Chapter 60 The Situation Is Complicated

Wushu materialized instantly on the summit of the Holy Son Peak. Everything atop the peak remained unchanged, exactly as it was in the beginning. As soon as Wushu appeared, the Stele Spirit chimed in happily, "Young Master, congratulations on winning the first match."

Wu Zuo and Wu You chimed in right after, "Lord Star Master, you are truly an unmatched, peerless hero. How could a mere clumsy bear ever be a match for you?"

The Night Demon Patriarch quickly added, "Indeed, indeed..."

Wushu was already somewhat displeased by the Stele Spirit's antics, and upon hearing these sycophantic remarks, he was at a loss for words. Consequently, the thought of turning around and leaving crossed his mind.

Seeing that Wushu was about to depart, the Night Demon Patriarch anxiously called out, "Young Master, please stay your step!"

Turning back to look at the Night Demon Patriarch, Wushu asked in a deep voice, "Night Demon Patriarch, is there something you wish to say?"

"Young Master..."

Just as the Night Demon Patriarch addressed him as Young Master once more, Wushu said earnestly, "Night Demon Patriarch, I still prefer the way you used to speak to me in your posture as a patriarch."

This...

Hearing Wushu's words left the Night Demon Patriarch completely flabbergasted. He almost forgot why he had stopped Wushu and what question he had intended to ask.

Of course, the Night Demon Patriarch knew very well what he wanted now. Escaping Wushu's divine sense was out of the question, and in Wushu, he seemed to have witnessed miracles he had never seen before.

Wushu not only managed to suppress the curse power within his body, but he also appeared to utilize it exceptionally well. This cultivation method, which practically shattered the cognitive boundaries of practitioners across the Thick Earth Continent, aroused not only the Night Demon Patriarch's curiosity but also his intense desire to acquire it.

The Night Demon clan had long suffered under the torment of the curse power. As the Night Demon Patriarch of the current generation, he had spent countless days and nights wishing for a way to suppress the curse power raging within him.

He could also perceive that although Wushu had certain reservations and ultimately chose not to execute him after suppressing him beneath the Holy Son Peak, receiving the hundreds of thousands of spiritual stones had slightly lessened Wushu's intent to kill him. Even so, Wushu remained perpetually on guard against him. The Night Demon Patriarch said calmly, "Wushu, I was indeed once extremely curious about what kind of fortuitous encounters you had experienced to possess such formidable spiritual power. However, you might not know that my constant pursuit of strength has always been driven solely by the desire to suppress the curse power within my body. Now that I am suppressed here, I know how difficult it is to escape, so I have adopted the mindset of accepting circumstances as they come."

Had the Night Demon Patriarch stopped Wushu just to tell him this? Wushu asked in a deep voice, "Is that all you wanted to say?"

The Night Demon Patriarch shook his head and said earnestly, "Wushu, from your battle with the Golden-Haired Demonic Bear, I could tell that you seem capable of wielding the curse power."

The matter concerning the Night Demon Patriarch, Yin Wushang, was precisely whether Wushu could wield the curse power within his body.

Had it not been within the realm of divine sense, Wushu was certain that as he grew stronger, the Night Demon Patriarch would never be able to escape his divine sense. Wushu replied noncommittally, "Your guess is correct!"

Receiving direct verification from Wushu, the Night Demon Patriarch's soul body trembled with excitement; he could hardly believe his ears.

"Making a fuss over nothing."

Having uttered these final words, the figure transformed from Wushu's spiritual sense vanished from the spiritual space. It must be said that Wushu had successfully put on another impressive display.

"Congratulations to Young Master Ying Mei'er of the Shadow Demon clan's Youying family for winning the fourth demon match. To defeat a five-hundred-year-grade vigorous tiger in such a short time—Young Master Ying Mei'er's Celestial Fox bloodline is truly formidable."

Just as Wushu emerged from his divine sense, he heard the Master of the Beast-Trapping Hall announce the results of the grand competition between humanity and the demons: Shadow Demon Ying Mei'er had secured victory in the fourth match.

Seeing Wushu stand up, Zhao Fenxing inquired, "How is the efficacy of the Vigorous Pill?"

Clenching his fist tightly, Wushu replied with satisfaction, "The efficacy is exceptional; my body has recovered quite well."

Mindful of the grand competition, Wushu asked, "How is the competition between the two races progressing at present?"

"Currently, both humans and demons have secured two wins and two losses."

Could such a coincidence really happen? Zhao Fenxing reminded Wushu, "The demons seem to have other ulterior motives. If the five matches end in a tie, the next stage will be overtime, and the prodigies of Kun Kingdom will inevitably have to clash with the demon prodigies."

Saying this, Zhao Fenxing undoubtedly had her own considerations, though these were still mere speculations.

Noticing Wushu in deep thought, Zhao Fenxing turned to Elder Ai and said, "Elder Ai, share what you know with us."

Although Elder Ai did not particularly mind Wushu knowing certain things—especially given the unusual relationship between Wushu and Zhao Fenxing—he still wore a hesitant expression. Zhao Fenxing pressed on, "Elder Ai, the soundproofing array of the Beast-Trapping Hall is extremely powerful. Take the battle stage on the first floor, for instance; unless it's during a match when the master of the hall controls the sound-transmission array, we wouldn't be able to hear what they say from up here."

Elder Ai naturally harbored reservations regarding the isolating array of the Beast-Trapping Hall. While the array could well protect the environment of various internal areas, in places like the Beast-Trapping Hall, the control over such arrays invariably rested in the hands of the hall itself. The Beast-Trapping Hall could use the array to provide distinguished guests with a quiet personal space, but it could equally use it to pry into their every move.

Of course, since Zhao Fenxing insisted on letting Wushu in on certain matters, Elder Ai had no intention of holding back.

"Very well! I will indulge this little girl and act willfully just this once today."

In Wushu's eyes, the relationship between Zhao Fenxing and Elder Ai was that of master and servant, yet Elder Ai turned around and scolded Zhao Fenxing like a little girl. Zhao Fenxing minded the scolding not at all; instead, she tossed another piece of fruit pulp into her mouth and chewed with an expression of pure enjoyment.

It was evident that even in front of Zhao Fenxing, Elder Ai held a certain standing. Wushu knew very well there was no need to be overly curious about these matters; once they grew closer, everything would naturally become clear.

"The members of the Shadow Demon clan who traveled to the Giant Elephant Mountain Range and East Hostel City this time hail from the Youying family, Qianshen family, Xingying family, Jianying family, and Yingdao family respectively. Ying Mei'er is the young master of the Youying family, Feiyu comes from the Qianshen family, and Fuxin is a direct descendant of the Xingying family. As for the members of the Jianying and Yingdao families, though they also made the trip this time, they have yet to show themselves."

At this point, Elder Ai paused, seemingly pondering and weighing his words.

"According to what I know, the imperial family of Yao Kingdom has recently been engaging in frequent contacts with members of the Jianying and Yingdao families. Situated in the northwest of Kun Kingdom, Yao Kingdom has historically experienced unending friction with Kun Kingdom over border disputes. In recent years, small-scale armed clashes have even broken out. With the Shadow Demon clan operating in separate groups this time, they are undoubtedly well-prepared."

Inside the Beast-Trapping Hall, the grand competition between Kun Kingdom and the Shadow Demon clan was still underway, yet the Jianying and Yingdao families of the Shadow Demon clan had headed directly for Yao Kingdom. The concentration of spiritual energy in Yao Kingdom was slightly better than that of Kun Kingdom, though the difference was negligible. Under the coercion and temptation of the Jianying and Yingdao families, Yao Kingdom—already at odds with Kun Kingdom—might well take radical actions.

"Over the past few days, Yao Kingdom has assembled an army of one hundred thousand at the border shared with Kun Kingdom. If my guess is correct, Yao Kingdom must have already colluded with the Jianying and Yingdao families. Once the demons suffer defeat in this grand competition, I believe that even if the human and demon races refrain from direct, large-scale warfare due to the covenant, the Shadow Demon clan will still use Yao Kingdom's hand to launch a fierce offensive against Kun Kingdom. And as a vital city connecting Kun Kingdom to the northwest border, once war breaks out between Yao Kingdom and Kun Kingdom, East Hostel City will quickly be swallowed by the flames of war."

Elder Ai's words left Wushu completely at a loss for what to say.

Ever since he regained consciousness, traveled to Giant Town, and stabilized the severe injuries of his younger brother, Wushu had decided to head to the Giant Elephant Mountain Range for actual combat training to enhance his strength and test how much spiritual power he could still wield. He had never expected that shortly after entering the Giant Elephant Mountain Range, he would be targeted by Li Jianfeng, and under Li Jianfeng's subtle guidance, he would end up encountering the demons.

He had fought desperately against a clone of the demon patriarch in the God of War Hall, ultimately forcing the demons to retreat. Upon returning from the Giant Elephant Mountain Range, his brother was severely injured once again. He had originally intended to discipline Wu Wen and the others—after all, a family riddled with holes was no longer capable of enduring internal bloodshed. Yet right then, Ying Mei'er delivered a challenge letter, and the demons openly reached an agreement with the imperial family of Kun Kingdom under the guise of the human-demon covenant. While all this was still unfolding, Yao Kingdom's massive army was now pressing hard upon the border.

Wushu genuinely wanted to ask: Do members of the Shadow Demon clan neither cultivate nor sleep?

Calming his emotions, Wushu said flatly, "In other words, if the Shadow Demon clan loses this grand competition, the army at the Yao Kingdom border will likely launch an offensive against Kun Kingdom. If so, I imagine many people from Yao Kingdom are likely hiding among the humans in East Hostel City."

Elder Ai did not refute Wushu's conjecture. In conflicts between nations, when both sides detected abnormal movements in the other, they invariably resorted to all sorts of mutual espionage.

With thoughts of the Celestial Demon clan arising, Wushu asked again, "I wonder how much Elder Ai understands about the current situation in East Hostel City."

The distribution of demons within East Hostel City was basically laid out in the open. Noticing Wushu's veiled words, Elder Ai hesitated for a moment before asking, "I wonder what warning Young Master Wushu has to offer?"

As the martial ancestor of the Wu family, upon returning to the clan this time, the ancestor had taken away several favored family members via the Fire Cat Beast King while leaving the majority of the clan to fend for themselves. Judging from the traces of the Celestial Demon clan detected on the body of his eldest uncle, Wu Xiang, that very night, quite a few members of the Wu family were likely already under the control of the Celestial Demon clan. Thinking along these lines, the demons had long made arrangements in East Hostel City. As for what ulterior motives the Celestial Demon clan might harbor, that was precisely what Wushu desperately wanted to know.

Wushu said earnestly, "As far as I know, the situation in East Hostel City is extremely complex at present. Aside from the challenge posed by the Shadow Demon clan, many humans are also currently under the control of the Celestial Demon clan."

The Celestial Demon clan?

As the absolute overlords among the demon race, would members of the Celestial Demon clan actually leave the Demon Realm and come to East Hostel City?