Cultivation Online

”It won’t take a few months. I will contact you within a week or two,” said Zhou Yanfei.

He turned to look at a certain Demon Sealer and said to her, ”Bring them to our best guest quarters.”

Thus, Yuan and Yan Hara were brought out of the vault and to their guest houses.

Once they were alone, Yuan said, ”I have something to tell you. Come with me.”

Yan Hara nodded her head and quietly followed him to his house.

”Yu Ning, can you put a sound barrier around us to prevent eavesdropping?” Yuan asked her upon entering the living room.

”Sure.”

Yu Ning took control of Yuan’s body for a brief moment to create the formation.

”A sound barrier...?” Yan Hara stared at him with raised eyebrows.

Sometime later, Yuan sat down on a chair and gestured for Yan Hara to do the same.

”Is this about how we’re going to reveal the Divine Paragon’s—your legacy?” Yan Hara asked as she took a seat directly in front of him.

”No, this is about the thief who stole the demon sealing treasures. I will get straight to the point. The treasures weren’t stolen—at least not technically.”

”What?” Yan Hara wore a confused expression on her face.

”I could’ve prevented the treasures from being stolen, but I willingly gave them to the thief.”

”You what?!” Yan Hara exclaimed in shock.

Yuan continued, ”And that thief was actually Qian Chu.”

”QIAN CHU?!” Yan Hara stood from her seat, her eyes and mouth wide with disbelief.

”That’s impossible!” she declared a second later.

”Impossible? Why would you say that?” Yuan asked, raising an eyebrow.

”Because we’ve had people monitoring Qian Chu ever since he left on that so-called business!” Yan Hara replied firmly. ”Right now, he’s supposed to be in the Ninth Heaven—and he hasn’t left that place in years. If he had, I would’ve been informed immediately!”

”There are countless ways to slip past surveillance, especially if he knows he’s being watched,” Yuan said, shaking his head.

”Then why are you so certain it was Qian Chu?” Yan Hara asked. ”What if someone is trying to frame him?”

”Because he had the Demon Sealing Flag with him,” Yuan replied.

Yan Hara drew in a sharp breath upon hearing those words.

”Of course, it’s not irrefutable evidence,” Yuan continued, ”but I’m certain that it was Qian Chu.”

”If you say so...” Yan Hara muttered after a brief silence. ”But why would you give him the Demon Sealing Treasures in the first place?”

”Two reasons,” Yuan replied calmly. ”First, I can use them to track his movements. Second, it gives him the illusion that he’s making progress toward his goal. I still don’t know exactly why he needs the treasures, but it doesn’t matter. He can’t use them properly. I’ve already reestablished full control the moment I touched them.”

”Then do you know his goal?” Yan Hara then asked.

Yuan nodded and revealed, ”He’s trying to break the seal on the Demon Realm.”

”...”

Yan Hara wanted to be shocked—expected to be—but for some reason, the words didn’t surprise her at all. It was as if, deep down, she had already suspected it.

”So, he’s a demon disguised as a human? Why does he know Demon Sealing Aura? I thought demons couldn’t use it.” Yan Hara asked a moment later.

”No, he’s not a demon, but he’s not a human either.”

”Huh?”

”I won’t explain it now since I want you to see it for yourself.”

”I don’t understand.”

Yuan looked into her eyes and said calmly, ”I intend to bring you with me when I go to the Demon Realm.”

”M-Me?! To the Demon Realm?!” Yan Hara exclaimed, stumbling backward in shock. She collided with the chair behind her and toppled over, landing hard on the floor.

Yan Hara quickly got back up, but she didn’t fully stand on her feet.

”You must be messing with me... Why would you bring me to such a dangerous place that’s crawling with demons? I’m not you... I won’t last a minute in there!” she said with teary eyes.

”If you’re going to be the leader of the Demon Sealing Clan in the future, I want you to know everything about demons—including how they come into existence and the truth,” Yuan spoke with a solemn expression.

”You were serious about making me the leader? What about you? The others won’t accept me once they learn that the Divine Paragon has returned.”

Yuan smiled and said, ”The Divine Paragon? He died in the Demon Era.”

”Even if you say that...” Yan Hara sighed.

”I have much more important things to do than managing the Demon Sealing Clan. I have already decided to make you my successor, so don’t try to convince me.”

Yan Hara sighed again, this time with more force.

”I understand... So, what are we going to do about Qian Chu?”

”Let me tell you the full story first.”

Yuan then recounted everything that had transpired between him and Qian Chu—including how Qian Chu had mistaken him for a demon, and how he had used that misunderstanding and the demon sealing treasures to gain Qian Chu’s trust and begin working alongside him.

”I’ll continue monitoring Qian Chu and let you know if anything unusual happens. In the meantime, keep watching him on your end as well, just enough so he doesn’t grow suspicious.”

Yan Hara nodded.

”As for the Demon Realm... I’ll let Qian Chu open it for me.”

”Okay.”

”Now, let’s discuss how we’re going to present the Divine Paragon’s legacy in a way that brings the Demon Sealing Grotto to our side.”

Meanwhile, the Demon Sealing Grotto turned its attention to handling the aftermath of the invasion. After confirming that nothing else had been stolen from the vault aside from the two Demon Sealing Treasures, they began interrogating the captured traitors and Demon Worshippers. Having been warned by Yuan that the traitors were cursed to die if they revealed anything, the Demon Sealers entered the interrogation fully prepared.

As for the city, since only the outer city had been destroyed, its restoration was postponed until the more pressing matters were addressed.