Chapter 627 626: Outsmarting Oneself

'The Divine Thought of a Top-tier Divine King? Damn it! How did a Top-tier Divine King suddenly appear in this backwater place? Was he sent by the Human Emperor to protect that Saint Prince?'

The Netherworld Erosion Demon Venerable's expression changed instantly. He sensed the immense power of the aura—it was in no way weaker than his own. In fact, it was different from that of a typical Human Race Martial Arts God King, instead carrying a sense of ancient, weathered vicissitude.

He knew this newcomer could not be underestimated.

'One wrong move…'

'...and my great ship could capsize in this very ditch.'

With a flick of his will, he quickly waved the hand he had raised, instantly retracting all the black mist.

He completely restrained his aura.

Not a trace of anything unusual remained.

Even his repulsive face took on a harmless, innocent appearance.

In his heart, however, he had no intention of letting Huang Tianling go.

He would wait for this Divine Thought to withdraw.

And then he would strike at once.

'When the time comes, I'll devour this little wench, snatch the Rebel Demon Clan brat, and get out of here. Even if a Top-tier Divine King is around, what can they do to me?'

The Netherworld Erosion Demon Venerable sneered inwardly.

His gaze swept over Huang Tianling.

He continued to control her with his gaze.

Refusing to grant her freedom.

This sort of gaze was a form of instinctive pressure that a higher life form exerted over a lower one.

Forget a mere Divine Thought…

...even an ordinary Divine King standing right here wouldn't know what was happening.

Thus, the Netherworld Erosion Demon Venerable wasn't the least bit afraid that Huang Tianling would scream and ruin his plans.

His main concern now was when this damned Top-tier Divine King would retract his Divine Thought. That would allow him to strike before any other complications could arise.

However, what happened next made his expression fall.

Not only did the powerful aura not recede, but it began rushing directly toward him.

'What's happening? That damned bastard... he's coming here directly? Did he discover me? No, it seems he's planning to personally oversee this place. Damn it! Now, it's too late to make a move!'

The Netherworld Erosion Demon Venerable's expression changed dramatically.

He was furious.

Livid.

He had never imagined it. He'd assumed the damned Divine King would simply scan the area with his Divine Thought and leave, or at the very least, retract it. Instead, the bastard had come directly to the Carefree Sect.

His aura blanketed the entire area for hundreds of miles around the Carefree Sect.

Now, right under this Divine King's nose, no matter how confident the Netherworld Erosion Demon Venerable was, he knew it would be impossible to devour Huang Tianling and abduct Huang Tianci.

If he had been discovered…

...the Netherworld Erosion Demon Venerable might have thrown caution to the wind and devoured Huang Tianling and seized Huang Tianci anyway.

But as it stood, he clearly hadn't been discovered.

His bad luck was simply a matter of coincidence—he just happened to be there when a Divine King descended.

So, despite his frustration…

...the Netherworld Erosion Demon Venerable didn't just lash out.

He controlled himself.

'It seems the only option now is to remain hidden. I'll have to wait for this damned bastard to leave before I can make my move.'

A thought occurred to the Netherworld Erosion Demon Venerable.

He was, however, deeply resentful.

After all, as a Dark Night Demon God, he was accustomed to doing as he pleased.

When the mood struck, he could lie in wait for a century.

All just to toy with a single Mortal.

It was just like his first appearance on the Profound Sun Continent. On a whim, he had disguised himself as a young beggar and encountered a pure, kind-hearted woman.

She was the most perfect meal he had ever laid eyes on.

So, to devour this perfect meal, he began to pose as a Mortal. He strove, step by step, until he eventually became one of the great figures of his era.

He also successfully won the beauty's hand.

And he lived in that guise for a full century.

He even had children.

But in the end…

...when he grew bored, he devoured it all. He destroyed every last thing he had once considered beautiful.

His beloved woman, his cherished child, all of his descendants—they all became his food. The vast faction he had built in the name of the Human Race crumbled, and he reverted to being a pure Dark Night Demon God.

He had nearly driven this continent to extinction.

If he hadn't encountered a Great Emperor who appeared out of nowhere…

...and been utterly slain.

...this continent would have likely become a barren wasteland.

This just showed how vicious his mind truly was.

Now, his heart was set on devouring Huang Tianling and taking Huang Tianci, that little brat from the Rebel Demon Clan.

But this damned Divine King had arrived.

Thwarting his desires.

An incredible agitation immediately began to churn within him.

A demonic light flickered in his eyes.

He seemed to be plotting something.

As a Demon Venerable…

...he clearly wasn't one to be so easily dissuaded. Even with a Divine King watching over the area, and even though logic told him it was not the time to act rashly…

...he was a demon, one who had always acted on his whims.

He never played by the rules.

'Maybe I should test this old bastard... find out why he's here.'

A thought crossed the Netherworld Erosion Demon Venerable's mind.

His own aura became even more obscure, but he quietly extended his demonic senses.

He began to probe his surroundings.

And with this probe…

...the Netherworld Erosion Demon Venerable's expression turned peculiar.

Because he suddenly discovered something.

Not even the members of the Carefree Sect seemed to know why this Divine King had come.

Furthermore, most of the true upper echelons of the Carefree Sect were currently at the Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion. If this Top-tier Divine King truly had business with them, he should have gone to the Sword Mansion.

Yet here he was.

'Did he really discover me?'

'Impossible. My concealment is perfect; there's no way I was discovered. Then why did he come? From the looks of it, he seems to be protecting something...'

As soon as the thought arose…

...the Netherworld Erosion Demon Venerable's expression changed.

He seemed to have figured something out.

'If this old bastard really was sent by the Human Emperor to protect the Human Race's Saint Prince, then he must be appearing now for that very reason. In other words, the elusive Saint Prince, whose whereabouts are unknown even to the heads of the Carefree Sect, has probably shown up.'

The Netherworld Erosion Demon Venerable's expression became intrigued.

He had scanned the entire continent before.

He hadn't found any trace of the Saint Prince, which was why he had decided to start with those close to him.

He was trying to get close to him.

And, at the same time, to toy with him.

But now that even a Top-tier Divine King had appeared, the Netherworld Erosion Demon Venerable's desire to play games was fading.

It was even disappearing entirely.

Especially now.

The Netherworld Erosion Demon Venerable vaguely sensed something.

He quietly began to expand his demonic senses, further and further.

Soon.

His demonic senses had enveloped the entire Celestial Cloud Region.

A strange smile crept onto his lips.

'Just as I thought. The Saint Prince really has appeared. And in that place, of all places. Now this is going to be fun.'

With a flash of intent…

...the Netherworld Erosion Demon Venerable threw all caution to the wind.

With a flicker of his form…

...he vanished.

Meanwhile, Yang Xiao, who was approaching the Burial God Celestial Abyss…

...felt his Heart Spirit tremble violently at that exact moment.

The Thousand Mechanism Eye within him…

...began to throb wildly.

Danger.

It descended in an instant!