Chapter 170: Demon Lord Audio and the Gaze of the Demon Eye

Chapter 170: The Demon Lord's Audio and the Demon Eye's Gaze

Zhang Yuanqing's body, along with the Cat King speaker, vanished into thin air.

The indescribable, utterly shameful sound effects disappeared along with the "erasure" of his physical form.

Fuck, last time I was still praising the Demon Lord for not being obsessed with women, for having proper recordings. How long has it been, and he pulls this stunt? Good thing it's night now, the family's all asleep.

If Grandpa, Grandma, and Aunt heard this, where would I put my old face?

Aunt would be fine, she knows what's in my "study materials" collection... As his thoughts wandered, he emptied his mind, leaning back against the ergonomic chair, waiting for the fleshly drama to end.

His ears filled with lewd, languid sounds.

A few minutes later, Zhang Yuanqing shifted his sitting posture, muttering inwardly—this woman's voice is so soft and alluring, just from the sound you know she's a beauty. The Demon Lord's carnal blessings run deep.

Another ten minutes passed, Zhang Yuanqing moved from the desk to lie on the bed, muttering—the Demon Lord's stamina is this good? How's it not over yet?

A few more minutes passed, Zhang Yuanqing unconsciously picked up the tissues from his desk, placing them by the pillow...

Fuck! He suddenly reacted, reining in his hand like pulling back at the cliff's edge, shouting in embarrassed rage:

"Not done yet, huh? Demon Lord, you fucking poison? Hurry up and end the audio for this old man, or I'll smash this broken speaker."

That last sentence was directed at the Cat King speaker. He knew this artifact possessed self-awareness.

At this moment, the cries from the speaker had grown somewhat hoarse.

And the loud noises hadn't stopped once. Even Zhang Yuanqing, who had browsed countless films, rarely encountered such a thing.

Simultaneously, having repeatedly entered the Night Roam for nearly half an hour, his Yin power was excessively depleted, his stamina beginning to run on empty. Wave after wave of fatigue washed over him.

"Zizi..."

Threatened, the Cat King speaker chose to obey. The lewd sounds stopped instantly. After a few seconds of silence, a woman's voice came from the speaker, soft and alluring yet tinged with hoarseness:

"Dawn's broken, my Lord Demon Lord. How are you so fierce tonight? You nearly fucked my soul right out of me."

Then came the Demon Lord's low voice:

"You wood yaos are in heat every moment. Without preparing some secret weapons, how would this little slut know my power."

That woman was clearly thoroughly conquered, her voice soft: "Secret weapon?"

The Demon Lord chuckled: "A while back I met a merchant. Bought a bottle of spray from him. Truly miraculous effects."

Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing's mind went "buzz" with a shock, his expression changing drastically.

Spray? Could the Demon Lord mean the Endurer Spray? An artifact he'd once used?

If so... Zhang Yuanqing's face filled with astonishment. A thought flashed through his mind: The artifacts rewarded by the Character Card are the Demon Lord's artifacts!

To verify this guess, he carefully reasoned it through:

"Character Card rewards: first the Red Dancing Shoes, second the Disguise Ring, third the Endurer Spray..."

"If the Character Card's rewarded artifacts were once owned by the Demon Lord, then his ability to clear the Widow Xu stage makes perfect sense."

In the Yin-Yang Town dungeon, there was a question Zhang Yuanqing still hadn't figured out: How did the Demon Lord clear the Widow Xu stage?

From the audio on the Cat King speaker, one could infer the Demon Lord had definitely slept with Widow Xu; Widow Xu's abilities were terrifying beyond measure—even the Earth Monster, famed for its stamina and endurance, had been reduced to eating lotus root.

Let alone a Night Wanderer!

If he'd used the Endurance Spray, it would all make sense.

"Wait, that's not right..."

Zhang Yuanqing suddenly frowned. The Red Dancing Shoes were also a reward from the Character Card, but they couldn't possibly be the Demon Lord's artifact.

The reason was simple: the legend of the Sheling Tunnel dated back to the last century; the construction crew had been trampled to annihilation by the Red Dancing Shoes, and it was precisely because of the Shoes' intrusion that the Sheling Tunnel became a bug-tier Trial Secret Realm.

If the Red Dancing Shoes were the Demon Lord's artifact, he would have taken them with him eventually; the Sheling Tunnel's bug wouldn't have persisted indefinitely.

It didn't add up here.

Zhang Yuanqing fell silent for a long, long time, his mind racing, until suddenly he seized upon a forgotten detail:

【Your dancing remains as terrible as ever!】

His expression froze instantly, a storm of shock surging through his mind.

"So that's what the Red Dancing Shoes meant..."

When he had first completed the dance, cracking the Red Dancing Shoes' rules, this rule-type artifact had once popped up with that baffling line.

Back then, Zhang Yuanqing lived hand-to-mouth and knew nothing of Secret Realms, so he hadn't given it further thought.

Recalling it now, it sent a chill of dread down his spine.

"Though I don't know why the Red Dancing Shoes remained in the Sheling Tunnel, one thing is certain: the Demon Lord once visited the Mountain God Temple, and he knew the Red Dancing Shoes..."

Zhang Yuanqing pinched the bridge of his nose, finally unraveling the secret of the Character Card reward.

After the Demon Lord's death, his artifacts weren't reclaimed by the Secret Realm but were instead preserved in some manner by the Character Card, becoming its rewards...

Zhang Yuanqing's thoughts were soon interrupted again by a woman's moans; the dog-and-bitch pair in the audio, after resting a few minutes, went at it like dry tinder to flame.

Are Wood Yaos this exaggerated, in heat every waking moment? What ordinary woman could withstand such intense cultivation? This audio must've been recorded in spring... Zhang Yuanqing's mind was full of retorts.

"Zzzzt..."

Static crackled, the Cat King speaker automatically skipping the segment; after a few seconds of silence, the Demon Lord's low voice came through, sounding as if his vocal cords were damaged:

"Review complete. That guy didn't lie to me—the Endurance Spray really works. Even though my equipment functions perfectly fine, what man can refuse lasting longer? Five million well spent.

"However, unless you have two or three female companions, or a Wood Yao woman in heat, under normal circumstances you cannot use the spray; otherwise, even a sow would look irresistible."

Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself: Demon Lord, use your head. Later on, you throw all caution to the wind in matters of men and women, willing to step into the Lust Profession's trap for a taste of seafood—it's all the Endurance Spray's fault. Did you forget its price?

And could you not mention sows?

The Cat King speaker continued playing the audio:

"Time flies. I've been a Secret Realm Walker for three months. Not to brag, but at the Transcendent stage, very few can beat me. Pity that to advance to the Sage stage, I must wait for the year-end Slaughter Dungeon to open."

"Before then, no matter how many dungeons I clear, I can't reach Level 4. It's as if a lock seals the gate from Transcendent to Sage, and the key can only be found in the Slaughter Dungeon."

"My personal analysis: Secret Realm Walkers at the Sage stage undergo a Class Change, gaining new titles and new powers. Mysterious Dungeons reward Yin Power, not the new power from the Class Change. So one must participate in a large-scale Slaughter Dungeon; the 'new power' rewarded upon clearing it is the key to ascending to Sage."

The Demon Lord's angle of analysis was stunning, truly; he had dissected the very essence of the Slaughter Dungeon with precision. This fellow had a good head on his shoulders—no surprise, really, to become a standout in the Transcendent stage in a mere three months, and that was without catching a favorable window, since the Slaughter Dungeon only opened at mid-year and year's end... Zhang Yuanqing clicked his tongue and kept listening.

"Ran into that Void class again today. Every time he appears, it's utterly silent. Leaving everything else aside, just based on that ability to come and go like a ghost, there probably aren't many people in the current world who can kill him."

"He knew I was controlled by the Chalice, sympathized deeply, but the Fallen Chalice is a high-tier rule-based artifact. Often, rules mean there is no solution; the only thing that can break a rule is another rule."

"He said, to lift the Fallen Chalice's control, I must obtain a certain item from the Night Wanderer class. It symbolizes the supreme, symbolizes light. Only by getting that thing can I escape the Ghost-Eyed Judge's control."

"Though I feel he had ulterior motives telling me this, it doesn't change the fact that it's good news. Life instantly wasn't gray anymore. I will reclaim my freedom, slaughter the Ghost-Eyed Judge. No one can enslave me. No one!"

*Zzzzt...* Static crackled as the Cat King speaker queued the next audio segment.

Zhang Yuanqing seized the chance to think. So the Demon Lord's method for cracking the Fallen Chalice came from a "Void" class—and from the sound of it, a high-ranking merchant at that.

What was the relationship between this merchant and the Demon Lord? Did he know the Demon Lord had already perished?

He desperately wanted to know more, but the subsequent content consisted of the Demon Lord's fragmented, disjointed logs—scattered, lacking a core theme, more like casual recordings of insights and daily life:

*Zzzzt... Damn it, I was hunted by a female Saint of the Five Elements Alliance, nearly died. Once I ascend to Saint, the first thing I'm doing is sleeping her... Huh? Why did my mind go to sleeping her instead of killing her for revenge?*

*Zzzzt... Finally figured out why that female Saint hounded me so relentlessly. Turns out the Wood Yaoguai I slept with last time was her daughter. She looks barely thirty, and her daughter's already that old? Wronged, I tell you—clearly it was her daughter riding me, grinding her hips...*

*Zzzzt... Finally thought of a way to freeload off a Lust class: find a 'Knight' class artifact, forge a contract proving the relationship was consensual. Afterward, neither party can use it as leverage to demand a price from the other.*

Zhang Yuanqing poured himself a glass of water, muttering inwardly:

Sign a contract before bed? So that's a thing? All the Demon Lord's wit and talent, wasted on this sort of nonsense? What a load of rubbish—can we get some actual substance?

What about the follow-up on that "Void" class?

*Zzzzt... Heard an interesting tidbit from Ah Ya today. The War Bishop, the Wrath General's wife—she used to be the Lust General's sex slave. Even now, she comes when called, leaves when dismissed, a total bitch. Hahaha, if the Wrath General knew, he'd rage himself mad. Too funny...*

*Zzzzt... This month's quota of ten Order-class kills is done. Tsk tsk, plenty of pests among the Order classes, too. Speaking of, the Bard and Wood Yaoguai classes have the most female players...*

*Zzzzt... Got swarmed by a pack of Order classes today. Don't know when I became a stepping stone for everyone's fame. Since everyone wants to kill me to make a name for themselves, I can't be blamed for showing no mercy. Among them was a rather juicy young matron—turns out she's the sister of the Zhu Family Head. Heh, interesting. I'll have to train her properly...*

*Pfft!* Zhang Yuanqing sprayed a mouthful of water right there.

The Zhu Family Head's sister—could it be Chi Yue'an's ex-wife? Had she been trained by the Demon Lord? Was that why her personality changed so drastically, leading her to abuse male concubines and her husband?

And Chi Yue'an, warped by that trauma, went on to create the Copper Sparrow Pavilion?

This, this... A phrase flashed through Zhang Yuanqing's mind: *When will the cycle of grievance ever end?*

So the root of all evil was you, Demon Lord... A strange mix of emotions surged in Zhang Yuanqing's heart. This Demon Lord character had far too many points to criticize.

Call him a hero-villain, and it fits—men of his caliber are few and far between.

But he spends all day thinking about sleeping women, lacking the gravitas a major figure should possess. At least during the Transcendent stage, that was the case.

Call him a sage, and that works too—he wasn't stupid, gifted beyond measure, a Transcendent standout in under three months. His analyses of dungeons and the Spirit Realm were thorough and insightful.

Yet he always tripped in the most ridiculous places—like sleeping with a Lust class and regretting it so hard he nearly squealed like a pig.

Call him a villain, and yes, he'd done no shortage of evil deeds, an officially certified Fallen One. But he was also pitiable—controlled by the Fallen Chalice since youth, evil power twisting his mindset bit by bit.

Forced to complete his master's tasks every month, finally perishing alongside the Ghost-Eyed Judge for the sake of freedom.

A truly tragic figure.

As he silently grumbled to himself, the Mao Wang speaker played another audio clip:

"Zzzzt..."

"You seem to favor me especially. Judging by your looks, you're not gay, and we're neither kin nor old acquaintances—so why?" That was the Demon Lord's voice.

Then, a strange man's voice replied:

"Because you're a Night Wanderer."

"What's so special about a Night Wanderer? Night Wanderers are indeed rare, but not unheard of." The Demon Lord countered.

"But wild Night Wanderers are rare indeed. Most Night Wanderers are tightly controlled by that person from the Taiyi Sect. Wanting to cultivate a Night Wanderer I can trust? That's no easy task."

"Cultivate?"

"Right. I want to cultivate a Night Wanderer. Actually, most Sovereigns want to cultivate Night Wanderers—including those of evil professions."

"Why?"

"Because Night Wanderer is a very special profession. Anyone who's seen the Light Compass prophecy knows this."

"Where does the Night Wanderer's specialty lie? And what is this Light Compass?"

"Over twenty years ago, a Western powerhouse unearthed a compass from the Spirit Realm. That compass possessed the ability to foresee the future—an ability belonging to no known profession. When the compass appeared, it caused a sensation; countless Spirit Realm walkers fought over it.

"Among them were those you know: the five Alliance Lords of the Five Elements Alliance, the Sect Master of the Taiyi Sect, the leaders of the three great evil organizations, as well as the heads of the major lawful and evil professions of the West.

"The result of that battle: a prophecy came to light; people learned the Spirit Realm has three major zones, one of which remains unopened; the Marshal of the White Tiger Legion, the Pope of the Sea God Church, and the President of the Eastern Branch of the Psychic Association—three Sovereigns—perished.

"That battle also directly led to the founding of the Five Elements Alliance, an alliance of the five great gangs."

The Demon Lord asked: "What was the prophecy's content?"

The man laughed: "That I cannot tell you. The day you ascend to Ruler, I'll tell you then."

Accompanied by a burst of "zzzt" static, the Mao Wang speaker fell completely silent.

That's a lot of information to process... Zhang Yuanqing pulled open the drawer, put away the speaker, took out the Silencer mask and put it on, then paced to the window, staring blankly at the night scenery.

The late night was silent. Across the way, the residential building's windows were pitch black one after another; the corridor lights burned all night long.

On the streets outside the compound, streetlamps cast lonely light; for a long time, not a single car could be seen passing by.

Zhang Yuanqing fell into deep thought in the silent black night.

He knew the Spirit Realm was divided into three major zones, but he hadn't expected that one zone actually hadn't opened for service yet?

The Five Elements Alliance database hadn't mentioned this either.

The Night Wanderer profession is very special. I recall the President of the Beauty God Association also showed unusual curiosity toward the Demon Lord... because he's a Night Wanderer?

If he could know the prophecy's specific content, he could probably guess why the Night Wanderer is special.

These secrets were too distant. Zhang Yuanqing didn't dwell on them further, turning his thoughts back to the exclusive reward attached to the Demon Lord character card.

Before, he had only regarded the character card's exclusive reward as a minor cheat—an extra reward each time he cleared an instance compared to others.

But upon learning that the items from the character card rewards were all artifacts the Demon Lord had once used, Zhang Yuanqing had to overturn his fixed notions and re-examine the matter.

The Demon Lord's character card holds further secrets, a fact now irrefutably proven; yet I, as the Demon Lord's heir, still cannot touch the core "secret"—so when, exactly, shall I be able to reach it?

When will the things the Demon Lord left behind become mine? In what manner will they be bestowed?

Now he knows—the Character Card Exclusive Reward.

All that the Demon Lord left behind shall be handed over to him, piece by piece, through the Exclusive Reward; for now, it is an artifact, but what of the future?

When the Taichi Sect sought the Demon Lord's heir, they explicitly named two markers: the Black Full Moon Mark, and the Character Card Exclusive Reward.

In hindsight, the Taichi Sect had given the answer long ago.

Just then, Zhang Yuanqing, lost in a reverie, was seized by a sudden palpitation—groundless, inexplicable—his face draining white, breath turning ragged, adrenaline spiking.

He had the distinct sensation of being "watched," a feeling that instinctively summoned the specter of the Demon Eye Heavenly King.

The experience of being pinned by that vertical pupil yesterday was identical to this moment, save that this gaze was "gentler," inflicting no substantive harm upon the body.

Has the Demon Eye tracked me here?

A dragnet search... has it swept all the way to my residential complex?

As expected, he uses the vertical eye on his forehead to screen Spirit Realm Walkers.

Zhang Yuanqing has experience this time; he slows his breathing, empties his mind, coaxing himself into a state of calm.

...