"Wait!" Zhou Hong shouted.
The old man turned back and looked at Zhou Hong with confusion.
"Senior!" Zhou Hong called out, finding it difficult to speak.
"Don't presume to address me as such, just call me junior."
"Alas, Uncle, I know information about your daughter, but I don't know how to tell you," Zhou Hong sighed.
"Ah? You know where my daughter is? Tell me quickly, where is she?" The old man's expression immediately became agitated.
"Your daughter Tian Xuan... is already dead."
"How is that possible? How did she die? Who killed her?" The old man's body trembled, but a hint of doubt remained in his eyes, unsure if Zhou Hong was lying or telling the truth.
"Uncle, please accept my bow." Zhou Hong bowed before speaking, as he owed Tian Xuan. Without Tian Xuan's sacrifice, Zhou Hong would likely have been killed.
"What are you doing? Tell me about my daughter, is she really dead?"
"Fairy Tian Xuan is truly dead. She died for me."
"Died for you?"
"Yes, about less than ten years ago, I met her in the immortal realm. At that time, my grandfather had just possessed the body of the Nine Heavenly Emperor, and I, being a demon cultivator, had to return to the demon realm. Tian Xuan accompanied me to the demon realm. In the demon realm, I earned a spot to cultivate to the Demon Emperor level. However, I was hunted by many other Demon Emperors. Tian Xuan fought alongside me, through life and death, and finally, she died, for me. And I, in this short span of less than ten years, have completely stepped into the realm of Demon Emperor."
Zhou Hong did not tell the truth. Tian Xuan was "harvested" by him, or rather, she died by his side, which was not dignified for either of them. Thus, he lied, claiming she died protecting him during the pursuit by the Demon Emperors. The process was unimportant, only the outcome mattered.
"How is that possible? You're lying to me, aren't you? How could I not know she had a friend like you?" The old man shook his head, seemingly disbelieving Zhou Hong.
"I know you don't believe me, but I'm truly not lying. Oh, right, I have a few tokens of Tian Xuan, and a mental inscription letter she left before her death. One of the reasons I came to the immortal realm this time is to fulfill her dying wish." Zhou Hong immediately took out Tian Xuan's personal tokens, such as a bracelet and a chain.
"Ah, it's truly my daughter's." Tian Xuan's father immediately began to weep, recognizing the bracelets, necklaces, and earrings as his daughter's.
"And this mental inscription letter she left." Zhou Hong then handed a stone-like object to the old man with both hands.
Tian Xuan's father gripped it tightly, and with a crack, the stone-like object turned to dust. The dust then rapidly formed a 3D image in the air, akin to a holographic projection. In the image, Tian Xuan lay in a cave, her entire body withered and emaciated, almost unrecognizable.
However, Tian Xuan's father still recognized her instantly.
"How could this be?" Tian Xuan's father looked at his daughter's state in the image with an expression of disbelief.
"Father, my time is short. I am unfilial and must depart first. I hope Father will not be too sad. Also, this matter, I did it willingly. I hope Father will not blame Zhou Hong. Father, farewell forever. In the next life, I wish to be your daughter again...!"
The image gradually faded, and the dust that formed it scattered in the wind.
"Daughter!" Fairy Tian Xuan's father roared, wailing in pain.
"Uncle, I apologize. It was my failure to protect your daughter. From this day forward, I promise you are my father-in-law." Zhou Hong said with a serious expression. Besides, even if Tian Xuan were alive, Zhou Hong had promised her that if he became a Demon Emperor, he would make Fairy Tian Xuan his empress, thus making Tian Xuan's father his father-in-law anyway.
"What exactly happened? Why did my daughter become so old and withered before her death?" Tian Xuan Guang Hua looked up at Zhou Hong and asked.
"She was struck by a Demon Emperor in the demon realm. That Demon Emperor used a demonic art that could cause rapid wilting and aging...!" Zhou Hong casually made up an excuse to cover up the unsavory truth.
"Which Demon Emperor was it?" Tian Xuan Guang Hua gritted his teeth and asked.
"I didn't get a good look. At that time, over a hundred Demon Emperors from the entire demon realm were chasing me."
"What? So many Demon Emperors chasing you?" Tian Xuan Guang Hua was immediately shocked, looking at Zhou Hong in disbelief that he had survived such a pursuit.
"Yes."
"Then how are you still alive? According to what you said, you hadn't reached the Demon Emperor realm before those Demon Emperors started chasing you."
Tian Xuan Guang Hua seemed to be having doubts. After all, how could someone who hadn't reached the Demon Emperor realm survive being chased by over a hundred Demon Emperors?
Zhou Hong did not hide anything. He took out the Giant Puppet from his body and said, "These eight Giant Puppets of mine can form a sword formation. Once formed, their power can rival a Demon Emperor with 30 stellar powers. It is precisely because of this that I was able to obtain the designation."
"So it was you. I heard before that a young man killed Immortal Emperor Ye Chen in the immortal realm. So that person was you." Tian Xuan Guang Hua suddenly recalled this incident, surprised that it was the young man before him. He understood now why his daughter would go to the demon realm with Zhou Hong. Such an outstanding man would naturally attract his daughter.
"Uncle, from today onwards, this Giant Puppet demonic artifact belongs to you." Zhou Hong decided to give this powerful demonic artifact to Tian Xuan's father, as it was his debt to Fairy Tian Xuan.
"Ah? How can this be? Didn't you say this demonic artifact is equivalent to a Demon Emperor with 30 stellar powers? Then in the immortal realm, it would be equivalent to an Immortal Emperor with 30 stellar powers." Tian Xuan Guang Hua was greatly astonished.
"Heh heh, that's right. It's yours from now on. I'll help you refine it later and teach you how to control and use it."
"This... this!" Tian Xuan Guang Hua, who had been grieving, suddenly became trembling.
"Don't refuse. This is what I owe your daughter. Besides, this item is useless to me now."
"How can it be useless? It has the power of 30 stellar forces!" Tian Xuan Guang Hua looked at Zhou Hong with incomprehension.
"Because my current world power has long surpassed thirty stellar forces. We are family now, so I won't hide it. My current world power exceeds 1000 stellar forces."
"What? Exceeds 1000 stellar forces?" Tian Xuan Guang Hua nearly fell to the ground in shock.
"Heh heh, that's right, over 1000 stellar forces. In the demon realm, I have unified it, though it's only in name. At least over a hundred Demon Emperors in the demon realm must bow to me. I think there are few people in the immortal realm who can surpass me, right?"