Simulation becomes reality, have I ever looked down upon the eternity?

Chapter 542 "The Emperor's Pillow Book": You believe it, so you're set for life?
Above the sky, a point of ink suddenly spread out, transforming into a deep vortex that swallowed the surrounding surging black mist, as if a gluttonous eye had suddenly opened between heaven and earth.

In contrast, a white hole, its pure white light slowly flowing, contains an ancient and unchanging force of repulsion.

A sliver of clarity seemed to have returned to the eyes of the middle-aged corpse.

The Demon Lord of All Living Beings seemed to have realized something, and his previously concealed cultivation level quietly revealed itself.

His cultivation level rose at a visible speed, and in the blink of an eye, he had become a perfectly formed Golden Core of the Great Dao.

Surprisingly, he possessed no trace of demonic or bloodthirsty aura; instead, he was imbued with profound Taoist skills.

[Furthermore, his appearance and demeanor make it difficult to associate him with a supreme demonic cultivator; he seems more like a true cultivator of the Xuanmen (Taoist sect).]

[The eight-armed monster, witnessing the person in the coffin move according to its will, instantly showed a look of pleasure on its ugly, ferocious face, like a tiger that had just eaten its prey.]

Upon seeing that the Demon Lord of All Living Beings no longer possessed demonic powers, the smile on his face vanished abruptly.

"You old man, you've actually mastered the 'Emperor's Pillow Book' to an unprecedented level!"

[Your eyes flickered slightly as the origins of "The Emperor's Pillow Book" surfaced in your mind. It was created by "The Emperor," the founder of the Demonic Sect.]

Four thousand years ago, a priceless treasure called the "Blood Demon Sea" was discovered in ancient ruins. It was an inexhaustible lake of crimson blood, containing an endless supply of vital essence.

Deep within the Blood Demon Sea stands a profound stele, inscribed with the true essence of the "Demon Emperor's Scripture." Legend has it that after the emperor comprehended the inscription, the entire stele vanished into thin air, transforming into the foundation of his life's cultivation.

[After that, he emerged from nowhere, unified the demonic path, and established the demonic sect's thousand-year foundation.]

According to the records of the Demonic Sect, the Emperor eventually ascended to heaven in secret, but the circumstances surrounding his ascension remain shrouded in mystery.

[The "Emperor's Pillow Book" is a masterpiece created by the Emperor, combining the mysteries of the Blood Demon Sea Inscriptions with his own knowledge, and is hailed as the supreme heavenly scripture of the Demonic Sect.]

The Demon Lord of All Living Beings wore a brocade robe that swayed gently, revealing a young face with graying hair at his temples.

He gazed at the intertwined black and white images in the sky and chuckled softly, "Demons are inherently part of the Dao..."

Before the words were even finished, the clear light surrounding him suddenly distorted, and the originally pure Taoist divine power, like ink dissolving in water, instantly transformed into surging demonic energy, rolling like a tide and engulfing the surrounding hundreds of feet.

"The Tao is also demonic."

[But you didn't notice the Demon Lord of All Living Beings; instead, you looked at the black and white vortex that had already taken shape behind the middle-aged corpse.]

A long, snow-white rainbow suddenly burst forth from the white hole, its light so pure it was almost blinding, distorting and trembling the very space it passed through.

This is the White Extreme Magnetic Light, one of the nine forms of the Taiyuan One Yang Sword.

Even you felt as if Mount Tai were pressing down on your head, incredibly heavy, and the hairs on your skin stood on end, as if facing a formidable enemy.

This sword technique is undoubtedly the "Taiyuan Yiyang Sword," but whether this person is truly the founder of the Imperial Capital is uncertain.

After all, no portrait of the Emperor's Ancestor remains on Little Green Peak, and related records are scarce, like trying to see flowers through a fog.

The Demon Lord of All Beings laughed, "Wonderful! My Heavenly Response Hand, created by integrating the seven supreme techniques of the Demonic Sect and supplementing them with the essence of 'The Emperor's Pillow Book,' is something I'd like to learn from today."

[After speaking, his palms turned bronze, and he waved them up and down, seemingly encompassing the heavens and the vast earth.]

[Raising a palm to the sky to meet the white magnetic light.]

【"boom--!"】

[The white magnetic light possesses the power to repel all things. This heavenly hand that descended upon the demonic realm did not benefit them. Unexpectedly, the hand suddenly generated six more layers of force, each more powerful and profound than the last. The sixth layer, with its overwhelming and irresistible power, actually pushed the magnetic light back!]

The thick black fog from the surrounding area was blown in.

Not only were you slightly distracted, but even the middle-aged corpse, which had remained expressionless throughout, showed a barely perceptible flicker of surprise in its empty eyes.

[This is the first time you've witnessed a duel between cultivators at the Great Dao Golden Core stage. And these two aren't ordinary Great Dao Golden Core cultivators; it's truly terrifying.]

[Now, because of this fight between the two, all the houses in the city have collapsed, creating a huge crater, as if the sky had fallen and the earth had split open.]

At this moment, the image of the young man before them finally overlapped with that of the supreme grandmaster of the demonic path.

The eight-armed monster sneered, "So this is all there is to life, you old codger."

He then made hand seals to activate the middle-aged corpse.

[Then, the middle-aged corpse raised its left arm high, forming a sword-like gesture.]

In an instant, the dark vortex in the sky churned violently, and a giant black sword slowly emerged from its tip.

The sword seemed to be formed from the purest darkness, devouring even the light. Even before it fully appeared in the world, it caused the entire heavens and earth to tremble.

[You also recognized this style as the "Black Extreme Heavy Sword" from the "Taiyuan Yiyang Sword".]

[This sword may seem slow, but it only needs to be in this spot, and it will appear instantly in the next second.]

The Demon Lord of All Living Beings also saw through its mystery and laughed, "What kind of sword technique is this? I've never heard of it before."

"Then let's try my Crimson River. The Heavenly Response Technique I just used was created by me by combining the skills of various schools of the Demonic Sect. Its key lies in its complexity."

"This 'Crimson of the Common People' is a simple character that I have extracted after meticulous analysis and stripped away the complexities."

[Having said that, the Demon Lord of All Living Beings lightly gripped his fist, and the sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath was heard.]

When he opened his palm again, an indescribable crimson stream of light shot into the sky. The light was neither sword energy nor blade aura; rather, it resembled a single, sharp line condensed from the vast mortal world!

[The middle-aged Corpse God swung his arm down sharply, and the black hole vanished instantly, reappearing above the Demon Lord of All Living Beings, the black sword emerging from it.]

[An endless burst of energy erupted in the arena!]

The eight-armed monsters all took a step back in shock, their eyes filled with fear.

The Demon Lord of All Living Beings and the middle-aged corpse instantly pressed close together, beginning their true clash.

[This is no longer a matter of intentional techniques, but a true, intangible art of martial arts.]

[Their hands moved so fast that their figures were no longer visible; sometimes, a surge of demonic energy would sweep out a crimson weapon.]

A moment later, a beam of pure white magnetic light shot out from the white hole suspended high in the sky.

You had already retreated far away, leaving space for the two of them to fight.

Even with the Jade Emperor's Qi Observation Technique activated to its fullest extent, it was still difficult to discern the outcome of the duel between the two.

[I only saw clearly that this middle-aged corpse, suspected to be the ancestor of the Imperial Capital, used the "Taiyuan Yiyang Sword" and possessed the "Nine Revolutions Profound Technique" from Fangcun Mountain, with one hand that could be the size of a wish and as hard as diamond.]

[You were completely engrossed in watching, but you never expected that the "Taiyuan Yiyang Sword" could regenerate into a black and a white form. You were also amazed by the extraordinary methods of the demonic path, which could multiply from one into three, or even escape like a cicada shedding its skin.]

When the two clashed, every move subtly aligned with the rhythms of nature. Often, after seemingly ordinary dozens of moves, a sudden burst of terrifying killing intent would erupt—yet it was all imbued with a calm and composed demeanor.

This masterful, effortless mastery has reached a level of skill bordering on the divine.

However, it seems that due to the limitations of their cultivation levels, even this Demon Lord can only unleash the power of the Nine Heavenly Tribulations so far.

The corpse appeared to be in the same state. After an unknown amount of time, the two figures suddenly separated.

The Demon Lord of All Living Beings gracefully landed back beside you, his brocade robes bearing several fine cracks.

The middle-aged corpse retreated back to the eight-armed monster's side, its eyes becoming indifferent again, and the once spotless blue Taoist robe now showing some wrinkles.

The two sides are locked in a stalemate, with neither side gaining a clear advantage.

The Demon Lord of All Living Beings finally showed a moved expression, "Who is this fellow Daoist, someone who can reach such a level?"

"Those who have reached the rank of Supreme Grandmaster in the past six thousand years are few and far between."

"Their martial arts techniques seem to be inherited from Fangcun Mountain."

"Of the nine righteous sects, six have produced grandmasters, but none of them were from Fencun Mountain."

The eight-armed monster twisted and swung its eight arms simultaneously, emitting a piercing, eerie laugh: "Old man of the common people, are you afraid?"

The Demon Lord of All Living Beings looked helpless. "Ren Gui, I admit you have talent in the art of trickery, but you'll never amount to anything. It's not that I look down on these kinds of strange arts; the great paths lead to the same destination, and there's no inherent superiority or inferiority among them."

Do you know why?

"You've been by my side for so many years, how come you still don't understand one thing: you can't see yourself clearly, and you can't see through others."

"Life and death are trivial matters to me. Even if that emperor were to be reborn, I would not fear him."

"Ren Gui, you're three hundred years old, yet your mind is still like a child's."

The eight-armed monster jumped up and down in anger, shouting, "You old fool, I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

"I will use the 'Yellow Springs Corpse Control Manual' to train you into my corpse slave."

You then spoke up, "Could this person be the Emperor Xiang of Fangcun Mountain?"

[Upon hearing this,]

The eight-armed monster's pure white eyes turned to you simultaneously, its distorted face revealing surprise. "You know?"

The Demon Lord of All Living Beings' eyes flashed upon hearing this, as if he had remembered something: "The Imperial Capital..."

[He said thoughtfully, "During the most prosperous period of Fangcun Mountain, there were indeed two exceptionally talented brothers—the elder named Dixiang, and the younger named Diku. It was the younger brother, Diku, who later succeeded as the sect leader of Fangcun Mountain."]

At this point, he suddenly looked up at the middle-aged corpse, "And my elder brother, Di Xiang, mysteriously disappeared at the height of his glory, and since then, Fangcun Mountain has never recovered."

"Unexpectedly, this Emperor from the capital is actually a supreme grandmaster who has survived the Tribulation of the Three Nine Heavens."

"With such strength, yet hiding within the righteous path, this person is also a treacherous and ambitious individual."

[Now you're finally certain that this middle-aged corpse is indeed the Ancestor of the Imperial Capital, and that the Lord of the Common People acknowledges that he possesses the realm of a Supreme Grandmaster.]

What a coincidence!

The eight-armed monster twisted and danced excitedly, his voice hoarse and shrill, revealing boundless smugness: "When I learned of his true cultivation level from my fellow disciples, I couldn't believe it! Who would have thought that a supreme grandmaster would die so mysteriously and obscurely?"

[As he spoke, he suddenly turned to the Demon Lord of All Living Beings, his pure white eyes flashing with a fierce light: "Old man, this is my reason for joining the Mortal World Immortal Sect!"]

"Tell me, can you find me the remains of a supreme grandmaster to refine?"

The eight-armed monster laughed wildly, "With him in my hands, and with the 'Yellow Springs Corpse Control Scripture' in my possession, I can retain all my cultivation from my previous life. I will then be the fourth supreme grandmaster in this world! Hahahaha!"

"The common people, I no longer need to fear you."

[You frowned inwardly. According to the records you consulted at Xiaoqing Peak, this ancestor of the Imperial Capital had traversed the Nine Provinces for nearly a century to create the "Taiyuan Yiyang Sword," and his perseverance and wisdom were unparalleled.]

What's even more chilling is the elaborate arrangements he left behind—even the current feng shui layout of Xiaoqingfeng conceals layers of hidden plans.

You gaze upon the silent, middle-aged corpse. A supreme grandmaster willingly concealed his identity for thousands of years. There must be a shocking conspiracy behind this.

The Demon Lord of All Beings shook his head. "Although I don't know how the Mortal Immortal Sect treats you, but..."

The eight-armed monster interrupted, saying, "We are as close as sisters and brothers."

"Disciple, you are truly naive and laughable," the Demon Lord of All Living Beings said meaningfully. "You should think about it yourself; you must have obtained this 'Yellow Springs Corpse Control Scripture' after entering this sect, right?"

"This corpse from the Imperial Capital, you obtained it by chance from a fellow disciple."

"So... what are they trying to do? It's so hard to guess!"

The eight-armed monster, however, remained unperturbed. "Cang Sheng, let's call it a day. Since I can't do anything to you, we'll meet again another day."

"I'll take care of this corpse puppet first, then settle old scores."

The Demon Lord of All Living Beings laughed and said, "I'm afraid that won't work."

The eight-armed monsters simultaneously formed hand seals and exhaled black mist, yet they did not disappear from this place.

He couldn't help but look at the vermilion gate in the mouth of the enormous, red-haired demon.

The ethereal, sinister voice echoed again from within the doorway: "My lord has said that today's sacrifice is still lacking one ingredient."

The eight-armed monster frowned, puzzled. "What's missing?!"

Wisps of black smoke seeped from the crack in the door, and a voice said eerily, "You took away the spirits of the Imperial Capital. You must leave something behind to settle the score."

"What! I've already given you hundreds of thousands of ghosts, isn't that enough?"

From within the vermilion gate, the voice spoke calmly, "Those were merely sacrificial offerings."

The eight-armed monster said, "Quickly break the seal on this place, and next time I'll give you 100,000 Yin souls."

There was no response from behind the door.

The eight-armed monster was somewhat angry. "Then what do you want?"

At that moment, a voice rang out.

The voice was magnetic and gentle, yet it sent a chill down the spine of the eight-armed monster.

"You're really not smart. The meaning is simple: you should stay."

[At some point, the indifference in the eyes of the middle-aged corpse had vanished, replaced by a calm.]

The eight-armed monster's face was filled with terror. Its eight arms flailed wildly, various strange magical artifacts jingled, and yellow paper talismans fell like snowflakes.

The middle-aged man casually took a piece of yellow paper, glanced at it, and laughed, "My drawing back then was truly ugly."

"Don't waste your time. This 'Yellow Springs Corpse Control Scripture' from White Dragon Cave was just something I made up on the spot. All that fanfare and gonging is just a trick I learned from watching mortals at funerals back in the day."

"If you believe it, you've got it for life."

(End of this chapter)