Chapter 746: What Exactly Does the Apocalypse Alliance Want to Do

Beimu, though not yet a true demon in the full sense, had nevertheless succumbed to the demonic path, surpassing the realm of ordinary great demons.

In Ji Yuan's previous life, there was an internet saying, "Go dark, grow strong; turn good, grow weak." This held some truth when applied to those who embraced the demonic path. Whether human or beast, the deeper one delved into demonization, or after truly becoming a demon, they would grow considerably stronger than they were on their original cultivation path. Their minds would become cunning and extreme, but their mental vulnerabilities would also significantly decrease, as they were already demons.

This didn't mean Beimu was immune to fear; even true demons had things they feared, let alone him. Demons generally feared righteous cultivators like Ji Yuan, whose cultivation was too high to resist. However, there was a peculiar kind of fear Beimu had only experienced twice since becoming a demon.

The first time he gradually felt this fear was after partnering with Lu Wu. Beimu inadvertently discovered that whenever Lu Wu emitted certain auras, he would feel a sense of dread, as if the demon beside him was an even more terrifying monster. However, Beimu never showed it in front of Lu Wu.

The second time was now, upon hearing that hoarse laugh. This feeling of fear was somewhat similar to facing Lu Wu, but also vastly different. Its intensity was far greater than the vague feeling he had when he was with Lu Wu before, so strong it felt like facing a fierce beast in the mountains when he was still a mortal.

"What exactly are you? Why don't you reveal yourselves?"

Beimu's roar echoed through the vast, dim environment, but the voices gradually disappeared. Those voices had openly discussed eating him—a thing that should only happen among evil cults and deviant paths—yet it was happening inside the sleeve of an immortal like Ji Yuan.

After an unknown period, light suddenly appeared in this dark environment. A bright crack seemed to open up in one side of the world, growing wider and wider, and the light became increasingly intense.

Beimu instinctively shielded his eyes. Only then did he see that he could view the outside scenery from one side: blue skies, white clouds, and distant mountains and rivers. However, his field of vision was limited by an irregularly shaped oval that was constantly swaying.

'Ji Yuan's sleeve opening?' Understanding dawned on Beimu. He also realized his body was sometimes tumbling; each time the sleeve swayed, his perspective would shift, and the positions of heaven and earth would swap. Before, there had been no light or golden hues, and the starry boundary in the darkness was perfectly uniform, with no physical or mental sensations. This had prevented him from realizing he was being tossed around like a sieve in a bowl.

While Beimu was still momentarily stunned, the next moment he saw an enormous head appear in the direction of the light, blocking a large portion of it. This head had a white beard and white hair, clearly belonging to an old man, but its immense size and the constantly shifting perspective made it somewhat terrifying.

The owner of this head was Juyuanzi. Ji Yuan had opened his sleeve, and Juyuanzi was curiously peering inside, where he saw a small, demonic figure occasionally tumbling around as Ji Yuan's sleeve moved.

"Oh, there really is a little demon in your sleeve! It's barely larger than a grain of rice. Truly marvelous! Mr. Ji, is this divine ability called 'Universe in a Sleeve'?"

Juyuanzi looked at Beimu in the sleeve with curiosity while asking Ji Yuan, whose voice then came.

"That's right. What do you think, Fellow Daoist Ju? Does it still impress you?"

"Mr. Ji, you jest," Juyuanzi replied. "Hearing Fellow Daoist Lian's description earlier, and now seeing the demon in your sleeve with my own eyes, such a profound divine ability is simply astounding. It's truly something I've never seen in my life!"

Hearing this, Juyuanzi couldn't help but smile. He straightened up, shook his head, and chuckled.

The moment Juyuanzi's head moved away, Beimu's spirits lifted.

'A good opportunity!'

At this point, he no longer cared if he was under Ji Yuan's watchful eye. He immediately activated his magic power and struggled to fly out of the sleeve. However, the flight was incredibly difficult due to the lack of solid ground to push against. He finally managed to reach the sleeve opening, only to find that the last bit of distance was completely out of reach.

Then, suddenly, the world spun, and a powerful pulling force came from outside. Beimu was swept out of the sleeve by a gust of wind, and a dark silhouette of land appeared before him.

After a "thud," Beimu was flung out of Ji Yuan's sleeve and landed on the back of the Heaven-Devouring Beast.

Even though he was out of the sleeve, Beimu still felt disoriented, and everything seemed unreal. It was only when he saw the faces of Ji Yuan and the others that he slowly regained his composure.

By now, Beimu had returned to his normal size and his senses had returned. Seeing Ji Yuan and the several grand cultivators beside him, a chill ran through him, and he sobered up considerably. What he was standing on was not brown earth, but the back of the Heaven-Devouring Beast. Juyuanzi, Lian Baiping, Jiang Xueling, and Ji Yuan were all standing nearby, watching him.

A chill settled in Beimu's heart. He quickly stood up and immediately bowed to Ji Yuan and the others, as if he were merely a junior cultivator greeting his elders.

"I am Beimu. Greetings, Mr. Ji and esteemed immortals!"

Ji Yuan scrutinized Beimu. After a long moment, he spoke.

"It seems I've seen you somewhere before, but I don't have a strong impression?"

Beimu looked up, his sinister face revealing a slightly pale smile.

"Back then in the northern reaches of Yunzhou," Beimu said, "I was fortunate enough to witness the power of your Sky-Tilting Sword Stance, Mr. Ji. However, I had already left by then, so perhaps you only caught a glimpse of my demonic energy from afar."

"Oh, I see. Was that indeed the Heavenly Revelation Alliance as well?"

"Yes."

Beimu gave an awkward laugh and nodded in response. He was quite frank at this moment; answering such inconsequential questions was easy. At the same time, he was racking his brain trying to figure out how to handle the questions Ji Yuan might ask next.

"What exactly is your Heavenly Revelation Alliance planning?"

As expected, Ji Yuan asked this very question. The three other grand cultivators nearby also leaned in to listen.

"Well... actually, we just wanted to seek some benefits everywhere, which is why we caused some chaos..."

"Is that so?"

Ji Yuan smiled. After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly said.

"I'll give you a choice. As long as you reveal everything, I will help you escape this life-threatening tribulation and sever your connection with that true demon!"

Beimu's heart suddenly jumped. He immediately looked up at Ji Yuan, his face showing a strange mix of shock, astonishment, and a hint of excitement.

"This..."

He had barely uttered a word when Beimu quickly closed his mouth again, fearing he might attract something. Ji Yuan, however, smiled from the side and reassured him.

"Don't worry, he can't hear," Ji Yuan said. "And for at least several decades, he won't be willing to appear before me."

It turned out that Ji Yuan had found Beimu somewhat familiar earlier, not because he had actually met Beimu before, but because of the true demon whom he and the old dragon had driven out of Dazhen back then. This so-called Beimu was actually an external incarnation of that true demon.

Back then, Beimu entered the demonic path and gradually became a demon, which was also the work of that true demon. Such an autonomous incarnation served as a backup survival method when necessary, but for Beimu, who gradually became aware of the truth, it meant constant unrest.

"I once swore a solemn oath not to betray the Heavenly Revelation Alliance," Beimu explained. "However, though the oath is weighty, for a demon like me, it's possible to exploit loopholes and avoid the full consequences..."

Beimu's eyes flickered as he looked at Ji Yuan.

"If Mr. Ji trusts me, you can let me go first," Beimu said. "Then I will go find my companion, Lu Wu. Although his talent is exceptional, he doesn't yet know the core secrets of our Heavenly Revelation Alliance and naturally hasn't sworn a blood oath. I will tell Lu Wu about this matter, and that is all I will do. As for how to find and deal with Lu Wu, that's up to you, sir... By doing so, I will pay some price for breaking my oath, but I can barely bear it."

Alright, at this point, he still didn't forget to sell out Lu Shan-jun; it seemed he truly hated him to the bone.

"Oh, and by the way, Mr. Ji, you must not impose any restraints on me," Beimu added. "You must let me leave just as I am. Otherwise, I won't tell Lu Wu anything."

Jiang Xueling, standing nearby, couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this.

"Interesting, you've certainly calculated this well," Jiang Xueling remarked. "As you've said, everything would be determined by you. How are we to know that you, a demon, aren't deceiving us?"

Beimu shook his head and replied with a strange smile.

"There's really no way around it," he said. "And I cannot swear an oath to you all to guarantee it."

Ji Yuan pondered for a moment, then fixed his gaze on Beimu for a few breaths. Those aged eyes seemed to see through everything, making Beimu's heart clench.

"You're not deceiving me?"

"How would I dare deceive you, Mr. Ji?" Beimu quickly replied. "Every word is true, I speak no lies!"

Half a day later, as the Heaven-Devouring Beast's external wounds healed and contracted, its speed increased. It had already flown far from the Southern Wild Mountains, heading towards the location of the Heavenly Secret Grotto-Heaven. Ji Yuan, Lian Baiping, and Juyuanzi returned to the Stargazing Platform to play chess, while Jiang Xueling and the cultivators from the Weimei Sect were busy attending to various parts of the Heaven-Devouring Beast.

"Mr. Ji, is it truly alright to let that demon go?" Juyuanzi asked. "Demons are untrustworthy; it's likely he won't keep his promise."

"Mm, I know."

"Then why did you let him go, sir?" Juyuanzi continued. "Without any restraints, wouldn't it be better to just slay him directly?"

Ji Yuan looked at Juyuanzi, who was speaking, and smiled.

"Who said I didn't impose any restraints?" Ji Yuan said. "It's just that Beimu himself isn't aware of it."

Beimu had believed he hadn't truly sworn an oath with his previous words, but the promises he made in front of Ji Yuan were not necessarily empty. A painting of a Xiezhi had been unfurled in Ji Yuan's sleeve the entire time, and any promise made before a Xiezhi, whether it constitutes an oath or not, is decided by the Xiezhi itself.

It was also while Ji Yuan was playing chess that the Xiezhi's voice reached his ears.

"Ji Yuan, I bet you this little demon will still end up in my belly."

"So be it."

Ji Yuan replied indifferently. When he looked up again, he could already see a range of mist-shrouded high mountains in the distance, where the peaks within the mist rose and fell with distinct regularity.

"Sir, we've arrived," Juyuanzi said. "The Heavenly Secret Grotto-Heaven is hidden within these Meng Mountains."