Chapter 345 - 150: Topple This World

"I don’t normally have this kind of sensory ability.

But since my mind fused with the Nether Demon’s Origin, it seems I have a certain sensitivity to these things!

It seems to me they’re raising a Nether Demon.

And they’re using an Evil Technique to turn this Nether Demon into some kind of strange monster.

Nether Demons don’t normally eat people directly. They just possess their bodies and slowly devour their Essence Qi.

But now, it’s become a man-eating monster.

They keep feeding it infants, little girls, and little boys.

And that Empress, she then absorbs its evil qi to use for her Cultivation."

Xu Lei’s expression changed slightly upon hearing this.

Having inherited some memories from the male Nether Demon, Xu Lei had a good idea why Qing Lian was able to sense this.

Nether Demons have a certain sensory connection with each other.

It’s like being able to smell the scent of their own kind.

They can even intentionally send out information to one another through what is essentially an ultrasonic channel.

What Qing Lian was sensing must be the signals being sent out by the Nether Demon trapped there.

It’s a signal that human ears can’t detect.

Like the cries of a bat, which the naked human ear cannot hear.

Understanding the situation, Xu Lei quickly thought and made a decision.

"Qing Lian, Qing Lian! There’s a river over there! I wanna go swimming! I wanna go swimming!"

Instead of following the Emperor and Empress into the villa, Xu Lei pulled on Qing Lian’s hand and began to exercise a child’s prerogative.

He whined, "Let’s go for a swim! C’mon, let’s go swimming! I wanna go swimming!"

Most Cultivators with average talent can’t accomplish much in their Cultivation by age ten.

A ten-year-old is still a ten-year-old.

Not some ancient monster in disguise.

So he could still get away with using a child’s prerogative.

Qing Lian was taken aback.

Although she didn’t understand what Xu Lei was getting at,

she quickly played along, pretending she couldn’t refuse the child’s pleas.

She announced that she would take Xu Lei over to the river to swim and play.

The Emperor and Empress were stunned for a moment.

Then they immediately ordered their servants to prepare swimming gear and other necessities.

"Go!"

However, once they were a short distance away, Xu Lei shot Qing Lian a meaningful look.

Qing Lian understood at once, summoning the Thousand-Mile Clouds.

Then she and Xu Lei both jumped onto the Thousand-Mile Clouds.

And shot away with a piercing whistle.

Across the surface of the lake.

And vanished into the mountain forest.

Leaving the Emperor and Empress behind, their expressions changing.

"Die!"

The Empress even sent a Flying Sword whistling after them in pursuit.

Because the two of them had suddenly fled,

She suspected that her and the Emperor’s secret had been discovered.

However, her Flying Sword couldn’t catch them at all.

After all, Qing Lian’s Thousand-Mile Clouds were incredibly fast.

After the two of them had flown for some time,

they arrived deep within a forest.

"Senior, why did we just run off like that?"

Qing Lian finally asked, "Didn’t you say that as long as you presented your more advanced Steel Refining Technique, we’d be able to win over the Emperor and Empress?

They were treating us courteously enough, weren’t they?

Was it because you couldn’t stomach their evil methods—feeding infants and children to a Nether Demon for their Cultivation?

But running away so abruptly... wasn’t that a little too sudden?"

"It couldn’t be helped."

Xu Lei nodded. "I don’t consider myself a good person by any means.

But even I have reservations about cooperating with people that evil.

So I gave up on the idea.

The reason we left so suddenly is that I sensed some Arrays in that villa. I couldn’t make sense of them.

I was worried that if we went any deeper, we’d be at a disadvantage, so I decided it was better to just leave.

Besides, it’s just a Steel Refining Technique. I only mentioned it briefly.

I don’t think they actually valued it that much anyway!"

’Of course, there was another reason.

From the start, I got the feeling the Emperor and Empress were a bit reluctant to give me that group of death-row artisans.

It was probably because those artisans were helping them build some secret sites.

So they didn’t want to let the artisans leave alive.

Previously, I thought they were just building ordinary secret rooms or palaces.

If that were the case, it would be something they could afford to let me know about.

And they would have still given me the artisans.

But now that the Empress is cultivating an Evil Skill with the Emperor’s help...

...it’s hard to say.

Perhaps what those artisans are building for them is directly related to her Evil Technique Cultivation.

In that case, I wouldn’t have gotten the artisans even if I had offered them the Steel Refining Technique.

Leaving directly was still the safest option.’

"Senior, you are wise!"

Qing Lian said, "But if that’s the case, how are we supposed to get those artisans now?

Are you really just giving up on them?

Are you going to find other artisans instead?"

"Of course I’m not just giving up."

Xu Lei said, "I will get those artisans!

Not even the Emperor can stop me!

And neither can that Evil Cultivator Empress at his side!

The two of them aren’t as powerful as they seem.

It’s just that the Emperor is heavily guarded by his army.

It would be difficult to kill him directly.

But there’s a simple solution.

All we have to do is overthrow the empire and put someone else on the throne!

Once they no longer have an army to protect them...

...dealing with them should be simple enough.

As for the artisans, they probably won’t be killed off so quickly.

After all, those artisans are still busy forging and building things for them."

’Granted, if the current Emperor is overthrown, the artisans’ crime of treason might be pardoned. But if I don’t act, the current Emperor certainly won’t fall anytime soon.

The Emperor will definitely have those artisans executed.

So, would it really be a problem if I... disposed of them after I’m done using them?

After all, without me, they wouldn’t have lived this long anyway.

Then again, whether to kill them or not is still up for debate. I can live for a very long time, so I suppose I could just keep them around until they die of old age.

Although that would be a bit of a hassle, since I’d have to watch over them constantly.’