Over the years, they had lain dormant, avoiding the pursuit of the Righteous Gods. They didn’t even dare to launch surprise attacks on their cities, knowing that leaving any trace behind would mean a grisly death. They no longer had the strength to resist the Evil You Ancestor.
"I am Crownless God Monarch!"
"I am Absolute Cold God Monarch!"
"We pay our respects to you, Senior!" the two said respectfully.
The Undying Phoenix looked at them with interest. "So, you are the descendants of the Evil God’s lineage! When I roamed the Divine Domain, you two were probably just obscure jesters!"
The two remained calm. "In your presence, Senior, we would not even qualify as jesters."
"Smooth talkers. But being eloquent doesn’t mean you can leave here alive."
The Undying Phoenix unleashed two blasts of power. The men’s expressions changed as they were sent flying by the force, each coughing up a mouthful of blood.
The Undying Phoenix glared at their pale faces and scolded angrily, "You didn’t even fight back? What is the meaning of this? Do you look down on my strength?"
Crownless God Monarch quickly explained, "In your presence, Senior, we knew any resistance would be a futile struggle. Besides, you clearly had no intention of killing us. Had we resisted, it would have been a grave sign of disrespect!"
The Undying Phoenix regarded them coldly and cut to the chase. "Speak! What is the purpose of your visit?" she demanded. "I heard that four of the six Divine Monarchs have been slain, leaving only the two of you struggling to survive and evade the pursuit of the Righteous Divine Lineage!"
The words were harsh. Just as Absolute Cold God Monarch was about to retort, he was stopped by Crownless God Monarch, who spoke with a pleasant smile. "You are correct, Senior. Our troubles aren’t worth mentioning. We came today seeking to pledge our allegiance to you! From now on, the entire Evil God lineage, including the two of us, will follow your lead!"
"So, you wish to pledge your loyalty to me! But what makes you think I would take you in? Now that I have revived, I can dominate the Divine Domain on my own, without a rival! I’ve heard there is a so-called strongest expert on the side of the Righteous Gods, the Evil You Ancestor. I’m quite eager to fight him and see who is stronger!" the Undying Phoenix said coldly, her unparalleled pride and arrogance on full display.
"I believe the two of us still have value to you, Senior," Crownless God Monarch said. "As for the Evil You Ancestor... we know just how strong he is."
"Then tell me, who is stronger, him or me?" the Undying Phoenix asked.
"He is, of course, stronger," Crownless God Monarch stated.
"Say that again?"
Instantly, the atmosphere changed. The previous air of pride vanished, replaced by a palpable killing intent. The Undying Phoenix’s expression turned grim. One more wrong word, and a cataclysmic battle would surely erupt.
Yet, Crownless God Monarch showed no fear. "Senior, please allow me to explain!"
"Fine. Go on," the Undying Phoenix said coldly. "But if your answer doesn’t satisfy me, you will die a miserable death tonight."
"After all, he is an otherworldly evil being who knows much about the laws of the Great Thousand World," Crownless God Monarch began. "Plus, he belongs to the Evil Clan, which is considered a powerful race in the Great Thousand World. However, if you, Senior, were to travel the Great Thousand World for a time, you would undoubtedly become stronger than him! If you hadn’t suffered such a grievous injury in the past, he wouldn’t even be worthy of carrying your shoes!"
Crownless God Monarch’s tone was passionate. Beside him, Absolute Cold God Monarch was sweating bullets. If his companion had misspoken just now, all their efforts today would have been for naught.
The Undying Phoenix’s expression softened. "That’s right. If I hadn’t been so heavily injured back then, what would he amount to compared to me? Your analysis is quite sound," she said. "However, if even I am no match for him, what use is it for you to come to me?"
"Senior, as long as we can subdue one person, the Evil You Ancestor will be no threat!" Crownless God Monarch said.
"One person?" the Undying Phoenix asked curiously.
"This person is the King of Heaven, Master of the Righteous Gods—the Martial Artist who fused with Divine Dragon Essence Blood!"
"Then why didn’t you subdue him yourselves?" the Undying Phoenix demanded coldly.
"To be frank, Senior, it is because only you can deal with him! And his relationship with the Seven-Colored Demon Empress..."
Crownless God Monarch trailed off, but the Undying Phoenix already understood.
"So, it’s him," she said, her voice turning frigid. "The one with the Divine Dragon Essence Blood. Its essence is indeed the same as the blood from my healing. I was just fretting about not being able to find him! To think it would be such a coincidence... I need to find him too! Oh, I miss him dearly."
Her tone became terrifyingly boundless. Crownless God Monarch and Absolute Cold God Monarch inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Their objective had been achieved, and there was no need to say more.
"I never expected that little bastard to be the one you’re looking for, Senior," Crownless God Monarch added. "What a coincidence! As long as we kill him, the Evil You Ancestor will be no match for us! Even if he is strong, we’ll have our chance to finally kill him!"
At the mention of the Evil You Ancestor, the two Divine Monarchs seethed with rage. The man had slain three of their brethren, making him their irreconcilable enemy.
"Why is that?" the Undying Phoenix asked. "Does that boy control some secret of the Evil You Ancestor’s? Since you’ve sworn allegiance to me, prove your worth."
The Crownless God Monarch hadn’t intended to reveal this secret, but the Undying Phoenix’s cunning was beyond his expectations. He had assumed she was merely an arrogant fool, not someone so shrewd.
"It’s because the boy possesses a Divine Talisman," he said. "To the Martial Artists of our Divine Domain, it is useless. But the Divine Talisman is a Divine Artifact that counters the Outer Realm Evil Clan. As long as we can master it, the entire Evil Clan, no matter how powerful, will grovel at our feet!"
"Good. I have already imprisoned the Seven-Colored Demon Empress and am just waiting for that boy to come to me. Now, tell me, how can you be so sure he possesses a Divine Talisman?"
"It is a matter of some shame," Crownless God Monarch said with a sigh. "My beloved disciple, Qiu Ji, sacrificed her own body to uncover that boy’s secrets and obtain this vital information. But the incident also traumatized her, mentally and physically. She left to travel far away, all alone, and we have had no news of her since. Perhaps she will return one day."
They truly didn’t know why Qiu Ji had suddenly departed, abandoning her mission against Ye Fan to journey alone. She had left them with a mess, but she had also given them this crucial piece of intelligence. In truth, Qiu Ji didn’t want to be enemies with Ye Fan, nor with the Divine Monarchs who had raised her, so she had chosen to walk her own path. They had no idea where she was now.
"If that boy doesn’t have a Divine Talisman," the Undying Phoenix declared, her voice laced with boundless killing intent, "then I will take your lives as compensation!"
"If I have told a single lie, then please, Senior, take my head!" Crownless God Monarch swore.
"Very well. Remember your words," the Undying Phoenix said coldly. She then added, "That boy is deeply devoted to my disciple. I believe he will come for her soon. You two will stay here on Demon Mountain for now. We will join forces and kill him when he arrives."
"Yes, Senior," the two Divine Monarchs replied respectfully.
Once, they were high and mighty Divine Monarchs. Now, they were merely insignificant pawns. Even with their titles, they were still completely under the control of the Undying Phoenix.