Supreme Emptiness

The Grand Hall.

The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master dismissed the attendants.

Only the four of them remained.

"Your Highnesses, both Princesses, it's been a hard journey for you coming from afar."

"Jiang Fan, serve the tea."

Jiang Fan nodded and first handed a cup of tea to the Princess of the South Sea.

Was it just his imagination?

He felt that the Princess of the South Sea's gaze at him always carried an air of appraisal.

Hidden within, there seemed to be a hint of a faint smile.

But when he handed the tea to the Third Princess of the East Sea...

That gaze openly swept him up and down.

She nodded slightly and said, "Handsome appearance, bright eyes, truly outstanding."

"But your cultivation is still lacking—if you could ascend two more levels, you'd be perfect."

The Demon Emperor of the South Sea nodded faintly, "Hmm, I also think he's excellent in many aspects."

"Just a little short in cultivation."

The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master felt puzzled.

These two Great Demon Emperors—why weren't they discussing proper matters but were instead evaluating Jiang Fan so critically?

Hearing their dissatisfaction with Jiang Fan's cultivation,

The Pavilion Master naturally wanted to defend Jiang Fan. Chuckling lightly, he said:

"You may not be aware."

"Jiang Fan was not raised and nurtured within the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion but came up step by step from an inconspicuous place."

"Limited resources have made his progress slightly slower."

"Had he grown up in my pavilion, he would probably have already reached the Ninth Layer of Core Formation Perfection."

The Demon Emperor of the East Sea raised her brows slightly: "Is that true?"

The Pavilion Master took the tea Jiang Fan handed him with a proud expression.

"You've arrived a bit late."

"The Dharma Seal Vajra just left recently."

"Before departing, he couldn't stop thinking about this disciple of mine and even wanted to bring him back to the White Horse Temple."

Huh?

The Demon Emperor of the East Sea's eyes lit up with surprise: "Are you saying that Jiang Fan is on the Dharma Seal Vajra's conversion list?"

The Demon Emperor of the South Sea gently patted her arm, lowering her voice:

"That's excellent!"

"Truly excellent!"

"Everyone on the Dharma Seal Vajra's conversion list is a top talent, no doubt about it."

The Demon Emperor of the East Sea showed a satisfied expression: "Sounds like considerable potential."

"But he's too young and needs much more tempering."

The Pavilion Master once again displayed a touch of pride:

"Your Highnesses, do you know about the recent situation in the underground world of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"

The Demon Emperor of the East Sea's gaze flickered as she tactfully said:

"I've heard it's much more peaceful than before; the disciples can come and go safely—quite good."

Jiang Fan silently praised this faux princess's skill with words.

To describe having "nothing at all" so elegantly.

The Pavilion Master wore a slightly embarrassed expression: "It's no joke to say."

"In the past ten years, if our disciples could gain even a hundred merits, it was already quite good."

"The situation has been worsening year after year."

These words left the Demon Emperor of the East Sea and the Demon Emperor of the South Sea at a loss for how to respond.

The situation at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion truly wasn't looking great.

However, the Pavilion Master then revealed a smile:

"But, as a new disciple, Jiang Fan entered the underground world for the first time. He only spent a single day."

"Do you know how many merits he earned?"

The Pavilion Master held up eight fingers.

The Demon Emperor of the East Sea said: "Eighty?"

"That's pretty good adaptability."

The Pavilion Master shook his head.

Hmm?

The Demon Emperor of the East Sea raised her eyebrows slightly: "Eight hundred?"

"That's remarkable, far surpassing the senior disciples."

The South Sea Demon Emperor's gaze toward Jiang Fan also turned significantly brighter.

But unexpectedly,

The Pavilion Master still shook his head.

The Demon Emperor of the East Sea was stunned: "You can't possibly mean eight thousand?"

The Demon Emperor of the South Sea covered her small mouth, her face full of shock: "Seriously?"

This number was just too outrageous.

The Pavilion Master smiled but stayed silent.

The Demon Emperor of the East Sea's eyes began to glow.

A newcomer outshining the veterans a hundredfold.

This young man's capabilities were undoubtedly extraordinary.

Appearance, potential, and ability—all top-notch.

How could she not be satisfied?

Her gaze at Jiang Fan became affectionate:

"Where is your family located? Do your elders still live? How many siblings do you have?"

Eh?

Jiang Fan was puzzled.

How had the conversation drifted to his family?

He looked at the Pavilion Master in confusion, but the latter's gaze was flickering.

Suddenly, he understood the intentions of the two female Demon Emperors.

They were assessing a potential son-in-law!

For a moment, he didn't know whether to feel happy or troubled.

Happy because becoming the Sea Demon Clan's son-in-law could save him twenty years of effort.

Troubled because his fiancées and concubines were unlikely to gain the Sea Demon Clan's approval.

The Pavilion Master slightly regretted defending Jiang Fan earlier.

He coughed and said, "Jiang Fan, what are your thoughts on the Sea Demon Clan princesses?"

"In terms of marriage, I mean?"

Huh?

Jiang Fan blinked.

Marriage?

He looked at the two stunningly beautiful princesses before him.

"Do you mean… them?"

Pfft—

The Pavilion Master almost spat out the tea in his mouth. Hastily, he said:

"Not these two!"

"You really dare to think big, don't you?

Marrying a female Demon Emperor? Keep dreaming!"

But then again, he couldn't entirely blame Jiang Fan.

For one, the two Demon Emperors had come under the guise of princesses.

For another, royal women of the Sea Demon Clan possessed eternal youth and looked no different from young people.

Without even thinking, Jiang Fan responded: "I already have a family."

It wasn't a decision he needed to ponder.

Marriage with a major clan like the Sea Demon Clan would never tolerate their daughters being mistreated.

Besides, marrying the Third Princess of the East Sea—

spare him, please.

The intrigue was too deep for him to handle.

"You're already married?"

The Demon Emperor of the East Sea looked disappointed.

The Demon Emperor of the South Sea also shook her head faintly with a sigh.

The Sea Demon Clan, with its royal lineage, would never allow its Prince Consort to have outside domestic arrangements.

"A fine young man."

"As a token for our first meeting, here's a small gift for you."

Though the matchmaking failed, she still admired Jiang Fan's talent.

She handed Jiang Fan a crystal ball filled with bubbles.

"Do visit the East Sea sometime."

"Crack this crystal ball, and you can ride the bubbles to enter the seabed."

This was a priceless item, comparable to a Water-Repelling Pearl.

The difference was that a Water-Repelling Pearl could be reused, whereas the bubble was single-use.

"Thank you, Third Princess of the East Sea."

Jiang Fan accepted the bubble, still confused about what purpose the Third Princess had in summoning him.

In the hall.

After this episode, the Demon Emperor of the East Sea finally moved on to the main topic, adopting a serious tone:

"Pavilion Master, the reason why the Old Dream Demon Emperor and I declined your invitation earlier..."

"...was due to Sanqing Mountain spreading the word, forbidding our Sea Demon Clan from aiding your continent."

"Thus, we couldn't openly come."

"We could only resort to this subterfuge and secretly join forces to rush here."

The Pavilion Master suddenly understood but was still puzzled: "Sanqing Mountain and my Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion have no past grievances."

"Why are they targeting us?"

The Old Dream Demon Emperor sighed and said, "The issue lies with the Sky Demon Emperor."

"Last time when the Tiger Demon Emperor's mansion opened, Xuanyang from Sanqing Mountain brought his disciples and friends here."

"The Sky Demon Emperor acted overbearingly and stirred trouble with them."

"Now that the Hell Beast is wreaking havoc, Sanqing Mountain has seized this chance for revenge."

Understanding the cause,

the Pavilion Master slammed the table, eyes flashing with anger.

"That Sky Demon Emperor!"

"Does he really think our continent is still what it once was?"

In the past, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had Nascent Soul Middle Late Stage experts, while the Demon Race had the Tiger Demon Emperor to guard them.

People from Taicang State naturally didn't dare act recklessly.

But now, those days were long gone.

The Sky Demon Emperor thought himself untouchable as the local tyrant.

And now, when problems arose, others were taking advantage of the situation to kick them while they were down.

The Demon Emperor of the East Sea waved her hand: "Let's not dwell on such discouraging topics."

"Once the Hell Beast finishes ravaging the continent, it will undoubtedly turn to the Vast Sea next—none of us will escape."

"Of the four major Sea Demon Clans' Demon Emperors, aside from the North Sea Demon Clan being tied down by an ongoing assault from mysterious creatures, leaving them unable to assist..."

"...the other three Demon Emperors are all here."

"The Demon Emperor of the West Sea should currently be on their way."

The Pavilion Master stood and bowed deeply in gratitude: "The righteousness of the three Demon Emperors is immeasurable!"

He had expected their absence to be due to avoiding harm to their roots.

To his surprise, their perspective was so grand.

The Demon Emperor of the East Sea waved her hand: "Mutual dependence in dire straits, that's all."

"Over the next few days, we'll stay at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion while waiting for the Demon Emperor of the West Sea."

"When the time comes, with all forces assembled, we'll confront the Hell Beast immediately!"

She paused, then said, "Additionally."

"We've already dispatched strong cultivators from the East and South Seas to investigate the Hell Beast's whereabouts."

"But your pavilion must act as well."

"From the reports we've received, this Hell Beast is exceptionally cunning and unpredictable."

"Our Sea Demon Clan's agents are ultimately limited in their ease of movement on the continent."

"So..."

The Pavilion Master said, "Rest assured."

"It is our duty to do our part."

"I'll issue tasks shortly, directing our disciples to patrol the borders between the Human Clan and the Demon Race."

The Demon Emperor of the East Sea nodded slightly.

She then seemed to recall something, her expression turning hesitant as she said, "Pavilion Master, I have an unpolished request."

"Could I borrow the site where you once underwent your tribulation?"