Chapter 225: True and False Demon Lord’s Palace
As they moved forward, Qin Bei and his companions came across numerous tombstones.
They all resembled the one from before, the Qingmian’s.
Among a heap of grave mounds, only one tombstone stood out.
And within each tombstone resided a soul long deceased.
Though still conscious, they remained trapped in their tombs, preferring not to emerge unless something urgent arose.
They did this to recuperate, hoping to receive sacrifices from trialists.
However, this time, they were bound to be disappointed.
Because Qin Bei certainly wouldn’t engage in such a losing trade.
If it meant obtaining valuable soul beads through sacrifice, Qin Bei would be all in.
But as it stands now, the soul beads he could potentially acquire from these souls were utterly worthless.
How could Qin Bei be willing to sacrifice his own soul power for them?
Thus, despite seeing countless tombstones along the way,
and knowing he could obtain soul beads there to access the core area,
even potentially gaining martial arts inheritances,
Qin Bei still made no pause.
The entirety of two hours was devoted to traveling.
The downside of this was that throughout the journey, Qin Bei had been sprinting.
He hardly paid any attention to the surroundings.
The upside? He finally led everyone to this trip’s ultimate destination.
The Demon Lord’s Palace.
“I didn’t expect we’d arrive in just two hours,”
Qin Bei murmured as he gazed at the palace nearby.
“So this is where the king, as mentioned by Qingmian, resides? Doesn’t look all that luxurious, yet the name is pretty intimidating—Demon Lord’s Palace.”
Mu Zhaoxue, standing beside him, remarked coldly.
During their earlier exchange with Qingmian, Qin Bei and the others managed to gather all information about this Demon Realm.
They even had Qingmian point out the direction for them, heading straight for the Demon Lord.
Without Qingmian’s guidance, Qin Bei wouldn’t have dared to lead so many people in this direction when visibility barely reached ten meters.
Of course, initially, Qingmian had refused Qin Bei’s request.
Yet, no matter how stubborn he tried to be, he couldn’t withstand Qin Bei’s thunderous methods.
“Since this is a palace, there should be someone on guard at the entrance, right? Why do I see no one?”
Peng Yuan and the others behind him were equally puzzled.
The king who ruled the Demon Realm had no lackeys guarding his palace?
What a shame it would be if that were to leak out!
“Let’s head inside. This is our first stop. I wonder just how many usable soul beads this so-called Demon Lord possesses. If he hands them all over, hehe~”
Qin Bei mused as he envisioned a massive haul of soul beads being stuffed into his pockets.
The Demon Lord’s Palace.
Just saying it sounds like a grand, luxurious palace.
Yet in reality, it was merely a dilapidated house with an adjacent yard.
Upon entering the yard, Qin Bei began to probe the surroundings.
……Inside the palace.
Qin Bei’s speed was beyond everyone’s expectations.
Even the Grand Elder of the Sword Sect, who placed bets on Qin Bei obtaining soul beads from the Demon Lord within a day, could not fathom such swiftness.
Two hours!
Who could possibly achieve such a speed in the past?
In this Demon Realm, wrapped in black fog, to find the final destination in just two hours was astonishing.
Although Qingmian had provided guidance, and Qin Bei hadn’t squandered time at other tombstones along the way,
arriving in merely two hours surprised everyone.
Especially the Grand Elder of the Sword Sect.
At that moment, he felt utterly ashamed.
So much so that he’d bet on two days!
He initially thought it quite reasonable for Qin Bei to waste time while moving through the inner circle, based on his earlier performances in the outer circle…
But then…
“Sigh~”
The Grand Elder of the Sword Sect sighed deeply.
The others who had placed similar wagers sighed along with him.
“Hahaha~ Looks like Prince Bei is sharp. One can have fun in the outer circle, but in the inner circle, one must be extremely serious. Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for allowing me this victory.”
The Grand Elder of the Sword Sect stroked his beard with a grin.
He appeared overly joyous, though it barely scratched the surface of his true feelings.
Tenfold returns, he had hit the jackpot this time.
Others who also guessed correctly cursed themselves for not betting more.
“Your Highness, thank you for this victory. My luck has always been on my side, and this time’s no exception, hahaha.”
The Grand Elder of the Sword Sect bowed toward the Ninth Prince next to him.
“Old Sword shouldn’t celebrate too soon. Currently, Qin Bei has only made it to the Demon Lord’s Palace, but has yet to acquire a soul bead. Our wager isn’t merely arriving at the Demon Lord’s Palace; it’s to take the first soul bead from the Demon Lord. Remember this clearly.”
The Ninth Prince remained unfazed by the Grand Elder of the Sword Sect’s pride. He was calm and collected throughout.
“Hahaha, you and I both know that once we reach the Demon Lord’s Palace, we will see the Demon Lord. Upon meeting him, if he knows that Prince Bei is of noble blood, getting that first soul bead is but a moment’s work, right? Thus, this timing issue is moot; arriving at the Demon Lord’s Palace is effectively the same as acquiring the soul bead.”
The Grand Elder of the Sword Sect chuckled in response.
He articulated the thoughts of everyone present.
They were quite clear about this Demon Lord.
As long as you were of royal descent, obtaining soul beads was exceedingly simple.
“That’s well said, but unexpected events often occur, so I still hope Old Sword doesn’t celebrate too early. If something goes awry, it could be quite awkward.”
The Ninth Prince smiled amiably.
He was looking out for the Grand Elder of the Sword Sect.
The more grinning and self-satisfied he appeared now, the grimmer things would be for him later.
Meanwhile, though the Grand Elder of the Sword Sect was no spring chicken, he was still very much like an old child.
The older he became, the more childlike he acted.
In other matters, he was shrewd and crafty.
Yet in these situations, the nature of the old child came to light.
His applause led to a cacophony of silent complaints from those around him.
……In the Royal Tomb.
“Huh? Why is there no one here?”
Contrary to the Grand Elder of the Sword Sect’s expectations,
despite Qin Bei and his companions arriving at the Demon Lord’s Palace, they couldn’t spot the Demon Lord.
After a thorough examination, Qin Bei even determined that there were no soul entities present within the Demon Lord’s Palace.
In other words, there was no sighting of the Demon Lord, nor any subordinates like Qingmian to be found…
‘Did Qingmian deceive me?’
Qin Bei pondered, puzzled.
However, the logical likelihood of that was extremely low.
After all, Qingmian had witnessed firsthand how powerful he was.
Should he dare to lie, he should understand the consequences in store.
At the very least, Qingmian certainly wouldn’t be able to bear the ensuing wrath alone.
Thus, the chance of Qingmian being deceitful was quite minimal.
Furthermore, the words “Demon Lord’s Palace” were clearly inscribed ahead.
This was indeed where the Demon Lord, master of the Demon Realm, resided.
Mu Zhaoxue and Ji Zhuyue also glanced around.
Neither of them spotted any type of soul entity either.
“Could they be on a group outing?”
Mu Zhaoxue had expected to see that adored Demon Lord upon arriving here.
Yet, seeing nothing but empty space left her feeling somewhat disappointed.
“Eh… an outing? What’s the allure for this dismal place?”
Qin Bei was at a loss for words.
With the state of the environments in this Demon Realm, an outing seemed redundant.
Along the way, every place had been eerily similar, uninviting for excursions.
“Why can’t it happen? After all, he’s a king. Isn’t it perfectly normal for spring outings or hunting?”
Mu Zhaoxue countered, feeling compelled to argue back as Qin Bei dismissed her.
She firmly believed it was a group outing.
Otherwise, why would every soul be absent?
Qin Bei shook his head.
He simply chuckled, choosing silence over further speculation.
Meanwhile, Ji Zhuyue seemed to grasp the underlying situation.
Yet, she didn’t disclose it immediately. Instead, she turned her gaze toward Qin Bei.
Upon catching his eyes, Ji Zhuyue recognized that Qin Bei had arrived at the same conclusion.
Thus, she found no need for further intervention.
…
Before them loomed a palace, yet there was no one around.
Qin Bei’s thought process was straightforward.
That was, the Demon Lord’s Palace he beheld was not the true Demon Lord’s Palace.
Studying the Demon Lord Palace before him, it appeared exceedingly plain.
It hardly resembled the dwelling of a ruler.
Without hesitation, Qin Bei resolved that since he couldn’t locate the Demon Lord who might give him soul beads,
he would need to employ an alternate approach.
Qin Bei slowly closed his eyes.
In the next heartbeat, when he opened them again, the world ahead transformed drastically.
The black mist that had previously limited visibility to just ten meters vanished from Qin Bei’s vision.
Now, he could discern everything within his line of sight, seeing it with startling clarity.
Rats scavenged among the mounds, crows perched upon withered trees, and venomous snakes stalked rats, among other sightings.
What had been invisible moments ago now found clarity before Qin Bei’s eyes.
In that instant, Qin Bei unleashed the full power of his double pupils.
He realized that alongside an increase in his soul power, the abilities of his double pupils had also undergone significant enhancement.
They now nearly possessed the capacity to peer into profound mysteries.
It appeared the true prowess of his double pupils was about to emerge.
…
After taking in his surroundings, Qin Bei retracted his gaze, reevaluating the Demon’s Palace before him.
Undoubtedly, it matched his predictions.
This time, the world he perceived was entirely transformed.
The little house remained the same, and the garden continued to be just that.
None of these elements had changed; this indicated that the Demon Lord’s Palace was genuine.
Nevertheless, while it was real, the front portion of the Demon Lord’s Palace wasn’t the entirety of it.
Behind the house, Qin Bei spotted a dense array of mystical patterns.
While not a master of formations, Qin Bei had encountered similar patterns before.
They closely resembled the array patterns found in the Xia Emperor’s small world.
Thus, despite not fully comprehending formations, Qin Bei gathered that the true Demon Lord’s Palace was indeed concealed behind this intricate array.
“Let’s go.”
Qin Bei took the lead toward the location of the formation, with Mu Zhaoxue and Ji Zhuyue hot on his heels.
Before long, they crossed through the house and arrived at a particular tombstone.
“The Tomb of Qin Zhengmo!”
Qin Bei gazed at the five words inscribed on the tombstone, uttering them aloud.
This tombstone undeniably stood apart from that of Qingmian.
Those tombstones contained an overwhelming volume of characters for mere introductions.
Whereas this one had just five words.
The sole clue left behind was simply a name.
It wasn’t that this person was unworthy of detailed introduction; rather, this individual was so significant that they needed no further elaboration.
Just a name alone conjured memories of their legendary exploits in the minds of those who beheld it.
“Could it be him?!”
Mu Zhaoxue and Ji Zhuyue nearly exclaimed in shock simultaneously.
They were far too familiar with the name Qin Zhengmo.
For he was a legend in his own right during his lifetime.
It wasn’t just them.
Upon seeing the name, Qin Bei also recalled someone as well.
The most resounding disgrace among the kings of Great Xia!
He recalled how in class, his teacher would often use this figure as a cautionary tale.
“So, he is the Demon Lord, yet if it’s him, then he can indeed be called the Demon Lord. I just didn’t expect him to have a place even in the Royal Tomb’s inner circle.”
Qin Bei quietly stated, surveying the tombstone before him.
“Yet knowing of him does little good—if he isn’t present, looking for him to obtain soul beads becomes impossible.”
Mu Zhaoxue expressed her regret.
She had heard plenty regarding Qin Zhengmo’s deeds; unfortunately, this was her opportunity to meet him face-to-face, but alas, he was absent.
…
“Who says he isn’t here?”
Qin Bei smiled at Mu Zhaoxue.
Mu Zhaoxue looked at Qin Bei, puzzled.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s quite simple: the Demon Lord is indeed here, though not in the way you might think.”
Mu Zhaoxue: ???
“Does this sound too profound, or does it carry a more grand flair when stated this way?”
Peng Yuan in the back queried, a bit perplexed.
He confessed he couldn’t make heads or tails of what Qin Bei was implying.
He just wanted to say the last time he heard such baffling statements was during their previous encounter.
“Tsk~ What I mean is that the Demon Lord’s Palace is merely a shell. The true Demon Lord’s Palace actually resides within this tombstone. Because there’s an array inscribed on this stone, it should harbor a little hidden world within. Qin Zhengmo must be inside!”
“What are we waiting for? Let’s head in right now!”
Mu Zhaoxue urged eagerly.
Qin Bei:…
“If it were that easy to enter, wouldn’t it imply that this Demon Lord is a tad weak?”
Qin Bei examined the formation, searching for a way through; it seemed exceedingly challenging.
Even if he managed to crack it, it would certainly take considerable time.
Without allowing Mu Zhaoxue to question further,
the very next second, Qin Bei launched into action.
In a blink, the tombstone before him transformed entirely.
What once appeared as an ordinary grave marker morphed into an enigmatic formation.
After Qin Bei’s straightforward maneuver.
Mu Zhaoxue and the others could directly perceive the formation unfolding before them.
Their excitement quickly cooled to bewilderment.
Because merely glancing at the intricate designs began to induce a throbbing in their heads.
This formation was far too complicated!
Finding a solution was clearly beyond the grasp of average individuals.
Thus, Mu Zhaoxue found herself utterly dumbfounded.
Of course, she wasn’t the only one befuddled by this intricate formation; a collective of elder figures in the palace felt equally lost.
The most bewildered among them was the Grand Elder of the Sword Sect.
How could the reality diverge so dramatically from his expectations?
…….
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