After they finished discussing the matter, the Snake King spoke in a deep voice, "What can be confirmed is that the rate of the anomaly is increasing. Perhaps within a hundred years the outcome will become clear. Without any accidents, everyone present should live to see that day. This may very well be the greatest opportunity for our generation of cultivators! Such an unprecedented upheaval has never occurred before. We should prepare early. At the very least, our demon race must advance and retreat together if we wish to seize more treasures!"

The Red-Tailed Demon King rubbed his palms together, excitement flashing across his face. "I agree with the Snake King! There was never any deep blood feud between us anyway. If there are conflicts, we might as well set them aside for now. Let the human race fight among themselves. The more chaotic it becomes, the better. It would be best if they fractured completely and never managed to unite again!"

The demon kings showed varying expressions, but none objected.

The Feathered Demon King swept his gaze across the hall. "How Ziwei Palace will evolve in the future remains uncertain. However, when the time comes to enter Ziwei Palace again, we will still need to rely on the human race’s array. I summoned all of you here precisely to discuss the next expedition into Ziwei Palace."

While the demon kings discussed the matter, Qin Sang rarely spoke. From their conversation, he learned many secrets about Ziwei Palace.

The Red-Tailed Demon King found it strange and transmitted his voice, asking, "Daoist Ming Yue, you seem rather uninterested. Do you not intend to go to Ziwei Palace?"

"I have heard that Ziwei Palace has been searched again and again. I also know nothing about it, so it would likely be difficult for me to find any treasures. I truly do not have much interest in it. I will return and consult my master before making a decision. I only recently took human form, and the most important matter right now is stabilizing my cultivation and cultivating my supernatural abilities," Qin Sang replied.

After a short while, the demon kings settled on a simple plan. When the time came, they would adapt according to circumstances.

After that, one of the demon kings finally raised the question Qin Sang cared about most, the situation of the war.

"Since Sin God Palace is connected to Ziwei Palace, if we have detected abnormal movements in the celestial array of Ziwei Palace, Sin Abyss must have noticed it as well. Will they withdraw their forces temporarily like last time, using the opportunity to recover their vital energy before continuing the war after the expedition into Ziwei Palace ends?"

The Feathered Demon King nodded. "That is precisely the second matter we wished to discuss. Not long ago, the human race sent word. They share a similar speculation, but they are just being more vigilant."

"Oh? What do you mean?" The demon kings grew curious.

"In truth, from the scattered bits of information you have all received, you must have already sensed something. The offensive from Sin Abyss this time seems somewhat strange. Since the war began, Sin Abyss had appeared fierce and aggressive, as if preparing for a large-scale invasion. Yet its momentum has been far weaker than last time. Tianxing Alliance lost several cities but soon stabilized its position, and the two sides have been locked in a stalemate for several years," the Feathered Demon King said.

The Feathered Demon King tapped his finger lightly against the armrest. "Daoist Zhenyi is worried that Sin Abyss may be attempting to numb the Two-Domain Alliance. The moment the alliance grows even slightly lax, they may strike and catch them completely off guard, especially on the eve of Ziwei Palace’s emergence. However, I suspect the Two-Domain Alliance may not be willing to continue taking blows forever. Perhaps they have other intentions. Continuing the war like this is also a tremendous burden on Sin Abyss. Is the foundation of Sin Abyss truly unfathomable, or is it merely putting on a show?"

"So Daoist Zhenyi wants to take the initiative and attack?" The demon kings exchanged glances. One of them sneered. "If not for the agreement of our ancestors, we would not want to lend them a single soldier! They have already borrowed so many demon troops from us and still think it insufficient. Now he even seeks us out personally. Does he expect us to take action ourselves?"

The Feathered Demon King flicked his finger, sending out a streak of light. "These are the conditions proposed by the human race. Fellow Daoists, you may as well take a look first. If you go to the front lines, you will only need to operate the defensive city array from within the city and command the demon troops. If the situation turns unfavorable, you may withdraw in time. Should there be other arrangements later, you may negotiate with the human race yourselves before deciding whether to go or not."

The Feathered Demon King added, "In front of all of you, I will not hide anything. I still hope the Two-Domain Alliance can hold back Sin Abyss. I do not know if it is merely my imagination, but over the past few years I have encountered several Spiritual Infant cultivators from Sin Abyss. Old Devil Ye in particular gives me an increasingly unpleasant feeling. This sinister and eerie aura is something even Old Devil Tongyou, who had reached the advanced stage in his devilish art, never possessed."

The Snake King directly stated his stance. "I've had similar thoughts. If Sin Abyss were to devour Small Cold Domain, it would likely become difficult to uphold the ancestral agreement as before. After this meeting, I will personally make a trip there."

The streak of light circled the hall once. After examining its contents, the voices of opposition weakened considerably.

The reward offered by the human race was indeed quite generous. More importantly, they only needed to participate in defending the city, which greatly reduced the danger. Even if the battle were lost, with the abilities of Transformation Realm great demons, escaping in advance should not be difficult.

For a moment, the hall fell silent as the demon kings weighed the gains and losses.

In the end, some demon kings agreed while others refused. Qin Sang was among those who agreed to participate. He had originally intended to visit the front lines anyway.

Born among the human race, and with many relatives and friends still in the Small Cold Domain, he naturally wished to do his part. With his evasion technique, even if he encountered danger, preserving his life would not be difficult.

If they truly proved no match for the enemy, there would be no helping it. He could only become a wandering fugitive and flee elsewhere.

By disguising himself as a demon king and helping defend the city, he could also receive compensation.

What Qin Sang had his eyes on was a rare spiritual wood known as Golden Sinking Wood.

The ebony sword did not need to devour other spiritual wood for the time being.

He planned to prepare a second spiritual sword in advance. The astra he had previously seized were not particularly suitable. Qin Sang intended to gather spiritual materials himself and personally refine the sword. This would also improve his artifact refinement skills and prepare him for eventually subduing the Southern Sun Fire.

The spiritual sword would ideally belong to the wood element, making spiritual wood the most compatible material.

Golden Sinking Wood possessed exceptional hardness. Once refined into an astra, it naturally gained a trace of additional sharpness, making it a fine choice.

After the two most important matters were settled, the Feathered Demon King raised several minor issues, and the meeting soon approached its conclusion.

At the end, the demon kings took the opportunity to hold a small trading gathering, exchanging what they needed.

Qin Sang had only recently advanced, and his wealth was far inferior to that of these demon kings. He could only watch as one treasure after another appeared, practically drooling with envy.

Most of the items he possessed were things like Malevolent Demonic Pills and demon bones. Taking such items out in front of so many demon kings would likely be difficult to explain.

Once the trading ended, the demon kings dispersed.

Qin Sang also prepared to leave Wanyao City and head south.

The Red-Tailed Demon King bade Qin Sang farewell and agreed to meet again in the future.

He had clearly refused to participate in the war. In his words, no treasure was worth risking his life for the sake of another race.

After returning to the temporary palace, Qin Sang called for the white crane and the fat chicken. After purchasing several items in Wanyao City, they departed the city directly.[1]

After returning to the traveling palace, Qin Sang called for the white crane and the fat chicken. After purchasing several items in Wanyao City, they departed the city directly.

Not long after leaving the city, Qin Sang and the two birds had flown for some time when a flash of sharp light suddenly passed through his eyes.

His figure abruptly halted in mid-air, and he turned to look behind him.

The two beasts hurried to a stop as well and looked back. They were not far from Wanyao City. Only several mountain ranges separated them.

The mountains were silent and empty. No other figures could be seen.

"Master, what’s wrong?" The fat chicken sensed something amiss and cautiously moved closer.

Qin Sang swept his gaze across the area, then suddenly fixed his eyes on a certain mountain peak. With a cold snort, he raised his voice. "Daoist, following me for no reason should not be a coincidence, should it?"

1. Temporary palace, also known as xinggong, were residences constructed outside the main palace for the emperor to use when traveling, inspecting, etc. ☜