Chapter 842: Prince Changqin

The Demonic Prince, during a break from his training, glanced at Li Shiwei.

This little girl's ability to come up with ideas on a whim was too amusing; she'd imagine this or that, full of petty cleverness and cunning, yet she never considered that she herself actually had no way to make any choices.

Choices? Hmph.

Even he and Li Qi had no choice, yet she was being picky.

What a fool. Li Qi had protected her too well, so much so that she hadn't realized that in this Universe, cruelty and indifference were the main themes.

The Nine Lands Under Heaven, the Demonic Dao's City of Dreams, Humanity's endless expeditions, the Divine Path's impartiality, the demon race and True Dragons' complete laissez-faire and promotion of competition, the Shamanes and Dao Orthodoxy's joint practice of non-interference and non-salvation, self-sufficiency, and the Spirit Dao's complete indifference to the real world, even actively promoting its destruction.

All things considered, the most compassionate was surprisingly Buddhism.

However, Buddhism viewed life and death as trivial; although they believed everyone should be saved, this salvation didn't necessarily have to happen in this lifetime.

In the eyes of these bald monks, death was merely another form of new life; similarly, new life was another form of death.

When you are born, it means a ghost disappears from the underworld.

When you die, a ghost will also be born in the underworld.

Life and death revolve endlessly. Your death and suffering in this life are nothing. After a long Reincarnation, you will one day achieve great enlightenment, become an 'Enlightened One,' and ultimately transcend Reincarnation to become a Buddha.

So, while this view is called compassionate, is it truly good for all living beings?

Will living beings feel that the next life is still themselves?

Or do they only see 'retribution is always in the next life, there is never justice in this life'?

It's hard to say.

In the Demonic Prince's view, all the Dao Orthodoxy were vying to create a 'perfect world,' but it seemed that in every world, living beings weren't living comfortable lives.

What exactly is a perfect world?

The Demonic Prince certainly had no answer, but he scoffed at all the existing answers, even though he didn't know what the correct answer was. But he was certain that no one's current answer was right, even if they were First Grade.

Perhaps many would say that a mere Fifth Rank daring to assert that a First Grade's judgment is wrong is simply a fool's dream, a blatant boast.

But isn't that the 'Demonic Dao'?

The self-centeredness of the Demonic Dao was fully displayed in these aspects of the Demonic Prince.

After doing these and practicing for a while longer, the Demonic Prince's flying boat arrived at its destination.

This time, the place the Demonic Prince arrived at was where the Shaman Dao Grand Director of Music resided.

Yes, the Shaman Dao's 'Grand Director of Music,' a dignified Second Rank. The Demonic Prince had come to visit this powerful being.

In fact, he came with a mission from the Heavenly Demon; this time, he was acting as an envoy to deliver the Heavenly Demon's message to Shaman Dao.

The position of Grand Director of Music exists in three Dao Orthodoxy: Human, Shaman, and God.

The Shaman Dao Grand Director of Music is named Changqin, known as 'Prince Changqin.' He is a descendant of Zhuanxu, a son of the Heavenly God Zhu Rong. He has been proficient in music since childhood and lives on Mount Yao. That's right... Changqin is also of the Zhu Rong lineage, which is why the Demonic Prince came to visit Changqin.

The Heavenly Demon... truly likes Li Qi. It even made the people of Li Qi's ancestral lineage become targets of the Heavenly Demon's attention.

And the Human Grand Director of Music is named Ling Lun.

In ancient times, the Primordial Sage Emperor ordered Ling Lun to establish the musical temperament. Ling Lun went west of Xia, to the shady side of Ruan Yu, and took bamboo from the valley of Xie Creek. He cut a section between two nodes, three inches and nine fen long, with an even hollow, and blew into it to create the Yellow Bell palace note. This is what is known as 'temperament,' which he established, encompassing both 'law' and 'music.'

Later, he made twelve tubes and, below Ruan Yu, listened to the calls of the Phoenix to distinguish the twelve temperaments. The male Phoenix's calls formed six, and the female Phoenix's calls also formed six, corresponding to the Yellow Bell palace note.

The Yellow Bell palace note is the foundation of temperament. The Primordial Sage Emperor then ordered Ling Lun and Rong Jiang to cast twelve bells to harmonize the five notes.

These three are all 'temperaments,' meaning the beings who understood the creative fluctuations most deeply.

Shi Yan and Shen Shuibi have already been met. Now the Demonic Prince is visiting Changqin...

It's hard to say what the Heavenly Demon is thinking.

But the Demonic Prince didn't care about any of that. He stood up, ignored the self-isolating Li Shiwei, and stepped out of the flying boat.

Outside was no spectacle, but the ordinary Void Realm of the Universe.

The Demonic Prince cupped his hands and said, "The Demonic Dao's envoy is here to visit Changqin. I have a message from the Heavenly Demon for Senior."

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed.

An immortal mountain appeared in the Universe space.

This is 'Mount Yao.'

This wasn't in the world, but within a 'Grotto-Heaven' he had created himself.

Calling it a Grotto-Heaven isn't quite right; to be precise, it's actually a 'Myriad Heavens,' but its scale is small and not as mystical as a true Myriad Heavens.

Its essence is Myriad Heavens, but its application is no different from a Grotto-Heaven.

Entering it, the flying boat stopped on a rock. The Demonic Prince walked out himself and then locked the door of the flying boat.

If Li Shiwei wanted to self-isolate inside, then so be it; the Demonic Prince didn't care about that.

He looked around. Mount Yao's scenery was beautiful, with two peaks facing each other, as exquisite as brocade. The springs and rocks were uniquely magnificent, shaped like a precious canopy, tall and towering. Four mountains embraced it, connecting to a multitude of peaks, winding and intertwining, grand and majestic.

However...

It was just alright; it wasn't unimaginably beautiful.

He continued forward. Since he had already entered, it meant Changqin had allowed him to enter.

The Demonic Prince walked forward, and soon, he saw a magnificent azure Dragon.

The Dragon looked very young, also of Fifth Rank. Its body was winding, its scales beautiful and radiant. When illuminated by the sunlight, they seemed to flow with brilliance, like melted jade, seemingly sparkling with rainbows.

This was a True Dragon.

"Yo, Demonic Prince, I didn't expect to see you here," the True Dragon spoke, seemingly surprised to see the Demonic Prince.

"Canghai Jun?" The Demonic Prince frowned slightly.

Canghai Jun is a young Genius of this generation of True Dragons, known for his great strength. He is considered on par with Geniuses like Liu Junyi and Sariputra, as mentioned before (see Chapter 483 for details).

"Why are you here? This is Mount Yao, isn't it?" The Demonic Prince's expression was somewhat puzzled.

"Ah, I came with an elder from my family. My old man came to visit Senior Changqin. What about you? Did the Heavenly Demon also come?" Canghai Jun raised his head, his eyes sweeping over the Demonic Prince.

"I just came to deliver a message," the Demonic Prince replied casually, then leaned on his cane and ignored the large Dragon, walking straight into the depths of the mountains.

Canghai Jun was happy with this and didn't make a fool of himself.

It's well-known that the Demonic Prince is an aloof person. There's no need to interact with him too much; all people of the Demonic Dao are lunatics.

The two only briefly crossed paths, and the Demonic Prince continued deeper.

When he finally reached the summit of Mount Yao, he saw a handsome young musician talking with a middle-aged man.

The young musician was gentle and refined, while the middle-aged man exuded majesty, with Dragon horns on his head.

This was Canghai Jun's father, one of the current Dragon Kings among the True Dragons, practicing the Dao of Heaven’s Evolution.

"Greetings to both Seniors," the Demonic Prince said, neither humble nor arrogant, bowing.

Even in front of two Second Rank beings, he didn't show anything special.

Since the other party didn't use any pressure to intimidate him, it meant there was no hostility. If so, why should he be scared?

"The Heavenly Demon sent you? Say whatever you have to say, no need to be evasive," Changqin nodded, not exchanging pleasantries with the Demonic Prince, and went straight to the point.

"Regarding your junior, Zhu Fengdan's Disciple, Li Qi, Li Qi recently refined a Fourth Rank Demonic Lord and repelled three others. What does Shaman Dao say about this matter? After all, Shaman Dao and the Demonic Dao still have an alliance. The Heavenly Demon wants to know your attitude," the Demonic Prince said.

The Heavenly Demon wants to know Prince Changqin's attitude?

This statement sounds unreliable.

But no matter what, it's clear that the Demonic Dao wants to use this matter to question Shaman Dao's view on it.

Li Qi trespassed into the Demonic Dao's territory, killed a Fourth Rank, and drove away three others. No matter how you look at it, it can't be considered a minor matter. Fourth Rank is already a substantial Rank. Although they can't easily manipulate reality like a Third Rank, they can no longer be casually toyed with, and it's also very difficult for them to be rewound or reshaped.

In other words, Fourth Rank beings are those who can perceive the truth of this war; they are core members who have truly touched the core truth of the world.

Below Seventh Rank are all children, minors.

Only at Fourth Rank and above are considered core members. This signifies that you can be entrusted with important tasks and that many confidential matters can be handed over to you.

It can be said that substantiality is a mark of independent autonomy within the major Dao Orthodoxy. This means that when faced with the manipulations of other higher beings, you at least have a certain degree of resistance and won't be completely unaware.

Prince Changqin pondered for a moment after hearing this, then replied, "So, what's the Heavenly Demon's view? Has Li Qi's matter affected our cooperation?"

Has Li Qi's matter affected cooperation?

This question was quite sharp.

Because, for the Demonic Dao, saying yes isn't good, and saying no seems a bit off. The answer to this question would reveal what the Heavenly Demon truly needed.

However... such cunning was unnecessary for the Heavenly Demon.

The Demonic Prince simply stated matter-of-factly, "The Heavenly Demon told me that I don't need to answer any of your questions, just get Shaman Dao's attitude."

In the Demonic Prince's tone, there was no excessive respect for Prince Changqin, because at this moment he represented the Heavenly Demon, and the Heavenly Demon did not need to respect Changqin.

"If you are unwilling to answer my questions, why should I answer yours?" Prince Changqin asked.

"Not answering is also fine. The Heavenly Demon said that not answering is also an attitude," the Demonic Prince said.

"What else did he tell you?" Prince Changqin did not answer directly but pressed further.

From the beginning of the exchange, both sides were only asking each other questions, without giving any direct answers.

This attitude was evident.

"In that case, I pretty much understand. Farewell," the Demonic Prince did not linger, turning to leave.

However, at this moment, Changqin suddenly spoke to stop him: "Don't be in such a hurry to leave. Stay and sit for a while."

The Demonic Prince turned back, not being polite, and simply sat down in a seat, sitting shoulder to shoulder with a Dragon King and a Grand Director of Music, completely unafraid.

"You're quite bold," the Dragon King commented.

"I represent the Heavenly Demon. You can't possibly harm me. Since I'm not in danger, why should I be afraid of danger?" the Demonic Prince replied.

"Mortals will be afraid when standing on the edge of a transparent cliff, even if they know they are not in danger and are protected, their legs will still tremble," the Dragon King said.

"I am not a Mortal," the Demonic Prince responded.

He firmly believed this.

He had never been a Mortal. From the moment of his birth, he was destined to be a high-ranking being. He feared nothing in the world. Even when he realized his insignificance during his weaker period, he never doubted his existence.

The Demonic Prince had never had any self-doubt. This could be called arrogance, or the overestimation of an ant, but it was undeniable that his stubbornness was among the foremost even within the Demonic Dao.

This stubbornness was also the root of his stable Demonic Dao cultivation.

In the Demonic Dao, you can do anything, except doubt yourself. When you question yourself, that's when the Demonic Dao begins to abandon you.

"...When you believe you are not, then you are not," the Dragon King threw out a thought-provoking remark, then looked at Changqin: "The matter of jointly dealing with Humanity has been discussed enough. Then I will take my leave and let you talk with the Demonic Dao."

The Dragon King stood up, preparing to leave.

However, as he was leaving, a thought suddenly seemed to strike him, and he looked at the Demonic Prince: "Boy, are you interested in fighting that good-for-nothing outside?"

"Canghai Jun? He's not my opponent," the Demonic Prince said.

"Oh... quite a big talk. He already possesses Fourth Rank characteristics," the Dragon King said.

"When he reaches Fourth Rank, I will come looking for him. Before that, don't rush, lest he can't even reach Fourth Rank," the Demonic Prince unceremoniously refused a Second Rank, and in an extremely contemptuous tone.

"Heh... interesting. All right, then I'll relay your exact words," the Dragon King turned his head, no longer getting overly involved.

Just getting the challenge was enough. Canghai Jun had been a bit too lax recently; it was time to whip him.

As for the consequences of being defeated or even killed by the Demonic Prince, the Dragon King didn't care at all.

The Dao of Heaven’s Evolution never feared competition. In fact, actively challenging was an acknowledgment of the Demonic Prince.

The Dragon King turned and left.

Soon after, a Dragon roar came from outside. Canghai Jun's body flew out, turning into a bolt of lightning that streaked across the sky, disappearing from this place.

Now, only the Grand Director of Music Changqin and the Demonic Prince remained.

"The person has left. Now we can speak more deeply, can't we?" Changqin said.

"No, what I just said was everything. The Heavenly Demon really only said that much," the Demonic Prince replied.

"No, no, no, I believe what the Heavenly Demon said is exactly as you stated, but we can speak more deeply," Changqin said.

The Demonic Prince sat up straight.