Chapter 1375: Deep Abyss

Seeing Wu Liang staring blankly, the Demon Emperor coldly said, "Don't tell me you can't find the entrance?"

"I can find it, I can find it," Wu Liang replied quickly, as if waking from a dream.

In fact, though he had a guess, he wasn't entirely sure. But at this moment, even if he wasn't sure, he had to act as if he was.

So he pulled out a compass, began making calculations with his fingers, and led the way while observing.

The Demon Emperor motioned for the others to follow. As for Yan, Yun, and Yu, he didn't place any restrictions on them; they were already seriously injured, and in front of a terrestrial immortal like him, restrictions made no difference. What puzzled him was Zu An. Although Zu An had defeated the Crown Prince several times, the Crown Prince was one thing, and Zu An was another. Zu An's cultivation wasn't particularly high, yet the Demon Emperor subtly sensed a threat from him. He couldn't understand why a newly advanced Grandmaster in the Heroic Soul Realm would pose a threat to him, a terrestrial immortal. However, he wasn't one to be complacent, so he casually cast a puppet spell on Zu An to ensure everything was foolproof.

At this moment, the three women gathered around Zu An, their faces filled with worry, and quietly asked, "What should we do?"

Zu An glanced at the Demon Emperor's back and replied, "Just follow them into the Land of the Unknown."

The women were somewhat surprised by his composure. In their current hopeless situation, they felt a sense of dread, but his calm demeanor infected them, and they gradually settled down.

Even Yun Jianyue was a little impressed by him; he truly was a rare hero in the world, and Hong Lei's chosen man was indeed excellent.

Yan Xuehen's gaze towards Zu An was also a little lost. Not knowing what she was thinking, a faint blush suddenly appeared on her face, and she quickly turned away.

Just then, the Demon Emperor's voice came, "Sect Master Yun, I heard you had a confrontation with Zhao Hao some time ago? Are those injuries on your body from that encounter?"

Even though Yun Jianyue was usually arrogant and often boasted in front of Yan Xuehen, her face flushed slightly when questioned by a true terrestrial immortal. "To say we 'confronted' each other would be overstating my abilities. At the time, Zhao Hao didn't even show himself; he injured me with a single strike from afar..." As for how she sustained her current injuries, she didn't bother to explain, letting him mistakenly believe they were also caused by Zhao Hao.

The Golden Crow Crown Prince secretly curled his lips. This so-called Demonic Sect Master sounded impressive, but it turned out she was so weak.

Wu Liang, who was scouting ahead, secretly clicked his tongue. He thought, 'No wonder I always felt this woman was a bit fierce; she has such an experience.' His admiration for Zu An grew even stronger.

"To have survived a blow from Zhao Hao, Sect Master Yun, your cultivation is indeed something to be proud of." The Demon Emperor showed no contempt; instead, his tone was filled with praise.

The Golden Crow Crown Prince was somewhat unconvinced. What was there to boast about when she couldn't even withstand a single strike? He simply considered it polite talk from his father. In recent years, he had been hailed as the foremost among the younger generation of demons, with cultivation levels catching up to the previous generation's masters. Coupled with being the recognized next Demon Emperor, his confidence was extraordinarily high. Aside from suffering several major defeats at Zu An's hands, he had ample self-assurance when facing others.

Next, the Demon Emperor began to question Yun Jianyue about the details of that battle. Yun Jianyue frowned slightly, knowing he was trying to use the opportunity to ascertain Zhao Hao's current strength.

She initially considered fabricating some details to avoid leaking information, but then she reconsidered. Such lies might not deceive a terrestrial immortal, and besides, what did that dog emperor do to deserve her favoritism? So, she described the situation exactly as it had happened.

The Demon Emperor listened very carefully, even interrupting her mid-sentence to inquire about specific details. After she finished, he remained silent for a long time before finally sighing, "It's been many years; Zhao Hao's cultivation has advanced significantly."

The Golden Crow Crown Prince was startled. 'Why does Father's tone sound like he's bolstering the morale of an outsider and diminishing his own prestige?' he wondered. 'Could it be that he thinks he can't defeat the Human Emperor?'

Then the Demon Emperor sighed deeply, "Unfortunately, Heaven has not granted me enough years. I fear I won't have another chance to fight Zhao Hao in this lifetime." His tone was filled with the weariness of an aging hero.

Although they were in an adversarial position, Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue, as Grandmasters, could deeply understand that sense of desolation.

"Father, you are in the prime of your life; you will surely live for ten thousand years," the Demon Crown Prince quickly flattered him.

"Do you truly wish for me to live for ten thousand years?" the Demon Emperor asked, giving him a half-smile.

The Golden Crow Crown Prince was startled. "Father, what are you saying? Your kindness to me is as vast as a mountain; naturally, I wish you could live as long as possible."

The Demon Emperor remained silent. Throughout history, the relationship between an emperor and his crown prince has always been complex: they are father and son, ruler and subject, and also rivals. Ensuring the crown prince has the ability and a loyal retinue to inherit the realm, while simultaneously preventing him from threatening the emperor's throne prematurely, is an enormous challenge. Therefore, the relationship between emperors and crown princes throughout the dynasties was often not particularly amicable.

However, his relationship with his own crown prince was somewhat of an exception. Firstly, his cultivation was so high that the prince had always been very submissive. Secondly, he was old, and the day of his decline was approaching, so the father and son didn't need to engage in so much scheming. But once he obtained the method of immortality in the Land of the Unknown, their relationship would certainly not remain the same.

The Golden Crow Crown Prince was also uneasy. It was uncertain if the method of immortality could even be found in this Land of the Unknown. If he offended his father now, and his father ended up passing the throne to his second brother, it would be a huge loss.

The atmosphere was somewhat tense. Fortunately, Wu Liang's voice broke the silence: "I've... I've found the entrance."

By now, everyone had arrived at a pond-like lake.

"It should be underwater," Wu Liang quickly added, seeing the Demon Emperor frown.

Zu An asked doubtfully, "Are you sure it's here? We just checked underwater."

"Then was then, and now is now," Wu Liang said. "The recent changes in the world have altered the layout within the imperial tomb. It's perfectly normal for the entrance to the Land of the Unknown to appear underwater. Many tombs use similar mechanisms, but none are on such a grand scale."

The Demon Emperor gestured to Zu An, "You go down and investigate." He was concerned Wu Liang might be up to no good, so he sent the cannon fodder ahead to scout.

Zu An didn't refuse; he himself was eager to explore the Land of the Unknown.

After jumping into the water, he quickly sank.

On the bank, the Demon Emperor let out a surprised sound. "This young man isn't from the sea tribe, yet his water control techniques are so masterful."

The three women's faces simultaneously flushed. They had all been pressed together with Zu An in the water bubble created by Lan Fu underwater; the situation back then was truly intimate.

Not long after, there was a splashing sound as Zu An leaped out of the water. "There seems to be something like a portal at the bottom of the lake, which should be the entrance to the Land of the Unknown. I'll take you down. Perhaps due to the sudden appearance of the Land of the Unknown, the current inside is extremely turbulent, with various undercurrents. Be careful not to be swept away."

"There's no need for such trouble," the Demon Emperor said. He asked Zu An for the exact location of the entrance, then with a wave of his hand, the vast lake was instantly split in half. The waters on both sides parted, revealing a wide path.

Everyone's expressions changed slightly. Splitting such a large lake in two, and the key was that the Demon Emperor had done it with a casual wave, seemingly effortlessly. A terrestrial immortal's power was truly unfathomable.

As the lake waters separated, at the bottom of the lake, there was a vortex-like light circle. Faint blue light continuously flickered, and its very center was profoundly dark.

Everyone gathered around the light circle. Having visited many secret realms, they were naturally familiar with such spacetime tunnels. However, the secret realms they usually entered were already explored and confirmed safe. This unknown spacetime tunnel, however, was likely filled with destructive power, and entering it could subject one to terrifying spacetime storms capable of instantly tearing a person to shreds.

With a flick of his wrist, the Demon Emperor produced a rope from his sleeve, wrapped it around Zu An's waist, and without waiting for a reaction, pushed him directly into the vortex.