This manual called Di was originally a forbidden item within the sanctuary. Before the Cataclysm of the Demon Realm, Qin Zhanyu had quietly removed it from the Forbidden Chamber and placed it in the Pilgrimage Pavilion—her purpose being to have someone open it. Others might not have understood what it truly was, but Qin Zhanyu knew perfectly well: it was not a cultivation technique at all, but a seal—within it lay a projection of a divine being from the Divine Realm.
Yes, the Divine Realm: the highest and most mysterious of the Six Realms. Unlike the other five realms, all passages to the Divine Realm had long since been severed, so it was seldom mentioned—yet undeniably it existed. And divinity itself was likewise real; this projection was proof. Even so, do not underestimate so small a projection—one such as Qin Zhanyu, at the Demon Emperor Realm, might not be its match. Such a dangerous artifact had always been guarded carefully in the Forbidden Chamber.
At first, Qin Zhanyu believed it best that no one ever opened it. But as time passed, her curiosity grew: if the Demon Emperor Realm was already the strongest among demons, what heights would divine power reach? She longed to see what terrifying power this projection might wield. Thus she placed the manual in the Pilgrimage Hall and deliberately spread word that it contained boundless power to help a peak Immortal King–level demon forge his own Dao and ascend to the Demon Emperor Realm.
Sure enough, when the elders of the sanctuary heard this, they frenziedly completed every sanctuary task to earn contribution points and claim the manual for themselves. Qin Zhanyu also hoped they would take it away so she could witness the divine power firsthand. She had expected Elder Qiao Wensong to be the first—but fate is unpredictable. To her surprise, the first to claim it was a sheep demon, and not even of the sanctuary. That hardly mattered, though—whoever opened the manual was destined to die, and she would gladly watch divine power unleashed.
That was the true reason Qin Zhanyu did not stop Ye Yu. From her hidden vantage, she observed the projection’s brief appearance and was deeply shaken. Even a mere projection was far beyond the power of demon tribes. Astonishing indeed.
As Qin Zhanyu prepared to depart, a figure fell from the sky in a heavy descent, stirring endless dust—the newcomer was Nangong Jingtang. She frantically searched for Ye Yu but found nothing, then ran to Qin Zhanyu’s side and asked in a trembling voice, “Have you seen my husband? Tell me—have you?”
Qin Zhanyu’s eyes were as calm as still waters. She studied Nangong Jingtang up and down, then immediately recognized her true identity: the legendary great demon who had saved Chaos Demon City three hundred thousand years ago. Qin Zhanyu had read the records: the Peacock Clan’s Futian Rebirth Drum truly could resurrect demons—astonishing. Intrigued, she replied lightly, “The demon you seek has perished utterly. Before I arrived, I witnessed his fall.”
Those few words drained all strength from Nangong Jingtang. She staggered back. “Ye Yu is gone?” Without him, in this vast Demon Realm, she was entirely alone. The thought of living without him filled her with despair she could not bear. Weaker by the second, she swayed until Qin Zhanyu reached out and steadied her.
“Do not grieve too deeply. I have heard your Peacock Clan possesses the miraculous Futian Rebirth Drum, which can resurrect demons. If you can, then surely the demon you call Ye Yu can be revived.”
At these words, a spark of hope lit Nangong Jingtang’s eyes—but it quickly faded. “It’s useless. I survived only because I preserved a sliver of my soul, then spent hundreds of thousands of years rebuilding my power. Now I sense no trace of Ye Yu’s spirit. Even if I used the drum again, it would be pointless.”
Qin Zhanyu frowned. So a precondition was «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» needed—and the centuries required were vast. She immediately lost interest. Turning to leave, she tossed over her shoulder, “Your power is still too small. I wonder if the gods of the Divine Realm can truly resurrect a fallen demon?”
Nangong Jingtang shivered and looked back—but Qin Zhanyu had already vanished. In retrospect, the woman’s appearance had been uncanny: she knew Nangong Jingtang’s identity and arrived here faster, despite Nangong having been flung miles away by that sword light’s force. Clearly Qin Zhanyu was more powerful. A Demon Emperor, perhaps?
In truth, whether she was a Demon Emperor mattered less than her final words: “The gods of the Divine Realm?” Perhaps they truly possessed the power to resurrect demons.
Now, believing it a last hope, Nangong Jingtang clung to that possibility like a lifeline, never to let go. In the days that followed, she scoured every ancient text concerning the Divine Realm—but such records were vanishingly rare. Until one day, Nangong Jingtang encountered Yue Wanqiu again. When the two women met once more, the air between them turned even more chilling.
