Chapter 155: The Ten Thousand Beast Homage

Ling Shuangjue let out a cold laugh, a trace of mockery flickering in her blood-red pupils. She was about to speak when her expression suddenly shifted.

Through the Blood Soul Demon Contract, which was mostly sealed off by the Hidden Spirit Feather Cloak yet could not be completely severed, she caught an extremely faint but unmistakable ripple of emotion.

It came from Shen Zhaoqing.

It wasn’t fear, tension, or helplessness.

It was a mix of curiosity, wariness… and even anticipation?

Anticipation?

Ling Shuangjue’s brow furrowed slowly. In this perilous Demon Emperor City, taken away from them by force—and she was actually looking forward to something?

What was she anticipating?

The elusive Demon Emperor Di Jun, known only by name? Or this unknown ‘Hongmen Banquet’?

An unprecedented wave of irritation, coupled with an even stronger possessiveness, exploded within the Demon Sovereign’s heart.

She realized that Shen Zhaoqing, once out of her sight, was becoming more interesting—and more disobedient.

“Fine.”

To everyone’s surprise, Ling Shuangjue agreed without hesitation.

Gu Chang’an, seeing this, was deeply unwilling but understood that directly opposing the Demon Emperor’s top confidant in his own city was unwise. All she could do was turn her worry and reluctance into a single cold glare, cast one last deep look at Shen Zhaoqing, and then walk away.

Finally, all the ‘guardians’ were gone.

“Fairy Shen, if you please.” Tu Shan Qiong smiled warmly and made a ‘please’ gesture, leading the way himself.

Shen Zhaoqing could only steel herself and follow.

Stepping through the Golden Feather Shuttle onto solid ground, even a laid-back slacker like Shen Zhaoqing—who would rather have a drink even if the sky fell—was momentarily stunned by the sight before her.

It was enough to leave her dazed for a moment.

This was no city.

It was clearly an ancient divine mountain, completely hollowed out and suspended above the sea of clouds.

Countless bizarre structures, brimming with primal wild beauty, rose from the mountain slopes, connected by thick vines and jade bridges that shimmered with fluorescence.

A massive waterfall cascaded from the peak, its mist refracting into rainbow colors under the sunlight. Flocks of rare birds darted through the clouds, their clear cries echoing through the air.

The air was thick with an almost liquefied spiritual energy, mixed with the fragrance of vegetation and a primal, untamed wildness.

This aura made Shen Zhaoqing’s Dao Source Body feel an unprecedented comfort.

“According to ancient demon clan customs, all distinguished guests entering the Demon Emperor City for the first time must undergo a bloodline test at the Ten Thousand Beast Heavenly Tower, as a sign of respect to the ancestors of all beasts.” Tu Shan Qiong explained in a gentle tone as he led the way.

Bloodline test?

At the center of the square stood an enormous pitch-black pillar that reached into the sky. Carved upon it were tens of thousands of lifelike ancient beast reliefs, from the smallest spirit insects to the largest roc—every creature imaginable. A desolate, ancient, and majestic aura surged forth, as if the pillar had stood here for eons.

Now, the pillar was surrounded by demon clans who had rushed over upon hearing the news. They came in all forms—bull demons with twin horns, fox demons with fluffy tails, and muscular bear demons. They stared at Shen Zhaoqing, brought here personally by Tu Shan Qiong, whispering among themselves, their eyes full of curiosity, disdain, and scrutiny.

“Look! That’s the human! I heard she’s the one who made the princess lose her mind!”

“Tch, she’s not even as good-looking as Sister Hua next door. And this is the legendary Dao Source Body?”

“Shh! Keep it down! Don’t you see she’s brought by the Nine-Tailed Chief Steward himself?”

“But making her test the Ten Thousand Beast Heavenly Pillar? Isn’t that deliberately making things difficult?”

“That pillar only reacts to those with noble demon bloodlines. If a human touches it, they’ll probably be stunned stupid by the ancestral pressure!”

The murmurs were neither loud nor soft, just enough to reach Shen Zhaoqing’s ears.

Shen Zhaoqing’s face remained expressionless.

Tu Shan Qiong, as if he hadn’t heard the chatter, still wore a kindly smile: “Fairy Shen, please. Just place your hand on the pillar.”

Shen Zhaoqing took a deep breath.

At this point, whether she stuck her head out or pulled it back, it was a blade either way. She might as well die with some dignity.

She walked up to the pillar radiating endless pressure, and under the gaze of tens of thousands, slowly extended her right hand and gently pressed it against the cold surface.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

The expected pressure did not appear. The pillar remained utterly still, like an ordinary rock.

Suppressed snickers broke out among the surrounding demons.

“See? No reaction at all!”

“What a waste of time. Just kick her out!”

Tu Shan Qiong’s smile stayed in place, but a flicker of unreadable emotion passed through the depths of his eyes.

Just as everyone thought this farce was about to end—

The Ten Thousand Beast Heavenly Pillar, silent for ten thousand years, suddenly emitted a low hum from the dawn of time!

Hum—!

Then, the tens of thousands of beast reliefs on the pillar seemed to come alive. Their eyes lit up with dazzling golden light! Beams of gold shot into the sky, converging at the pillar’s summit to form a massive, slowly rotating golden vortex.

All the demons were stunned, jaws dropping to the ground.

“Heavens! Ten Thousand Beasts Paying Homage! This is the phenomenon of all beasts paying homage!”

“The last time this happened was at His Majesty’s coronation! What is this human’s background?!”

But what left them even more dumbfounded was yet to come.

The golden vortex spun to its extreme. Instead of unleashing a world-shattering pressure, from its center slowly descended a wisp of life essence purer than sunlight and sweeter than nectar.

The wisp of life essence swayed gently in the air, then, with pinpoint precision, actively merged into Shen Zhaoqing’s palm resting on the pillar.

At that moment, Shen Zhaoqing felt as if she had soaked in the world’s finest life spring. A warm and vast surge of vitality flowed through her arm into her limbs and bones, madly nourishing her meridians, skeleton, and soul. Even the faint golden ancient mark on her brow, formed from the Three-Life Stone fragment, flickered excitedly.

Her cultivation, which had just broken through to the peak of Nascent Soul and was still somewhat unstable, was visibly consolidated under the force of this wash, becoming perfectly flawless.

Shen Zhaoqing thought: ‘Wait, wasn’t this supposed to be a show of force?’

Every demon remained frozen as if struck by a paralysis spell.

“Hahaha… Excellent! Truly a friend of all beasts! My esteemed guest is indeed extraordinary!”

Everyone turned to see a middle-aged man in a black-gold imperial robe and a flat-topped crown, with a handsome, majestic face. He had appeared in the air above the square, seemingly out of nowhere.

His hair cascaded like a waterfall, his golden pupils were vertical, and he exuded an unspoken authority. Just standing there, he radiated a terrifying aura of dominance over all living things, making every demon present want to prostrate themselves in worship.

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