Chapter 529: The Skilled Warrior Dies in Battle

"An infinite future means infinite possibilities. As long as there's even a sliver of a chance, it means it's bound to happen..."

Li Fan's mind replayed Emperor Yi's recent words. Possessing "Still True" and the ability to restart almost infinitely, he understood the true meaning of those words more deeply than anyone else. Moreover, Li Fan felt a sudden surge of emotion. He had a premonition that these words concealed a deeper secret, a secret related to his future path, or perhaps more specifically, to "Still True." Yet, like trying to see flowers through a thick fog, he couldn't grasp its full scope.

Li Fan was engrossed in his own speculative thoughts, while the child Emperor Yi remained silent after speaking. After being directly gazed upon by Emperor Yi, Xu Ke involuntarily shivered and fell silent. Though usually fearless, he now realized the danger in his own words and dared not press further.

After a long silence, perhaps to break the awkward tension, Xu Ke chuckled and changed the subject. "Oh, by the way, since you *are* Emperor Yi..." He patted his head, feigning a sudden recollection, then pulled out a vermilion wooden box and offered it. "Senior Brother Lu Ya asked me to bring this here. He didn't specify who to give it to, but since you're in charge, I'm sure it's fine if I give it to you," Xu Ke eyed Emperor Yi, speaking with a touch of relief.

"This is..." Emperor Yi's gaze swept over the wooden box, and a hint of solemnity actually appeared on his small face. He summoned the box, and with a flash of dark light in his hand, instantly broke the seal on it.

"ROAR!"

A monstrous aura of malevolence, accompanied by furious roars of defiance and rage, suddenly surged skyward from the wooden box. The malevolent energy was almost tangible, swirling into a miniature tornado. A torrent of bloodlust instantly spilled from it, sweeping outward like a shockwave. For a moment, it seemed as though the roaring form of an peerless ferocious beast could be glimpsed within.

Xu Ke, utterly unprepared, instantly stumbled and fell to the ground in fright. Li Fan, deep in thought, was also startled awake by the terrifying spectacle. His feathers bristled, and he trembled uncontrollably, as if he had encountered a natural predator.

Fortunately, the child Emperor Yi's small hand, with fingers slightly curled, formed an incredibly solid cage. It tightly sealed and contained the malevolent energy. No matter how it thrashed and struggled, it could not break free.

"Even in death, it can't shake that terrible temper," Emperor Yi scoffed, a faint dark glow emanating from his hand. A moment later, as if sensing Emperor Yi's aura, the peerless beast within the wooden box gradually settled. Its furious roars diminished, eventually becoming inaudible.

Only then, still reeling from shock, could Xu Ke and Li Fan clearly see what was inside the wooden box. It was the head of a fierce beast, its eyes wide in a furious, unyielding stare. It was riddled with fissures, like shattered porcelain. At the wound, flesh continued to squirm, as if the beast had not yet fully perished.

Realizing that Senior Brother Lu Ya had entrusted him to transport such a gruesome item to the Southern Underworld Demon Mountain, Xu Ke's face instantly went pale. He quickly waved his hands in protest, explaining, "I didn't do it!"

The child Emperor Yi paused, then let out a soft giggle. "Don't worry," he said, "even if you claimed to have killed it, no one in the world would believe you. This is Emperor Erli, the Lord of Demonic Slaughter, renowned as unmatched in battle... Few beings could kill it. You are certainly not among them."

Emperor Yi's face showed little grief or anger. After a brief explanation, he intently examined Emperor Erli's head, as if studying or searching for something.

"Emperor Erli?" Xu Ke's suspicion might have been cleared, but he certainly wasn't relieved. Instead, he was even more terrified. He swallowed hard. "It's the second, so doesn't that mean it's even stronger than Great-Grandpa San? How did it end up like this...?" Xu Ke subconsciously glanced at the head in the box, asking with some difficulty. Li Fan's heart was similarly shaken. From Emperor Yi's words, it was clear that Emperor Erli was likely the strongest among the demon beasts, second only to Emperor Yi himself. If compared to human cultivator realms, it would be equivalent to the Longevity Realm. Yet now, its head had been severed... Who did it?

Connecting the dots, the wooden box came from Lu Ya of the Beast Control Sect. While Lu Ya himself lacked the power for such a feat, he knew someone who did: Mr. Bai. In that instant, an unmatched and singular figure appeared in Li Fan's mind. Was it him?

Li Fan and Xu Ke exchanged glances, having clearly reached the same conclusion. As the two identified the perpetrator, Emperor Yi seemed to have found clues on the head's wound.

"Those skilled in combat ultimately perish in combat. I warned you many times, but you refused to listen. Your current fate is entirely self-inflicted." Emperor Yi's expression was grim, his tone as cold as frost. Faint roars emanated from Emperor Erli's head, sounding like a defiant retort.

"It's good that you're back." Emperor Yi suddenly uttered a cryptic remark.

What happened next sent chills down Xu Ke's spine. Emperor Yi placed his hand over Emperor Erli's head. Then, his small, previously tender and pale, child-like hand began to swell and twist. Lumps of flesh, like black sludge, surged from the child Emperor Yi's hand. They enveloped and consumed Emperor Erli's head.

Xu Ke instinctively pulled Li Fan back several steps, distancing themselves from the seemingly innocuous child Emperor Yi. In mere moments, the undulating black mass was reabsorbed. Emperor Yi returned to his original innocent appearance. Emperor Erli's head was gone.

"Thank you for bringing this fool back," Emperor Yi said with a completely serious expression. "This time, I won't release him for tens of thousands of years."

Xu Ke awkwardly scratched his head, at a loss for words.

"I also understand Emperor San's intentions..." Emperor Yi glanced at Xu Ke and smiled. He spoke calmly, without a hint of blame.

Instantly, his belly swelled, transforming into a grotesque shape several times larger than his current child-like form. Something seemed to be gestating within, constantly rolling around.

"Rip!"

The sound of tearing flesh emanated from him, and soon after, a round, fleshy creature detached itself from his body. "Take this little one back and give it to Lu Ya," Emperor Yi said. "He'll know what to do with it."

Having reverted to his child-like form, Emperor Yi looked at Xu Ke. After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, "This is your reward for delivering Emperor Erli. Besides that, I have something else to give you."