An hour later, Luo Shu finally calmed down. He accepted the fact that this yokai, Ye Yu, had become alliance leader, and he began to recount how Tongtian Pavilion had become what it is today.
Tens of millions of years ago—
That era overflowed with Demon Realm prodigies. As the three-headed hound guarding the Demon Realm, Luo Shu was in his prime, looking down on all rivals.
Then a demon scion named Bai Hong rose out of nowhere and earned the title of Undefeated Demon Emperor.
He challenged Luo Shu, and the two fought for thirty days without a victor.
Blow by blow, they forged a bond, and on the spot they swore brotherhood.
Their friendship ran deep.
But invincibility is lonely.
Bai Hong decided to join Luo Shu, rally the Demon Race, storm the Celestial World, and fulfill the demons’ ultimate dream.
They spoke it and did it, launching a war against the heavens.
Back then the Lower Five Realms were still interconnected, so moving was easy.
In just a single day, the Celestial World ran with rivers of blood.
After Bai Hong and Luo Shu devoured half a plane, an immortal suddenly appeared and drew them into an array space.
Two days later, Bai Hong and Luo Shu staggered out, covered in wounds.
On the spot they declared the campaign against the heavens a failure and ordered a retreat to the Demon Race.
Once back, the demon and the hound shut themselves in a room and reflected for years.
When they emerged again, they carried only one conviction: Shatter the Void and step into the God Realm.
Become gods.
All demons failed to understand this decision.
Become gods? Setting aside whether it was even possible—suppose it was; so what? Why not simply keep assaulting the Celestial World, become heroes worshiped by ten thousand demons, get written into demon history for future generations to revere—wouldn’t that be grand?
To all such persuasion, Bai Hong and Luo Shu only smiled and shook their heads.
Assaulting the heavens would surely benefit the Demon Race.
But the strong only pursue greater power. That’s the law.
Besides, even if Bai Hong and Luo Shu wanted to keep fighting, they could not have succeeded.
Because they had been utterly defeated by that immortal.
He was already at the brink of Shattering the Void, about to step into the God Realm.
That was true power.
It was that immortal who told them there was a sky above the Celestial World—only by entering the God Realm would they understand what strength truly meant.
For Bai Hong and Luo Shu, those words were thunder in a clear sky.
They gave them a new goal.
So they swore to ascend to the God Realm and see what true power actually was.
With their relentless cultivation, that day came quickly.
Right before Shattering the Void, Bai Hong suddenly proposed that, in the God Realm, they should raise the Demon Realm’s banner high—and also provide what help they could to future demon gods.
Make the road easier for those who came later.
Luo Shu agreed on the spot: why not found a sect-force, so that when demons reached the God Realm, they could gather together and advance or retreat as one?
Thus Tongtian Pavilion was born.
The name carried meaning.
Tong—together—meant united hearts, advance and retreat together.
And tian pavilion pointed to the God Realm itself.
A pavilion above the Celestial World.
Here, they would make the Demon Race’s name resound.
To let future generations know, Bai Hong and Luo Shu even wrote a book to point the road ahead.
After that, the demon and the hound Shattered the Void hand in hand and ascended to the God Realm.
They spent half a day first getting their bearings, then traveled straight north.
Until they reached this place.
Truth be told, it was rather remote; if they could have chosen, they would have picked a more scenic site for their base.
But the book left for the Demon Realm marked {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} the extreme north. So extreme north it had to be.
Seeing Bai Hong’s insistence, Luo Shu had nothing more to say.
They built Tongtian Pavilion here and dreamed of growing vast and strong.
At the start, things unfolded exactly as they had hoped.
Demon gods kept finding their way here.
Tongtian Pavilion kept swelling in strength, and as founder and witness, Luo Shu knew that at its peak the alliance counted three hundred seventy-two demon gods.
In the God Realm, the moment anyone saw a demon god, they thought of Tongtian Pavilion.
It was glory without end.
But later, as time passed, unity frayed.
Some began infighting.
Bai Hong and Luo Shu kept trying to intervene, but it did little good.
Then subordinates of the demon faction acted wantonly and provoked many alliances.
Besieged by these alliances, Tongtian Pavilion suffered heavy casualties.
Even Bai Hong was gravely wounded.
Anxious, Luo Shu fetched countless divine pills to save him, but it was no use.
Before he died, Bai Hong charged Luo Shu to take care of himself and guard Tongtian Pavilion.
Luo Shu could not possibly refuse such a plea.
But some things cannot be done.
No doubt, the three-headed hound of the Demon Realm carried a mighty name.
Yet years of war had left Luo Shu with hidden injuries; his strength was far below its former peak.
And Tongtian Pavilion, being an alliance, could hardly be led by a hound.
So Luo Shu withdrew from high office.
But a host cannot go headless.
By combat, the demon gods soon chose a new alliance leader.
He was indeed strong—but he could not lead.
Soon Tongtian Pavilion fell into chaos under him.
Luo Shu tried to dissuade him, but the man wouldn’t listen.
After that, capable demon gods began leaving one after another.
That new alliance leader was later killed in battle.
From that period on, Tongtian Pavilion slid downhill without stop.
Talent withered, the alliance decayed.
In the last century, membership dwindled to single digits.
One small comfort to Luo Shu was that someone marginally acceptable finally joined.
He styled himself the God of Heart Demons.
His strength was not great, but his talent was good; with effort, he might have risen.
And then Tongtian Pavilion might have flourished again.
But unexpectedly, that God of Heart Demons seems to have fallen recently—his life lamp went out.
That blow robbed the already tottering Tongtian Pavilion of its last hope.
