Chapter 834: Sowing Discord

Han Li stood atop the altar and surveyed his surroundings.

The two statues loomed before him, appearing even more towering, casting two enormous shadows that enveloped the group, as if two deities standing in the heavens looked down upon the mortals below.

He could now clearly feel waves of immense pressure emanating from the two statues, weighing heavily on his heart. Even with his current cultivation, he felt as if he could barely breathe.

Han Li's heart tightened. Could it be that the earlier anomaly had occurred again?

At that moment, out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Shi Pokong and the others beside him also looked pale, clearly enduring the same tremendous pressure from the statues.

The three immediately bowed and paid homage to the two statues. After they did so, their expressions eased considerably.

Seeing this, Han Li's mind stirred. After a moment's deliberation, he also bowed respectfully to the two statues.

Strangely enough, after he bowed, the immense pressure pressing down on him gradually receded.

Han Li raised an eyebrow, now somewhat intrigued by the Heavenly Saint Sovereign and the Netherworld Holy Mother. These two statues were so spiritually responsive—could it be that these two deities truly existed in the Demon Domain?

"The two princes have sincerely prayed; the Saint Sovereign and Holy Mother will surely see it and bestow boundless blessings upon you," said a priest who appeared to be a leader, rising and returning the bow.

This man was middle-aged, with disheveled yellow hair and dark, rough skin, like a farmer who had toiled hard in the countryside. Only his eyes were exceptionally bright.

Han Li glanced at this man and furrowed his brow almost imperceptibly.

The aura of this farmer-like priest was not particularly strong—only at the early Golden Immortal stage, someone he could crush with a finger—yet for some reason, the man gave him an inexplicable sense of unease.

"Thank you for your kind words, Priest Lianzhen," Shi Pokong said with a light chuckle.

Han Li's mind stirred upon hearing this.

Because of Vajra Reclining Soul, he had studied the situation of the Sacrificial Hall in Yeyang City over the years. The Sacrificial Hall was a special place in Yeyang City; although the priests there were under the jurisdiction of the Saint Lord, they did not need to carry out tasks and devoted themselves solely to serving the Heavenly Saint Sovereign and the Netherworld Holy Mother.

The Sacrificial Hall was headed by the High Priest, under whom were several senior priests, and Priest Lianzhen was one of them.

Han Li quickly shifted his gaze from Priest Lianzhen to the other priests, but found no one with higher cultivation, and felt slightly disappointed.

"Haha, Third Brother, you've arrived quite early too!" At that moment, a hearty laugh came from below, and several figures ascended the altar.

The leader was a man in purple robes, about thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old, tall and imposing, dressed identically to Shi Chuankong and the others. On his purple-gold crown were three pearls, and on his brow was a faint purple mark that shimmered with a mysterious purple light.

Han Li was momentarily startled. Wasn't this the man who had invited him in the Maha District ten years ago?

But his hair, once black, had turned completely white.

Beside him stood two others, also in purple brocade robes. One of them was looking this way with an unfriendly gaze—it was the Eighth Prince, whom he had briefly met upon entering the city.

The other was a gaunt young man with a sallow complexion and uneven breath, looking like a consumptive.

Behind the three followed several attendants, all of impressive bearing and attire.

"So it's Big Brother, and Eighth Brother and Tenth Brother. It's been a long time since we last met," Shi Pokong said, cupping his hands in a distant salute with a smile.

Han Li immediately understood: this imposing purple-robed man was none other than Shi Chuankong's eldest brother, the Great Prince of the Demon Lord, Shi Zhanfeng.

Then the purpose of his invitation back then was worth pondering. And who was that white-haired woman who had warned him at the time?

As his thoughts raced, many questions surged into his mind, and he began to glance around intentionally or unintentionally.

"You've already met Eighth Brother, Shi Chuanjia. That sickly-looking one is Tenth Brother, Shi Bofu. He suffered a strange illness as a child and was bedridden for a long time before recovering, but he turned misfortune into fortune and comprehended a very powerful curse law—do not underestimate him. Both Eighth and Tenth Brothers are allied with Big Brother," Shi Chuankong's voice transmitted into Han Li's mind, explaining the situation of the other two princes.

Han Li secretly sized up the Tenth Prince.

This man's cultivation had also reached the Taiyi stage, albeit only early Taiyi, but his aura was peculiar and gave an extremely uncomfortable feeling.

"Indeed, though we all reside in Yeyang City, each has his own duties, so we rarely meet. I recently acquired two bottles of Ziluo Immortal Wine from the True Immortal Realm. After we pay respects to Father today, why don't Third Brother and Thirteenth Brother come to my residence? We brothers can drink heartily—wouldn't that be wonderful?" Shi Zhanfeng laughed heartily.

Shi Chuankong's expression changed slightly, and he was about to hint for Shi Pokong to refuse, but before he could speak, Shi Pokong had already nodded in agreement:

"Since Big Brother has such a kind offer, I naturally oblige. It's rare for us brothers, scattered across different places, to gather here on the occasion of Father emerging from seclusion."

Shi Chuankong was inwardly anxious, but since things had come to this, there was nothing he could do.

"Good! Then it's settled. Oh, if Fellow Daoist Li is interested, you are also welcome. What I mentioned to you that day still stands," Shi Zhanfeng suddenly turned his gaze to Han Li, said with a smile, and then proceeded to pay homage to the Heavenly Saint Sovereign and the Netherworld Holy Mother.

The Eighth Prince, Tenth Prince, and the others glanced at Han Li with strange smiles, then stepped forward to pay their respects, ignoring Shi Pokong and his group.

Han Li was secretly annoyed. Shi Zhanfeng's attempt to sow discord was insidious, but he showed no change in expression.

"Fellow Daoist Shi, what did the Great Prince mean by that?" Blood Drop Marquis's face darkened first, and he transmitted a question.

"Blood Drop Marquis, speak no nonsense," Shi Pokong said, his eyes turning slightly cold as he glared at Blood Drop Marquis.

Blood Drop Marquis acknowledged with a start and stepped back, but his gaze toward Han Li was now clearly filled with deep suspicion.

Feeling Blood Drop Marquis's stare, Han Li frowned slightly and sighed inwardly.

Although Blood Drop Marquis had sacrificed himself to lead away Illuminating Bone True Man back then on Shi Pokong's orders, Han Li was still quite grateful to him. At this second meeting, he had felt some inclination to befriend him, but he hadn't expected Blood Drop Marquis to turn hostile so easily over a single word from the Great Prince. Such a person, unable to distinguish right from wrong, was not worth associating with.

"Let's go first," Shi Pokong said to Han Li with a slight smile, then spoke aloud.

The group descended via another staircase from the altar and headed toward the distant Saint Lord Palace.

No one spoke, and the atmosphere was somewhat沉闷.

"Fellow Daoist Li, what exactly did Big Brother mean?" Shi Chuankong hesitated but couldn't help asking. Though his question was the same as Blood Drop Marquis's, there was no reproach in his tone.

"Thirteenth Brother, this is Big Brother's scheme to drive a wedge between us. Fellow Daoist Li is your good friend—surely you don't distrust him?" Shi Pokong chuckled, interrupting Shi Chuankong.

"I naturally trust Fellow Daoist Li, but I'm just curious about what Big Brother did," Shi Chuankong said with a wry laugh.

"It's nothing much. Earlier, when I was strolling in the Maha District, I happened to encounter the Great Prince. We exchanged a few words about Vajra Reclining Soul's injuries. But his appearance then was slightly different from now, so I didn't know his identity," Han Li said after a moment's deliberation, giving a general account of his encounter with the Great Prince that day.

"So that's it. Big Brother is indeed cunning, using such underhanded tactics," Shi Chuankong snorted.

"Big Brother has always acted this way. We must be careful and not let ourselves be thrown into disarray," Shi Pokong said calmly, then glanced at Blood Drop Marquis.

Blood Drop Marquis looked embarrassed, bowed to Han Li, and said, "I was impulsive just now and spoke out of turn. Please forgive me, Fellow Daoist Li."

"No matter," Han Li said expressionlessly, his tone cold.

Blood Drop Marquis knew he had offended Han Li deeply and that his apology had come too late, so he stood up awkwardly.

The group proceeded deeper into the palace and soon arrived before a pitch-black hall at the center.

This hall was a full hundred zhang high, noticeably taller than the surrounding halls, standing out like a crane among chickens. At its four corners stood black stone pillars, each several arm spans thick, engraved with lifelike demon god reliefs.

Above the hall hung a huge plaque inscribed with three purple characters: "Saint Lord Hall."

The calligraphy of these three characters was archaic and vigorous, like writhing dragons and snakes, seeming to soar into the clouds and roar across the sky.

Two purple-robed attendants stood outside the main gate of the hall. Seeing the four approach, they quickly bowed to Shi Chuankong and Shi Pokong.

"Is Father inside?" Shi Pokong asked calmly.

"The Saint Lord is within. Please wait a moment, Your Highnesses; I will go and announce you," one of the attendants said and quickly entered to report.

After a moment, the attendant emerged and said, "The Saint Lord commands that the four of you may enter."

Shi Pokong and Shi Chuankong took a deep breath, straightened their robes, and entered the hall.

Han Li and Blood Drop Marquis followed a step behind and also stepped into the hall.

The interior of the hall was extremely spacious but empty, giving an unusually vast feeling. The walls on both sides were covered with various carvings—humanoid and beast-shaped—each so lifelike that they seemed ready to break free from the walls and come to life.

The light here was somewhat dim, and the carvings were hidden in shadows, looking somewhat ferocious.

The group walked forward in silence until the deepest part of the hall, where the light brightened again. A high platform stood on the ground, and a purple-robed man sat on the main seat atop it.

This man appeared to be in his forties or fifties, with white hair, a square face, and slender eyebrows, resembling a refined scholar, yet his demeanor carried an inherent authority that inspired awe without anger.

He did not emit an overwhelming aura, yet one could not help but feel a sense of submission.

Han Li had seen the Demon Lord once before when his soul traveled through the Bottle Gourd Immortal, but that time the other had not revealed his true form, so he couldn't help but take a few extra glances now.

The Demon Lord seemed to sense this and looked back.

Han Li's heart immediately skipped a beat, and a chill ran through his entire body, as if all his secrets had been seen through. His expression changed, and he instantly activated all his immortal spiritual power, while the power of his divine sense in his sea of consciousness also spread out, flowing through his body in an attempt to resist the Demon Lord's gaze.

But no matter how he tried to use his techniques to resist, they were useless before the Demon Lord's gaze. The chill throughout his body grew heavier, and he nearly collapsed from exhaustion.

The Demon Lord's gaze lingered on Han Li's face for a moment, a strange expression appearing on his face, then he returned to calm and looked away.

The chill receded like a tide, and Han Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief, his tense mind slowly relaxing.

The Demon Lord's gaze had lasted only a breath or two, but to Han Li, it felt like an eternity.

The sudden tension and release left him with a feeling of mental exhaustion, more tiring than a fierce battle with a powerful enemy.

"Greetings to Father, congratulations on your successful seclusion and mastery of divine arts!" Shi Pokong and Shi Chuankong stopped a few zhang before the high platform and knelt down together.