This formation was already the strongest that the Three Realms could muster, yet against the Heaven Demon standing alone, it was immediately overwhelmed in the first clash. The hearts of all living beings plummeted, and those with weaker wills felt their limbs go limp and their knees unbearably heavy.
“Hear me, you insignificant wretches! Bow to me and thrive, resist me and perish!”
Having absorbed the power of countless demonic beasts, the Heaven Demon’s magical abilities had ascended to new heights. With each footstep shaking the earth and its head piercing through the clouds, its very presence sowed chaos and dissent within the ranks of the Three Realms.
Suddenly, the Queen Mother broke formation and soared into the sky, shouting with passion and resolve: “Heaven Demon, I fear you not! Taste this!”
More than a dozen celestial immortals flew upwards, like petals drifting down from the sky. The perfect formation now had a gap.
Lady Qiao and the other goddesses’ expressions changed rapidly. They weren’t fools, nor did they believe the Queen Mother was foolish. There was only one explanation—betrayal!
“Yu Shan, quickly send someone to fill the breach!”
Before Lady Qiao’s solemn words could fully leave her lips, Yu Shan had already begun assigning replacements, but could the Primordial Heaven Demon possibly allow them such an opportunity?
“Ga, ga…”
The Heaven Demon’s mocking laughter pressed heavily upon the sky. With a single sweep of its sleeve, it sent the Queen Mother and her companions flying. Then, lifting its hundred-foot-tall foot, it stepped down mercilessly, as if crushing ants.
The “petals” shattered instantly. The ground was strewn with the wounded and dying, their cries filling the air, delighting the Heaven Demon. Looking down, it saw that the group of powerful women had somehow survived and were now trying to flee. Without hesitation, it leapt high into the air and came crashing down with both feet.
This simple stomp from the Heaven Demon caused the space around the women to suddenly tear away from reality. Not only could they no longer move their bodies, but even their souls could not escape. Helplessly, they watched as the space around them crumbled inch by inch, waiting desperately for the moment their spirits would be scattered into oblivion.
As destruction bore down upon them, just as heaven and earth seemed to collapse, a small Go board appeared out of nowhere. It miraculously tore through the Heaven Demon’s barrier and positioned itself between the women and the demon.
An even greater miracle followed—the Heaven Demon, vast enough to blot out the sky, was suddenly “swallowed” by the Go board, vanishing completely.
The Go board radiated a blinding light, brighter than the midday sun, temporarily blinding everyone. When they regained their senses, the Heaven Demon was gone, the Go board was gone, and even the dark clouds had been blown away by a gentle breeze.
If not for the sudden disappearance of the Island of Infernal Flames, everyone might have thought it was all just a nightmare.
Humans, gods, and demons blinked in unison, checked their palms, and only after feeling pain did they burst into joyous celebration. Indeed, heroes from legend truly existed.
Ha, ha… The savior has arrived! The Heaven Demon has been destroyed!
Celestial beings longed to sing and dance, to drink and rejoice. Only the Queen Mother’s expression darkened, and she turned to quietly slip away.
“Eh, where are you off to? Don’t you want to play with me anymore?”
Before the Queen Mother could take a step, the Five Young Mistresses of Yaochi had already surrounded her from all directions. The little red-clad Demon King, casually eating a candied hawthorn skewer, blocked her escape route.
“Dare you defy me so brazenly! Seize this demon brat at once!”
The Queen Mother, her voice fierce but her heart faltering, barked orders, yet her subordinates did not advance—they retreated instead. Puzzled, she turned to look and saw Lady Qiao and Yu Shan approaching calmly at the head of their forces.
“What are you shouting for? How annoying!”
Little Hongyin and Hongyun stood with hands on hips, one in front and one behind, mercilessly crushing the Queen Mother’s confidence. “Wicked Empress, don’t think just because the Heaven Demon lifted your curse we can’t deal with you anymore, hmpf!”
With a graceful motion, Lady Qiao separated the two troublemakers and spoke in a calm, gentle voice clearly heard by the hundreds of thousands of soldiers.
“Queen Mother, you conspired with the Heaven Demon for personal gain, endangering the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Don’t you owe us an explanation?”
“Nonsense! These demonic fiends seek to destroy the Celestial Realm! Listen well, all of you—kill one demon and be promoted three ranks!”
Cornered and desperate, the Queen Mother waved her phoenix robe and played her favorite card once again.
Before her words had even faded, she turned her gaze toward Tai Bai and her other trusted aides. To her shock, the old minister seemed to ignore her signal and instead bowed respectfully to Lady Qiao.
“Humbly, I only followed orders and had no knowledge of the Queen Mother’s betrayal. I beg Lady Qiao to see reason.”
“Twelve, please escort Her Majesty to our tent for a brief rest.”
“Keke… No problem at all!”
Lady Qiao smiled elegantly and floated away. Though the change was sudden, it made perfect sense. Everyone had seen the overwhelming power of these women, not to mention the presence of the audacious San. If even the Heaven Demon could be subdued, who would dare oppose these fearless warriors? That would be suicide!
Inside the Chaos Dimension, an endless, beautiful starry sky imprisoned the Primordial Heaven Demon. Returning to its original form, the demon scanned the heavens and quickly locked onto a single target among the countless stars.
“Whoosh!”
Its gaze shot forth like lightning, and a twinkling star exploded instantly. Qiao San was forced to revert to his true form, a mischievous grin on his face, a hint of shock in his eyes, as he stepped forward.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the scheming National Teacher. You’ve cleaned up nicely, hehe…”
“You must be the bold San everyone talks about. Just as deceitful and sneaky as Gouxin described!”
The Heaven Demon accurately described Qiao San’s character, then narrowed its eyes with a sinister laugh.
“Ga, ga… I admire the shameless and the vile. Hand over the Ten-Sun Pearl, and I shall grant you dominion over the Three Realms as my subordinate. Ga, ga… How does that sound?”
Qiao San’s eyes darted about, his expression even more mischievous than the demon’s words. Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, he suddenly clapped his hands together.
“Wah! So you’re not Gouxin after all! No wonder you look so much better!”
“ROAR!”
Only then did the Heaven Demon realize it had been mocked. Its fury merged with the lingering resentment of Gouxin’s soul—both now united in a single goal: to reduce this wretched rogue to nothingness!
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