Chapter 353: Disaster Brewing
With the bald Yang Devil's demise, the Rising Sun Inferno's ambush turned into an utter farce, no doubt about it. They had no choice but to cease their attack, lest they embarrass themselves further.
The Wick Devil couldn't fathom that the cause of his failure was the very Blood Oath Curse he had concocted. His burning gaze was fixed on the War Princess!
The few Yang Devils who had just attacked wisely retreated to his side.
Atop the high platform, even the Talisman Emperor's face showed a change, his brows frosted over with an added chill.
From this moment, the War Princess gave him that same eerie vibe that Yun Xiao did!
Tens of thousands of the Nine Hells' mightiest felt it!
Their gazes were deep and stormy as they looked upon the proud Yin Devil maiden, their hearts roiling with silent tumult.
"Brother," the Wick Devil broke the silence, acting as if nothing had happened, and bowed to the Netherworld Emperor, "Your daughter's talent surpasses all ancestors of our devil kind in the Nine Hells. She is a once-in-an-epoch genius. Congratulations."
His words were coated with a smile, but the envy, jealousy, and hatred were palpable on the twisted faces of the other 2,000 Yang Devils. Mostly, they felt hatred.
Seeing the bald Yang Devil's mangled corpse only fueled their hatred.
A great many of them even wanted to pounce and annihilate the Yin Devils!
"Congratulations?" The War Princess glanced disdainfully at the Wick Devil. "You, the ruler of the Rising Sun Inferno, openly lead your clan's warriors to attack me, bullying the weak with your strength, and you think a simple congratulations can cover it all?"
The Wick Devil thought offering an out would make the Netherworld Emperor take the hint, but the War Princess spoke up first.
And the Netherworld Emperor, standing by his daughter, clearly sided with the War Princess.
The Wick Devil couldn't help but sneer, "And what would you have us do? Let your Endless Netherworld betray us just like the merfolk and grovel at the feet of the Sword Cultivators?"
When these words were spoken, a ripple of shock passed through the onlookers, their eyes shifting coldly towards the Yin Devils.
In the full glare of the crowd, the War Princess let out a derisive snort, her words icy, "You're truly repulsive, initiating an attack on your allies and sowing discord, then having the gall to accuse us? Seems like you're the ones groveling before the Sword Cultivators, sabotaging things before the apex battle even begins!"
The crowd's gaze turned back to the Wick Devil, now tinged with disapproval.
The fact that the Rising Sun Inferno's sneak attack had backfired was undeniable!
The War Princess's retort left the Wick Devil at a loss for words.
"Talisman Emperor, as the Nine Hells Conqueror, it was you who unified our six hells! Now, with the Rising Sun Inferno causing chaos and dampening spirits before the apex battle, how shall we deal with this?" the War Princess pressed, her gaze piercing towards the Talisman Emperor on the platform.
Upon reflection, it was clear to all what the Wick Devil had intendedeliminate Yun Xiao and control the War Princess, ensuring his own survival by eradicating the other talents. A plan that had spectacularly failed, leaving him to face public humiliation. How would the Talisman Emperor respond?
The colorful-haired man furrowed his brows, his voice grave, "The Wick Devil's actions were indeed foolish. Thankfully, the War Princess was unharmed, avoiding a greater loss... With the apex battle looming, the Nine Hells rely on the combined strength of our two devil clans to vanquish the true enemy. I urge both clans to prioritize the greater good, setting aside any disputes until after the battle!"
After speaking, the Talisman Emperor turned specifically to the Wick Devil, "For the sake of the greater good, apologize to the War Princess."
His words surprised no one; the Wick Devil was his staunch ally, unlikely to be reprimanded severely.
Besides, even if he wanted to, punishment was not really an option.
The Wick Devil, adaptable as ever, suppressed his fury and addressed the War Princess with a cold restraint, "My earlier actions were thoughtless, my apologies. Let's not dwell on this, focusing instead on what truly matters."
Before the Yin Devils could even think of forgiveness, the Talisman Emperor was already speaking up for them, his words dripping with an implicit threat.
To have forced the Wick Devil to a humbling apology was nothing short of historic!
The Yang Devils clenched their fists, veins bulging, a storm of rage brewing within.
"Worthless lot." The War Princess didn't pursue further, but her scornful, icy rebuke sent the 2,000 Yang Devils seething, their blood boiling to the brink of explosion!
The Wick Devil gestured for calm, and they barely managed to hold back the urge to charge.
It could have easily turned into a bloodbath.
For millennia, in the wars between the Yin and Yang Devils, the latter almost always held the upper hand. Never had they been subjected to such humiliation by a woman, who were, in their eyes, spoils of war, slaves, trophies to be paraded.
The chests of the Yang Devils heaved like volcanoes, their skin and armor turning a blood-red hue!
"The enmity between Yin and Yang Devils isn't new; we've all grown accustomed to it," an Inscription Cultivator remarked nonchalantly.
"Indeed! Once that fiend Yun Xiao is dealt with, there'll be time to settle any disputes..." muttered some aggrieved resentment demons and sea dragons, exchanging frosty glances.
"And that Moon Fairy, it'd be best if he perished along with the rest!"
In the six hells, eyes glowed dark red, each harboring their own schemes.
"At least for now, our hearts are united in the fight against Yun Xiao, right?"
"Not necessarily. We must be wary of the Yin Devils. With the Yang Devil's murderous intent laid bare and the Talisman Emperor clearly siding with the Yang Devils, the Yin Devils will likely look for a way out."
This palpable tension, evident even to the layman, was crystal clear.
And so, an eerie silence fell over the gathering.
In no time at all, Mo Jianzhi, Shen Xiaochan, Kun Jiang, and the Dream Demon stepped forward, their voices uniting to declare, "The apex battle begins now."
As their words fell, the Immortal Asylum trembled mightily, as if the very heavens and earth were cracking apart.
ROAR! A deafening roar erupted, as if right beside everyone, vibrating ears and rendering the crowd momentarily deaf.
"The Nian seems even more ferocious," Moon Fairy whispered to the Phoenix Empress.
"Yes..." the Phoenix Empress replied, her demon instincts particularly attuned to the monstrous bellow.
"Are you ready?" Moon Fairy asked.
"Don't worry, all is in place," the Phoenix Empress assured, her gaze deep, her expression tense. She pinched Moon Fairy's cheek, biting her lip, "You better be reliable. I won't have my reputation ruined by a pretty face!"
Moon Fairy offered a slight smile, a hint of murderous intent blossoming in his eyes.
Deep within the Immortal Asylum
THUD! THUD! THUD! The Old Immortal continued his monotonous hammering on the bench. But, the bench bore no more flesh and blood.
Just then, a ground-shaking roar burst forth from a crack behind him, his clothes billowing in the tumult.
"The time is ripe," he murmured, tears streaming down his face.
His hands trembling, he placed them on the ground, assuming a beast-like stance on all fours, his long, withered hair brushing the floor.
"Off we go!" He cried out strangely, moving on all fours like a wild beast towards the end of the corridor. No sooner had he crawled away than the crack behind him boomed, the dim yellow eyes vanishing, replaced by a swarm of hunched old men.
They bore the Old Immortal's likeness, similarly positioned on hands and feet, scuttling out from the crack like animals.
"Heh heh heh..." A procession of decrepit old men, crawling on hands and feet, filled the passageway, a sight most eerie.
"Eat! Eat! Eat!" They chanted this single word, a chorus of Old Immortals.
Some of them ran so fast their eyeballs popped out, dangling by mere threads of veins still attached to the sockets.
They scrambled to stuff the eyeballs back into place, then continued their mad dash on all fours.
"What's that noise..." At the Eight Trigrams arena, Yun Xiao, surrounded by the crowd, turned his head, peering into the dark recesses of the Radiance Palace.
The ground there trembled, stones and sand vibrating, yet it seemed devoid of anything substantial.
Just then, Mo Jianzhi declared, "Eight Trigrams Convergence Array, activate!"
With a series of thunderous roars, the terrifying Eight Trigrams formation sprang to life once more, enclosing groups from all eight directions within its bounds.
Yun Xiao and a host of Heaven Sanctuary Realm and above Sword Cultivators stood at the Radiance position.
Each of the eight array positions was occupied by the peak powerhouses from the various hells of the Nine Hells, almost 250 in total.
"Expand!" At Mo Jianzhi's command, the formation began to swell, forcing those at the Fate Ocean Realm to retreat further and further to the edges.
Soon, the entire formation had expanded over fivefold!
This meant that the Convergence of the Eight Trigrams would be fought on a vast enough stage to allow these 250 or so top powerhouses to unleash their full potential!
BOOM! As the formation solidified, the 10,000 Fate Ocean Realm cultivators outside grew even more anxious.
Figures like Mu Daxiong, Du Zhongyuan, and their fellow Sword Cultivators and merfolk huddled in corners, vigilant against surprise attacks while tensely watching the battle unfold.
Their focus was on one thing alone, the one who entered the apex without a token, Yun Xiao!
"He's really joined the battle!"
This news was enough to send the assassins from the six hells into a frenzy.
"It's said he has a life-saving coffin that withstood attacks from the Talisman Emperor and the Wick Devil. Now, with half an hour at his disposal, it's more than enough time to open the coffin and strike!"
"If he dares to hide in his coffin, he'll just have to watch as all his supporters perish right before his eyes. Without these folks, the Sword Ruins and Reverie Abyss won't stand a chance. If he doesn't die, all our efforts will be meaningless!"
"The world simply won't stand for a youngster to climb atop everyone's heads on talent alone, expecting all to willingly bow down!"
"The kid's too naive, too full of himself. This half hour will be his tuition fee for learning the harsh ways of arrogance!"
The Inscription Cultivators, Yang Devils, resentment demons, and sea dragons... all together, their faces ablaze with a torrent of murderous intent.
BOOM! As their defiant fury swept through, the walls within the Eight Trigrams formation finally sank away, sealing the arena into a closed whole.
And there, before Yun Xiao, all his adversaries materialized!
At the Force position were 40 Inscription Cultivator elders!
At the Field position were over top 40 Yang Devils!
At the Ground position stood over 40 resentment demons led by Wraith Eye.
At the Shake position were over 30 land demons under the Phoenix Empress!
Plus, around 40 Yin Devils and sea dragons.
Together, these combatants from six hells, almost 200 strong, faced off against the Sword Ruins and the Reverie Abyss, who numbered just over 40, merely matching the Inscription Cultivators alone.
The disparity was stark.
If not for their fervent belief in Yun Xiao, those from the Sword Ruins and Reverie Abyss wouldn't dare step onto this battlefield.
To anyone's eyes, even with a powerhouse like Pale Revenant at Yun Xiao's side, this battle seemed destined to be a massacre!
Figures like the Talisman Emperor and the Wick Devil were already bleeding internally with urgency.
The moment the formation's walls lifted, the Talisman Emperor, Wick Devil, Wraith Eye, Ao Yuan, and others shouted almost in unison. "Kill him!"
No nonsense, no dragging their feet! They were mad for Yun Xiao's immediate demise! Every moment he lived was a moment of unease in their hearts.
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