So much happened in a matter of hours, and it ended so abruptly that everyone remained motionless, even as the spell wore off. Yichen was stunned, finally realizing that he had faced a great demon who could easily kill him, yet saved him. Not only that, their first encounter had been kind of enchanting, for lack of better words. Now everyone was at a loss for what to do next, considering they were face to face with the source of that destructive power within the inner ring with most of them paralyzed by a single spell, leaving Zhuo Yichen alone to fend for himself and nearly lose his life in the process.
"That was... one hell of a scare." Bai Jiu's body was still trembling at the thought of being so close to the great demon Zhu Yan, having his hero fight it and nearly die, albeit accidentally, and then being saved by the very demon who toyed and even flirted with him.
"I thought it would be the death of us..." Ying Lei sat on the ground, unable to stand much longer with such a close call.
"Was he really offering a truce?" Pei Sijing asked, unsure if the great demon was serious or just playing tricks on them. Wen Xiao, however, had better ideas, as for her, what she had witness wasn't exactly terrifying, but rather promising. A possibility of an open door between humans and demons, yet her first concern was to see if Zhuo Yi Chen was really okay, because he seemed shaken, and with good reason.
"Xiao Zhuo... are you alright? Were you hurt in the fight?" She asked, and Zhuo Yichen finally snapped out of his daze when he realized that Zhu Yan had not only offered a truce to him, but also to his brother, which meant that the great demon had also set his crimson eyes on his brother, causing him to panic.
"Ying Lei, can the Shanhai Portal be used to teleport near someone? If I focus strong enough on his essence, could I reach him?" Yichen asked, ignoring Wen Xiao's questions.
"To be honest, I've never tried it that way, but since this can be considered an emergency, we can give it a try, although I can't guarantee it will work. It might send us to an unknown location if it fails." Ying Lei knew exactly what Zhuo Yichen wanted, and whether it was possible or not, he was willing to risk it to reunite two brothers that holds humanity fate in their hands.
"Thank you, Commander... I know this might be considered inappropriate since you're in charge of this unit, but he mentioned a truce with us brothers, which means he knows about my older brother Yixuan and might try something like what just happened, and I'm not even sure of his intentions, so..."
"Let's all go, Zhuo Yichen. This doesn't just concern you, after witnessing the true strength of a great demon. We can't let this opportunity slip away like water. Go ahead, Ying Lei, teleport us all to Zhuo Yixuan's location and I'll take full responsibility if we're punished for breaking the rules." Pei Sijing declared, and everyone gathered together, just like before. Ying Lei instructed Yichen on how to channel his focus towards the Shanhai Portal and after a few seconds of divine sand surrounding them, they disappeared into the night.
⨳⨳⨳⨳ Zhuo Yixuan ⨳⨳⨳⨳
Zhuo Yixuan was still in the same tower, stunned and unable to do anything just like everyone else in that forest, for the powers they had just witnessed were too strong to act against and now he truly feared for their future. His previous encounter with Zhu Yan had been passive, just a few deep glances before the great demon walked away to return to his tree, but in that instant, Yixuan had seen Zhu Yan as more than just a dangerous demon, but as a man curious and capable of holding back if he wished. That was why he had even told his brother that a demon hunter could only escape from Zhu Yan if he allowed him to and how true that had been. Yixuan knew his one-word spells and how deadly they could be, but never in his worst nightmares did he imagine him to be so overwhelmingly fierce and terrifying.
"This is too much..." The master hunter whispered, watching as the clash of energies created stormy winds imbued with demonic energy that could threaten the stability of their barriers, which now glowed a deep red around the three rings surrounding the immense forest.
"Yet, we can't do anything to prevent what may arise from this." Fan Ying said as he gazed into the distance.
"We are being protected... there is another barrier over where they are fighting." Yixuan said, his eyes glowing golden, his vision enhanced with his divine power and even from there he could see a demonic barrier that was containing most of the dangerous energy waves, letting out only a small fraction that could be considered harmless compared to the cataclysmic energy inside.
"What do you mean? What do you see?" Fan Ying asked the young man, and Yixuan told him exactly what he saw.
"There's a demonic barrier that contains most of the destructive energy. Like I said, we are being protected." He repeated.
"By the great demon Zhu Yan? But why would he do that? If another demon comes to challenge him, why not join forces and wipe us out? They're demons, after all." The master hunter said, but both Yixuan and Fan Ying sensed that what they thought they knew about demons might have been wrong from the start.
"Yixuan... we have know each other for a long time, so tell me..."
"Yes, I know what you're thinking. There's more to the demons story than we've been told. After watching them fight, is fair to think that Zhu Yan might not have been there to hunt us after all... otherwise, he might have done it hundreds of centuries ago." Yixuan voiced and the master hunter was beginning to acknowledge what he was saying.
"I agree... but then, what's his purpose for staying there for so many centuries? I mean, what does he have to gain by standing at its doorstep and not actually crossing into our world? Is it because he can't get in or doesn't want to?" Fan Ying asked, but no one could answer his questions. After a while, the fight finally ended, and Yixuan felt the great demon Zhu Yan's energy heading somewhere else, away from his usual tree, and for some reason, this made him a little anxious.
"Fan Ying... tomorrow morning I'll try to speak with the great demon Zhu Yan on my own, and if he's willing to communicate with us, I'll do my best to see if we can reach an agreement. So, please take care of my younger brother in my absence. After tonight's display of power, I know Yichen will be a little shaken..."
"Don't worry about Yichen. I'll make sure he's safe along with the rest of his unit. You know, Wen Xiao is also with him, so there's no need to worry about them. They're in good hands, and I'll always keep an eye on them until they're adjusted enough to work unsupervised. You're such a caring brother, he's lucky to have you by his side."
"I'm the one who's lucky to have him as a brother, but right now... I can't shake the feeling that Zhu Yan is heading for something... I don't know how to explain it, only a feeling that after this battle, something has changed. I feel it in the air and in my heart. This battle between great demons is only the prelude to something greater to come, and Zhu Yan is at the center of it all... and perhaps even Yichen..." Yixuan said, his normally dark eyes still shining with a golden glow.
"I suppose it's Bing Yi's blood working its magic in you. While Yichen inherited his sword, his power over water and ice, and Bing Yi's raw energy, you... you have his divine spirit, his transcendence, his foresight, and his golden aura that can purify demonic energy, radiate calm, and even connect with something divine in another realm, if only in a dream. Your father was always puzzled by the differences in your divine powers. However, in my view, as I have tell him before, the essence of the dragon god Bing Yi should have split over the centuries, and the two of you inherited it separately, one aspect of his essence for each of you as if you were twins. I believe that what the two of you can achieve, if combined, will be extraordinary and beyond the limitations of this realm. Something that could even match or even surpass the great demon Zhu Yan."
"Perhaps, we have never try to combine our divine energies as they are quite different... but I still don't think Zhu Yan is the one we should be worried about in this war. Of course, that remains to be seen, but..." Then Yixuan stopped halfway, feeling his brother's energy approaching with inexplicable speed. He felt it like never before, as if something inside him was beginning to awaken, further strengthening his bond with his brother in a much deeper way.
"This shouldn't be possible, he's coming!" Yixuan said in alarm as he ran down the tower stairs in a hurry, not knowing what was happening why he would sense Yichen approaching from so far away.
"Wait! Yixuan! What's coming?!" Fan Ying followed the young man down the stairs, and just as Yixuan reached the bottom, delving deeper into the misty ground, a cloud of golden sand materialized right in front of him, revealing a group of people. No, it was a unit, Zhuo Yichen's unit to be precise, which should have been impossible in the first place. How did they manage to teleport so far into an unauthorized area of the Forest of Convergence?
"Yichen!" Yixuan ran towards his brother, as did Yichen, who collided with him in a tight hug and Yixuan breathed out in relief to at least have him safe in his arms, even when he shouldn't be there.
"Brother... I know I deserve to be scolded for my recklessness, but I swear it was absolutely necessary. You won't believe what happened, and I think we're in trouble. But first, tell me, did he come to see you too? Did he try to do anything to you? Are you okay?" Yichen asked question after question while tenderly examining Yixuan's body for any injuries. However, Yixuan chuckled and stopped his worried brother.
"I'm fine, Yichen, don't worry about me. You, on the other hand, what are you doing here? You're not supposed to come to the middle ring, under any circumstances, especially when two great demons are fighting each other. All the barriers should have been significantly strengthened after the emergency wave was activated. How did you accomplish such an impossible feat?" He asked, and Yixuan saw his brother blush slightly as he coughed nervously, trying to explain something that could land him in serious trouble. The rest of his unit had similar expressions and Pei Sijing was about to give Zhuo Yixuan the explanation, when someone else spoke up first.
"Commander Zhuo Yixuan, Father, there was an urgent emergency on our end and this was our only way to contact you and tell you what happened after the battle with the two demons. We have legitimate reason to believe that your safety might be compromise, so we came quickly to warn you." Wen Xiao explained with her usual bravery, both in place of Zhuo Yichen and Pei Sijing, who sighed not exactly in relief, but in resignation at what was coming. This was because Fan Ying was not so easily sway and he was also not happy with their unexpected arrival.
"Wen Xiao! I'm not your father right now, but your superior, and you shouldn't be here at all! What reason do you have to ignore all the safety protocols in place to keep everyone safe and away from the danger that you are not ready to face yet? Zhuo Yixuan and I are veterans in this field, so we can protect ourselves, as long as we don't come face to face with those two great demons, that obviously we are not a match for!" He exclaimed furiously, as Wen Xiao raised her head in defiance and approached her now enraged father.
"Very well then, Lord Superior, let me tell you that the same demon you just said you are no match for, fought against this newly appointed demon hunter, Zhuo Yichen, which is considered an emergency to me, though not to you, and we came to report it, worry for your safety too. What about that? Is that reason enough to use unauthorized methods to report as soon as the great demon release us from his one-word spell?" At this, Fan Ying swallowed his reproachful words in his shock and looked at Zhuo Yichen, who looked a little shaken, but fine. However, this time it was Yixuan who was checking his brother for any injuries or drops of blood.
"Xiao Chen... what's this about Zhu Yan fighting you? One-word spells? You can't, not him... and he can't mess with you... I swear, if he hurts you in any way..." Yixuan's eyes flashed a fiercer amber this time. His usual unwavering calm was finally broken for the first time in his life. His golden energy radiated warm ripples that dissipated the purple demonic energy on the ground. However, with just his brother's gentle touch on his cheek, Yixuan released his sudden burst of anger, and his eyes returned to their usual dark brown.
"Xiao Xuan... I'm fine. The great demon just wanted to play a bit. He said he was bored, but he asked me to give you a message. He's willing to talk to us, you and me, as descendants of Bing Yi. Some kind of truce, I don't know... but since he mentioned you, I thought... I thought he was also coming to find you, and I panicked... so I came here to find you. I'm sorry for breaking the rules... but I really thought he was going to fight you next..." Yixuan simply hugged his beloved little brother, who, despite the danger he had just faced, was only concerned about his safety. What should he do with such a loving yet reckless brother?
"Tell me everything, Didi and don't spare any details. We'll listen to it all. Everything's fine now..." Yixuan said as he carefully guided his brother toward the stairs leading to the top of the tower, and the others soon followed silently. The master hunter of that tower, who had heard everything, would never have believed that such an encounter between a newly appointed unit in the outer ring could face off against the most powerful demon in human history and survive without a single scratch, not even in his wildest dreams.
After hearing everything, Yixuan was more convinced than ever that Zhu Yan was more than they had believed in the past. Although he was reluctant to involve his younger brother in a possible truce, he wasn't sure if there was a way to avoid it, since the great demon personally sought out Yichen and even tested him. Finally, unable to contain his curiosity about what Zhu Yan knew about his ancestor, Yixuan was about to try something new, the astral projection with his unique golden aura.
However, Yichen wasn't willing to let him risk it alone and offer himself as his anchor. Their divine energy might look and feel different, but in the end, they were both part of the same whole, so they sat opposite each other in the lotus position, knees touching, while the others watched. After a few minutes of deep meditation, something unexpected happened, with a golden mist covering them, and their spirits suddenly where teleported straight to the tree where Zhu Yan was anxiously waiting for them.
Although their real bodies were still in the tower, their astral projection was quite solid, the only difference being that they seemed to be covered in a golden glow. Yixuan had landed right in the middle of a branch of Zhu Yan's enormous tree, but Yichen wasn't so lucky and landed with his feet right on the edge of the same wide branch, causing him to lose his center of gravity under his own weight and fall backward, back into Zhu Yan's arms, who easily caught him and pressed him against his chest, while Yichen clung to Zhu Yan's shoulders. They stared at each other for a few seconds before the great demon smiled charmingly at Yichen's golden spirit.
"Be careful there, you always seem to accidentally end up in my arms. Not that I mind, but may I ask your name, dear demon hunter? It's about time, given our intimate interactions during our last two encounters, don't you think?" Zhu Yan taunted, and still a little dazed from experiencing this new form, Yichen didn't notice that he was still wrapped in Zhu Yan's strong arms, nor the blush that colored his cheeks.
"I... I'm Zhuo... Zhuo Yichen and the one with me is my brother Zhuo Yixuan." He whispered, while his brother raised an eyebrow in a mixture of amusement and a hint of concern.
"Ah, such a beautiful name. As I said before, Xiao Zhuo, be careful, because even in spirit form you can get hurt." Zhu Yan warned the young man in his arms, feeling his warmth increase tenfold.
"You! I didn't ask you to call me so... so casually! We just met!" Yichen blushed even more, but felt strangely comfortable around him, despite his harsh words.
"But I'm a great demon, Xiao Zhuo... I don't have human customs to follow, and back in my time, when we shared this world, there was no need for formalities. We just called people whatever we wanted without any fuss." Zhu Yan explained while still gently holding the man by his slender waist.
"I don't care, that's inappropriate nowadays. It was you who asked for this meeting, so follow the rules, our rules." Yichen challenged him and Yixuan felt a pang of dread. His younger brother was too bold for his own good.
"Yichen!"He wasted no time in scolding him before he could dig his own grave.
"You see? Even your dear brother can hear reason. What's a mere formality against a peace offering? Surely you can tolerate that little inconvenience, even if you're a stubborn young man. I find your refusal very sweet." Zhu Yan teased him even more.
"You evil monkey, let go of me!" Yichen yell as he finally tried to escape from his arms, but his movement only caused them to struggle for balance over the branch and the great demon to hold him even closer.
"Ape, I'm an ape."
"Whatever, just let me go."
"Fine, but I must say that you are just as stunning as your ancestor Bing Yi was. Your brother Yixuan seems to have inherited his personality and divine aura, but you, Xiao Zhuo, inherited his fire in battle." Zhu Yan said, and saw his eyes widen in surprise.
"Wait... what? Are you seriously that old?" Yichen asked so innocently that Zhu Yan felt like laughing, but decided to humor him instead.
"That's rude, Xiao Zhuo. Remember your own words about what should be appropriate." Zhu Yan chided him in a gentle tone and Yichen blushed.
"I meant that you met Bing Yi personally and that was a long, long time ago." He tried to correct himself.
"Fair enough... it was indeed a very long time ago. Want to hear his real story? It's a bit different than what you humans had pass on." At that Yichen chuckle.
"Can I trust it? How can I know if you're not just making it up? Like you said, you're a demon after all, without human morality to stop you from lying." Yichen pointed and Zhu Yan sighed.
"I see, good point. How about you spend some time with me? That way we can get to know each other better. I can teach you my demon ways, and you can teach me yours as a human. It seems a lot has changed in your world and I'd love to know how humans evolved." Zhu Yan offered.
"What's the point of that? Don't you demons want to take over this world?" Yichen asked, the crucial question they had all been asking themselves.
"Yes, you're right. The demons of my world do want yours, but contrary to what you believe, I don't share that desire. My reason for being here is proof enough of that, and I believe your dear brother, your other half, is convinced of it, right?" He asked, finally looking at Yixuan, who wasn't sure what to make of that encounter. He could see that Zhu Yan had a special interest in Yichen, but it wasn't necessarily physical attraction, as being mischievous was part of his demonic nature. He could be just playing with his poor brother and nothing more.
"Yes, to be honest, I've thought about it. But then, what is your motive for staying here for so long? Can you indulge me with this curiosity of mine?" Yixuan asked, and Zhu Yan smiled at him in pleasure.
"Of course." He agree.
"But please, could you let go of my brother first? He's usually very shy at such a young age, so I'm sure you won't mind, right?" Yixuan asked, thinking they'd been hugging each other for too long. It was time to go down the tree and find a more appropriate spot with at least a little personal space between them.
"Oh, right. Sorry, Xiao Zhuo. Then let's find you a better, safer place so we can talk properly." He said as he jumped down with Yichen still holding on to him. The young man yelled as they descended a considerable distance, but Zhu Yan simply lifted him in mid air, to hold him bridal style, before finally releasing him on the ground to stand on his feet. However, it was all so sudden that Yichen staggered slightly, but before Zhu Yan could grab him again, Yixuan landed next to his brother and helped him steady himself.
"Good. So where should we go? We have several towers and shelters throughout the forest." Yixuan asked Zhu Yan, but the latter simply smiled.
"I know about them, but I prefer to stay near the gate after a great demon has just emerged from it. I hope you don't mind me asking how many members your unit has, Zhuo Yixuan. I already know how many Xiao Zhuo's unit has, as they were quite an interesting group." Yixuan should have been more cautious around this demon, but for some reason, perhaps because of how gently he held Yichen during that long conversation and because he hadn't forced them into anything so far, he felt like he didn't mean any harm.
"Just like him, five members including me. One female, the rest male." He said, and Zhu Yan closed his eyes after accepting the information. Then, with a single word and some strange hand seal, to their utter astonishment, suddenly, a three-story traditional house materialized right next to that enormous tree he loved so much, leaving them both speechless.
"What do you think? Do you like it? One floor for each unit, and the top one just for me and any other guest we may have." He said proudly, but neither Yichen nor Yixuan heard him as they stared in disbelief at the magnificent house rising out of nowhere.
"How the hell...? Certainly that should be..." Yichen started.
"Impossible..."Yixuan finishes for him, equally stunned and Zhu Yan took their surprise as the finest compliment. He laughed.
AN: No, you are not reading a chapter from Naruto fanfiction, sorry. If a ninja can make a house out of wood ninjutsu or genjutsu, don't remember anymore which one, so can an almighty great demon with the power of a god. LOL. Hope you like this little treat. To those who celebrate it today, happy Father's Day.