The Jade-Faced Demon God had been hovering around the perimeter for several days, deliberating whether to visit the Evil Shadow Ancestor or not. The truth was, he desperately wanted to go.
But he remained wary that this might be a trap laid by Jiang Chen. Perhaps Jiang Chen didn't actually know where the Evil Shadow Ancestor was — otherwise, why hadn't he made any moves?
Or perhaps Jiang Chen was simply waiting for him to seek out the Evil Shadow Ancestor, and then following him straight to the old ancestor's location.
But now, among the Shadow Demon cultivators still active, he was the only one left. The rest of the Shadow Demon cultivators had lost contact with the outside world since the ancient era.
In truth, the Jade-Faced Demon God had no one to rely on anymore besides the Evil Shadow Ancestor. Could he perhaps go find the Yin Demon lineage instead?
"Yes — find the Yin Demon lineage!" A bold notion flashed through the Jade-Faced Demon God's mind. Divert trouble eastward, as the saying goes.
This vicious idea continued to ferment in the Jade-Faced Demon God's mind. Upon careful consideration, he realized the plan was actually quite excellent.
He would redirect Jiang Chen and his forces toward the Yin Demon lineage's Stone Fiend Ancestor. That way, even if Jiang Chen decided to strike, it would be the Stone Fiend Ancestor he went after.
The demon race did not permit internal conflict, much less the betrayal of fellow clansmen. But scheming against one another among the demon clans was, in reality, far from uncommon.
Before long, the Jade-Faced Demon God had found a justification for his actions — he was merely going to find You Lan, not betray the demon race.
The Shadow Demon lineage did indeed possess a remarkable innate talent for tracking people.
Two days later, the Jade-Faced Demon God had located You Lan. The last time, You Lan had heeded Ci Feng's words and summoned a horde of wraiths to besiege two formation cores.
Not only had the plan failed to produce any results, but more than half of the wraiths had been annihilated by the enemy. This had left You Lan severely depleted, forcing him to spend several days recuperating.
A bitter resentment had been festering in his heart. He thought the Shadow Demon cultivators were truly despicable. But after he had recovered and quietly inquired about the situation, he learned that the Shadow Demon lineage had been completely wiped out.
The revelation sent waves of lingering fear through You Lan.
Thankfully, his assigned task had been to harass two other formation cores. If he had gone along with Ci Feng and the others, wouldn't he have walked straight into a death trap?
You Lan was still shaken by the close call, and his wariness of Jiang Chen had only deepened.
Now, upon seeing the Jade-Faced Demon God, You Lan's first thought was that the figure before him was an impostor.
"Brother You Lan, please hear me out. I swear upon the Supreme God of the demon race — I am the genuine article." The Jade-Faced Demon God feared You Lan would simply turn and leave.
You Lan studied him for a long moment, and the two mutually verified each other's bloodline to confirm that this was indeed the real Jade-Faced Demon God. Only then did You Lan relax slightly.
On the surface, however, You Lan maintained an expression of cool indifference.
Clearly, he had no desire to be seen too close to anyone from the Shadow Demon lineage at a time like this.
"Brother You Lan, why must you keep everyone at arm's length? We are both children of the demon race. Though we belong to different lineages, we share the same origins, don't we?"
The Jade-Faced Demon God wore a look of wounded innocence, his tone deliberately aggrieved.
You Lan snorted coldly. "I told you from the start that your plan was far too reckless. That stubborn fool Ci Feng refused to listen, and now look what happened — dead and gone, isn't he?"
The Jade-Faced Demon God sighed. "There's no need to salt the wound. Brother You Lan, the truth is we still have a chance to turn things around — don't you think?"
You Lan's response was nothing but a cold laugh. "Turn things around? Go turn things around yourself. Don't drag me into it. I'm not interested."