The Demon Lord Relied on His Imagination to Get Together with the Protagonist. - Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Tong Siqing quickly led everyone to the location of Immortal Master Fu Luan.

But when they arrived at the spot, they saw only barren land.

“Just like when the Phantom Mirror took our Immortal Master away, the Immortal Artifact created a space within a mustard seed. Normal people can’t see anything there.”

The disciples chattered, undoubtedly trying to beg the Demon Lord Shi Zhihua to cleave the space again and bring them in.

They knew that the Demon Lord’s cultivation techniques could accomplish this.

However, they waited for a moment and found that Shi Zhihua did not make a move, as if she was waiting for them to ask before she would agree.

The disciples felt awkward for a while, and forced themselves to say: “We beg the Venerable Lord to help us save her.”

Qing Lin stood aside, hugging her arms and sneering: “When you need help, you call her ‘Venerable Lord.’ When you don’t, you call her ‘that Demon Lord.’ Xianning disciples are indeed hypocritical.”

The disciples, already reluctantly asking for help, had their secrets exposed like this, and their faces all turned green.

Tong Siqing stepped in to smooth things over: “It’s alright. Zhihua is also after the Immortal Artifact, which doesn’t conflict with you all, and you don’t need to owe anyone a favor.”

The disciples: “…”

Excellent. Immortal Saint Siqing’s single sentence once again handed the Immortal Artifact to the Demon Lord.

Last time, the Phantom Mirror was brought out by Immortal Master Fu Luan, only to be taken by the Demon Lord.

This time, the Meridian Gate Bell was related to their Senior Brother, an old possession of his, only to be intercepted by the Demon Lord again.

Everyone understood what Immortal Saint Siqing was saying. How could she be explaining things for everyone? She was clearly favoring the other side!

Her implied meaning was very obvious—she was saying in advance that by following the Demon Lord into the ‘mustard seed’ space, they were essentially agreeing not to snatch the Immortal Artifact! They better not harbor any thoughts of snatching it.

The disciples: “…”

Wuwuwu.

Before, everyone thought Immortal Saint Siqing was one of their own and, as the first Immortal Saint, would surely take good care of everyone in Xianning. Who knew that after Immortal Saint Siqing was snatched away by the Demon Lord, she wholeheartedly followed the Demon Realm, even giving the stolen Immortal Artifacts to the Demon Lord.

She was even helping that Demon Lord deceive her own people!

The disciples had nowhere to complain.

It was too difficult.

The disciples immediately communicated through secret mental messages:

“It’s alright. Firstly, we don’t have enough strength to snatch it from the Demon Lord. Secondly, our main mission is to break the nightmare. Everything else doesn’t matter.”

“Anyway, if the sky falls, Master will hold it up for us. Don’t be afraid.”

“If Celestial Venerable Saint-Scribe returns and asks for accountability, we’ll say that Immortal Saint Siqing insisted on handing over the Immortal Artifact!”

“Exactly! If the Immortal Saint doesn’t say anything, we have no reason to snatch it either.”

A moment later, the disciples agreed: “Alright, the Demon Lord can rest assured. We are only here to break the nightmare and will not cause you any trouble.”

Still somewhat sensible.

People from Xianning rarely went back on their word. Since they had made such a commitment, it saved the Demon Lord the trouble of injuring them during the chaos.

Shi Zhihua was satisfied. She cleaved the ‘mustard seed’ space and brought everyone inside.

Upon entering the space, the Ze’an Imperial Palace was instantly subjected to a massive fluctuation.

Fu Luan, in the Eastern Palace, immediately realized something was happening. She got up, ready to go out and check, and just then, she suddenly saw the Meridian Gate Bell on the couch shyly burrow into the quilt.

Fu Luan: ???

What is it doing?

She didn’t care if she could touch the thing anymore. She immediately lifted the quilt, grabbed the bell, and went straight out the door.

But once outside, she looked at the vast and imposing palaces and did not know where to go.

This place was truly too big.

Fu Luan was helpless because the earlier commotion had disappeared, making it difficult for her to determine where the Demon Lord and the others were.

On the other side, Tong Siqing and the others were in the same predicament.

After entering, they couldn’t find their direction. Where were they supposed to find Fu Luan?

“As expected of an Immortal Artifact. The ‘mustard seed’ space it casually created can contain an entire Ze’an Kingdom,” Su Rong exclaimed. “This Imperial City is truly magnificent. It would be wonderful if we could move it back to our Demon Realm.”

Shi Zhihua thought this made perfect sense: “In any case, the Palace of Decadence and Lust was already messed up by outsiders. When we go back, why don’t we just replace the Palace of Decadence and Lust with this Imperial City from the ‘mustard seed’ space?”

Qing Lin was also delighted: “Yes, we used to be bullied by the royal families, but now we can move their city back to live in.”

Tong Siqing: “Not just the Imperial City. The Meridian Gate Bell can also retain the souls of the deceased. For instance, didn’t we meet that Prince Ye Chouliang, who was dead, when we first arrived in the Scarlet Sky Realm?”

“Ye Chouliang had a conflict with this Venerable One, but this Venerable One forgot. The human lifespan is short. He must have died years ago,” Shi Zhihua was reminded and also recalled. “So, even though Ye Chouliang’s lifespan had ended, it was difficult for our people from the Demon Realm to harm him?”

This was truly a tragedy.

Even if the royal family members were resurrected after death, the Demon Realm could hardly harm them.

Shi Zhihua started to feel depressed again.

Tong Siqing comforted her: “It’s alright. After we snatch the Meridian Gate Bell, we can threaten it, telling it to hand over Ze’an City, and then send the Ze’an royal family to guard our Palace of Decadence and Lust. This way, if there are any future rebellions in the Demon Realm attacking the Palace of Decadence and Lust, we won’t have to worry.”

Shi Zhihua heard this and felt it was very reasonable. She immediately stopped being angry: “Good. We’ll do as you say. Siqing is truly thrifty.”

Su Rong and Qing Lin quickly agreed with the Demon Lord: “Yes, extremely thrifty and good at managing the household.”

The Xianning disciples, who followed the Demon Realm group and overheard the entire conversation: “…”

Heavens, there are people in this world who call “looting everything” being thrifty and economical?

The Xianning disciples trembled, realizing that the Demon Lord was still merciful to them.

The Immortal Artifact Meridian Gate Bell was the truly tragic one. Not only was it about to be stolen, but the people and things in its ‘mustard seed’ space were also going to be completely plundered.

Shi Zhihua: “Let’s go. We’ll look for it.”

The Xianning disciples looked completely speechless: “What about our Immortal Master? Shouldn’t we look for her first?”

Shi Zhihua smiled faintly: “She won’t get hurt. Your good Senior Brother wouldn’t bear to hurt her.”

Disciples: “Huh?”

Didn’t they say that the person they were chasing earlier was the Phantom Mirror in disguise?

How did it become their Immortal Master again?

Qing Lin slowly spoke: “Idiots, the Phantom Mirror’s seal isn’t broken! We were lying to you!”

Disciples: “…”

There was truly not a single honest word from the mouths of the Demon Realm people.

The Demon Lord has excellent tactics. If she can’t catch the Meridian Gate Bell, she’ll trick it into showing up willingly!

Poor their Immortal Master, who was chased for so long.

The Xianning group was extremely frustrated.

“Go find your Immortal Master,” Shi Zhihua said. “Find her, and you’ll have the Meridian Gate Bell too.”

Just as she finished speaking, a voice suddenly came:

“No—”

Everyone looked up and saw a man in bright yellow robes descend from the sky. It was Cen Letian of Xianning.

The disciples were overjoyed: “Senior Brother, you’re back! You scared us to death.”

Cen Letian did not speak.

The scene instantly fell into a brief silence.

Then, everyone realized something.

That’s right. The Demon Lord had already told everyone that Senior Brother Cen was not only the Senior Brother of Xianning but also the Prince of Ze’an Kingdom…

It must be noted that, aside from the royal family in the human world, most people were poor. These disciples of Xianning rarely ascended as ordinary mortals. Most came from rogue cultivators or some scattered small sects, cultivating for half a lifetime before finally being able to join the number one major sect, Xianning Sect.

They were accustomed to poverty and had never seen a Prince in the mortal world.

Normally, they were all fellow disciples, all equally poor. But suddenly discovering that their Senior Brother was a wealthy mortal Prince—that identity and status immediately made the other disciples feel ashamed and inferior.

He was a Prince, second only to one man.

The disciples’ joy faded, and they all dared not speak much.

Perhaps everyone remembered the fear they felt toward the royal family when they were mortals, so they no longer dared to speak to their Senior Brother as casually as before.

Indeed, Senior Brother’s appearance is so handsome and striking, and he ascended as a mortal. He must not be like them, those insignificant commoners.

The disciples felt a nervous reluctance, the kind one feels when close to home but hesitant to approach. They simply remained silent.

Just as this awkward atmosphere began to spread, the Demon Lord spoke, instantly shattering it.

Shi Zhihua sneered: “Isn’t this the Prince of the Fallen Kingdom of Ze’an? If he hadn’t ascended so cleverly, he would have likely crossed the Bridge of Helplessness several times by now.”

The disciples: “…”

Cen Letian looked at everyone painfully.

Because his sleeve was ruined, he had no choice but to wear his former Prince’s robes. Although he wore a bright crown and had his hair tied up, he no longer looked high-spirited.

As a Xianning disciple, his ascension was not in accordance with the rules, and he would surely be expelled from the sect in the future.

He knew it.

During the time he was taken by the Meridian Gate Bell, he also heard about the outside world.

He dared not go back. If he returned, Xianning would certainly not accept such a heavily stained person.

And he had even less face to see his Master.

His Master, who had thought so highly of him and protected him, must also be devastated by this news.

“Don’t go looking for her,” Cen Letian pleaded to the other Xianning disciples. “Please, as your Senior Brother, can you do this for me?”

Qing Lin stepped forward and said: “Are you dreaming? How can we not look for Fu Luan?”

Shi Zhihua: “Your Master already knows everything. You’re stopping us from finding her. Is it because you want to lock her up and secretly erase her memory?”

Cen Letian: “I wouldn’t dare.”

“Wouldn’t dare? Or wouldn’t want to?” Shi Zhihua was aggressive. “Your relationship with the Meridian Gate Bell must be quite good, right? So… were you the one who initially lured Fu Luan to the Scarlet Sky Realm?”

This was pure slander. Cen Letian was immediately agitated and loudly refuted: “It wasn’t me! Someone intentionally sought me out and brought me here! I didn’t deliberately bring Master here! Demon Lord, don’t make unfounded accusations!”

Tong Siqing: “If you were truly unintentional, then hand over the Meridian Gate Bell and send Immortal Master Fu Luan back. We can overlook your past mistakes.”

Cen Letian’s eyes were complex: “But I never did a single bad thing while I was a disciple in Xianning. Why don’t you want me? What reason do you have not to want me?”

Tong Siqing’s tone softened, like a child seriously reasoning, genuinely and articulating every word for him to hear: “If the name is not right, the words will not be smooth. The mortal ascension was wrong from the beginning, and it is irreversible now.”

Su Rong, standing nearby, suddenly felt puzzled. Immortal Saint Siqing was usually gentle and didn’t talk much about rules. Why was she acting so unusually today?

She thought for a moment, and was about to secretly transmit a message to the Demon Lord, but she accidentally overheard the Demon Lord and Tong Siqing’s conversation.

The Demon Lord was also transmitting a message to Tong Siqing: “You are the Immortal Saint of Xianning and have the most authority to speak. It’s perfect for intimidating him. Press Cen Letian hard for this Venerable One. Whatever angers him, whatever makes him despair, do it without holding back.”

Su Rong: “…”

Su Rong was so frightened that she quickly backed out, daring not to make a sound. What kind of scene was this, corrupting a child? It was too terrifying.

Tong Siqing continued: “You should hurry and run away. Run far away, and we can pretend we didn’t see you. Otherwise, if my Father Venerable finds out, he might take your life.”

Cen Letian spoke to himself: “He won’t. Celestial Venerable Saint-Scribe won’t. He will definitely see the good deeds I’ve done and grant me mercy…”

“Do you believe that yourself?” Tong Siqing glanced at Shi Zhihua beside her, continuing to intensify the intimidation. “It seems you don’t understand. My Father Venerable is a very principled person, and I heard that he learned about your bad deeds from a ghost’s mouth and is just waiting for you to return to avenge that deceased soul!”

The latter half was made up by Tong Siqing, because she felt that Prince Ze’an, having done so many bad things, would inevitably encounter such a situation.

It was the best thing to use to scare someone.

Indeed, as soon as Tong Siqing said this, it completely cut off all of Cen Letian’s retreat paths.

He closed his eyes, groaning in unbearable pain: “Alright, you forced me to do this.”

Shi Zhihua was waiting for exactly that sentence.

The Meridian Gate Bell was timid, but it had a bond with Cen Letian.

She had long wanted to find an excuse to bully Cen Letian and force the Meridian Gate Bell out.

The Meridian Gate Bell was cowardly but valued loyalty.

There was no other way to snatch it but to target the person it cared about, forcing it to reveal itself.

Shi Zhihua was ready, confidently preparing to engage in a fight with Cen Letian.

She released her surrounding Demon qi, like launching a world-destroying cyclone, violently slamming it toward the bright yellow figure not far away.

Just then, she suddenly heard Tong Siqing stop her: “Zhihua! You can’t hurt him!”

Why not?

Shi Zhihua thought Tong Siqing wanted to protect the Xianning disciple and even smiled fleetingly: “This Venerable One will hurt him today.”

Just as the wind was about to engulf Cen Letian, Tong Siqing finally finished the second half of her sentence: “But—he’s royalty!”

Shi Zhihua: “…”

She forgot.

She had been bullying him as a Xianning disciple and completely forgot that he was also royalty when he was a mortal!

Does a Prince of a fallen kingdom count as royalty?

Shi Zhihua couldn’t guarantee whether she would incur heavenly punishment, but it was already too late to withdraw. Her move had already been released, and blocking it out of thin air was not easy.

“Let it be heavenly punishment then,” Shi Zhihua said. “This Venerable One can handle it.”

“Come on!” Cen Letian roared from a distance. “What’s the point of me being alive! Stripping me of everything and then letting me barely live—how am I supposed to continue living?”

Tong Siqing saw that the Demon Lord had no intention of withdrawing and was worried that Zhihua would suffer a backlash, so she quickly chased after the cyclone, preparing to block the Demon Lord’s ultimate move for Cen Letian first.

But Cen Letian misunderstood.

He thought Tong Siqing was also coming to kill him, so he raised his hand, preparing to respond.

At the same instant, the bell in Fu Luan’s hand suddenly disappeared.

A split second later, it reappeared in Cen Letian’s hand.

When Cen Letian touched the bell’s strap, he had a momentary trance. There was still residual warmth on it. It must have been from his Master.

His gaze became even more resolute, determined to maintain his difficult status quo.

He said: “I’m sorry, Immortal Saint Siqing. Since you won’t give me a way out, don’t blame me…”

Cen Letian hadn’t finished speaking when the timid Meridian Gate Bell suddenly trembled all over, jingling, and a silent attack, like rippling water, spread a tremor and focused its force toward Tong Siqing.

Tong Siqing hadn’t noticed it at all. She was completely focused on preparing to block the Demon Lord’s major move for Cen Letian, and she didn’t hear the Meridian Gate Bell ringing behind her at all.

She was still waiting for Cen Letian to finish the rest of his sentence…

It was all too late.

She did manage to take the Demon Lord’s move, but as the cyclone dissipated, she saw Zhihua’s widened eyes. The urgency and panic in them were something she had never seen before in her life.

What happened?

Time seemed to slow down. Everyone nearby was extremely panicked. Someone was worried, someone was shouting something, but she couldn’t hear any of it.

And the attack from behind had arrived—

Tong Siqing finally reacted. Just as she was about to turn around hastily to respond, she suddenly felt a looseness in her hair. It seemed like something had fallen.

The next moment, she was suddenly blocked by a massive object in front of her, forcing her back several steps.

What is this?

Tong Siqing looked, confused.

It looked like a giant golden python, like an indestructible shield, blocking her path and swallowing the attack for her in one gulp.

When did this thing get on her?

Tong Siqing couldn’t figure it out.

After the golden python swallowed the attack for her, it suddenly writhed and collapsed onto the ground, despairingly coiling its body as if on the verge of death.

Tong Siqing touched her hair and suddenly realized that the swimming snake gold hairpin that Zhihua had given her was missing.

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