Chapter 804: Chapter 528: The Gathering Storm
Xia Realm.
Somewhere in the Million Mountains, deep underground.
"Welcome, Gu Yue Demon Venerable!"
Amidst the shouts of the Demon Emperors,
a young, handsome man appeared, clothed in a silver great cloak, his eyes narrow and long, a blood-red crescent moon mark adorning his forehead.
This was none other than the former Gu Yue Demon Emperor himself.
He had entered the Demon Sovereign Realm last year and had lain dormant until now.
Gu Yue curled his lips into a smile and said, "Everyone, the Eternal Immortal has confirmed a Breakthrough Eighth, and has already left the Xia Realm. We have been suppressed for so long—now it is time for us to strike back."
One of the Demon Emperors asked,
"With only our current forces, we cannot shake the Wanbang Council, can we? Even adding the Ghost Country, it’s nowhere near enough."
"Naturally, we have more allies."
Gu Yue Demon Venerable clapped his hands, and a figure in an ornate imperial robe appeared, his face blurred beneath a crown of shadows.
He too exuded a Seventh Realm aura, and seemed even stronger than Gu Yue Demon Venerable. He was like a shadow cloaking the Demon Palace, surrounded by countless wraiths—the souls of the billions killed by his hand.
"Let me introduce myself. I am the Shadow Stream Dominator. Of course, this is just a clone of mine within the Xia Realm. I have received orders at this critical hour, tasked by the Witch God, to act as Supreme Marshal in the coming counter-offensive.
The great curtain has risen, but the enemy is much stronger than us. If we wish to inflict heavy damage on humanity, a frontal assault won’t work. But if the Demon Emperors’ diverse means are combined with our Shadow Kill Clan’s shadow escape techniques, the result will exceed the sum of its parts.
The coming war will be based on guerrilla tactics: if a strike fails, retreat quickly via shadow passageways to evade losses; grind down the human Heavenly Kings until their numbers dwindle, then we unify our strength and launch an all-out attack!"
Gu Yue Demon Venerable said:
"I have discussed this with the Shadow Stream Dominator. Our combined forces can deploy nearly two hundred Six Realms, over a thousand Fifth Realms, and over ten thousand Four Realms. So long as one third of our guerrilla strikes succeed, it is victory. After all, our Forbidden Zones can provide continuous reinforcements, while for humans, even a single Grandmaster is hard-earned.
In the long run, humanity cannot outlast us. Our early failures were because we launched several frontal wars out of overconfidence, and lost most of our high-end combatants—damage humanity barely registered.
But now, with the Shadow Kill Clan’s cover, we can maximize our strengths and exhaust them with high-mobility warfare!"
The Shadow Stream Dominator laughed: "Indeed, in direct combat, the Shadow Kill Clan is weak. But in stealth and survival, few in the Three Thousand Worlds can rival us!"
...
The earth’s core.
Sweltering heat of over a million degrees filled the air.
A shrunken fixed star floated like a chicken egg, within which a four-legged, one-horned giant beast curled in slumber.
The projection of the Fire Saint King slowly faded.
"The Eternal Immortal has left. Recover your peak soon. Our human Seventh Realm forces barely withstand the Wanbang Council’s trump cards. Only you, as humanity’s next demigod, can possess strength to sweep all."
The beast’s pupils burst with world-ending fire lotus. It spoke: "Father, I’ve heard you lost a clone?"
"No need to mention it. That clone was a borrowed body—an Eight-Pattern Demon Clan member I seized temporarily to build the Star Palace and launch war. Advancing to Demon Saint cost countless resources, and the clone had mediocre potential. Being outmaneuvered and destroyed by humans is only natural. My true hope still lies in you, Red Lotus."
"Don’t worry, Father. With the Eternal Immortal and Dragon King gone, if I ascend to Demon Venerable one day, I’ll trample all of the Human World."
...
The endless sea.
Rashamon Ghost Country.
Mists blanketed hundreds of thousands of miles, ghost fire painting the sea green, reflecting a green vault of sky. Now and then, void rifts appeared, flickering like lightning.
In the depths of the Forbidden Zone, a gigantic invisible net covered a thousand miles, with an ornate palace at the center.
The palace’s master was the #37 rank on the Demon List—"Ten-Thousand-Spider Ghost Empress." Set aside those strange cult leaders whose power defies reason, and she’s the absolute pinnacle of all demon ghost strength in the Human World.
Figures of Heavenly Ghosts descended in droves.
Seated on a throne woven of spider silk, a black-robed, bewitchingly beautiful eight-eyed matron opened her eyes.
"We greet the Ten-Thousand-Spider Ghost Venerate!"
Twenty-four Heavenly Ghosts prostrated low to the earth.
Compared to Demon Emperors, the Heavenly Ghosts were far more unified. All high-ranking ghosts were zealots of the Ghost Mother.
The eight-eyed lady said lazily,
"At last we needn’t playact for humans. My order: All Ghost Kings will cooperate with the Demon Palace in guerrilla warfare. Anyone who kills a human Grandmaster or Genius will be heavily rewarded; slay a Great Grandmaster or peerless Genius for a Heavenly Ghost Soul Crystal; kill a Heavenly King and win a Myriad Soul Fruit."
Buzz—buzz—buzz—
Mists rolled through the Ghost Country.
Wraiths swept toward the Human World by the host.
...
The Ghost Blood Ship cruised through the mists. At the prow stood a figure in a blood robe, polishing a katana. His aura nearly reached Seventh Realm, no less than a top-ten Heavenly Person.
A white-robed Witch Master’s figure appeared.
The Blood Hidden Building Master knelt.
"Greetings, Witch Master."
"No need for formality. Here is a Demon Venerable Blood Crystal, a secret medicine I refined from six Demon Venerable’s Essence Blood. Its value speaks for itself. I know you will fail the Martial Arts Breakthrough Seven. So, when I passed you the ’Heavenly Demon Six Transformations’, I also laid out a fallback plan. Swallow this, and you’ll have a fifty percent chance of Breakthrough Seven. Don’t disappoint me."
The Blood Hidden Building Master’s heart pounded wildly.
Within his body, it felt as if six savage demons were roaring.
He had awaited this day so long.
"Thank you, Witch Master!"
...
Wanbang Council.
Elder Council.
The Northern Guardian King’s gaze was grave.
"Everyone, there are now only two things we must do. First: broadcast our triumph over the Demon Saint to the people! All this time, many have said human civilization had no hope against the Forbidden Zone—that any Demon Saint could render all our efforts for naught.
Now we can tell those people with righteous pride: Demon Saints are nothing special. Even without the Eighth Realm, Da Xia can unite and slay a Demon Saint!
Since the birth of Martial Arts, it’s been but ten thousand years; this grand era started only thirty years ago, and already we’ve achieved such success. Give us one more century, and victory will be ours."
The Old Yellow River Ghost clapped repeatedly.
"So long as the New Heaven Restoration Plan proceeds step by step, it won’t be long before we slay a demigod!"
Shangguan Xue smiled:
"What undying, indestructible gods are there in this world? They’re just mighty, evil things."
The Alcohol King laughed aloud.
"Ha! After all this struggle, we’ve finally glimpsed dawn. Time for the doomsayers to shut up!"
Abbots Hui Fa, Li Xiuying, Daoist Cui Shan, and dozens of other Heavenly King experts were roused and exhilarated.
All this time, the Council has wrestled with the Eye of Truth, with the populace’s confidence shaken, the future cloaked in gloom. Slaying a Demon Saint truly marks a new epoch.
The Northern Guardian King continued: "Tell the people—those thought lost exploring that cave did not disappear. Led by the Myriad Phenomena Dao’s Chief Lu, along with Da Xia’s Absolute Peak experts, they battled across the Three Thousand Worlds and, together, struck down a Demon Saint!"
The Heart’s Mediator floated, arms folded and suspended in the air.
Her lips curled in a smile:
"How splendid. Chief Lu just became a Heavenly King, and already pulled off something so grand. Next, we’ll make him famous throughout the Xia Realm—let this era’s momentum carry him to leap into the heavens!"
Master Lu, Breakthrough Seven isn’t far now.
After everyone rejoiced,
the Northern Guardian King shifted the topic.
"Second—everybody should know by now, from our spies among the Demon Race, that the Demon Palace, Rashamon Ghost Country, Blood Hidden Tower, and Shadow Kill Clan are joining forces for guerrilla attacks on Xia Realm strongholds. After two years probing, we’ve located several Demon Emperor hideouts. We wanted to find the Demon Palace headquarters and strike all at once, but plans can’t keep up with changes. We can’t wait—strike first, to avoid mass casualties."
The Northern Guardian King sighed inwardly.
When the Eternal Immortal left, he foresaw this day. They’d planned secrecy to buy precious time, but in the end had no choice but to act. The Forbidden Zone had calculated Da Xia’s lack of an Eighth Realm, and set everything on this final gamble.
He still had faith they could lead everyone through the coming upheaval, but blood and sacrifice were now inevitable.
Fortunately, the Xia Realm of today was far stronger than before; both the grassroots and the elite now held an overwhelming advantage.
So long as they endured this wave of dying resistance and minimized losses, the dark forces of the Human World would be purged,
ushering in a rare era of overall peace.
...
Nightfall.
Su City’s Myriad Phenomena Dao.
The whole sect gathered together.
All sat silently at dinner.
Old Ji’s mind was full of his disciple’s figure.
Shi Ruyu too was thinking of his junior brother.
Ji Feiyan, bored, kept practicing stances.
Lu Chenzhou’s disappearance—it had been two years now.
The Soul Lamp showed no ill, but no one knew where he’d gone.
Old Ji murmured daily: "The heavens look after the virtuous."
The Council only said it was classified.
"Everyone, eating yet?"
An elderly man with silver hair walked in, smiling.
Su Town’s Guardian, Zhang Jizhi.
Everyone stood up at once.
"Greetings, Guardian."
"Senior, have you eaten?"
"Senior, is this about my disciple?"
"Senior, when will Chenzhou return?"
The questions flew. Zhang Jizhi did not interrupt.
When all had spoken, he sighed with feeling, "For Chenzhou to have people who care for him so in this age is truly fortune. He is well—and has already become a Heavenly King. Wang Xian, who traveled with him, broke the Fifth, and Lin Xia and Qingtian Cang have also progressed... but none of them are still in the Xia Realm."
Zhang Jizhi briefed them on events, balancing detail and brevity. All this had been top secret; only the very highest knew. Even relatives could not be told. With their low cultivation, demonic body seizing was too great a risk.
So—the less people knew, the better.
When they heard, all their faces broke into rapture.
Old Ji, especially, could not hide his smile.
"Already a Heavenly King?"
I, Ji Xuantong, will be master to a Heavenly King!
Shi Ruyu was even prouder.
"I suspected junior brother would be a Heavenly King soon, but never imagined it would be so fast. This must be a human record, right?"
Zhang Jizhi nodded.
"To my knowledge, yes."
Hong Fu grinned with pride: "Didn’t I say? Chenzhou would one day bring the Tiger Form onto equal standing with the Dragon Form—rival, maybe even surpass the Dragon King."
Chen Jiu recalled practicing Hard Qi Gong with Lu Chenzhou in youth—now that boy was scaling the very summit.