Chapter 53 Just now, we were joking around.

The moment the voice reached him, a System notification chimed quietly within Gu Heng's Sea of Consciousness.

[Detected target available for Passing By...]

[Target Locked: Demon Venerable Chong Batian]

[Passing By in progress...]

[Passing By successful!]

[Congratulations, Host! Successfully deducted one thousand years of the target's cultivation!]

[Host's current Realm: Late Stage Profound Immortal.]

The voice was pleasant, but Gu Heng was dazed.

What's going on?

He hadn't even seen the person yet, and he had already 'passed by' a thousand years of their hard-earned cultivation?

At the very moment Gu Heng was dazed, that originally overwhelming and terrifying demonic pressure suddenly plummeted!

The sudden weakening of his aura caused Demon Venerable Chong Batian, who had just arrived at the Blood-Vein Mine, to stagger, nearly tumbling out of the Void Realm.

"Pfft—"

A sweet taste rose in his throat as a mouthful of blood nearly sprayed out, but he forced himself to swallow it back down.

Chong Batian's face instantly turned deathly pale, his dark red pupils filled with horror.

"What is happening? My cultivation... Why has a thousand years of my cultivation vanished into thin air?!"

Checking his internal state, he found that his demonic essence, which had been only a step away from the Demon Emperor Realm, had now fallen to the Late Stage of the Demon Venerable Realm!

A thousand years of bitter cultivation, gone in an instant!

Filled with both shock and rage, Chong Batian's Divine Sense instantly swept across the entire mining area, finally locking onto the figures inside the cavern.

In the next moment,

Space tore open, and amidst surging Devilish Qi, a burly figure wreathed in monstrous rage descended into the cavern.

"Who is it?! Who exactly plotted against me?!"

Chong Batian's eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the people before him.

However,

The moment his gaze landed on Gu Heng, the immense fury on his face froze.

Because he realized that he actually... could not see through him!

He couldn't see through the cultivation of the white-robed young man in front of him!

A member of the Human Race that he couldn't see through?!

How was this possible!

While Chong Batian was reeling in shock, the two demon cultivators behind him, who had just been jolted awake from their unconsciousness by the demonic pressure, were initially overjoyed to see their lord's arrival.

But then they saw Gu Heng standing before their lord, and they were instantly scared to the point of their Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering.

The two of them scrambled to their knees, pointing at Gu Heng, trying to say something in sheer terror.

"L-Lord! He... he is..."

Halfway through the sentence,

Gu Heng's cold gaze swept over them.

The gaze was calm, yet it caused the two of them to choke on their remaining words, unable to utter another syllable.

"A bunch of useless trash!"

Seeing this, Chong Batian's rage flared even brighter.

His mind was currently in a mess, troubled on one hand by his mysteriously vanished millennium of cultivation, and on the other by this unfathomable white-robed youth.

These two pieces of trash—why couldn't they have fainted earlier or later? They just had to be unconscious right when he needed information the most!

"I'll see for myself exactly what kind of thing you trash have provoked!"

Chong Batian roared, not bothering to ask further. He grabbed the One-Horned Demon Cultivator's head, poured in his Demonic Sense, and began a soul search!

"Ahhh—!"

The One-Horned Demon Cultivator let out a blood-curdling scream.

Chong Batian remained expressionless, coldly reading through the memories.

From two hours ago, when they intercepted the white-robed youth at the Ascension passage, to escorting him here, and then to everything that happened in the cavern... scene after scene played out in his mind.

When he saw the Token that 'accidentally' slipped from Gu Heng's sleeve, and the disastrous overthinking and reactions of the One-Horned Demon Cultivator and the Skinny Bamboo Demon Cultivator...

Chong Batian's expression shifted from fury to shock, and finally to a daze...

Finally,

When the terms 'Deputy Hall Master of the Immortal Realm Law Enforcement Hall' and 'Quasi-Immortal Emperor' surfaced in his mind along with the memory images,

the color drained completely from Chong Batian's face, leaving only endless horror.

"I-Immortal... Immortal Realm Law Enforcement Hall... Deputy Hall Master? Q-Quasi... Quasi-Immortal Emperor!?"

"...What the hell is this?"

How could such a legendary top-tier figure end up in their godforsaken border mine?

No... that's not right!

Chong Batian's heart was in total disarray, but driven by survival instinct, his brain began to work at an unprecedented speed.

There were only three Deputy Hall Masters of the Immortal Realm Law Enforcement Hall! One was an old monster who had lived for countless eons and lived in seclusion; one held immense power and was busy with internal affairs of the Immortal Realm, making it impossible for them to send a Clone to the Lower Realm.

And there was one more... who was rumored to have just recently taken office!

Regarding this new Deputy Hall Master, the high-level officials of the Demon Realm also had some intelligence. It was said that this person was mysterious and had a background that reached the heavens. As soon as he took office, he was entrusted with a heavy responsibility by the Empress of the Divine Court—a shocking matter concerning the future landscape of both the Immortal and Demon Realms—and had not yet officially arrived at his post!

How could he... how could he suddenly appear here!?

Could it be... that the so-called 'shocking matter' he was responsible for was to conduct an Incognito Visit and infiltrate their Demon Realm?

Chong BatianThe more I think about it, the more terrified I become.，Cold sweat had soaked through the magic armor on his back..

He never dreamed that the plaything his two incompetent subordinates had casually snatched to offer for his 'enjoyment' would actually be such a Heaven-Defying and terrifying existence!

Just as Chong Batian's brain stalled, the Communication Treasure at his waist suddenly lit up.

Buzz—

A solid demonic shadow projected from the treasure, hovering in mid-air.

The face of the demonic shadow was unclear, but the pressure it emitted was even more terrifying than that of Chong Batian in his prime!

"Chong Batian!"

"I have just received the highest secret order from above! The heaven-reaching tower in the Lower Realm has been refined by a mysterious white-robed thief. His characteristics: white robes, human, and unknown cultivation!"

"This person ascended to the Upper Realm several hours ago. According to heavenly deductions, there is a high probability he is in the border regions of either the Immortal Realm or our Demon Realm! If you see this person, do not take any unauthorized action; you must report to the Demon God Hall immediately!"

The demonic shadow's voice paused as even heavier news arrived.

"The bold move by the Empress of the Divine Dynasty has already awakened His Majesty the Demon God Emperor from his slumber. There seems to be movement from the Immortal Realm as well. All signs indicate they might be planning to move against our Demon Realm... In this time of crisis, no one is allowed to act rashly, lest a stray spark ignites a full-scale war between the two Realms!"

"..."

The demonic shadow's words exploded in Chong Batian's mind over and over again.

He stood there blankly, his body as stiff as a stone.

White robes...

Human...

Unknown cultivation... refined the heaven-reaching tower...

Deputy Hall Master of the Immortal Realm Law Enforcement Hall...

Motherfucker...

Inch by inch, Chong Batian turned his stiff neck, his dull gaze landing on the white-robed youth who looked as if none of this had anything to do with him.

At this moment, all the clues were linked together.

The truth, which made his scalp tingle, was right before him.

At this moment,

Chong Batian wanted nothing more than to cut those two useless pieces of trash on the ground into a thousand pieces and scatter their ashes!

How could you two idiots wait until now to let me know about such a shocking matter that could overturn the entire Demon Realm?!

This is a huge problem!

While monstrous rage surged in his chest, when Chong Batian looked at Gu Heng again, the shock and anger on his face vanished without a trace, replaced by a smile that was humble to the core.

He cleared his throat, trying hard to make his voice sound less shaky.

"Cough... cough! So it is an esteemed lord from the Immortal Realm Law Enforcement Hall who has graced us with his presence!

This... this little demon failed to recognize your greatness. I was unaware of your arrival and failed to welcome you properly. I deserve ten thousand deaths!"

"I wonder if Your Lordship has come to our Demon Realm this time as a Peace Envoy... uh... on an Incognito Visit?"

An Incognito Visit?

Hearing those words, the Old Dragon King standing behind Gu Heng almost couldn't help but burst out laughing.

This guy's imagination is way too wild, isn't it?

He even came up with 'Incognito Visit.' Even a three-year-old knows that Immortals and Demons have been irreconcilable since ancient times, fighting to the death for countless eons. When has there ever been a Peace Envoy?

If you can't afford to offend him, just say so. Why insist on finding such a high-sounding excuse, turning a potential catastrophe into a high-level mutual visit in your head?

With this emotional intelligence, being a Demon Venerable is truly a waste of talent.

The Old Dragon King ranted wildly in his heart, his eyes full of disdain as he looked at Chong Batian.

At this time, Gu Heng finally snapped out of his daze from being 'passed by' the System.

Looking at the Demon Venerable before him, who had been fierce just a moment ago and was now bowing and scraping, he could roughly guess how things had unfolded.

He cleared his throat, breaking the silence.

"This... something-Batian, right?"

Gu Heng took a step forward, walked up to Chong Batian, reached out, and lightly patted his Demonic Armor.

"I still prefer that arrogant and unyielding look you had just now."

Chong Batian's body suddenly stiffened, cold sweat pouring down instantly.

"My Lord... you must be joking... just now... it was just a joke. This little demon was only joking with you!"

He laughed with a face that looked like he was crying, terrified that the other party would crush him with a finger if he said one wrong word.

Gu Heng's fingertips traced lightly over his Demonic Armor.

"A joke?"

Gu Heng's tone was flat. "Your two subordinates also seem to enjoy joking quite a bit..."

Gu Heng stopped halfway through his sentence on purpose.

Chong Batian's heart leaped into his throat.

He spun around abruptly, his blood-red eyes fixing on the Skinny Bamboo Demon Cultivator who was playing dead on the ground. He raised his foot and kicked out with all his might!

"You bunch of suicidal trash! An esteemed guest arrives, and you don't even know how to provide proper hospitality! Who told you to bring the Lord to a place like this?!"

"..."

The Skinny Bamboo Demon Cultivator, who was still playing dead, was nearly kicked into the afterlife.

He was sent flying, spraying blood from his mouth, and instinctively stammered, "L-Lord, didn't you say... to have us wash him clean..."

"Bang—"

Before he could finish, Chong Batian followed up with another kick.

This time, he flew backward like a cannonball, slamming hard into the mine wall and embedding himself in the rock, his fate unknown.

The entire cavern fell into a dead silence.

Having done this, Chong Batian finally turned back.

The violence on his face instantly reverted to a humble smile, and he bowed and scraped toward Gu Heng.

"My Lord, please don't misunderstand! What I meant was for them to wash the jade wares and cups in the manor to properly entertain you!

These idiots have such poor comprehension; they deserve to be beaten, truly deserve it!"

With that,

he rubbed his hands together and was about to step forward to lead the way for Gu Heng.

Lin Qingyue, who was watching from the side, took all of this in.

She watched Gu Heng quietly, noting how he remained calm and indifferent from beginning to end, as if everything was within his grasp, and a strange light flickered in her eyes.

She blinked, seemingly contemplating something on a deeper level.

"Hmm, you are quite thoughtful."

Gu Heng nodded faintly.

"As it should be! As it should be!"

Chong Batian felt as if he had been granted a great pardon, so excited he nearly knelt before Gu Heng.

He hurriedly took out a palm-sized Formation Plate engraved with countless demonic runes from his Storage Ring and presented it to Gu Heng with both hands.

"My Lord, this place is filthy and not fit for a long stay. This little demon's Immortal Cave is not far away. Please, My Lord, allow me to show you some hospitality!"

Saying so,

he directly injected demonic essence into the Formation Plate, and a miniature teleportation Formation instantly expanded within the cavern, emitting a ghostly blue light.

Chong Batian stepped aside and made a 'please' gesture toward Gu Heng.

...

Meanwhile, in a Realm an unknown distance away,

Jiang Wanyin's figure came to a halt.

She stood barefoot, with the Laws of the Realm flowing beneath her feet as if she were stepping on a galaxy.

The Red String moved slightly, causing the surrounding Void Realm to ripple.

Her brow furrowed slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

"My connection with Qingyue... is broken?"

"Is it... the Bracelet I gave her?"