Chapter 417

"This situation is a bit strange."

"Indeed, that demon's lair was the Old Demon's domain for tens of thousands of years, his very stronghold. Logically, it shouldn't have been so easily destroyed. And..." As he spoke, the man looked at the black-robed demon's body, his tone filled with doubt. "And this demon's power doesn't seem to be anything special."

When he finished speaking, the others beside him also stepped forward to examine it. They exchanged glances, seeing the same confusion in each other's eyes. Although this demon appeared massive, it was merely an empty shell, devoid of any substantial power, formed solely from concentrated vital energy. How could such a demon be the Old Demon, who had cultivated for tens of thousands of years, struck fear into countless hearts, and was known as the strongest demon of all time? There had to be a trick involved!

"The Old Demon, he couldn't have truly perished just like that, could he?" one person muttered to himself.

"Absolutely not!" Someone firmly dismissed the conjecture. "A being like the Old Demon is one of the very few even among Demon Venerables. Throughout the entire Demon Realm, only a handful of Demon Venerables could contend with him, and even then, they were slightly inferior. How could such a being fall so easily?"

"Then what do you think is going on?"

At his words, the others around them fell silent. Indeed, a being like the Old Demon was undoubtedly among the top three in the entire Demon Realm. How could he have perished so easily? There must be a deception!

"Could it be a trap set by the Old Demon?" one person conjectured.

"It's also possible he deliberately exposed a weakness to lure us in."

At this, the others around them nodded in agreement. This was highly probable. The Old Demon was cunning by nature, and his favorite tactic was to set traps to ensnare others. The reason they dared to trespass here was because they were confident the Old Demon wouldn't suddenly attack them unprepared. Yet now, the Old Demon was nowhere to be found, leaving only an empty shell, which made them feel uneasy.

"Regardless, we cannot let our guard down."

"Exactly. Although we don't know what the Old Demon is planning, we must proceed with caution."

The group discussed amongst themselves, their eyes filled with vigilance. They were all powerful practitioners of the Demonic Path, keenly aware of the cunning and treacherous nature of such individuals.

Just then, a chilling voice suddenly resonated in their ears. "Heh heh... You little rascals, you've got some nerve daring to trespass into my demon lair."

As the voice spoke, the expressions of the group drastically changed. They spun around fiercely, only to find no one behind them, just an eerie wind that sent shivers down their spines.

"Who's there?!" one person sharply demanded.

"Heh heh... I am right before your eyes." The voice sounded again, tinged with a hint of mockery.

Hearing this, the group quickly scanned their surroundings but still couldn't locate the source of the voice.

"Playing tricks!" One person snorted coldly, his hand gathering demonic light, which he fiercely unleashed forward. However, the demonic light simply passed through the void as if there was nothing there at all.

"What's going on?" The group's expressions changed dramatically, their eyes filled with horror. They were all powerful demonic cultivators. Although not masters of spatial power, they understood its mysteries. The owner of the voice could disappear into thin air and evade their detection, indicating that their strength far surpassed anything they could imagine.

"Heh heh... Before me, you little ones are like ants." The chilling voice resonated again, carrying a hint of disdain.

Hearing this, the group's faces became exceedingly grim. They were all powerful demonic cultivators; when had they ever been so scorned?

"Hmph! Stop playing games! If you're so capable, show yourself!" one person roared angrily.

"Since you wish to die, I shall grant your wish!" Suddenly, a hint of murderous intent emerged from the chilling voice.

The next moment, the void twisted, and a black silhouette appeared out of thin air. That black silhouette was none other than the Old Demon! He wore a black robe and a bamboo hat. His exposed face was withered, with sunken eyes, as if only a layer of skin covered his bones.

His appearance caused the surrounding temperature to plummet, and a terrifying pressure, like a surging tide, washed over the group. The group's faces changed dramatically as they swiftly activated their demonic techniques to resist the pressure. However, the pressure was too terrifying for them to withstand. They stumbled backward, their faces pale.

"Heh heh... You little ones truly are weak." The Old Demon cackled eerily, his gaze toward them filled with disdain.

"Old Demon, you..." One person's face turned ashen, trying to speak, but the Old Demon cut him off.

"I am no mere Old Demon; I am a powerful Demon Venerable!" The Old Demon snorted coldly, his gaze at the group filled with murderous intent. "Since you've trespassed into my demon lair, don't expect to leave alive."

As his words fell, the Old Demon abruptly raised his hand and waved it towards the group. A black demonic light shot from his hand, instantly enveloping the group. That demonic light contained terrifying Demonic Path power, seemingly capable of devouring everything. The group's expressions changed drastically as they hastily unleashed their demonic techniques, attempting to resist the demonic light. However, the demonic light was simply too terrifying for them to withstand. The black demonic light instantly enveloped and consumed them.

"Ah..." Several screams rang out. Those powerful demonic cultivators were utterly devoured by the demonic light without any power to resist, perishing completely!

The Old Demon withdrew his hand, looking at the void with a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Truly weak..." He shook his head, then turned and looked toward the depths of the demon lair. "However, it's time to stretch my muscles." As his words fell, the Old Demon's figure flickered, instantly vanishing from the spot.

***

"Where is this place?" Ye Chen opened his eyes to find himself in a dark space. It was pitch black all around, so dark he couldn't see his own hand, as if he were in an endless abyss. He tried to activate his demonic techniques but found that the demonic essence within him couldn't circulate. His expression changed dramatically. He was a powerful Demon Venerable, and the demonic essence in his body was the foundation supporting his combat. Now, with it unable to circulate, he felt extremely uneasy.

"Could this be the Abyss of the Demon Realm?" A thought struck Ye Chen, and he recalled a place. The Abyss of the Demon Realm was the most perilous place in the Demon Realm, fraught with dangers. Even powerful Demon Venerables dared not venture there lightly. Furthermore, within the Abyss of the Demon Realm, there was a special power that could suppress a cultivator's demonic essence, preventing them from using their demonic techniques. If this truly was the Abyss of the Demon Realm, then he was in grave danger. He had been thrown in here by the Old Demon; if this was indeed the Abyss of the Demon Realm, then the Old Demon's intentions were all too clear.

"Hmph! Old Demon, do you think this can trap me?" Ye Chen snorted coldly, a hint of disdain in his eyes. Although his demonic essence couldn't circulate, his physical strength was completely unaffected. He possessed the Chaos Demonic Physique, incredibly powerful. Even without demonic essence, he could unleash immense strength. He clenched his fist tightly and fiercely punched forward.

"Boom!" With a loud bang, a crack actually appeared in the dark space. A glimmer of light flashed in Ye Chen's eyes; he knew he had guessed correctly. Although this place could suppress demonic essence, it couldn't suppress his physical strength. As long as he could break through the space here, he could leave.

"Boom, boom, boom!" Ye Chen threw punch after punch, each accompanied by a deafening roar. The crack continued to widen. Finally, with a thunderous crash, the crack completely shattered. Ye Chen's figure also vanished into the dark space.

***

"Oh?" The Old Demon suddenly let out a soft exclamation, turning to look at the spot where Ye Chen had just vanished, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "He was able to break through my spatial confinement? It seems this young man is quite interesting." A smile appeared at the corner of the Old Demon's mouth, his eyes filled with amusement.

The reason he had thrown Ye Chen into that space was to test his strength. That space was a spatial confinement he had set up, difficult to break even for a powerful Demon Venerable. Yet Ye Chen had completely shattered the spatial confinement with just a few punches. This intensified the Old Demon's interest in Ye Chen.

"Well, this is good too; it saves me the trouble of acting personally." The Old Demon cackled strangely, then his figure flickered and instantly vanished from the spot.

***

"Where is this place?" Ye Chen opened his eyes once more, finding himself in a dense forest. Ancient trees towered all around, intertwined with vines, and a dense demonic aura permeated the air. He attempted to activate his demonic techniques and discovered that the demonic essence within him had returned to circulation. This made him sigh in relief. It seemed this wasn't the Abyss of the Demon Realm.

"It appears the Old Demon wanted to send me here." A thought stirred in Ye Chen's mind as he recalled the Old Demon's previous actions. The Old Demon had thrown him into that space, and then allowed him to emerge from it. This indicated that the Old Demon intended to send him somewhere specific.

"But what kind of place is this?" Ye Chen frowned slightly, looking around. He noticed that while the demonic aura here was dense, it was also somewhat mixed, seemingly a combination of various demonic energies. This made him feel a bit confused. He had never seen a place like this before.

Just then, a slight fluctuation suddenly came from ahead. Ye Chen's heart stirred, and he quickly looked forward. Not far ahead, there was a cave dwelling. The cave dwelling was enveloped in a dense demonic aura, appearing very mysterious.

"A cave dwelling?" A glint flashed in Ye Chen's eyes, and his heart stirred. He knew that powerful demonic cultivators would establish cave dwellings as temporary residences when traveling outside. The cave dwelling before him was likely left behind by a powerful demonic cultivator. He walked over, intending to investigate.

However, as he approached the cave dwelling, he suddenly felt a powerful restrictive force emanating from within. "A restriction?" Ye Chen's expression subtly changed, a hint of surprise in his eyes. He hadn't expected this cave dwelling to have a restriction. Moreover, this restrictive force was very powerful. Even a powerful Demon Venerable would need to exert considerable effort to forcibly break through it.

"Interesting." A smile appeared at the corner of Ye Chen's mouth, his eyes filled with amusement. Although he wasn't a master of formations, he had some knowledge of restrictions. He extended his hand and lightly touched the restriction. A powerful rebound force came from the restriction, causing his body to jolt violently. A glint flashed in Ye Chen's eyes; he knew this restriction was not simple.

However, he didn't give up. He activated his demonic techniques, and the demonic essence within him surged like a tide, crashing against the restriction.

"Boom!" With a loud bang, layers of ripples spread across the restriction. However, the restriction remained completely unmoving.

A hint of surprise flashed in Ye Chen's eyes; he hadn't expected this restriction to be so firm. He activated his demonic techniques again, and the demonic essence within him surged like a volcanic eruption, crashing towards the restriction.

"Boom, boom, boom!" Loud, deafening roars echoed. Ripples spread across the restriction, but there was still no sign of it weakening. Ye Chen frowned slightly, realizing that this restriction probably couldn't be easily broken by him. However, he didn't give up. He withdrew his demonic essence, a glint flashing in his eyes. Since brute force wouldn't work, he would have to use his wits.

He carefully observed the restriction, hoping to find a weakness. He discovered that this restriction was woven from multiple restraints, containing complex formation patterns. To break this restriction, he would have to find its core. A thought stirred in Ye Chen's mind, and he came up with an idea. He extended his hand, concentrating a wisp of demonic energy on his fingertip, and lightly tapped the restriction. The demonic energy instantly merged into the restriction and vanished.

Ye Chen closed his eyes, sensing the demonic energy circulating within the restriction. He found that the demonic energy was flowing along the formation patterns within the restriction. He followed the demonic energy, slowly sensing it, trying to pinpoint its core.

Time passed, bit by bit. Finally, Ye Chen abruptly opened his eyes, a sharp glint in them. He found it! The core of that restriction was surprisingly at the entrance of the cave dwelling. A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with amusement. He extended his hand again, concentrating a wisp of demonic energy on his fingertip, and fiercely tapped the core of the restriction.

"Buzz!" With a soft hum, cracks suddenly appeared on the restriction. The cracks spread, instantly covering the entire restriction.

"Crack!" With a crisp sound, the restriction completely shattered, transforming into countless specks of light that dissipated into the air. A smile appeared at the corner of Ye Chen's mouth, and he stepped into the cave dwelling.

***

Inside the cave dwelling, it was pitch black, so dark he couldn't see his own hand. Ye Chen activated his demonic techniques, and the demonic essence within him surged out like a tide, forming a beam of light that illuminated the entire cave dwelling. He found that the cave dwelling was surprisingly empty, with nothing but a few simple stone tables and chairs. Ye Chen frowned slightly, a hint of confusion in his eyes. He had expected this to be some powerful demonic cultivator's treasure vault, but to his surprise, there was nothing.

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly discovered a stone door deep within the cave dwelling. The stone door was shrouded in a dense demonic aura, appearing very mysterious. Ye Chen's heart stirred, and he quickly walked towards the stone door. He reached out and gently pushed the stone door open.

"Creak..." With a soft sound, the stone door opened. A dense wave of demonic aura instantly surged out from beyond the stone door, washing over Ye Chen. Ye Chen's expression subtly changed as he hastily activated his demonic techniques to resist the demonic aura. The demonic aura, although dense, had no aggressive properties; instead, it carried a gentle essence. A hint of surprise flashed in Ye Chen's eyes; he hadn't expected the demonic aura here to be so unique.

He walked inside and found that beyond the stone door was actually a massive space. Within that space, huge demonic crystal stones floated. Those demonic crystal stones emitted a dense demonic aura, illuminating the entire space with a dark glow. A glint flashed in Ye Chen's eyes, and his heart stirred. He knew that these demonic crystal stones were the most precious treasures in the Demon Realm. They contained pure demonic essence, which could be used for cultivation or for refining artifacts. He hadn't expected there to be so many demonic crystal stones within this cave dwelling. He walked over, reached out, and lightly touched one of the demonic crystal stones. A stream of pure demonic essence instantly surged from the demonic crystal stone and flowed into his body. A look of pleasant surprise flashed in Ye Chen's eyes; he knew these demonic crystal stones would greatly aid his cultivation. He sat down cross-legged and began to absorb the demonic essence from the demonic crystal stones.

***

Time passed, bit by bit. The demonic essence within Ye Chen continuously increased. Just as he was cultivating, he suddenly heard a clamor from outside. Ye Chen abruptly opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing within them. He knew someone had arrived. He withdrew his demonic essence, rose, and walked towards the stone door.

When he stepped out of the stone door, he found seven or eight powerful demonic cultivators had arrived outside. Each of these demonic cultivators had a powerful aura, clearly indicating they were Demon Venerables. Their eyes were filled with greed as they gazed at the demonic crystal stones inside the cave dwelling.

"Brat, I didn't expect you to get here first." A powerful demonic cultivator snorted coldly, a hint of disdain in his eyes. He had thought he was the first to discover this cave dwelling, but Ye Chen had beaten him to it. Ye Chen frowned slightly, looking at the demonic cultivators, his eyes filled with vigilance. He knew these demonic cultivators were here for the demonic crystal stones in the cave dwelling. He couldn't just hand over these demonic crystal stones.

"If you want the demonic crystal stones, then let's see what you've got," Ye Chen snorted coldly, a hint of battle intent in his eyes. Although he was alone, he felt no fear. He possessed the Chaos Demonic Physique, incredibly powerful physically. Even against seven or eight Demon Venerables, he could fight.

"Hmph! You don't know what's good for you!" A powerful demonic cultivator snorted coldly, gathering demonic light in his hand, which he fiercely blasted towards Ye Chen. The other demonic cultivators also made their moves, attacking Ye Chen in a group. A cold glint flashed in Ye Chen's eyes. Instead of retreating, he advanced, unleashing a powerful punch.

"Boom!" With a loud bang, the demonic light instantly shattered. Ye Chen's figure, like a phantom, instantly appeared before that demonic cultivator. He abruptly raised his hand and punched the demonic cultivator's chest. The demonic cultivator's expression changed drastically as he hastily activated his demonic techniques, attempting to resist. However, Ye Chen's fist was simply too powerful for him to resist.

"Crack!" With a crisp sound, the demonic cultivator's chest instantly caved in. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flew backward, crashing heavily onto the ground, and he perished completely.

"What?!" The expressions of the other demonic cultivators changed dramatically, their eyes filled with horror. They hadn't expected Ye Chen's strength to be so immense. He had killed a Demon Venerable with a single punch. This made them feel uneasy.

"Everyone, attack him and kill him!" A powerful demonic cultivator roared furiously, charging towards Ye Chen. The other demonic cultivators also made their moves, attacking Ye Chen in a group. A cold glint flashed in Ye Chen's eyes. Instead of retreating, he advanced, unleashing punch after punch. He didn't use any demonic techniques, relying solely on his physical strength to send the demonic cultivators reeling. The demonic cultivators' faces were pale, their eyes filled with horror. They hadn't expected Ye Chen's physical body to be so powerful, utterly unstoppable.

"Boom, boom, boom!" Loud roars continuously echoed. Ye Chen unleashed punch after punch, each one accompanied by the demise of a demonic cultivator. In just a moment, all seven or eight demonic cultivators were completely killed by Ye Chen! Ye Chen withdrew his fist, looking at the ground with a hint of disdain in his eyes. "Overestimating yourselves!" He shook his head, then turned and walked back into the cave dwelling. He knew the commotion here would certainly attract other powerful demonic cultivators. He had to absorb all the demonic crystal stones in the cave dwelling as quickly as possible.

***

He returned to cultivation, but was soon interrupted by an even larger group of powerful demonic cultivators. Hundreds of them arrived, drawn by the commotion and the promise of the demonic crystal stones. Undeterred, Ye Chen again faced them, his physical prowess proving overwhelmingly superior. Relying purely on his Chaos Demonic Physique, he defeated them all, leaving hundreds of Demon Venerables dead. Each time, he returned to absorb more demonic essence, knowing the constant disturbances demanded swift action.

The cycle repeated. Shortly after he resumed cultivation, thousands of powerful demonic cultivators appeared, their greed for the demonic crystal stones overriding any sense of caution. Yet, even facing such an overwhelming number, Ye Chen's mighty physical strength prevailed. He systematically eliminated all the Demon Venerables, their combined might proving futile against his raw power. With all threats neutralized, he once more returned to the cave, continuing his absorption of the increasingly radiant demonic crystal stones.

The cycle repeated yet again. Tens of thousands of powerful demonic cultivators converged, their numbers immense but their fate the same. Ye Chen, embodying the Chaos Demonic Physique, continued his brutal display of physical might. He charged through the masses, each punch sending a Demon Venerable to their demise. The ground became littered with fallen opponents as Ye Chen single-handedly eradicated the entire host. Having cleared the area, he returned to the cave dwelling, determined to fully absorb the precious demonic crystal stones before even more powerful forces could arrive.