Chapter 1397: Detaining Souls

"Your father?" The Demon Emperor's heart stirred.

Fearing the other party would instantly crush him, the white skeleton, Dan Zhu, dared not keep them in suspense. "It's Emperor Yao, whom I mentioned before. Only past emperors knew the whereabouts of the Undying Medicine. The one I ate was an unripe fruit that fell prematurely from the Undying Medicine. For various reasons, it didn't mature, which is why I ended up looking like this, neither human nor ghost."

The Demon Emperor frowned. "Since your father was an emperor, why would he give you an immature Undying Medicine? And you also ascended to the throne; why wouldn't you know its whereabouts?"

As it concerned immortality, he had to be cautious to avoid being deceived.

"Didn't I say? My father was suddenly assassinated in his later years and didn't have time to properly pass on the throne to me, so many secrets were lost," Dan Zhu explained. "As for the fruit I ate, my father acquired it by chance in his early years. It was originally just a collectible with no practical use, but when I was overthrown and had nowhere to turn, I secretly ate this item, which is why I've managed to survive until now."

"So, to find your father, we just need to unseal him as you said, right?" the Demon Emperor sneered.

"How clever," Dan Zhu quickly explained, seeing the other's displeased expression. "I'm not trying to trick you; it's genuinely something only my father knows. If you can break the seals and help him escape, it would be an act of immense kindness, like giving him a second life."

"I've been trapped here for so many years and utterly despise Shun. My father, who was once an emperor ruling the world, was betrayed and schemed against by his confidant in his later years. His hatred will surely far exceed mine. If you help him exact his revenge, how could he not be grateful to you?"

"Moreover, you are also from the lineage of the White Emperor, making you one of his descendants. It would be entirely reasonable for him to pass the Undying Medicine to you."

Dan Zhu rattled off many reasons, then looked at him with an eager expression.

The Demon Emperor said gravely, "Where are these seals you mentioned?"

Seeing him agree, Dan Zhu was overjoyed. "The seals were placed by Shun, and I'm not entirely sure about the specifics. However, over these long years, I've re-examined everything that happened countless times and developed some theories. Given that you previously broke the seal on Taowu, it seems my suspicions are likely correct. We can deduce their locations based on the ancient habits of these fierce beasts—Chaos, Qiongqi, and Taotie. Their seals are probably related to their individual characteristics. For example, Chaos should be in..."

He then elaborated on his theories, adding, "Take me with you. If anything is unclear, I can explain it to you then."

The Demon Emperor pondered for a long time, then suddenly said, "There's no need for such trouble."

The moment he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his hand and plunged it into the center of the skeleton's forehead. His hand seemed insubstantial; the hard skull sustained no physical damage whatsoever and offered no resistance from start to finish.

"You..." The skeleton struggled desperately.

But it was all in vain. Soon, the Demon Emperor withdrew his hand, and in his palm was a flickering blue light, like the will-o'-the-wisp often seen in graveyards.

The blue light struggled desperately in his palm, but no matter how hard it tried, it could not escape the small space of the Demon Emperor's hand.

The Demon Emperor sneered, "Isn't this better? I can ask whatever I want, whenever I want."

As he spoke, he clenched his hand, and the blue light vanished.

Wu Liang watched all this, trembling like a sieve. This was the legendary soul-capturing technique.

Such a method was truly terrifying because death was never the most frightening thing.

To some extent, death could be a release, but if one's soul were imprisoned and tormented even after death, it would be a fate worse than anything imaginable.

At this moment, Crown Prince Jinwu also swallowed hard, not daring to say anything more. Instead, he began to search the surroundings.

After a while, he said disappointedly, "This fellow's burial goods are too shabby. I searched all around, and they're all ordinary items. A few things that might have been good seem to have decayed into dust after so many years."

Wu Liang thought to himself, 'That's just because *you* don't value them.' These two, one the Demon Emperor and the other the Crown Prince, typically used divine artifacts, and their palace contained countless rare treasures. Naturally, they wouldn't look favorably upon these burial items.

However, many of these items, if taken outside, would still be enough to cause a scramble among cultivators.

"What good burial items could a man who was overthrown by a coup possibly have?" the Demon Emperor said indifferently. "What do you make of what he just said?"

Sensing the testing tone in his father's voice, Crown Prince Jinwu hesitated but still spoke. "Father Emperor, it's best to be cautious. Even if we truly unseal Emperor Yao as he described, the other party might be grateful to us, but since the Undying Medicine is such a precious existence, how could they possibly hand it over to us?"

"As for his claim that we are of the same bloodline, that's even more absurd. Not to mention tens of thousands of years have passed, even blood brothers can turn against each other for profit."

As he spoke, he glanced at Wu Liang, who was standing nearby. This fellow had been sent by his good second brother to assassinate him.

The Demon Emperor nodded slightly. "Indeed, worthy of my years of cultivation."

Hearing his affirmation, Crown Prince Jinwu felt reassured and continued, "Moreover, we don't know how high the cultivation of an ancient emperor is. Once he's free, we might not be able to control him. If he turns malicious, we would be in danger instead."

"Your concerns are not unfounded," the Demon Emperor replied. "That Dan Zhu fellow clearly wasn't telling the whole truth, probably with ulterior motives. How could I just go along with him?"

"Father Emperor is wise!" Crown Prince Jinwu quickly offered a series of flatteries.

The Demon Emperor said gravely, "However, for him to try and lure me in, most of what he said must be true. So we will go to the places he mentioned, but we must be extremely vigilant."

Even knowing there might be traps, the allure of the Undying Medicine was too great. No matter how dangerous, he had to try.

"Yes, Father!" the Crown Prince said respectfully.

Wu Liang wanted to cry but had no tears. He thought, 'When you gods fight, how can I not be involved?'

If nothing unexpected happens, when danger arises, I'll surely be the first one in. With an ancient emperor and the Undying Medicine involved, even a nine-tailed cat demon like me wouldn't survive such a situation.

The Demon Emperor walked a few steps, then suddenly stopped and said to Crown Prince Jinwu, "I understand your thoughts. If we find the Undying Medicine, I will give you a share. So let us work together, father and son, and avoid any conflict between us."

Normally, he wouldn't speak so directly. However, this time they were likely facing an ancient emperor. According to Dan Zhu, those individuals were capable of becoming immortals in the past, so their cultivation would probably not be lower than his own.

If a great battle were to occur, the outcome would surely be uncertain. It would be troublesome if his son turned against him at a critical moment.

Moreover, he somewhat regretted letting those people from Zu An escape earlier. Normally, these individuals were mere ants in his eyes, but if they truly came into conflict with an ancient emperor, these people could become variables, and he might need his son's help to guard against them.

Weighing all these reasons, he decided to be so candid with his son.

Crown Prince Jinwu, however, turned ashen with fright. "Father Emperor, your son would never dare to harbor other thoughts. I will always remain loyal to you."

The Demon Emperor frowned. "This isn't a test. Don't overthink it. And I wasn't just speaking idly; if we find the Undying Medicine, I will share a portion with you."

Hearing his sincere tone, Crown Prince Jinwu was instantly moved to tears of gratitude. "Thank you, Father Emperor! Your son will surely do his best to assist you!"

Yet, his heart remained cold. Born into royalty, how could he easily trust such promises?

Furthermore, even if his father truly intended to share, that would only be if there was more than enough Undying Medicine. But what if there was only one?

Of course, he dared not voice these doubts. The expression on his face was as sincere as possible.

The Demon Emperor nodded in satisfaction. "Then let's go to the location of Chaos that Dan Zhu just mentioned."

...

Meanwhile, elsewhere, a few soft moans were heard, and Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue simultaneously opened their eyes.

Zu An quickly rushed over, asking nervously, "What's wrong with you two?"