Chapter 313 Imperial Palace

Deep in the valley, a pitch-black altar stood in the center of the surging demonic energy. On the altar, several ancient stone pillars were covered with hideous demonic patterns, emitting a suffocating pressure. The tops of these stone pillars were tied to the bodies of several monks, and their blood was being drained at a speed visible to the naked eye, turning into long rivers of blood flowing into the center of the altar.

In the altar, a vague figure was sitting cross-legged. It was the Demon Emperor. His figure was still illusory, as if condensed from mist, but the aura on his body was as deep and unfathomable as the abyss. Whenever blood essence flowed into his body, his shadow became more solid and his aura became stronger.

“Hahaha…” The Demon Emperor laughed in a low and hoarse voice, full of arrogance and excitement. “The blood of these mortals is really delicious, and contains pure spiritual power. As long as there are more, this emperor can completely restore his former strength and even break through to a higher realm!”

As he laughed, he waved his hand lightly, and those monks who were not completely dead let out painful howls. Their bodies dried up, as if they were hollowed out by the years, and their blood turned into a thicker blood mist and merged into the body of the Demon Emperor. After a while, these monks turned into dry bones and fell heavily to the ground.

The Demon Emperor's refining ritual made the entire valley extremely strange. The dark clouds in the sky were stirred into a huge vortex by the demonic energy, as if even the light of the sun, moon and stars had been swallowed up. The dark demonic energy rose and fell like waves, covering an area of ​​100 miles in radius. The demon soldiers knelt around the valley, their expressions fanatical and pious, and they kept chanting the ancient demon sacrificial spells.

"My Lord is coming! My Lord will reign again!"

The voices of these demon soldiers gathered together, like a violent wind sweeping across the world, forming a shocking resonance. This was not only a reverence for the Demon Emperor, but also an expectation that he would regain his peak power.

Next to the altar, a demon general wearing black armor knelt on one knee and bowed his head respectfully: "Your Majesty, the blood essence of more than 3,000 cultivators has been refined, including several Yuanying stage masters. Their blood essence is enough to make your power further."

"Very good." The Demon Emperor's voice was full of majesty, "But this is far from enough. My revival requires endless blood and essence, especially from those monks with powerful talents and cultivation. Their blood is the real treasure."

The Demon Emperor slowly opened his eyes, and countless souls seemed to be struggling in his blood-red pupils. He raised his arm, and a dark light condensed in his hand. That was the source of the demonic energy. There seemed to be a dark heart beating in the light, and every beat drove the demonic energy of the entire valley to surge, forming a force like a storm.

The Demon Emperor continued to refine his blood essence. His body became more solid, and the originally blurry shadow gradually became clear. It could be vaguely seen that he was wearing black gold armor and a crown inlaid with blood-colored gems. He had a noble and domineering temperament. As the refining progressed, circles of magic patterns began to appear around him. These magic patterns continued to extend and spread to the altar and the ground, forming a huge magic array.

As the magic array expanded, the environment of the entire valley also underwent amazing changes. The valley, which was originally shrouded in black fog, was now covered by a layer of strange blood light. The rocks on the ground turned red, as if they were burned, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.

"Just a little bit more... just a little bit more!" The Demon Emperor whispered to himself, his voice full of anticipation and excitement. He stretched out his palm, and a beam of blood light shot up from the center of the altar, reaching the sky. At that moment, his aura suddenly surged, as if an invisible storm swept around.

The demon soldiers outside the valley were crushed to the ground by this force. Their bodies were shaking, but their eyes were full of fanaticism: "Your Majesty's power is returning! Your Majesty is invincible!"

However, the Demon Emperor's greed did not stop. He smiled coldly, looking beyond the altar and looking further away: "Human cultivators... you think you are smart and want to fight against me, but you don't know that this is exactly my plan. Your blood will become the cornerstone for me to return to the top."

He waved his palm, and several demon priests immediately stepped forward and knelt on the ground respectfully. The Demon Emperor ordered in a cold voice: "Send more demon warriors to hunt monks. No matter their realm, as long as they are monks, they must be brought back."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The priests bowed their heads and hurried away.

The Demon Emperor's gaze returned to the altar, and a cruel smile flashed across his eyes. He knew that as long as he could refine enough blood essence, his power would not only be restored to its peak, but he would even be able to break through the shackles and enter a higher realm. By then, this world would be at his feet, and no one would be able to stop him.

"Just wait, human race." The Demon Emperor's voice was low and cold. "I will make you pay for your past stupidity, and your so-called justice and order are nothing but dust under my feet."

Following his announcement, the atmosphere in the entire valley became increasingly oppressive, as if a catastrophe sweeping across the heavens and earth was brewing. The power of the Demon Emperor was still growing, and his resurgence was unstoppable.

Zhongzhou, located in the central area of ​​the continent, is the most prosperous and sacred core area of ​​the entire continent. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth is rich here, and the spiritual veins are crisscrossed. Countless top sects and families have taken root here. If the continent is compared to a vast chessboard, Zhongzhou is the center point that controls the overall situation and is of great importance.

In the central area of ​​Zhongzhou, there is a stretch of fairy mountains that stretch for thousands of miles. This place is called Huangji Dao Palace. Huangji Dao Palace is the guardian of Zhongzhou and one of the oldest holy places on the continent. Its status cannot be shaken by anyone. This fairy mountain is surrounded by clouds and mist, which never dissipates day and night, just like a fairyland on earth. On the highest main peak, a magnificent palace stands between heaven and earth, as if connected to the sky.

This hall is the core of Huangji Taoist Palace - Tianji Hall.

In the Tianji Palace, an old man in plain clothes sat cross-legged. His hair and beard were gray, but his face was extremely clear and his eyes were as deep as the stars. This old man was the great elder of the Huangji Dao Palace - Qing Xuanzi, an extremely powerful person who had practiced for thousands of years. It was said that his cultivation had reached the peak of the Dao of Transformation, and he was only one step away from breaking the void and ascending to heaven.

Qing Xuanzi sat quietly in the center of the Tianji Palace, with a faint glow all around him. In front of him was an ancient bronze mirror, with a faint golden glow on the mirror. This was the most precious treasure of the Huangji Palace - the Tianji Mirror. According to legend, the Tianji Mirror could spy on the secrets of heaven and see into the future, and had helped the human race escape danger several times when the demonic chaos came.

At this moment, Qing Xuanzi was concentrating with his eyes closed, feeling the world. He held a complicated spell in his hand and chanted an obscure spell in a low voice. As the spell was chanted, the mirror surface of the Tianji Mirror began to change. The mirror surface, which was originally as calm as water, suddenly rippled, and then a dark demonic aura emerged.

"Hmm?" Qing Xuanzi suddenly opened his eyes and stared at the Tianji Mirror with a sharp gaze. His brows were furrowed, as if he had noticed something.

The demonic energy in the mirror became thicker and thicker, gradually condensing into a vague figure. The figure was as black as ink, his eyes were blood red, and his whole body exuded a devastating pressure. Although it was only an image in the mirror, the sense of oppression made Qing Xuanzi's face change slightly.

"This is... the aura of the Demon Emperor!" Qing Xuanzi exclaimed in a low voice, with shock in his eyes. It's not like he hasn't seen the pressure of a strong man, but the aura of the Demon Emperor is far beyond anything he has ever seen. This aura is filled with endless killing and destruction, as if it can swallow up the entire world.

Qing Xuanzi took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He continued to activate the Heavenly Secret Mirror, trying to get more information. However, the mirror of the Heavenly Secret Mirror suddenly became blurry, as if an invisible force had obscured the secret.

"How could this happen?" Qing Xuanzi's heart sank. He knew that the Heavenly Secret Mirror would only be disturbed when facing an extremely powerful existence. The power of the Demon Emperor was so strong that even the Heavenly Secret Mirror could not fully detect it!

Qing Xuanzi sat in the Tianji Hall, and many ancient legends about the Demon Emperor emerged in his mind.

The Demon Emperor was the supreme ruler of the demons in ancient times. He swept across the world with his own strength and suppressed the world. He was the most terrifying existence of that era. It is said that the power of the Demon Emperor is not limited to the depth of his cultivation. He also mastered an evil secret technique that can absorb the essence and blood of living beings to strengthen himself. This secret technique makes him almost invincible in battle.

In the ancient war, humans and demons fought for thousands of years. In the end, the Demon Emperor was suppressed by several powerful people and sealed in the extremely dark land of the continent. However, as time passed, this history was gradually forgotten, and many people even believed that the existence of the Demon Emperor was just a legend.

But Qing Xuanzi knew very well that the Demon Emperor was real. He had read in the ancient books of the sect that the seal of the Demon Emperor was not absolutely safe. Once the conditions were ripe, he might break through the seal and return to the world. Now, the breath he felt from the Heavenly Secret Mirror was the power of the Demon Emperor!

At this moment, a roar suddenly came from outside the Tianji Hall. Qing Xuanzi moved and instantly appeared outside the hall.

The sky suddenly became dark, and the cloudless sky was shrouded in a layer of dark evil spirit. As the dark clouds rolled, blood-red lightning tore through the sky, as if foreshadowing something ominous that was about to happen.

"A sign from heaven... The Demon Emperor is really going to revive!" Qing Xuanzi's expression became more and more solemn.

He turned around and walked back to the Tianji Palace, quickly took out a sound transmission talisman, and passed his discovery to the Palace Master of the Huangji Dao Palace. A moment later, he pointed his finger, and a golden light shot out from his hand and merged into the Tianji Mirror.

"All people in the world are under the threat of the Demon Emperor. If we don't take action soon, I'm afraid the entire continent will be plunged into a sea of ​​blood." Qing Xuanzi whispered to himself, his tone full of worry.

Under the inspiration of Qing Xuanzi, the Imperial Palace quickly convened an emergency meeting and invited all the major forces in Zhongzhou and even the entire continent to discuss countermeasures. However, Qing Xuanzi's heart was still restless. He knew very well that the revival of the Demon Emperor was not accidental, but a carefully planned conspiracy.

"The Demon Emperor's aura has appeared in the Heavenly Secret Mirror, but his strength has not yet recovered to its peak. This is our only chance." Qing Xuanzi clenched his fists, with a look of determination in his eyes. "If he is allowed to fully recover, the consequences will be disastrous."

He raised his head, his eyes penetrating through the layers of clouds and mist, as if he could see the surging demonic energy in the distance. His voice was deep and firm: "The human race must not lose, and must not retreat!"

At this moment, the atmosphere inside and outside the Tianji Palace was unprecedentedly tense, but Qing Xuanzi's premonition was extremely clear: the revival of the Demon Emperor would set off an unprecedented catastrophe, and the fate of the entire continent would be rewritten.