Chapter 127: The Ownerless Cause

Inside the great hall, the elder known as the Heavenly Venerable felt a flicker of unease. The reason they had guarded the Nameless City for so many years without ever claiming the title of City Lord—instead inviting countless experts to fight and kill for it—was actually to lure these individuals here. Their true purpose was to cast these challengers into the Abyssal Demon Realm, where they would be devoured by the Heavenly Demon trapped within.

Few in the Three Realms knew the truth about the Heavenly Demon. Back when the creature rampaged through the mortal realm and the Beast Domain, it had used the power of the "Phantom Soul Ghost Hand" to control the spirits of its victims without completely eroding their consciousness. Later, after being severely wounded by a powerhouse of the Thousand-Ghost Blood Phantom Dragon clan and imprisoned here, the Heavenly Demon summoned its followers to secretly seize control of the Nameless City. They would kill anyone who attempted to claim the throne, and by leaving the city without a master, they enticed countless others to compete, turning them into sacrifices for the Heavenly Demon’s eventual escape.

This had continued for hundreds of years. Because the operation was shrouded in absolute secrecy and the Heavenly Demon controlled the souls of all involved, no one dared to betray them or reveal the truth. Through centuries of effort, the Heavenly Demon had recovered only a fraction of its strength. Yet, with a few more centuries of this, it would be able to break free, restore its peak power at the Ten Directions level, and—with its peerless, invincible might—lead them to establish a formidable force once more, summoning the other three Holy Demons to restore the glory of the ancient leadership.

Everything had been progressing smoothly until this sudden complication. The Heavenly Venerable, originally in deep seclusion, had been abruptly awakened by his subordinates. The moment he emerged, he heard that something had gone wrong in the Abyssal Demon Realm. For his subordinates to risk his wrath and interrupt his cultivation, the matter had to concern the Heavenly Demon.

The stakes were too high for him to be anything but cautious. Although the Heavenly Demon’s soul was reduced to only four essences and six spirits, their own lives remained tethered to its existence. If the Heavenly Demon were to vanish completely, they would perish alongside it. This was the reason they had served it so devotedly all these years; their own survival depended on it.

"After entering the Abyssal Demon Realm, we first endured the trials of the five elements—gold, wood, water, fire, and earth—and then we encountered..." Ye Zihan paused, then slowly recounted their experiences during the trial. Naturally, he omitted his own secrets and anything related to the Heavenly Demon, sticking to the explanation he had previously given to Lin Dong and the others.

"Hmph! I am not asking about the trials you endured, but whether you encountered anything unusual!" the Heavenly Venerable said coldly. His eyes flickered as he stared at Ye Zihan, trying to catch the slightest sign of a flaw.

"For instance, within the Abyssal Demon Realm?" the Heavenly Venerable prodded.

Ye Zihan had weathered many hardships and had seen powerhouses like this elder before. Before Hong Yan and Lan Yu were critically injured, their strength was arguably no less than this elder’s. Thus, Ye Zihan maintained a calm demeanor, striving to reveal nothing.

However, the Heavenly Venerable’s question caused his heart to skip a beat. If there was anything truly "unusual" in the Abyssal Demon Realm, it had to be the Heavenly Demon. Ye Zihan could not believe there was anything else more extraordinary. Since the Heavenly Venerable had specifically asked about this, Ye Zihan began to suspect that the elder was indeed connected to the creature.

"The Heavenly Venerable is speaking to you! Answer him at once!" The bearded leader dared not show the slightest disrespect to the elder, but he held no such reservations toward Ye Zihan and his companions. Hoping to curry favor with the elder, he flashed forward, closing the distance in an instant, and swung a palm at Ye Zihan.

*Thud!*

Ye Zihan had advanced to the early stage of the Origin Realm, possessing a complete mastery of the five elements. His strength was far greater than a simple sum of its parts. Although his injuries had not fully healed, he reacted instantly to the bearded leader’s sneak attack. Crossing his fists, he blocked the man’s strike, though the force sent him stumbling back a few paces.

"Hmm? What is that in your robe?" The elder ignored the bearded man’s attempt to flatter him, his gaze fixed on Ye Zihan’s chest. He flicked his hand, unleashing an overwhelming torrent of source energy that manifested as a giant claw, snatching directly at Ye Zihan’s sleeve.

*Poof!*

Facing an attack far beyond the capabilities of an Eight Trigrams Realm expert, Ye Zihan could not resist. His earlier struggle against the bearded man had caused Mo You to stir within his sleeve, drawing the elder's attention.

*Rrrrrip!*

Ye Zihan’s chest was torn open, blood spraying as the elder’s force seized the small form of Mo You. Forced out of hiding, she reverted to her true size and awoke from her unconscious state.

"ROAR!"

A body nearly twenty feet long appeared, and the formidable power of the Thousand-Ghost Blood Phantom Dragon erupted, attempting to break free from the elder’s grasp. But her strength was lacking; severely wounded by the Heavenly Demon earlier, her current output was significantly weakened. Despite her struggles, she remained firmly bound within the giant claw.

"A Thousand-Ghost Blood Phantom Dragon?! Ha! To think you brat had a dragon by your side? It just so happens I am in need of a mount. This little dragon belongs to me now. Though its strength is a bit lacking, I have plenty of demon crystals," the Heavenly Venerable laughed in delight.

"Let her go!" Seeing Mo You captured and the elder’s intent to seize her made clear, Ye Zihan ignored the massive disparity in their strength and charged forward.

"Release Mo You!"

Ye Zihan, Chen Yiyan, and Yan Chen all roared in unison. Wielding their giant axes and long swords, they threw themselves at the Heavenly Venerable, utterly disregarding the gap between them. Through their time together, they had forged a deep bond; though not blood brothers, they were closer than any kin.

Even if they bickered at times, when their brothers faced danger, they could cast aside life and death, willing to do anything for one another for the sake of their friendship.

"Good lads, daring to raise a hand against me!" The Heavenly Venerable sat unmoved on his throne, whether out of admiration or annoyance, it was impossible to tell. With one hand still pinning Mo You, he flicked his fingers on the other hand, shooting out five streams of source energy—three toward Ye Zihan, and the others toward Chen Yiyan and Yan Chen.