The moon dipped and stars slanted. A strange horse, entirely covered with black scales, galloped swiftly forward, dragging behind it a carriage filled with people, yet showing no sign of burden.
“Just the bloodline of an Evil Being is this powerful. How formidable must a true Evil Being be?” The young man, who had just slightly recovered from the grief of abandoning his companions, glanced around anxiously and murmured in a low voice.
He had encountered such horses before, but back then he had only marveled at their strength and speed, rarely linking them to demons. Now, with the demonic tide approaching, he couldn’t help but make the connection—and the more he dwelled on it, the more terrified he grew.
“Even the weakest demon is as strong as a human who has awakened seven apertures,” scoffed a companion with a thin mustache, having overheard his whisper. “Books about demons and evil spirits are everywhere in the city. How could you not know this?”
Resisting the Nine Abysses was the duty of the entire race. Naturally, the rulers had sent people to compile information on demons and evil deities, ensuring everyone had a basic understanding so they could respond appropriately when encountering them.
The young man flushed red, stammering, “I, I just don’t like reading those…”
During the last Evil Tide, he had been too young to remember clearly, and he hadn’t truly grasped the cruelty involved. Only now did he begin to understand.
“Stop whispering and stay alert!” the leader surnamed Li commanded gravely.
“Yes!” The young man hurriedly responded, instinctively glancing at the leader—his expressionless face and his single arm.
What sorrow, pain, and despair must the leader have endured back then?
Just as the thought surfaced, a black shadow suddenly lunged from the bushes on the left side of the road. It was human-sized, skinless, with exposed flesh, pale sinews, dark red blood, and bone spurs growing from its joints. Its gaping mouth contained only six teeth, each sharp and jagged.
A foul stench filled the air, and a vicious aura pierced his body. The young man’s legs trembled, his right hand went limp, and he could only watch helplessly as the shadow lunged toward him.
“Evil Being attack!” A sharp cry rang out, followed by the sound of swords and blades being drawn.
Clang!
A thick-backed long saber slashed across the demon’s face, sending it flying backward, but it barely left a shallow scratch.
“Leader Li…” the young man gasped, his heart pounding with fear.
The leader reined in his horse, facing the demon head-on, his voice calm. “You retreat first. We’re close to Ping Le City now.”
“What about you, Leader Li?” the young man cried out.
Before he could finish speaking, the man with the mustache yanked the reins, pulling him forward. In his ears echoed a sorrowful and helpless voice:
“According to the regulations, if scattered demons appear on the road to hinder or obstruct us, the team leader must confront them. If the leader is unable to handle it, the deputy steps in, and so forth down the chain of command. However, under no circumstances should the group’s advance be delayed. Violation of this order warrants immediate execution!”
The safety of the main group was paramount!
The young man was stunned, only snapping back to his senses after galloping a distance with his horse. He turned his head and saw Leader Li’s steed already fallen, slain by the demonic fiend, while Li himself brandished his heavy-backed saber against the vicious monster. His back appeared aged and solitary, yet unyielding and resolute.
“Leader Li…” His voice choked, tears blurring his vision. He gritted his teeth, turned his head forward, spurred his horse, and guarded the left flank of the group, spine straight like his leader—unyielding even in death.
Every young human boy either perished or transformed during the Magic Tide.
Clatter, clatter, clatter—the hooves thundered. The group raced toward the massive dark silhouette in the faint morning light—Ping Le City!
…
“A temporary method or an eternal one?” A black-armored man following Qi Zhengyan asked in confusion, his expression one of earnest inquiry.
Qi Zhengyan slowly descended, landing on a nearby mountain ridge. Gazing toward the city, he said calmly, “An organizational form of humanity that continuously produces strong individuals.”
The black mist swirling around the armored figure intensified. “I don’t understand,” he said, “Your Majesty, you are the Sovereign of the Nine Abysses, the Demon King. Why do you constantly concern yourself with mere humans?”
“I am not the Demon King,” Qi Zhengyan repeated. “The demon resides in every living being. Whether it’s resisting injustice, opposing tyranny, or dealing with love, hate, greed, or hatred, all these are signs of a demonic seed in the heart. Most of the evil demons in the Nine Abysses only know slaughter and destruction. They are not truly living beings but manifestations of certain natural laws—just as the universe must have an end, and life must face death. Evil demons are symbols of death and endings.”
They are bound by the heavens and the Dao, forever confined within these limits. To be the heir of the Demon King does not mean joining them in their chaos, but leading them to rebel against the heavens, against these laws, against the Dao itself. Only by breaking free from endless slaughter and destruction can they awaken their own spiritual nature. That is the true meaning of “demon.”
Qi Zhengyan’s eyes were pitch black, like two quiet burning black flames—calm, yet capable of igniting a prairie fire, changing the heavens and the earth!
The black-armored general behind him stood frozen in shock. For a fleeting moment, he believed that slaughter and annihilation were the ultimate joys, the purest manifestation of his essence, the very core of demonic nature. Yet in the next instant, he felt ensnared, as if bound by an inescapable trap—a mere puppet of the heavens and the Dao, suffocated and tormented beyond endurance.
After a long silence, he knelt on one knee with a loud thud, bowing his head low. “I vow to follow Your Majesty and change the heavens, breaking free from fate!”
He had subtly changed his title.
“You are the first Demon Saint reincarnation to awaken on your own. You already possess your own will, which is why I brought you by my side,” Qi Zhengyan said calmly. “This path is dangerous. Heaven will not allow it, nor will the Dao. Are you ready?”
The black-armored Demon Saint no longer wore a fawning smile. He laughed heartily. “So what? Isn’t storming the Nine Heavens something we’ve done before?”
“Just wait until I reforge my demonic body, and I’ll challenge this damned heavens again!”
Qi Zhengyan remained silent, standing with his hands clasped behind his back at the edge of the cliff, gazing into the distance at Changle City. His presence was profound and tranquil, showing no trace of demonic influence.
“Your Majesty, what is this ‘eternal method’?” The black-armored Demon Saint smiled once more, jotting down notes in his small book.
Qi Zhengyan did not turn his head, his gaze profound. “I have inherited the Demon Lord’s legacy, mastering countless martial arts techniques and possessing insights that rank among the finest in the world. But if I merely follow his martial path without forging my own philosophy, without linking it to my true self, I would only drift further and further astray, treading an increasingly perilous road, never surpassing the Demon Lord of old.”
“Over these past years, I have utilized the Demon Lord’s insights to retreat into cultivation, incorporating his martial path into my own. I’ve achieved some modest accomplishments.”
As he spoke, a Dharma Body manifested behind him—human-headed and dragon-bodied. Above its head, a radiant golden star slowly ascended, pure and translucent, illuminating countless visions!
The black-armored Demon Saint was highly skilled in martial arts, yet even he sensed the immense pressure emanating from this star. Though its power had not yet fully manifested, it appeared destined to surpass any resistance he could muster!
“This star is called ‘Equality.’ It is not absolute equality, but equality of opportunity. The rich rely on wealth, the gifted on talent, and ordinary people on effort, focus, and dedication. Equality of opportunity means striving leads forward, while laziness leads backward,” Qi Zhengyan explained calmly. “In martial arts, it manifests in three ways. The first is analyzing martial arts to uncover their essence.”
“I used it to deconstruct 133,756 martial arts techniques, discovering their most fundamental laws. From this, I created the《Martial Arts Treasury》. It progresses from simple to complex, easy to learn. Any ordinary person who works hard can master it, without hindering future learning of other techniques. In fact, it enhances other martial arts training. It’s ideal for mass education.”
These laws were all contained within the Demon Lord’s insights, but for Qi Zhengyan to wield them freely, he still needed to study and internalize them himself. Nevertheless, having a reference made the process significantly easier.
“Equality…” The black-armored Demon Saint only noticed the star, seemingly unable to look directly at it.
In time, the Demon Lord would surely forge more than just one “star” representing his martial path.
Taking a deep breath, he said, “Even with widespread martial arts education and an organizational structure constantly producing strong individuals, human nature tends toward laziness. Eventually, any organization will decay. This is the natural cycle of life and death, one that no cultivator can escape unless they attain the Dao.”
“When my Demon Cultivation is complete, I will leave them a weapon—a weapon powerful enough to resist the upper rulers,” Qi Zhengyan replied emotionlessly. “As long as their hearts unite, the weapon will appear. This sword shall be named ‘Revolution.'”
…
In Ping Le City, apart from the main thoroughfares, all other markets were shut down. The city remained orderly. Under the direction of martial artists, constables, and guards, the common people safeguarded their homes and patrolled the streets to prevent spies or lurking evil spirits from sowing chaos. Upon discovery, signals would be promptly raised to call for reinforcements.
At every critical node of the city’s formation, there were Exemplars assisting in control and protection.
The city walls were no exception, where Exemplars led Opening-stage elites to guard the area. If the formation was briefly breached and hadn’t yet been restored, they would resist any evil spirits that attempted to break through.
Everything was so well-organized that Meng Qi and others, led by Qin Shuanglian and Qin Shuanghua, walked toward the city gate.
The morning light was dim. In the darkness, a line of carriages sped toward the city—exactly the group of young men.
As the city came into view, everyone silently exhaled in relief. At that moment, an Exemplar on the city wall spotted a black line appearing on the distant horizon, rapidly expanding, like countless clouds merging together, rushing toward Ping Le City.
“Evil spirit attack!” He clenched his right fist tightly, unleashing a thunderous boom.
The guards at the city gate cast a pitying glance at the young men hundreds of feet away, then lowered their heads and pushed the gate shut.
The moment any sign of demons was detected, the city gates must be sealed, no matter how close the outsiders were!
If they failed to follow this rule, the entire city might fall, condemning hundreds of thousands of lives to hell!
Creak, creak, creak—the heavy sound echoed. Every person in the horse-drawn carriage wore a look of despair.
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