Immortal of the Ages

"Hard to believe, but you're quite softhearted aren't you?" Yun Xiao chuckled.

"How can it be softhearted to wish for less warfare and more understanding in the world, to hope for a better life for the ordinary folk?" the War Princess countered.

"Fair point. But you're mistaken about one thing," Yun Xiao said.

"Which is?" she asked.

"The blood coursing through you is no longer that of your parents' devil lineage—it’s mine."

"Get lost! You're absolutely revolting," she huffed, annoyance laced in her tone.

Yet, inexplicably, the more the two of them bickered, the sweeter she felt inside. She knew that Yun Xiao never quarreled like this with Zhao Xuanran and that naive little white tiger girl. He seemed to specifically like teasing and bickering like an old couple with her. Would it feel strange, she wondered, if one day these sorts of bantering stopped?

Perhaps it might. Her thoughts wandered.

Suddenly, Yun Xiao’s chilling voice snapped her out of her reverie.

"Here?"

As the War Princess wove through the mountains, she gazed toward the horizon. There, it seemed a gigantic crater had formed at the earth’s edge. It resembled a volcanic mouth, above which hung a thick cloud of black and red mist.

Around this volcanic mouth, one could vaguely make out numerous devils—Yang Devils, Yin Devils, Shadow Devils, Tree Devils, Ice Devils, and more. It was a bizarre and diverse throng.

Among them, the Yin Devils bore the closest resemblance to humans. And so, it was the Yin Devils that were most commonly seen in human society, especially among the elite, who used them as maidservants to display their status.

Irrespective of their combat abilities, the Yin Devils commanded a high price. For this very reason, they were shunned within the devil society, relegated to low status and almost expelled from the Celestial Devil Abyss.

The Yin Devil Tribe chosen by the War Princess was an outcast group. They were isolated, without power or prominence, excluded from mainstream events and gradually forgotten.

Now, the Yin Devils were a rare sight within the Celestial Devil Abyss.

So, as the War Princess approached the crater, several eerie figures suddenly materialized before her eyes.

"Yin Devil, halt!"

The ghostly figures slowly materialized, revealing seven Shadow Devils floating in the air, their faces obscured by dark mist. They stared down at the War Princess, their voices harsh.

"This is the place where the great Devil Eye is to awaken. Your tainted Yin Devil Blood has no place here. Keep your distance."

The War Princess had just expressed her hope to secure a better future for her kind, and now her own kin was shunning her.

To approach the Devil Eye, the War Princess suppressed her anger and replied, "I merely came upon Lord Xiu grievously wounded, barely clinging to life. He commanded me to bring him to the great Devil Eye. How could I dare approach otherwise?"

"Lord Xiu?"

The Shadow Devils' expressions shifted.

This was a top ten powerhouse among their kind.

The War Princess had already discarded the net, and turning back, she handed over the orb that Lord Xiu had transformed into. "Here is Lord Xiu."

"He's in a dormant state!"

The faces of the Shadow Devils grew even grimmer.

They hurried forward, cautiously taking Lord Xiu into their arms. "We had no idea Lord Xiu was so severely injured!"

"It must have been in the Great Dao Celestial Realm…"

"Quick, take him to the Great Devil Eye!"

Several Shadow Devils turned and left immediately.

Only a male and female Shadow Devil remained.

The female Shadow Devil glanced at the War Princess, her tone slightly softer, but still dismissive. "Alright, you’ve delivered him. You can leave now."

"Wait," the male Shadow Devil, after observing the War Princess for a moment, his eyes betraying a hint of change, said, "Lord Xiu is not awake. Come with us and tell the great Devil Eye everything you witnessed."

"Is it appropriate for a Yin Devil?" the female Shadow Devil questioned.

Due to past incidents where Yin Devils were defiled by humans and produced mixed offspring, they were nearly a symbol of impurity within the Celestial Devil Abyss.

The devils, believing themselves superior to humans, naturally couldn't bear such things.

"Her lineage is pure, just a young adult. It should be fine," the male Shadow Devil stated.

"A young adult?" The female Shadow Devil looked at the War Princess with displeasure. "A young adult who looks like that, how do others stand a chance?"

"Born with the exact look humans prize most in their ceremonial vessels!" the female Shadow Devil cursed inwardly. But since the male Shadow Devil clearly held a higher rank, she refrained from further comment.

"What is your name?" the male Shadow Devil approached, his eyes cold and piercing, as he stared at the War Princess.

"Yao Yao," the War Princess replied.

"I am Mo Yang, a Rank 4 Devil General," the male Shadow Devil declared.

The War Princess bowed her head. "Hello, sir."

"Follow me. Once inside, speak only when spoken to, and do not stray more than 30 feet from me," Mo Yang instructed coldly.

"Yes," she replied.

With that, Mo Yang turned and headed towards the crater.

"He's taken a liking to you," Yun Xiao said.

"Drop dead," the War Princess snapped back, already irritated; his comment only fueled her annoyance.

"Don’t be angry. Go and meet the Devil Eye," Yun Xiao coaxed, knowing she was upset and ceasing his teasing.

After all, who would enjoy being discriminated against?

Being segregated and labeled as tainted by her own kin was profoundly unsettling.

The War Princess held her breath in silent protest, her eyes fixed on the Shadow Devils ahead and the myriad other devils gathering near the crater.

"The Devil Eye has awakened!"

Suddenly, an electrifying chorus of shouts erupted above the crater.

The surrounding mountains thrummed with activity!

Hundreds of thousands of devils converged from all directions, crowding around the crater’s edges, revering it in a spectacle akin to the Celestial Demon Abyss' adoration of the Great Mother—yet distinctly different. While fear was evident in the eyes of the gathered demons at the Celestial Court, here, it was supreme adoration that filled the eyes of the devils.

"Devil Eye?"

Seizing the moment as the Shadow Devils bowed in worship, the War Princess glanced into the crater.

A tremor ran through her.

Below, instead of an abyss, there was a colossal blood-red eye. As she looked, its lid flared open!

A beam of black and red light shot forth, illuminating the mists of the Great Dao Celestial Realm with a twilight glow.

On the pupil of that eyeball, dozens of black serpents twisted together, forming a massive Devil character!

Was this the great Devil Eye?

"What kind of life form is this? It doesn't seem related to any devil," Yun Xiao remarked, puzzled.

"No... Though it's just an eye, I can feel that it's a devil. The blood that flows within its eye is the same as ours," the War Princess explained.

"The blood in your veins is mine," Yun Xiao retorted.

"Oh, will you ever stop?" the War Princess laughed in exasperation.

Her playful scolding seemed to go unnoticed as everyone's attention was fixed on the Devil Eye, and nobody paid her any mind.

All the devils were worshiping the Devil Eye.

"Xiu."

Suddenly, an ancient voice echoed from within the Devil Eye. It sounded exceedingly old, as if it could perish at any moment, like the friction of wood on wood.

"Great Devil Eye, he is here." Several Shadow Devils hurriedly pushed Xiu forward.

A beam of red light shot from the Devil Eye, illuminating Xiu. Under its glow, his flesh began to regenerate.

BUZZ! He revived, gasping heavily, and knelt before the Devil Eye, saying, "Thank you, great Devil Eye."

"Have you reached a conclusion?" the Devil Eye inquired.

Xiu shuddered. He remained silent, looking down until his gaze landed on the eyeball, and then he whispered, "I have."

"Speak."

Xiu gritted his teeth and said, "We can join the demons and Lu Fan against the Celestial Court. But we must not oppose Lu Yao under any circumstances!"

"If you say this, no one will believe you," the Devil Eye responded gravely.

"I know, but this is my judgment." Xiu sighed. "I understand the current situation forces the Celestial Devil Abyss to act against their will, but the terror of that young man is beyond my comprehension. Even if all the devils see this as a chance to defy fate and change their destiny, I still hope, great Devil Eye, that you can trust my judgment."

"Hmm." The Devil Eye's massive eyelid fluttered shut, then it suddenly asked, "Was it a Yin Devil who brought you back?"

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