THDP extra chapter (1/1) from Kee! Buy me a koffee on ko-fi for more chapters. Thank you for your support!
“Meng Qiqi, you give it a try,” Pei Mufeng said, opening his palm to reveal a small jade slip. The slip was entirely yellow and appeared very smooth, likely from frequent handling. A thin, bright red line ran through its center, a testament to the demon bloodline Sikong Xing mentioned.
Meng Qi hesitated before reaching out to pick up the jade slip. It was slightly cool to the touch but soon warmed as it rested lightly in her palm. At first sight, there was nothing out of the ordinary with this jade slip.
“Huh?” Sikong Xing was taken aback, glancing between Meng Qi and Pei Mufeng, “You’re asking… Meng Qiqi to try it?”
“Yes,” Pei Mufeng nodded.
“But the bloodline backlash…” Sikong Xing started to protest, but soon closed her mouth. On second thought, there was no risk of allowing Meng Qi to try it—at most, nothing would happen, just like with Chu Tianfeng. Bloodline backlash was extremely painful for demon cultivators, and she didn’t want Meng Qi to experience it. Not only did the backlash cause physical pain, but it was also accompanied by the overwhelming sensation of being suppressed by a powerful entity, a feeling not everyone could endure.
“Okay.” Meng Qi grasped the jade slip. Just as she was about to infuse it with aura, a distant, somewhat cryptic sound suddenly reached her ears, reminiscent of the murmuring wind but also resembling a soft whisper. It was a sound Meng Qi had never heard before—ancient and far-reaching, as if it came from millennia ago, or even earlier.
As the volume of the sound increased, Meng Qi was able to distinguish that it was someone speaking, albeit in a language she didn’t recognize. The voice remained ancient and distant, carrying an indescribable solemnity. The speaker’s pace was slow, repeating the words several times until Meng Qi could discern the tone.
Still, she couldn’t understand what was being said.
Removing her gaze from the jade slip, Meng Qi looked up to see the eager and curious faces of her companions.
“Meng Qiqi, how is it?” Chu Tianfeng, the most anxious, asked hastily. “Just stop if you feel uncomfortable.”
Meng Qi nodded lightly to show she understood. She then looked at Pei Mufeng, who was also gazing at her. His eyes, reminiscent of a serene lake reflecting the light of the stars, seemed to assure her that no matter what happened next, he wouldn’t be surprised. Finally, her gaze settled on Sikong Xing, whose bright eyes were filled with concern as she said, “Meng Qiqi, don’t push yourself.”
Meng Qi began to speak, lowering her voice to mimic the cryptic tone, repeating the peculiar phrase the other voice had chanted. Fortunately, the phrase wasn’t long, and Meng Qi had a good memory. Though she didn’t understand its meaning, she imitated the whole sequence perfectly. The voice in the jade slip was ancient and distant, but Meng Qi’s voice was clear and crisp, like mountain spring water, lacking the original’s solemnity.
Sikong Xing’s face turned pale instantly. Her large eyes were filled with shock, and a trace of fear emerged from the depths of her gaze, eventually taking over her entire expression. The tall, red-clad fox girl trembled slightly, her usually cheerful voice turning dry, “Meng… Meng Qiqi… what did you just say?”
Meng Qi repeated the phrase.
With a loud bang, Sikong Xing fell to her knees, trembling violently. “L-lord… my lord…” she stammered, bowing so low that she seemed to be facing the most terrifying and revered person in her world.
“Xingxing.” Meng Qi hurriedly reached out to help her up. “What’s wrong?”
“M-Meng Qiqi… Qiqi…” Sikong Xing grabbed her arm, her face still pale, eyes filled with fear, even glancing behind Meng Qi with a hint of panic.
“It’s me, Qiqi,” Meng Qi said, holding her hand. “That phrase…”
“Ah—” Sikong Xing gasped, her body trembling again.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Meng Qi quickly hugged her, gently patting her back, not daring to ask further questions.
Chu Tianfeng and the others exchanged glances. They were curious too, but they knew they couldn’t press Sikong Xing right now. With a tacit understanding, they silently formed a protective circle, keeping a wary eye on their surroundings while watching the two women.
When Meng Qi raised her hand again, a faint glow of aura flickered at her fingertips. She patted Sikong Xing’s back rhythmically, consoling the girl with a soothing voice. This was a common spell used by medical cultivators, called the Tranquility Spell, which had the effect of calming one’s mind and restoring their composure.
Sikong Xing quickly calmed down, though she still leaned on Meng Qi’s shoulder. As she was taller than Meng Qi, she had to bend slightly when resting her chin on her shoulder. Sikong Xing didn’t seem to mind, though, and held on for a little longer before slowly letting go.
“Xingxing?” Meng Qi asked worriedly, “Are you okay?”
“Mm.” Sikong Xing replied in a soft voice.
“It’s my fault,” Meng Qi said apologetically to the usually cheerful Sikong Xing. “I shouldn’t have mimicked that phrase and scared you.” She reached out and gently pinched Sikong Xing’s cheek.
“Who? Who was that? You… you mimicked that person just now?” Sikong Xing’s face turned pale again as she asked, swallowing hard before slowly continuing, “Did you learn that phrase from that person?”
“Let’s not talk about it,” Meng Qi waved her hand, not wanting to frighten Sikong Xing further.
“I’m fine now,” Sikong Xing exhaled deeply, patting her chest. “I was just caught off guard… that’s why I got scared.” She repeated, “But I’m fine now.”
“Really?” Meng Qi took a careful look. Though Sikong Xing’s face was still a bit pale, the fear in her eyes had lessened significantly.
“I promise,” Sikong Xing reassured, her voice regaining some of its usual liveliness. “I was just startled, that’s all.”
The red fox girl paused before continuing, “Unlike the Three Thousand Worlds, our Demon Realm, just like the Devil Realm, places great emphasis on hierarchy and status. Nothing is more important than one’s bloodline, because those with stronger bloodlines cultivate faster and absorb aura from the stars more easily. After the same amount of cultivation, in ten years, those with nobler bloodlines may have a cultivation level far surpassing ours, possibly by an entire realm or more.”
“So…” Sikong Xing added, “In the Demon Realm, those with lower-level bloodlines possessed innate deference toward higher-level demons.”
“I see.” Everyone nodded. Among those present, with the exception of Meng Qi, all were from renowned sects. Even Li Che’s Canglang Academy ranked among the top ten in the Southern Realm. These sects’ legacies naturally far surpassed Meng Qi’s Qingfeng Valley. As elite disciples of such sects, they possessed some knowledge about the Demon Realm, albeit not in such detail.
“Meng Qiqi just now spoke the language exclusive to the royal demon clans. Orders given in that language are absolute to lower-level demon cultivators,” Sikong Xing said, still patting her chest, looking relieved but still slightly shaken.
“Then…” Li Che asked curiously, “If someone learns the royal demon language, can’t they just go around causing havoc in the Demon Realm? I mean, since most demons couldn’t resist—no, wait, that’s not right!” He added, “If every clan in the demon realm has its own language, do you have to specially learn our human language to talk to us? That doesn’t seem right either.”
Before Sikong Xing could answer, Li Che scratched his head, “I’ve dealt with some demon cultivators, and it seemed like we could understand each other perfectly well.”
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