Yun Manor had far-reaching connections, and kept registers at every major Immortal Mountain. If this person truly was the Azure Phoenix Palace’s Senior Brother, tracking him down shouldn’t be difficult.

Senior Brother of Azure Phoenix Palace, Yin Mingcheng.

‘This person does exist…’

The outer mountain steward looked at Yun Li and asked curiously, “Has this man offended you, Young Master?”

Yun Li shook his head. “Not at all.”

He offered no further explanation, simply saying his thanks before leaving.

As for returning to report his mission, he was in no hurry. Since Mr. Chen had already seen through it, going back served little purpose.

He reckoned Mr. Chen hadn’t exposed him just for the amusement of it, so he shouldn’t disturb him further.

That said, had the Evil Hand truly been vanquished?

Yun Li was rather curious. Earlier, he’d been locked in combat with the Wraiths dwelling in the forest and hadn’t witnessed the moment Mr. Chen subdued the Evil Hand. He wasn’t sure if it had been destroyed or captured.

But that likely wasn’t something he should pry about.

Yun Li was never one to gossip.

—

The Tabby Cat squatted in front of the Black Dog, constantly staring at it.

It tilted its head one moment, blinked the next, but refused to make a sound.

The Black Dog stared back at Lihua, unsure what mischief the cat was brewing.

Lihua stretched out a paw and tapped the Black Dog’s nose.

The Black Dog shifted its gaze towards Lihua as if asking, “What are you doing?”

Lihua said, “Mo Yu, you look like a dead dog.”

“…”

Mo Yu had even less desire to acknowledge it now.

Lihua licked its fur, perplexed by Mo Yu’s silence.

It just kept staring at Mo Yu.

Mo Yu stared back.

Mo Yu didn’t understand why the Tabby Cat was watching it.

But the Tabby Cat thought this was a game.

A game to see who would crack first.

They locked eyes like that until deep into the night.

Mo Yu suddenly realized the Spell had lifted. It opened its mouth and asked, “How much longer are you going to stare?”

“You lost!” declared the Tabby Cat.

It sniffed twice triumphantly. “Mo Yu isn’t as good as Lihua.”

Mo Yu was utterly defeated by the Tabby Cat’s antics.

“Fine, yes, Lihua is the best.”

“Hehe.”

Lihua let out a happy giggle and began prowling around the courtyard.

It hopped and skipped everywhere, overflowing with excitement.

Mo Yu sighed, then turned its gaze towards the house.

Candlelight flickered from within; Chen Changsheng probably hadn’t slept yet.

Mo Yu got up and padded towards the house, stopping by the door.

“Come in.”

Mo Yu pushed the door open and walked over to Chen Changsheng, who sat before the table. It leapt up onto the tabletop.

“Ah!” Chen Changsheng exclaimed, “Mind that inkstone! Don’t knock it over.”

“I know,” Mo Yu assured him.

Chen Changsheng looked at it and asked, “Is something the matter?”

Mo Yu replied, “I wasn’t going to bring this up, but thinking it over, I don’t want anything bad to happen to you. I had to warn you.”

“Warn me?”

“That arm… it’s no ordinary Evil Spirit. It’s different from anything else that escaped. You need to be careful.”

“How is it different?”

Mo Yu’s eyes suddenly turned serious. “It’s the remains of the Demon Sovereign!”

Chen Changsheng was visibly surprised. He paused, frowning. “How do you know that?”

He’d asked Manyue and Jian Shenghua earlier, and neither had recognized the arm.

Hearing this, Jian Shenghua emerged.

“Qilin, is this true?” Jian Shenghua looked at Mo Yu, his eyes filled with shock.

Mo Yu explained, “After the Demon Sovereign was slain, the Devil Qi within his corpse couldn’t be wiped away. That woman decided to seal it. She severed the Demon Sovereign’s limbs and head, sealing each part in different locations around the Spirit Cage. I saw her cast the spells with my own eyes.”

Jian Shenghua raised an eyebrow. “But that severed arm bore none of the Demon Sovereign’s Devil Qi.”

“It was within the Black Pagoda,” Mo Yu explained. “I suspect that when that woman used the Black Pagoda to absorb our essences, it wasn’t merely as a precaution against us escaping. Even without the Black Pagoda, escaping the suppression of the Spirit Cage’s Heaven and Earth would have been nearly impossible. The Pagoda’s true purpose was likely intended for the Demon Sovereign’s remains.”

“Impossible!”

Jian Shenghua murmured, troubled, “I distinctly sensed I hadn’t regained true freedom. He absolutely isn’t dead yet!”

Mo Yu looked confused at Jian Shenghua. “What freedom? What are you talking about?”

Jian Shenghua paused. Mo Yu didn’t know about the matter of the External Incarnation.

Chen Changsheng intervened. “Why don’t we take this one step at a time?”

Jian Shenghua and Mo Yu both fell silent and looked at him.

Chen Changsheng addressed Mo Yu, “Earlier, you mentioned ‘that woman’ – you meant Yu Xuan, correct?”

Mo Yu hesitated. “I don’t know her name.”

“It can only be her, no one else.”

Chen Changsheng continued, “You’re saying the Demon Sovereign should have been slain back then, and his corpse sealed. Is that right?”

“Exactly,” Mo Yu confirmed.

Chen Changsheng then turned to Jian Shenghua. “And you, Brother Jian, believe the Demon Sovereign is still alive?”

Jian Shenghua nodded. “Exactly. That’s why I sought your help so urgently, Sir.”

“Hmm…”

Chen Changsheng thought for a moment. “Is there a possibility that the Demon Sovereign is indeed not dead, and what was sealed was merely a Mortal Body saturated with Devil Qi?”

Both Mo Yu and Jian Shenghua paused.

That seemed plausible.

Yet Mo Yu frowned. “But why? If that woman was powerful enough to defeat the Demon Sovereign and even sever his Mortal Body, why would she let him escape?”

Chen Changsheng offered, “Perhaps the Demon Sovereign had contingencies prepared.”

Mo Yu froze upon hearing this, a flicker of worry in his eyes.

“That is not good news,” Mo Yu sighed.

“Why?” Chen Changsheng inquired.

Mo Yu finally opened its mouth. “I fear that one day he might return. I have no wish to relive those events.”

That period had been one of its deepest sufferings.

That man had used threats against Lihua, forcing Mo Yu to do things against its nature. Remembering it now still brought the events vividly back.

Moreover, spending so long near the Demon Sovereign had inevitably tainted it with Evil Qi – hence why it had ended up sealed within the Spirit Cage.

Chen Changsheng stroked his chin thoughtfully. “What are the odds… that I could match the Demon Sovereign?” 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Mo Yu asked, “Is your confidence based on that vast Divine Sense of yours?”

“You could say that,” Chen Changsheng acknowledged.

Mo Yu shook its head. “If that’s all, you’re still far from ready.”

“Is that so…” Chen Changsheng looked to Jian Shenghua again. “Brother Jian, what do you think?”

Jian Shenghua answered, “Sir, your chance of victory would be… at best fourfold.”

Though he phrased it this way, he was mostly trying to save face for Chen Changsheng.

“I see. This Demon Sovereign truly possesses heaven-defying abilities…”

Chen Changsheng murmured softly, lost in thought.

Summoning Demon Divine Monarch. The name certainly sounded quite intimidating.