Chapter 186 - Die for Yun Xiao!
A dense stench of decay hung heavy in the air.
The mountain of blood and flesh, a grotesque mass of corpses, trudged onward atop the blood-drenched Demon Continent. Wherever it passed, broken bones reconnected, torn flesh fused anew.
The mangled remains of countless demons, their eyes, ears, mouths, and noses, swarmed upwards, morphing the monster into a ghastly sight with thousands of ears, nostrils, and a mouth bristling with countless sharp teeth. Even its blood-soaked tongue was a fusion of many, each one lapping hungrily at the air.
It was like a machine designed to cleanse the world of corpses, leaving not a trace behind as it moved.
The anguished souls of countless demons screamed, roared, and wailed, their collective despair fueling a hellish aura that enveloped and propelled the mountain of flesh forward.
With every step of its colossal legs, the ground quaked as if in the throes of a cataclysmic earthquake.
"The Forbidden Fate Demon Emperor!"
A pitch-black serpent slithered from the distance, drawing near the grisly mountain. Its voice, filled with sorrow, echoed, "Disaster has befallen our Demon Continent, countless souls lost in this calamity. The other three Demon Emperors and the 108 Demon Saints are still in the Heavenly Realm of the Divine Continent. Should we summon them back immediately?"
BOOM! The mountain of flesh halted its grim march, lowering its grotesque head to gaze at the tiny serpent in its sight. The amalgamation of countless demonic voices emerged from its gaping maw, "The disaster has already befallen us, their return is pointless. Just send them a message."
"Yes!" The black serpent nodded mournfully. "Shall we continue with our grand plan as intended?"
"Hee hee hee..." The mountain of flesh covered its face, letting out a sinister chuckle, "There's been a change in plans."
"How so?" the black serpent asked anxiously. "Does this mean we halt our pursuit of the Divine Dawn Empress due to the sudden plight of the Demon Continent?"
"No, no, no." The mountain's myriad eyes fixed on the serpent, its cacophony of voices resounding, "The plan for the Sword Dao Monument continues, but the other schemes... they need to be intensified!"
"Intensified?"
"Yes! Now that the tribulations of heaven have descended, and the wheel of fate crushes against the face of the Demon Continent, why should we, beings who have already suffered immense losses, fear further damage? As the first demon since the ancient wars, it's time for me to change the way of life for the denizens of the Demon Continent..."
"Demon Emperor!" The pitch-black serpent prostrated, its eyes ablaze with dark fire, trembling with excitement. "Does this mean... not only must the Divine Dawn Empress perish, but humans and demons alike must be annihilated? Even the dogs we've raised, are they to be slaughtered as well?"
"No, no, no!" The mountain of flesh, with its amalgamated voices, continued to chuckle coldly. "It's acceptable to keep a small portion as livestock... The civilization, culture, and social structure of the human race are fascinating, intriguing. Their architecture, urban planning, elegance, poetry, gourmet cuisine, romantic affairs... all worth learning from! So, we should keep some human breeding stock, to build a demon civilization in the Divine Continent, shouldn't we?"
"Yes! We, the righteous warriors of the Demon Continent, will die for the demon race and carve out a new world! With our blood, we shall forge an everlasting golden age for our descendants!" declared the black serpent.
The Demon Continent, a land of desolation, contrasted sharply with the vast, fertile lands of the Divine Continent.
In recent years, the Divine Dawn Empress emerged in the Divine Continent. And wasn't the Demon Continent, too, making history with the coexistence of five great Demon Emperors?
"But..." The serpent, in its fervor, harbored a slight concern. "Now that the Demon Continent has suffered losses, wouldn't launching such a grand plan signify starting from a position of weakness? The Immortal Empires of the Divine Continent might have weak rulers, but they are replete with powerful individuals, cunning and elusive..."
"To embark on a golden era, sacrifices are necessary! Previously, the people of our continent had an escape route, and so the indecision, the clinging to comfort, the reluctance to suffer heavy casualties. But now, in this era of great calamity, with the Divine Continent's rise and the surge in heavenly energy, if we don't fight with our backs against the wall this generation, we'll never have another chance! In such times, who can remain uninvolved?
"Furthermore—" At this, the mountain of flesh lowered its head, gazing at the serpent with a sinister smile. "Old Serpent, have you forgotten what kind of demon I am? The souls of those who perished in today's calamity have not departed. They will fight alongside me, opening up a new world for generations to come...
"Old Serpent, remember, having no way out isn't a bad thing; it's the opportunity of a millennium!"
Atop the mountain of flesh, countless malevolent spirits laughed menacingly.
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Back in the Cycle Battle in the Heavenly Realm, Yun Xiao sat cross-legged, his magic power surging around him, forming layers of water mist shields.
BOOM! Unknown demon magic bombarded from all directions, crashing against the Water Mist Shield, yet they couldn't breach Yun Xiao's defenses.
The stronger demon magic was already being intercepted by Chen Jin and the other four.
Yun Xiao was on the brink of a breakthrough in his cultivation, while Chen Jin and the others were engaged in a life-or-death battle. Thankfully, Yun Xiao had his Water Mist Shield. Without it, his four teammates, fighting five enemies while protecting him, would have faced a daunting challenge.
Amidst the swirling storms, thunderous roars, and demonic wails, Yun Xiao remained unflinchingly calm.
His Primordial Void Technique operated flawlessly. The Nine Dragons Dantian and the Nine Heavens Star Meridians throughout his body interconnected, his magic power surging like an enraged dragon.
As the wind fire tribulation ravaged flesh and bone, the Primordial Void technique, the epitome of the power of life, revitalized his body. Magic power coursed through him, regenerating flesh and bone.
Wind dragons and flame mammoths merged into Yun Xiao's Primordial Void Dragon magic power. With each integration, the force of the heavenly tribulations melded with his power, enhancing it, slowly forming a portion of sacred power, augmenting the depth and lethality of his attacks.
Now, each strike he delivered was imbued with the power of wind fire tribulations, magnified fivefold.
The Primordial Void technique, encompassing all things, effortlessly absorbed the tribulation forces, integrating them into Yun Xiao's being.
"It's done." Even in the Early Wind Fire Tribulation Realm, Yun Xiao's magic power had reached a level comparable to the Perfect Wind Fire Tribulation Realm. Coupled with his superior daoist magic, swordsmanship, Sword Aura, and Sword Rings, these were the foundations of his soaring combat strength.
This was how he could leap across an entire realm and vanquish his foes with overwhelming might.
"Now, killing those in the Establishment Wind Fire Tribulation Realm will be as easy as slaughtering chickens."
At least, Yun Xiao, now in his prime, was even stronger than Chen Xi when she first topped the Dragon Ranking and displayed her Saint Realm prowess.
"You guys..." Yun Xiao, having fully integrated the wind and fire tribulation, suddenly opened his eyes in the first instant.
BOOM! Five great Water Mist Shields burst apart, transforming into countless waves sweeping outwards.
"Yun Xiao!" Ahead, the four young human warriors turned back, their faces alight with surprise and joy at the sight of Yun Xiao. They finally breathed a sigh of relief!
Yun Xiao's gaze fell on them—Chen Jin, Zhao Xiaotang, Stray Dog, and Nangong Xu. Each of them was pale, their bodies covered in claw marks and blood. Even their fingers were broken. The battle had been brutally fierce!
The moment Yun Xiao succeeded in his tribulation was also the deciding moment of the battle. Behind them lay the corpses of five demonic prodigies!
A Green Peacock with its head severed from its body. A Hanging Corpse Pillar chopped into pieces. The shattered remains of Black Vine, Dead Frog, and Giant Toothed Rat... The most powerful team of demonic prodigies in the Cycle Battle, annihilated!
The Divine Dawn Immortal Empire's team, not the one fielded by the Grand Temple, had won! Not only that, but Chen Jin and the other three had won while also protecting Yun Xiao!
As Yun Xiao emerged triumphant from his tribulation, cheers erupted from countless humans at this battlefield. But the cheers weren't for Yun Xiao; they were for Chen Jin and the others!
They represented Chen Heavenly Mansion, the Spirit Treasure Palace, a hundred thousand Sword Cultivators, and the lower realms of the Divine Continent!
Yun Xiao, though undergoing his tribulation, had been dividing his attention to watch over them. They had been fighting fiercely and ended up in dangerous situations many times. But their lives had never been at risk. So, he didn't interrupt his cultivation to rescue them.
Now, they basked in the fervent admiration of their people, realizing their own worth, bringing honor to their ancestors. Despite their injuries, radiant smiles broke across their faces. Having fought shoulder to shoulder through life and death, the four embraced, laughing heartily.
Slaying demons! This had been their lifelong pursuit! As Yun Xiao transcended his tribulation, they held the fort.
"Leader Chen Jin!"
"Young Master Zhao!"
"Big Brother Nangong!"
"Brother Stray Dog of the Martial Realm!"
The Nine Heavens Immortal Army, the Spirit Treasure Palace, a hundred thousand Sword Cultivators, and the martial artist from the lower realms... they all cheered for these four!
In the Heavenly Realm, their names resounded!
The human race was frail and beleaguered, and demons ran rampant!
The Arena Champion Battle had become the playground of the demons.
In the Cycle Battle, with the Grand Temple's forces decimated and only Yun Xiao and Chen Xi remaining for the Divine Dawn Immortal Empire, these four stood firm. They represented a new hope for the people, embodying the resilience of the empire's diverse warriors.
Even the other four great Immortal Empires, aside from Violet Sky, cheered for them.
Compared to Chen Xi and Yun Xiao's overwhelming victories, these four were more relatable—ordinary people facing daunting trials, fighting to the death, clinching victory in the jaws of peril, naturally more thrilling and heart-stopping!
Witnessing this scene, Yun Xiao felt genuinely happy for them. So, he quickly stepped forward, joining their bloodstained embrace.
"Look, we're all topping the rankings now!" Zhao Xiaotang exclaimed excitedly.
They had divided the War of Immortal jade tokens of the five demons they had defeated. These demons had already claimed quite a few victories. They were all around the top twenties on the Ascension Board, each with over a hundred War of Immortal jade tokens.
"Not bad, not bad," Yun Xiao said with a smile. "Too bad you can't increase that count anymore!"
"Damn!" They all understood his implication. He'd just overcome his tribulation, and they still wanted to snatch more victories?
"Brothers, let's take down this guy. Four against one!" Zhao Xiaotang yelled, but the movement aggravated his finger injury, causing him to wince in pain.
"Ha ha." Even Nangong Xu, who was usually reserved, laughed at this moment.
"I won't lie to you. In my life of sword cultivation, this is the first time I've slain demons under such scrutiny..." Nangong Xu's hand, still gripping his sword, trembled, his eyes brimming with tears.
"Once it begins, there will only be more to come!" Yun Xiao patted Nangong Xu on the shoulder, his eyes blazing with intensity.
"You're right! It's exhilarating! I really do envy you," Nangong Xu replied.
Yun Xiao gazed towards the direction of the Arena Champion Battle and said, "Well, now you've gotten to experience the feeling yourself!"
The frustration of a Sword Cultivator unable to slay demons must have been suffocating. A sword should rather break than bend!
Under the watchful eyes of thousands, Nangong Xu gazed deeply at Yun Xiao. A hundred thousand Sword Cultivators watched the young man in the red robe. WHOOSH! He raised his sword. It was an Upper Nebula grade Furnace Sword Soul with 180 layers of Sword Aura, yet no Sword Rings.
His Sword Soul blazed like a furnace, fierce flames reaching ten feet high.
BOOM! The fire of rage burned even higher.
"Don't—" Many human faces changed, looking towards the young man in red.
"From now on, I, Nangong Xu, will take responsibility for my own actions, my own life and death!" With these words, he approached the corpses of the demons, thrusting his sword down, his heart like a blazing furnace.
SIZZLE SIZZLE SIZZLE! Under the gaze of thousands, Nangong Xu absorbed the demonic bones and marrow into his sword.
Soul Ignition Art!
Though the Hanging Corpse Pillar lacked demon bones, its demonized body could still be refined to form a Sword Ring.
Nangong Xu created five Sword Rings, selecting three to adorn his sword.
"I too renounce my allegiance to the Three Great Sword Tombs!" With fiery eyes, Nangong Xu declared this and then turned to the young man in white. "From this day forth, I live and die for Yun Xiao!"
The crowd erupted into uproar, their eyes blazing with fervor, their hearts unsettled for a long time.
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