As the saying goes, “If you have done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear, even if ghosts knock on your door.” However, Lian’er had something to hide, so her heart was in turmoil.
These two demonic beasts transformed into green-haired human-like monsters, both appearing as middle-aged women.
One of the monsters, with a voluptuous figure, examined Lian’er and disdainfully remarked, “So she’s a demon immortal, and a butterfly demon from the Realm of Rakshasa at that.”
“Since we’re all demons, let’s not make things difficult for her,” said the other, more beautiful and gentle-looking demon, bowing to Lian’er. “Little sister, don’t be afraid. We just want to ask you a few questions. Have you noticed any suspicious people passing through this area? Also, where are you headed in this desolate land?”
“Speak up! Why would you come here for no reason? There must be something wrong,” the voluptuous demon glared fiercely at Lian’er.
As the saying goes, “A clear conscience fears no knocking at the door.” But Lian’er, with a guilty heart, was naturally restless and uneasy.
The two demon beasts had transformed into green-haired humanoid creatures, both resembling middle-aged women. One of them, a voluptuous and curvaceous demon, looked Lian’er up and down with disdain and said, “So, you’re a fairy demon, a butterfly demon from the Rakshasa Realm.”
“Since we’re all demons, let’s not make things difficult for her,” said the other, more beautiful and kindly-looking demon, who then clasped her hands in a polite gesture towards Lian’er. “Little sister, don’t be afraid. We just want to ask you a few questions. Have you seen any suspicious people passing by this area? And what brings you to this desolate place?”
“Speak! What are you doing here for no reason? There must be something wrong,” the voluptuous demon glared fiercely at Lian’er.
They were surely out gathering intelligence because of the death of the Fire Qilin. Lian’er’s heart stirred, and she replied, “Dear friends, I was sent by Sister Nightmare from the Rakshasa Realm to pay respects to the Heavenly Demon Matriarch at the Heavenly Demon Sect. I haven’t seen any suspicious people along the way. Please, sirs, investigate thoroughly.”
“Oh, so she’s heading to the Heavenly Demon Sect…”
“Fine, you may go.”
With the fall of the Fire Qilin, the demon beast clan’s strength had significantly diminished. In such circumstances, provoking the Heavenly Demon Sect would be anything but wise.
As mere minor demon beasts, how could they dare to cause trouble for their clan by antagonizing the Heavenly Demon Sect?
Lian’er thanked the demon beasts and continued on her journey.
The two demon beasts resumed their search of the area, looking for passersby.
But all the immortals from the various sects in the vicinity had vanished.
“Report! The southeast squad found nothing.”
“Report, the immortals from the Three Saints Sect have disappeared.”
“Report, the immortals from the Tianyi Sect have also vanished.”
“…”
On a mountaintop platform, numerous demon beasts bustled about, busy with their tasks. In the center of the platform, a massive army of over ten thousand demon beasts had gathered, setting up their formation. At the heart of the formation was a grand throne, upon which sat the second-in-command of the demon beast clan, the Azure Dragon Beast, Ao Hong.
“Report, we encountered a butterfly demon from the Rakshasa Realm. She claimed to be on a mission from Sister Nightmare of the Rakshasa Realm to seek the Heavenly Demon Matriarch at the Heavenly Demon Sect. We found nothing else.”
The demon beasts sent out to gather intelligence returned one after another.
“Outrageous! Who dares to kill my third brother!?”
Ao Hong slammed the table and stood up abruptly. His tall figure exuded a fierce aura, his eyes filled with killing intent. His voice boomed like a bell, shaking the heavens and earth, striking fear into the hearts of all.
“Second Lord, perhaps we should seek the help of General Li. He possesses the Qiankun Mirror and could surely identify the culprit.”
A long-faced, dark-skinned old man with a shiny black armor, multiple arms, and thin mustaches stepped forward to advise. This old man was the Centipede Demon, Ao Hong’s strategist for over a thousand years.
Ao Hong’s eyebrows twitched at the suggestion. “Very well. We shall march our army to General Li. If he agrees to help, so be it. If not, I’ll devour him and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. Then, who would dare to oppose me?”
“Move out!”
The demon beast army set off, ready to besiege the General’s mansion.
Beyond the Ten Thousand Mountains lay a celestial mountain, fortified with arrays and garrisoned by three thousand celestial soldiers. Ordinarily, the various mountain lords would pay tribute to the General on time, who would then distribute the benefits upwards, ensuring that everyone at every level received their share. Thus, no one deliberately caused trouble for these celestial bandits or demon beasts.
General Li, a celestial being, spent his days indulging in pleasure on the celestial mountain, surrounded by beautiful women, living a carefree and comfortable life.
As the upper beam is crooked, so is the lower. Following General Li’s example, his celestial soldiers also spent their days carousing, drinking, gambling, and toying with celestial maidens, living a life of debauchery.
The massive demon beast army arrived and surrounded the celestial mountain. Ao Hong, accompanied by several hundred celestial elders, marched straight to the General’s mansion, only to find General Li utterly drunk and unconscious.
A leech demon transformed into a beautiful woman and kissed General Li, sucking out all the alcohol from his system in no time.
General Li woke up and, seeing the horde of demon beasts, was immediately frightened. “You… you demon beasts, what do you want?”
“General Li, my third brother, the Fire Qilin, has died within your jurisdiction. I need to borrow your Qiankun Mirror to find the culprit and avenge my brother!” Ao Hong was furious, roaring repeatedly, and he plopped down heavily on the General’s throne.
Seeing Ao Hong’s rudeness, General Li was taken aback. Looking around, he saw only demon beasts; none of his own men were present.
All the celestial soldiers were drunk, fast asleep.
General Li, having risen to his position through some skill, quickly realized the situation was dire. He hurriedly said, “Such a thing has happened? Second Lord, do not worry. I will fetch the Qiankun Mirror immediately. If we find the murderer, I will dispatch troops to avenge the Third Lord.”
With that, General Li rushed to the back hall.
“Second Lord, I’ll keep an eye on him…”
The Centipede Demon, seeing this, clasped his hands in a gesture towards Ao Hong and followed into the back hall.
At the entrance to the back hall, General Li stopped the Centipede Demon. “This is my private area. How can you barge in?”
The Centipede Demon gave a sinister smile. “General Li, you’re a smart man. Can’t you see I’m here to help you?”
“What do you mean by that?” General Li’s heart stirred.
The Centipede Demon grabbed General Li’s hand and communicated telepathically, “The Fire Qilin is dead. Second Lord Ao Hong is hot-tempered and bloodthirsty. Do you think he’s here just to borrow your Qiankun Mirror? I’m concerned for your safety, General. I want to serve under you in the future, which is why I’m risking my life to warn you. Ao Hong plans to kill you, devour you, and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. With the celestial war imminent, the heavens won’t have time to avenge you. I advise you to gather your valuables and flee immediately. If you don’t leave now, you won’t get another chance.”
“Your kindness is beyond repayment. When I summon the celestial troops, you shall be my deputy general.”
General Li’s eyes gleamed, and he believed the Centipede Demon’s words.
Immediately, General Li gathered his treasures and, using a talisman of escape, fled the celestial mountain.
“Second Lord, bad news! General Li has fled with his treasures!” The Centipede Demon ran back, covering his face, shouting in panic.
Ao Hong, hearing this, was enraged. “That scoundrel, General Li! Could he be the one who killed my third brother!?”
“Second Lord, I think General Li’s escape will surely bring a large celestial army to annihilate us. Why don’t we go all the way and slaughter all the celestial soldiers on this mountain, then invite the First Lord to come out of seclusion? With the celestial war upon us, let’s rebel against the heavens!”
The Centipede Demon stirred up trouble, unafraid of escalating the situation.
Ao Hong, impulsive and headstrong, immediately ordered the capture of all celestial soldiers and the looting of the celestial mountain’s treasures.
Soon, three thousand celestial soldiers were captured. Ao Hong, bloodthirsty and cruel, slaughtered them all, devouring their celestial power. His cultivation skyrocketed, breaking through the bottleneck and ascending to the Immortal Emperor realm.
“Boom!”
Thunder suddenly roared in the sky, and yellow tribulation clouds churned. The Emperor’s Tribulation was imminent.
In the celestial realm, ordinary immortals do not need to undergo tribulations to ascend. However, becoming an Immortal Emperor requires passing the Emperor’s Tribulation.
The Emperor’s Tribulation consists of three holy thunder trials: the Virtue Thunder, the Law Thunder, and the Karma Thunder.
Surviving these three holy thunders makes one a true Immortal Emperor.
Failing to endure them results in annihilation by the holy thunder, reduced to ashes.
Seeing the tribulation approaching, the Centipede Demon quietly hid, certain that Ao Hong would not survive the holy thunder.
But Ao Hong was ecstatic, laughing at the sky and roaring, “Come! Strike me! I, Ao Hong, have waited for this day for a long time. Do you think you can destroy me? I’ll tell you this: I already know how to pass your holy thunder tribulation!”
As he roared, Ao Hong suddenly extended his hands, and dozens of celestial maidens were teleported to his side by his magic.
Ao Hong intended to use their virtue to pass the tribulation.
“Boom!”
A yellow lightning bolt suddenly split the sky. As the lightning struck, an old man appeared above Ao Hong’s head.
This old man was a highly virtuous ordinary immortal, whom Ao Hong had captured and imprisoned in a magical artifact. Now, during the tribulation, he was put to good use.
Indeed, thanks to the old man, Ao Hong emerged unscathed, but the old man and the celestial maidens all perished.
“Boom!”
Another lightning bolt struck. Ao Hong endured the Law Thunder, his body charred black by the lightning, but he did not die, for his magic was profound enough.
Then, the third Karma Thunder descended from the heavens. Ao Hong suddenly released thousands of pitiful immortals he had imprisoned in his magical artifact, instantly gaining their immense gratitude and karmic power, allowing him to survive the third Karma Thunder!
“What? He actually passed!?”
The Centipede Demon was shocked. He never expected that Ao Hong, a bloodthirsty tyrant, could truly become an Immortal Emperor.
No, he will surely die!
Someone like him could never become an Immortal Emperor!
General Li will return with the celestial army to destroy him. I will still become the deputy general. My plan will succeed.
The Centipede Demon had waited a long time to become a true immortal.
But he never imagined that a demon like Ao Hong could become an Immortal Emperor!
“Hahaha, hahaha…”
A yellow light appeared above Ao Hong’s head, slowly spreading over his entire body, marking his ascension to the Immortal Emperor realm.
The yellow light was holy light, descending from the first heaven.
Receiving the holy light meant being enfeoffed by the heavens.
An Immortal Emperor has a vast territory.
“Eh? What!?”
Suddenly, Ao Hong’s expression froze. He could no longer laugh. Just now, he received a celestial enfeoffment in his mind: his territory was the desolate lands of the ninth heaven! The area included the demon beast clan’s territory and the Heavenly Demon Sect’s territory. The demon beast clan’s territory belonged to his elder brother, the Thunder Dragon God. How could he, as the younger brother, take over his brother’s domain? Even if he did, what would be the point? The Heavenly Demon Sect was filled with powerful experts, and the Heavenly Demon Matriarch’s magic was profound and unfathomable. Even if the celestial realm gave him the Heavenly Demon Sect’s land, how could he seize it? And even if he did, what use was such barren land?
This enfeoffment left Ao Hong deeply disappointed.
Such an enfeoffment could be called the most meager of all.
A dignified Immortal Emperor, confined to such a godforsaken place—how could Ao Hong be content?
“I refuse to accept this! I refuse!”
Ao Hong was furious, pointing at the heavens and cursing repeatedly, “Jade Emperor, you treat me unfairly! I will defy the heavens! I will overthrow your rule…”
The tribulation clouds in the sky dispersed, and everything returned to normal.
The yellow light above Ao Hong’s head also vanished. This was the heavens’ punishment, not even granting him the aura of an emperor.
“Haha, pitiful, truly pitiful. Such an Immortal Emperor is perhaps the most pitiful in the celestial realm!?”
The Centipede Demon secretly sneered. Having followed Ao Hong for many years, Ao Hong had always treated him like dirt, so he harbored hatred and sought revenge. The Centipede Demon silently plotted, “I will find the master who killed the Fire Qilin and destroy you, the most pitiful Immortal Emperor. You say the heavens treat you unfairly, but when have you ever treated me fairly?”
“Oh, so she’s going to the Heaven-Demon Sect…”
“Forget it, you may go.”
As the saying goes, “A clear conscience fears no knocking at the door.” However, Lian’er, harboring guilt in her heart, was naturally restless and anxious.
The two demon beasts had transformed into green-haired humanoid creatures, both resembling middle-aged women.
One of the demons, with a voluptuous figure and a disdainful look, scrutinized Lian’er and sneered, “So, you’re a fairy demon, a butterfly demon from the Rakshasa realm.”
“Since we’re all demons, let’s not make things difficult for her,” said the other, more beautiful and kind-looking demon, who then clasped her hands in a respectful gesture towards Lian’er. “Little sister, don’t be afraid. We just want to ask you a few questions. Have you seen any suspicious people passing by this area? And, in this desolate land, where are you headed?”
“Speak! What are you doing here for no reason? There must be something wrong,” the voluptuous demon glared fiercely at Lian’er.
They must be out gathering information because of the death of the Fire Qilin, Lian’er thought to herself, and then said, “Friends, I was ordered by Sister Nightmare from the Rakshasa realm to visit the Heavenly Demon Sect to pay respects to the Heavenly Demon Matriarch. Along the way, I haven’t seen any suspicious people. Please, sirs, investigate clearly.”
“Oh, so she’s going to the Heavenly Demon Sect…”
“Forget it, let her go.”
With the fall of the Fire Qilin, the demon beast clan’s strength had significantly declined. Under such circumstances, opposing the Heavenly Demon Sect would definitely not be a wise move.
As two minor demon beasts, how could they dare to cause trouble for the demon beast clan by opposing the Heavenly Demon Sect?
Lian’er thanked the demon beasts and continued on her journey.
The two demon beasts also continued to search the area, looking for passersby.
But all the immortals from the various sects nearby had disappeared.
“Report! The southeast squad found nothing.”
“Report, the immortals from the Three Saints Sect have disappeared.”
“Report, the immortals from the Tianyi Sect have also all disappeared.”
“…”
On a platform atop a mountain, numerous demon beasts were bustling about. In the center of the platform, a massive army of over ten thousand demon beasts had gathered, setting up their formation. In the middle of the main formation was a huge throne, upon which sat the second leader of the demon beast clan, the Azure Dragon Beast, Ao Hong.
“Report, we found a butterfly demon from the Rakshasa realm. She said she was ordered by Sister Nightmare from the Rakshasa realm to visit the Heavenly Demon Sect to find the Heavenly Demon Matriarch. Nothing else was discovered.”
The demon beasts sent out to gather information had all returned.
“How outrageous! Who killed my third brother!?”
Ao Hong slammed the table and stood up abruptly. He was tall and imposing, with a fierce look in his eyes. His voice boomed like a bell, shaking the heavens and earth, striking fear into the hearts of all.
“Second Leader, perhaps we should seek the help of General Li. He has the Qiankun Mirror and will surely be able to find out who the culprit is.”
A long-faced, dark-skinned, black-armored old man with dozens of hands and thin mustaches stepped forward to remind him.
This old man was the Centipede Demon, a strategist who had followed Ao Hong for over a thousand years.
Hearing this, Ao Hong’s eyebrows twitched. “Fine, let’s mobilize our army and go find General Li. If he’s willing to help, so be it. If not, I’ll just devour him and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. Then, who would dare to oppose me?”
“Whoosh!”
The demon beast army moved out, ready to besiege the General’s mansion.
Outside the Ten Thousand Mountains stood a celestial mountain, fully equipped with formations and garrisoned by three thousand celestial soldiers and generals. Usually, the various mountain leaders would pay tribute on time, offering gifts to the General, who would then distribute the benefits upwards, ensuring that everyone at every level received their share, and thus no one would deliberately cause trouble for these celestial bandits and demon beasts.
General Li, with his celestial cultivation, spent his days indulging in food, drink, and pleasure on the celestial mountain, surrounded by beautiful women, living a very comfortable life.
As the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam is crooked. With General Li behaving this way, his celestial soldiers and generals also spent their days idling, drinking, gambling, and toying with celestial maidens, living a life of debauchery.
A large army of demon beasts arrived, surrounding the celestial mountain. Ao Hong, accompanied by several hundred celestial elders, went directly to the General’s mansion, only to find General Li completely drunk and unconscious.
A leech demon, transformed into a beautiful woman, came forward and kissed General Li, soon sucking out all the alcohol from his stomach.
General Li woke up and, seeing the large number of demon beasts, was immediately frightened. “You, you demon beasts, what do you want?”
“General Li, my third brother, the Fire Qilin, is dead. He died in your jurisdiction. I need to borrow your Qiankun Mirror to find the culprit and avenge my third brother!” Ao Hong was very agitated, roaring repeatedly, and he sat down heavily on the General’s throne.
Seeing Ao Hong’s rudeness, General Li was startled. Looking around, he saw that he was surrounded by the demon beast army, with none of his own men in sight.
All the celestial soldiers and generals were drunk, fast asleep.
General Li, having reached his position through some skill, saw that the situation was not favorable and quickly said, “Such a thing has happened? Second Leader, don’t worry. I’ll go fetch the Qiankun Mirror immediately. If we find out who the murderer is, I’ll send troops to avenge the Third Leader.”
After saying this, General Li hurried to the back hall.
“Second Leader, I’ll keep an eye on him…”
Seeing this, the Centipede Demon clasped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Ao Hong and followed into the back hall.
At the entrance to the back hall, General Li stopped the Centipede Demon. “This is my private area. How can you barge in?”
The Centipede Demon gave a sinister smile. “General Li, you’re a smart man. Can’t you see that I’m here to help you?”
“What do you mean by that?” General Li’s heart stirred.
The Centipede Demon grabbed General Li’s hand and communicated telepathically, “The Fire Qilin is dead. Second Leader Ao Hong is hot-tempered and bloodthirsty. This time, he’s brought the demon beast army to the celestial mountain. Do you think he’s just here to borrow your Qiankun Mirror? I’m concerned for your safety, General, and I want to secure a position under you in the future. That’s why I’m risking my life to tell you that Ao Hong will kill you later. He wants to devour you and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. With the celestial war imminent, the Heavenly Court won’t have time to avenge you. So, I advise you to take your valuables and flee now. If you don’t leave soon, you won’t be able to.”
“Your great kindness, I, Li, have no way to repay. When I summon the celestial soldiers and generals, you will be my deputy general.”
General Li’s eyes darted around, and he believed the Centipede Demon’s words.
Immediately, General Li took his treasures and, using a talisman, fled the celestial mountain.
“Second Leader, it’s bad! General Li has fled with the treasures!” The Centipede Demon covered his face and ran back, shouting in panic.
Hearing this, Ao Hong was furious. “Bastard! Could it be that General Li killed my third brother!?”
“Second Leader, I think General Li’s escape will surely bring a large number of celestial soldiers and generals to annihilate us. Why don’t we go all the way and kill all the celestial soldiers and generals on this mountain, then invite the Great Leader to come out of seclusion. With the celestial war at hand, let’s rebel against the Heavenly Court!”
The Centipede Demon stirred up trouble, unafraid of making a big scene.
Ao Hong, impulsive and willful, immediately ordered the capture of all celestial soldiers and generals and the looting of the celestial mountain’s treasures.
Soon, three thousand celestial soldiers and generals were captured. Ao Hong, bloodthirsty and cruel, directly killed them all, devouring their celestial powers. His cultivation greatly increased, breaking through the bottleneck and stepping into the Immortal Emperor realm.
“Boom!”
Suddenly, thunder roared in the sky, and yellow tribulation clouds churned. The Emperor’s Tribulation was coming.
In the celestial realm, ordinary immortals do not need to undergo tribulation to ascend.
However, ascending to become an Immortal Emperor requires passing the Emperor’s Tribulation.
The Emperor’s Tribulation consists of three holy thunder trials: the Virtue Thunder, the Law Thunder, and the Karma Thunder.
Passing all three holy thunders makes one a true Immortal Emperor.
If one cannot pass, they will be killed by the holy thunder, reduced to ashes.
Seeing the thunder tribulation arrive, the Centipede Demon quickly hid, certain that Ao Hong would not pass the holy thunder trial.
But Ao Hong was ecstatic, laughing at the sky and roaring, “Come on! Strike me! I, Ao Hong, have been waiting for this day for a long time. Do you think you can kill me? I’m not afraid to tell you, I already know how to pass your holy thunder tribulation!”
While roaring, Ao Hong suddenly stretched out his hands, and dozens of celestial maidens were moved to his side by his magic.
Ao Hong intended to use others’ virtues to pass the tribulation.
“Boom!”
A yellow lightning bolt suddenly split the sky. As the lightning struck, an old man appeared above Ao Hong’s head.
This old man was a highly virtuous ordinary immortal, who had been captured by Ao Hong and trapped in a magical artifact. Now, during the tribulation, he was just the right tool.
Indeed, thanks to the old man, Ao Hong was unharmed, but the old man and the celestial maidens all died.
“Boom!”
Another lightning bolt struck. Ao Hong endured the Law Thunder, his entire body charred by the lightning, but he did not die, as his magic power was profound enough.
Then, the third Karma Thunder descended from the sky. Ao Hong suddenly released thousands of pitiful immortals he had imprisoned in his magical artifact, instantly gaining their immense gratitude and allowing him to withstand the third Karma Thunder!
“What? He actually passed!?”
The Centipede Demon was shocked, never expecting that Ao Hong, this bloodthirsty man, would truly become an Immortal Emperor.
No, he will surely die!
Someone like him could never become an Immortal Emperor!
General Li will bring the celestial soldiers and generals back to annihilate him. I will become the deputy general. My plan will surely succeed.
The Centipede Demon had waited a long time to become a true immortal.
But he never imagined that a demon like Ao Hong could become an Immortal Emperor!
“Hahaha, hahaha…”
A yellow light appeared above Ao Hong’s head, slowly spreading over his entire body, marking his ascension to the Immortal Emperor realm.
The yellow light was holy light, descending from the first heaven.
Receiving the holy light was equivalent to being canonized by the Heavenly Court.
An Immortal Emperor has a territory, and the territory is vast.
“Eh! What!?”
Suddenly, Ao Hong’s expression froze. He could no longer laugh. Just now, in his consciousness, he received the Heavenly Court’s canonization. His territory was actually the desolate land of the ninth heaven! The area included the demon beast clan’s territory and the Heavenly Demon Sect’s territory. The demon beast clan’s territory belonged to his elder brother, the Thunder Dragon God. How could he, as a younger brother, replace his elder brother? Even if he did, what would be the point? The Heavenly Demon Sect was full of experts, and the Heavenly Demon Matriarch’s magic was profound and unfathomable. Even if the celestial realm gave him the Heavenly Demon Sect’s land, how could he seize it? And even if he did, what use would that barren land be?
This canonization greatly disappointed Ao Hong.
Such a canonization could be called the most shabby canonization.
A dignified Immortal Emperor, trapped in such a godforsaken place, how could Ao Hong be satisfied?
“I’m not satisfied! I’m not satisfied!”
Ao Hong was furious, pointing at the sky and cursing, “Old Jade Emperor, you’ve treated me unfairly. I will defy the heavens, I will overthrow your rule…”
The tribulation clouds in the sky dispersed, and everything returned to normal.
The yellow light above Ao Hong’s head also disappeared. This was the Heavenly Court’s punishment, not even granting him the Emperor’s aura.
“Haha, pitiful, truly pitiful. Such an Immortal Emperor is probably the most pitiful in the celestial realm, right!?”
The Centipede Demon secretly laughed. He had followed Ao Hong for many years, and Ao Hong had always treated him like a dog. So he hated him and wanted revenge. The Centipede Demon silently plotted, “I will find the master who killed the Fire Qilin and annihilate you, the most pitiful Immortal Emperor. You say the heavens have treated you unfairly, but when have you ever treated me fairly?”
As minor demons, how could they dare to cause trouble for the demonic beast clan by opposing the Heaven-Demon Sect?
Lian’er thanked the demons and continued on her journey.
The two demons resumed searching the area for travelers.
As the saying goes, “A clear conscience fears no knocking at the door.” Lian’er, with a guilty conscience, was naturally on edge.
The two demon beasts had transformed into green-haired humanoid monsters, both resembling middle-aged women.
One of the monsters, with a large chest and a perky butt, looked Lian’er up and down and disdainfully said, “So, it’s a demon fairy, a butterfly demon from the Raksha realm.”
“Since we’re all demons, let’s not give her a hard time,” said the other, more beautiful and kindly-looking monster, who then clasped her hands in a gesture of respect towards Lian’er. “Little sister, don’t be afraid. We just want to ask you something. Have you seen any suspicious people passing by this area? And, in this desolate place, where are you headed?”
“Speak! What are you doing here for no reason? There must be something wrong,” the monster with the large chest and perky butt glared fiercely at Lian’er.
They must be out gathering information because of the death of the Fire Qilin, Lian’er thought to herself, and then said, “Friends, I was ordered by Sister Nightmare from the Raksha realm to visit the Heavenly Demon Sect to pay respects to the Heavenly Demon Matriarch. I haven’t seen any suspicious people along the way, so please, sirs, investigate clearly.”
“Ah, so she’s going to the Heavenly Demon Sect…”
“Forget it, let her go.”
With the fall of the Fire Qilin, the demon beast clan’s strength had significantly diminished. In such a situation, opposing the Heavenly Demon Sect would be unwise.
As mere minor demon beasts, how could they dare to cause trouble for the demon beast clan by opposing the Heavenly Demon Sect?
Lian’er thanked the demon beasts and continued on her journey.
The two demon beasts also continued to search the area for passersby.
But all the immortals from the various sects in the vicinity had disappeared.
“Report! The southeast squad found nothing.”
“Report, the immortals of the Three Saints Sect have disappeared.”
“Report, the immortals of the Tianyi Sect have all disappeared.”
“…”
On a platform atop a mountain, numerous demon beasts were bustling about. In the center of the platform, a massive army of ten thousand demon beasts had gathered, setting up their formation. In the center of the main formation was a huge throne, upon which sat the second leader of the demon beast clan, the Azure Dragon Beast, Ao Hong.
“Report, we found a butterfly demon from the Raksha realm. She said she was ordered by Sister Nightmare from the Raksha realm to go to the Heavenly Demon Sect to find the Heavenly Demon Matriarch. Nothing else was found.”
The demon beasts sent out to gather information had all returned.
“Outrageous! Who killed my third brother!?”
Ao Hong slammed the table and stood up abruptly. He was tall and imposing, with a fierce killing intent between his brows. His voice was like a great bell, shaking the heavens and earth, striking fear into the hearts of all.
“Second Leader, perhaps we should ask General Li for help. He has the Qiankun Mirror; he can surely find out who that person is.”
A long-faced, dark-skinned old man with a shiny black armor, dozens of hands, and long thin mustaches stepped forward to remind him.
This old man was the Centipede Monster, a strategist who had followed Ao Hong for thousands of years.
Hearing this, Ao Hong’s eyebrows twitched. “Fine, let’s mobilize our army and go find General Li. If he’s willing to help, so be it. If not, I’ll just swallow him whole and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. Then who would dare to oppose me?”
“Whoosh!”
The demon beast army moved out, ready to besiege the General’s Mansion.
Outside the Ten Thousand Mountains, there was a celestial mountain, fully equipped with formations and garrisoned by three thousand celestial soldiers and generals. Usually, the various mountain peaks would pay tribute on time, offering gifts to the General, who would then distribute the benefits upwards, ensuring that all levels received their share, and thus no one would deliberately cause trouble for these celestial bandits and demon beasts.
General Li, with his celestial cultivation, spent his days eating, drinking, and enjoying himself on the celestial mountain, surrounded by beautiful women, living a very comfortable life.
As the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam is crooked. With General Li behaving this way, his celestial soldiers and generals also spent their days idling, drinking, gambling, and playing with celestial maidens, living a life of debauchery.
A large army of demon beasts arrived, surrounding the celestial mountain. Ao Hong, accompanied by several hundred celestial elders, went directly to the General’s Mansion, only to find General Li completely drunk and unconscious.
A leech monster, transformed into a beautiful woman, came up and kissed General Li, soon sucking out all the alcohol from his stomach.
General Li woke up and, seeing the large number of demon beasts, was immediately frightened. “You, what do you demon beasts want?”
“General Li, my third brother, the Fire Qilin, is dead. He died in your jurisdiction. I want to borrow your Qiankun Mirror to find the culprit and avenge my third brother!” Ao Hong was very agitated, roaring repeatedly, and he sat heavily on the General’s throne.
Seeing Ao Hong’s rudeness, General Li was startled. Looking around, he saw only the demon beast army; there was no one on his side.
All the celestial soldiers and generals were drunk, fast asleep.
General Li, having risen to his position through some skill, saw that the situation was not right and quickly said, “Such a thing has happened? Second Leader, don’t worry. I’ll go get the Qiankun Mirror right away. If we find out who the murderer is, I’ll immediately send troops to avenge the Third Leader.”
After saying this, General Li hurried to the back hall.
“Second Leader, I’ll keep an eye on him…”
Seeing this, the Centipede Monster clasped his hands in respect to Ao Hong and also entered the back hall.
At the door of the back hall, General Li stopped the Centipede Monster. “This is my private place. How can you barge in?”
The Centipede Monster gave a sinister smile. “General Li, you’re a smart man. Can’t you see I’m here to help you?”
“What do you mean by that?” General Li’s heart stirred.
The Centipede Monster grabbed General Li’s hand and communicated telepathically, “The Fire Qilin is dead. Second Leader Ao Hong is hot-tempered and bloodthirsty. This time, he’s brought the demon beast army to the celestial mountain. Do you think he just wants to borrow your Qiankun Mirror? I’m concerned for your safety, General, and I want to secure a position under you in the future. That’s why I’m risking my life to tell you that Ao Hong will kill you later. He wants to devour you and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. With the celestial war imminent, the Heavenly Court won’t have time to avenge you. So, I advise you to take your valuables and flee now. If you don’t leave, you won’t be able to.”
“Your great kindness, I, Li, have no way to repay. When I summon the celestial soldiers and generals, you’ll be my deputy general.”
General Li’s eyes rolled, and he believed the Centipede Monster’s words.
Immediately, General Li took his treasures and, using a talisman of escape, fled the celestial mountain.
“Second Leader, it’s bad! General Li has taken his treasures and fled!” The Centipede Monster covered his face and ran back, shouting in panic.
Hearing this, Ao Hong was furious. “Bastard! Could it be that General Li killed my third brother!?”
“Second Leader, I think General Li’s escape will surely bring a large number of celestial soldiers and generals to exterminate us. Why don’t we go all the way and kill all the celestial soldiers and generals on this mountain, then invite the Great Leader to come out of seclusion. With the celestial war at hand, let’s rebel against the Heavenly Court!”
The Centipede Monster stirred up trouble, not afraid of making things worse.
Ao Hong, impulsive and willful, immediately ordered the capture of all celestial soldiers and generals and the plundering of the celestial mountain’s treasures.
Soon, three thousand celestial soldiers and generals were captured. Ao Hong, bloodthirsty and cruel, directly killed them, devouring all the celestial soldiers and generals, absorbing their celestial power. Ao Hong’s cultivation greatly increased, breaking through the bottleneck and stepping into the Immortal Emperor realm.
“Boom!”
Suddenly, thunder roared in the sky, and yellow tribulation clouds rolled in. The Emperor’s Tribulation was coming.
In the celestial realm, ordinary immortals do not need to undergo tribulation when ascending.
However, ascending to become an Immortal Emperor requires passing the Emperor’s Tribulation.
The Emperor’s Tribulation consists of three holy thunder trials: the Virtue Thunder, the Law Thunder, and the Karma Thunder.
Passing these three holy thunders makes one a true Immortal Emperor.
If one cannot pass, they will be killed by the holy thunder, reduced to ashes.
Seeing the thunder tribulation arrive, the Centipede Monster quickly hid, certain that Ao Hong would not pass the holy thunder trial.
But Ao Hong was ecstatic, laughing at the sky and roaring repeatedly, “Come on! Strike me! I, Ao Hong, have been waiting for this day for a long time. Do you think you can kill me? I’m not afraid to tell you, I already know how to pass your holy thunder tribulation!”
While roaring, Ao Hong suddenly stretched out his hands, and dozens of celestial maidens were moved to his side by his magic.
Ao Hong intended to use others’ virtues to pass the tribulation.
“Boom!”
A yellow lightning bolt suddenly split the sky. As the lightning struck, an old man appeared above Ao Hong’s head.
This old man was an ordinary immortal with high virtue, who had been captured by Ao Hong and trapped in a magical artifact. Now, during the tribulation, he was just the right tool.
Indeed, because of the old man, Ao Hong was unharmed, but the old man and the celestial maidens all died.
“Boom!”
Another lightning bolt struck. Ao Hong endured the Law Thunder, his entire body charred black by the lightning, but he did not die, as his magic power was profound enough.
Then, the third Karma Thunder descended from the sky. Ao Hong suddenly released thousands of pitiful immortals trapped in his magical artifact, instantly gaining their immense gratitude and karmic power, allowing him to endure the third Karma Thunder!
“What, he actually passed!?”
The Centipede Monster was shocked, never expecting that Ao Hong, this bloodthirsty man, would truly become an Immortal Emperor.
No, he will surely die!
A man like him could never become an Immortal Emperor!
General Li will bring the celestial soldiers and generals back to kill him, and I will become the deputy general. My plan will surely succeed.
The Centipede Monster had waited a long time to become a true immortal.
But he never expected that a demon like Ao Hong could become an Immortal Emperor!
“Hahaha, hahaha…”
A yellow light appeared above Ao Hong’s head, slowly spreading over his entire body, marking his ascension to the Immortal Emperor realm.
The yellow light was holy light, descending from the first heaven.
Receiving the holy light meant being canonized by the Heavenly Court.
An Immortal Emperor has a territory, and the territory is vast.
“Eh! What!?”
Suddenly, Ao Hong’s expression froze. He could no longer laugh. Just now, in his consciousness, he received the celestial canonization, but his territory was actually the desolate land of the ninth heaven! The area included the territory of the demon beast clan and the Heavenly Demon Sect. The demon beast clan’s territory belonged to his elder brother, the Thunder Dragon God. How could he, as a younger brother, replace his elder brother? Even if he did, what would be the point? The Heavenly Demon Sect was full of experts, and the Heavenly Demon Matriarch’s magic was profound and unfathomable. Even if the celestial realm gave him the Heavenly Demon Sect’s land, how could he seize it? And even if he did, what use was that barren land?
This canonization greatly disappointed Ao Hong.
Such a canonization could be called the most shabby canonization.
A dignified Immortal Emperor, trapped in such a godforsaken place, how could Ao Hong be content?
“I’m not satisfied! I’m not satisfied!”
Ao Hong was furious, pointing at the sky and cursing repeatedly, “Jade Emperor, you’ve treated me unfairly. I will defy heaven, I will overthrow your rule…”
The sky’s tribulation clouds dispersed, and everything returned to normal.
The yellow light above Ao Hong’s head also disappeared. This was the Heavenly Court’s punishment, not even granting him the Emperor’s aura.
“Haha, pitiful, truly pitiful. Such an Immortal Emperor is probably the most pitiful in the celestial realm, right!?”
The Centipede Monster secretly laughed. He had followed Ao Hong for many years, and Ao Hong had always treated him like a dog. So he hated him and wanted revenge. The Centipede Monster silently plotted, “I will find the expert who killed the Fire Qilin and kill you, the most pitiful Immortal Emperor. You say heaven treats you unfairly, but when have you ever treated me fairly?”
“Report! No suspicious activities in the southeast sector.”
As the saying goes, “A clear conscience fears no knocking at the door.” However, Lian’er, harboring guilt in her heart, was naturally restless and uneasy.
The two demon beasts had transformed into green-haired humanoid creatures, both resembling middle-aged women. One of them, a curvaceous demon with a large chest and a perky bottom, looked Lian’er up and down with disdain, saying, “So, you’re a demon fairy, a butterfly demon from the Rakshasa realm.”
“Since we’re all demons, let’s not give her a hard time,” said the other, more beautiful and kindly-looking demon, who clasped her hands in a respectful gesture towards Lian’er. “Little sister, don’t be afraid. We just want to ask you a few questions. Have you seen any suspicious people passing by this area? And, in this desolate place, where are you headed?”
“Speak! What are you doing here for no reason? There must be something wrong,” the curvaceous demon glared fiercely at Lian’er.
They must be out gathering intelligence because of the death of the Fire Qilin, Lian’er thought to herself, and then replied, “Friends, I was ordered by Sister Nightmare from the Rakshasa realm to visit the Heavenly Demon Sect and pay my respects to the Heavenly Demon Matriarch. Along the way, I haven’t seen any suspicious individuals. Please, sirs, investigate thoroughly.”
“Ah, so she’s heading to the Heavenly Demon Sect…”
“Fine, you can go.”
With the fall of the Fire Qilin, the demon beast clan’s strength had significantly diminished. In such circumstances, opposing the Heavenly Demon Sect would be far from wise.
As mere minor demon beasts, how could they dare to cause trouble for the demon beast clan by opposing the Heavenly Demon Sect?
Lian’er thanked the demon beasts and continued on her journey.
The two demon beasts also resumed their search of the area, looking for passersby.
However, all the immortals from the various sects in the vicinity had vanished.
“Report! The southeast squad found nothing.”
“Report, the immortals of the Three Saints Sect have disappeared.”
“Report, the immortals of the Tianyi Sect have also vanished.”
“…”
On a platform atop a mountain, numerous demon beasts bustled about, extremely busy. In the center of the platform, a massive army of over ten thousand demon beasts had gathered, setting up their formation. At the heart of the formation sat a grand throne, upon which rested the second-in-command of the demon beast clan, the Azure Dragon Beast, Ao Hong.
“Report, we encountered a butterfly demon from the Rakshasa realm. She claimed to be on orders from Sister Nightmare of the Rakshasa realm, heading to the Heavenly Demon Sect to seek the Heavenly Demon Matriarch. We found nothing else.”
The demon beasts sent out to gather intelligence returned one after another.
“Outrageous! Who dared to kill my third brother!?”
Ao Hong slammed the table and stood up abruptly. His tall figure exuded a murderous aura, his voice booming like a bell, shaking the heavens and earth, striking fear into the hearts of all.
“Second Lord, perhaps we should seek the help of General Li. He possesses the Qiankun Mirror and can surely identify the culprit.”
A long-faced, dark-skinned old man with a shiny black armor, multiple arms, and thin mustaches stepped forward to advise. This old man was the Centipede Demon, Ao Hong’s strategist for over a thousand years.
Hearing this, Ao Hong’s eyebrows twitched. “Fine, we’ll mobilize our army and seek General Li. If he’s willing to help, so be it. If not, I’ll devour him and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. Then, who would dare to oppose me?”
“Whoosh!”
The demon beast army set out, ready to besiege General Li’s mansion.
Beyond the Ten Thousand Mountains lay a celestial mountain, fully equipped with formations and garrisoned by three thousand celestial soldiers and generals. Ordinarily, the various mountain lords would pay tribute on time, offering gifts to General Li, who would then distribute the benefits upwards, ensuring that all levels received their share, thus avoiding unnecessary conflicts with the celestial bandits and demon beasts.
General Li, with his Immortal Venerable cultivation, spent his days indulging in food, drink, and pleasure, surrounded by beautiful women, living a life of ease.
As the upper beam is crooked, so is the lower. General Li’s behavior set the tone for his subordinates, who spent their days carousing, drinking, gambling, and toying with celestial maidens, living a life of debauchery.
A massive demon beast army arrived, surrounding the celestial mountain. Ao Hong, accompanied by several hundred celestial elders, entered General Li’s mansion, only to find him utterly drunk, completely unconscious.
A leech demon, transformed into a beautiful woman, approached General Li and kissed him, soon sucking out all the alcohol from his system.
General Li woke up, startled by the sight of the massive demon beast army. “You… what do you demon beasts want?”
“General Li, my third brother, the Fire Qilin, has died within your jurisdiction. I need to borrow your Qiankun Mirror to find the culprit and avenge my brother!” Ao Hong was furious, roaring incessantly, and he sat heavily on General Li’s throne.
Seeing Ao Hong’s rudeness, General Li was taken aback. Looking around, he saw only the demon beast army; none of his own men were present.
All the celestial soldiers and generals were drunk, fast asleep.
General Li, having risen to his position through skill, quickly assessed the situation and said, “Such a thing has happened? Second Lord, don’t worry. I’ll fetch the Qiankun Mirror immediately. Once we identify the culprit, I’ll dispatch troops to avenge the Third Lord.”
With that, General Li hurried to the back hall.
“Second Lord, I’ll keep an eye on him…”
Seeing this, the Centipede Demon clasped his hands in respect to Ao Hong and followed General Li into the back hall.
At the entrance to the back hall, General Li stopped the Centipede Demon. “This is my private area. How can you barge in?”
The Centipede Demon gave a sinister smile. “General Li, you’re a smart man. Can’t you see I’m here to help you?”
“What do you mean by that?” General Li’s heart stirred.
The Centipede Demon grabbed General Li’s hand and communicated telepathically, “The Fire Qilin is dead. Second Lord Ao Hong is hot-tempered and bloodthirsty. He’s brought the demon beast army to the celestial mountain. Do you think he’s just here to borrow the Qiankun Mirror? I’m concerned for your safety, General. I want to secure a position under you in the future, which is why I’m risking my life to warn you. Ao Hong plans to kill you, devour you, and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. With the celestial war imminent, the Heavenly Court won’t have time to avenge you. I advise you to gather your valuables and flee immediately. If you don’t leave now, you won’t get another chance.”
“Your kindness is beyond repayment. When I summon the celestial army, you’ll be my deputy general.”
General Li’s eyes gleamed with trust in the Centipede Demon’s words.
Immediately, General Li gathered his treasures and used a talisman to escape the celestial mountain.
“Second Lord, bad news! General Li has fled with his treasures!” The Centipede Demon covered his face and ran back, shouting in panic.
Hearing this, Ao Hong’s anger flared. “Bastard! Could it be that General Li is the one who killed my third brother!?”
“Second Lord, I think General Li’s escape will surely bring a massive celestial army to annihilate us. Why don’t we go all the way and wipe out all the celestial soldiers and generals on this mountain? Then we can invite the First Lord out of seclusion and, taking advantage of the celestial war, rebel against the Heavenly Court!”
The Centipede Demon stirred up trouble, unafraid of escalating the situation.
Impulsive and headstrong, Ao Hong immediately ordered the capture of all celestial soldiers and generals and the plundering of the celestial mountain’s treasures.
Soon, three thousand celestial soldiers and generals were captured. Ao Hong, bloodthirsty and cruel, slaughtered them all, devouring their celestial power. His cultivation surged, breaking through the bottleneck and ascending to the Immortal Emperor realm.
“Boom!”
Thunder suddenly roared in the sky, and yellow tribulation clouds churned. The Emperor’s Tribulation was imminent.
In the celestial realm, ordinary immortals did not need to undergo tribulations to ascend. However, ascending to the Immortal Emperor realm required passing the Emperor’s Tribulation.
The Emperor’s Tribulation consisted of three holy thunder trials: the Virtue Thunder, the Law Thunder, and the Karma Thunder.
Surviving these three holy thunders would make one a true Immortal Emperor.
Failing to endure them would result in annihilation by the holy thunder, reduced to ashes.
Seeing the tribulation arrive, the Centipede Demon quickly hid, certain that Ao Hong would not survive the holy thunder.
But Ao Hong was ecstatic, laughing at the sky and roaring, “Come on! Strike me! I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. Do you think you can destroy me? I’ll tell you this: I already know how to pass your holy thunder tribulation!”
As he roared, Ao Hong suddenly extended his hands, using his magic to summon dozens of celestial maidens to his side.
Ao Hong intended to use their virtue to pass the tribulation.
“Boom!”
A yellow lightning bolt suddenly split the sky. As the lightning struck, an elderly man appeared above Ao Hong’s head.
This old man was a highly virtuous ordinary immortal, whom Ao Hong had captured and imprisoned in a magical artifact. Now, during the tribulation, he was put to use.
Indeed, thanks to the old man, Ao Hong emerged unscathed, but the old man and the celestial maidens all perished.
“Boom!”
Another lightning bolt struck. Ao Hong endured the Law Thunder, his body charred black by the lightning, but he did not die, for his magic was profound enough.
Then, the third Karma Thunder descended from the heavens. Ao Hong suddenly released thousands of pitiful immortals he had imprisoned in his magical artifact, instantly gaining their immense gratitude and allowing him to endure the third Karma Thunder!
“What? He actually passed!?”
The Centipede Demon was shocked, never expecting that Ao Hong, a bloodthirsty tyrant, could truly become an Immortal Emperor.
No, he will surely die!
Someone like him could never become an Immortal Emperor!
General Li will return with the celestial army to destroy him, and I will become the deputy general. My plan will succeed.
The Centipede Demon had waited a long time to become a true immortal.
But he never imagined that a demon like Ao Hong could become an Immortal Emperor!
“Hahaha, hahaha…”
A yellow light appeared above Ao Hong’s head, slowly spreading over his body, marking his ascension to the Immortal Emperor realm.
The yellow light was holy light, descending from the first heaven.
Receiving the holy light was akin to being enfeoffed by the Heavenly Court.
An Immortal Emperor had a vast territory.
“Eh? What!?”
Suddenly, Ao Hong’s expression froze. He could no longer laugh. Just moments ago, he had received the celestial enfeoffment in his mind. His territory was the desolate lands of the ninth heaven! The area included the demon beast clan’s territory and the Heavenly Demon Sect’s domain. The demon beast clan’s territory belonged to his elder brother, the Thunder Dragon God. How could he, as a younger brother, take over his brother’s land? Even if he did, what would be the point? The Heavenly Demon Sect was filled with powerful experts, and the Heavenly Demon Matriarch’s magic was profound and unfathomable. Even if the celestial realm granted him the Heavenly Demon Sect’s land, how could he seize it? And even if he did, what use was such barren land?
This enfeoffment left Ao Hong deeply disappointed.
Such an enfeoffment was the most pitiful one could receive.
A dignified Immortal Emperor, confined to such a godforsaken place—Ao Hong could not accept it.
“I refuse to accept this! I refuse!”
Ao Hong was furious, pointing at the heavens and cursing, “Jade Emperor, you’ve treated me unfairly! I will defy the heavens! I will overthrow your rule…”
The tribulation clouds in the sky dispersed, and everything returned to normal.
The yellow light above Ao Hong’s head also vanished. This was the Heavenly Court’s punishment, denying him even the aura of an emperor.
“Haha, pitiful, truly pitiful. Such an Immortal Emperor must be the most pitiful in the celestial realm, right?”
The Centipede Demon secretly chuckled. Having followed Ao Hong for years, he had always been treated like dirt, so he harbored hatred and sought revenge. The Centipede Demon silently plotted, “I will find the master who killed the Fire Qilin and destroy you, the most pitiful Immortal Emperor. You say the heavens treat you unfairly, but when have you ever treated me fairly?”
As the saying goes, “A clear conscience fears no knocking at the door.” Lian’er, with a guilty conscience, was naturally restless.
The two demon beasts had transformed into green-haired humanoid creatures, both resembling middle-aged women.
One of the demons, with a large chest and a perky bottom, looked Lian’er up and down and disdainfully remarked, “So, it’s a demon fairy, a butterfly demon from the Rakshasa realm.”
“Since we’re all demons, let’s not give her a hard time,” said the other, more beautiful and kindly-looking demon, who then clasped her fists towards Lian’er. “Little sister, don’t be afraid. We just want to ask you a few things. Have you seen any suspicious people passing by this area? And, in this desolate place, where are you heading?”
“Speak! What are you doing here for no reason? There must be something wrong,” the demon with the large chest and perky bottom glared fiercely at Lian’er.
They must be out gathering information because of the death of the Fire Qilin, Lian’er thought to herself, and then said, “Friends, I was ordered by Sister Nightmare from the Rakshasa realm to visit the Heavenly Demon Sect to pay respects to the Heavenly Demon Matriarch. Along the way, I haven’t seen any suspicious people. Please, sirs, investigate thoroughly.”
“Ah, so she’s heading to the Heavenly Demon Sect…”
“Let her go.”
With the fall of the Fire Qilin, the demon beast clan’s strength had significantly diminished. In such circumstances, opposing the Heavenly Demon Sect would be unwise.
As mere small demon beasts, how could they dare to cause trouble for the demon beast clan by opposing the Heavenly Demon Sect?
Lian’er thanked the demon beasts and continued on her way.
The two demon beasts also continued to search the area, looking for passersby.
But all the immortals from the various sects in the vicinity had disappeared.
“Report! The southeast squad found nothing.”
“Report, the immortals from the Three Saints Sect have all disappeared.”
“Report, the immortals from the Tianyi Sect have also all disappeared.”
“…”
On a mountaintop platform, numerous demon beasts were bustling about. In the center of the platform, a massive army of over ten thousand demon beasts had gathered, setting up their formation. In the center of the main formation was a massive throne, upon which sat the second leader of the demon beast clan, the Azure Dragon Beast, Ao Hong.
“Report, we found a butterfly demon from the Rakshasa realm. She said she was ordered by Sister Nightmare from the Rakshasa realm to visit the Heavenly Demon Sect to see the Heavenly Demon Matriarch. We found nothing else.”
The demon beasts sent out to gather information had all returned.
“Outrageous! Who killed my third brother!?”
Ao Hong slammed the table and stood up abruptly. He was tall and imposing, with a fierce murderous aura between his brows. His voice boomed like a bell, shaking the heavens and earth, striking fear into the hearts of all.
“Second Leader, perhaps we should ask General Li for help. He has the Qiankun Mirror and can surely find out who the culprit is.”
A long-faced, dark-skinned, black-armored old man with dozens of hands and thin mustaches stepped forward to remind him.
This old man was the Centipede Demon, a strategist who had followed Ao Hong for over a thousand years.
Hearing this, Ao Hong’s eyebrows twitched. “Fine, we’ll mobilize the army and go find General Li. If he’s willing to help, so be it. If not, I’ll just devour him and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. Then, who would dare to oppose me?”
“Charge!”
The demon beast army moved out, ready to besiege the General’s Mansion.
Outside the Ten Thousand Mountains, there was a celestial mountain, fully equipped with formations and garrisoned by three thousand celestial soldiers and generals. Usually, the various mountain sects would pay tribute on time, offering gifts to the General, who would then distribute the benefits upwards. Each level received its share, so no one deliberately caused trouble for these celestial bandits and demon beasts.
General Li, with his celestial cultivation, spent his days indulging in food, drink, and pleasure on the celestial mountain, surrounded by beautiful women, living a very comfortable life.
As the upper beam is crooked, so is the lower. General Li’s behavior led his celestial soldiers and generals to spend their days carousing, drinking, gambling, and toying with celestial maidens, living a life of debauchery.
A large army of demon beasts arrived, surrounding the celestial mountain. Ao Hong, accompanied by several hundred celestial elders, went straight to the General’s Mansion, only to find General Li completely drunk and unconscious.
A leech demon, transformed into a beautiful woman, kissed General Li, and soon sucked out all the alcohol from his stomach.
General Li woke up and, seeing the large army of demon beasts, was immediately frightened. “You, you demon beasts, what do you want?”
“General Li, my third brother, the Fire Qilin, died in your territory. I need to borrow your Qiankun Mirror to find the culprit and avenge my brother!” Ao Hong was very agitated, roaring repeatedly, and then he sat heavily on the General’s throne.
Seeing Ao Hong’s rudeness, General Li was startled. Looking around, he saw only the demon beast army, with none of his own people in sight.
All the celestial soldiers and generals were drunk, fast asleep.
General Li, having reached his position through some skill, quickly realized the situation was dire and said, “Such a thing has happened? Second Leader, don’t worry. I’ll go fetch the Qiankun Mirror immediately. If we find out who the murderer is, I’ll send troops to avenge the Third Leader.”
With that, General Li hurried to the back hall.
“Second Leader, I’ll keep an eye on him…”
Seeing this, the Centipede Demon clasped his fists towards Ao Hong and followed into the back hall.
At the back hall entrance, General Li stopped the Centipede Demon. “This is my private area. How can you barge in?”
The Centipede Demon gave a sinister smile. “General Li, you’re a smart man. Can’t you see I’m here to help you?”
“What do you mean by that?” General Li’s heart stirred.
The Centipede Demon grabbed General Li’s hand and communicated telepathically, “The Fire Qilin is dead. Second Leader Ao Hong is hot-tempered and bloodthirsty. Bringing the demon beast army to the celestial mountain, do you think he just wants to borrow your Qiankun Mirror? I’m concerned for your safety and want to secure a position under you in the future. That’s why I risked my life to tell you that Ao Hong will kill you later. He wants to devour you and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. With the celestial war imminent, the Heavenly Court won’t have time to avenge you. So, I advise you to take your valuables and flee now. If you don’t leave, you won’t be able to.”
“Your great kindness, I, Li, have no way to repay. When I summon the celestial troops, you’ll be my deputy general.”
General Li’s eyes shifted, and he believed the Centipede Demon’s words.
Immediately, General Li took his treasures and, using a talisman, fled the celestial mountain.
“Second Leader, it’s bad! General Li has fled with the treasures!” The Centipede Demon covered his face and ran back, shouting in panic.
Hearing this, Ao Hong was furious. “Bastard! Did General Li kill my third brother!?”
“Second Leader, I think General Li’s escape will surely bring a large army of celestial troops to annihilate us. Why don’t we go all the way and kill all the celestial soldiers and generals on this mountain, then invite the Great Leader to come out of seclusion. With the celestial war, we can rebel against the Heavenly Court!”
The Centipede Demon stirred up trouble, unafraid of making things worse.
Ao Hong, impulsive and willful, immediately ordered the capture of all celestial soldiers and generals and the looting of the celestial mountain’s treasures.
Soon, three thousand celestial soldiers and generals were captured. Ao Hong, bloodthirsty and cruel, directly killed and devoured all the celestial soldiers and generals, absorbing their celestial power. His cultivation greatly increased, breaking through the bottleneck and stepping into the Immortal Emperor realm.
“Boom!”
Thunder suddenly rang out in the sky, with yellow tribulation clouds rolling in. The Emperor’s Tribulation was coming.
In the celestial realm, ordinary immortals do not need to undergo tribulation when ascending.
But to become an Immortal Emperor, one must pass the Emperor’s Tribulation.
The Emperor’s Tribulation consists of three holy thunder trials: the Virtue Thunder, the Law Thunder, and the Karma Thunder.
Passing all three holy thunders makes one a true Immortal Emperor.
If one fails, they will be killed by the holy thunder, reduced to ashes.
Seeing the thunder tribulation arrive, the Centipede Demon quickly hid, certain that Ao Hong would not survive the holy thunder.
But Ao Hong was ecstatic, laughing at the sky and roaring, “Come! Strike me! I, Ao Hong, have been waiting for this day for a long time. Do you think you can kill me? I’m not afraid to tell you, I already know how to pass your holy thunder tribulation!”
As he roared, Ao Hong suddenly extended his hands, and dozens of celestial maidens were moved to his side by his magic.
Ao Hong intended to use others’ virtue to pass the tribulation.
“Boom!”
A yellow lightning bolt suddenly split the sky. As the lightning struck, an old man appeared above Ao Hong’s head.
This old man was a highly virtuous ordinary immortal, captured by Ao Hong and trapped in a magical artifact, now used for the tribulation.
Sure enough, thanks to the old man, Ao Hong was unharmed, but the old man and the celestial maidens all died.
“Boom!”
Another lightning bolt struck. Ao Hong endured the Law Thunder, his body charred black by the lightning, but he did not die, as his magic was profound enough.
Then, the third Karma Thunder descended from the sky. Ao Hong suddenly released thousands of pitiful immortals trapped in his magical artifact, instantly gaining their immense gratitude and allowing him to withstand the third Karma Thunder!
“What? He actually passed!?”
The Centipede Demon was shocked, never expecting that Ao Hong, this bloodthirsty man, would truly become an Immortal Emperor.
No, he will surely die!
Someone like him could never become an Immortal Emperor!
General Li will bring the celestial troops to kill him, and I will become the deputy general. My plan will succeed.
The Centipede Demon had waited a long time to become a true immortal.
But he never imagined that a demon like Ao Hong could become an Immortal Emperor!
“Hahaha, hahaha…”
A yellow light appeared above Ao Hong’s head, slowly spreading over his body, marking his ascension to the Immortal Emperor realm.
The yellow light was holy light, descending from the first heaven.
Receiving the holy light meant being enfeoffed by the Heavenly Court.
An Immortal Emperor has a vast territory.
“Eh? What!?”
Suddenly, Ao Hong’s expression froze. He could no longer laugh. Just now, in his mind, he received the celestial enfeoffment. His territory was actually the desolate lands of the ninth heaven! The area included the demon beast clan’s territory and the Heavenly Demon Sect’s territory. The demon beast clan’s territory belonged to his elder brother, the Thunder Dragon God. How could he, as a younger brother, take over his brother’s land? Even if he did, what would be the point? The Heavenly Demon Sect was filled with powerful experts, and the Heavenly Demon Matriarch’s magic was profound and unfathomable. Even if the celestial realm gave him that land, how could he seize it? And even if he did, what use was that barren land?
This enfeoffment greatly disappointed Ao Hong.
Such an enfeoffment was the most pitiful.
A dignified Immortal Emperor, trapped in such a godforsaken place, how could Ao Hong be satisfied?
“I refuse to accept this! I refuse!”
Ao Hong was furious, pointing at the sky and cursing, “Jade Emperor, you treat me unfairly. I will defy heaven, I will overthrow your rule…”
The sky’s tribulation clouds dispersed, and everything returned to normal.
The yellow light above Ao Hong’s head also disappeared. This was the Heavenly Court’s punishment, not even granting him the Emperor’s aura.
“Haha, pitiful, truly pitiful. Such an Immortal Emperor is probably the most pitiful in the celestial realm, right?”
The Centipede Demon secretly laughed. He had followed Ao Hong for many years, but Ao Hong had always treated him like dirt, so he hated him and wanted revenge. The Centipede Demon silently plotted, “I will find the expert who killed the Fire Qilin and destroy you, the most pitiful Immortal Emperor. You say heaven treats you unfairly, but when have you ever treated me fairly?”
…
On a platform atop a mountain peak, numerous demonic beasts bustled about busily. In the center of the platform, an army of over ten thousand demonic beasts gathered, forming a grand formation. At the heart of the formation sat a giant throne, upon which sat the second-in-command of the demonic beast clan, Qinglong Shou Ao Hong.
“Report! We encountered a butterfly demon from the Rakshasa Realm. She claimed she was sent by the Dream Demon of the Rakshasa Realm to visit the Old Matriarch of the Heaven-Demon Sect. Nothing else was found.”
The demons sent to gather intelligence returned one after another.
“How outrageous! Who dared to kill my third brother!?”
Ao Hong slammed the table and stood up furiously. His tall figure radiated a deadly aura, and his voice thundered like a bell, shaking the heavens and instilling fear in all.
“Second Commander, perhaps we should seek help from General Li. He has the Qiankun Mirror, which can surely identify the culprit,” suggested a small old man with a long face, black skin, wearing shiny black armor, many arms, and sporting long, thin mustaches.
This small old man was a centipede demon, a trusted advisor who had followed Ao Hong for centuries.
Ao Hong’s eyebrows twitched at the suggestion. “Fine, let’s march our army to find General Li. If he’s willing to help, all the better. If not, I’ll just swallow him whole and ascend to become a Xian Emperor. Who would dare oppose me then?”
“Whoosh!”
The demonic beast army mobilized, ready to besiege General Li’s headquarters.
Beyond the Ten-Thousand Mountain Range lay a sacred mountain, fully equipped with defensive arrays and garrisoned with three thousand celestial soldiers and generals. Normally, the various mountain strongholds paid tribute to General Li regularly, who in turn shared the spoils with higher-ups. Everyone benefited, so no one bothered to trouble these celestial bandits and demonic beasts.
General Li, a Xian Zun cultivator, spent his days indulging in pleasures atop the sacred mountain, surrounded by beautiful women, living a blissful life.
When the upper echelons are corrupt, the lower levels follow suit. General Li’s subordinates spent their days drinking, gambling, and indulging in pleasures, living in a drunken stupor.
A massive demonic beast army arrived, surrounding the sacred mountain. Ao Hong, accompanied by hundreds of Xian Wengs, directly approached General Li’s headquarters, only to find him drunk and unconscious.
A leech demon transformed into a beautiful woman and kissed General Li, quickly sucking the alcohol from his body.
General Li awoke, startled by the sight of so many demonic beasts. “What do you lot want?”
As the saying goes, “A clear conscience fears no knocking at the door.” Lian’er, harboring guilt in her heart, naturally felt uneasy and restless.
The two demon beasts had transformed into green-haired humanoid creatures, both resembling middle-aged women. One of them, a curvaceous demon with a large chest and a perky bottom, looked Lian’er up and down with disdain, saying, “So, you’re a demon fairy, a butterfly demon from the Rakshasa Realm.”
“Since we’re all demons, let’s not make things difficult for her,” said the other, more beautiful and kindly-looking demon, clasping her hands in a polite gesture towards Lian’er. “Little sister, don’t be afraid. We just want to ask you a few questions. Have you seen any suspicious people passing by this area? And, in this desolate place, where are you headed?”
“Speak! What are you doing here for no reason? There must be something wrong,” the curvaceous demon glared fiercely at Lian’er.
They must be out gathering intelligence because of the death of the Fire Qilin, Lian’er thought to herself. She then said, “Friends, I was ordered by Sister Nightmare from the Rakshasa Realm to visit the Heavenly Demon Sect and pay respects to the Heavenly Demon Matriarch. Along the way, I haven’t seen any suspicious individuals. Please, sirs, investigate thoroughly.”
“Ah, so she’s heading to the Heavenly Demon Sect…”
“Fine, you may go.”
With the fall of the Fire Qilin, the demon beast clan’s strength had significantly diminished. In such circumstances, opposing the Heavenly Demon Sect would be far from wise.
As mere minor demon beasts, how could they dare to cause trouble for the demon beast clan by opposing the Heavenly Demon Sect?
Lian’er thanked the demon beasts and continued on her journey.
The two demon beasts also resumed their search of the area, looking for passersby.
However, all the immortals from the various sects in the vicinity had disappeared.
“Report! The southeast squad found nothing.”
“Report, the immortals of the Three Saints Sect have vanished.”
“Report, the immortals of the Tianyi Sect have also disappeared.”
“…”
On a platform atop a mountain, numerous demon beasts bustled about, busy with their tasks. In the center of the platform, a massive army of over ten thousand demon beasts had gathered, setting up their formation. At the heart of the formation sat a grand throne, upon which rested the second-in-command of the demon beast clan, the Azure Dragon Beast, Ao Hong.
“Report, we found a butterfly demon from the Rakshasa Realm. She claimed to be following orders from Sister Nightmare of the Rakshasa Realm, heading to the Heavenly Demon Sect to visit the Heavenly Demon Matriarch. We found nothing else.”
The demon beasts sent out to gather intelligence returned one after another.
“How dare this happen! Who killed my third brother!?”
Ao Hong slammed the table and stood up abruptly. His tall figure exuded a fierce aura, his eyes filled with murderous intent. His voice boomed like a bell, shaking the heavens and earth, striking fear into the hearts of all.
“Second Commander, perhaps we should seek the help of General Li. He possesses the Qiankun Mirror, which can surely reveal the identity of the culprit.”
A long-faced, dark-skinned old man with a shiny black armor, multiple arms, and thin mustaches stepped forward to advise. This old man was the Centipede Demon, a strategist who had served Ao Hong for over a thousand years.
Hearing this, Ao Hong’s eyebrows twitched. “Fine, let’s mobilize our army and seek out General Li. If he’s willing to help, so be it. If not, I’ll devour him and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. Then, who would dare to oppose me?”
“Whoosh!”
The demon beast army set out, ready to besiege the General’s mansion.
Beyond the Ten Thousand Mountains lay a celestial mountain, equipped with various formations and garrisoned by three thousand celestial soldiers and generals. Normally, the various mountain sects would pay tribute on time, offering gifts to the General, who would then distribute the benefits upwards, ensuring that everyone at every level received their share. Thus, no one deliberately caused trouble for these celestial bandits and demon beasts.
General Li, a celestial being, spent his days indulging in food, drink, and pleasure on the celestial mountain, surrounded by beautiful women, living a life of ease.
As the saying goes, “When the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam is askew.” General Li’s behavior set the tone for his subordinates, who spent their days carousing, drinking, gambling, and toying with celestial maidens, living a life of debauchery.
A large army of demon beasts arrived, surrounding the celestial mountain. Ao Hong, accompanied by several hundred celestial elders, marched straight to the General’s mansion, only to find General Li completely drunk and unconscious.
A leech demon, transformed into a beautiful woman, approached and kissed General Li, sucking out the alcohol from his stomach.
General Li woke up, startled by the sight of the numerous demon beasts. “You, you demon beasts, what do you want?”
“General Li, my third brother, the Fire Qilin, has died. He perished within your jurisdiction. I wish to borrow your Qiankun Mirror to find the culprit and avenge my brother!” Ao Hong was furious, roaring repeatedly, and he sat heavily on the General’s throne.
Seeing Ao Hong’s rudeness, General Li was taken aback. Looking around, he saw only the demon beast army; none of his own men were present.
All the celestial soldiers and generals were drunk, fast asleep.
General Li, having risen to his position through some skill, quickly realized the gravity of the situation. He hurriedly said, “Such a thing has happened? Second Commander, don’t worry. I’ll fetch the Qiankun Mirror immediately. Once we identify the murderer, I’ll dispatch troops to avenge the Third Commander.”
With that, General Li rushed to the rear hall.
“Second Commander, I’ll keep an eye on him…”
Seeing this, the Centipede Demon clasped his hands in a gesture of respect to Ao Hong and followed into the rear hall.
At the entrance to the rear hall, General Li stopped the Centipede Demon. “This is my private area. How can you barge in?”
The Centipede Demon chuckled darkly. “General Li, you’re a smart man. Can’t you see I’m here to help you?”
“What do you mean by that?” General Li’s heart stirred.
The Centipede Demon grabbed General Li’s hand and communicated telepathically. “The Fire Qilin is dead. Second Commander Ao Hong is hot-tempered and bloodthirsty. This time, he’s brought the demon beast army to the celestial mountain. Do you think he’s just here to borrow the Qiankun Mirror? I’m concerned for your safety, General. I want to secure a position under you in the future, which is why I’m risking my life to warn you. Ao Hong plans to kill you, devour you, and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. With the celestial war imminent, the Heavenly Court won’t have time to avenge you. I advise you to gather your valuables and flee immediately. If you don’t leave now, you won’t get another chance.”
“Your kindness is beyond repayment. Once I summon the celestial troops, you’ll be my deputy general.”
General Li’s eyes shifted, and he believed the Centipede Demon’s words.
Immediately, General Li gathered his treasures and used a talisman to escape the celestial mountain.
“Second Commander, bad news! General Li has fled with his treasures!” The Centipede Demon covered his face and ran back, shouting in panic.
Hearing this, Ao Hong was enraged. “That scoundrel, General Li! Could he be the one who killed my third brother!?”
“Second Commander, I think General Li’s escape will surely bring a large army of celestial troops to annihilate us. Why don’t we go all the way and wipe out all the celestial soldiers and generals on this mountain? Then, we can summon the First Commander from seclusion and, taking advantage of the celestial war, rebel against the Heavenly Court!”
The Centipede Demon stirred up trouble, unafraid of escalating the situation.
Impulsive and headstrong, Ao Hong immediately ordered the capture of all celestial soldiers and generals and the plundering of the celestial mountain’s treasures.
Soon, three thousand celestial soldiers and generals were captured. Ao Hong, bloodthirsty and cruel, slaughtered them all, devouring their celestial power. His cultivation skyrocketed, breaking through the bottleneck and ascending to the Immortal Emperor realm.
“Boom!”
Thunder suddenly roared in the sky, and yellow calamity clouds churned. The Emperor’s Tribulation was imminent.
In the celestial realm, ordinary immortals did not need to undergo tribulations to ascend. However, ascending to the Immortal Emperor realm required passing the Emperor’s Tribulation.
The Emperor’s Tribulation consisted of three holy thunder trials: the Virtue Thunder, the Law Thunder, and the Karma Thunder.
Surviving these three holy thunders would make one a true Immortal Emperor.
Failing to endure them would result in annihilation by the holy thunders, turning one to ashes.
Seeing the thunder tribulation approach, the Centipede Demon quietly slipped away, certain that Ao Hong would not survive the holy thunders.
But Ao Hong was ecstatic, laughing at the sky and roaring, “Come! Strike me! I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. Do you think you can destroy me? I’ll tell you this: I already know how to survive your holy thunder tribulation!”
As he roared, Ao Hong suddenly extended his hands, using his magic to summon dozens of celestial maidens to his side.
Ao Hong intended to use the virtue of others to pass the tribulation.
“Boom!”
A yellow lightning bolt suddenly split the sky. As the lightning struck, an elderly man appeared above Ao Hong’s head.
This old man was a highly virtuous ordinary immortal, whom Ao Hong had captured and imprisoned in a magical artifact. Now, during the tribulation, he was put to good use.
Indeed, thanks to the old man, Ao Hong emerged unscathed, but the old man and the celestial maidens all perished.
“Boom!”
Another lightning bolt struck. Ao Hong endured the Law Thunder, his body charred black by the lightning, but he did not die, as his magic was profound enough.
Then, the third Karma Thunder descended from the heavens. Ao Hong suddenly released thousands of pitiful immortals he had imprisoned in his magical artifact, instantly gaining their immense gratitude and karmic power, allowing him to survive the third Karma Thunder!
“What? He actually passed!?”
The Centipede Demon was shocked, never expecting that Ao Hong, a bloodthirsty tyrant, could truly become an Immortal Emperor.
No, he will surely die!
Someone like him could never become an Immortal Emperor!
General Li will return with the celestial troops to annihilate him, and I will become the deputy general. My plan will succeed.
The Centipede Demon had waited a long time to become a true immortal.
But he never imagined that a fiend like Ao Hong could become an Immortal Emperor!
“Hahaha, hahaha…”
A yellow light appeared above Ao Hong’s head, slowly spreading over his body, marking his ascension to the Immortal Emperor realm.
The yellow light was holy light, descending from the first layer of heaven.
Receiving the holy light was equivalent to being enfeoffed by the Heavenly Court.
An Immortal Emperor had a vast territory.
“Eh? What!?”
Suddenly, Ao Hong’s expression froze. He could no longer laugh. Just moments ago, he had received the celestial enfeoffment in his mind. His territory was the desolate land of the ninth layer of heaven! The area included the demon beast clan’s territory and the Heavenly Demon Sect’s domain. The demon beast clan’s territory belonged to his elder brother, the Thunder Dragon God. How could he, as the younger brother, usurp his elder brother’s domain? Even if he did, what would be the point? The Heavenly Demon Sect was filled with powerful experts, and the Heavenly Demon Matriarch’s magic was profound and unfathomable. Even if the celestial realm granted him the Heavenly Demon Sect’s land, how could he seize it? And even if he did, what use was such barren land?
This enfeoffment left Ao Hong deeply disappointed.
Such an enfeoffment could be considered the most meager.
A dignified Immortal Emperor, confined to such a godforsaken place—Ao Hong could not accept it.
“I refuse to accept this! I refuse!”
Ao Hong was furious, pointing at the heavens and cursing, “Jade Emperor, you’ve treated me unfairly! I will defy the heavens! I will overthrow your rule…”
The calamity clouds in the sky dissipated, and everything returned to normal.
The yellow light above Ao Hong’s head also vanished. This was the Heavenly Court’s punishment, denying him even the aura of an emperor.
“Heh, pitiful, truly pitiful. Such an Immortal Emperor must be the most pitiful in the celestial realm, right?”
The Centipede Demon secretly chuckled. Having followed Ao Hong for many years, he had always been treated like a dog. Thus, he harbored hatred and sought revenge. The Centipede Demon silently plotted, “I will find the expert who killed the Fire Qilin and destroy this most pitiful Immortal Emperor. You say the heavens have treated you unfairly, but when have you ever treated me fairly?”
Seeing Ao Hong’s disrespect, General Li was taken aback. Looking around, he saw only demonic beasts, with no one on his side.
His celestial soldiers and generals were all drunk and asleep.
General Li had risen to his current position through some skill. Sensing the danger, he quickly said, “Such a terrible incident has occurred! Second Commander, please don’t panic. I’ll fetch the Qiankun Mirror immediately. If we identify the killer, I’ll send troops to avenge the Third Commander.”
With that, General Li hurried to the back hall.
“Second Commander, I’ll go with him…”
Seeing this, the centipede demon saluted Ao Hong and followed into the back hall.
At the entrance to the back hall, General Li stopped the centipede demon. “This is my private area; how dare you enter?”
The centipede demon sneered. “General Li, you’re a smart man. Don’t you see I’m here to help you?”
“What do you mean?” General Li’s heart stirred.
As the saying goes, “A clear conscience fears no evil.” However, Lian’er, harboring guilt in her heart, was naturally restless and uneasy.
The two demon beasts had transformed into green-haired humanoid creatures, both resembling middle-aged women.
One of the demons, with a voluptuous figure, scrutinized Lian’er and disdainfully remarked, “So, you’re a fairy demon, a butterfly demon from the Raksha realm.”
“Since we’re all demons, let’s not make things difficult for her,” said the other, more beautiful and kindly-looking demon, who then clasped her hands in a respectful gesture towards Lian’er. “Little sister, don’t be afraid. We just want to ask you a few questions. Have you noticed any suspicious individuals passing through this area? And, in this desolate land, where are you headed?”
“Speak! What are you doing here for no reason? There must be something wrong,” the voluptuous demon glared fiercely at Lian’er.
They were surely out gathering intelligence due to the death of the Fire Qilin. Sensing this, Lian’er replied, “Friends, I was ordered by Sister Nightmare from the Raksha realm to visit the Heavenly Demon Sect and pay respects to the Heavenly Demon Matriarch. Along the way, I haven’t seen any suspicious individuals. Please, sirs, investigate thoroughly.”
“Ah, so she’s heading to the Heavenly Demon Sect…”
“Let her go.”
With the fall of the Fire Qilin, the demon beast clan’s strength had significantly diminished. In such circumstances, opposing the Heavenly Demon Sect would be unwise.
As mere minor demon beasts, how could they dare to cause trouble for their clan by opposing the Heavenly Demon Sect?
Lian’er thanked the demon beasts and continued on her journey.
The two demon beasts also resumed their search of the area, looking for passersby.
However, all the immortals from the various sects in the vicinity had vanished.
“Report! The southeast squad found nothing.”
“Report, the immortals of the Three Saints Sect have disappeared.”
“Report, the immortals of the Tianyi Sect have also vanished.”
“…”
On a platform atop a mountain, numerous demon beasts bustled about, extremely busy. In the center of the platform, a massive army of over ten thousand demon beasts had gathered, setting up their formation. At the heart of the formation was a grand throne, upon which sat the second leader of the demon beast clan, the Azure Dragon Beast, Ao Hong.
“Report, we encountered a butterfly demon from the Raksha realm. She claimed to be on a mission from Sister Nightmare of the Raksha realm to visit the Heavenly Demon Matriarch at the Heavenly Demon Sect. We found nothing else.”
The demon beasts sent out to gather intelligence had all returned.
“Outrageous! Who dares to kill my third brother!?”
Ao Hong slammed the table and stood up abruptly. His tall figure exuded a fierce aura, his voice booming like a bell, shaking the heavens and striking fear into hearts.
“Second Leader, perhaps we should seek the help of General Li. He possesses the Qiankun Mirror and can surely identify the culprit.”
A long-faced, dark-skinned, black-armored old man with dozens of arms and thin mustaches stepped forward to advise.
This old man was the Centipede Demon, a strategist who had served Ao Hong for over a thousand years.
Hearing this, Ao Hong’s eyebrows twitched. “Very well, we shall march our army to seek General Li’s assistance. If he helps, so be it. If not, I’ll devour him and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. Then, who would dare to oppose me?”
“Move out!”
The demon beast army mobilized, preparing to besiege the General’s mansion.
Beyond the Ten Thousand Mountains lay a celestial mountain, fully equipped with formations and garrisoned by three thousand celestial soldiers and generals. Usually, the various mountain sects would pay tribute on time, offering gifts to the General, who would then distribute the benefits upwards, ensuring that all levels received their share, thus preventing any deliberate trouble from the celestial bandits and demon beasts.
General Li, with his celestial cultivation, spent his days indulging in pleasure on the celestial mountain, surrounded by beautiful women, living a comfortable life.
As the saying goes, “If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked.” With General Li setting such an example, his celestial soldiers and generals also spent their days carousing, drinking, gambling, and toying with celestial maidens, living a life of debauchery.
A large contingent of the demon beast army arrived, surrounding the celestial mountain. Ao Hong, accompanied by several hundred celestial elders, directly entered the General’s mansion, only to find General Li completely drunk and unconscious.
A leech demon, transformed into a beautiful woman, approached and kissed General Li, soon sucking out all the alcohol from his stomach.
General Li woke up and, seeing the multitude of demon beasts, was instantly frightened. “You… what do you demon beasts want?”
“General Li, my third brother, the Fire Qilin, has died within your jurisdiction. I wish to borrow your Qiankun Mirror to find the murderer and avenge my brother!” Ao Hong was extremely agitated, roaring repeatedly, and he forcefully sat down on the General’s throne.
Seeing Ao Hong’s rudeness, General Li was taken aback. Looking around, he saw only the demon beast army; none of his own men were present.
His celestial soldiers and generals were all drunk, fast asleep.
General Li, having risen to his position through some capability, quickly realized the gravity of the situation and said, “Such a thing has happened? Second Leader, don’t worry. I’ll fetch the Qiankun Mirror immediately. If we identify the murderer, I’ll dispatch troops to avenge the Third Leader.”
With that, General Li hurried to the rear hall.
“Second Leader, I’ll keep an eye on him…”
Seeing this, the Centipede Demon clasped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Ao Hong and followed into the rear hall.
At the entrance to the rear hall, General Li stopped the Centipede Demon. “This is my private area. How can you barge in?”
The Centipede Demon gave a sinister smile. “General Li, you’re a smart man. Can’t you see I’m here to help you?”
“What do you mean by that?” General Li’s heart stirred.
The Centipede Demon grabbed General Li’s hand and communicated telepathically, “The Fire Qilin is dead. Second Leader Ao Hong is hot-tempered and bloodthirsty. This time, he’s brought the demon beast army to the celestial mountain. Do you think he’s just here to borrow the Qiankun Mirror? I’m concerned for your safety, General, and wish to secure a position under you in the future. That’s why I’m risking my life to warn you. Soon, Ao Hong will kill you, devour you, and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. With the celestial war imminent, the Heavenly Court won’t have time to avenge you. I advise you to gather your valuables and flee immediately. If you don’t leave now, you won’t get another chance.”
“Your great kindness, I, Li, have no way to repay. When I summon the celestial troops, you shall be my deputy general.”
General Li’s eyes shifted, and he believed the Centipede Demon’s words.
Immediately, General Li gathered his treasures and, using a talisman, fled the celestial mountain.
“Second Leader, it’s bad! General Li has fled with his treasures!” The Centipede Demon covered his face and ran back, shouting in panic.
Hearing this, Ao Hong was filled with rage. “Bastard! Could it be that General Li is the one who killed my third brother!?”
“Second Leader, I think General Li’s escape will surely bring a large contingent of celestial troops to annihilate us. Why don’t we go all the way and eliminate all the celestial soldiers and generals on this mountain, then invite the First Leader out of seclusion? Amidst the celestial war, we can rebel against the Heavenly Court!”
The Centipede Demon stirred up trouble, unafraid of escalating the situation.
Impulsive and headstrong, Ao Hong immediately ordered the capture of all celestial soldiers and generals and the plundering of the celestial mountain’s treasures.
Soon, three thousand celestial soldiers and generals were captured. Ao Hong, brutal and bloodthirsty, directly slaughtered them, devouring all to absorb their celestial power. His cultivation greatly increased, breaking through the bottleneck and ascending to the Immortal Emperor realm.
“Boom!”
Thunder suddenly roared in the sky, with yellow tribulation clouds churning. The Emperor’s Tribulation was imminent.
In the celestial realm, ordinary immortals did not need to undergo tribulations to ascend.
However, ascending to the Immortal Emperor required passing the Emperor’s Tribulation.
The Emperor’s Tribulation consisted of three holy thunder trials: the Virtue Thunder, the Law Thunder, and the Karma Thunder.
Passing all three holy thunders would make one a true Immortal Emperor.
Failing to pass would result in annihilation by the holy thunders, turning to ashes.
Seeing the thunder tribulation arrive, the Centipede Demon quickly hid, certain that Ao Hong would not survive the holy thunders.
But Ao Hong was exhilarated, laughing at the sky and roaring, “Come! Strike me! I, Ao Hong, have waited long for this day. Do you think you can destroy me? I’ll tell you, I already know how to pass your holy thunder tribulations!”
As he roared, Ao Hong suddenly extended his hands, using his magic to summon dozens of celestial maidens to his side.
Ao Hong intended to use their virtue to pass the tribulation.
“Boom!”
A yellow lightning bolt suddenly split the sky. As the lightning struck, an old man appeared above Ao Hong’s head.
This old man was a highly virtuous ordinary immortal, previously captured by Ao Hong and imprisoned in a treasure. Now, during the tribulation, he was put to good use.
Indeed, thanks to the old man, Ao Hong remained unscathed, but the old man and the celestial maidens all perished.
“Boom!”
Another lightning bolt struck. Ao Hong endured the law tribulation, his body charred black by the lightning, but he did not die, as his magic was profound enough.
Then, the third Karma Thunder descended from the sky. Ao Hong suddenly released thousands of pitiful immortals imprisoned in his body’s treasure, instantly gaining their immense gratitude and support, allowing him to withstand the third Karma Thunder!
“What? He actually passed!?”
The Centipede Demon was shocked, never expecting that Ao Hong, this bloodthirsty tyrant, would truly become an Immortal Emperor.
No, he will surely die!
Someone like him could never become an Immortal Emperor!
General Li will return with celestial troops to annihilate him, and I will become the deputy general. My plan will succeed.
The Centipede Demon had waited long for this day to become a true immortal.
But he never imagined that a fiend like Ao Hong could become an Immortal Emperor!
“Hahaha, hahaha…”
A yellow light appeared above Ao Hong’s head, slowly spreading over his entire body, marking his ascension to the Immortal Emperor realm.
The yellow light was holy light, descending from the first heaven.
Receiving the holy light was equivalent to being enfeoffed by the Heavenly Court.
An Immortal Emperor had a vast territory.
“Eh! What!?”
Suddenly, Ao Hong’s expression froze. He could no longer laugh. Just moments ago, he had received the celestial enfeoffment in his mind, and his territory was the desolate land of the ninth heaven! The area included the demon beast clan’s territory and the Heavenly Demon Sect’s territory. The demon beast clan’s territory belonged to his elder brother, the Thunder Dragon God. How could he, as a younger brother, replace his elder brother? Even if he did, what would be the point? The Heavenly Demon Sect was filled with powerful experts, and the Heavenly Demon Matriarch’s magic was profound and unfathomable. Even if the celestial realm granted him the Heavenly Demon Sect’s land, how could he seize it? And even if he did, what use was such barren land?
This enfeoffment greatly disappointed Ao Hong.
Such an enfeoffment could be considered the most meager.
A dignified Immortal Emperor, confined to such a godforsaken place, how could Ao Hong be content?
“I refuse to accept this! I refuse!”
Ao Hong was furious, pointing at the heavens and cursing, “Jade Emperor, you’ve treated me unfairly. I will defy the heavens, I will overthrow your rule…”
The sky’s tribulation clouds dispersed, and everything returned to normal.
The yellow light above Ao Hong’s head also vanished, a punishment from the Heavenly Court, denying him even the emperor’s aura.
“Haha, pitiful, truly pitiful. Such an Immortal Emperor is probably the most pitiful in the celestial realm, isn’t he?”
The Centipede Demon secretly sneered. Having followed Ao Hong for many years, Ao Hong had always treated him like dirt, so he harbored hatred and sought revenge. The Centipede Demon silently plotted, “I will find the master who killed the Fire Qilin and destroy you, the most pitiful Immortal Emperor. You say the heavens treat you unfairly, but when have you ever treated me fairly?”
“Your kindness is beyond repayment. Once I summon celestial troops, you’ll be my deputy general.”
General Li’s eyes flickered, and he believed the centipede demon’s words.
Immediately, General Li took his treasures and used a talisman to escape the sacred mountain.
“Second Commander, bad news! General Li has fled with his treasures!” The centipede demon returned, feigning panic.
Ao Hong’s fury surged at the news. “Damn it! Did General Li kill my third brother!?”
“Second Commander, I think General Li’s escape will surely bring a massive celestial army to eliminate us. We might as well go all out, kill all the celestial soldiers and generals on this mountain, then invite the Great Commander out of seclusion. With the celestial war underway, we might as well rebel against Heaven!”
The centipede demon incited chaos, unafraid of the consequences.
Ao Hong, impulsive and reckless, immediately ordered the capture of all celestial soldiers and generals, looting the sacred mountain’s treasures.
Soon, the three thousand celestial soldiers and generals were captured. Ao Hong, ruthless and bloodthirsty, directly killed and devoured them, absorbing their powers. His cultivation greatly increased, breaking through his bottleneck and ascending to the Xian Emperor realm.
“Boom!”
A thunderclap suddenly echoed through the sky, yellow storm clouds churned, and the Emperor’s Tribulation approached.
As the saying goes, “If you have done nothing wrong, you need not fear the knock of ghosts.” However, Lian’er, with a guilty conscience, was naturally restless and anxious.
The two demon beasts had transformed into green-haired humanoid monsters, both resembling middle-aged women.
One of the monsters, with a large chest and a perky bottom, looked Lian’er up and down and disdainfully remarked, “So, you’re a demon fairy, a butterfly demon from the Raksha realm.”
“Since we’re all demons, let’s not give her a hard time,” said the other, more beautiful and kindly-looking monster, who then clasped her fists towards Lian’er. “Little sister, don’t be afraid. We just want to ask you a few things. Have you noticed any suspicious people passing by this area? And, in this desolate place, where are you heading?”
“Speak! What are you doing here for no reason? There must be something wrong,” the monster with the large chest and perky bottom glared fiercely at Lian’er.
They must be out gathering intelligence because of the death of the Fire Qilin, Lian’er thought to herself, and then said, “Two friends, I was ordered by Sister Nightmare from the Raksha realm to visit the Heavenly Demon Sect and pay respects to the Heavenly Demon Matriarch. Along the way, I haven’t seen any suspicious people. Please, sirs, investigate clearly.”
“Ah, so she’s going to the Heavenly Demon Sect…”
“Forget it, let her go.”
With the fall of the Fire Qilin, the strength of the demon beast clan had already taken a significant hit. In such a situation, opposing the Heavenly Demon Sect would definitely not be a wise move.
As two small demon beasts, how could they dare to cause trouble for the demon beast clan and oppose the Heavenly Demon Sect?
Lian’er thanked the demon beasts and continued on her way.
The two demon beasts also continued to search the area, looking for passersby.
But all the immortals from the various sects in the vicinity had disappeared.
“Report! The southeast squad found nothing.”
“Report, the immortals of the Three Saints Sect have all disappeared.”
“Report, the immortals of the Tianyi Sect have also all disappeared.”
“…”
On a platform atop a mountain, numerous demon beasts were bustling about. In the center of the platform, a massive army of over ten thousand demon beasts had gathered, setting up their formation. In the center of the main formation was a huge throne, upon which sat the second leader of the demon beast clan, the Azure Dragon Beast, Ao Hong.
“Report, we found a butterfly demon from the Raksha realm. She said she was ordered by Sister Nightmare from the Raksha realm to go to the Heavenly Demon Sect to find the Heavenly Demon Matriarch. Nothing else was found.”
The demon beasts sent out to gather intelligence had all returned.
“Outrageous! Who exactly killed my third brother!?”
Ao Hong slammed the table and stood up abruptly. He was tall and imposing, with a fierce killing intent between his brows. His voice was like a great bell, shaking the heavens and earth, striking fear into the hearts of all.
“Second Leader, perhaps, perhaps we should ask General Li for help. He has the Qiankun Mirror; he can definitely find out who that person is.”
A long-faced, black-skinned, shiny black-armored old man with a dozen arms and thin, long mustaches stepped forward to remind him.
This old man was the Centipede Monster, a strategist who had followed Ao Hong for over a thousand years.
Hearing this, Ao Hong’s brows twitched. “Fine, let’s mobilize our army and go find General Li. If he’s willing to help, so be it. If not, I’ll just devour him and ascend to become a Celestial Emperor. At that point, who would dare to oppose me?”
“Whoosh!”
The demon beast army moved out, ready to besiege the General’s Mansion.
Outside the Ten Thousand Mountains, there was a celestial mountain, fully equipped with formations and garrisoned by three thousand celestial soldiers and generals. Usually, the various mountain sects would pay tribute on time, offering gifts to the General, who would then distribute the benefits upwards, ensuring that everyone at every level received their share, and thus no one would deliberately cause trouble for these celestial bandits and demon beasts.
General Li, with his Celestial Sovereign cultivation, spent his days eating, drinking, and enjoying himself on the celestial mountain, surrounded by beautiful women, living a very comfortable life.
As the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam is crooked. General Li was like this, and his celestial soldiers and generals also spent their days idling, drinking, gambling, and playing with celestial maidens, living a life of drunken debauchery.
A large army of demon beasts arrived, surrounding the celestial mountain. Ao Hong, accompanied by several hundred celestial elders, went directly to the General’s Mansion, only to find General Li completely drunk and unconscious.
A leech monster, transformed into a beautiful woman, came up and kissed General Li, sucking out all the alcohol from his stomach in no time.
General Li woke up and, seeing the large number of demon beasts, was immediately frightened. “You, what do you demon beasts want?”
“General Li, my third brother, the Fire Qilin, is dead. He died in your jurisdiction. I want to borrow your Qiankun Mirror to find the culprit and avenge my third brother!” Ao Hong was very agitated, roaring repeatedly, and he sat down heavily on the General’s throne.
Seeing Ao Hong’s rudeness, General Li was startled. Looking around, he saw that he was surrounded by the demon beast army, with none of his own people in sight.
All the celestial soldiers and generals were drunk, fast asleep.
General Li, who had managed to reach his current position through some skill, saw that the situation was not right and quickly said, “Such a thing has happened? Second Leader, don’t worry. I’ll go get the Qiankun Mirror right away. If we find out who the murderer is, I’ll immediately send troops to avenge the Third Leader.”
After saying this, General Li hurried to the back hall.
“Second Leader, I’ll keep an eye on him…”
Seeing this, the Centipede Monster clasped his fists towards Ao Hong and followed into the back hall.
At the back hall’s entrance, General Li stopped the Centipede Monster. “This is my private place. How can you barge in?”
The Centipede Monster gave a sinister smile. “General Li, you’re a smart man. Can’t you see that I’m here to help you?”
“What do you mean by that?” General Li’s heart stirred.
The Centipede Monster grabbed General Li’s hand and transmitted a mental message. “The Fire Qilin is dead. Second Leader Ao Hong is hot-tempered and bloodthirsty. This time, he’s brought the demon beast army to the celestial mountain. Do you think he’s just here to borrow your Qiankun Mirror? I’m concerned for your safety, General. I want to secure a position under you in the future, so I’m risking my life to tell you that Ao Hong will kill you later. He wants to devour you and then ascend to become a Celestial Emperor. With the celestial war imminent, the Heavenly Court won’t have time to avenge you. So, I advise you to take your valuables and flee now. If you don’t leave, you won’t be able to.”
“Your great kindness, I, Li, have no way to repay. When I summon the celestial soldiers and generals, you will be my deputy general.”
General Li’s eyes shifted, and he believed the Centipede Monster’s words.
Immediately, General Li took his treasures and, using a talisman of escape, fled the celestial mountain.
“Second Leader, it’s bad! That General Li has taken the treasures and fled!” The Centipede Monster covered his face and ran back, shouting in panic.
Hearing this, Ao Hong was immediately enraged. “Bastard! That General Li, could he be the one who killed my third brother!?”
“Second Leader, I think that since General Li has escaped this time, he will definitely bring a large number of celestial soldiers and generals to exterminate us. Why don’t we go all the way and wipe out all the celestial soldiers and generals on this mountain, then invite the Great Leader to come out of seclusion. Taking advantage of the celestial war, let’s rebel against the Heavenly Court!”
The Centipede Monster stirred up trouble inside and out, not afraid to make things worse.
Ao Hong, impulsive and willful, immediately ordered the capture of all celestial soldiers and generals and the looting of the celestial mountain’s treasures.
Soon, three thousand celestial soldiers and generals were captured. Ao Hong, bloodthirsty and cruel, directly slaughtered them, devouring all the celestial soldiers and generals, absorbing their celestial power. Ao Hong’s cultivation greatly increased, breaking through the bottleneck and stepping into the Celestial Emperor realm.
“Boom!”
Suddenly, thunder roared in the sky, and yellow calamity clouds rolled in. The Celestial Emperor’s Tribulation was approaching.
In the celestial realm, ordinary immortals do not need to undergo tribulations when they ascend.
However, ascending to become a Celestial Emperor requires passing the Celestial Emperor’s Tribulation.
The Celestial Emperor’s Tribulation consists of three holy thunder trials: one of virtue, one of law, and one of karma.
Passing all three holy thunders makes one a true Celestial Emperor.
If one cannot pass, they will be killed by the holy thunder, reduced to ashes.
Seeing the thunder tribulation arrive, the Centipede Monster quickly hid, certain that Ao Hong would not pass the holy thunder trial.
But Ao Hong was ecstatic, laughing at the sky and roaring repeatedly, “Come on! Strike me! I, Ao Hong, have been waiting for this day for a long time. Do you think you can kill me? I’m not afraid to tell you, I already know how to pass your holy thunder tribulation!”
As he roared, Ao Hong suddenly stretched out his hands, and dozens of celestial maidens were moved to his side by his magic.
Ao Hong intended to use the virtue of others to pass the tribulation.
“Boom!”
A yellow lightning bolt suddenly split the sky. As the lightning fell, an old man suddenly appeared above Ao Hong’s head.
This old man was a highly virtuous ordinary immortal, who had long been captured by Ao Hong and trapped in a magical artifact. Now, during the tribulation, he was just the right tool.
Indeed, thanks to the old man, Ao Hong was unharmed, but the old man and the celestial maidens all died.
“Boom!”
Another lightning bolt fell. Ao Hong endured the law tribulation, his entire body scorched black by the lightning, but he did not die, as his magic power was profound enough.
Then, the third karma holy thunder descended from the sky. Ao Hong suddenly released thousands of pitiful immortals trapped in his body’s magical artifact, instantly gaining their immense gratitude and karmic power, allowing him to endure the third karma holy thunder!
“What? He actually passed!?”
The Centipede Monster was greatly shocked, never expecting that Ao Hong, this bloodthirsty man, would actually become a Celestial Emperor.
No, he will definitely die!
Someone like him could never become a Celestial Emperor!
General Li will bring the celestial soldiers and generals back to kill him, and I will become the deputy general. My plan will definitely succeed.
The Centipede Monster had been waiting for this day for a long time, hoping to become a true immortal.
But he never expected that a demon like Ao Hong could become a Celestial Emperor!
“Hahaha, hahaha…”
A yellow light appeared above Ao Hong’s head, slowly spreading over his entire body, marking his ascension to the Celestial Emperor realm.
The yellow light was holy light, descending from the first heaven.
Receiving the holy light was equivalent to being enfeoffed by the Heavenly Court.
A Celestial Emperor has a territory, and the territory of a Celestial Emperor is vast.
“Eh! What!?”
Suddenly, Ao Hong’s expression froze. He could no longer laugh. Just now, in his mind, he received the enfeoffment from the celestial realm. His territory was actually the desolate land of the ninth heaven! The area included the territory of the demon beast clan and the territory of the Heavenly Demon Sect. The territory of the demon beast clan belonged to his elder brother, the Thunder Dragon God. As his younger brother, how could he replace his elder brother? Even if he did, what would be the point? The Heavenly Demon Sect was full of experts, and the Heavenly Demon Matriarch’s magic power was profound and unfathomable. Even if the celestial realm gave him the Heavenly Demon Sect’s land, how could he seize it? And even if he did, what use would that barren land be?
This enfeoffment greatly disappointed Ao Hong.
Such an enfeoffment could be called the most shabby enfeoffment.
A dignified Celestial Emperor, trapped in such a godforsaken place, how could Ao Hong be satisfied?
“I am not satisfied! I am not satisfied!”
Ao Hong was furious, pointing at the sky and cursing repeatedly, “Jade Emperor, you have treated me unfairly. I will defy the heavens, I will overthrow your rule…”
The calamity clouds in the sky dispersed, and everything returned to normal.
The yellow light above Ao Hong’s head also disappeared. This was the Heavenly Court’s punishment, not even granting him the aura of a Celestial Emperor.
“Haha, pitiful, truly pitiful. Such a Celestial Emperor is probably the most pitiful Celestial Emperor in the celestial realm, right!?”
The Centipede Monster secretly laughed. He had followed Ao Hong for many years, and Ao Hong had always treated him like a dog. So, he hated him and wanted revenge. The Centipede Monster silently plotted, “I will find that expert who killed the Fire Qilin and destroy you, the most pitiful Celestial Emperor. You say the heavens have treated you unfairly, but when have you ever treated me fairly?”
However, ascending to Xian Emperor required enduring the Emperor’s Tribulation.
The Emperor’s Tribulation required passing three divine lightning trials: the Virtue Sage Lightning, the Law Sage Lightning, and the Karma Sage Lightning.
Surviving all three trials meant becoming a true Xian Emperor.
Failing meant being struck down by the divine lightning, reduced to dust.
Seeing the tribulation arrive, the centipede demon quickly hid, convinced Ao Hong would never survive the divine lightning.
But Ao Hong was ecstatic, laughing at the sky and roaring, “Come on! Strike me! I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. You think you can kill me? I’ll tell you this, I’ve known how to survive your divine lightning tribulation long ago!”
As he roared, Ao Hong suddenly extended his hands, dozens of celestial maidens were transported to his side by his magical power.
Ao Hong was using others’ virtues to survive the tribulation.
“Boom!”
A yellow lightning bolt suddenly tore through the sky. As the lightning descended, an old man appeared above Ao Hong’s head.
As the saying goes, “A clear conscience fears no knocking at the door.” However, Lian’er, harboring guilt in her heart, was naturally restless and uneasy.
The two demon beasts had transformed into green-haired humanoid creatures, both resembling middle-aged women. One of them, a curvaceous demon with a large chest and a perky bottom, looked Lian’er up and down with disdain, saying, “So, it’s a demon fairy, a butterfly demon from the Rakshasa realm.”
“Since we’re all demons, let’s not make things difficult for her,” said the other, more beautiful and kindly-looking demon, who clasped her hands in a respectful gesture towards Lian’er. “Little sister, don’t be afraid. We just want to ask you a few questions. Have you noticed any suspicious people passing by this area? And, in this desolate land, where are you headed?”
“Speak! What are you doing here for no reason? There must be something wrong,” the curvaceous demon glared fiercely at Lian’er.
They must be out gathering intelligence because of the death of the Fire Qilin, Lian’er thought to herself. She then said, “Two friends, I have been ordered by Sister Nightmare from the Rakshasa realm to visit the Heavenly Demon Sect and pay respects to the Heavenly Demon Matriarch. Along the way, I haven’t seen any suspicious individuals. I beg you both to investigate thoroughly.”
“Ah, so she’s heading to the Heavenly Demon Sect…”
“Fine, you may go.”
With the fall of the Fire Qilin, the demon beast clan’s strength had significantly diminished. In such circumstances, opposing the Heavenly Demon Sect would be far from wise.
As mere minor demon beasts, how could they dare to cause trouble for the demon beast clan by opposing the Heavenly Demon Sect?
Lian’er thanked the demon beasts and continued on her journey.
The two demon beasts also resumed their search of the area, looking for passersby.
However, all the immortals from the various sects in the vicinity had disappeared.
“Report! The southeast squad found nothing.”
“Report, the immortals of the Three Saints Sect have vanished.”
“Report, the immortals of the Tianyi Sect have all disappeared.”
“…”
On a platform atop a mountain, numerous demon beasts bustled about, very busy. In the center of the platform, a massive army of over ten thousand demon beasts had gathered, setting up their formation. At the heart of the formation was a grand throne, upon which sat the second leader of the demon beast clan, the Azure Dragon Beast, Ao Hong.
“Report, we found a butterfly demon from the Rakshasa realm. She said she was ordered by Sister Nightmare from the Rakshasa realm to visit the Heavenly Demon Sect and seek the Heavenly Demon Matriarch. We found nothing else.”
The demon beasts sent out to gather intelligence returned one after another.
“Outrageous! Who dared to kill my third brother!?”
Ao Hong slammed the table and stood up abruptly. His tall figure exuded a fierce aura, his voice booming like a bell, shaking the heavens and earth, striking fear into the hearts of all.
“Second Leader, perhaps we should seek the help of General Li. He possesses the Qiankun Mirror and can surely identify the culprit.”
A long-faced, dark-skinned, black-armored old man with a dozen arms and thin, long mustaches stepped forward to advise.
This old man was the Centipede Demon, a strategist who had followed Ao Hong for over a thousand years.
Upon hearing this, Ao Hong’s eyebrows twitched. “Very well, we shall mobilize our army and seek General Li. If he is willing to help, so be it. If not, I will devour him and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. Then, who would dare to oppose me?”
“Whoosh!”
The demon beast army set out to besiege the General’s residence.
Beyond the Ten Thousand Mountains lay a celestial mountain, fully equipped with formations and garrisoned by three thousand celestial soldiers and generals. Normally, the various mountain sects would pay tribute on time, offering gifts to the General, who would then distribute the benefits upwards, ensuring that all levels received their share. Thus, no one deliberately caused trouble for these celestial bandits and demon beasts.
General Li, with his celestial cultivation, spent his days indulging in food, drink, and pleasure on the celestial mountain, surrounded by beautiful women, living a carefree life.
As the upper beam is crooked, so is the lower. General Li’s behavior set the tone for his subordinates, who spent their days carousing, drinking, gambling, and toying with celestial maidens, living a life of debauchery.
A large army of demon beasts arrived, surrounding the celestial mountain. Ao Hong, accompanied by several hundred celestial elders, entered the General’s residence, only to find General Li completely drunk and unconscious.
A leech demon transformed into a beautiful woman and kissed General Li, soon sucking out all the alcohol from his stomach.
General Li woke up, startled by the sight of the numerous demon beasts. “You… what do you demon beasts want?”
“General Li, my third brother, the Fire Qilin, has died within your jurisdiction. I wish to borrow your Qiankun Mirror to find the culprit and avenge my brother!” Ao Hong was extremely agitated, roaring repeatedly, and he forcefully sat down on the General’s throne.
Seeing Ao Hong’s rudeness, General Li was taken aback. Looking around, he saw only the demon beast army; none of his own men were present.
All the celestial soldiers and generals were drunk, fast asleep.
General Li, having risen to his position through skill, quickly realized the dire situation and said, “Such a thing has happened? Second Leader, do not worry. I will immediately fetch the Qiankun Mirror. Once we identify the murderer, I will dispatch troops to avenge the Third Leader.”
With that, General Li hurried to the back hall.
“Second Leader, I will keep an eye on him…”
The Centipede Demon, seeing this, clasped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Ao Hong and followed into the back hall.
At the entrance to the back hall, General Li stopped the Centipede Demon. “This is my private area. How can you barge in?”
The Centipede Demon gave a sinister smile. “General Li, you are a smart man. Can’t you see that I am here to help you?”
“What do you mean by that?” General Li’s heart stirred.
The Centipede Demon grabbed General Li’s hand and transmitted a mental message. “The Fire Qilin is dead. Second Leader Ao Hong is hot-tempered and bloodthirsty. This time, he has brought the demon beast army to the celestial mountain. Do you think he is merely here to borrow the Qiankun Mirror? I am concerned for your safety and wish to secure a position under you in the future. That is why I risked my life to warn you. Ao Hong plans to kill you, devour you, and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. With the celestial war imminent, the Heavenly Court has no time to avenge you. I advise you to flee with your valuables now. If you delay, it will be too late.”
“Your kindness is beyond repayment. Once I summon the celestial soldiers and generals, you shall be my deputy general.”
General Li’s eyes gleamed as he believed the Centipede Demon’s words.
Immediately, General Li gathered his treasures and, using a talisman of escape, fled the celestial mountain.
“Second Leader, it’s bad! General Li has fled with the treasures!” The Centipede Demon covered his face and ran back, shouting in panic.
Upon hearing this, Ao Hong was filled with rage. “Bastard! Could it be that General Li is the one who killed my third brother!?”
“Second Leader, I think General Li’s escape will surely bring a large army of celestial soldiers and generals to annihilate us. Why don’t we go all the way and slaughter all the celestial soldiers and generals on this mountain, then invite the First Leader to come out of seclusion. With the celestial war at hand, we might as well rebel against the Heavenly Court!”
The Centipede Demon stirred up trouble, unafraid of escalating the situation.
Impulsive and headstrong, Ao Hong immediately ordered the capture of all celestial soldiers and generals and the plundering of the celestial mountain’s treasures.
Soon, three thousand celestial soldiers and generals were captured. Ao Hong, brutal and bloodthirsty, slaughtered them all, devouring their celestial power. His cultivation greatly increased, breaking through the bottleneck and ascending to the Immortal Emperor realm.
“Boom!”
Thunder suddenly roared in the sky, with yellow tribulation clouds churning. The Emperor’s Tribulation was imminent.
In the celestial realm, ordinary immortals did not need to undergo tribulations to ascend.
However, ascending to the Immortal Emperor required passing the Emperor’s Tribulation.
The Emperor’s Tribulation consisted of three holy thunder trials: the Virtue Thunder, the Law Thunder, and the Karma Thunder.
Surviving these three holy thunders would make one a true Immortal Emperor.
Failing to endure them would result in annihilation by the holy thunders, turning one to ashes.
Seeing the thunder tribulation approach, the Centipede Demon quietly hid, certain that Ao Hong would not survive the holy thunders.
But Ao Hong was ecstatic, laughing at the sky and roaring, “Come! Strike me! I, Ao Hong, have waited for this day for a long time. Do you think you can destroy me? I’ll tell you this: I already know how to pass your holy thunder tribulation!”
As he roared, Ao Hong suddenly extended his hands, and dozens of celestial maidens were teleported to his side by his magic.
Ao Hong intended to use others’ virtue to pass the tribulation.
“Boom!”
A yellow lightning bolt suddenly split the sky. As the lightning struck, an old man appeared above Ao Hong’s head.
This old man was a virtuous ordinary immortal, long captured and imprisoned by Ao Hong in a magical artifact, now useful for the tribulation.
Indeed, thanks to the old man, Ao Hong emerged unscathed, but the old man and the celestial maidens all perished.
“Boom!”
Another lightning bolt struck. Ao Hong endured the Law Thunder, his body charred black by the lightning, but he did not die, for his magic was profound enough.
Then, the third Karma Thunder descended from the sky. Ao Hong suddenly released thousands of pitiful immortals imprisoned in his body’s magical artifact, instantly gaining their immense gratitude and karmic power, allowing him to endure the third Karma Thunder!
“What? He actually passed!?”
The Centipede Demon was astonished, never expecting that Ao Hong, this bloodthirsty fiend, would truly become an Immortal Emperor.
No, he will surely die!
Someone like him could never become an Immortal Emperor!
General Li will return with the celestial soldiers and generals to destroy him. I will become the deputy general. My plan will succeed.
The Centipede Demon had waited a long time for this day, hoping to become a true immortal.
But he never imagined that a fiend like Ao Hong could become an Immortal Emperor!
“Hahaha, hahaha…”
A yellow light appeared above Ao Hong’s head, slowly spreading over his body, marking his ascension to the Immortal Emperor realm.
The yellow light was holy light, descending from the first heaven.
Receiving the holy light was equivalent to being enfeoffed by the Heavenly Court.
An Immortal Emperor had a vast territory.
“Eh? What!?”
Suddenly, Ao Hong’s expression froze. He could no longer laugh. Just now, he had received the celestial enfeoffment in his mind. His territory was actually the desolate lands of the ninth heaven! The area included the demon beast clan’s territory and the Heavenly Demon Sect’s territory. The demon beast clan’s territory belonged to his elder brother, the Thunder Dragon God. How could he, as a younger brother, take over his brother’s domain? Even if he did, what would be the point? The Heavenly Demon Sect was filled with powerful experts, and the Heavenly Demon Matriarch’s magic was profound and unfathomable. Even if the celestial realm gave him the Heavenly Demon Sect’s land, how could he seize it? And even if he did, what use was such barren land?
This enfeoffment left Ao Hong deeply disappointed.
Such an enfeoffment could be considered the most pitiful.
A dignified Immortal Emperor, confined to such a godforsaken place—how could Ao Hong be content?
“I am not satisfied! I am not satisfied!”
Ao Hong was furious, pointing at the sky and cursing repeatedly, “Jade Emperor, you have treated me unfairly. I will defy heaven! I will overthrow your rule…”
The tribulation clouds in the sky dispersed, and everything returned to normal.
The yellow light above Ao Hong’s head also vanished. This was the Heavenly Court’s punishment, not even granting him the aura of an emperor.
“Haha, pitiful, truly pitiful. Such an Immortal Emperor must be the most pitiful in the celestial realm, right?”
The Centipede Demon secretly sneered. Having followed Ao Hong for many years, Ao Hong had always treated him like dirt, so he harbored hatred and sought revenge. The Centipede Demon silently plotted, “I will find the master who killed the Fire Qilin and destroy you, the most pitiful Immortal Emperor. You say heaven has treated you unfairly, but when have you ever treated me fairly?”
Indeed, thanks to the old man, Ao Hong emerged unscathed, but the old man and the celestial maidens all perished.
“Boom!”
Another lightning bolt struck. Ao Hong endured the Law Tribulation, his body scorched black by the lightning, but he survived, thanks to his profound magical power.
As the saying goes, “A clear conscience fears no knocking at the door.” Lian’er, with a guilty conscience, was naturally on edge.
The two demon beasts had transformed into green-haired humanoid creatures, both resembling middle-aged women.
One of the demons, with a large chest and a perky bottom, looked Lian’er up and down and disdainfully remarked, “So, you’re a demon fairy, a butterfly demon from the Rakshasa realm.”
“Since we’re all demons, let’s not give her a hard time,” said the other, more beautiful and kindly-looking demon, who clasped her hands in a polite gesture towards Lian’er. “Little sister, don’t be afraid. We just want to ask you a few things. Have you seen any suspicious people passing by this area? And what brings you to this desolate place?”
“Speak! What are you doing here for no reason? There must be something wrong,” the busty demon glared fiercely at Lian’er.
They must be out gathering intelligence because of the death of the Fire Qilin, Lian’er thought to herself. She then said, “Friends, I was sent by Sister Nightmare from the Rakshasa realm to pay respects to the Heavenly Demon Matriarch at the Heavenly Demon Sect. I haven’t seen any suspicious people along the way. Please, sirs, investigate thoroughly.”
“Oh, so she’s heading to the Heavenly Demon Sect…”
“Fine, you may go.”
With the fall of the Fire Qilin, the demon beast clan’s strength had significantly diminished. In such circumstances, opposing the Heavenly Demon Sect would be far from wise.
As mere minor demon beasts, how could they dare to cause trouble for their clan by opposing the Heavenly Demon Sect?
Lian’er thanked the demon beasts and continued on her journey.
The two demon beasts also resumed their search of the area, looking for passersby.
However, all the immortals from the various sects in the vicinity had vanished.
“Report! The southeast squad found nothing.”
“Report, the immortals from the Three Saints Sect have disappeared.”
“Report, the immortals from the Tianyi Sect are also all gone.”
“…”
On a platform atop a mountain, numerous demon beasts bustled about, very busy. In the center of the platform, a massive army of over ten thousand demon beasts had gathered, setting up their formation. In the middle of the main formation was a grand throne, upon which sat the second leader of the demon beast clan, the Azure Dragon Beast, Ao Hong.
“Report, we found a butterfly demon from the Rakshasa realm. She said she was sent by Sister Nightmare from the Rakshasa realm to visit the Heavenly Demon Matriarch at the Heavenly Demon Sect. We found nothing else.”
The demon beasts sent out to gather intelligence had all returned.
“Outrageous! Who killed my third brother!?”
Ao Hong slammed the table and stood up abruptly. He was tall and imposing, with a fierce look in his eyes. His voice boomed like a bell, shaking the heavens and earth, striking fear into the hearts of all.
“Second Leader, perhaps we should seek the help of General Li. He has the Qiankun Mirror and can surely find out who the culprit is.”
A long-faced, dark-skinned old man with over a dozen arms and thin, long mustaches stepped forward to remind him. This old man was the Centipede Demon, a strategist who had followed Ao Hong for over a thousand years.
Ao Hong’s eyebrows twitched at the suggestion. “Fine, let’s mobilize our forces and go find General Li. If he’s willing to help, so be it. If not, I’ll just devour him and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. Then, who would dare to oppose me?”
“Whoosh!”
The demon beast army set out to besiege the General’s mansion.
Beyond the Ten Thousand Mountains lay a celestial mountain, well-equipped with formations and garrisoned by three thousand celestial soldiers. Usually, the various mountain sects would pay tribute to the General on time, who would then distribute the benefits upwards, ensuring that everyone at every level received their share, thus avoiding any intentional trouble from the celestial bandits and demon beasts.
General Li, with his celestial cultivation, spent his days indulging in food, drink, and pleasure, surrounded by beautiful women, living a very comfortable life.
As the saying goes, “If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked.” With General Li setting such an example, his celestial soldiers also spent their days carousing, drinking, gambling, and toying with celestial maidens, living a life of debauchery.
A large force of demon beasts arrived and surrounded the celestial mountain. Ao Hong, accompanied by several hundred celestial elders, went straight to the General’s mansion, only to find General Li completely drunk and unconscious.
A leech demon transformed into a beautiful woman and kissed General Li, soon sucking out all the alcohol from his stomach.
General Li woke up and, seeing the large number of demon beasts, was immediately frightened. “You, you demon beasts, what do you want?”
“General Li, my third brother, the Fire Qilin, died in your territory. I need to borrow your Qiankun Mirror to find the culprit and avenge my brother!” Ao Hong was very agitated, roaring repeatedly, and he sat heavily on the General’s throne.
Seeing Ao Hong’s rudeness, General Li was startled. Looking around, he saw that he was surrounded by demon beasts, with none of his own men in sight.
All the celestial soldiers were drunk and fast asleep.
General Li, having risen to his position through some skill, quickly realized the situation was dire and said, “Such a thing has happened? Second Leader, don’t worry. I’ll go fetch the Qiankun Mirror immediately. If we find out who the murderer is, I’ll send troops to avenge the Third Leader.”
With that, General Li hurried to the back hall.
“Second Leader, I’ll keep an eye on him…”
Seeing this, the Centipede Demon clasped his hands in a polite gesture to Ao Hong and followed into the back hall.
At the entrance to the back hall, General Li stopped the Centipede Demon. “This is my private area. How can you barge in?”
The Centipede Demon gave a sinister smile. “General Li, you’re a smart man. Can’t you see I’m here to help you?”
“What do you mean by that?” General Li’s heart stirred.
The Centipede Demon grabbed General Li’s hand and communicated telepathically, “The Fire Qilin is dead. Second Leader Ao Hong is hot-tempered and bloodthirsty. This time, he’s brought the demon beast army to the celestial mountain. Do you think he’s just here to borrow the Qiankun Mirror? I’m concerned for your safety and want to secure a position under you in the future. That’s why I’m risking my life to tell you that Ao Hong will kill you later. He wants to devour you and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. With the celestial war imminent, the Heavenly Court won’t have time to avenge you. So, I advise you to take your valuables and flee now. If you don’t leave soon, you won’t be able to.”
“Your great kindness, I, Li, have no way to repay. When I summon the celestial troops, you’ll be my deputy general.”
General Li’s eyes shifted, and he believed the Centipede Demon’s words.
Immediately, General Li took his treasures and, using a talisman of escape, fled the celestial mountain.
“Second Leader, it’s bad! General Li has fled with the treasures!” The Centipede Demon covered his face and ran back, shouting in panic.
Hearing this, Ao Hong was furious. “Bastard! Could it be that General Li killed my third brother!?”
“Second Leader, I think General Li’s escape will surely bring a large force of celestial troops to annihilate us. Why don’t we go all the way and kill all the celestial soldiers on this mountain, then invite the Great Leader to come out of seclusion. With the celestial war at hand, let’s rebel against the Heavenly Court!”
The Centipede Demon stirred up trouble, unafraid of making things worse.
Ao Hong, impulsive and willful, immediately ordered the capture of all celestial soldiers and the looting of the celestial mountain’s treasures.
Soon, three thousand celestial soldiers were captured. Ao Hong, bloodthirsty and cruel, directly slaughtered the celestial soldiers, devouring them all and absorbing their celestial power. His cultivation greatly increased, breaking through the bottleneck and stepping into the realm of the Immortal Emperor.
“Boom!”
Suddenly, thunder roared in the sky, and yellow calamity clouds churned. The Emperor’s Tribulation was coming.
In the celestial realm, ordinary immortals do not need to undergo tribulations to ascend.
However, ascending to become an Immortal Emperor requires passing the Emperor’s Tribulation.
The Emperor’s Tribulation consists of three holy thunders: the Virtue Thunder, the Law Thunder, and the Karma Thunder.
Surviving these three holy thunders makes one a true Immortal Emperor.
If one cannot endure, they will be annihilated by the holy thunders, reduced to ashes.
Seeing the thunder tribulation arrive, the Centipede Demon quickly hid, certain that Ao Hong would not survive the holy thunders.
But Ao Hong was ecstatic, laughing at the sky and roaring, “Come on! Strike me! I, Ao Hong, have been waiting for this day for a long time. Do you think you can kill me? I’ll tell you, I already know how to pass your holy thunder tribulation!”
As he roared, Ao Hong suddenly extended his hand, and dozens of celestial maidens were moved to his side by his magic.
Ao Hong intended to use others’ virtues to pass the tribulation.
“Boom!”
A yellow lightning bolt suddenly split the sky. As the lightning struck, an old man appeared above Ao Hong’s head.
This old man was a highly virtuous ordinary immortal, long captured by Ao Hong and trapped in a magical artifact, now useful for the tribulation.
Indeed, thanks to the old man, Ao Hong was unharmed, but the old man and the celestial maidens all died.
“Boom!”
Another lightning bolt struck. Ao Hong endured the law tribulation, his body scorched black by the lightning, but he did not die, as his magic was profound enough.
Then, the third Karma Thunder descended from the sky. Ao Hong suddenly released thousands of pitiful immortals trapped in his magical artifact, instantly gaining their immense gratitude and willpower, allowing him to endure the third Karma Thunder!
“What? He actually passed!?”
The Centipede Demon was shocked, never expecting that Ao Hong, this bloodthirsty man, would truly become an Immortal Emperor.
No, he will surely die!
Someone like him could never become an Immortal Emperor!
General Li will bring celestial troops back to kill him, and I will become the deputy general. My plan will surely succeed.
The Centipede Demon had waited a long time to become a true immortal.
But he never expected that a demon like Ao Hong could become an Immortal Emperor!
“Hahaha, hahaha…”
A yellow light appeared above Ao Hong’s head, slowly spreading over his body, marking his ascension to the Immortal Emperor realm.
The yellow light was holy light, descending from the first heaven.
Receiving the holy light was equivalent to being enfeoffed by the Heavenly Court.
An Immortal Emperor has a territory, and the Immortal Emperor’s territory is vast.
“Eh! What!?”
Suddenly, Ao Hong’s expression froze. He could no longer laugh. Just now, he had received the celestial enfeoffment in his mind. His territory was actually the desolate lands of the ninth heaven! The area included the demon beast clan’s territory and the Heavenly Demon Sect’s territory. The demon beast clan’s territory was his elder brother, the Thunder Dragon God’s domain. How could he, as the younger brother, replace his elder brother? Even if he did, what would be the point? The Heavenly Demon Sect was full of experts, and the Heavenly Demon Matriarch’s magic was profound and unfathomable. Even if the celestial realm gave him the Heavenly Demon Sect’s land, how could he seize it? And even if he did, what use was that barren land?
This enfeoffment greatly disappointed Ao Hong.
Such an enfeoffment could be called the most shabby enfeoffment.
A dignified Immortal Emperor, trapped in such a godforsaken place, how could Ao Hong be content?
“I refuse to accept this! I refuse!”
Ao Hong was furious, pointing at the sky and cursing repeatedly, “Jade Emperor, you’ve treated me unfairly. I will defy the heavens, I will overthrow your rule…”
The calamity clouds in the sky dispersed, and everything returned to normal.
The yellow light above Ao Hong’s head also disappeared. This was the Heavenly Court’s punishment, not even granting him the aura of an emperor.
“Haha, pitiful, truly pitiful. Such an Immortal Emperor is probably the most pitiful in the celestial realm, right?”
The Centipede Demon secretly laughed. He had followed Ao Hong for many years, and Ao Hong had always treated him like dirt, so he hated him and wanted revenge. The Centipede Demon silently plotted, “I will find the expert who killed the Fire Qilin and destroy you, the most pitiful Immortal Emperor. You say the heavens treat you unfairly, but when have you ever treated me fairly?”
“What? He actually survived!?”
The centipede demon was shocked, never expecting Ao Hong, a bloodthirsty demon, to truly become a Xian Emperor.
No, he must die!
Such a person could never become a Xian Emperor!
General Li would return with celestial troops to kill him, and I will become deputy general. My plan will succeed.
As the saying goes, “A clear conscience fears no knocking at the door.” Since Lian’er had a guilty conscience, she was naturally on edge.
The two demon beasts had transformed into green-haired humanoid monsters, both resembling middle-aged women.
One of the monsters, with a large chest and a perky butt, scrutinized Lian’er and disdainfully remarked, “So, she’s a demon fairy, a butterfly demon from the Rakshasa Realm.”
“Since she’s also a demon, let’s not give her a hard time,” said the other, more beautiful and kindly-looking monster, who then clasped her hands in a gesture of respect towards Lian’er. “Little sister, don’t be afraid. We just want to ask you a few things. Have you seen any suspicious people passing by this area? And what brings you to this desolate place?”
“Speak! What are you doing here? There must be something wrong,” the busty monster glared fiercely at Lian’er.
They must be out gathering intelligence because of the death of the Fire Qilin, Lian’er thought to herself. She then said, “Two friends, I was sent by Sister Nightmare from the Rakshasa Realm to pay respects to the Heavenly Demon Matriarch at the Heavenly Demon Sect. I haven’t seen any suspicious people along the way. Please, sirs, investigate thoroughly.”
“Oh, so she’s going to the Heavenly Demon Sect…”
“Forget it, let her go.”
With the fall of the Fire Qilin, the demon beast clan’s strength had significantly diminished. In such circumstances, opposing the Heavenly Demon Sect would be unwise.
As mere minor demon beasts, how could they dare to cause trouble for the demon beast clan by opposing the Heavenly Demon Sect?
Lian’er thanked the demon beasts and continued on her journey.
The two demon beasts also continued their search of the area, looking for passersby.
However, all the immortals from the various sects in the vicinity had disappeared.
“Report! The southeast squad found nothing.”
“Report, the immortals from the Three Saints Sect have all disappeared.”
“Report, the immortals from the Tianyi Sect have also vanished.”
“…”
On a platform atop a mountain, numerous demon beasts bustled about, very busy. In the center of the platform, a massive army of over ten thousand demon beasts had gathered, setting up their formation. In the center of the main formation was a huge throne, upon which sat the second leader of the demon beast clan, the Azure Dragon Beast, Ao Hong.
“Report, we found a butterfly demon from the Rakshasa Realm. She said she was sent by Sister Nightmare from the Rakshasa Realm to seek the Heavenly Demon Matriarch at the Heavenly Demon Sect. We found nothing else.”
The demon beasts sent out to gather intelligence returned one after another.
“Outrageous! Who killed my third brother!?”
Ao Hong slammed the table and stood up abruptly. He was tall and imposing, with a fierce killing intent between his brows. His voice boomed like a bell, shaking the heavens and earth, striking fear into the hearts of all.
“Second Leader, perhaps we should seek the help of General Li. He has the Qiankun Mirror and can surely find out who the culprit is.”
A long-faced, black-skinned old man with a shiny black armor, dozens of hands, and thin mustaches stepped forward to advise.
This old man was the Centipede Monster, a strategist who had followed Ao Hong for over a thousand years.
Hearing this, Ao Hong’s eyebrows twitched. “Fine, let’s mobilize our army and go find General Li. If he’s willing to help, so be it. If not, I’ll just devour him and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. Then who would dare to oppose me?”
“Whoosh!”
The demon beast army set out to besiege the General’s Mansion.
Outside the Ten Thousand Mountains, there was a celestial mountain, fully equipped with formations and garrisoned by three thousand celestial soldiers and generals. Usually, the various mountain sects would pay tribute on time, offering gifts to the General, who would then distribute the benefits upwards. Everyone at every level received their share, so no one deliberately caused trouble for these celestial bandits and demon beasts.
General Li, with his celestial cultivation, spent his days indulging in food, drink, and pleasure, surrounded by beautiful women, living a very comfortable life.
As the upper beam is crooked, so is the lower. General Li’s behavior set the tone for his subordinates, who also spent their days carousing, drinking, gambling, and toying with celestial maidens, living a life of debauchery.
A large army of demon beasts arrived, surrounding the celestial mountain. Ao Hong, accompanied by several hundred celestial elders, went directly to the General’s Mansion, only to find General Li completely drunk and unconscious.
A leech monster, transformed into a beautiful woman, kissed General Li, and soon sucked out all the alcohol from his stomach.
General Li woke up and, seeing the large number of demon beasts, was immediately frightened. “You, you demon beasts, what do you want?”
“General Li, my third brother, the Fire Qilin, died in your territory. I need to borrow your Qiankun Mirror to find the culprit and avenge my brother!” Ao Hong was extremely agitated, roaring repeatedly, and he sat heavily on the General’s throne.
Seeing Ao Hong’s rudeness, General Li was startled. Looking around, he saw only the demon beast army; none of his own people were present.
All the celestial soldiers and generals were drunk, fast asleep.
General Li, who had managed to reach his current position through some skill, saw that the situation was dire and quickly said, “Such a thing has happened? Second Leader, don’t worry. I’ll fetch the Qiankun Mirror immediately. If we find out who the murderer is, I’ll send troops to avenge the Third Leader.”
With that, General Li hurried to the back hall.
“Second Leader, I’ll keep an eye on him…”
Seeing this, the Centipede Monster clasped his hands in respect to Ao Hong and followed into the back hall.
At the entrance to the back hall, General Li stopped the Centipede Monster. “This is my private area. How can you barge in?”
The Centipede Monster gave a sinister smile. “General Li, you’re a smart man. Can’t you see I’m here to help you?”
“What do you mean by that?” General Li’s heart stirred.
The Centipede Monster grabbed General Li’s hand and communicated telepathically, “The Fire Qilin is dead. Second Leader Ao Hong is hot-tempered and bloodthirsty. This time, he’s brought the demon beast army to the celestial mountain. Do you think he’s just here to borrow the Qiankun Mirror? I’m concerned for your safety, General. I want to secure a position under you in the future, so I’m risking my life to tell you that Ao Hong plans to kill you, devour you, and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. With the celestial war imminent, the Heavenly Court won’t have time to avenge you. I advise you to take your valuables and flee now. If you don’t leave, you won’t get another chance.”
“Your great kindness, I, Li, have no way to repay. When I summon the celestial troops, you’ll be my deputy general.”
General Li’s eyes shifted, and he believed the Centipede Monster’s words.
Immediately, General Li took his treasures and, using a talisman of escape, fled the celestial mountain.
“Second Leader, it’s bad! General Li has fled with the treasure!” The Centipede Monster covered his face and ran back, shouting in panic.
Hearing this, Ao Hong was furious. “Bastard! Could it be that General Li killed my third brother!?”
“Second Leader, I think General Li’s escape will surely bring a large army of celestial troops to annihilate us. Why don’t we go all the way and kill all the celestial soldiers and generals on this mountain, then invite the Great Leader to come out of seclusion? With the celestial war at hand, let’s rebel against the Heavenly Court!”
The Centipede Monster stirred up trouble, unafraid of escalating the situation.
Ao Hong, impulsive and willful, immediately ordered the capture of all celestial soldiers and generals and the plundering of the celestial mountain’s treasures.
Soon, three thousand celestial soldiers and generals were captured. Ao Hong, bloodthirsty and cruel, directly killed them all, devouring their celestial power. With the collective power, Ao Hong’s cultivation greatly increased, breaking through the bottleneck and stepping into the Immortal Emperor realm.
“Boom!”
Thunder suddenly roared in the sky, and yellow tribulation clouds churned. The Emperor’s Tribulation was imminent.
In the celestial realm, ordinary immortals did not need to undergo tribulations to ascend.
However, ascending to become an Immortal Emperor required passing the Emperor’s Tribulation.
The Emperor’s Tribulation consisted of three holy thunder trials: the Virtue Thunder, the Law Thunder, and the Karma Thunder.
Surviving these three holy thunders would make one a true Immortal Emperor.
If one failed, they would be annihilated by the holy thunders, reduced to ashes.
Seeing the thunder tribulation arrive, the Centipede Monster quickly hid, certain that Ao Hong would not survive the holy thunders.
But Ao Hong was ecstatic, laughing at the sky and roaring, “Come on! Strike me! I, Ao Hong, have been waiting for this day for a long time. Do you think you can kill me? I’m not afraid to tell you, I already know how to pass your holy thunder tribulations!”
As he roared, Ao Hong suddenly extended his hands, and dozens of celestial maidens were moved beside him by his magic.
Ao Hong intended to use others’ virtue to pass the tribulation.
“Boom!”
A yellow lightning bolt suddenly split the sky. As the lightning struck, an old man appeared above Ao Hong’s head.
This old man was a highly virtuous ordinary immortal, whom Ao Hong had captured and imprisoned in a magical artifact. Now, during the tribulation, he was put to good use.
Indeed, thanks to the old man, Ao Hong was unscathed, but the old man and the celestial maidens all perished.
“Boom!”
Another lightning bolt struck. Ao Hong endured the Law Thunder, his body charred black by the lightning, but he did not die, as his magic was profound enough.
Then, the third Karma Thunder descended from the sky. Ao Hong suddenly released thousands of pitiful immortals imprisoned in his body’s magical artifact, instantly gaining their immense gratitude and karmic power, allowing him to survive the third Karma Thunder!
“What? He actually passed!?”
The Centipede Monster was shocked, never expecting that Ao Hong, a bloodthirsty tyrant, could truly become an Immortal Emperor.
No, he will surely die!
Such a person could never become an Immortal Emperor!
General Li will return with celestial troops to annihilate him, and I will become the deputy general. My plan will surely succeed.
The Centipede Monster had waited a long time to become a true immortal.
But he never imagined that a fiend like Ao Hong could become an Immortal Emperor!
“Hahaha, hahaha…”
A yellow light appeared above Ao Hong’s head, slowly spreading over his body, marking his ascension to the Immortal Emperor realm.
The yellow light was holy light, descending from the first heaven.
Receiving the holy light meant being officially recognized by the Heavenly Court.
An Immortal Emperor had a vast territory.
“Eh? What!?”
Suddenly, Ao Hong’s expression froze. He could no longer laugh. Just now, he had received the celestial decree in his mind: his territory was the desolate lands of the ninth heaven! The area included the demon beast clan’s territory and the Heavenly Demon Sect’s territory. The demon beast clan’s territory belonged to his elder brother, the Thunder Dragon God. How could he, as a younger brother, take over his brother’s land? Even if he did, what would be the point? The Heavenly Demon Sect was filled with powerful experts, and the Heavenly Demon Matriarch’s magic was profound and unfathomable. Even if the celestial realm gave him the Heavenly Demon Sect’s land, how could he seize it? And even if he did, what use was that barren land?
This decree greatly disappointed Ao Hong.
Such a decree was the most pitiful one could receive.
A dignified Immortal Emperor, confined to such a godforsaken place—how could Ao Hong accept it?
“I refuse to accept this! I refuse!”
Ao Hong was furious, pointing at the heavens and cursing repeatedly, “Jade Emperor, you treat me unfairly. I will defy the heavens, I will overthrow your rule…”
The tribulation clouds in the sky dispersed, and everything returned to normal.
The yellow light above Ao Hong’s head also vanished. This was the Heavenly Court’s punishment, not even granting him the aura of an emperor.
“Haha, pitiful, truly pitiful. Such an Immortal Emperor is probably the most pitiful in the celestial realm, right?”
The Centipede Monster secretly sneered. He had followed Ao Hong for many years, always treated like a dog. He hated Ao Hong and wanted revenge. The Centipede Monster silently plotted, “I will find the master who killed the Fire Qilin and annihilate you, the most pitiful Immortal Emperor. You say the heavens treat you unfairly, but when have you ever treated me fairly?”
But he never imagined Ao Hong, a demonic tyrant, could ascend to Xian Emperor!
“Hahaha, hahahaha…”
A yellow light appeared above Ao Hong’s head, slowly spreading throughout his body, marking his ascension to Xian Emperor.
This yellow light was sacred, descending from the First Heaven, a sign of Heaven’s recognition.
Receiving this sacred light meant being officially recognized by Heaven.
A Xian Emperor had vast territories.
“What! What!?”
Suddenly, Ao Hong’s expression froze; he could no longer laugh. Just now, he had received Heaven’s recognition, but his territory was the desolate wilderness of the Ninth Heaven! The area included the demonic beast clan’s territory and the Heaven-Demon Sect’s domain. The demonic beast clan’s territory was the domain of his eldest brother, the Thunder Dragon God. How could he replace his elder brother? Even if he did, what would it mean? The Heaven-Demon Sect was filled with experts, led by the Old Matriarch, whose magical powers were profound and unfathomable. Even if Heaven granted him the Heaven-Demon Sect’s territory, how could he seize it? And even if he did, what use would that barren land be?
This recognition left Ao Hong deeply disappointed.
Such recognition could be considered the most meager.
A mighty Xian Emperor confined to such a desolate place, how could Ao Hong accept it?
“I refuse! I refuse!”
Ao Hong furiously pointed at the sky, cursing, “Old Jade Emperor, you treat me unfairly. I will rebel, I will overthrow your rule…”
The storm clouds dissipated, and everything returned to normal.
The yellow light above Ao Hong’s head vanished, a punishment from Heaven, denying him even the aura of an emperor.
“How pitiful, truly pitiful. Such a Xian Emperor must be the most pitiful in the Celestial Realm!”
As the saying goes, “A clear conscience fears no knocking at the door.” But Lian’er, with a guilty heart, was naturally on edge.
The two demon beasts had transformed into green-haired humanoid creatures, both resembling middle-aged women.
One of the demons, with a voluptuous figure, looked Lian’er up and down and disdainfully remarked, “So, you’re a fairy demon, a butterfly demon from the Rakshasa realm.”
“Since we’re all demons, let’s not give her a hard time,” said the other, more beautiful and kindly-looking demon, who then clasped her fists towards Lian’er. “Little sister, don’t be afraid. We just want to ask you something. Have you seen any suspicious people around here? And, what brings you to this desolate place?”
“Speak! What are you doing here? There must be something wrong,” the voluptuous demon glared fiercely at Lian’er.
They must be out gathering information because of the death of the Fire Qilin, Lian’er thought to herself and then said, “Friends, I was sent by Sister Nightmare from the Rakshasa realm to pay respects to the Heavenly Demon Matriarch at the Heavenly Demon Sect. I haven’t seen any suspicious people along the way. Please, sirs, investigate thoroughly.”
“Oh, so she’s going to the Heavenly Demon Sect…”
“Fine, you can go.”
With the fall of the Fire Qilin, the demon beast clan’s strength had significantly declined. In such circumstances, opposing the Heavenly Demon Sect would be unwise.
As mere minor demons, how could they dare to cause trouble for the demon beast clan by opposing the Heavenly Demon Sect?
Lian’er thanked the demons and continued on her way.
The two demons also continued to search the area for passersby.
But all the immortals from the various sects nearby had disappeared.
“Report! The southeast squad found nothing.”
“Report, the immortals from the Three Saints Sect have disappeared.”
“Report, the immortals from the Tianyi Sect have also all disappeared.”
“…”
On a platform atop a mountain, numerous demons bustled about, very busy. In the center of the platform, a massive army of ten thousand demons had gathered, setting up their formation. In the center of the main formation was a huge throne, upon which sat the second leader of the demon beast clan, the Azure Dragon Beast, Ao Hong.
“Report, we found a butterfly demon from the Rakshasa realm. She said she was sent by Sister Nightmare from the Rakshasa realm to find the Heavenly Demon Matriarch at the Heavenly Demon Sect. Nothing else was found.”
The demons sent out to gather information returned one after another.
“Outrageous! Who killed my third brother!?”
Ao Hong slammed the table and stood up abruptly. He was tall and imposing, with a fierce aura between his brows. His voice was like a great bell, shaking the heavens and earth, striking fear into the hearts of all.
“Second Leader, perhaps we should ask General Li for help. He has the Qiankun Mirror; he can surely find out who the culprit is.”
A long-faced, dark-skinned, black-armored old man with a dozen arms and long, thin mustaches stepped forward to remind him.
This old man was the Centipede Demon, a strategist who had followed Ao Hong for over a thousand years.
Hearing this, Ao Hong’s brow twitched. “Fine, let’s mobilize our army and go find General Li. If he’s willing to help, so be it. If not, I’ll just devour him and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. Then, who would dare to oppose me?”
“Whoosh!”
The demon army moved out, ready to besiege the General’s mansion.
Outside the Ten Thousand Mountains stood a celestial mountain, fully equipped with formations and garrisoned by three thousand celestial soldiers and generals. Usually, the various mountain sects would pay tribute on time, offering gifts to the General, who would then distribute the benefits upwards, ensuring that everyone at every level received their share, and thus no one deliberately caused trouble for these celestial bandits and demons.
General Li, with his celestial cultivation, spent his days feasting and enjoying himself on the celestial mountain, surrounded by beautiful women, living a very comfortable life.
As the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam is crooked. With General Li behaving this way, his celestial soldiers and generals also spent their days carousing, drinking, gambling, and playing with celestial maidens, living a life of debauchery.
A large demon army arrived, surrounding the celestial mountain. Ao Hong, accompanied by several hundred celestial elders, went directly to the General’s mansion, where they found General Li completely drunk and unconscious.
A leech demon transformed into a beautiful woman and kissed General Li, sucking out all the alcohol from his stomach.
General Li woke up and, seeing the large demon army, was immediately frightened. “You, you demons, what do you want?”
“General Li, my third brother, the Fire Qilin, died in your territory. I want to borrow your Qiankun Mirror to find the culprit and avenge my brother!” Ao Hong was very agitated, roaring repeatedly, and he sat down heavily on the General’s throne.
Seeing Ao Hong’s rudeness, General Li was startled. Looking around, he saw that he was surrounded by the demon army, with none of his own people in sight.
All the celestial soldiers and generals were drunk, fast asleep.
General Li, having risen to his position through some skill, quickly realized the situation was dire and said, “Such a thing has happened? Second Leader, don’t worry. I’ll go fetch the Qiankun Mirror immediately. If we find out who the murderer is, I’ll send troops to avenge the Third Leader.”
With that, General Li hurried to the back hall.
“Second Leader, I’ll keep an eye on him…”
Seeing this, the Centipede Demon clasped his fists towards Ao Hong and followed into the back hall.
At the back hall entrance, General Li stopped the Centipede Demon. “This is my private area. How can you barge in?”
The Centipede Demon smiled sinisterly, “General Li, you’re a smart man. Can’t you see I’m here to help you?”
“What do you mean by that?” General Li’s heart stirred.
The Centipede Demon grabbed General Li’s hand and transmitted a mental message, “The Fire Qilin is dead. Second Leader Ao Hong is hot-tempered and bloodthirsty. This time, he’s brought the demon army to the celestial mountain. Do you think he’s just here to borrow your Qiankun Mirror? I’m concerned for your safety, General. I want to secure a position under you in the future, so I’m risking my life to tell you that Ao Hong will kill you later. He wants to devour you and ascend to become an Immortal Emperor. With the celestial war imminent, the Heavenly Court won’t have time to avenge you. So, I advise you to take your valuables and flee now. If you don’t leave, you won’t be able to.”
“Your great kindness, I, Li, have no way to repay. When I summon the celestial troops, you will be my deputy general.”
General Li’s eyes shifted, and he believed the Centipede Demon’s words.
Immediately, General Li took his treasures and, using a talisman, fled the celestial mountain.
“Second Leader, it’s bad! General Li has fled with the treasure!” The Centipede Demon covered his face and ran back, shouting in panic.
Hearing this, Ao Hong was furious. “Bastard! Did General Li kill my third brother!?”
“Second Leader, I think General Li’s escape will surely bring a large celestial army to annihilate us. Why don’t we go all the way and kill all the celestial soldiers and generals on this mountain, then invite the Great Leader to come out of seclusion. With the celestial war at hand, let’s rebel against the Heavenly Court!”
The Centipede Demon stirred up trouble, unafraid of making things worse.
Ao Hong, impulsive and willful, immediately ordered the capture of all celestial soldiers and generals and the looting of the celestial mountain’s treasures.
Soon, three thousand celestial soldiers and generals were captured. Ao Hong, bloodthirsty and cruel, directly killed and devoured all the celestial soldiers and generals, absorbing their celestial power. Ao Hong’s cultivation greatly increased, breaking through the bottleneck and stepping into the Immortal Emperor realm.
“Boom!”
Thunder suddenly roared in the sky, and yellow calamity clouds churned. The Emperor’s Calamity was approaching.
In the celestial realm, ordinary immortals do not need to undergo calamities when ascending.
However, ascending to become an Immortal Emperor requires passing through the Emperor’s Calamity.
The Emperor’s Calamity consists of three holy thunder trials: one of virtue, one of law, and one of karma.
Passing through these three holy thunders makes one a true Immortal Emperor.
If one cannot pass, they will be killed by the holy thunder, reduced to ashes.
Seeing the thunder calamity approaching, the Centipede Demon quickly hid, certain that Ao Hong would not survive the holy thunder.
But Ao Hong was excited, laughing at the sky and roaring repeatedly, “Come on! Strike me! I, Ao Hong, have been waiting for this day for a long time. Do you think you can kill me? I’ll tell you, I already know how to pass your holy thunder calamity!”
As he roared, Ao Hong suddenly extended his hand, and dozens of celestial maidens were moved to his side by his magic.
Ao Hong intended to use others’ virtue to pass the calamity.
“Boom!”
A yellow lightning bolt suddenly split the sky. As the lightning struck, an old man appeared above Ao Hong’s head.
This old man was a highly virtuous ordinary immortal, long captured and trapped in a treasure by Ao Hong, now useful for the calamity.
Indeed, thanks to the old man, Ao Hong was unharmed, but the old man and the celestial maidens all died.
“Boom!”
Another lightning bolt struck. Ao Hong endured the law calamity, his body scorched black by the lightning, but he did not die, as his magic was profound enough.
Then, the third karma holy thunder descended from the sky. Ao Hong suddenly released thousands of pitiful immortals trapped in his body’s treasure, instantly gaining their immense gratitude and karmic power, allowing him to pass the third karma holy thunder!
“What? He passed!?”
The Centipede Demon was shocked, never expecting that Ao Hong, this bloodthirsty man, would truly become an Immortal Emperor.
No, he will surely die!
Such a man could never become an Immortal Emperor!
General Li will bring the celestial army back to kill him, and I will become the deputy general. My plan will succeed.
The Centipede Demon had waited a long time to become a true immortal.
But he never imagined that a demon like Ao Hong could become an Immortal Emperor!
“Hahaha, hahaha…”
A yellow light appeared above Ao Hong’s head, slowly spreading over his body, marking his ascension to the Immortal Emperor realm.
The yellow light was holy light, descending from the first heaven.
Receiving the holy light meant being enfeoffed by the Heavenly Court.
An Immortal Emperor has a territory, and the Immortal Emperor’s territory is vast.
“Eh! What!?”
Suddenly, Ao Hong’s expression froze. He could no longer laugh. Just now, he received the celestial enfeoffment in his mind. His territory was actually the desolate land of the ninth heaven! The area included the demon beast clan’s territory and the Heavenly Demon Sect’s territory. The demon beast clan’s territory belonged to his elder brother, the Thunder Dragon God. How could he, as a younger brother, replace his elder brother? Even if he did, what would be the point? The Heavenly Demon Sect was full of experts, and the Heavenly Demon Matriarch’s magic was profound and unfathomable. Even if the celestial realm gave him the Heavenly Demon Sect’s land, how could he seize it? And even if he did, what use was such barren land?
This enfeoffment greatly disappointed Ao Hong.
Such an enfeoffment could be called the most shabby enfeoffment.
A dignified Immortal Emperor, trapped in such a godforsaken place, how could Ao Hong be content?
“I am not satisfied! I am not satisfied!”
Ao Hong was furious, pointing at the sky and cursing repeatedly, “Jade Emperor, you are unfair to me. I will defy heaven, I will overthrow your rule…”
The calamity clouds in the sky dispersed, and everything returned to normal.
The yellow light above Ao Hong’s head also disappeared. This was the Heavenly Court’s punishment, not even granting him imperial aura.
“Haha, pitiful, truly pitiful. Such an Immortal Emperor is probably the most pitiful in the celestial realm, right?”
The Centipede Demon secretly laughed. He had followed Ao Hong for many years, and Ao Hong had always treated him like a dog. So he hated him and wanted revenge. The Centipede Demon silently plotted, “I will find the expert who killed the Fire Qilin and kill you, the most pitiful Immortal Emperor. You say heaven is unfair to you, but when have you ever been fair to me?”
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