Chapter 746: I Am the Holy Monarch

The Demon Palace!

The high platform of the Third Heaven.

A single level of heaven consists of thirty-three steps.

This is where the Yinyue Dynasty holds its councils; the Holy Monarch Qiye sits upright on the throne of the Third Heaven, looking down like a king at the countless demons, monsters, and ghosts bowing before him.

On the Second Heaven level is the Demon Master Jing Wuyuan; he taught Qiye his demonic arts and sword techniques from a young age, and once repelled the Yue Mo to save the Yinyue Dynasty, making him a hero of the Yinyue Dynasty with an extraordinary status, second only to the Holy Monarch and the Empress Dowager.

On the Third Heaven level are three men and one woman, the "Demon Palace Four Sages" who have served the Demon Palace Holy Monarch for generations and lead the demons, monsters, and ghosts.

And below the Third Heaven are the demons, monsters, and ghosts as far as the eye can see, like a surging tide.

However, the atmosphere of the Third Heaven is exceptionally oppressive at this moment.

And the cause of this oppression comes from the crystal coffin placed on the Third Heaven.

This coffin is no ordinary object; it is called the "Liangji Crystal Coffin," and just as the name suggests, it has two diametrically opposed functions.

First, by lying in the coffin, one can seal away magic power, which is used to imprison and suppress opponents. Second, the crystal coffin stores a massive amount of pure vital energy, which can be used to recuperate and restore one's strength.

And currently trapped inside the coffin is that peerlessly beautiful and charming Yinyue Empress Dowager.

"Kill the Yue Mo!"

The entire Third Heaven and its surroundings are silent.

You could hear a pin drop, then suddenly a shout rings out, though it is unclear who below issued it.

"Kill the Yue Mo!"

"Kill the Yue Mo!"

As this sound falls, it is as if a chain reaction has begun.

One by one, the demons are shouting loudly, their voices growing ever louder, like a mountain-toppling, sea-churning roar that resounds through the heavens and earth. Every demon carries a trace of killing intent, and as this killing intent condenses, it shoots straight into the sky.

E Long, one of the Demon Palace Four Sages, steps forward, cups his hands, and says: "Holy Monarch, you hold the Yixi Sword; you are the Lord of All Demons and the King of All Monsters. We are ready to go through fire and water for you at any time and offer up our own lives. Possessing such power, please also fulfill your corresponding obligations, for the sake of the Demon Palace and for the sake of the Holy Monarchs of the past."

"Kill the Yue Mo!

"

"If you cannot bring yourself to do it, you may let your subordinates do it in your stead."

Qiye presses his lips tightly together, remaining silent.

Jing Wuyuan lets out a sigh.

Ever since Yu Liancheng revealed in Nanguo Town that the Yue Mo had occupied the body of the Yinyue Empress Dowager, the entire Yinyue Dynasty has become terrified; in the past, the Yue Mo almost destroyed the entire Demon Palace single-handedly, causing countless deaths and injuries and leaving a profound impact. Now, countless demons have gathered at the royal palace specifically to demand the death of the Yue Mo.

And since the Yue Mo is currently attached to the shell of the Yinyue Empress Dowager, to kill the Yue Mo, one must first kill the Yinyue Empress Dowager.

Qiye has already been to Huanbo Chi, seen the physical body at the bottom of the pool, and knows that he is one of the Seven Generations of Resentful Couples who was abducted.

Logically speaking, Qiye should hate the Yinyue Empress Dowager to the bone; the Empress Dowager's actions are no different from those of a human trafficker. However, just like Xiaoyuer from the Handsome Siblings, Qiye has bloomed with the kindest "saintly heart" in the most vicious of environments. Regardless, the Yinyue Empress Dowager has not treated him poorly over the years, so he wants to spare her life.

"Please, Holy Monarch, slay the demon."

E Long kneels on one knee and lets out a roar.

"Please, Holy Monarch, slay the demon."

The other three Sages of the Demon Palace also kneel on one knee.

"Please, Holy Monarch, slay the demon."

Below the Third Heaven platform, the crowd of demons kneels down with a clatter, like a wave.

Watching the countless kneeling demons, Qiye grips the Yixi Sword tightly, his knuckles turning white, and he is actually trembling slightly.

"You are... not wrong. Since I am the Holy Monarch of the Demon Palace, I should eradicate all people and things that threaten the Demon Palace; this is my responsibility."

The Demon Palace Four Sages and the crowd of demons, monsters, and ghosts cannot help but show a hint of joy, thinking the Holy Monarch has compromised.

"But I cannot strike against my mother, so, from this day forward, I resign from the position of Holy Monarch of the Demon Palace." Qiye's eyes are calm, his expression like the finest sculpted marble, and he raises the Yixi Sword, which represents the supreme authority of the Demon Palace: "As for this Yixi Sword, whoever among you wants it, just take it."

Having said this, Qiye tosses the Yixi Sword high into the air, turns around, and prepares to take the Yinyue Empress Dowager, leave the Demon Palace, and live the life of an ordinary person.

Watching the Yixi Sword flying in mid-air, Jing Wuyuan, the Demon Palace Four Sages, and the countless demons and monsters are all stunned. Everyone could have discussed things properly; there is no reason to throw away the trump card at the first sign of disagreement.

And just at this moment, a bizarre scene occurs.

The Yixi Sword does not fall to the ground according to inertia, but instead flies off through the air with unreasonable speed, heading far into the distance.

In the blink of an eye, the Yixi Sword vanishes.

Boom!

Just as everyone is confused, the earth suddenly begins to tremble; this trembling sound comes from far to near, and it is exactly from the direction the Yixi Sword flew.

The trembling sound grows louder and louder, and just hearing its rolling-thunder momentum makes one think the Profound Heart Sect has opened the Mysterious Yin Demon Gate and led the Datang Army to kill them.

Soon, they see the source of the trembling sound.

It is a giant green python, over a hundred zhang in length; humans are as small as ants before it. The giant python charges forward, the ground cracking layer by layer, and everything—mountains, rocks, grass, and trees—is torn to shreds; it even smashes a deep tunnel through a mountain that no human power could have excavated. The hearts of the demons are filled with surging waves; such a powerful snake demon is unheard of and unseen—where on earth did it crawl out from?

But Qiye and the others notice a person standing on the snake's head, black robes fluttering, handsome as an immortal, with an indescribable air of romance and freedom.

"It's him, Yu Liancheng?!"

Qiye and the others speak with irrepressible shock, especially when they see the Yixi Sword in Yu Liancheng's hand. Clearly, the Yixi Sword was drawn to him, and this supreme demonic treasure has fallen into the hands of another without the slightest resistance.

A moment later, the giant green python stops twenty zhang away from the crowd of demons; its massive snake body and the thick, surging demonic aura make the small demons tremble, and quite a few even sit down on the ground, their expressions filled with fear and anxiety.

"Xiaoqing, you have absorbed vast magic power, but you cannot yet control your heart and intent, which is why you have caused so much destruction along the way; you should learn from your sister in this regard," Yu Liancheng says, stroking the soft, seaweed-like mane on the head of the giant green python.

Xiaoqing shakes her head, her gaze scanning the crowd of demons below with interest; she suddenly strikes a pouncing pose, and the group of demons, monsters, and ghosts immediately retreats in panic, trembling, with some even wetting themselves, which makes Xiaoqing gleeful.

"Yu Liancheng, you have quite the airs, but you have trespassed into the Demon Palace; this is seeking your own death." E Long narrows his eyes, a chilling killing intent shooting from his gaze.

Yu Liancheng says calmly: "The token of the Demon Palace is the Yixi Sword; I have obtained the Yixi Sword, so logically speaking, I should be the Eighth Holy Monarch. As disciples of the Demon Palace, why have you not yet knelt to pay homage?"

As he speaks, he raises the Yixi Sword in his hand.

At this moment, Yu Liancheng uses the "Strange Dao" to evolve his own temperament, his entire person appearing full of evil, giving people a bizarre and overbearing feeling. The Yixi Sword also seems to sense Yu Liancheng's thoughts, vibrating slightly, and a strange, bizarre Sword Qi rises into the sky, enveloping him. At this moment, Yu Liancheng looks more like a Demon Monarch than Qiye.

"Stop spouting nonsense; an outsider like you wants to be the Demon Monarch? You truly don't know how to die." E Long presses his right hand to his sword, his expression murderous.

"Hmph, insubordination—you deserve to die."

Yu Liancheng let out a cold snort. Watching the Evil Dragon, he pressed a palm out into thin air. Qi surged, rippling like water, and the force of his palm swept toward the Evil Dragon like a collapsing celestial river.

Although he struck from a distance, his palm force was vast and boundless, beyond what anyone in this world could resist. Let alone the Evil Dragon, even Qiye's Heaven-Slaying Sword-Drawing Technique might not be able to block this strike.

The Evil Dragon was also one of the few top experts in the Demon Palace, but as this palm strike roared toward him, he felt his heart and spirit stagnate. There was nowhere to dodge, nowhere to hide; he could only let the strike hit him.

Bang! When the distant palm force slammed into the Evil Dragon, he felt as if a mountain of ten thousand acres had smashed into him. The sound of shattering bones was incessant, and his entire body was blasted ten zhang away, crushing many other demons to death along the way.

"Sage Evil Dragon!" The other three Demon Palace Sages saw this scene, their eyes widening, and they let out a shrill roar before glaring at Yu Liancheng, drawing their blades and swords.

"Kill! Kill this man and avenge Evil Dragon!"

"Go to hell!"

Not only the Demon Palace Four Sages, but the other demons also began to howl. Demon Qi surged to the heavens as they raised their blades and swords, wanting to kill Yu Liancheng and be done with it.

The Demon Realm was filled with dense Demon Qi that could twist the mind. Incited by the three Demon Palace Sages, these demons became uncontrollable and murderous.

"Stop! Quickly stop!"

Jing Wuyuan and Qiye shouted loudly, but it was to no avail.

In reality, this was not only due to the Demon Qi of the Demon Palace, but also because of Yu Liancheng's Mental Secret Technique, which stirred the demons' killing intent.

And his action was precisely to kill one to warn a hundred.

"Yu Liancheng, do you need my help?" Xiaoqing flicked her snake tail, saying with some eagerness.

"No need." Yu Liancheng held the Yixi Sword, assuming a sword-drawing stance.

At the same time, powerful Demon Qi surged into the sky, obscuring the light of the sun and moon: "Since they are so disobedient and commit insubordination, naturally I, as the Holy Monarch, must teach them a lesson."

The next moment, all the Demon Qi surged toward the Yixi Sword.

The Yixi Sword trembled slightly, and a touch of scarlet color appeared on the edge of the blade.

Swish!

As this sword was swung, blood-colored sword light swept out like waves rising from a sea of blood, or like a red waterfall pouring down from the nine heavens. It spread out in a vast expanse of blood, and any demon blocking the path of this sword was like a splash of water in a ten-thousand-acre wave, instantly submerged and exploding into a mist of blood, leaving not even a corpse behind.

Yu Liancheng swung his sword continuously.

Even though the subsequent sword lights were not as fierce and vast as the first, they were still unstoppable. In the blink of an eye, the number of people on the Triple Heaven Platform plummeted. Some demons and ghosts were not struck by the sword light, but were swept away by the aftermath of the Sword Qi, sent flying as their arms and legs were torn apart.

As a human, Yu Liancheng naturally did not take the lives of the demons and ghosts of the Demon Palace to heart.

The reason he came to the Demon Realm this time was also because the Demon Qi of the Yinshi Youquan was too terrifying and required the Demon Palace and the Profound Heart Sect to join forces; otherwise, he would not have bothered with the Demon Palace's internal chaos.

"Stop!"

"Stop, we are willing to serve you as the Holy Monarch of the Demon Sect."

Jing Wuyuan looked at the tragic scene of blood flowing like a river and listened to the mournful cries, wishing only that he were deaf, blind, and had no sense of smell.

Speaking along with Jing Wuyuan was the Holy Monarch Qiye, who was also pale, the corners of his eyes twitching incessantly. Watching Yu Liancheng continuously unleash the Heaven-Slaying Sword-Drawing Technique, he began to doubt reality.

The Heaven-Slaying Sword-Drawing Technique consumed a massive amount of one's own Demon Qi, yet this guy seemed to have an endless, inexhaustible supply of it, which was incredible to the extreme.

The two men's voices were not very loud amidst the slaughter, but Yu Liancheng seemed to sense them. He sheathed his sword, giving the demons a moment to breathe, and looked at the two with a smile: "Are you truly willing to submit and serve me as Holy Monarch?"

"Indeed, we are willing to serve the Holy Monarch." Jing Wuyuan knelt on one knee; no matter what, he had to preserve the Demon Palace first.

"Then... what about you all?" Yu Liancheng's gaze swept over the remaining demons and ghosts.

Immediately, many demons who were frightened out of their wits showed fawning expressions: "To see the divine might of the Holy Monarch today, we are truly fortunate for three lifetimes. We beg the Holy Monarch to be magnanimous and forgive our previous disrespect. We are willing to submit to your command and serve you with our lives, never to turn back."

One by one, the demons knelt down. In the face of absolute power, they appeared so weak. A few strong-willed individuals braced their bodies, fists clenched, but as Yu Liancheng's gaze swept over them, they felt as if a mountain of ten thousand acres were crushing down on them, and amidst the crackling of their bones, they too knelt down.

In a short moment, except for the former Holy Monarch Qiye, the entire crowd was kneeling.

"Very good, from now on, I am the Holy Monarch!" Yu Liancheng held the Yixi Sword high.

From this moment on, the Yinyue Dynasty changed masters.

Qiye sighed; no matter what, he finally did not have to make a choice between the Demon Palace and the Yinyue Empress Dowager.

Just as Qiye intended to take the Yinyue Empress Dowager away and live in seclusion in the mountains from then on.

He heard Yu Liancheng say: "Qiye, wait a moment."

Qiye looked at Yu Liancheng with a cold face, his expression as indifferent as if carved from marble: "I wonder what other business the Holy Monarch Yu has?"

Yu Liancheng glanced at the Yinyue Empress Dowager and smiled: "Are you planning to take the Yinyue Empress Dowager away?"

Qiye's expression sank slightly: "Why, does Holy Monarch Yu not allow it?"

"It is not that I do not allow it, but that it is unwise."

Yu Liancheng shook his head and said: "Once the Yinyue Empress Dowager leaves the coffin, the Yue Mo will awaken. As the Holy Monarch of the Demon Realm, I cannot allow the existence of such a threat to the Demon Palace in this world."

"..."

Qiye looked at Yu Liancheng, who appeared to be thinking for the sake of the Yinyue Dynasty, and really wanted to retort: if you look at the current scene of blood flowing like a river and corpses piled like mountains, if we are talking about threats to the Demon Palace, you, Yu Liancheng, rank first, and no one else ranks second.

He took a deep breath and asked: "What do you intend to do?"

"Leave her here." Yu Liancheng's gaze turned to the peerlessly beautiful face of the Yinyue Empress Dowager, and he smiled slightly: "Perhaps I can restore the Yinyue Empress Dowager to normal."

Qiye was silent for a moment and said: "Fine, my mother and I will stay in the palace."

PS: I've caught the flu, and my leave slips are all used up. Sad.