The Demon Lord Relied on His Imagination to Get Together with the Protagonist. - Chapter 31

Chapter 31

The ghost-masked guard responsible for security at the Palace of Decadence and Lust looked in the distance with a grim expression.

“Boss, the barrier of the Palace of Decadence and Lust was broken sometime… from the inside,” a subordinate nervously came to report. “Now Wu Wanyi has brought people in! Do we need to engage them immediately?”

The Succubus clan of the Joyful Union Sect was insidious and cunning. To intrude upon the Palace of Decadence and Lust while the Venerable Lord was absent was an extremely egregious act, enough for them to die a hundred times over.

The ghost-masked guard immediately ordered: “Hold the line fiercely! There’s no need for negotiation. Any intruder, without exception, will be killed!”

The subordinate soldier was somewhat timid: “Kill them all?”

Ghost-masked guard: “Do not show mercy! If you show mercy now, when the Venerable Lord returns, it will be you and I who die.”

The original barrier was broken. If it hadn’t been dismantled from the inside by someone within the Palace of Decadence and Lust, they would have definitely noticed it during their daily patrols. The sudden occurrence of such a thing indicated the presence of a spy whose cultivation and status were superior to his own.

The Venerable Lord had only been away for a short time, and the Palace of Decadence and Lust was already being attacked by a group of low-level people. If so, what was the point of their existence as guards?

From being infiltrated repeatedly in the past to being openly provoked now, every guard felt a suppressed resentment.

They were not incompetent people to be stationed at the Palace of Decadence and Lust. In the Demon Realm, which worshipped absolute power, which one of them hadn’t fought their way through a bloody path to reach this position?

To dare to cause trouble at this moment was to be utterly tired of living!

The ghost-masked guards formed a solemn and strict formation, vowing to the death to block the invasion of the Succubus clan of the Joyful Union Sect.

Because the guards initiated the formation first, the Succubus side didn’t have time to react. The first batch of intruders was almost instantly annihilated, without even realizing what was happening. The situation was almost a one-sided defeat, and the Succubus side was immediately left with no room to fight back.

At this moment, Wu Wanyi instantly realized the situation was tricky. She fretfully took the lead in the charge, commanding: “No retreat! Those who retreat will be killed!”

This roar was full of coercion, demanding a fight to the death.

Not far away, the Saint-Scribe stood with his hands behind his back, silently observing the situation.

Qi Magu stood beside the Celestial Venerable, noticing a peculiar phenomenon the Celestial Venerable had said he didn’t want to see common people bleed, but now the Succubus side was being unilaterally thrashed, and the Celestial Venerable showed no intention of helping them at all.

Could it be… the Saint-Scribe Celestial Venerable didn’t come to mediate and reconcile after all?

Qi Magu couldn’t guess the Celestial Venerable’s thoughts and could only follow him, watching with folded arms without saying a word.

This observation lasted for several days.

Qi Magu: “…”

He yawned and noticed that the guards of the Palace of Decadence and Lust had been rotated several times, and their resistance force had clearly weakened.

Because the guard formations of the Palace of Decadence and Lust were rehearsed in advance, they were very effective in the initial phase against a powerful enemy. As time wore on, however, their flaws gradually became apparent.

The people inside the Palace of Decadence and Lust couldn’t leave, but people from the outside could enter.

The Joyful Union Sect continuously brought in reinforcements, while the people of the Palace of Decadence and Lust could only take turns.

Under continuous warfare, everyone’s energy was inevitably limited. The people of the Joyful Union Sect could rest due to their sheer numbers, but the ghost-masked people of the Palace of Decadence and Lust could only persevere.

Seeing that the flaw in the formation was about to be discovered by the enemy, the ghost-masked people wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer…

Qi Magu was tired just watching, let alone the ghost-masked guards.

“Oh no,” Qi Magu suddenly saw the situation clearly and was instantly no longer sleepy. He murmured, “The Joyful Union Sect, the Succubus clan, are skilled in psychic spells, especially those that attack and bewitch people’s minds. How can the guards of the Palace of Decadence and Lust, overworked day in and day out, resist those treacherous Succubi?”

The Saint-Scribe Celestial Venerable didn’t speak, coldly observing the situation.

The doubt in Qi Magu’s heart was overwhelming. He initially thought the Celestial Venerable came here to observe the battle in order to mediate, but after these few days, he felt that the Celestial Venerable might just be here to watch the internal strife of the Demon Realm, and in fact, had no intention of interfering.

Just watching, not interfering.

Qi Magu: “…”

The Celestial Venerable is indeed profound. I can’t guess his true intentions at all.

“Celestial Venerable, if the Palace of Decadence and Lust is breached, what should we do?” Qi Magu asked this question to remind him not to forget to rescue his eldest disciple. He said, “Why don’t we…”

The next second, the Saint-Scribe Celestial Venerable interrupted him unequivocally: “The Palace of Decadence and Lust will certainly not be breached.”

Qi Magu: “???”

No.

Celestial Venerable, look at the current battle. It’s already one-sided. The Succubi will soon discover the flaw in the formation and then use those wicked and ingenious tricks to interfere with the ghost-masked guards’ consciousness.

Can the people of the Palace of Decadence and Lust really hold out until the Demon Lord returns?

Without the Demon Lord’s protection, and without the powerful greater demons around, relying only on a bunch of small guards, and without the original barrier to defend, how is it possible…

Qi Magu grumbled internally for a moment, about to advise the Celestial Venerable to rescue the person first, when he saw the Celestial Venerable very calmly… interfere with the situation.

Qi Magu: “???”

He hadn’t misread it. The Celestial Venerable hadn’t made a mistake just now!

What is he doing?

“Celestial Venerable, you, you are…” Qi Magu noticed his voice was trembling when he spoke. Nothing could be more terrifying than the current situation. Their exalted Celestial Venerable of the Xianning Sect actually! Actually stepped in to help the Palace of Decadence and Lust clear out the external enemies.

Help me, Celestial Venerable, do you know what you are doing right now?

What is your stance? What is your identity?

“Qi Magu,” the Saint-Scribe Celestial Venerable spoke coldly, “Immediately lock down the entire Palace of Decadence and Lust.”

Qi Magu: “???”

Lock down what?

“Celestial Venerable, the Palace of Decadence and Lust can only be entered, not exited…”

Qi Magu replied softly.

“It’s not enough. I command you to completely seal the Palace of Decadence and Lust inside and out with formations. Do not let any news leak out,” the Saint-Scribe lowered his gaze. His pale gray eyes held a kind of unfeeling coldness. He said, “No one outside the Palace of Decadence and Lust, whether looking from afar or up close, should be able to see the situation inside.”

Qi Magu took a deep breath.

“Use the largest and most stringent restriction formations.”

The Saint-Scribe seriously flicked his sleeve. As he raised his hand and performed the spell, his silver robe expanded. When he drew a circle to cast the spell, the edges of his sleeves were as sharp as blades. The magic was as cold as the moon hanging in the sky. The powerful cultivation of the world’s number one instantly pressed down upon the Succubus clan like a mountain landslide, as if intending to completely massacre the entire clan. The killing intent was completely undisguised, even appearing open and aboveboard, righteous and confident…

Qi Magu: “…”

It’s over. The Celestial Venerable is not normal today!

He finally understood the person truly hadn’t come to mediate, but to blatantly take sides!

A few days ago, when the Palace of Decadence and Lust guards were slaughtering the invaders, the Celestial Venerable showed no intention of interfering. But as soon as the tide of the battle was finally about to turn, the Celestial Venerable instantly took action, indeed, without hesitation… helping the side of the Palace of Decadence and Lust.

What more could Qi Magu say? Even if he couldn’t understand the Celestial Venerable’s thoughts, he still had to follow his arrangements.

As the Ninth Immortal Sage, he was skilled in all kinds of esoteric knowledge and ingenious formations. If the Celestial Venerable wanted to turn the Palace of Decadence and Lust into a self-contained prison, he would use the most magnificent formation specifications, ensuring that the outside world, including the Demon Lord, could not know what was happening inside.

“Tian Lin Huan Yu, Sheng En Tang Tang…” Qi Magu braced himself and recited a string of ancient words. A tiny heart-shaped formation grew on his fingertip. As cultivation was poured into it, the formation gradually solidified and expanded, like a grand projection, enveloping the sky above the Palace of Decadence and Lust.

“Activate Formation!”

Because of the insistence on turning it into a prison, at the moment the formation was set, the sky above the Palace of Decadence and Lust seemed to be shrouded in a hazy purple mist. People inside and out could no longer see the original sky, and those outside couldn’t see the interior at all.

The heavily suppressed Succubi were dumbfounded. They wiped the sweat and dirt from their faces, looking up at the sky in confusion.

Wu Wanyi’s expression changed several times. Because she was under excessive pressure, she even felt dizzy. Her nails dug into her subordinate’s arm, and she clung to them to avoid fainting.

“What is this?”

“Who is it?”

“What formation?”

Wu Wanyi had led the Succubus clan to hold on for several days, sacrificing countless lives to deplete the Palace of Decadence and Lust’s strength. She thought she would soon be able to conquer the Palace of Decadence and Lust, but suddenly an extremely powerful force appeared, instantly wiping out the newly added reinforcements.

Just a moment ago, Wu Wanyi was joking about how to threaten the Demon Lord, but now…

“Something is wrong, run!”

The reason Wu Wanyi could reach this position was that she never dared to be too greedy. Even if all her efforts came to nothing, she would not risk everything out of spite.

Especially the death of her sister, Wu Ziyu, made her realize always keep a bottom line, at least don’t court your own death.

Because the mysterious force just now was too overbearing, Wu Wanyi instantly came to a conclusion… Never mind their Joyful Union Sect. Even if the Demon Generals who were out returned, they might not be able to withstand that mysterious force.

“It’s a great power from Xianning,” Wu Wanyi looked at the area with regret, while confidently saying, “Their strength must be above the Immortal Sage level. We can’t win.”

However, the warriors ahead clearly heard her command, yet they still ignored it and continued to cast spells to defend.

They actually disobeyed her command!

“Run now!” Wu Wanyi no longer cared about appearances, just yelling hysterically: “I dare anyone to disobey me!”

Although she had issued the threat, she instinctively sensed the panic of her subordinates.

A subordinate weakly said: “My Lady, did you notice that the clansmen in front are not actively attacking… but fighting desperately to resist.”

When life is threatened, people instinctively protect themselves. Those people were painfully curled up, convulsing as they resisted the unfathomable immortal magic, like ants thrown onto a hot iron plate, their limbs twisting and flailing, struggling for their rapidly fading lives.

She couldn’t watch any longer. Wu Wanyi didn’t want to know what the person on the far end looked like. She just wanted to run faster and escape as quickly as possible.

“Run now! Why are those people behind blocking the way?” Wu Wanyi had announced the order to retreat to everyone. It was somewhat understandable that the people in front weren’t leaving, but the people behind had also clustered together, blocking her exit.

She was furious and shoved aside the person blocking her: “A bunch of good-for-nothings!”

Then, she froze.

The Palace of Decadence and Lust, from ten thousand feet in the sky to ten thousand feet underground, was locked by layers of formations. Innumerable dazzling formations had turned it into a prison, like it had been secured with countless chains that no one could easily unlock.

Restrictions multiplied ten thousandfold.

This is intended to silence all of them.

I was careless. The Demon Lord actually had such foresight, not appearing herself but managing to trap their entire Joyful Union Sect here.

Wu Wanyi’s legs gave way. She dropped to her knees with a painful thump.

The road ahead was prosperous, and the carriage had already entered the Scarlet Sky Realm.

A completely black raven landed on Qing Lin’s fingertip, tilted its head, cawed for a long time, and then flew away.

“Venerable Lord, the Palace of Decadence and Lust…”

Qing Lin: “…”

She only said half a sentence, and the Venerable Lord showed no intention of replying. She suspected the other person was asleep, so she had to grit her teeth and peek into the carriage.

Qing Lin silently lifted the carriage curtain and saw the Demon Lord staring blankly at Tong Siqing’s sleeping face. The person was not asleep, but she hadn’t heard her call just now at all.

Sigh.

Who would have thought that their Venerable Lord would have a day of being lost in love? And not only was she lost in love, but she had almost unconditionally dedicated her entire heart to the other person.

Yet, she still refused to admit it. Even if she refused to admit it, she still self-deceptively insisted that she didn’t love Tong Siqing that much.

Qing Lin had long been accustomed to her Venerable Lord’s tsundere nature saying one thing and meaning another and completely understood, finding it unremarkable.

What else could Qing Lin do? She could only lightly cough to remind the Venerable Lord.

Shi Zhihua wore a formal red silk gown today. Although the red was brilliant, it was unlike the wedding robes of the mortal realm, instead possessing a sharp and gallant feeling. The dress was like fire, and the collar and sleeve edges were embroidered with silver-black patterns, paired with a pure black pibo (a long shawl). Even sitting in the carriage, it gave people a sense of elegance and sophistication.

Before Tong Siqing arrived, their Venerable Lord, although mindful of her appearance, would never go to such lengths to dress up, especially that pibo—

The Venerable Lord had once found that thing to be bothersome.

And now…

Qing Lin couldn’t bear to recall those old memories. Seeing today’s Demon Lord, who seemed like a changed person, having meticulously dressed up since early morning, even her makeup was much more refined than before. She personally painted her dark brows, her lipstick was rich and vibrant, and her three thousand strands of black hair were half-up, adorned with luxurious, flowing serpent gold hairpins, and completed with gold tassel earrings.

Today, the two of them had even slept in a little. With the Venerable Lord spending so much time dressing up, half the morning was gone.

Qing Lin: “Sigh.”

Half an hour ago, the heavily dressed Venerable Lord had asked the other person, “Do I look good?” Tong Siqing seemed to have just woken up, rubbing her eyes and asking, “Did Venerable Lord put on makeup?” This made the Venerable Lord so angry she almost lost her voice and ignored the girl for a long time.

Later, only when Tong Siqing recovered and added, “Venerable Lord is beautiful every day,” did she manage to temporarily appease her.

Qing Lin could only sigh.

She didn’t know who influenced whom, but the Venerable Lord had changed a lot, her tsundere attribute fully maxed out.

“Why the sighing?” Shi Zhihua watched Tong Siqing sleep, then looked up at Qing Lin. She asked the question, then suddenly realized something, raised her long finger to her lips, signaling the other person not to disturb Tong Siqing.

Immediately after, the grandly dressed Demon Lord lifted her skirt and the “bothersome pibo,” leaning out of the carriage.

Shi Zhihua only spoke seriously after ensuring Tong Siqing couldn’t hear: “What happened at the Palace of Decadence and Lust?”

Qing Lin thought for a moment, frowning: “Your subordinate does not know. A few days ago, Wu Wanyi led the Succubi of the Joyful Union Sect to attack the Palace of Decadence and Lust. After being suppressed for several days, Wu Wanyi suddenly called in many reinforcements today. Your subordinate thought the Palace of Decadence and Lust wouldn’t be able to hold on, but who would have thought the Palace of Decadence and Lust suddenly became like a death prison? Someone inside activated a very stringent barrier and formation. The spells are superior and seem to be products of the Xianning Sect…”

Shi Zhihua: “Formations from the Xianning Sect?”

Qing Lin: “Yes, there is the Tiny Heart Formation, Demon Binding Silk, Demon Locking Prison, Eighteen Sub-Midnight Methods…”

“So many?” Shi Zhihua’s expression became more serious. Hearing the formations Qing Lin listed, she realized a grave problem. She analyzed: “These are all formations of the highest caliber. Even the Immortal Sages of the Xianning Sect might not be able to gather so many good things. What kind of hidden talent is inside the Palace of Decadence and Lust that can use so many treasures without reservation? Furthermore, I am not in the Palace of Decadence and Lust right now. It is only an empty shell. Why would they turn it into a prison?”

What exactly happened inside? Was the person who used the magical artifacts that internal spy?

If it truly was that spy, then the matter was much more interesting. The person was not only of great background but had also been hiding their skill, only revealing their hand after she left the Palace of Decadence and Lust.

Yet, they hadn’t done anything major, only closing the door to beat the invading dog during the Demon Realm’s internal turmoil.

Qing Lin: “Your subordinate does not understand either, but now the Palace of Decadence and Lust has completely severed all contact with the outside, even being locked down hundreds of feet in the sky. Not even a flying bird can enter.”

The situation was so fantastical that Shi Zhihua actually laughed: “If they love to cause trouble so much, let them guard the empty shell and mess around.”

Su Rong, who had been listening in, was also dumbfounded. She didn’t know if she had missed a crucial piece of information or if she hadn’t understood a certain step, but she couldn’t analyze the situation at all.

“Unless the person wants to occupy the Palace of Decadence and Lust and declare themselves king, I can’t figure out their motive,” Shi Zhihua joked. “Surely the Palace of Decadence and Lust hasn’t changed Demon Lords while I was out.”

Qing Lin also chuckled: “Venerable Lord, you jest.”

Su Rong: “…”

She suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, startled by the Demon Lord’s joke.

Unlike Qing Lin’s ease, Su Rong couldn’t follow the joke at all. Qing Lin laughed because the joke was highly unlikely to come true, but Su Rong was scared because she thought it made perfect sense!

She suddenly remembered something!

The Saint-Scribe Celestial Venerable said he was coming to the Demon Realm to visit Siqing these past few days!

Combining this with the previous clues—being able to use formations above the Immortal Sage level, acting decisively and mercilessly, directly locking down the Palace of Decadence and Lust…

Isn’t this exactly what the Saint-Scribe Celestial Venerable is capable of doing!

Su Rong’s face instantly turned pale, like a child who had done wrong and dared not return home, and the “parent” holding the ruler with a cold expression was the Saint-Scribe Celestial Venerable.

Even a ghost story wouldn’t dare to be told this way.

Su Rong’s vision went black, and she slammed her head against Qing Lin’s shoulder.

Qing Lin was startled and quickly held her shoulder: “Su Rong, what’s wrong?”

Su Rong: “Perhaps a nightmare last night. I feel somewhat exhausted and powerless during the day…”

The Demon Lord, in a rare show of consideration for her subordinates, had the carriage stop in front of a restaurant, allowing everyone to rest and eat something before setting off again.

When Su Rong alighted from the carriage, her legs were trembling. In her panic, she had no choice but to recite the Orthodox Body and Clear Heart Sutra in her mind, trying to stabilize her composure.

It wasn’t easy, because her mind was filled with the icy figure of the Saint-Scribe Celestial Venerable, his cold, gleaming mask, and his pair of indifferent gray eyes that overlooked the world.

The Celestial Venerable must be very angry. He took the time to come to the Palace of Decadence and Lust from the Xianning Sect, only to find me absent and Siqing taken away.

…I was truly brave at the time, actually deciding on a whim to find a way to dispatch the Demon Lord and Siqing. After all this fuss, not only did I fail to quell the approaching storm, but I also provoked the Celestial Venerable to such anger.

Shi Zhihua walked ahead. Seeing Su Rong’s pale face, she instructed Qing Lin: “Qing Lin, support her. You have no sense.”

“Yes!” Qing Lin instantly tensed up, wiped her palms, and quickly took Su Rong’s arm.

Su Rong looked at the Demon Lord ahead with a desolate expression. She thought, Although the Demon Lord’s thoughts are hard to guess and her temper is bad, her actions are still negotiable. But the Saint-Scribe Celestial Venerable is different. The Celestial Venerable usually seems good-tempered, but he acts very ruthlessly, leaving no room for negotiation.

Who could have imagined? In a fit of rage, he turned the Palace of Decadence and Lust into a prison.

Su Rong never assumed the best. She kept feeling that the Demon Lord’s joke just now was very plausible. Perhaps when they returned, the Saint-Scribe Celestial Venerable had already occupied the Palace of Decadence and Lust and unified the three realms as a side effect…

If that happened, the Demon Realm would be gone. What would the Demon Lord do then!

Tears welled up in Su Rong’s eyes. She leaned weakly on Qing Lin, her palms cold.

Qing Lin froze like a piece of wood, almost stumbling over her own feet.

“Su, Su, Su Rong…”

The Scarlet Sky Realm restaurant was magnificent and bustling. All the customers coming and going were distinguished and elegant individuals. The Scarlet Sky Realm was inherently a place of wealth, and most of its residents possessed an extraordinary bearing.

Despite the concentration of good-looking people, it didn’t stop Shi Zhihua from still being the most eye-catching person there.

The Demon Lord of over a hundred years naturally had an imposing aura, coupled with her unprecedentedly stunning beauty, causing passersby to stop in awe and watch her both overtly and covertly.

Shi Zhihua didn’t even bother to glance at the other mundane people. She had dressed up so grandly today only for Tong Siqing, but Tong Siqing was clueless, and her compliments were only those few phrases repeated over and over.

Shi Zhihua even suspected that the other person only knew the word “beautiful.”

Hearing those two words too often made it feel like flattery.

To think I meticulously dressed up today, yet the effect was close to nil. Shi Zhihua still harbored a suppressed resentment and didn’t really want to easily engage with Tong Siqing.

Shi Zhihua turned back, pretending to look at Su Rong, but in fact, she quietly glanced at Tong Siqing. She thought Tong Siqing might realize the change in her attitude, but the girl still looked half-asleep, following her hazily like a little tail.

Her arm was still draped with the bothersome pibo. She had only reluctantly worn it to look good, but now that Tong Siqing didn’t appreciate it, what was the point of wearing this cumbersome thing?

Shi Zhihua walked slowly forward. Her elaborate skirt billowed like scattered clouds, the folds turning like the rolling and unrolling of clouds… but her mood was a mess.

Qing Lin’s voice sounded from nearby: “Su Rong, can you still walk? If not, should I carry you?”

Is it that serious? What sickness?

Was she poisoned?

Shi Zhihua was suspicious and instantly realized something was wrong. She abruptly stopped.

Tong Siqing, walking in a daze, didn’t see Shi Zhihua stop. In a moment of carelessness, she bumped right into her. She accidentally stepped on the Demon Lord’s pibo. Her already unstable body immediately wobbled, and she fell headlong toward Zhihua…

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