134. I'm The Ninth King

“Gu Yan, is it?”

The man in black let his lecherous gaze roam over Gu Yan.

“I am Xu Yun, a initial Divine Symbol Master. I’ll give you one last chance—submit to me, and the Lifeblood Xuanling Fruit will be yours.”

As soon as he spoke, the base of the Xuanling Mountain erupted in murmurs.

“What? That’s Xu Yun!”
“Isn’t his master the Nefarious Bone Old Man from Demonic Wind Cave?”
“That elder is notoriously protective of his disciples!”
“Exactly! Offending the Wei family wasn’t the smartest move.”
“What a pity, though. The Gu sisters are truly rare beauties...”

Hearing the whispers, Xu Yun smirked arrogantly. In his mind, Gu Yan was already his prize—there was no escaping him.

But Gu Yan’s cold voice cut through his fantasies. “Keep dreaming!”

“So you’ve chosen death? Don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

Xu Yun’s eyes turned cruel. With a flick of his hand, a surge of vast spiritual power erupted, forming into a colossal hundred-foot lion.

The lion roared, tearing through the air as it charged toward Gu Yan.

Just as the attack was about to strike, the air in front of Gu Yan rippled.

A moment later, a figure clad in white appeared.

“Is this the Chaotic Demon Sea?” the man murmured to himself, still adjusting to his surroundings.

Before he could fully take stock of the situation, the massive spiritual lion lunged toward him.

With a slight frown, the man waved his hand, unleashing a violent surge of yuan power. The lion dissipated instantly, leaving the crowd utterly silent.

Ding! Gu Yan feels surprised. +200 Emotion Points.
Ding! Gu Ya feels relieved. +200 Emotion Points.
Ding! Gu Ying feels excited. +200 Emotion Points.

The three sisters stared wide-eyed at the mysterious savior, their gazes filled with gratitude.

Meanwhile, Xu Yun’s expression darkened.

“Friend, my master is the Nefarious Bone Old Man from Demonic Wind Cave. I advise you not to interfere, or you’ll face consequences you cannot bear.”

Though Xu Yun sensed the immense spiritual power emanating from this newcomer—along with a chilling aura of death—he hoped invoking his master’s name would scare him off.

But the man was none other than Chen Xuan, who had single-handedly destroyed the Yuan Sect.

Why would he fear Demonic Wind Cave?

“If you don’t want to die, leave now,” Chen Xuan said coldly.

Xu Yun’s face twisted in anger. “Friend, no one in the Heavenly Wind Sea dares to disrespect Demonic Wind Cave!”

“Demonic Wind Cave's master is a Profound Death Realm expert,” added Wei Song. “You’d better think this through carefully.”

“Profound Death Realm? Impressive?” Chen Xuan replied indifferently.

Wei Song scoffed. “This guy must be mad. Xu Yun, don’t waste time on him!”

Before Wei Song could finish, Chen Xuan raised a hand. A massive wave of yuan power surged forth, forming a giant hand around Wei Song.

With a clench of his fist—

Boom!

Wei Song was reduced to a blood mist, scattered by the wind.

The swift and ruthless act struck fear into everyone present. Many fled in panic, unwilling to risk their lives for the Lifeblood Xuanling Fruit.

Even Xu Yun, known for his audacity, felt a chill run down his spine. Without hesitation, he turned and ran.

No treasure was worth dying for.

Gu Yan stepped forward and bowed deeply. “Thank you, sir, for saving us.”

Chen Xuan waved dismissively. “Leave. This place won’t be safe for a while.”

“But I still need the Lifeblood Xuanling Fruit,” Gu Yan said, shaking her head bitterly. “Without it, I can’t break through to the Profound Life Realm, and we’ll lose to the Shentu family in the Chaotic Tower competition.”

“Big brother, could you escort us to the top of Xuanling Mountain?” asked Gu Ya timidly.

Chen Xuan, familiar with their story, agreed. After all, he needed to head to the lake anyway.

Wrapping Gu Yan in a cocoon of yuan power, he teleported them to the massive lake at the mountain’s peak.

“Is that where the Lifeblood Xuanling Fruit is?” Gu Yan asked, her eyes burning with determination as she gazed at the island in the lake’s center.

“Yes, but I have urgent matters at the lakebed,” Chen Xuan replied.

“Alone?” Gu Yan asked, alarmed. “The lake hides a Three-Headed Demon Dragon—a creature at the initial Profound Life Realm!”

“Such a beast doesn’t concern me,” Chen Xuan replied calmly.

As if to challenge his claim, the lake erupted. A massive three-headed serpent burst forth, its gaze fixed on Chen Xuan.

“You dare belittle me?” it snarled.

“Leave,” Chen Xuan commanded.

“Ha! You think I’m just a water snake? Let me show you my wrath!” The serpent raised a massive trident.

Before it could attack, Chen Xuan unleashed a single devastating strike.

Thud!

The serpent’s heads were pierced through, its body collapsing lifelessly into the water.

The Gu sisters stared, awestruck.

He had killed a initial Profound Life Realm beast with a single move.

Who was this man?

"This body still holds a lot of treasures. Consider it a gift. I have to head to the lake bottom. Once I retrieve the item, I’ll leave right away."

"Thank you, sir. By the way, may I ask your name?"

"Chen Xuan."

"Chen Xuan? I’ll wait for your return here!"

Gu Yan watched as Chen Xuan disappeared. She then drew a small sword and began cutting into the three-headed demonic flood dragon's corpse.

Its scales could be made into armor, and its dragon sinews could be crafted into excellent spiritual treasures.

With the Lifeblood Xuanling Fruit in hand and the fortune of meeting such a powerful individual, Gu Yan felt like she'd struck gold.

After cutting off useful parts, she set aside some to serve as food. She planned to prepare a grand feast for Chen Xuan upon his return.


---

Meanwhile, Chen Xuan reached the lake's bottom. However, he had yet to locate the magma chamber mentioned in his memory.

Using the power of spatial manipulation, he continued searching. Finally, he glimpsed a faint red light at the edge of the lake’s dark depths.

As he ventured closer, the surrounding water grew scorching. Just as he’d read in the original story, the lakebed was covered in molten lava that resembled a fiery carpet.

Without hesitation, Chen Xuan passed through the magma and arrived at a vast stone platform.

The ancient aura emanating from the rocks hinted at their primordial origins. In the center of the platform lay the Core Vitality Elixir.

Chen Xuan summoned a trace of spatial energy at his fingertip, effortlessly dispelling the formation protecting the elixir.

After securing the Core Vitality Elixir, he followed the instructions from the original story and leapt into a stone pool.

In an instant, he found himself in a pitch-black space, surrounded by numerous lava streams resembling a massive formation.

Four ancestral symbol within his collection began to glow brightly, guiding him deeper into the formation. At its base lay an abyss of profound darkness.

Chen Xuan knew what was there—the Cosmic Evil Devil King. It was the mount of the Yimo Emperor and likely knew of the Devil Prison's plans.

Perhaps it even held answers regarding the incident with Ling Qingzhu.

Though tempted to confront it, Chen Xuan chose caution. The ancient master, Flame Master, had sealed this creature, and disturbing it without reason could cause unnecessary trouble.

Instead, Chen Xuan approached the magma lake’s center, where a stone coffin rested. Within it lay a tall man with fiery red hair, blazing like a living flame. This was none other than the Flame Master.

Chen Xuan gently knocked on the stone coffin.

Knock, knock, knock.

When there was no response, he muttered, "Is the coffin too soundproof?"

Unperturbed, he knocked again.

Suddenly, the ancestral stone stored in his system's inventory emitted a piercing white light. Sensing its energy, a phantom figure emerged from the coffin.

"Who disturbs my rest?" the figure demanded.

"Senior, I am Chen Xuan, and I come with urgent matters," he replied.

The Flame Master squinted at him. "You carry an aura of familiarity. Are the Devil King's active again?"

Chen Xuan nodded solemnly. "Indeed, they are. I’ve already faced them in battle."

The Flame Master frowned. "That is troubling. If their Kings Tier are involved, you will be in grave danger."

Chen Xuan smirked. "Senior, I’ve already slain several General Tier Demons and even gravely injured a King Tier Demon."

The Flame Master was startled. "You jest!"

Chen Xuan retrieved a fragment of dark armor. "See for yourself."

"The Demon Emperor's Armor!" the Yan Lord exclaimed, his eyes widening in disbelief.

He listened as Chen Xuan recounted his encounters with the Devil Prison. Learning that Chen Xuan possessed four ancestral runes left the Flame Master visibly shaken.

To see someone so young wield multiple runes reminded him of his master, the Symbol Ancestor. Could this boy be his reincarnation?

When Chen Xuan expressed his intent to descend into the Devil Prison, the Flame Master objected. "Too dangerous. You must not take this risk."

To prove his resolve, Chen Xuan summoned his runes, using the Chaotic Ancestral Symbol and Darkness Symbol to form protective armor while preparing the Devouring Symbol and Space Symbol for combat and purification.

The Flame Master was stunned by the seamless mastery Chen Xuan displayed. Though reluctant, he relented, giving Chen Xuan a fire-red token.

"This is the Flame God's Token. It may aid you in capturing the Flame Symbol."

"Thank you, senior," Chen Xuan said before venturing into the depths.


---

The deeper he went, the more ominous the atmosphere became. Eventually, a massive demonic figure appeared before him.

This was the Cosmic Evil Devil King, a monstrous being with jet-black skin, eight arms, and a grotesque maw filled with razor-sharp teeth.

Despite lacking eyes, it sensed Chen Xuan’s presence and growled, "Your aura feels familiar. Who are you?"

Chen Xuan smirked. "I am the Ninth King. Do you not recognize me?"