Chapter 600
Demon Master Kunpeng
The deeper one goes into the Demon Master's Palace, the more ancient and rustic the palace's structure becomes.
The stone walls are no longer adorned with intricate carvings; instead, they are marked with natural patterns, like the marks left by waves washing over the stone for millions of years, or the traces left by the passing stars. An ancient and eerie atmosphere permeates the air.
All the disciples have heard their teacher say that this was done intentionally to commemorate the ancient times.
Finally, they stopped in front of a grand hall. The hall was completely different from the other buildings in the palace; it had no superfluous decorations, yet it exuded a chilling sense of oppression.
This is where their teacher often meditates.
The disciples dared not enter rashly, but stepped forward and respectfully said.
"We disciples request an audience with our teacher."
After a short while, an old and deep voice came from the hall.
"Fuzhu, come in. The rest of you, wait outside the hall."
The palace door opened silently through a crack. Fuzhu stood up, nodded to his fellow disciples behind him, and stepped inside.
The interior of the main hall had been crafted by Kunpeng into a small world. The dome was extremely high, hidden in darkness, with only a few eerie blue lamps hanging in mid-air, emitting a faint glow. Apart from the sky, there were only open fields and the sea, and the furnishings were very simple, with nothing else.
Fu Zhu's gaze fell on an old man in the center, who sat cross-legged on a futon. He was thin and frail, but his back was straight.
His eyes were half-closed, yet they seemed to conceal the vicissitudes of countless eras. Occasionally, a faint glint would flash in his eyes, like the aura of some ancient beast from the deep sea.
Fu Zhu glanced at his teacher and felt as if he saw a giant Kun churning in the deep sea, or a roc spreading its wings in the sky.
He couldn't help but feel a sense of awe; his teacher's abilities had improved even further.
If one does not see the person and only senses with one's divine sense, one feels that this world is empty and devoid of anything. However, standing in front of the teacher, one can feel an invisible pressure, as if facing an abyss, or as if gazing up at the sky.
"Disciple Fuzhu greets Master."
Kunpeng slightly raised his hand, gesturing for him to stand up.
"How was it? Did the preaching go smoothly?" Kunpeng asked, his voice hoarse and aged.
"Reporting to Master, the sermon went smoothly. The number of demons who came to listen was nearly 30% more than last time. Among them were several promising talents. I have already memorized their auras. If they come to take the test three hundred years from now, I can keep an eye on them."
"Is there anything else?"
With his strength, the entire Demon Master Palace was actually under Kunpeng's control. But if he constantly shrouded the entire palace with his divine sense, all the disciples and servants would have no privacy. What would be the point?
Therefore, Kunpeng never deliberately eavesdrops on his disciples' conversations, and naturally had no way of knowing about what Fuzhu and his fellow disciples had said earlier.
When Fu Zhu heard his teacher's question, he did not hide anything and told the whole story of his encounter with Yun Zhao on the road, without missing a single detail.
After listening, Kunpeng did not speak immediately. His slender fingers tapped lightly on his knee, one tap after another, the tapping sound echoing throughout the small world.
"You mean, this person is very likely a demon?" Kunpeng finally spoke, his voice as calm as ever.
Fu Zhu replied, "This disciple is not certain. The aura emanating from him is extremely peculiar, like fire, but not ordinary fire. However, our Northern Darkness is a water-dominated region, and very few fire-attribute demons cultivate here. Therefore, this disciple suspects that he is most likely not a native demon."
"Moreover..." Fuzhu hesitated for a moment, but still said, "When I face him, I feel an even stronger sense of oppression than when I face my teacher."
"A sense of oppression even stronger than facing me..." Kunpeng murmured, repeating himself without getting angry, but instead narrowing his eyes.
"I recognize most of the demons in Beiju Luzhou who have names. Since the ancient times, after the demon race declined, the remaining old guys either hide in the deep mountains and forests to eke out a living, or they were recruited by the Heavenly Court and Mount Ling long ago. If anyone is stronger than you, there can't be more than a handful."
"Moreover, among all the four continents, only the demon race in my Beiju Luzhou is prosperous. All the powerful demons live in seclusion here. This person is extremely powerful and also carries the aura of the demon race, which is really strange."
Upon hearing this, Fu Zhu couldn't help but speak.
"Teacher, what should we do? If you don't want to see him, perhaps I should go and send him away. From my interactions with him, this senior doesn't seem to be the one who spoke."
Kunpeng smiled gently.
"Not a difficult person to talk to? You've been living a life of ease in the Demon Master's Palace for too long, unaware of the treacherous nature of this world. Some people can be smiling and talking to you one second, and then turn you to ashes the next. Never try to fathom the thoughts of those old monsters."
Listening to his teacher's earnest teachings, Fuzhu became solemn and quickly replied, "This disciple will remember."
Kunpeng remained silent for a while.
"Alright, go and invite him in. I'm also very curious to see someone like him."
Fu Zhu responded and turned to leave.
Only after her figure completely disappeared into this small world did Kunpeng mutter to himself.
"Interesting. A powerful demon? Is it a blessing or a curse?"
When the disciples saw Fuzhu come out, they hurriedly went forward to say hello.
"Senior sister, what did the teacher say?"
Fu Zhu said, "The teacher only told me to invite him in, but I don't know what he meant."
Upon hearing this, all the disciples bravely stood up.
"Senior sister (junior sister), we'll go with you!"
The manner of the visit made it seem as if Fuzhu was not going to invite a guest in, but rather to confront some terrifying being.
Fu Zhu smiled helplessly: "No need. I appreciate the kindness of my fellow disciples, but it would look bad if such a large group of us went out like this. My teacher told me to politely invite that senior in, so it would be better if I went alone."
After thinking for a while, everyone felt that the previous suggestion was too rash, so they agreed.
"Okay, senior sister, be careful."
Fu Zhu nodded in agreement, and a moment later he reappeared outside the Demon Master's Palace.
"I apologize for keeping you waiting, senior. My teacher asked me to invite you in."