Chapter 1009

Supreme Demon Kingdom, Sovereign Demon Hall.

Outside the hall, nine great cauldrons each a hundred zhang tall stood in a row, blazing flames beneath them; the fragrant broth within boiled vigorously. Hundreds of demons who had manifested the heaven-embodying, earth-embodying divine ability, their bodies swollen to hundreds of zhang, bustled back and forth, laughing and chatting.

Just before the Sovereign Demon Hall's plaza, plump and sturdy demon flood dragons had their heads chopped off, their scale armor peeled away, and their entrails emptied.

Basins of demon flood dragon blood were set aside; after these great demons scattered some specially prepared medicinal powder into it, the boiling blood quickly solidified. Chunks of crimson demon flood dragon blood quivered, crystal clear like gemstones, vivid and tender like jelly.

The demon flood dragon's bodies were washed clean, cut into large chunks, and tossed into the boiling great cauldron.

A great demon controlled the fire; when the heat was about right, dozens of secretly prepared spices were tossed into the cauldron, instantly releasing a rolling aroma that boosted appetite, drifting on the wind for hundreds of li.

Another great demon lifted basins of demon flood dragon blood, cut them into fist-sized squares with a bamboo knife, and carefully poured them into the cauldron.

Thus, to the cauldron's rich aroma was added an unusually fresh and delicious note.

These busy great demons each drooled profusely, their saliva nearly spilling out.

These demon flood dragons were bred by the Supreme Demon Kingdom using secret arts. From youth, their spiritual intellect was destroyed; dazed, they daily consumed vast amounts of top-grade spiritual medicines, eating until their bellies were full and intestines fat, every bit of their flesh storing immense medicinal potency.

Indeed, a random mouthful of demon flood dragon meat from the cauldron could grant an ordinary mortal physical strength comparable to the peak of the Embryonic Treasury realm.

Outside the hall, the cauldron cooking demon flood dragon meat gave off an exotic aroma; inside, tens of thousands of tables overflowed with drinks, while mountain delicacies and seafood piled up like hills.

The royal clan, great houses, major sects of the Supreme Demon Kingdom, plus famous and named great and minor demons from mountain caves, mansions, and secret realms everywhere—all the strongest tens of thousands of demons of the Supreme Demon Kingdom gathered together.

The Demon Sovereign sat upon the demon emperor's throne; before him, a long table a hundred zhang long and ten zhang wide was piled with countless delicacies. He raised a huge bronze wine cup and repeatedly shouted: "Everyone, eat and drink to your heart's content; today I am host, let us enjoy ourselves fully."

In the Demon Sovereign's heart, he silently sneered: "Hurry up and eat, hurry up and drink; eat your fill and drink your sufficiency to prepare for the road—this also counts as a ruler-subject affair; I give you a fine beheading meal, which is also fitting for you lot of scum."

Seeing the hall full of demons laughing and calling to friends, the Demon Sovereign grew excited, every hair on his body standing on end, his lower legs involuntarily trembling slightly.

Exhilarating, stimulating—the Demon Sovereign was so excited he wanted to break into song.

The strongest demons of the Supreme Demon Kingdom were about to be slaughtered to the last; the Demon Sovereign's blood surged to his head, he even felt a hint of dizziness—the demons' selfish, self-serving nature, harming others without benefit to themselves, was on full display.

The Demon Sovereign could hardly wait for Wu Tie to hurry over; he looked forward to seeing these demons one by one wailing to heaven and earth, kneeling and begging for mercy.

A clan elder of the royal family, likewise one of the Supreme Demon Kingdom's thirty-six Demon Venerables, Demon Free and Easy smiled faintly, playing with his exquisite pure gold wine cup, and leisurely asked the Demon Sovereign: "Your Majesty, what a refined mood, to actually bring out these demon flood dragons to entertain guests… what's the occasion? Where are the eight from the Yin and Hua families?"

Cold light flickered in the Demon Sovereign's eyes; he glanced at Demon Free and Easy, who let out a "keke" laugh.

"Your uncle doesn't know, my joy today is related to those eight old fogeys… hehe, their clan has indeed produced talent."

Papapa, the Demon Sovereign diverted the waters of the Fufeng Divine Dynasty eastward, set up an ultra-long-distance teleportation gate straight to Wuguo; while Shade Crow and company invaded Wuguo and suffered a loss, Shade Hawk and the eight great expedition commanders, seeking to monopolize the gains, sneakily led their armies into Wuguo, only to be met with a shut door and a beating; the Demon Venerable ancestors of the eight great expedition clans rushed to rescue them, and he explained the whole affair in detail.

"A bunch of greedy, rebellious brats, hehe, let them first taste some bitterness… when they can no longer hold out, I will join forces with you all, muster the full army of the Supreme Demon Kingdom, and flatten that so-called Wuguo!"

Demonic aura roiled over the Demon Sovereign's body; his pair of crimson eyes shot out blinding demonic light, bathing the hall in a bloody red.

Demon Free and Easy, together with several other royal clan elders and the other demon venerables in the hall, suddenly realized; they each gave a sly "kekeke" laugh, and Demon Free and Easy laughed loudly: "Your Majesty is right—let those eight old things go first as vanguard; once they've scouted the route sufficiently, we'll move in to seize the benefits. Hehe, excellent!"

The demon venerables in the hall, as well as the great and minor demons, felt every hint of doubt vanish from their hearts, and they grew ever happier, feasting and drinking to excess.

The Fufeng Divine Dynasty was surely doomed; the vast and mighty Supreme Demon Kingdom, worried about lacking new prey, saw a new dynasty arise—and not just any, but a fresh one on another continent!

They could command armies to war, slaughter wantonly, lead troops to plunder, indulge in burning, killing, and looting to vent their demonic thoughts… this news was simply fantastic.

"No wonder Your Majesty issued an edict ordering us old fogeys to gather our disciples and grand-disciples. Indeed, indeed, we should concentrate all our strength, with the force of thunderous might, and flatten that Wuguo!"

One of the Supreme Demon Kingdom's strongest sects, the Bone Abyss's Demon Venerable Patriarch White Bone God Lord chuckled "hehe", his whole body trembling with excitement: "My imitation of the primordial supreme treasure, the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths White Bone Soul-Baffling Banner, only lacks the white bone essence condensed from several billion humans' vital blood to succeed… this time, I will surely kill to my heart's content, kill to my heart's content…"

Inside the hall, demons wildly danced; several old demons shouted hoarse approval.

They practiced demonic arts, refined demonic laws and treasures; some needed human skin, some human bones, some human blood, some needed hair and organs, etc., these nefarious things… they laughed and chuckled, then divided up all the common folk of Wuguo, top to bottom, down to the last.

The demon flood dragons in the cauldron had been boiled to tender; the great demons carried huge golden basins, shouldering steaming, fragrant demon flood dragon meat and blood broth as they entered the hall.

The hall's atmosphere grew ever fiercer; some demons simply leapt into the air, manifesting countless heavenly demon marvelous forms that whirled wildly in midair.

For a moment, countless flying beauties danced in the void, accompanied by the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments, pipa, and various wonderful melodies; the hall's demons clapped, stomped, shouted, and cheered, while strands of sinister, shifting demonic aura surged within, transforming the luxurious, splendid hall into something like a cycle-of-rebirth hell.

Then, just as the Demon Sovereign had just grabbed a piece of demon flood dragon flesh, a terrifying pressure descended from the high heavens.

Boom—, the vast Demon Capital of the Supreme Demon Kingdom saw all its buildings shattered to pieces.

In the Sovereign Demon Hall, tens of thousands of demons lifted their heads in unison, startled and angry, gazing up at the sky.

In the azure sky, not even a wisp of white cloud remained.

Warm sunlight poured down, shining on these demons' bodies, yet they felt no warmth; everyone felt icy cold, the chill surging from the soles of their feet to their heads, even freezing their hearts into lumps of ice.

A huge war vessel hovered in the high sky; Wu Tie stood on the dragon head at the prow of the war vessel, hands behind his back, looking down upon the multitude of demons within the Sovereign Demon Hall.

Above Wu Tie's head, dozens of radiant Dao Seals formed an innate Taiji diagram, turning slowly along its mysterious trajectory; wave after wave of terrifying heavenly dao pressure emanated from his body, like a great mountain pressing down on all the demons in the Demon Capital.

Even a single Wu Tie, even if the number of Dao Seals he had condensed was several times greater than that of all the demons in the Sovereign Demon Hall, the veteran demons were not afraid of him.

Besides the three unlucky ones, such as the Blood Sea Old Ancestor, captured alive by Wu Tie; besides the eight Demon Venerable ancestors of the eight great expedition clans; in the hall, together with the Demon Sovereign, twenty-five Demon Venerable ancestors gathered.

Twenty-five Demon Venerables, tens of thousands of half-step Venerable demons—what a terrifying force!

But beside Wu Tie, nearly four thousand terrifyingly powerful beings stood in neat rows, each with some Dao Seals floating above their heads!

Four thousand Venerables!

Four thousand ancestors!

Moreover, these four thousand Venerable beings, just like the lowest foot soldiers, formed a battle formation, shielding Wu Tie at the core.

The aura of the four thousand Venerables condensed into one, merging into Wu Tie's body.

Four thousand Venerables in formation… the pressure released by Wu Tie's control of the battle formation was like heaven, earth, and the universe pressing down simultaneously.

In the Sovereign Demon Hall, each demon felt icy cold, all thoughts crushed by that terrifying pressure; not a single demon venerable dared to move or utter a sound.

The Demon Sovereign rose with a grin, soaring up to face Wu Tie.

The demons, as if seeing a savior, suddenly broke through Wu Tie's terrifying pressure, shouting hoarsely: "Your Majesty… kill him, kill him!"

Several senior demon elders of the Supreme Demon Kingdom's royal clan were moved to tears—after all, their demon clan had a peerless hero; facing such terrifying pressure, the Demon Sovereign dared to confront it head-on, standing against such a fearsome foe!

Then, countless demons saw the Demon Sovereign kneel reverently before Wu Tie.

"My lord, by your lord's command, all the notable demons of the Supreme Demon Kingdom have gathered in the Demon Capital… hehe, their lives are now your lord's."

In the Sovereign Demon Hall, all the demons spat blood.

Demon Free and Easy even more incredulously bellowed hoarsely: "Sovereign, you, you, you, you… this… traitor!"

The Demonic Sovereign lowered his head and fiercely cursed at the Demonic Free: "We demonic path cultivators are the most selfish and self‑interested; I have betrayed you, using your corpses as stepping stones for my advancement—am I wrong? Isn't this just the natural order of things?"

The vast demonic capital was filled with demon leaders who had nothing to say.

When Wu Tie descended upon the Supreme Demon Kingdom, in the far‑northern ocean depths north of the kingdom, a dragon‑whale several dozen li in length roared loudly, flying at a height of less than a hundred zhang above the sea surface.

The dragon‑whale's enormous size and incredible speed, combined with its extremely low flight altitude, stirred up a gale that tore a trench several li wide and several dozen li deep into the sea surface.

Wherever the dragon‑whale passed, huge white waves surged skyward, and the deafening roar of the waves crashing could be heard clearly tens of thousands of li away.

On the dragon‑whale's massive white belly, an extremely long and deep gash was clearly visible, with thick blood plasma continuously spurting from the wound, dyeing a large expanse of the sea below red.

From afar, this blood line stretched all the way from the distant horizon where sea meets sky, extending who knows how many hundreds of thousands of li.

On the dragon‑whale's huge head sat a youth dressed in white coarse cloth, his head shaved to a shining smoothness, with a palm‑sized patch of flesh and skull on his forehead as transparent as crystal; he sat cross‑legged, holding a string of prayer beads and murmuring sutras.

Through that transparent patch of flesh and bone on his forehead, one could see that his brain held no normal human structure but a mass of viscous, glazed‑blue liquid; within this pale‑green glaze sat a thumb‑sized golden Buddha, cross‑legged, its tiny mouth moving as it softly chanted sutras, just like the youth.

When the tiny golden Buddha chanted, each syllable turned into a small golden flower that flew out, circled itself three times, then fell into the pale‑green glaze below.

Behind the dragon‑whale, in the distant high sky, a swath of demonic clouds raced swiftly.

The demonic clouds were enormous, spanning a thousand li, and far off one could see two colossal heavenly wings faintly appearing within them, with occasional lightning flashing and sputtering inside the clouds.

Every several dozen breaths, the gigantic wings within the demonic clouds gave a light flap, causing the clouds to flash violently and instantaneously shift forward by hundreds of thousands of li.

Each time the demonic clouds shifted, the huge dragon‑whale let out a low roar, spewing mouthfuls of blood as its body crashed heavily toward the sea surface.

Immediately a massive whirlpool appeared on the sea surface; the dragon‑whale and the youth plunged into it and vanished in an instant. The next moment, another whirlpool emerged tens of thousands of li away in the southern sea, from which the dragon‑whale sprayed water vapor and shot out, continuing its rapid flight southward.

In this endless chase, the two had lost track of how far they had fled when a harsh, grating voice suddenly rang out from the demonic clouds: "Jia ye Buddhist disciple, you are destined to be this lord's food… I also wish to draw upon the merit and Buddha‑power you have accumulated over ten lifetimes of rebirth, to shed my mortal womb, transform my marrow, and advance further… You are destined to be this lord's food; why endure such painful flight?"

"The Glazed Buddha Kingdom has already fallen; the lineage of the Monk King has been utterly slaughtered, leaving only you to flee… What are you still struggling for?"

"You Buddhists preach compassion above all—yet now this lord's belly is empty; why not show a little compassion and offer your flesh to me?"

Jia ye, seated cross‑legged on the dragon‑whale's head, opened his eyes slightly and gazed deeply toward the south.

"A sliver of hope lies in this direction… 'Iron,' 'iron,' 'iron'… I divined this character 'iron'—is it a person, an object, or a place name?"

"My hope, the hope of countless citizens of the Glazed Buddha Kingdom, and indeed… the hope of innumerable common folk within a radius of billions of li—all rests upon this character 'iron'."

"May the ancestors of the Glazed Buddha Kingdom bless me so that I may find this 'iron'… I would gladly endure a hundred cycles of rebirth to seize this sliver of hope."