Chapter 658

Chapter 658: Xuan Yu’s Heart Demon

Lu Chao Chao’s mouth split into a wide grin.

“So much, so much money…” With an excited cry, she dashed into the stone chamber, where the dazzling light nearly blinded her.

“All of it—food, spiritual rice, spiritual grains, spiritual wine…” She pounced forward, the rich aroma of the grains filling the air.

Array formations of spirit stones lined the floor, preserving the spiritual grains and rice for years without decay. They remained as fresh as the day they were harvested.

Fruits and pastries, gleaming with spiritual luster, exuded a tantalizing fragrance.

“Treasure, treasure!” Shan Shan wobbled over, grabbed a massive spirit fruit, and took a hearty bite.

Despite his baby teeth being incomplete, the fruit was crisp and sweet, making his little brows arch in delight.

“Shan Shan, aren’t I smart?” He stammered, looking immensely proud.

Lu Chao Chao nodded fervently, scooping him up and planting several kisses on his chubby cheeks. “Shan Shan, you’re amazing! Truly the most brilliant in the world! The Chosen One! The Chosen One!”

Unable to resist, she smacked another kiss on both sides of his face.

“I’m the best!” Hehe, though they had no idea which poor soul’s cave they had looted.

Not that Shan Shan cared—finders keepers!

“Move it all! Take everything!” Shan Shan pointed at the vast chamber.

“Empty it all!” The little one was bursting with excitement.

His big eyes sparkled with mischievous glee, wondering just how heartbroken the original owner would be.

Crushed! Completely crushed!

Lu Chao Chao’s heart pounded. She had never been this wealthy in her entire life! She would never be short on money again…

She swept all the spiritual treasures and gold into her spatial storage, leaving only the crops untouched.

But the mountain was enormous, and even after working all night, she and Shan Shan were still busy. The little one had his bottom up in the air, stuffing items into storage bags without pause.

“Stealing treasure, stealing treasure…” he muttered nonstop.

By the time dawn arrived, they had finally packed away all the valuables.

“The spiritual rice can relieve mortal droughts. We’ll leave it here for now and send people to retrieve it later.”

“The spiritual grains grow rapidly, maturing in two to three months. We’ll have them distributed shortly.”

“Shan Shan, you’ve done an incredible job this time. I’ll have every nation reward you—our Shan Shan is a great benefactor!” Lu Chao Chao’s eyes shone with admiration.

Shan Shan tilted his chin up, applauding himself with a smug grin.

“Of course! Shan Shan is the best!” He raised a thumb, proud as a rooster, puffing out his little chest.

Before leaving, Lu Chao Chao set up a formation to seal the chamber.

With Shan Shan in tow, she rushed back to the carriage and sped toward the city.

By the time they returned, Xie Yu Zhou was sprawled weakly in front of the posthouse, completely drained. His trembling hands barely held onto the wooden fish, his voice hoarse beyond words.

“All night… I chanted all night, walked all night…” His legs shook, his feet blistered and bloody.

Fortunately, the city remained peaceful throughout the night, without any unrest.

“You worked hard. Later, I’ll split the loot—uh, I mean, the earnings with you.” Lu Chao Chao finished her sentence quickly before rushing toward the palace.

Today’s imperial palace seemed different from before.

The palace attendants were visibly anxious but still respectfully welcomed her inside.

“Where is Xuan Ji Chuan?” she asked.

Hearing her address the emperor so directly, the servants immediately fell to their knees in terror. A pale-faced eunuch stammered, “His Majesty is handling state affairs. Princess, please wait…”

Lu Chao Chao stood up. “Where is he? I’ll find him myself.”

Strange. She had only asked a question—why were the palace attendants trembling?

Had something happened to Xuan Ji Chuan?

The eunuch’s face twisted in distress. “His Majesty forbade us from speaking…”

“As long as I will it, no one will dare to harm you! Speak!” Lu Chao Chao had never troubled palace servants and was willing to vouch for him.

Understanding her importance to the emperor, the eunuch hesitated before gritting his teeth. “Princess, please follow me.”

The eunuch led her through the palace corridors, finally stopping before a heavily guarded hall.

Dark-clad cultivators patrolled both inside and outside. Upon seeing Lu Chao Chao, their eyes softened slightly.

“We cannot stop you, Princess. If you wish to see for yourself, go ahead. Normally, His Majesty recovers after a single night, but today… he has yet to emerge.” The eunuch’s face was pale, his voice hushed.

A silent figure stepped forward. “But he cannot enter.” He pointed at Windchaser.

Windchaser exuded an undeniable demonic aura.

“Fine.” Before Windchaser could speak, Lu Chao Chao agreed.

Windchaser remained outside, sword in hand, standing watch coldly.

Inside, darkness reigned, not a single trace of light.

She passed through several intricate mechanisms before reaching the deepest chamber.

A chilling, eerie presence filled the air, with faint rattling chains echoing through the room.

Lu Chao Chao’s pupils dilated at the sight before her.

The unassailable emperor, Xuan Ji Chuan, was bound at the wrists and ankles with chains as thick as an arm. A cage surrounded him, sealing him within.

His gaze lifted.

His blood-red eyes bore raw, undisguised killing intent.

He smirked slightly, exuding an aura of wild arrogance and malice. At that moment, he was utterly unlike the Xuan Ji Chuan she knew.

The sight made Lu Chao Chao instinctively step back, a strange sense of familiarity creeping over her.

“A heart demon’s aura…” she murmured. How odd—there was an unmistakable trace of heart demon energy emanating from him.

But he was just a mortal!

She froze, her mind suddenly recalling a figure.

Her disciple—Xuan Yu.

She had seven disciples, but Xuan Yu had always been different.

The rest had been raised on the mountain from childhood, seeing Lu Chao Chao as both a master and a motherly figure, treating her with reverence…

But Xuan Yu was not like them.

She had rescued him during her travels. He was originally recuperating in Sword Sect, but he insisted on repaying the favor, frequently bringing snacks to Without Folly Mountain.

By the time she officially took him in, he was already eighteen or nineteen—far past the best age for cultivation.

Yet, he was the most diligent disciple in the entire sect.

Impressed by his dedication and natural talent, she personally guided him.

Over time, she noticed something unsettling.

Xuan Yu’s gaze toward her became intense, fervent… even unsettling. A heart demon began to fester within him.

She had once considered expelling him from the sect.

But Xuan Yu soon suppressed the heart demon, returning to Without Folly Mountain with a peaceful demeanor. Even the Heart Inquiry Stone confirmed his sincerity. Seeing this, Lu Chao Chao let it go.

Later, in his sacrifice to save the world, her disciples ascended to godhood.

Soon after, rumors spread that the Dark God, Xuan Yu, had betrayed the Celestial Realm, forming his own dominion in the Fiend Realm.

A deity-turned-sovereign of the demonic realm.

Back in the Southern Kingdom, she had once summoned Xuan Yu.

At the time, he was composed, appearing no different from her other disciples.

But now…

She inwardly cursed.

That scoundrel Xuan Yu had extracted his heart demon and released it into the mortal world.

Lu Chao Chao gritted her teeth and finally admitted…

Xuan Ji Chuan was Xuan Yu’s heart demon!