Demon-Quelling Sword sensed a threat and reacted instinctively.

The True Martial Emperor looked on, his heart surging with waves.

During the chaos in the Heavenly Court back then, he had been stationed in the North Shan Bu Zhou and had not participated.

Afterward, he heard that the human junior had only been at the Mystic Immortal Realm, relying entirely on some unknown connection to persuade Doumu Yuanjun to force the Jade Emperor to yield and strike down the Tathagata.

But now, the True Martial Emperor used his Dharma Eye to look at Su Chen, only to find that he could not see through the young man at all.

Su Chen stood there, his whole body devoid of any leaking spiritual power, completely merged with the surrounding heaven and earth.

Yet the True Martial Emperor could clearly perceive that a power capable of destroying heaven and earth lay dormant within Su Chen's body.

This person had at least reached the Great Luo Realm.

Not only that, but Su Chen's physical body exuded a sense of perfection that was impervious to all laws, posing a threat that even he, a True Martial Demon-Quelling Patriarch who had conquered throughout his life, found vaguely alarming.

Although the True Martial Emperor's own cultivation was only at the peak of the Great Luo Realm, he could fight against a Semi-Sage by borrowing the power of heaven and earth through his position as the Northern Pole Suppressing Heaven True Wu Xuantian Emperor of the Heavenly Court.

But facing Su Chen at this moment, he felt an instinctive wariness.

"What a powerful physical body," the True Martial Emperor withdrew his gaze, soothing the ancient sword on his back, his tone filled with undisguised admiration. "To have cultivated to such a realm in such a short time—it is truly the fortune of the human race that it can produce such a peerless genius."

Su Chen smiled faintly: "The Patriarch flatters me; this junior merely stumbled upon some fortuitous encounters."

The True Martial Emperor looked at Su Chen, his heart filled with a growing desire to cherish talent.

He had been stationed in the North Shan Bu Zhou for countless eons, accustomed to the cruelty and savagery of the demon race, as well as the infighting and scheming of the Heavenly Court's gods.

This young man before him was gifted and decisive; if he could be brought into the Heavenly Court, he would surely become a great pillar of support for the human race.

"You are human, and you are gifted—why do you mingle with the demon race?" the True Martial Emperor asked deliberately, bringing up the demon race's evil reputation to test Su Chen.

"The Patriarch is mistaken," Su Chen met the True Martial Emperor's gaze, neither humble nor arrogant. "All living things in the Three Realms possess spirituality. While the demon race certainly has those who are cruel and bloodthirsty, are there no wicked villains among the human race who commit crimes and bring disaster to the world?"

The True Martial Emperor's brows locked together, and he did not refute this.

Su Chen continued: "In the Demon Alliance, I have established rules. Those who join the Demon Alliance may not arbitrarily infringe upon the human race or slaughter the innocent. Those who violate this are executed without mercy. For the past hundred years, within the Demon Alliance's territory, humans and demons have not offended each other in the slightest. I restrain the demons to prevent them from bringing disaster to the lower realm; this should not conflict with the Patriarch's original intention of quelling demons and upholding the Dao."

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

Since the establishment of the Demon Alliance, the demon disasters in Nanjian Buzhou and Dongsheng Shenzhou had indeed decreased significantly.

Judging from this point alone, Su Chen's contribution to the human race was even greater than that of many righteous gods in the Heavenly Court.

"You restrain the demon masses with rules; you have indeed performed a meritorious service," the True Martial Emperor's tone softened. "But the demon race is wild and difficult to tame; how long can you suppress them with your own strength? If you are willing to leave the Demon Alliance, I am willing to personally submit a memorial to the Jade Emperor to recommend you as a righteous god of the Heavenly Court. With your cultivation, you are enough to become a main deity of a department, protecting the common people in a legitimate capacity. Why bear the evil name of a Demon Alliance advisor in the lower realm?"

This was an olive branch thrown by a top-tier power of the Heavenly Court; as long as Su Chen nodded, he would immediately be able to step into the core of the highest power in the Three Realms.

Su Chen's expression remained unchanged, though he secretly scoffed in his heart.

He had long since seen through the ways of the Heavenly Court—they were high and mighty, viewing all things as straw dogs, and furthermore, once he entered the Heavenly Court, he would be controlled by the Investiture of the Gods and lose his freedom; he could never enter the Heavenly Court.

Thus, he shook his head and refused decisively.

"I appreciate the Patriarch's kindness, but this junior will decline." Su Chen looked at the distant sea of clouds. "The Heavenly Court has too many rules, and this junior is accustomed to being free and loose; I cannot bear to be restrained. Moreover, the righteous gods of the Heavenly Court protect the face of the Heavenly Court, not necessarily the peace of the common people. In the lower realm, I act according to my own rules, which is quite carefree."

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

How could he not know of the corruption within the Heavenly Court, where those high and mighty immortals viewed mortals as pawns for the sake of competing for luck and faith?

His long-term stationing in the North Shan Bu Zhou was, in a way, a form of escape from the center of the Heavenly Court's power.

"Everyone has their own aspirations; I will not force you," the True Martial Emperor sighed long, no longer mentioning the matter of recruitment.

The atmosphere between the two eased; without the confrontation of opposing positions, they stood side by side more like seekers of the Dao with different ambitions.

The cold wind on the lonely cliff was biting, blowing their robes.

The True Martial Emperor turned around and cast his gaze toward the distant Broken Soul Mountain Range.

Above the mountain range, black demon energy rolled and surged, obscuring the sun.

The Kuangsi Demon Venerable and the Jin Hou Demon Venerable were leading their armies, launching a fierce offensive against the Broken Soul Mountain Range.

"Kuangsi, Jin Hou." The True Martial Emperor felt the two Great Luo Immortal auras, his voice cold and deep. "These two fellows have hidden very deeply; I have never noticed them for so many years."

"The demon race of the North Shan Bu Zhou has always fought among themselves, a scattered pile of sand; even if there were a few demon kings at the Mystic Immortal Realm, they could not amount to anything. Now, two Great Luo Demon Venerables have suddenly emerged, wanting to forcibly unify the demon race of the North Shan Bu Zhou." The True Martial Emperor asked in a deep voice, "Su Chen, you are within the demon race; have you seen any clues?"