Chapter 429: Buddha and Demon: Hard to Distinguish

"Huh? You can even fool my Divine Sense and Golden Pupil?"

Ye Liuyun didn't detect any illusion or maze here, yet he ended up here. It can only mean a stronger presence is at work.

At the cave entrance stood a stone tablet bearing two blood‑red characters that read "Seal Demon". Inside, the darkness was impenetrable, and even Divine Sense could not probe in.

Ye Liuyun activated his Golden Pupil and saw a Buddha statue seated within the cave. The statue suddenly opened its eyes and gazed at Ye Liuyun.

"It's a living person!" Ye Liuyun was startled as well.

At the same time, the figure radiated Golden Light all over, and a chorus of Buddha chants echoed.

"Wasn't this place supposed to suppress a demon lord? How did it become a Buddha? How strange!" Ye Liuyun thought, puzzled.

What made him more suspicious was that, although the Buddha emitted Golden Light, his Ten Thousand Gods Command was shielding him from that light.

"Fake! Is this an illusion?" Ye Liuyun realized and was no longer deceived by the Golden Light.

The Buddha spoke, "At such a young age, you already possess this skill—remarkable!"

"You're flattering me! Who are you? Why are you here?" Ye Liuyun asked curiously.

He thought the Buddha seemed unable to leave the cave and could only tempt him with illusion. Otherwise, with the Buddha's power, an attack would be unavoidable, so he wasn't worried about being attacked.

"I was once regarded by you as a god, but have been trapped here as a demon lord for nearly ten thousand years!"

Ye Liuyun, of course not believing he was a Buddha, pointed at the stone tablet and asked, "Is this Seal Demon tablet what trapped you?"

"What Seal Demon tablet? Those characters are false. It's a Seal God tablet. If you smash it, you'll see the true inscription inside," the Buddha said, his words tinged with anger.

Ye Liuyun's Golden Pupil swept over the tablet and found it to be a single whole; there was no hidden second tablet inside. Without his Golden Pupil, he might have actually tried.

"It seems this tablet is what seals the demon lord, and he wants me to break it!"

Ye Liuyun was now certain the Buddha was a demon lord in disguise, and that the tablet was the seal on him. So he wouldn't be fooled.

"I lack the ability to break this tablet; you can stay here and wait for someone to rescue you!" Ye Liuyun said, turning to leave.

"Alas!" the Buddha sighed, saying softly, "Demon Qi spreads here; you cannot get out. Anyone who enters either goes mad or dies here."

Ye Liuyun noticed that as the Buddha spoke, his Ten Thousand Gods Command glowed to protect him, indicating that the words carried an illusion‑type attack.

"There will always be a way!" Ye Liuyun said, radiating Buddha Light, pushing the Buddha's Golden Light and the surrounding Demon Qi far away.

The Buddha frowned at the sight.

"Good kid! You have Buddha Light within you. Are you playing me?" The Buddha immediately showed a ferocious expression, his visage turning grotesque, and the Golden Light around him turned into thick black Demon Qi.

"That's right, no need to hide your hand," Ye Liuyun laughed. "Sure enough, you're a demon lord."

At that moment, the original Sanskrit chant suddenly turned into a mournful dirge, like a funeral hymn. The sound was more seductive than the Buddha's chant before, and rhythmically exquisite, as if a world‑renowned aria.

Ye Liuyun's Ten Thousand Gods Command within his Sea of Consciousness instantly blossomed with greater brilliance to counter the sound. Clearly this attack was stronger than the previous ones.

The demon lord, seeing Ye Liuyun unaffected, was taken aback.

"What on earth are you? Even the Nine Nether Prelude can't affect you?" He stopped hiding and began chatting directly with Ye Liuyun.

"Ah! Nine Nether Prelude! Could it be the long‑lost Nine Nether Demon?" Hell Mingshe shrieked upon hearing the voice.

"Hmm?" The Nine Nether Demon seemed to have heard, instantly reaching out and snatching Hell Mingshe away.

"Stop!" Ye Liuyun was also shocked. He hadn't expected Hell Mingshe, within his Soul domain, could be easily seized.

"Heh heh, little brat, I didn't expect you to know me," the Nine Nether Demon taunted, twirling Hell Mingshe's Soul between his palms.

Both of them belong to the Underworld, making them highly sensitive to Hell Mingshe's presence. Without Ten Thousand Gods Command, he would have discovered Hell Mingshe long ago.

Ye Liuyun tried to reclaim Hell Mingshe, but Ten Thousand Gods Command wouldn't cooperate for an active attack; he had no means. His own Soul, if released, would still be no match for that demon lord.

Soon, Hell Mingshe's Soul was directly absorbed into the demon lord's body. "Too weak!" the demon lord grumbled after the absorption.

Ye Liuyun also resented Hell Mingshe for being outspoken. If you live well, why make noise! Though he forced Hell Mingshe to recognize him, the creature had helped him many times, rescuing him from peril.

Now that Hell Mingshe is dead, he has effectively lost a left and right arm; his combat power will plummet. He fears his Soul's strength can now only barely contend with a Tian Gang Liu Chong strongman.

Ye Liuyun felt deep regret and turned to leave.

"Don't go! I'll give you some benefits to compensate your loss, how about that?"

"Hmph, if I want to leave, you can't keep me!"

Ye Liuyun calmed down. Since he had already lost something, he decided to recover a bit first, and began negotiating terms with him.

The demon lord also caught his underlying meaning. It seemed Ye Liuyun hadn't left because he had ulterior motives.

"Indeed, human nature is greedy. Tell me, what do you want?" the demon lord asked.

"What can you give me? You aren't just wanting me to help you for free, are you?" Ye Liuyun retorted.

"If I meet your conditions, will you release me?" The demon lord was surprised that Ye Liuyun entertained the idea of letting him out.

"Why not?" Ye Liuyun laughed. "There are already enough demon lords in this world; we don't need another you!"

"Hahaha!" the demon lord laughed. "Do you know, I am the Nine Nether Demon that makes all other gods tremble; if you release me, I will pierce the heavens!"

"Matters of the heavens are beyond my concern. After I release you, you must not harm this place; just leave immediately."

"No problem, you think I cherish staying in such a small place!" the demon lord replied.

Ye Liuyun nodded satisfactorily and asked, "Then tell me, what can you compensate me with?"

The reason he wanted to let the demon lord out was that he felt humans aren't much different from demon lords. Human nature is overly greedy; some people's deeds are less direct than a demon lord's.

"Buddha and demon are merely a thought apart, no real difference. As with that demon lord just now, he can transform into a Buddha or remain a demon."

After arriving in this middle realm, he found his strength too weak. Now even Skeleton Puppet and Hell Mingshe are overwhelming many; moreover, having lost Hell Mingshe, he needs to boost his power even more. Otherwise, he will be unable to move here.

One day, he will sweep away all the demon lords under heaven.