John, tired of the back-and-forth, opened a portal to the Abyss, gesturing to Shadowflame and saying calmly, “Let’s go.”
Shadowflame’s expression turned respectful as he immediately recognized the portal leading to the Abyss.
Only someone who had comprehended at least 10% of the Power of Laws could fully control the Abyss. This only reinforced his belief that John was indeed the Demon Race Young Master. The two of them stepped through the spatial rift and descended into the Abyss.
Shadowflame frowned as they arrived. Even though he had mastered the Power of Darkness like John, the oppressive energy of the Abyss made him feel uncomfortable.
It was as if the darkness here was too overwhelming for him, whereas for Sini, it only seemed to enhance her strength.
John didn’t waste time explaining, leading Shadowflame toward the cliff where the others were in seclusion.
Whoosh!
As they neared the cliff, Tony and Ben sensed their approach and flew out to meet them. “Ninth-tier powerhouses!” Shadowflame gasped, quickly stepping in front of John to shield
him.
“Relax, no need to be tense-they’re on our side,” John said, slightly touched by Shadowflame’s protectiveness, though it was clear that he wasn’t the Demon Race’s ruler.
“Demon King?” Tony glared coldly at Shadowflame, his voice dripping with menace. “Are you here to take care of this guy?”
As a ninth-tier powerhouse who had also mastered the Power of Darkness, Tony could easily handle Shadowflame.
John quickly intervened, “No need for that. I’m here to see Sini.”
At that moment, a figure emerged from the cliffside.
“John!” Sini called out happily as she ran over to him.
“The Power of Darkness!” Shadowflame exclaimed in awe.
He scrutinized Sini, immediately sensing the immense Power of Darkness radiating from her. Compared to John, her dark aura was even more pronounced, making her appear more like a true member of the Demon Race.
Confused, Shadowflame began to wonder if perhaps Michelle and Kamal had two heirs.
Seeing Shadowflame’s bewildered look, John clarified, “This is the person you’ve been searching for.”
“Then… who are you?” Shadowflame asked, still trying to make sense of it all.
“I’m human,” John replied casually.
“Wait… didn’t I just swear loyalty to you?” Shadowflame’s expression darkened, his eyes narrowing at John.
But bound by his oath, he couldn’t do anything to harm John, no matter how confused or frustrated he felt.
Thud!
Shadowflame dropped to his knees again, this time in front of Sini.
“Princess, I’ve finally found you!” he exclaimed, his voice full of emotion as he crawled forward a few steps on his knees.
Sini was startled and quickly ducked behind John. Confused, she whispered, “John, is this guy out of his mind?”
Having grown up an orphan without any parents, the sudden appearance of someone claiming she was a princess struck her as utterly bizarre. Her first thought was that this Demon King must be crazy.
John looked at Sini seriously and said, “Sini, it’s possible that you really are the Demon Race Princess.”
“Huh?” Sini froze, then reached up to touch John’s forehead with a puzzled expression. “Are you sick or something?”
“Young one, the Godslayer is telling the truth,” Ben chimed in from the side. “Think about your experiences in the Abyss. This place is formed by the concentrated power of the Demon Gods. It’s a forbidden land for the Demon Race, and only the Demon Gods or their descendants can remain unaffected here.”
Sini’s mouth hung slightly open, still in disbelief. “But… but I’m from Earth. I’ve lived there my whole life.”
“Your Highness,” Shadowflame quickly explained, “This was likely orchestrated by the Demon Gods. They can break through space barriers, and they must have sent you to Earth for some reason.”
Sini still looked unsure, her eyes turning to John for reassurance.
He nodded and said, “It seems likely to be true.”
“Well, if I’m the Demon Race Princess, then I’m the Demon Race Princess,” Sini finally said, accepting it with a shrug. She turned to Shadowflame and asked, “So, if I’m the princess, that means the entire Demon Race has to follow my orders, right?”
“Of course,” Shadowflame responded, still kneeling with unwavering loyalty. However, this time he didn’t rush to swear his allegiance again, cautious after the previous misunderstanding.
“Alright, get up,” Sini said, glancing at him before adding, “So, what treasures does the Demon Race have? Anything that could help John grow stronger? Bring them all to me.”
“Uh…” Shadowflame was momentarily stunned, unsure how to respond.
He then turned his eyes to John, his expression turning angry. “Human, release me from this oath!”
“Watch your mouth!” Before John could reply, Sini snapped angrily. “He is my… husband! You will show him respect!”
She almost said “master,” but quickly corrected herself, remembering that was her bedroom
term for John.
“Husband?” Shadowflame glared at John, his eyes darkening with disapproval, but there was nothing more he could say.
Bound by his vow, he couldn’t do anything to harm John.
He then turned to Sini and spoke respectfully, “Your Highness, most of the Demon Race’s treasures have been sealed. The reason I sought you out is so you can inherit the legacy of the Demon Gods and break the seal. When that happens, the Demon Gods will be able to
resurrect.”
“Wait, you’re saying you can break the seal?” Tony interrupted, surprised.
Shadowflame, who had no particular fondness for the Beast Clan, simply nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
John furrowed his brow and asked curiously, “The seal you’re talking about-is it the Temple
Seal?”
Tony and Ben looked shocked. “Kid, how do you know about the Temple Seal?” Ben asked, astonished. They had never disclosed any information about the Temple to him.
John nodded but didn’t elaborate. He had been struggling to figure out how to break free from the Divine Path technique, and it seemed like the Demon Race had just delivered the answer
right to his doorstep.
John looked at Shadowflame and asked, “How do we break the seal on the Temple?”
Shadowflame explained, “Your Highness needs to inherit the legacies of the two Demon Gods. With their power, we can break the seal. However, the Demon Gods are resting in the Dark Sea, and the Dark Sea Secret Area is currently controlled by the Dark Elves. Before we can do anything, we need to reclaim the Dark Sea Secret Area.”
John responded calmly, “There’s no need for all that trouble. The Dark Sea Secret Area is
already in my possession.”
“In your possession?” Shadowflame looked at John, stunned and excited. “That’s incredible! Once Her Highness receives the Demon Gods’ legacy and the Temple seal is broken, the two Demon Gods can resurrect. The Demon Race will rise again!”
But Sini frowned, concerned. “John, if the Demon Gods are resurrected, won’t that put you in
danger?”
“Your Highness, those are your parents!” Shadowflame protested, alarmed that she was worried about a human.
“I know, now be quiet,” Sini snapped, clearly unconcerned with such titles. She had grown up alone, used and abused by the Griffin Family as an assassin. If not for John saving her, she
would still be living in that hell.
To her, John was far more important than anyone or anything else.
Shadowflame shot a wary glance at John.
He clearly thinking the princess had been deceived by this human. John ignored Shadowflame and said, “Even if the seal is broken, the Demon Gods might not necessarily be a threat to me. In fact, breaking the seal will force the gods to intervene, and
that’s our chance to kill them and save Earth.”
Sini nodded obediently. “I’ll follow your lead.”
John continued, “There’s no rush on this. The Sea of Death is a seventh-tier Secret Area, and I need to advance to the seventh tier before I can enter.”
Currently, John’s level had risen to 773 in the Experience Secret Area, though the leaderboard still showed members of the Azure Family and Mike White Family. No one knew his true level. Once he hit level 1,000, he would trigger the seventh-tier class advancement quest. With the tenfold experience boost in the Experience Secret Area, John was confident he would reach that goal quickly.
Additionally, Elsa had already arranged for a group of angels under the God of Light to enter the Experience Secret Area. By hunting them, John could not only increase his level but also Plunder Divinity.
But there was no hurry-John had other matters to attend to first.
He looked at Shadowflame and said, “You can step back for now. I’ll notify you when it’s time
to explore the Sea of Death.”
Shadowflame frowned but didn’t argue. He took out a small jade stone and handed it to Sini. “Princess, this is my Communication Stone. If you need anything or find yourself in danger, you can contact me at any time.”
“Alright, got it,” Sini replied, taking the stone with a wave of her hand, clearly dismissive.
Shadowflame glanced at John and Tony, sensing that they harbored no ill intentions toward Sini. Only then did he tear open a spatial rift and leave the Abyss.
Having mastered the Power of Darkness and wielding a divine artifact, his strength rivaled that of a ninth-tier powerhouse. The Abyss could not hold him.
“Sini, I have some matters to take care of in the real world,” John said as he turned to her,
preparing to leave.
“The real world? Does it involve the Azure Family?” Sini asked. “Do you want me to come
with you?”
The Azure Family was the only remaining issue in the real world that needed resolving.
“No need. I can handle it,” John declined. He wasn’t sure of the Azure Family’s patriarch’s true strength and didn’t want Sini to take any unnecessary risks.
With his combined attributes, including the Lifesaver talent and the Undying and Immortal ability, John was confident that even if he wasn’t a match for the Azure Family’s patriarch, his
life wouldn’t be in danger.
He briefly recalled the mysterious woman in green who had appeared when he faced the Beast King, a demigod-level foe. He glanced at Tony and Ben.
These two clearly knew something but had been unwilling to reveal it.
Not wanting to press the matter, John simply nodded at them in farewell before leaving the
Abyss and logging off.
…
In the real world, it was late at night. The surrounding area was silent.
John stretched after exiting his game pod, loosening his stiff muscles.
He glanced at the nutrient levels in Sini’s pod-they were sufficient and didn’t need
replenishing.
Hum!
John extended his hand, and the sound of a sword humming filled the air. A green longsword
flew toward him and landed in his grasp.
It was Chris’s Wind Sword.
After learning that John had mastered Sword Mastery, Chris had insisted on gifting the Wind
Sword to him.
He was currently on a military base, still some distance from the Co-Cloud Mountains, where
the Azure Family was located. The flight by sword would take about four hours.
Whoosh!
Under the cover of the dark night, a figure streaked across the sky at incredible speed.
Military radar detected the anomaly, but before it could lock onto the target, the figure had already vanished.
John flew swiftly, and just as dawn began to break, he arrived at the Co-Cloud Mountains. He found the withered peach tree Kent had mentioned.
The chirping of birds could be heard in the distance, but the surrounding area was desolate. It
didn’t look like the location of a grand sect.
John was puzzled but approached the withered peach tree and gently knocked on it.
Clang!
A sharp, metallic sound echoed. It didn’t feel like wood-it was neither metal nor wood, its
material unknown.
Clang…
He continued knocking, and on the tenth strike, the air around him began to ripple. The scene
rapidly shifted before his eyes.