Atop the grand hall.
Lin Yuan sat in the place of honor, his gaze overlooking all, a deity amongst mortals.
The Nine Heavenly Demon Formations vibrated ceaselessly.
As if they had encountered their master, they finally calmed down after a long while.
Xiahou Yuan was extremely special. Among the myriad demons of the world, any who practiced the Demonic Tao would have to kowtow upon seeing him, a suppression born of their Life Essence.
Even those with greater strength than Xiahou Yuan would be affected, only the impact was less severe—they wouldn’t have to prostrate themselves upon meeting.
Of course, only Xiahou Yuan himself was clear on this matter.
As for the devil lords and Demon Lords who had followed Xiahou Yuan, they were oblivious to the subtleties, only sensing an inability to harbor any thoughts of rebellion against him.
Moyang Demon Lord and the other eight great Demon Lords, believing that with the Nine Heavenly Demon Formations, they could force Xiahou Yuan to retreat, or at the very least, hold him off.
But alas.
The Ninth Grade formations were powerful indeed, but they required the devils to control them.
As long as it involved these devils, Xiahou Yuan would stand on unbeaten ground.
This was also the confidence that underpinned Lin Yuan’s decision to enter the Underground Palace alone.
Outside the Underground Palace, Lin Yuan had long since sensed the auras of those nine Demon Lords.
Besides, the current Xiahou Yuan was no longer the Xiahou Yuan of the past.
With the many methods at Lin Yuan’s disposal, he would only be stronger than the original Xiahou Yuan, and certainly nothing untoward would happen.
…
As Lin Yuan, seated in the main seat of the hall, retracted his aura,
the eight Demon Lords and Moyang Demon Lord all felt a sense of relief.
It was as if they had put down a weight of ten thousand catties and could at least regain some control over themselves,
no longer compelled, as before, to kneel and knock their foreheads to the ground without restraint.
Yet,
even then,
none of the nine dared to rise on their own accord,
still kneeling with utmost respect and caution.
The scene that had unfolded earlier would be hard to forget for the rest of their lives.
Especially Moyang Demon Lord, who was acutely aware of that deep-rooted fear from his Soul and Spirit.
“Why… it’s been twenty-five years…”
Moyang Demon Lord trembled in spirit. He had felt this way before Xiahou Yuan twenty-five years ago.
He had thought that, after twenty-five years, with his strength advanced by half a step, reaching the pinnacle of the Ninth Realm,
and with Xiahou Yuan being suppressed for twenty-five years, with his flesh bound by millennium-deep seabed metal, even if he could emerge, his strength would not be at its peak.
Given the change of both sides’ circumstances,
facing Xiahou Yuan again surely wouldn’t be like twenty-five years ago, would it?
But reality gave him a harsh slap in the face.
No change.
Not the slightest.
Whether it was the nine great Demon Lords,
or initiating the Nine Heavenly Demon Formations,
no matter how strong they were, upon seeing Xiahou Yuan, they were like mice before a cat, trembling as they awaited judgment.
“We welcome Your Excellency, for breaking the Great Abyss Seal…”
Moyang Demon Lord, steadying his spirit, immediately said respectfully to Lin Yuan sitting in the main seat.
He understood that his life hung by a thread; if he did not continue to show his submission,
with Xiahou Yuan’s former temperament, he surely would not hesitate to kill him.
What a joke.
The former Xiahou Yuan was decisive in killing, cold and ruthless. Before that great battle of good and evil twenty-five years ago,
nobody would have imagined Xiahou Yuan falling for a woman.
“Your Excellency?”
The other eight Demon Lords took a deep breath and spoke in unison, “We welcome Your Excellency for breaking the Great Abyss Seal.”
Lin Yuan, seated in the place of honor, wasn’t particularly surprised.
The devil lords wouldn’t care much for face and dignity; the Demon Lords were not an exception. Under the pressure of life and death, resubmitting to Xiahou Yuan was only natural.
Perhaps life under Xiahou Yuan’s rule wouldn’t be easy,
but if they didn’t submit, there wouldn’t be any life to speak of thereafter.
“All of you rise.”
Lin Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking directly.
“For nearly twenty-five years, all information concerning the Five Domains, particularly that of the Tianjian Sect, bring it all to me.”
Lin Yuan’s visit to the Underground Palace was not only to find a suitable place for breakthrough but also to consolidate the scattered Demonic Tao Forces.
In any world, even if one were unmatched, acting alone was always somewhat inconvenient.
One can’t be expected to do everything personally, can they?
Lin Yuan’s subjugation of the nine great Demon Lords and the absorption of the remaining Demonic Tao Forces required no cost and didn’t need to start from scratch. With Xiahou Yuan’s deterrence, not a single devil dared to entertain any ulterior motives.
Twenty-five years ago, Xiahou Yuan’s flesh and Primordial Spirit were sealed and suppressed in the eighteenth layer beneath the Great Abyss Ground.
Those devils didn’t even dare to approach, let alone kick a man when he was down.
Even the Ninth Grade Demon Lords would merely glance from afar, and after confirming that Xiahou Yuan couldn’t get out, they would quickly leave.
The universal fear of Xiahou Yuan among all devils was evident.
“Yes…”
Moyang Demon Lord slowly stood up, respectful: “Your subordinate will retrieve it for Your Excellency now.”
Shortly after.
Moyang Demon Lord reentered the grand hall.
Following him were several subordinates, carrying a pile of Jade Stones.
“Your Excellency, these Jade Stones contain all intelligence on the situation of the Five Domains; intelligence on the righteous forces such as the Tianjian Sect is right at the front,” Moyang Demon Lord respectfully said.
Even without Lin Yuan’s asking, Moyang Demon Lord paid close attention to the movements of the righteous forces like the Tianjian Sect.
“Good.”
Lin Yuan nodded in satisfaction.
He then picked up the Jade Stones and probed them with his mind, swiftly absorbing the information.
After a short while,
Lin Yuan put down the slabs, his brows slightly furrowed.
Moyang Demon Lord presented hundreds of Jade Stones,
meticulously containing intelligence from all quarters of the Five Domains.
Among which, Lin Yuan found the information he was interested in.
“Twenty years ago, a sign of good omen suddenly appeared at the mountain gate of Tianjian Sect, with a massive convergence of Heavenly Earth Vital Energy.”