The empty palace was observed by Zhuo Ran, who lost herself in thought for a moment.
She was back.
She pushed herself up, the cup on her body falling with a clatter. Immediately, a respectful voice from outside could be heard.
"Esteemed Master, do you require your subordinate to enter?"
Zhuo Ran kicked the cup away, her gaze sweeping across the interior. It was as if nothing had changed. She called out loudly, "Enter."
The person from outside walked in and stood respectfully. "What are Esteemed Master's commands?"
"How long has it been?"
The attendant paused, then hesitantly replied, "Eleven thousand years and four months."
Four months.
It had only been a month since she was taken away by 007.
Truly miraculous.
"Has anything happened during this period?"
"All is peaceful in the Demon Realm."
The Demon Realm and the Celestial Realm had been sealed off by her ten thousand years ago, preventing any interaction, so they had no knowledge of external affairs.
Zhuo Ran rubbed her brow, where a divine bird with wings spread, in gold and red, subtly shimmered with a flowing light.
"Never mind, you may go."
"...Yes."
This master spent her days indulging in pleasure and ignorance of worldly affairs; they were all accustomed to it.
After dismissing the attendant, Zhuo Ran looked around again. However, since nothing had happened for tens of thousands of years, they wouldn't have caused any major disturbances in just over a month.
Thinking of the purpose of her return this time, Zhuo Ran slowly walked towards the exit.
The Demon Palace stood in the extreme north of the Demon Realm. Outside the barrier, snow fell everywhere, a measure she had personally set in place to prevent contact between the two realms.
"Esteemed Master."
Along the way, guards bowed to her, but she paid them no mind. Soon, she stepped beyond the barrier. Frost and wind rushed towards her. An invisible barrier rose around her, keeping the icy winds and snow at bay. She walked step by step towards the north.
Further north from the extreme north was the boundary separating the two realms.
Gods and demons did not encroach upon each other, but she was an exception.
The Demon God, she was both demon and god.
***
Back then, the battle at the Peak of the Gods had caused heavy losses to both realms. She hadn't even returned to the Celestial Realm before giving everything to Rong Jin, vowing never to see her again. In the years since, lost in debauchery, she had never inquired about the Celestial Realm, nor did she know how many of those people from that time were still alive.
As a precaution, she sought out the one most likely to have survived.
The Hall of Fate.
The young immortal boy looked at the woman in red, exuding an imposing aura, and was momentarily stunned.
"Who are you? This is the domain of our Hall of Fate. Unauthorized entry is forbidden."
Zhuo Ran looked up at him, and the young immortal boy's gaze faltered.
"Where is Yao Zhu?"
"Adult... Adult is in the palace."
Zhuo Ran let him go and walked directly inside.
The Hall of Fate was where the lives and destinies of all beings in various realms were managed. The Chief Administrator, Yao Zhu, was a deity of tens of thousands of years and had a good relationship with her.
As soon as she stepped into the Hall of Fate, an aged voice drifted from afar. "I did not expect such a distinguished guest. Forgive my lack of proper reception, please punish this old one, Divine Venerable."
"I am no longer any Divine Venerable."
The old man with completely white hair did not argue. He stepped forward and performed a bow. After straightening up, he said, "It is all fate. Divine Venerable can evade for a time, but not forever. Otherwise, you would not be here today."
"What do you know?"
The old man shook his head. "All that this humble one knows was bestowed upon him by Divine Venerable. Therefore, regarding Divine Venerable's affairs, this humble one knows nothing."
Zhuo Ran continued walking inside. "Then I will ask about what you do know."
The old man followed closely. "Divine Venerable, please speak freely. This humble one will certainly reveal all that he knows."
Zhuo Ran spun around and sat on a wicker chair. Her aura shifted, and she asked sternly, "What is the meaning of Chong Yan?"
The old man started in surprise, then quickly calmed himself. "The Great Dao has fifty principles; Heaven's derivation accounts for forty-nine, and one escapes. Does Divine Venerable inquire about a person or a god?"
"What if it is a person? What if it is a god?"
"If it is a person, it means the ability to survive an impossible situation, to be resurrected from death, even if their soul is scattered, there is a glimmer of hope. If it is a god, they exist beyond the Heavenly Dao, not within the Five Elements, existing with Heaven and Earth, living as long as the sun and moon, immortal and undying."
As he said the latter part, his meaning was clearly implied.
Who said immortals wouldn't grow old and die? He was also a god. Despite having a lifespan of tens of thousands of years, he was now nearing his end. Yet, in the past ten thousand years, the person before him had not changed at all.
She was the true god.
Zhuo Ran was not concerned about this. "What about a demon?"
The old man became even calmer this time, a benevolent smile appearing on his face. "Divine Venerable may have forgotten, but all things in this world originate from the Peak of the Gods. All are gods. Demons are fallen gods, but still gods. Divine Venerable calls herself the Demon Lord, yet she is still a god."
This was fate.
"Then how did the Demon Realm come to be?"
The old man answered fluently, "Divine Venerable demarcated it."
Zhuo Ran fell silent for a long time.
She had forgotten many things, too many, to discern whether this person was speaking the truth or falsehood. Sudan Novels.
After a long while, she calmly asked the final question. "Where is Rong Jin?"
"She went to the lower realm a few days ago and has not returned."
"A few days ago?"
The old man replied matter-of-factly, "Around the same time Divine Venerable left the Celestial Realm."
Zhuo Ran: "..."