Chapter 212 - 197: Clue

"Could this be another seal of the Demon Emperor?" Lin Fang speculated to himself.

Those who could battle the Demon Emperor would no doubt possess great strength, it seemed that this swordsman was a renowned powerhouse in the Three Realms.

By his side, Feng Jiu quietly watched the surging orange-red flames in the sky, her mouth inadvertently watering. Her instincts told her that these flames seemed delicious.

The great battle in the sky continued, and the intense fluctuations began to affect the surrounding environment.

The surging flames caused the temperature for thousands of miles around to rise abruptly, and countless plants, unable to withstand the high heat, withered away.

The Demon Emperor looked down at this scene and sighed slightly. If the battle kept going like this, he feared that the land would be destroyed by the aftermath of their duel.

Then, he opened his mouth and absorbed all the flames into his stomach, and suddenly a flame lotus lit up on his forehead, carrying terrifying might.

The Great Emperor Zhen Wu immediately sensed that the space around him seemed to have been sealed, and a terrifying power was accumulating in the lotus on the Demon Emperor’s forehead.

Realizing that the Demon Emperor was preparing for a final showdown, he took a Black Ensign Banner from his sleeve, gently unfurled it, and suddenly the heavens and earth dimmed.

In the Demon Emperor’s senses, it was as if Zhen Wu had vanished from the world, his Divine Skills completely unable to locate him.

Sighing secretly, he knew that in his incomplete state, he posed no threat to the Great Emperor Zhen Wu.

In this desperate situation, the Demon Emperor did not show the slightest dismay; instead, he wore a strange smile.

Mana surged through his body, and flames rolled like ocean waves, sweeping in all directions.

The figure of the Demon Emperor gradually turned to ashes within the flames, scattering between heaven and earth.

The fluttering sparks fell from the sky, strangely devoid of any warmth, silently merging into the soil of Luzhou in the North.

As these flames seeped into the earth, the damaged land miraculously began to rejuvenate, for the Demon Emperor had also fused his vitality into it.

He seemed to be trying to make amends for his errors this way.

But was that really the case? The Great Emperor Zhen Wu did not think so. There must be a deeper meaning to the Demon Emperor’s actions, only hidden away.

However, he did not intend to delve deeper into it; let the Jade Emperor worry about such matters.

The Great Emperor Zhen Wu rose on a cloud and shouted to the rapidly approaching Treasure Ship, "Tell the Jade Emperor, our karmic debts are now settled."

With those words, he rode the clouds away.

By the time Yin Qi arrived on the Treasure Ship, the battle had already ended, and the scattered flames had completely merged with the earth; even the Great Emperor Zhen Wu had left the place, leaving only those words echoing between heaven and earth.

"Damn it!" Yin Qi said somewhat annoyed.

Now in this situation, he couldn’t find any useful information, but he dared not utter any words that might blame the Great Emperor Zhen Wu, unless he was tired of living.

"Go check for any abnormalities around here, search every inch, the Demon Emperor wouldn’t have chosen this location as a battlefield for no reason."

Yin Qi ordered, his face very grim, and the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals immediately fell from the sky like dumplings, beginning to investigate every suspicious area.

Not far from them, Lin Fang quietly left the place with Feng Jiu, not taking even a single cloud with them.

Only a little girl burping.

"You little rascal, why do you eat whatever you catch? Those flames aren’t something you can just eat, you see you’re stuffed now," Lin Fang scolded with a laugh.

Just moments before, flames had descended from the sky, and before Lin Fang could react, Feng Jiu had already stretched out her delicate little hand, grabbed a clump of flames, and stuffed it into her mouth, her face showing a satisfied expression.

It was then that Lin Fang realized these flames had such an effect, and he, too, showed no courtesy as the Glazed Pagoda swept the flames near him, leaving none behind.

Of course, the little one took the opportunity to enjoy a feast.

By the time Yin Qi led the Treasure Ship there, he had already left the place with Little Feng Jiu, hiding both his skills and reputation, continuing his journey.

After trying countless methods, Yin Qi despondently found that he had gained nothing, everything was incredibly normal.

It seemed that the Demon Emperor’s final choice was just to give back to the land that had nurtured him.

"Could it be that I really sensed it wrong?" By this time, Yin Qi also had to doubt whether his thinking was incorrect.

His spirits somewhat dampened, he waved his hand and said, "Pass my order, everyone return to the Heavenly Court."

At the command, the war machine of the Heavenly Court sprung into action, with Heavenly Soldiers and Generals instantly returning to their places.

With a loud noise, the long-docked Treasure Ship moved again, this time to return to the Heavenly Court.

Yin Qi looked sternly at the land of Luzhou in the North, a land that had brought him much humiliation and unwillingness.

However, the pressing matter at hand was how to report today’s events to the Jade Emperor; the Supreme’s temperament was unpredictable, and a mistake could mean the end of Yin Qi’s position as Marshal.

When he returned to the Lingxiao Treasured Palace, the Supreme was sitting on the throne, his face unclear.

Yin Qi bowed respectfully and said, "Yin Qi pays respects to Your Majesty!

"How did things go?" the Jade Emperor asked softly.

Yin Qi hurriedly reported everything that had happened to the Jade Emperor, finally saying, "The Demon Emperor ultimately transformed into a sky full of flames, and the Great Emperor Zhen Wu didn’t pay much attention before leaving. To be cautious, I searched every inch of the land there but gained nothing, still unsure of what the Demon Emperor really intended."

The Jade Emperor did not get angry upon hearing this but instead, a slight smile appeared on his lips, saying, "That Demon Master always thinks he is the smartest person under Heaven and Earth. His setups are often a mix of truth and deception. The Demon Emperor isn’t the kind to resign himself to death; they still have a backup plan for resurrection. You should proceed as if you are unaware of this and continue based on the previous information."

After finishing, the Jade Emperor waved his hand, dismissing Yin Qi. He then stared into the empty Lingxiao Treasured Palace, his expression inscrutable.

After a long pause, he said, "Is their backup plan confirmed?"

As soon as the words were spoken, a figure in black suddenly appeared in the previously empty hall; he seemed like a shadow incarnate, and even in the bright Lingxiao Treasured Palace, his face remained unclear.

"Probably in every nine out of ten cases, though they think they have been very secretive," the man in black said with a laugh.

"I have already made contact with him, promising to help him out of his predicament. When the time comes, we must ensure their efforts are all in vain," said the man in black with a hint of confidence in his voice.

"Don’t be careless!"