First, Shui Miao entered the ancient artifact-forging furnace of the Tianmo Sect. Dividing his focus, he cultivated the Tianmo Heart Sutra while simultaneously studying and familiarizing himself with the array formations within.
Shui Miao intended to forge his own artifact-forging furnace. The furnace of the Tianmo Sect was extremely ancient, with most of its arrays damaged. However, Shui Miao, an expert in arrays, could still discern some clues. He could identify the types of arrays and then simulate them within the Realm Planet to confirm their safety before proceeding with construction.
This was a lengthy process. Fortunately, Shui Miao possessed the Time Tower, which allowed him to reverse time.
Outside the Saint Yuan Ring, He’er, whose cultivation had reached the level of a Saint Sage, sat cross-legged inside the Dream Demon Spatial Formation, keeping watch over the Saint Yuan Ring. She knew Shui Miao disliked being disturbed and thus refrained from forcefully peering inside. She understood that forging artifacts would not progress quickly and that this was merely the beginning.
The Tianmo Matriarch had carelessly neglected to pass on all the information she had gathered about Shui Miao to He’er. He’er, being meticulous and thoughtful, decided to meditate for two hours first, cultivating the Tianmo Heart Sutra and preparing to break through to the ninth level of the technique.
The Tianmo Matriarch had cultivated the Tianmo Heart Sutra to the tenth level, only one step away from reaching the realm of Emptiness Transformation and becoming a Saint Devil. Once that happened, she would head to the Saint Devil Realm for arduous cultivation, leaving the responsibility of leading the Tianmo Sect to He’er. Therefore, He’er worked extremely hard.
※※※
The Beast Sect
Ao Hong led the beast army back to the Beast Sect. The Thunder Dragon God had not yet concluded his retreat.
Ao Hong paced anxiously outside the mountain gate where the Thunder Dragon God was secluded, wondering in his heart how his elder brother would view his actions.
The Celestial Court had granted Ao Hong dominion over the territories of both the Beast Clan and the Tianmo Sect. Although Ao Hong was unwilling, he wanted to seize control of this territory first and gradually develop it. If he couldn’t even secure this land, he would be a pitiful Immortal Emperor indeed.
Yet, Ao Hong feared that his elder brother would disapprove of him, leaving him in a difficult position. Moreover, he had slaughtered thousands of celestial soldiers under General Li, an act that had caused a massive uproar. He greatly feared that his elder brother would scold him for it.
Nonetheless, Ao Hong deeply respected his elder brother, the Thunder Dragon God.
Boom!
Suddenly, a thunderous rumble echoed out as the stone gate opened. The Thunder Dragon God, pale and weak, staggered out.
“Brother! Brother, what happened to you? Why have you become like this?”
Ao Hong was shocked. From the Thunder Dragon God’s appearance, it was clear he had suffered severe damage to his vital essence.
The Thunder Dragon God suddenly sneered, then shook his head. “I failed. I poured all my strength into breaking through my cultivation barrier, but I couldn’t open the door to the Emperor Realm. Now, I’ve suffered grave damage to my essence. My days are numbered.”
“Brother, you’re such a fool! Why are you still trying to cultivate using the methods of those so-called orthodox sects? They will never allow you to become an Immortal Emperor! I used my own method—I devoured and killed three thousand celestial soldiers and generals. Now, I have become an Immortal Emperor!” Ao Hong hesitated slightly, ashamed to admit that he had become the most pitiful Immortal Emperor in history.
“What…?”
The Thunder Dragon God was stunned, his face filled with disbelief.
At this point, Ao Hong knew there was no way to hide anymore and thus revealed the truth.
After listening, the Thunder Dragon God did not become angry. Instead, he suddenly became excited. “So that means I still have a chance?”
“But Brother, the Celestial Court won’t grant us favorable titles,” Ao Hong was still troubled by the issue of titles.
The Thunder Dragon God quickly responded, “Little brother, you’re wrong. As long as you can become an Immortal Emperor, there is still hope. The war between Immortals and Gods is about to begin—we still have a chance to turn the tide. You killed so many celestial soldiers and generals. Do you know why the Celestial Court hasn’t wiped you out yet? It’s because they’re in chaos themselves. They simply don’t have the time to deal with us. Therefore, we must act quickly.”
After hearing his elder brother’s explanation, Ao Hong suddenly saw the light. “That’s right! They’re afraid we’ll cause trouble for them above, so they’ve imprisoned us here! Brother, let me take you to kill those celestial soldiers and generals. You can also ascend to the rank of Immortal Emperor. With us brothers united, we can then wipe out the Tianmo Sect and seize this territory first.”
“No, killing celestial soldiers and generals will bring suppression. I won’t follow your path anymore. Let’s go to the Tianmo Sect together. Devour those Tianmo cultivators. I can still ascend, and their spiritual energy is exactly what I need. In the past, I lacked the strength, but now that you’ve become an Immortal Emperor, killing them will be effortless.” The Thunder Dragon God was very shrewd. He knew that Ao Hong had been demoted precisely because he had devoured celestial soldiers and generals. By devouring Tianmo cultivators instead, once he ascended, he would at least be granted a territory within the Seventh Heaven.
“Great! Then let’s head to the Tianmo Sect!”
Ao Hong had also been eager to conquer the Tianmo Sect, seeking an outlet for his pent-up anger. The Tianmo Sect would be the perfect target.
With a single command from the Thunder Dragon God, all the beasts mobilized. Dozens of thousands of beast warriors surged forth toward the Tianmo Sect.
※※※
Tianmo Sect
“Senior sister! Senior sister! Something terrible has happened—the beast army is coming!”
“What?! Say that again!”
“Senior sister, we received a secret transmission from our strategist, the Thousand-legged Insect. The Thunder Dragon God has ended his retreat. He and his second brother, Ao Hong, are leading over a hundred thousand beast warriors straight toward us. The Thunder Dragon God is gravely weakened and intends to devour Tianmo cultivators to ascend to the rank of Immortal Emperor. This intelligence is absolutely reliable. Please, senior sister, make a decision quickly!”
“Cursed! Just as the Matriarch left, something like this happens!”
He’er was extremely anxious. Her mind raced as she quickly ordered, “There’s no time to consult the Matriarch anymore. Relay my command: all disciples who are out must gather at the Saint Devil Mountain. All disciples of the Tianmo Sect must retreat to the Saint Devil Mountain. We will fight to the death and stand united with the Saint Devil Mountain!”
“Understood!”
A group of Tianmo female disciples quickly departed.
First, Shui Miao entered the Demonic Furnace of the Heavenly Demon Sect, splitting his focus to both cultivate the Heavenly Demon Heart Technique and familiarize himself with the array formations within.
Shui Miao intended to forge his own Demonic Furnace.
The Demonic Furnace of the Heavenly Demon Sect was ancient, with most of its arrays damaged. However, Shui Miao, who was proficient in arrays, could discern some clues from them, understanding what kind of arrays they were. He then simulated them on the Planet of Intentions to ensure there were no issues before proceeding with the forging.
This was a lengthy process.
Fortunately, Shui Miao had the Time Tower to reverse time.
Outside the Saint Yuan Ring, He’er, a cultivator with the strength of an Immortal Venerable, sat within the Dream Demon Space Domain Array, monitoring the Saint Yuan Ring.
She knew Shui Miao disliked being disturbed, so she refrained from forcibly peering into the interior of the Saint Yuan Ring.
She knew that forging was not a quick process and that it had only just begun.
The Heavenly Demon Matriarch had carelessly forgotten to pass on all the information she had gathered about Shui Miao to He’er.
The meticulous He’er decided to meditate for two hours, cultivating the Heavenly Demon Heart Technique in preparation for breaking through to the ninth level.
The Heavenly Demon Matriarch had cultivated the Heavenly Demon Heart Technique to the tenth level, just one step away from becoming a Saint Demon.
At that time, the Matriarch would go to the Saint Demon Domain for rigorous cultivation, and the responsibility of leading the Heavenly Demon Sect to survive would fall on He’er.
Therefore, He’er worked extremely hard.
※※※
Beast Sect
Ao Hong led the beast army back to the Beast Sect.
The Thunder Dragon God had not yet emerged from seclusion.
Ao Hong paced back and forth outside the mountain gate where the Thunder Dragon God was in seclusion, wondering how his elder brother would view him.
The Heavenly Court had granted the territories of both the Beast Clan and the Heavenly Demon Sect to Ao Hong.
Although Ao Hong was very unwilling, he also wanted to first occupy this territory that belonged to him and then develop it slowly. If he couldn’t even secure this territory, then he, as an Immortal Emperor, would be too pitiful.
However, Ao Hong was also afraid that his elder brother would have objections, making him very conflicted. Additionally, he had killed thousands of heavenly soldiers and generals under Commander Li, and this incident had blown up too much, making him very afraid that his elder brother would blame him.
No matter what, Ao Hong still greatly respected his elder brother, the Thunder Dragon God.
Boom!
Suddenly, a loud rumble sounded, and the stone door opened. The Thunder Dragon God, pale and weak, walked out.
“Elder brother, elder brother, what happened to you? How did you become like this?”
Ao Hong was shocked. From the Thunder Dragon God’s appearance, it seemed he had suffered a severe loss of vitality.
The Thunder Dragon God suddenly sneered and shook his head, “I failed. I tried my best to break through, but I just couldn’t open the gate to the Emperor Realm. Now, I have lost too much vitality and am nearing the end of my life.”
“Elder brother, you fool! Why are you still thinking of using those so-called orthodox methods to cultivate? They won’t let you become an Immortal Emperor! I used my own method. I, I devoured three thousand heavenly soldiers and generals, and now I have become an Immortal Emperor!” Ao Hong felt somewhat ashamed to say that he was the most pitiful Immortal Emperor in history.
“What…”
The Thunder Dragon God was stunned, his face filled with disbelief!
At this point, Ao Hong knew he couldn’t hide it anymore and told the truth.
After listening, the Thunder Dragon God was not angry but suddenly became excited, “So, I still have a chance?”
“But elder brother, the Heavenly Court won’t give us a good title!” Ao Hong was still struggling with the issue of the title.
The Thunder Dragon God quickly said to Ao Hong, “Brother, you are wrong. Becoming an Immortal Emperor means there is still a chance. The war between immortals and gods is imminent, and we can still turn things around. You killed so many heavenly soldiers and generals. Do you know why the Heavenly Court didn’t exterminate you? It’s because they are in chaos. They simply don’t have the time to deal with us, so we must act quickly.”
With this explanation from the Thunder Dragon God, Ao Hong suddenly understood, “Right! They are afraid we will go up and cause trouble for them, so they imprisoned us here! Elder brother, let me take you to kill heavenly soldiers and generals. You can also become an Immortal Emperor, and we brothers can join forces to exterminate the Heavenly Demon Sect and seize this territory first.”
“No, killing heavenly soldiers and generals will be suppressed. I can’t follow your old path. Let’s go to the Heavenly Demon Sect together and devour those Heavenly Demons. I can still advance. What I lack is their spiritual power. Before, I didn’t have the strength, but now that you have become an Immortal Emperor, killing them will be easy.” The Thunder Dragon God was very shrewd. He knew that Ao Hong was demoted because he devoured heavenly soldiers and generals. If he devoured Heavenly Demons, once he advanced, he could at least gain a territory in the Seventh Heaven.
“Good! Then let’s go to the Heavenly Demon Sect!”
Ao Hong also wanted to conquer the Heavenly Demon Sect. He had a grudge with nowhere to vent, and the Heavenly Demon Sect was the perfect target.
With a command from the Thunder Dragon God, all the beasts mobilized, and hundreds of thousands of beast troops charged towards the Heavenly Demon Sect.
※※※
Heavenly Demon Sect
“Senior sister, senior sister, something terrible has happened! The beast army is coming!”
“What! Say that again!”
“Senior sister, we received a secret report from the strategist Centipede. The Thunder Dragon God has emerged from seclusion, and he and his second brother Ao Hong are leading hundreds of thousands of beast troops towards us. The Thunder Dragon God has lost a lot of vitality and wants to devour our Heavenly Demons to become an Immortal Emperor. This news is absolutely true. Please make a decision quickly!”
“Damn it! The Matriarch just left, and such a big incident has occurred!”
He’er was very nervous, her mind racing. She quickly said, “There’s no time to consult the Matriarch. Pass my order: all disciples who have gone out must gather at the Saint Demon Mountain. All disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect must retreat to the Saint Demon Mountain. We will live or die with the Saint Demon Mountain.”
“As you command!”
A group of female disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect quickly left.
He’er’s thoughts flashed, and she immediately collected her magical tools and the Saint Yuan Ring, leading a group of remaining disciples to the Saint Demon Mountain, leaving behind an empty array to bluff and buy time.
As soon as He’er left, the beast army arrived.
Ao Hong, with his brutal nature, directly punched the Heavenly Demon Mountain, and the empty array was instantly shattered. The beast army surged in but found not a single Heavenly Demon.
“Why is there no one?” Ao Hong was very surprised and looked at the Thunder Dragon God.
The Thunder Dragon God’s thoughts turned, and he realized there might be a traitor within the beast clan. Without showing any emotion, he coldly said, “They must have gone to the Saint Demon Mountain. Let’s just kill our way there.”
“But elder brother, there are a hundred Saint Demon Mountains, and there’s also the Supreme Demon Mirror creating illusions. If we just charge in and get trapped in the array, what should we do?” Ao Hong couldn’t help but worry. The Supreme Demon Mirror was a very bizarre magical tool. If it weren’t for it, the Heavenly Demon Sect would have been exterminated long ago.
The Thunder Dragon God confidently smiled, “Don’t worry. I have planted a spy within the Heavenly Demon Sect. We will find them. The army will cover our advance. Let’s go!”
With a loud shout from the Thunder Dragon God, hundreds of thousands of beast troops moved out.
The Centipede Monster, who had secretly received many benefits from the Heavenly Demon Sect, upon hearing the Thunder Dragon God’s words, took advantage of the army’s momentum and quickly rushed towards the Saint Demon Mountain.
The Centipede Monster knew the true path to the Saint Demon Mountain.
When the Centipede Monster entered the Saint Demon Mountain, the Thunder Dragon God and Ao Hong suddenly appeared outside the mountain.
“Hmph! There really is a traitor in our beast clan!”
The Thunder Dragon God sneered coldly and ordered the beast army to gather and surround the Saint Demon Mountain.
“Damn it! This Centipede Monster has hidden himself quite deeply. Fortunately, elder brother turned the tables and had him help us find the true Saint Demon Mountain.” Ao Hong’s brows moved, “Elder brother, how do you plan to fight? Should I just charge in?”
“Good! Be careful, brother!”
The Thunder Dragon God’s thoughts turned, and he didn’t mind Ao Hong going all out.
In fact, the Thunder Dragon God was more than happy for Ao Hong to foolishly throw himself into the fray.
As soon as He’er left, the beast army arrived.
Ao Hong, with his rough temperament, directly threw a punch at the Tianmo Mountain. The empty formation shattered instantly, and the beast army surged in, only to find no Tianmo cultivators at all.
“How come there’s no one here?” Ao Hong was greatly astonished, glancing at the Thunder Dragon God.
The Thunder Dragon God quickly deduced that there might be a traitor among the Beast Clan. Remaining calm, he coldly stated, “They must have gone to the Saint Devil Mountain. Let’s head there.”
“But Brother, there are a hundred Saint Devil Mountains, and the Supreme Devil Mirror creates illusions. If we charge in recklessly and get trapped in an array, what then?” Ao Hong was naturally worried. The Supreme Devil Mirror was an extremely mysterious artifact. Without it, the Tianmo Sect would have already been destroyed long ago.
The Thunder Dragon God smiled confidently. “Don’t worry. I’ve planted a spy within the Tianmo Sect. We will find them. Charge forward, my army!”
With a loud roar, the Thunder Dragon God led over a hundred thousand beast warriors into motion.
Unknown to the others, the Thousand-legged Insect had secretly received many favors from the Tianmo Sect. Upon hearing the Thunder Dragon God’s words, he seized the opportunity of the advancing army and rushed toward the Saint Devil Mountain at top speed.
The Thousand-legged Insect knew the true path to the Saint Devil Mountain.
As the Thousand-legged Insect entered the Saint Devil Mountain, the Thunder Dragon God and Ao Hong suddenly appeared outside the mountain.
“Hmph! There truly is a traitor among our Beast Clan!”
The Thunder Dragon God sneered coldly and ordered the beast army to gather and surround the Saint Devil Mountain.
“Cursed! That Thousand-legged Insect really knew how to hide. Fortunately, my elder brother played along and, in turn, allowed us to locate the real Saint Devil Mountain.” Ao Hong’s eyebrows twitched. “Brother, how do you plan to attack? Shall I charge in directly?”
“Good! Be careful, dear younger brother!”
The Thunder Dragon God’s mind whirred. He didn’t mind Ao Hong rushing in recklessly.
In fact, the Thunder Dragon God secretly hoped Ao Hong would charge in foolishly and risk his life.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage