Chapter 2477: The Ocean Deity

“Several billion years?” Zu An was dumbstruck. Earth’s civilization only went back several thousand years, and the Cultivation World’s civilization went back only tens of thousands of years. Recorded history had started only several thousand years back.

While the existence of secret dungeons hinted at past civilizations, most people believed that they would only go back tens of thousands of years, or, at most, hundreds of thousands of years. Even the notion of several billion years sounded ridiculous.

“How do you know that?” Zu An asked out of curiosity.

Jing Teng looked dazed. “I don’t know either. The memory is just there. It popped out when I heard you talking about the Six Paths.”

Zu An remembered her original form had been the Demon-Suppressing Talisman, suppressing countless terrifying experts in that great tomb. Her background itself was already a mystery. He asked, “Were you suppressing experts from that epoch in that great tomb?”

Jing Teng shook her head. “I’m not sure either. My memory is incomplete. My head hurts...”

Zu An was shocked to see her clutch her head in pain and quickly embraced her. He infused a sliver of his ki into her, saying, “You don’t have to think about it if you can’t recall it.”

Jing Teng felt a little better as she turned her attention away from the matter, though she remained in a poor mental state.

Zu An knew she was injured to begin with, and she'd exerted the energy she had recovered with great difficulty to help him in the Tomb of Ten Thousand Dragons. That had left her in a feeble state. So, he shoved work aside and instead chatted with her about day-to-day affairs.

Jing Teng revealed a rare weak side, snuggling in his arms like a cat. The two of them didn’t do anything more intimate, but the warmth they shared was unprecedented.

Black Jing Teng screamed that it was a huge waste not to exploit this amazing atmosphere to try something.

Leave it to me if you’re feeling embarrassed.

But Jing Teng ignored her and continued lying lazily in her lover’s arms. Even though the two of them had often interacted intimately, she had never felt so close to him before. Under this extreme state of relaxation, she quickly drifted off to sleep.

Zu An carried her back to her room. He glanced at Qiu Honglei, who was sleeping on the neighboring bed. His mood felt exceptionally light.

Honglei has regained consciousness, I was able to get closer to Jing Teng, and the Hungry Ghost Path’s power insignia is now in my hands. Everything is progressing well.

He planned to stay with the two ladies a while longer, but he suddenly sensed something. He left the cave paradise inside the pendant and returned to his room on the Crystal Boat.

Light knocks came from his door. “Big brother, are you asleep?”

Zu An opened the door and looked at the slightly blushing woman outside. “Princess, do you need me for something?”

“I couldn’t sleep, so I came here for a chat. Is it convenient?”

The Peacock Princess was blushing furiously. It was unlike a demure lady to knock on a man’s door in the middle of the night, but ladies of the Fiend races had always been more daring, and she did have a lot of questions to ask him. That was why she'd mustered the courage to do this.

“Of course it is. Come in.” Zu An tilted his body to let her in.

The Peacock Princess noticed how he didn’t close the door after her and chuckled.

Big brother is such a gentleman.

“Big brother, can you tell me what happened in the last few days?” She looked at him with gleaming eyes. Zu An and the Mermaid Queen had mentioned bits and pieces, but she anxiously wanted to know more about him, especially details about that beautiful Asura woman.

I can’t know less than big sis queen.

Zu An told her everything, shocking the Peacock Princess. He then proceeded to ask about the Fiend races.

From her, he learned that when the monsters suddenly appeared, it was the Fiend Emperor who had assembled the Fiend races’ experts to fight back. But the huge disparity in their fighting prowess caused the Fiend races to suffer a series of tragic defeats, and their experts had died one after another. Even the Fiend Emperor had died in battle.

By now, the Fiend races had already lost all their experts from the previous generations. It was the younger ones who were holding the line.

Fortunately, the Fiend races had also been growing throughout the war, and they adapted to the monsters’ fighting style. The appearance of the Saintess and the monsters’ sudden decrease in aggression in recent years allowed them to catch their breath, and they occasionally managed to recoup lost territories.

“The monsters suddenly became less aggressive?” Zu An asked. “When did that happen?”

“It was after we lost our imperial court. It was a tragic battle. The Fiend Emperor refused to abandon our ancestral land and fought to the end. He died to the Lord of Slaughter,” the Peacock Princess said sorrowfully. “They got complacent after conquering our imperial court and killing the Fiend Emperor. Their attacks slowed down, and the Lord of Slaughter hasn’t appeared since. It has been the Monster Lord commanding the troops in his place.”

A thought surfaced in Zu An’s mind.

The Lord of Slaughter must have noticed the Fiend races’ imperial tomb and sensed that there was something more inside. He must be trying to find the Celestial Court, which is why he entrusted other tasks to the Monster Lord.

I don’t know whether he deciphered the Celestial Court’s secret, but his immersion in the investigation gave the Monster Lord a chance to usurp his power and eventually betray him...

Sounds suddenly came from the doorway. Zu An raised his head and saw the Mermaid Queen standing awkwardly outside. She was hesitant about whether to enter or not.

Being discovered by Zu An only made the Mermaid Queen feel even more awkward. “Did I come at a bad time?”

She was also suffering from insomnia, as she knew that the day of parting between Zu An and her was swiftly approaching; they were drawing closer to the Firecloud Cave. She didn’t want to waste any opportunities to interact with him. If possible, she wanted to stay by his side at all times. But she feared that if she approached him in the middle of the night, Zu An would misunderstand her as shameless.

While she was hesitating, however, she'd heard noises from the neighboring room. The Peacock Princess had gone to look for him.

Youngsters are so courageous. Maybe I’m thinking too much.

She was curious what the two of them were doing at this ungodly hour. The thought of a suave man and a beautiful woman sharing a room by themselves at night made her heart itchy, as if a kitten were clawing at it. Unable to bear her curiosity, she snuck over to check things out.

She hadn’t expected to get caught right away.

Zu An smiled. “You came at a good time. Come in and have a seat. I have some questions I’d like to ask you.”

The Mermaid Queen’s face heated up. She entered the room and took a seat.

The Peacock Princess felt a surge of envy.

Big sis queen’s gestures are so graceful and feminine. I wish I could learn her demeanor.

The Mermaid Queen was grateful for Zu An's thoughtfulness at dispelling her awkwardness. She asked gently, “What do you want to ask me?”

I’ll even tell you my three figures if you want.

“The Ocean races don’t seem to be affiliated with the Fiend races. How much do you know about the Ocean Deity your people worship?”

Zu An had always thought the Ocean races were one of the countless races under the Fiend races, just that they were a particularly powerful group. It was only upon coming to this world that he learned that they weren’t the same faction, and they'd even nearly become enemies.