Chapter 1308 - Descendant
Hearing this answer, Ye Qingyu was flabbergasted despite having prepared himself mentally long beforehand.
It's Ye Chongsheng indeed.
Looks like my earlier guess was right.
Everything in the Black Demon Abyss was created by Ye Chongsheng.
It was he who engraved the embryonic form of the mysterious rune technique of the one hundred eight ancient characters on the densely-arranged tombstones. By now, Ye Qingyu could basically conclude that the formations were the idea of Ye Chongsheng alone. This was because the black veins on the black tombstones gave a complete account of the entire process of the mysterious formation technique of the one hundred eight ancient characters from embryonic form to perfection. It was imaginable that, back then, Ye Chongsheng had tirelessly carved on the tombstones and eventually developed the complete mysterious formation technique of the one hundred eight ancient characters.
This proved that Ye Chongsheng was a mysterious formation technique expert.
It was thanks to him that the odd-shaped skeletons were suppressed and the ruined city of the former Divine Light Court was turned into the 18th district of the Black Demon Abyss... Most evidently, throughout his secretive yet legendary life, he did way more things than the Six Divine Generals and the spirit monkey battle companion Sun Wukong who had assisted him.
After briefly muttering to himself, Ye Qingyu asked, "In that case, the Black Demon Race and this oddball called Ye Chongsheng should go way back. I wonder if you have more detailed records and descriptions of this oddball?"
The contemporary Black Demon Emperor shook his head. "This is all I know. The current records only mention a few things about his life in extremely crude fashion. There are no hints regarding where he came from and where he went..."
Ye Qingyu was rather disappointed upon hearing this.
However, he was certain that the Emperor was not hiding anything. One reason was that the Emperor had neither the courage nor need to hide anything, while the other reason was the fact that the 18th district of the Black Demon Abyss had never been under the control of the Black Demon Race, or otherwise, the Little Princess would not have had to pass through the life gate to enter it back then, and even nearly ran into a mishap in there.
By connecting the descriptions of Ye Chongsheng that he obtained from the words of Divine Generals Zhi and Jue and the contemporary Black Demon Emperor to the Ye clan's palace, the mysterious ruins of the ancient city, and more, he became completely aware that Ye Chongsheng was probably hiding secrets regarding the rise and fall of the entire Vast Thousand Domains and the Dark Realm's formation martial civilization, and also regarding how to pull through the calamity of civilization reincarnation. However, all of the clues were incomplete, causing him to become increasingly interested in Ye Chongsheng, like an unbearable itch that he could never scratch away.
Looks like I won't be able to get detailed enough clues from the Black Demon Race.
He was about to leave.
Just then, as if recalling something, the Little Princess opened her mouth and reminded, "Father Emperor, you forgot about a place. The labyrinth might have records of Oddball Ye."
Labyrinth?
Could this be an important place of the Black Demon Race?
Ye Qingyu looked at the Black Demon Emperor.
The latter was taken aback upon hearing this, revealing a look of contemplation before finally nodding his head and explaining, "My little girl has reminded me indeed. The labyrinth is a private palace built by an ancestral Black Demon Emperor. Ever since he passed away, this palace has only been opened once every hundred years. As for what it contains, we aren't very sure either. That's because this labyrinth is far too dangerous, such that even Emperors of our race aren't able to go in at will. Each time it opens, Emperors of our race will enter its outer layer to offer sacrifices to and worship our ancestors. Legend has it that its depths contain the True Will passed on by our ancestral Black Demon Emperors, as well as books from ancient times. By now, these secret books have become covered in dust and darkness, and haven't been flipped through by us descendants for a long time. I dare not confirm whether they really contain records of that oddball Ye Chongsheng."
Hearing this, a sense of expectation arose in Ye Qingyu's heart.
Since the labyrinth is related to the Black Demon Emperors and is so mysterious and ancient, it might indeed have answers.
"I wonder, will you allow me to enter the labyrinth to take a look?" He asked and then added, "I don't wish to be imposing, but this oddball called Ye Chongsheng has great implications for the entire Vast Thousand Domains. I'm willing to compensate the Black Demon Race if you allow me to enter and take a look. Also, I won't tell any outsider about what's inside."
Since it was a place of sacrifice for the Black Demon Race, it was likely to be a forbidden area that was considered most sacred by them and that was barred to foreigners. This was why Ye Qingyu mentioned compensation.
Guffawing, the Black Demon Emperor said most openly, "Your Highness, what are you talking about? There's definitely no problem if you want to take a look. However, the labyrinth only opens once every hundred years, and today's not a day of opening. You'll have to find your own way in."
Ye Qingyu nodded and acknowledged, "Thank you so much."
Subsequently, led by the Black Demon Emperor and his entourage, Ye Qingyu passed through dozens of sentry posts and checkpoints of the Black Demon Race. Along the way, he could not help sighing inwardly. After all, as a contemporary imperial race, the Black Demon Race's foundations were not to be underestimated. After fifteen minutes or so, the entourage arrived before the so-called labyrinth.
Raising his head and looking, a hint of astonishment flashed across his eyes.
This was because he discovered that the so-called labyrinth was exactly identical in style to the central divine temple he saw in the ruins of the ancient Fiendgod City. Even the two enormous sword-holding divine statues, which were taller than the palace itself, standing erect at the main entrance of the labyrinth had the appearance of the Divine Light Emperor, looking true to life.
Seeing that Ye Qingyu was examining the labyrinth with an astonished look in his eyes, the Black Demon Emperor thought that the former was surprised by the magnificent yet simple style of the labyrinth. "An ancestor of our race once said that this palace could be the only ancient-style building from the Fiendgod Age that was preserved intact. In particular, these two statues at the entrance are said to be modelled after someone, a being that ruled the world before the Fiendgod Age."
Ye Qingyu nodded without saying anything.
It was highly evident that the Black Demon Race did not know who the divine statues were of, and neither did they know about the Divine Light Emperor, who once stood at the pinnacle of the martial way of the entire world and was unrivalled for tens of millions of years.
Ascending the steps, Ye Qingyu arrived before the doors of the labyrinth.
He felt a strange aura.
There seemed to be something peculiar in this labyrinth that was silently calling him.
He felt slightly shocked when his eyes fell upon the doors of the labyrinth.
This was because at the seam between the two black doors was an odd-shaped dent of two meters in length and half a meter in width. It was not hard to see that this dent was in the shape of a key. Moreover, the profile of the key teeth and the shape of the dent were identical to that of the key he obtained from the abandoned divine temple of strange altars in the 18th district of the ancient Fiendgod City.
"Could it be that these doors can be opened using that key?"
Feeling a jolt in his heart, he decided to give it a try.
Walking up to the doors, he grabbed at the void with one hand and pulled out a key from among the faint glimmer.
Behind him, the Black Demon Emperor's countenance changed when he saw the key. He looked at Ye Qingyu with an incredulous expression and exclaimed in a quivering voice, "Your Highness, is this... the Labyrinth Key? You actually have the Labyrinth Key?"
Ye Qingyu never had any intention of hiding this from the Black Demon Race. Although the key was in his hand, this labyrinth was the Black Demon Race's place of ancestral sacrifice after all. Turning around, he looked at the shocked and agitated Emperor and asked, "Labyrinth Key? You know about this key?"
The latter nodded repeatedly and said eagerly, "An ancestor of our race once said that while the labyrinth has a key, Ye Chongsheng took it away when he left. This is why our race has been unable to enter. There's a prophecy that Ye Chongsheng's descendant will return with the key, and, when that time comes, the true secrets and treasures in the labyrinth would see the light of day once again. Also, the labyrinth will thereafter truly belong to the Black Demon Race. All these years, we've always been waiting for Oddball Ye's descendant to come forth with this key, until today... Your Highness, are you Oddball Ye's descendant?"
Ye Chongsheng's descendant?
Ye Qingyu shook his head. "I only obtained this key by coincidence, and only took it out because I felt that the key mark on the doors was familiar..." As he spoke, his heart abruptly twitched. Seemingly realizing something, he did not say anything further.
Could it be that all of this was Ye Chongsheng's plan?
Perhaps he had long calculated that this key would fall into my hands?
Do I actually count as a "descendant"?
Hearing this, the Black Demon Emperor was not too disappointed. "With the Labyrinth Key, you can certainly open the labyrinth. Go ahead, Your Highness."
Nodding, Ye Qingyu did a brief examination before he placed the key into the mark on the doors.
Click!
The key embedded perfectly.
As a mechanical sound rang out, some mechanisms inside the doors interlocked. Subsequently, the key fitted perfectly with the doors, causing all of the seams to disappear. The doors then gave off a soft and milk-white brilliance that shone upon Ye Qingyu's body, eventually turning into a silver starlight-like glow that suspended above his head.
He reached a hand out and pushed the doors.
They opened with a loud bang.
Ye Qingyu walked toward the interior of the labyrinth.
After walking a few steps, he turned around to look at the Black Demon Emperor and the others, and realized that they were still waiting patiently at the bottom of the stone steps, with no intention of following him. He asked in surprise, "Your Highness, are you not going to follow me in?"
The Emperor shook his head. "The labyrinth contains secrets of Oddball Ye. In heeding our ancestors' advice, we cannot enter. It won't be too late for us to enter after you've found the answers you need, Your Highness."
Hearing this, Ye Qingyu was briefly taken aback before he nodded his head and turned around to walk toward the depths of the labyrinth.
The starlight glow continued to suspend above his head, chasing away the darkness in the labyrinth.
For some reason, he suddenly felt an unprecedented nervousness.
A feeling like that of blood connection calling out from the depths of the labyrinth.
He had a premonition that the answer to a huge secret was waiting for him ahead.
That this answer would be revealed as soon as he entered the depths of the labyrinth.
However, he suddenly felt a little hesitant at this time.