Little Black only then noticed the disheveled state of the other three Demon Kings. He asked in disbelief, "Father, you defeated them all?"
"Mhm."
Chen Xiao nodded and admitted.
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Little Black trembled with excitement.
As expected of Father, he was truly too strong!
"Hey, King Xu Ying, didn't you say you and King Golden Lion were invincible together, that even the Demon Venerable could only fight you to a draw? How does it feel now?"
Little Black asked mockingly, his tone laced with provocation.
King Xu Ying's lips twitched. Although he felt indignant, he had no rebuttal.
Finally, he said, "Mr. Chen has passed the test. It's getting late, let's go see the Demon Venerable."
Chen Xiao's eyes narrowed slightly. This test was indeed set by the Demon Venerable.
After King Xu Ying silently recited something, the formation patterns on the stone wall began to flash with a cyan light again.
The blue light continuously spread, eventually forming a blue gate, four to five meters long, with flowing light.
"Mr. Chen, please. This is our demon race's sacred land, the Qingqiu Secret Realm."
King Xu Ying extended his hand, making a gesture of invitation.
Chen Xiao nodded slightly and stepped inside.
His body collided with the blue-glowing gate, creating ripples and waves.
Behind the stone wall lay another world.
And this world was very different from what Chen Xiao had imagined.
The Qingqiu Secret Realm was, after all, where the demon race lived, their base camp. Chen Xiao had expected it to be dark and gloomy, filled with overwhelming demonic energy and the stench of blood.
However, in reality, it was lush and green, with flowers blooming everywhere. The entire world was bright and beautiful, like a paradise.
Overall, it resembled a quaint and serene small town, with people of all ages, from the young to the old.
They seemed to be living peaceful and harmonious lives, with expressions of happiness adorning the faces of both adults and children.
"Father, that's the Star Picking Tower!"
Little Black pointed to the tallest building in the town and said, "Godfather is waiting for you on the top floor of the Star Picking Tower!"
Although it was the tallest building in the town, it was only seven stories high, nowhere near the tens of stories tall buildings in the outside world.
Of course, the buildings here were remnants of ancient times, possibly thousands of years old, so one couldn't have too high expectations for their height.
While the height couldn't compare, their aesthetic appeal was no less.
With upturned eaves and red walls with green tiles, they were magnificent and full of charm, like a landscape painting written into reality.
Under the escort of the four great Demon Kings, Chen Xiao entered the Star Picking Tower.
There were no guards inside, as they were not needed.
"Hahahaha, Brother Chen, you've indeed passed the tests of the Demon Kings. I wasn't wrong about you!"
As soon as he entered the Star Picking Tower, a handsome middle-aged man in a cyan robe, with temples turning gray, greeted him with a smile.
Perhaps to prevent Chen Xiao from blaming the Demon Kings for blocking his path later, Tu Shan Che immediately stated that the test was his idea.
Of course, he also knew that with Chen Xiao's intelligence, he had likely already guessed it.
But it was one thing for Chen Xiao to guess, and another for him to say it himself.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Chen Xiao got straight to the point, "Brother Tu Shan, I am ready to enter the Immortal Hidden Realm. I would like to ask you to make arrangements for the demon trial grounds."
"That's easy!"
Tu Shan Che flicked his robe and said, "Brother Chen, please follow me! The rest will wait on the first floor."
Following Tu Shan Che's steps, Chen Xiao ascended to the second floor, the third floor... until he reached the top floor of the Star Picking Tower.
The top floor of the Star Picking Tower could only be accessed by Tu Shan Che.
Inside, apart from seven tall statues, there was nothing else.
These seven statues were all different in appearance, but their attire was similar – long robes with hoods, with half their faces hidden within the hoods.
"These seven statues are the seven deities worshipped by our demon race,"
Tu Shan Che introduced them, "As our race is naturally close to nature, these seven deities represent the seven natural elements."
"They are the God of Fire, the God of Water, the God of Wind, the God of Lightning, the God of Grass, the God of Ice, and the God of Rock!"
"In fact, the so-called demon trials are actually trials by these seven deities. By gaining their recognition, one can obtain the power of the Seven Gods. The natural power obtained by each person in the Seven Gods' trials varies, and of course, the more recognition one receives, the greater the power gained."
After listening to Tu Shan Che's explanation, Chen Xiao suddenly thought of something and asked, "When King Xu Ying was blocking me earlier, he used the offensive techniques of True Essence power. Based on his cultivation, he was only in the Divine Sea realm, not enough to wield True Essence power. So I guess this is the credit of the Seven Gods' power."
Tu Shan Che smiled and nodded slightly, "Indeed, King Xu Ying has gained the recognition of four deities and can use True Essence power as an offensive technique. However, the Divine Sea realm is still the Divine Sea realm. The True Essence power used by King Xu Ying is still somewhat weaker than the True Essence power used by a true Void Transformation realm demon cultivator."
"Somewhat weaker" was a polite way of putting it. If the arrow that shot at Chen Xiao earlier had been fired by Tu Shan Che, a true Void Transformation realm demon cultivator, Chen Xiao might have been in real danger.
Even if he hadn't died, he would have been seriously injured.
"Are Void Transformation realm experts really that powerful?"
Chen Xiao couldn't help but feel a bit perplexed. If Void Transformation realm experts were truly that formidable, then this trip to the Immortal Hidden Realm would be fraught with peril.
After all, a single sect like the Overlord Sect had a Void Transformation realm expert. This meant that Void Transformation realm experts could be as common as weeds in the Immortal Hidden Realm.
"Yes, experts in the Void Transformation realm form their Yang Gods, and their True Essence power is inexhaustible. Compared to the previous realms, there is a qualitative breakthrough."
Tu Shan Che nodded seriously. At this moment, he noticed a worried look on Chen Xiao's face and suddenly understood what Chen Xiao was concerned about.
Then, he smiled slightly and reassured him, "It's my fault for not explaining clearly. I was referring to demon cultivators in the Void Transformation realm. If it's just a human cultivator in the Void Transformation realm, their actual combat power won't be stronger than King Xu Ying's."
"A human cultivator in the Void Transformation realm is actually weaker than a demon cultivator in the Divine Sea realm? That big of a difference?"
Chen Xiao asked incredulously.
"Naturally!"
Tu Shan Che's face showed a proud expression, "Human races are inherently weak, and their foundations are inferior to those of the demon race. The longer they cultivate, the greater the gap will become. However, there is one aspect where demon cultivators are inferior to human cultivators."
Chen Xiao's eyes lit up, and he asked, "Oh? And what is that aspect, Brother Tu Shan?"