Imperial God Emperor

As he kept keeping, Ye Qingyu could no longer remember exactly how many of the strange white rocks he had collected. In any case, the storage space in the [Cloud Top Cauldron] remained plentiful and showed no sign of being filled up.

Slightly less than an hour passed in a twinkling.

Ye Qingyu finally saw vegetation at the bottom of the [Fallen God Abyss].

It was a strange black plant that was only half a palm in height. Resembling a wheat seedling, it had extremely few roots and grew in several rock crevices and cliff feet, where it could not be swept away by the raging tides of the Black Demon qi. It was very limited in numbers, each containing spiritual energy.

"This should be [Dark Fern], the 11th-ranked plant on the Demon Plant List. The info says that it's extremely effective at healing toxic injuries, and can also serve as a divine herb and be refined into healing pills. A treasure indeed."

In no time, Ye Qingyu was able to discern the origin of this strange black vegetation.

"Keep!"

He raised the [Cloud Top Cauldron] once more.

Since it was a treasure, he would certainly not let it go.

He picked and kept into the [Cloud Top Cauldron] every [Dark Fern] he saw along the way.

The discovery of the [Dark Ferns] was clearly a fantastic signal, for it meant that vegetation could grow in the hellish [Fallen God Abyss]. If [Dark Ferns] could grow, then it was certainly possible that [Black Demon Herbs] would appear.

His confidence was greatly boosted.

He advanced forth.

He ran into a series of several other plants, some of which he had seen on the administration hall's list, while others were unknown. However, every one of them contained a spiritual energy of different intensities, and was clearly not of ordinary grade. He kept them all into the [Cloud Top Cauldron] without discrimination.

In his current state, he was like a crazy bandit who grabbed whatever he saw.

"Hmm? Is this... a [Blood Spirit Lily]? How could there be this sort of treasure in this wretched place? There isn't even any water here. Legend has it that this kind of divine herb must be grown from the blood of a demon god... Haha, let's not think too much, and just keep it for now."

"Hmm? A [Demon Feather Flower]? Ha, keep!"

"Is this the fruit of a [Serene Cloud Rye]? Ha, keep!"

"[Mildly Fragrant Orchid]... Keep!]

"Heavens, there's even [Crystal Camellias]? I shouldn't be mistaken... Keep!"

"Keep!"

"This is... Ha, keep!"

He had totally not expected there to be so many rare plants, every one of which was on the Demon Plant List, at the bottom of the [Fallen God Abyss]. The trip had truly been a fruitful one. He could only come up with one explanation as he thought it over - these varied divine herbs had not been picked because nobody had dared to venture down here for too long a time.

Unfortunately, he never saw the [Black Demon Herb] all this while.

But he was no longer anxious.

Based on his observations along the way, he felt certain that [Black Demon Herbs] would grow in this kind of environment, and therefore that he had found the right place this time.

Suddenly, a dark-red beam of flowing light cut through the distant raging tides of Black Demon qi and then disappeared in a flash.

"Huh? What's that?"

Ye Qingyu acutely detected the change.

Could it be some organism?

This was the first time he had seen movement, apart from that of the Black Demon qi, since he arrived at the bottom of the [Fallen God Abyss].

The good thing was that he did not perceive any dangerous aura on that dark-red beam of flowing light which disappeared as soon as it appeared.

Still, he exercised greater vigilance.

After all, the [Fallen God Abyss] was an inauspicious place where even a Great Saint would perish.

However, for a period of time that followed, he had a perpetual strange feeling that a pair of eyes was secretly and silently watching him. Upon paying greater attention to this vaguely perceptible feeling, he detected an aura which would make one's hair stand on end. It felt as if a demon god was slowly approaching its prey.

"Could this be the danger which the Black Armor Race spoke of?"

He was beginning to feel uneasy.

With utmost caution, he operated the purple lightning power and gritted his teeth as he continued forth.

Finally, after 15 minutes, he walked across a marsh and saw the presence of [Black Demon Herbs] in a plot of muddy soil.

"I can't be seeing things, right...? Are these really [Black Demon Herbs]?" He quickened his footsteps and emitted light from his eyes upon seeing an acre of land on which black plants that resembled the tails of foxes were densely grown. On closer inspection, he discovered that the broad leaves on every stalk had nine petals and were red and black in color. These were certainly the [Black Demon Herbs] which he had been searching for.

He became excited all over.

"So many... Haha, this is, as they say, a case of finding something easily after wearing out one's sturdy shoes to find it." He ran wildly forth. "I didn't see wrongly, it really is... God truly helps those who help themselves. I'll not only have enough to fulfill the task but can also sell the rest for a lot of money."

He arrived beside the field of herbs at lightning speed.

Things were a lot clearer at close distance.

"Hmm? These [Black Demon Herbs]... Why are the edges of the leaves dark red in color? Strange, this was not mentioned in the info. Could these be a variant?"

Ye Qingyu was a little puzzled.

He plucked a stalk and was shocked by what he saw.

The roots of the stalk were filled with dark-red flowing light and seemed to be floundering about. More incredibly, the earth around the roots was also dark-red, as if the stalk had been pulled out from a pool of blood.

He only now noticed that the soil beneath the field was like viscous blood that emitted a glittering brilliance and possessed a strange spiritual energy which was extremely similar to that of the white rocks.

The matter was a little bizarre.

The only thing he could confirm was that it was indeed [Black Demon Herbs] which grew on the field. He guessed that the dark-red soil was the reason why they were modified.

The problem was that there was no guarantee that the modified [Black Demon Herbs] would fulfill the test requirements.

He was a little uncertain.

Just then...

A cloud of Black Demon qi silently tumbled behind him and suddenly turned into a black ancient rune longsword which resembled a serpent hiding in the dark. It subsequently charged toward his back at lightning speed.

Chi!

It was the sound of a sharp weapon perforating a muscle.

Instantly flashing like a flowing light, Ye Qingyu took evasive action as soon as the black ancient formation longsword made contact with his skin.

"Who goes there?"

Like a purple dancing snake, his power of lightning instantly turned into a crepe myrtle net that covered across the backline.

"Chuckle, we meet again, Brother Qingyu." A burst of familiar enchanting laughter rang out from nowhere. As if alive, the surrounding clouds and clusters of Black Demon qi seethed and tumbled as they turned into different and ever-changing phantoms, accompanied by shrilling roars and howls which could rip one's heart and soul.

Jiang Xiaohan?

With his body covered in lightning armor, Ye Qingyu quickly retreated and created a distance.

The suddenly-emerging voice sounded completely like Jiang Xiaohan. This astounded Ye Qingyu because, given her strength, she should not be able to enter a place like this, and the surprise attack earlier...

He felt his back burning searingly, clearly as a result of the surprise attack that had perforated his lightning armor and injured his body. Through the resulting wound, a strange power was continually entering his body at present.

"Hoho, Brother Qingyu. Surprised?"

Jiang Xiaohan's voice rang out once more.

This time, he could confirm with absolute certainty that the surprise attacker was indeed his childhood sweetheart.

The Black Demon qi ahead surged frenziedly and gathered into a shapely figure that was graceful like no other. However, like a phantom of smoke billows, it seemed as if it could be dispersed by the wind at any time. On the figure gradually appeared and materialized a face which was no different from a normal person's. It had a fair complexion and utmost grace, yet carried a killing intent on its frosty expression. This was certainly Jiang Xiaohan.

"You... how it's possible for you to come here?"

Ye Qingyu could not help asking.

The Jiang Xiaohan in front of him was somewhat unfamiliar not only because of her aura but more so her strength, which made him feel greatly threatened. Her strange frame, which constantly alternated between illusion and substance, was adequate proof that she was no longer the birdbrain of former days and that her strength had reached a certain level.

"Why can't I?" Jiang's face was one-third delight, one-third frosty killing intent, and one-fourth arrogance and mockery. Laughing, she looked at Ye and continued, "Is it because, in Brother Qingyu's eyes, Xiaohan must forever remain like a loach and stay in the mire? Can't Xiaohan follow you and explore this vast and infinitely exciting world? You've always looked down on Xiaohan deep inside, am I right?"

Ye did not reply to such senseless questions.

This was not his first time facing a radically-changed her.

"Are you from the Black Demon race?" He was shocked like never before when he saw her manipulating the Black Demon qi easily and adroitly. Only the lineage and magical technique of the Black Demon race was able to manipulate this qi, which was left by the martial emperor who built the Black Demon Pool. This had been the case without exception since antiquity.

The fact that she could manipulate the Black Demon qi proved that she was from the Black Demon race.

However...

He clearly knew her origin. She was certainly not from the lineage of the Black Demon race.

What exactly is going on?

Facing him.

"Hoho, who says only the Black Demon Race can manipulate the Blood Demon qi?" A monstrous arrogance circulated in Jiang's eyes as she looked smilingly at Ye Qingyu as if she was meeting an old friend. That smile was noticeably filled with a contempt which was heartfelt rather than deliberate. "Mediocre people are ignorant of the true meaning of the strength in this world, and thus believe that only the Black Demon Race can manipulate Black Demon qi. They don't know that in the eyes of the true demon gods, all strength lead to the same end and are but one. Master that one and master everything."

Ye Qingyu frowned.

Xiaohan is actually praising herself as a demon god?

What exactly has happened to her body?

Compared to the last time we met, she has increased her strength by too much and has gained the dignified aura of a superior. She has changed radically from that time when she was trembling and kneeling at the feet of Ao Tianzun. Could she have escaped from his control? Or... found a new backer?