Hu Mazi snapped out of his daze, swallowing hard and quickly catching up to Chen Ping’s stride.
Youyue watched their retreating figures, her eyes flickering briefly before she hurriedly followed.
Crossing the vast plaza, the three entered the imposing black palace.
The interior of the hall was even grander than its exterior suggested, with a domed ceiling soaring dozens of metres high, adorned with countless ferocious demonic runes emitting a faint glow.
Massive black stone pillars lined both sides, each wrapped with lifelike carvings of demonic dragons that seemed ready to spring to life.
At the far end stood a towering throne, carved from a single block of obsidian and inlaid with countless gems, exuding an aura of opulence and coldness.
Youyue invited Chen Ping and Hu Mazi to sit on stone chairs along the hall’s sides, then clapped her hands.
Soon, two demon clan women dressed as maids entered with tea, heads bowed. They placed the cups on the stone table before the trio and swiftly retreated, not daring to glance at Chen Ping even once.
“Please wait a moment, I’ve already sent someone to check the palace’s ancient records,” Youyue said, lifting her teacup and taking a delicate sip. “Regarding the history of Nine Coiling Mountain, there may be records in the palace’s archives.”
Chen Ping picked up his teacup, glancing at the inky green liquid inside, his brow furrowing slightly. He didn’t drink.
The tea gave off a faint, fishy odour, clearly not intended for humans.
Hu Mazi followed Chen Ping’s lead, merely holding the cup while his gaze roamed the hall, a complex mix of emotions in his eyes.
This place had once been his Hu clan’s ancestral land, now transformed into a demon clan palace. The sense of loss stirred deep emotions within him.
The hall fell into silence, broken only by the occasional flicker of the demonic runes’ glow on the ceiling, casting reflections on their faces and creating a subtle, charged atmosphere.
Chen Ping closed his eyes, appearing to rest, but in truth, he was discreetly extending his divine sense to probe the palace’s surroundings.
The Black Fiend Demon Palace was far larger than he’d imagined, its internal structure intricate and complex. He could faintly sense dozens of powerful auras, some on par with Youyue’s strength, others even stronger.
It seemed the depths of this Black Fiend Demon Palace ran far deeper than expected.
After some time, an old man in a grey robe hurried in, clutching a yellowed scroll. He bowed respectfully to Youyue: “Reporting to the Demoness, I’ve reviewed all records concerning Nine Coiling Mountain and found some information about the Hu clan.”
Hu Mazi leapt to his feet, staring at the old man with agitation: “What did you find? Is there anything recorded? What happened to my Hu clan?”
The old man glanced at Hu Mazi, then at Youyue. Seeing her nod, he spoke slowly: “The records confirm that the Hu clan once resided in Nine Coiling Mountain, a renowned talisman-making family in the Fourth Heaven. They produced several talisman masters, and at their peak, they had a fourth-grade Earth Immortal cultivator presiding over the clan.”
“And then?” Hu Mazi pressed, his voice trembling with emotion.
The old man sighed and continued: “About two thousand eight hundred years ago, the Hu clan was suddenly attacked by an unknown force. The entire mountain range was razed to the ground, and nearly all the clan’s disciples perished. Only a few escaped, vanishing without a trace thereafter.
As for who the attackers were, the records lack detail, mentioning only a group of powerful black-robed figures with extremely ruthless methods.”
“What?” Hu Mazi staggered back as if struck by lightning, his face drained of colour. “Wiped out? My Hu clan… was annihilated?”
His eyes brimmed with pain and disbelief, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, blood dripping through his fingers. Though he’d braced himself for bad news, hearing it confirmed was more than he could bear.
