“This place might really be related to the Imperial Nether Clan,” muttered Xiang Shaoyun as he stared at the mountain ahead of him.
The yang devouring devil said, “Prince, c-can I leave now?”
The yang devouring devil was a fourth-stage Devil Emperor. He was absolutely not weak. However, in the third layer, his strength was really nothing special. Furthermore, they had entered the nether prison devil’s territory. This was a place filled with experts, and he did not dare to stay here for long.
“What’s the rush? The nether prison devils are already coming to us,” said Xiang Shaoyun nonchalantly.
“What? I’ll have to leave then!” The yang devouring devil was overwhelmed with fear and started fleeing.
But right this instant, devilish energy surged around them as dozens of devils appeared and surrounded them. A powerful attack streaked through the air toward the yang devouring devil and impaled him on a massive boulder. Devil blood bloomed on the stone and flowed down the boulder. With one attack, the yang devouring devil was killed. It was obvious how powerful the newcomers were.
Xiang Shaoyun was already on full alert, but not even that had allowed him to clearly see the approach of these nether prison devils. Each of them was dressed in odd armor and armed with a trident. They looked at Xiang Shaoyun with the three eyes each of them had. Some of them directly attacked.
Without any hesitation, Xiang Shaoyun activated the devil blood in his body. A thick devilish aura then spread out of him, enveloping him with a sinister aura that completely changed his bearing. At that, the attacking nether prison devils stopped. Their aura started dropping, and fear plastered their faces.
Finally, the leader stepped forth and asked in confusion, “W-which clan are you from?”
“What do you think?” Xiang Shaoyun asked indifferently as he released the Nether Soul Domain.
The Nether Soul Domain enveloped all the nether prison devils. Instantly, they started trembling as they knelt down and greeted, “Greetings, esteemed imperial nether.”
For these subsidiary clans, any Imperial Nether Clan member they met was akin to a true emperor. Cultivation level did not matter here as this was a suppression originating from their very bloodline.
This was quite similar to the demons, where a demon with a higher-tiered bloodline would suppress a demon with a lower-tiered bloodline. Before this, Xiang Shaoyun had no idea if this would work. He was betting on it working, and it seemed like he had made the right bet.
“This prince wishes to take a look at the site of my clan,” said Xiang Shaoyun loftily with both hands clasped behind his back.
He was filled with elation at the discovery that he could cause all the nether prison devils to kneel just by showing himself. This was a splendid sensation, causing him to feel like he had truly become a prince.
“We are only here to guard the site for the Imperial Nether Clan. The prince is naturally welcomed if he wishes to take a look,” said a nether prison devil deferentially.
“Good. Lead the way, then,” said Xiang Shaoyun.
And thus, Xiang Shaoyun followed the nether prison devils to the site. Along the way, many other nether prison devils joined the group. All of them first looked at Xiang Shaoyun with hostility, but after listening to what their leader had to say, they then greeted him deferentially.
By now, a slight trace of nervousness had already appeared in Xiang Shaoyun’s heart. There were too many nether prison devils present. Furthermore, all of them were extremely strong. He was afraid that not even his Nether Soul Domain would be enough to deal with the Devil Emperors, whose numbers had surpassed 100. Fortunately, not one of them had thought of making a move against him yet.
Soon, Xiang Shaoyun arrived before a towering mountain. When he lifted his head, he saw that halfway up the mountain was an odd massive building. It looked like a castle, yet it also looked much more unique than an ordinary castle.
He continued onward, and just as he was about to step into the castle, a scream rang out in the air. A nether prison devil that was about five or six meters tall holding a bone staff in hand blocked his path. This nether prison devil looked incredibly old, his skin filled with wrinkles. Numerous bones hung from his neck, and his person emanated a sinister aura at all times. His sharp gaze landed on Xiang Shaoyun, making Xiang Shaoyun feel like he had been stripped completely naked.
A massive pressure pressed down on Xiang Shaoyun, causing him to start suffocating. The nether prison devils in the surroundings all started speaking some devil language respectfully while greeting the old nether prison devil with an odd ceremony. Without a doubt, this nether prison devil had an extremely high status here.
Xiang Shaoyun could understand what they were saying, as the devil language was similar to the language used by the ghostrunes. This old nether prison devil was actually a high priest, a position equivalent to that of a patriarch. He was also the Sovereign Realm expert in charge of guarding the site.
“Everyone, leave,” said the old nether prison devil with a wave of his hand.
The other nether prison devils did as told and retreated respectfully. Xiang Shaoyun was still shrouded by a layer of devilish energy, emanating a sinister bearing that made him seem completely different from a human. Instead, he now looked like a true devil.
And yet, with a hoarse voice, the old nether prison devil said, “You have the body of a human. You are not an imperial nether prince!”
“Is that so?” Xiang Shaoyun answered and prepared to release his Nether Soul Domain. But before he could complete that action, a dreadful power enveloped his body, completely freezing his body and his mind.
“I know you are capable of releasing the Nether Soul Domain, but you are still a human,” said the old nether prison devil, his voice confident.
Damn it! Is this old fellow going to make a move against me? Xiang Shaoyun started getting anxious.
However, he still maintained a calm expression as he said, “That’s right, but you can’t deny that I still have the blood of the noble Imperial Nether Clan in my body. Are you intending to offend your superiors?”
He noiselessly stirred his bloodline power and circulated his devilish energy in his attempt to break free from the suppression of the old nether prison devil.
The old nether prison devil did not seem surprised. He merely sighed, “Looks like the Imperial Nether Clan has really settled down in the human world. Otherwise, how would a mixed-blood kid like you appear?”
“You know about the Imperial Nether Clan? Can you tell me more?” asked Xiang Shaoyun. For some reason, he had a feeling this old nether prison devil would not kill him.
“Talk as we walk,” said the old nether prison devil as he turned and started walking. Xiang Shaoyun quickly followed, as he really wanted to know more about the Imperial Nether Clan.
“Among us, the devils, are Four Paramount Devil Clans—the Undying Devil Clan, the Imperial Nether Clan, the Dark Devourer Clan, and the Diabolic Dragon Clan. They all reside across the seventh to the ninth layer and are the devils’ imperial clans. All devils are under their rule. Millions of years ago, a connection formed between the Devil Domain and the Nine Gods Dominion. The different races were unable to coexist, and thus, numerous wars erupted. Both sides had suffered disastrous losses during those wars. After seeing you, I am finally sure that the Imperial Nether Clan has silently settled in the Nine Gods Dominion. Haha, they are indeed worthy of being our imperial clan!” said the old nether prison devil with a fanatical look of admiration.
