"Lord Cauldron, Black Dragon True Person said there's a Demon God's curse in his body. Is that true?"
Hearing Black Dragon True Person's shouts, Lin Yu tentatively asked Lord Cauldron.
"It's true." Lord Cauldron replied indifferently.
"Lord Cauldron, does that mean we've been targeted by the Demon God?" Lin Yu frowned slightly.
"What's a mere Demon God's curse? I refined it along with Black Dragon True Person just now." Lord Cauldron smiled proudly. Refining a Demon God's curse was trivial to it. It snorted arrogantly, "This devil head's cultivation was lacking. Refining a few more like him will help you advance to the Fourth Rank of the Purple Mansion. I'll now channel spiritual energy to you—cultivate well so we can hunt more powerful demons in the Demon-Sealing Pagoda soon."
As soon as the words fell, a mighty surge of spiritual energy flooded into Lin Yu's meridians. He immediately closed his eyes,运转 (circulated) the Saint Emperor Heart Method, and全力 (fully) refined the spiritual energy sent by Lord Cauldron.
As the spiritual energy was continuously refined, Lin Yu's cultivation grew steadily. Although he couldn't break through the bottleneck and advance to the Fourth Rank of the Purple Mansion in one go, he was close. He believed that refining just two more demons from the Demon-Sealing Pagoda would allow him to advance smoothly.
...
A few days later, while Lin Yu was cultivating, the sound of carriages and horses喧嚣 (bustled) outside the imperial mausoleum.
"Third Brother, I've come to see you!"
"Third Uncle..."
The voices of the Second Prince Lin Shuo and Chu Chu came from outside the stone chamber. Especially Chu Chu, who immediately approached affectionately and took Lin Yu's arm, smiling, "Third Uncle, have you been well recently? Did you finish the fine wine I brought last time? I've brought more this time to honor you!"
"I've eaten and slept well—excellent!" Lin Yu chuckled. If he could refine a few more demon heads from the Demon-Sealing Pagoda, it would be even better!
"Third Brother, I've come to bid you farewell," the Second Prince Lin Shuo said with a smile. Since the Great Han Royal Family believed Chu Chu was the genius born with the destiny, he had risen in status through his daughter. Now, his influence in the dynasty was on par with the First Prince.
"Farewell?" Lin Yu looked at Second Prince Lin Shuo in confusion.
"Father has ordered me to be an envoy to the Great Zhou, and I'll depart in a few days. After I leave, I entrust Chu Chu to your care. In the imperial city, I only trust you," Lin Shuo said with a smile, entrusting Chu Chu to Lin Yu.
"Second Brother, please wait a moment." Lin Yu glanced at the Second Prince, then turned and entered the chamber.
Moments later, he emerged with a wooden sword only the length of a baby's palm and handed it to Lin Shuo. "Second Brother, I carved this wooden sword for boredom in the imperial mausoleum. Carry it with you as a keepsake. I wish you a safe journey."
Lin Shuo took the wooden sword solemnly. "Don't worry, Third Brother. This is your heartfelt gift, and I'll carry it with me. I'll visit you again when I return from the Great Zhou." He tucked the wooden sword close to his body, then left the imperial mausoleum with a reluctant Chu Chu.
"May all go well for Second Brother," Lin Yu murmured, watching the Second Prince depart. As long as the Second Prince carried the wooden sword, it would protect him unless he encountered a master above the Third Rank of the Purple Mansion. The wooden sword contained a strand of Lin Yu's Wind Sword Intent, capable of slaying any martial artist below the Third Rank of the Purple Mansion! With this sword alone, the Second Prince could be saved in a critical moment.
...
After seeing off the Second Prince, the full moon night arrived. Lin Yu came to the outside of the Demon-Sealing Pagoda early, waiting for demons to escape through the crack he had created.
Inside the Demon-Sealing Pagoda, thunder coiled and swept across the demons, making them wail in pain. The Dragon-Horned Demon King sat cross-legged in a corner, allowing the thunder to lash his body like a whip, yet his expression remained unchanged. Only wisps of demonic energy dissipated as black mist under the thunder's bombardment, and his strength gradually weakened as he was refined by the thunder. If he couldn't escape, he would be reduced to ashes within at most thirty years, so the Dragon-Horned Demon King seized every opportunity to flee this cage.
Although the other demons in the pagoda were being tempered by the thunder, their gazes were fixed on the Dragon-Horned Demon King's side—this was where the crack had appeared last time, allowing Black Dragon True Person to escape. They wondered how carefree Black Dragon True Person was now.
As time passed, a crack赫然 (obviously) appeared beside the Dragon-Horned Demon King in full view, just wide enough for one person to pass through. At the sight of the crack, the Dragon-Horned Demon King's face lit up with excitement. He immediately rose and charged toward the crack like a stream of light.
"The crack has appeared again! We have hope of escaping!"
"This time it's the Dragon-Horned Demon King. Maybe next time it will be my turn. There's no one more powerful than me here, right?"
"Hehe, why rush? The crack appears once a month. We'll all escape the Demon-Sealing Pagoda in a few years at most!"
...
The demons in the pagoda looked at the charging Dragon-Horned Demon King with envy. If not for fearing the Dragon-Horned Demon King, they would have swarmed to seize the chance to escape.
Bang!
At that moment, the Dragon-Horned Demon King slammed into the crack, flew backward, and crashed to the ground. Everyone was stunned, looking at the Dragon-Horned Demon King rising from the ground and the slowly dissipating crack. No one knew what had happened.
The Dragon-Horned Demon King was also confused. Black Dragon True Person had escaped through this crack, so why couldn't he? Watching the vanishing crack, the Dragon-Horned Demon King roared and charged again, only to be knocked back once more.
"What's going on? Why can't I escape?" The Dragon-Horned Demon King roared wildly in the pagoda, exuding a frenzied aura. For a moment, the demons in the lower level cowered in corners,不敢 (daring not) provoke him.
"Lord Demon King, could it be that your cultivation is too strong to escape?" An old man with a pointed beak and monkey cheeks, wearing a lecherous expression, approached the Dragon-Horned Demon King and voiced his guess.
"My strength is too strong?" The Dragon-Horned Demon King turned to the old man and snorted, "Crane Pen Elder, what do you mean?"
"Lord Demon King, the escaped Black Dragon True Person only had the Second Rank of the Purple Mansion, while you're a Sixth Rank expert. I guess only those below the Second Rank of the Purple Mansion can pass through the crack." The Crane Pen Elder smiled, glanced at the thoughtful Dragon-Horned Demon King, and continued, "I'm a Second Rank Purple Mansion cultivator. Lord Demon King, why not let me test my guess when the crack appears next time?"
"Good, as you say." The Dragon-Horned Demon King looked deeply at the Crane Pen Elder and said in a deep voice, "Next time the crack appears, anyone who dares to compete with him will be devoured by me!"