I Reborn on the Night I Divorced the Sword Deity, My Childhood Friend - Chapter 31

At this moment, inside the Heavenly Desolation Demon Lord’s palace.

The previous celestial anomaly in the Nine Abysses territory had not been massive, but if the Heaven-Peering Demon Lord had sensed it, there was no way the Heavenly Desolation Demon Lord could have missed it.

Initially, the Heavenly Desolation Demon Lord had not thought much of a small figure like Wen Yu. Like everyone else, he assumed the boy was merely a puppet put forward by the Heaven-Peering and Nine Abysses Demon Lords as a joint distraction.

However, now that today’s celestial anomaly had appeared, he realized that Wen Yu actually possessed genuine talent. He had nearly been deceived.

At this thought, a deep, predatory gloom flickered in Heavenly Desolation’s hawk-like eyes. The grand game he had painstakingly cultivated for years could not be ruined by a “prodigy” who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Suddenly, a demon general entered and announced, “The person the Demon Lord requested has been brought. Shall I summon him immediately, or have him wait?”

Recovering his composure, the Heavenly Desolation Demon Lord said instantly, “Bring him in at once.”

The general withdrew. Moments later, a trembling demon cultivator with white hair and a white beard was led before the Demon Lord.

As the cultivator knelt, Heavenly Desolation opened his eyes and asked indifferently, “You claim to have seen the boy named Wen Yu in Heaven-Peering’s territory. Is he truly of the Human Race and not a possession? Are you certain you did not see incorrectly?”

The white-haired cultivator hurriedly kowtowed. “A few days ago, when young Lord Meng set a wager in the Meng family’s territory, I happened to be there and encountered Wen Yu. At the time, he was not disguised very heavily, so I saw at a glance that his Golden Core was abnormal. He is not a demon cultivator. However, I was injured at the time, and I assumed that with the young Lord’s abilities, he would surely see through the man’s true identity, so I did not expose him on the spot. I never expected this person could actually fish in troubled waters until today, even catching the eye of the Nine Abysses Demon Lord. It is truly unfathomable. But perhaps his current disguise is simply more sophisticated?”

The Heavenly Desolation Demon Lord remained silent for a moment before saying coolly, “You may leave.”

The demon cultivator was stunned for a second and felt somewhat disappointed, but he kowtowed and withdrew nonetheless.

Shortly after the cultivator left, a handsome, delicate young man with a hint of sinister energy stepped out from behind the high platform. His features bore a thirty percent resemblance to Qin Huaique.

He bowed to the Heavenly Desolation Demon Lord, who said, “Shang’er, you have come. Speak.”

Qin Huaishang gave a thin smile. “Father, you truly see through everything. There is indeed something wrong with Wen Yu’s background. On the first day at the feast hosted by the Cloud-Dream Demon Lord, the demon cultivator beside him named Wen Su took action and unleashed the Scarlet Flame Arrow. According to news from the Central Plains, a demon cultivator recently took that very Houtian treasure from the Yin-Yang Secret Realm. Coincidentally, that same demon cultivator also abducted Shen Junyu, the young Sect Master of the Yuheng Sect. That young Sect Master Shen loves wearing white, is proficient in stellar divination, and his cultivation realm is identical to this Wen Yu. There are simply too many coincidences.”

Having said this, Qin Huaishang fell silent, standing aside and waiting for his father’s command.

The Heavenly Desolation Demon Lord pondered for a moment before letting out a cold laugh. “Precisely because there are too many coincidences, it does not quite stand up to scrutiny. However, we can use these very coincidences to make a move.”

Qin Huaishang asked, “Father, do you mean?”

Heavenly Desolation replied unhurriedly, “Over the next two days, you must spread the doubts regarding Wen Yu’s identity. The more people who know, the better. The final round of the competition in two days will be the time to act.”

Qin Huaishang’s eyes sharpened. “Father, do you intend to?”

The Heavenly Desolation Demon Lord glanced indifferently at his son. “A good thing that cannot be obtained is irrelevant to us, no matter how good it is. It is better to destroy it completely.”

“But there will be many people present then,” Qin Huaishang noted. “It might be inconvenient to act.”

Heavenly Desolation sneered. “It is precisely because there are many people that it is ideal. Killing him in private would make it difficult to bypass Nine Abysses. If we were caught, Nine Abysses would surely retaliate fiercely. It is not worth the risk. If we spread the news now to muddy the waters, everyone will inevitably have doubts about Wen Yu, leading to disputes and questioning. When the scene becomes chaotic and the Nine Abysses Demon Lord is overwhelmed, he likely will not expect someone to strike at Wen Yu at that moment. We strike and retreat instantly. Not only can we completely evade responsibility, but we can also pin the blame on Nine Abysses, claiming he conspired with the Human Race and destroyed the evidence out of fear. It is a brilliant plan. Father’s strategy is truly masterful, and I am in awe.”

The Heavenly Desolation Demon Lord finally smiled. “No one knows a father like his son. Go. Do not be like your elder brother and disappoint me repeatedly.”

A sharp light flashed in Qin Huaishang’s eyes. “Rest assured, Father. I will certainly handle this matter.”

The Demon Lord nodded. “Go then.”

Qin Huaishang withdrew.

Leaving the palace, Qin Huaishang felt a surge of excitement. As he walked toward his quarters, he calculated how to eliminate Wen Yu without leaving a trace. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a very familiar white-clad figure. Upon seeing this figure, Qin Huaishang’s gaze turned cold, but he quickly forced a faint smile and approached.

“Eldest Brother, since your injuries have not healed, why come out here to catch a draft? You would be better off lying down in your room early, lest you suffer permanent damage.”

Hearing the voice, Qin Huaique turned around. He looked at Qin Huaishang coolly and cut straight to the point. “Why did Father summon you?”

Qin Huaishang’s expression shifted slightly, and he could not help but mock, “Eldest Brother is practically a cripple now, yet you are still so concerned with Father’s affairs?”

Qin Huaique ignored the taunt. After a moment of silence, he said, “If Father told you to kill Wen Yu, I advise you to be careful. Wen Yu is no ordinary talent. If you are not careful, you will suffer a great loss.”

Qin Huaishang froze for an instant, as if he had heard a fairy tale. Then he sneered. “It seems Eldest Brother truly was beaten stupid by Meng Xingyan. To be afraid of a mere Golden Core cultivator, tsk.”

“I am telling the truth,” Qin Huaique said. “Believe it or not.”

With that, he turned and left, leaving Qin Huaishang with nothing but a cold view of his back. Qin Huaishang stood frozen for a moment, his eyes burning with intense jealousy. He then sneered coldly, “Acting all profound when you are already a useless person. Once Father completely gives up on you, let us see if you can still maintain that posture.”

His voice was not low, and since Qin Huaique had not gone far, he must have heard every word. Yet, his pace did not slow in the slightest. Instead, it was Qin Huaishang who, seeing that he was being ignored, stood in silence for a moment before flicking his sleeves and departing with a dark expression.

Over the next two days, Shen Junyu worked tirelessly to draw the blueprints for three sets of spiritual arrays, which he then delivered to the Heaven-Peering Demon Lord’s side.

The Nine Abysses Demon Lord seemed somewhat wary of his private dealings with Heaven-Peering. For these two days, he kept Shen Junyu by his side almost constantly, even making him sleep on a small daybed near the main bed in the grand hall. This left Shen Junyu with no time to meet Wen Su in person. He could only contact Wen Su secretly through the array markings on his palm.

Exchanging trivial words through the array markings in private became the one thing that provided Shen Junyu with relaxation and solace during the day. After all, no matter how bitter his past life had been, Shen Junyu never actually had to serve someone day and night, constantly minding their moods. But now, for nearly ten out of every twelve double-hours, Shen Junyu had to stay with the Nine Abysses Demon Lord.

At first, Shen Junyu’s heart would occasionally flutter at the Demon Lord’s beauty. Later, whenever he heard the man’s voice, he could only sigh inwardly. There was no other reason than the fact that this man was too powerful and could control his life or death at a whim. It was simply impossible to feel close to him.

Since the blueprints for the Heavenly Spiritual Array had already been sent to the Heaven-Peering Demon Lord, Shen Junyu thought Nine Abysses might give him half a day of rest. But the Nine Abysses Demon Lord seemed to see right through his thoughts.

“You will still stay and accompany me to sleep tonight.”

One sentence. No extra reason provided. He simply cut off any notion Shen Junyu had of going to find Wen Su for a distraction. Shen Junyu felt helpless, but he could not show it on his face. He could only comply.

That night, the moon was as cool as water, casting silver light everywhere. It shone upon the spiritual spring pool behind the palace, where curls of mist rose. For some unknown reason, the Nine Abysses Demon Lord had a sudden whim today. He called for Manager Wen to prepare the hot spring pool behind the palace and ordered Shen Junyu to attend his bath.

The Nine Abysses Demon Lord was still dressed in that deep green silk casual robe. His collar was slightly open, and his waterfall-like black hair cascaded down to his ankles without a speck of dust. His face was like carved jade, and his eyes were like morning stars, exquisitely handsome and languid.

At this moment, he stepped onto the pear-wood clogs with bare feet, walked leisurely to the edge of the misty spring, and raised his hand to lightly untie his belt. The belt drifted slowly to the ground, followed by the silk robe. Standing nearby, Shen Junyu saw this and lowered his eyes discreetly. He kept his gaze on his own nose and his heart as still as water.

With a soft splash, the Nine Abysses Demon Lord took off his clogs and stepped barefoot into the spring. Seeing this, Shen Junyu hesitated for a moment before stepping in as well, still fully clothed. The Nine Abysses Demon Lord had already walked to the center of the pool. He tilted his head back, his handsome, cold-white face covered in glistening droplets of water like morning dew. His eyelashes were thick and long. Now that they were wet, they appeared even darker and denser. As he lowered them, they looked like two small fans, stunningly beautiful.

He glanced imperceptibly at Shen Junyu, who had walked to his side carrying a rosewood tray. Lifting his long lashes, he asked lazily, “Have you served anyone before?”

Shen Junyu paused for a second before saying calmly, “Does the Demon Lord wish for me to massage you or splash water?”

Nine Abysses arched an eyebrow. “Is that all you know?”

Shen Junyu finally picked up on a hint of subtle meaning. He pondered for a moment and said neutrally, “If the Demon Lord has other needs, I can have Manager Wen call for some demon maidens. Demon men are also available.”

Nine Abysses was taken aback. After a long silence, the languid and leisurely expression on his face finally turned cold and heavy. “What kind of person do you take me for?”

Shen Junyu feigned surprise. “It seems Wen Yu’s mind was impure and I misunderstood. Please forgive me, Demon Lord. Your character is noble and upright; I am in awe.”

Nine Abysses was speechless. After a long while, he closed his eyes, his mood unreadable. “Fine. Just massage my shoulders.”

Shen Junyu replied, “Understood.”

He then moved behind the Nine Abysses Demon Lord. The Demon Lord’s physique was beautifully formed. His muscle lines were smooth and elegant without being bulky. Under the moonlight, his skin had a cold-white hue with a faint touch of cyan, different from Shen Junyu’s mutton-fat jade-white skin, carrying an extra edge of sharp coldness.

At this moment, Shen Junyu took some floral scented oil and slowly warmed it in his palms before beginning to massage the Demon Lord’s shoulders. Normally, Shen Junyu’s skin was on the cooler side, but once warmed and moistened by the oil, it became exceptionally smooth and delicate.

Shen Junyu placed his hands on the Demon Lord’s shoulders and began to massage slowly. He kept his movements as gentle as possible, devoid of any flirtatiousness, keeping his hands strictly around the shoulders without wandering.

However, for the Nine Abysses Demon Lord, it was an entirely different sensation. He felt that delicate, warm, jade-like touch moving slowly along the surface of his muscles. His breathing hitched slightly, and a spark of dark fire flickered uncontrollably in the depths of his eyes. But he quickly lowered his gaze, suppressing that mysteriously restless flame. He settled in to enjoy Shen Junyu’s handiwork.

However, not long after, a gentle voice echoed in the Nine Abysses Demon Lord’s heart. “Wen Su, are you asleep?”

The Demon Lord snapped his eyes open, his expression subtle and unreadable.

Shen Junyu was surprised. “Demon Lord?”

After a long pause, Nine Abysses said softly, “It is nothing. Continue.”

“Yes.”

After a brief silence, Wen Su’s voice slowly echoed in Shen Junyu’s sea of consciousness. “Not yet. Are you still with the Nine Abysses Demon Lord?”

Shen Junyu smiled slightly. “Yes. Tomorrow is the final day of the martial arts marriage competition, and the Demon Lord wants me to stay in his palace to cultivate. What about you? What are you doing? Have you finished practicing your blade?”

Wen Su replied, “Finished. I am on the daybed reading a book.”

Shen Junyu felt a slight stir in his heart. While absentmindedly massaging the Demon Lord’s shoulders, he asked, “What book? A novel from your Demon Realm?”

Wen Su answered, “A cultivation manual. Do you like novels?”

Shen Junyu replied, “I liked them when I was a child, but I did not read many. Speaking of which, the markets in your Demon Realm seem very interesting, but since I arrived, I have not had the time to visit them. It is a pity.”

Wen Su was quiet for a moment. “If you like, I will take you next time.”

Shen Junyu said, “I was just joking. I do not have any of your demon currency right now, so I cannot buy anything.”

Wen Su replied, “I will buy them for you.”

Shen Junyu was slightly surprised and asked, “Really?”

Wen Su replied, “Really.”

After a moment of reflection, Shen Junyu said candidly, “Actually, I want Mirage Dragon blood. The last time I advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, the disguise you made for me fell off. These past few days, being with the Nine Abysses Demon Lord, I am always worried he will see through my current disguise.”

Wen Su answered, “I still have Mirage Dragon blood here. Next time, you can just tell me directly.”

Shen Junyu said, “Alright.”

Wen Su paused for a moment and then suddenly asked, “Do you plan to keep the Nine Abysses Demon Lord in the dark forever, never telling him your true origins?”

Shen Junyu was silent for a while before answering, “Yes. After all, the hearts of humans are difficult to fathom, let alone those of demons. Unless it becomes absolutely necessary, there is no need for me to expose myself.”

After a long while, Wen Su spoke with a subtle tone, “I am also a demon.”

Without even thinking, Shen Junyu replied, “You are different.”

Wen Su fell silent.

Shen Junyu waited for a long time, but he never received a response from Wen Su, which left him feeling somewhat lost. He did not know which part of his words had affected Wen Su. He wanted to see Wen Su’s expression in person, but he had no way to do so.

Suddenly, a low voice filled with suppressed emotion rang out. “Enough.”

Shen Junyu instinctively snapped back to reality and met the narrow, beautiful blue-gold eyes of the Nine Abysses Demon Lord. However, at this moment, those eyes were churning with a hot, indefinable emotion that made him feel wary.

Shen Junyu discreetly withdrew his hand and stepped back in the water. He said, “If the Demon Lord has no further need of me, Wen Yu shall take his leave.”

By now, Shen Junyu was soaked through, yet his posture remained exceptionally composed.

The Nine Abysses Demon Lord’s gaze lingered on Shen Junyu’s slightly damp but still clear and calm face for several seconds. He eventually looked away and said in a deep, suppressed voice, “Go then.”

Shen Junyu immediately bid him farewell and withdrew.

Back in the main hall, Shen Junyu used a cleansing spell to remove the water from his body. He lay back down on his daybed, his mind racing. He closed his eyes, but for some reason, the image of the Nine Abysses Demon Lord’s narrow blue-gold eyes kept returning to him.

After a long while, he quietly activated the array markings. “Wen Su, why did you suddenly stop talking just now?”

After a moment, Wen Su replied, “I was preparing to sleep.”

Shen Junyu was silent for a heartbeat. “Then get some rest. I will sleep as well.”

There was silence from the other side once again.

A faint sense of melancholy rose in Shen Junyu’s heart, but it was too elusive to grasp. Ultimately, he withdrew his hand, closed his eyes, and went to sleep.

He did not know that on the other side, Wen Su was staring fixedly at the glowing array markings in his palm, his eyes dark with surging emotions.

The final day of the martial arts marriage competition finally arrived.

This time, six Demon Lords arrived simultaneously in their precious carriages. They were there both to watch the battle and to ensure that no one cheated during the competition.

The crowd gathered around the arena was much larger than on the first day. It was a sea of people, shoulder to shoulder, all curious about the final outcome.

Shen Junyu arrived with the Nine Abysses Demon Lord as usual. Wen Su was unable to accompany him due to his lower status.

Once the six Demon Lords were assembled, Lin Yuzhi, the strategist for the Cloud-Dream Demon Lord, stepped forward to announce the start of the final day’s matches.

However, at that moment, a demon cultivator suddenly stepped out and shouted, “Nine Abysses Demon Lord, I have a question for you!”

As soon as he spoke, the crowd, which had already caught wind of certain rumors, understood what was happening and began to look on with malicious delight. Over the past few days, many had tried to visit the Nine Abysses Demon Lord to ask about Shen Junyu’s spiritual arrays, but everyone except the Heaven-Peering Demon Lord and his son had been turned away. These lords and marquises held a grudge and were now eager to kick him while he was down, especially since Shen Junyu’s identity was now highly suspicious.

Surprisingly, the usually short-tempered Nine Abysses Demon Lord remained silent and did not respond to the provocation. Even so, no one moved to drag the insolent cultivator away, proving that the crowd’s sentiment had shifted.

Shen Junyu had been kept by the Demon Lord’s side and was unaware of external events, but he felt a sense of impending trouble.

Sure enough, the demon cultivator shouted his accusation, “Nine Abysses Demon Lord, do you know that the strategist Wen Yu you took in is a spy for the Human Race? If you did not know, you might be forgiven. But if you did know, what are your intentions for so flamboyantly promoting him these past few days?”

Before he could finish, a rainbow-like beam of blue-gold demon energy shot out from the Nine Abysses Demon Lord’s carriage. With a thunderous boom, it instantly disintegrated the Nascent Soul stage cultivator into dust!

The entire venue fell into a dead silence.

Inside the carriage, Shen Junyu’s heart skipped a beat. At the same time, he discreetly summoned the Phoenix Feather Sword into his hand.

“Noisy,” the Nine Abysses Demon Lord said coolly. He then looked indifferently at Lin Yuzhi on the stage and added, “You should have cleared out such trash long ago. How do you handle your affairs? This only serves to ruin the Cloud-Dream Demon Lord’s reputation.”

Lin Yuzhi’s expression was subtle, but he immediately bowed and complied.

At this moment, the Heavenly Desolation Demon Lord, who had been waiting for his chance, finally spoke up unhurriedly. “Ninth Brother, you are destroying evidence and changing the subject. Could it be that you have a guilty conscience?”

The Nine Abysses Demon Lord smiled slightly. “When an unknown pawn dares to question this Lord without proof, it is a capital offense. What is the matter, Elder Brother Heavenly Desolation? Have you become so soft-hearted in your old age that you cannot stand the sight of blood? If that is the case, it would be better for you to resign your position and go live a life of prayer and fasting.”

The atmosphere became incredibly strange. Many people wanted to laugh but did not dare. It was well known that the Heavenly Desolation Demon Lord was the oldest of the lords, even older than the current Demon Sovereign. Unfortunately, his cultivation had been stuck at the late stage of the Void Refinement realm for a long time. Many self-taught demon cultivators mocked him in private for clinging to his position through seniority and underhanded tactics.

The words “Elder Brother” truly stung the Heavenly Desolation Demon Lord. He was enraged. However, instead of arguing, he burst out of his carriage and launched a palm strike toward the Nine Abysses Demon Lord’s carriage.

“Insolent brat! Today, I shall teach you a lesson on behalf of the Demon Sovereign!”

The demon cultivators were shocked. Only the Nine Abysses Demon Lord realized something the moment the attack began. He decisively grabbed Shen Junyu and threw him toward the Heaven-Peering Demon Lord’s seat, shouting, “Go!”

He then soared into the sky to meet the attack head-on. As the two Demon Lords clashed, the ground shook and the mountains trembled. A shockwave erupted from the point of contact, sweeping across the area.

Chaos ensued. The moment Shen Junyu was thrown from the carriage, he gripped his sword tightly and reached the peak of alertness. As he flew through the air, dozens of streaks of demon energy of various colors lunged at him from all directions. They were at least Nascent Soul stage cultivators, and many were Soul Transformation stage Demon Marquises!

Not far away, the Heaven-Peering Demon Lord and Meng Xingyan immediately moved to intervene. However, their cultivation was not as high as the others, and nearly half of the attackers bypassed them and headed straight for Shen Junyu.

In the distance, the battle between Heavenly Desolation and Nine Abysses was so fierce that half of the mountain collapsed under the pressure of their energy. The Nine Abysses Demon Lord was younger and had a slightly higher cultivation level. After a few moves, he broke away and turned to fly toward Shen Junyu. Unexpectedly, several more streaks of Void Refinement stage demon energy shot toward him from the distance.

The Nine Abysses Demon Lord sneered, his blue-gold eyes filled with killing intent. “It seems many of you are tired of living today? Fine, then come at me.”

A mysterious rune swirled in his eyes, and his demon energy surged. Behind him, a magnificent green peacock phantom, as large as half a mountain, rose into the sky. Standing before the phantom, he pushed his palm forward. The momentum was like mountains and seas collapsing. Several Void Refinement stage attackers were struck with terror and retreated immediately.

Meanwhile, Shen Junyu was surrounded by several Soul Transformation stage attackers. One of them revealed a sinister face that resembled Qin Huaique and swung a silver blade down toward Shen Junyu’s head.

Shen Junyu finally made his move. The Phoenix Feather Sword exploded with brilliant light. He lunged forward, and his rainbow-like sword light, wrapped in black-gold demon energy, collided with the silver blade. With a crisp sound, the silver blade shattered into two pieces.

The demon cultivators were stunned. That silver blade was a Heaven-tier Demon Soul weapon, yet it had shattered so easily.

Shen Junyu remained expressionless. He leaped into the air and struck again. Golden light surged like a rainbow, and demon energy filled the sky. A scream rang out as the Soul Transformation stage cultivator who had held the silver blade was sliced in half by Shen Junyu’s sword.

The entire venue fell into a deathly silence. No demon dared to move. They were terrified by Shen Junyu’s strength, but even more so by the color of his demon energy.

The Void Refinement stage attackers who had been repelled by Nine Abysses looked over and saw Shen Junyu shrouded in black-gold demon energy like a descending demon god. Their pupils contracted as they realized something terrifying.

In the sky, Shen Junyu looked up and the Nine Abysses Demon Lord looked back. Their eyes met, and a faint, approving smile appeared on the Demon Lord’s lips. Shen Junyu, however, remained calm and indifferent.

At that very instant, the Heavenly Desolation Demon Lord, who had just been defeated by Nine Abysses, suddenly emerged from a nearby mountain. He unleashed a crushing pressure that immobilized Shen Junyu and slammed his palm down toward Shen Junyu’s head!

The Nine Abysses Demon Lord’s face changed instantly. He raced across the sky in a fury, shouting, “You old scoundrel!”

Shen Junyu sensed the attack the moment Heavenly Desolation moved. However, he had exhausted almost all of his cultivation to kill the Soul Transformation stage demon as a deterrent. He was currently on the verge of collapse and could not escape.

As the wind from the palm strike was about to hit him, Shen Junyu expressionlessly raised his hand and pressed it against the mark on his chest. The mark flickered with a red light, appearing almost excited.

Suddenly, a voice rang out. “All of you, stop.”