Chapter 0292: Demon of Yan Huang
Chapter 0292: Demon of Yan Huang
Every battle was a honing process, and the effects would show. Wu Yu, too, was interested in the rewards from this battle, especially what he had taken from the Demon Eye Speothos.
He and Huang Yanwu were both very quiet, and all was silent within the Nine-Directional Demon Imprisonment Design.
Outside, there was the occasional commotion, but Wu Yu had hidden deeply, so no demon had found them yet.
In the Sixth Hunting Ground, any sound that Wu Yu hammered out would attract demons. So for now, Wu Yu stopped refining immortal treasures and turned his attention to Talisman Spirit Designs.
Seeing Wu Yu refining immortal medicines and fashioning spirit designs, Huang Yanwu showed some interest after recovering a little. He began to share his experience with Wu Yu, who realized that many places where he had been previously stumped on were now easily passed with Huang Yanwu's guidance.
As expected, these senior martial cultivators had been immersed for tens or hundreds of years, and would definitely have reaped some things that he, at his age, would not understand.
Through their interaction, Wu Yu gained much.
But besides their daily interactions, Wu Yu did not speak much to Huang Yanwu.
In truth, he was depressed.
Because if they spent a long time interacting, he would naturally come to know that this Huang Yanwu was an upright character, and someone worthy of knowing. They would eventually become friends, and he would be emotionally invested in his survival. But Wu Yu was clear that he had no way to save Huang Yanwu, and was even more helpless to save all the martial cultivators in the Supreme Hunting Ground. It was just like how he had been unable to save the Beautiful Fox of the Nine Heavens in the Demons' Abyss.
That was why he would rather speak less to Huang Yanwu, to save himself the heartache and self-loathing when he left this world.
Of course, it was also a low feeling that filled Wu Yu's belly with fire.
An angry fire against the Supreme Hunting Ground, against the hatred between the two races.
Evidently, Huang Yanwu knew this logic as well. That was why besides teaching him about spirit designs, he sat in silence for the most part as well, only occasionally sharing a few words.
"Actually, the Supreme Hunting Ground doesn't mean much. We martial cultivators kill demons without mercy as well. Ending up here is basically fate. There is not much difference between dying in battle and being here to train our hand on young demons, and sometimes being able to wallop a few youngsters... With an open mind, this isn't actually that bad. It's said that heaven is emotionless. The strong survive and the weak become food. That is the rule of the world, and even the beasts of the forest are under the sway of this rule, let alone us." Huang Yanwu was more sanguine than Wu Yu had imagined.
"Is there no chance that both races prosper together, reduce conflict, and cultivate the dao together?" Wu Yu asked.
Huang Yanwu gave a small smile. "I used to think as you do too. Wouldn't cooperating and cultivating be better? Later on, I understood that it's completely impossible. Firstly, the generations of hatred have entered our very bones. It is not so easy to dispel. Secondly, the will of nature is for us to struggle, and for the strongest to shrug off the rest and stand out. In order to become immortal, struggling is the most direct way to comprehend the dao. And perhaps the number of immortals is limited as well. Tell me, would you not fight for it?"
This was a world of struggle.
Wu Yu understood his meaning now. This also meant that he and Jiu Ying's way of thinking was wishful thinking. Anyone else would understand this as well.
After a few days, Huang Yanwu had mostly recovered. Through interacting with him, Wu Yu had also improved quite a bit.
Huang Yanwu stood up, preparing to leave. He brushed aside his dejection and was light of heart. "My destiny is abstruse and hidden. I used to be unwilling to stay within the Supreme Hunting Ground, precisely because I had hidden something away. Perhaps it is fate that I have met you now. Wu Yu, I would like to give you something."
Wu Yu hurriedly stood up to face Huang Yanwu. The other's attitude was relaxed, as though he was speaking of a trifling matter.
Although Wu Yu had done his best to minimize their interactions, it could not be denied that he had treated this person as a senior worthy of respect throughout these days. And therefore, the fact that he was about to leave and walk his own path was something that Wu Yu was not very content with. Only, he knew that he was not strong enough, and needed to rein himself in. He did not even dare to bond that deeply with Huang Yanwu.
"What are you giving me...." Wu Yu was a little taken aback.
Huang Yanwu did not hold anything, but instead said, "This was quite a while ago. Back then, I had just entered Yan Huang Imperial City. Below Yan Huang Imperial City, an ultimate demon is suppressed, who once almost destroyed the whole world."
"Ultimate demon?" Wu Yu had never heard of this before.
"Hehe, this news has spread far and wide across Yan Huang Imperial City, but most believe it is just a myth," Huang Yanwu said.
Wu Yu continued to listen.
"At that time, I had something with me. I was still young then, and found a stone within a very ordinary cave. The stone was ordinary yet strange. It was like a small egg, and I used to carry it with me all the time. I felt that it made cultivation a little bit easier, although I'm not sure if it was just my imagination. Later, I continued to bring the stone with me. Perhaps because of its guidance, I went to Yan Huang Imperial City somehow, and joined the Yan Huang Immortal Army. And on one night where the moon was full, I realized that the stone was glowing, as though guiding me to a place."
And now Wu Yu was beginning to realize that he was speaking about something very important. Perhaps it really involved an ultimate demon?
Lost in his memories of the time, Huang Yanwu continued, "I took that little stone and walked through Yan Huang Imperial City. I was guided to a very ordinary place, with a very ordinary limestone board. But when I stood on the limestone board, I actually fell down. Or perhaps I was swallowed into the ground. I did not know how long had passed before I finally stood on firm ground. That was a narrow place, and gloomy. Only then did I recall the stories of that ultimate demon, and was frightened out of my wits."
"And then?" Wu Yu asked.
"And then, in a corner of this cramped space, I saw a thing. It was an egg, a pure white egg, and it still looked alive. There even seemed to be life within. Back then, I thought that this egg might be the legendary demon who had once threatened to destroy the whole world, sealed away! I was undone by my fear and ran away. I did not know where I was heading, perhaps to the exit tunnel, and I returned to Yan Huang Imperial City. At that time, the little stone in my hand had also dimmed, and only then did I recall that the egg resembled my little stone."
Wu Yu was completely confused. It sounded like a story from the Arabian Nights.
"And then I was not so afraid anymore. My suspicions were aroused, and I wanted to go in to see the egg again and discover its secrets. But after that, the little stone in my hand never again changed as it did that night. I have always been waiting, until I had an outside mission once, and I was brought here after being defeated by a demon. As for this matter, it has always lingered in my heart. It is the only thing that remains unresolved when I face death."
It sounded like quite a curious encounter.
To get an egg-like stone in his youth, and then be guided by it to Yan Huang Imperial City, and then have a curious encounter. A pity that Huang Yanwu had been too timid at that time and had chosen to run rather than investigate. But this thing would forever linger in his thoughts. A pity that he was now in this place, with no chance of leaving.
"This also means that the egg-like stone must be connected to the real egg. So your strongest suspicion is what the egg is, and if it might be connected to that ultimate demon?" Wu Yu asked.
"That's right."
Huang Yanwu nodded.
As he nodded, he retrieved a very unremarkable egg-shaped stone, perhaps the size of a chicken's egg. It looked like a very ordinary stone, and when Wu Yu took hold of it, he could not feel anything special about it either. But when he exerted a little force, he found that he was actually unable to crumble the stone. And given his strength, any ordinary stone would easily crumble.
"Wu Yu, in this life, I have no more chances. I had planned to take this doubt, or you might call it a secret, to the grave with me. But these days, I felt discontent. If I died, and it was left to languish here, how many years would pass before someone took the stone to Yan Huang Imperial City? This is the territory of demons, and Yan Huang Imperial City is forbidden ground for demons.... Fortuitously, you have appeared, and even saved my life. I feel like this is heaven's will, unwilling to let this secret die here. That is why, he is yours from now on." Huang Yanwu smiled slightly at him, his voice firm with resolve.
"How many Demon Injunction Orders do you have now?" Wu Yu asked.
Huang Yanwu said, "A little more than 10. It is not easy to defeat a demon, and some demons are unruly, refusing to give up their Demon Injunction Orders. That can't be helped. We are different from you here. We are really prey, and mainly here to be hunted."
Saying thus, Huang Yanwu sighed, saying, "In the end, it is impossible for me to get out of the Supreme Hunting Ground alive. Even if I could leave the Supreme Hunting Ground, how could I leave the Gloomy Dreams Sea? When we were outside, who had ever heard of anyone leaving the Supreme Hunting Ground? None, right? That is why you need to understand that you are the only martial cultivator with a chance of leaving here, based on your relationship with Jiu Ying. And for the rest of us prey, we fight only to live on for a few more days."
Wu Yu understood his intention now. Wu Yu was not too enthusiastic about taking away Huang Yanwu's things, but it was as Huang Yanwu had said. It was impossible for him to leave, and he had passed on the baton of hope to Wu Yu.
"I'll see how long I can live. If one day you have the power to sway demons, and can come here, and you understand the secret of the stone, come and see me then. Perhaps you could even tell me the truth." Huang Yanwu chuckled.
Finished speaking, he did not waste words, but gestured for Wu Yu to let him leave.