Ch. 1327 - Was I Wrong? Deathbed of the Previous Infernal Lord

“The Eighteen Infernal Archons were not all banished.”

When Xu Zimo said this, Xiang Tianhui’s expression instantly stiffened. “Could it be… there are other surviving Infernal Archons?”

“Look behind you,” Xu Zimo said lightly, lifting his gaze meaningfully.

Xiang Tianhui turned around in confusion, and his face immediately went pale. Standing behind him were Paimon, Seven-Face, and Red-Blade Bull Demon, all calm and motionless.

Yet he had not sensed their presence at all.

“You… you all…” Xiang Tianhui stammered, unable to form complete words.

“Since you’re here, you’ll stay here today,” Xu Zimo said.

Paimon and the others flared with demonic might. Their power surged like a rainbow splitting the heavens, crashing down with unstoppable force.

“Old Bull, go help Celestial Devourer handle that one. We’ll take care of this guy, quickly if we can,” Paimon ordered.

Red-Blade Bull Demon nodded, and the three of them joined the battle.

The clash of Saint Sovereigns was not something even Xu Zimo dared to intervene in rashly.

All around, chaos erupted. The entire Ancient Demon Realm was thrown into war, yet Hellfire Asura still did not appear.

Xu Zimo watched for a while. The battle would not end quickly. He recalled what Celestial Devourer had told him before, that the previous generation’s Infernal Lord had left behind a certain place, one meant for him.

Xu Zimo decided now was the time to see it. By the time he returned, perhaps the battle would be over.

With that thought, he left the collapsing void and the falling sunset behind, walking straight toward the base of Dragon Mountain.

When he reached the foot of the mountain, he saw the Ancestral Warden standing there, gazing at the battle raging in the sky.

The Ancestral Warden turned as Xu Zimo approached, his expression deeply conflicted, his heart like a shattered jar of mixed emotions. He didn’t know what to say.

“I heard the former Infernal Lord left behind a place,” Xu Zimo said first.

“Yes… yes, there is such a place,” the Ancestral Warden replied quickly. “It’s normally forbidden, neither of the two old ancestors have ever entered. You mean to go there?”

“Take me,” Xu Zimo nodded.

The Ancestral Warden dared not hesitate. Leading the way, he explained, “I heard from Lord Hellfire Asura that it’s a continent within a particle world, one the Infernal Lord once entrusted to us.”

“Does Hellfire Asura know the Heavenly Court has come?” Xu Zimo asked.

The Ancestral Warden was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.

“What do you think?” Xu Zimo asked with a faint smile.

This time, the Ancestral Warden took a long pause before answering. “I think the old ancestor has no choice. We are fish, and they hold the knife.”

“He brought this on himself,” Xu Zimo said. “Weakness is the original sin. A pity, he fought me for so long, yet never understood that truth.”

They passed through the mountain trail behind Dragon Mountain and stopped before a cliff.

Though the Ancient Demon Realm stretched boundlessly, here a great cliff appeared, an astonishing sight.

“Hellfire Asura once said, if you jump from here, you’ll reach that place. The void below is weightless, flight is impossible,” the Ancestral Warden explained. “I’ve never gone myself. Be careful.”

Xu Zimo nodded, then pointed toward the sky where Ancient Demons and the Heavenly Court battled.

“Take a good look,” he told the Ancestral Warden. “You’ve knelt before the Heavenly Court for so many years, you’ve lost even your balls.”

With that, he jumped straight down.

The Ancestral Warden watched his descent, then turned and headed toward the Demon Mountain where Hellfire Asura resided. This was something he had to report.

“He went down?” a heavy voice echoed within the Demon Mountain.

Kneeling on the ground, the Ancestral Warden nodded slightly.

“Repeat everything he said to you,” Hellfire Asura commanded.

The Ancestral Warden obeyed without omission, recounting every word of their conversation.

The mountain fell silent for a long time.

Carefully, the Ancestral Warden lifted his head. “Ancient Ancestor, you don’t plan to intervene?”

“To offend the Heavenly Court would bring ruin to our Ancient Demon Realm,” Hellfire Asura said.

“But the Heavenly Court has already attacked us, they’ve slain many of our kind!” the Ancestral Warden protested, frustration seeping into his tone. He had heard Xu Zimo’s words before and knew something of the grievances between the Ancient Demons and the Heavenly Court.

“This is not your concern,” Hellfire Asura replied. “No matter who wins or loses, it has nothing to do with us.”

The Ancestral Warden rose to his feet, nodding reluctantly and preparing to leave.

But before he could take more than two steps, Hellfire Asura called out to him again.

“You’ve been under my tutelage for several thousand years, haven’t you?”

“Yes. I was fortunate to be accepted by you since childhood,” the Ancestral Warden said respectfully.

“A thousand years passes in a blink,” Hellfire Asura sighed. “You are no longer that child who first knelt before me. All these years, you’ve followed every order, right or wrong, without complaint. But I know, you have your own thoughts.”

He paused, his tone growing weary. “Tell me honestly, did I truly do wrong?”

“Your disciple dares not judge,” the Ancestral Warden said, trembling.

“I won’t blame you. Speak your mind,” Hellfire Asura said.

After thinking for a moment, the Ancestral Warden carefully replied, “Your original intent was not wrong, to keep the Ancient Demon Realm away from strife. After all, war always brings death. No one wishes to die. The only mistake, Ancient Ancestor, was that you misjudged the situation.”

“The situation?” Hellfire Asura echoed.

“Yes,” the Ancestral Warden pressed on. “Neither the Heavenly Dao nor the Heavenly Court can tolerate our Ancient Demon Race.”

“Why not?”

“Because they will never admit they were wrong,” the Ancestral Warden said, shaking his head.

“Heavenly Dao makes no mistakes,” Hellfire Asura murmured again.

“These are just my humble thoughts, Ancient Ancestor. Please don’t take them to heart,” the Ancestral Warden said.

“No, you’re right,” Hellfire Asura said with a bitter smile. “In the end, you, my disciple, see more clearly than I. It’s not that I didn’t know… I just clung to foolish, naive hopes. Tell me truthfully, the Ancestral Warden, do you also wish to join… our Lord’s side?”

When he said the words “our Lord,” he paused briefly but still forced them out.

“Speak honestly. I won’t be angry.”

“Your disciple is willing to dedicate his life to the revival of our Ancient Demon Race, until death,” the Ancestral Warden said, kneeling firmly.

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