From the primordial chaos, the Heavenly Dao took form, creating the Primordial Myriad Ages. The universes of the Upper, Middle, and Lower Realms were born one after another. Among them, the Upper Realms were the universes at the pinnacle of the Grand Dao, home to countless mighty beings who created endless laws and controlled tens of thousands of galaxies.
Among the leading Upper Realms, there was a place called the Honglou Realm, where no laws existed, and the Heavenly Dao manifested extremely faintly. It had existed for an unknown number of myriad epochs.
The Honglou Realm was a dead realm, yet in return, its heaven and earth were incredibly tough. Its lustrous pink soil was on par with, or even surpassed, Heavenly Dao Adamantine in hardness. The spatial fabric of the Honglou Realm was endlessly resilient; magical arts and divine abilities found it difficult to tear open.
Throughout the vast primordial lands, the Honglou Realm was undoubtedly the strongest and hardest realm!
With all these attributes, the Honglou Realm was requisitioned to become the battlefield for the mighty beings of the Primordial Immortal Realm and the Chaotic Demonic Realm.
Though known as the realm of mighty beings, at this very moment, in one region of the Honglou Realm, space was violently trembling, tearing apart into large chunks of pitch-black void. The crimson earth below shattered into massive fragments, and for ten thousand miles around, not a single spot remained intact. Above, dark clouds roiled across the Nine Heavens. The scene was utterly magnificent.
What kind of divine power could possibly have battered the Honglou Realm into such a state?!
"It has always been said that the Great Demon King, with one step, treads the heavens; with two steps, slays gods; with three steps, makes all beings kneel. His divine power is boundless. Having exchanged blows today, it is indeed as all beings praise!"
Floating beneath the dark sky, a middle-aged man said coldly, his voice echoing through heaven and earth, his violet-blue eyes now somber.
This man wore a cultivator's Daoist robe, possessing an immortal demeanor and Daoist bones, exuding faint white immortal qi. He held a simple Immortal Sword, and his immortal power emanated, vast as a galaxy. This man was Taiyi Tianzun, one of the Eighteen Tianzun, leaders of the Primordial Immortal Realm!
However, Taiyi Tianzun was in an extremely sorry state at this moment, his Daoist robe stained with much immortal blood.
"Taiyi Tianzun, can you still fight?"
Not far from Taiyi Tianzun, a white-haired old man holding a whisk spoke indifferently, his voice still echoing through heaven and earth. This old man's eyes were like black holes, his beard and hair white as snow. He wore a flowing white Daoist robe and a purple crown on his head, exuding an aura significantly stronger than Taiyi Tianzun's. This was the fourth-ranked among the Eighteen Tianzun, renowned throughout all realms – Yuanshi Tianzun!
"Still have strength to spare!"
Taiyi Tianzun said with a slight frown.
The Great Demon King they spoke of now stood leisurely on the ground below, facing them. The Great Demon King Hua Tianshang let out a loud laugh, then said:
"I say, is your Immortal Realm out of manpower? Why is it always just you five old faces who show up? Forgive this King for speaking frankly, but this time, one or two of you five will surely perish!"
The Great Demon King Hua Tianshang! Son of the Demon Emperor! He was one of the strongest spearheads of combat power in the Chaotic Demonic Realm, having personally led a hundred battles in his life without a single defeat. Immortals and Demons alike would turn pale with fright upon hearing his name. Compared to the Demon Emperor, he was not inferior in the slightest!
The Great Demon King Hua Tianshang wore a jet-black royal robe, with black demonic qi coiling around him. His vast demonic power caused space to tremble incessantly.
– Arrogant Demon! Great Demon King! Do you dare to take one blow from my axe?!
As soon as Hua Tian Shang finished speaking, a heaven-shattering roar echoed.
Hua Tian Shang's gaze swept over; the speaker was a burly man, wearing only a pair of shorts, with shoulder-length hair, a muscular physique, glowing skin, exuding immense power. In his hand, this burly man wielded a massive axe, radiating boundless dominance.
Pangu Tianzun!
Looking up at the sky now, besides Taiyi Tianzun and Yuanshi Tianzun, three other Tianzun still surrounded Hua Tian Shang below.
Hua Tian Shang laughed heartily, his laughter scornful of all living beings, he said:
– You don't even use your brain when you say things like that. How many eras have you and I fought, Pangu? Your axe, I've fought it until it's practically worn out!
– Enough useless talk, let's fight!
Unlike the hot-headed Pangu Tianzun, a middle-aged Tianzun flying beside him spoke with extreme decisiveness.
This mighty being was Daluo Tianzun! Ranked third among the Eighteen Tianzun! His entire body, from head to toe, was encased in golden armor, with six golden orbs revolving behind him, radiating supreme divine light, his aura even more majestic than an endless galaxy!
– Honestly, can we speed this up a bit? My old back is stiff all over, I need to go back and rest, this old frame can't really take it anymore.
The remaining Tianzun suddenly complained, showing little interest in the battle before them. This was an old man, a venerable old master type, his face wrinkled, his hair and beard as white as snow, holding a precious staff, yet looking utterly unremarkable. He looked like an ordinary old man, save for his immortal demeanor and flowing white robes – Daode Tianzun – Taishang Laojun!
– As Laojun says, then. This King also has matters to attend to!
Demon King Hua Tian Shang's dragon-like lips curved into a radiant smile, his blood-red pupils locked onto Pangu Tianzun, his kingly robes fluttering. The aura he emitted was in no way inferior to the combined might of the five Tianzun, subtly even showing a tendency to surpass them!
The demonic power of Great Demon King Hua Tian Shang was comparable to the combined primordial energy of the five Tianzun of the Immortal Realm, a level of combat power that struck fear into the hearts of all living beings!
– Take this!
Demon King Hua Tian Shang roared proudly.
As soon as the words left his lips, he lowered his body to gather momentum, his knees bending, causing the red earth beneath to crack into fragments, as demonic energy erupted. Instantly,
With a mighty *boom*!
The red earth beneath the Great Demon King's feet shattered for a hundred meters; he shot straight into the sky like a rocket, so fast that no one saw him ascend, only a fleeting flash before he vanished from his spot. A fierce gale roared.
– Watch out!
Taiyi Tianzun shouted, unable to keep up with the Great Demon King's speed. Half a second later, the Great Demon King appeared like lightning before Pangu Tianzun, a wicked smile playing on his lips.
Without waiting for Pangu Tianzun to react, Hua Tian Shang delivered a kick, imbued with blazing red demonic energy, like a thunderbolt, its brute force tearing through space, too fast to grasp!
*Boom!*
Although he managed to raise his hand to block in time, the Great Demon King's kick was unnaturally powerful, sending Pangu Tianzun's entire body twisting like a meteor hurtling towards the earth below, continuing with a rumbling *thud, thud, thud* before finally stopping, as dust billowed skyward.
Everything happened in precisely three seconds!
*Whoosh!*
At the same time, a sword qi as massive as a pillar tore through space, slashing towards Hua Tian Shang. The moment it almost touched him, the Great Demon King unexpectedly tilted his body, lightly evading it, while also letting out a disdainful chuckle. But it wouldn't end so easily. Tai Yi Tian Zun's Supreme Purity Sword Qi comprised three streaks; behind the first, two more sword qi streaks, like bolts of lightning, slashed towards the Great Demon King.
Hua Tian Shang remained unperturbed, punching out a fist into the void. As soon as the fist-shadow appeared, it transformed into two divine dragons, seemingly drawn with ink, one black and one red, coiling around each other as they struck towards the azure-crimson sword qi.
Bang! Space trembled, the sword qi shattered, but the two divine dragons remained majestic, coiling and striking straight towards Tai Yi Tian Zun!
Below, Pangu Tian Zun had steadily risen. From the dawn of time until now, Pangu was the only Tian Zun who cultivated the body to attain the Dao, standing supreme among all beings. Although his bones were shattered, he could recover to his peak state within a few breaths.
"Great Demon King!" Pangu roared in anger, and like Hua Tian Shang, he stomped the ground and shot into the sky. But a split second later, Hua Tian Shang, like a startled swan, suddenly appeared before the still-ascending Pangu. Before Pangu could react, the Demon King's right hand, surging with demonic qi, delivered a heaven-shattering punch to Pangu's body. CRASH! Pangu plummeted back down like a meteor, shattering a hundred li of crimson earth!
"Pangu brat, you wish to compare body cultivation techniques with this King?!" Hua Tian Shang asked mockingly. It was truly laughable to pit a body-cultivating Tian Zun against him. The Nine Heavens Divine Dragon Body, the supreme physique across all heavens and myriad realms! Pangu was merely a little child!
Seizing the opportunity, the Great Demon King condensed a black orb in his hand, within which crimson light flowed. It didn't need long to gather power; in less than a second, the black orb impossibly expanded to be larger than a house. Hua Tian Shang immediately hurled it down, the black orb covering a corner of the sky as it descended upon Pangu in the deep crater.
In the sky at this moment, as the Great Demon King's two divine dragons were striking towards Tai Yi Tian Zun, a beam of light unexpectedly descended, its radiance overshadowing even the light of heaven and earth. This beam of light was like an arrow, directly piercing through the bodies of the two divine dragons. Then, the flowing light abruptly vanished, and the two divine dragons disintegrated in the void.
"Many thanks, Yuan Shi Tian Zun!" Tai Yi Tian Zun called out softly.
Yuan Shi Tian Zun retracted his whisk, his heart secretly heavy. The divine dragons just now seemed to have been casually dispelled, but in reality, he had to use eighty percent of his primordial energy.
"He has grown stronger!"
Looking back now, a circle of light appeared, shielding Pangu Tian Zun just as the black orb struck.
Without a sound or trace, the black orb suddenly vanished, but immediately after.
BOOM!
The black orb exploded, the heavens and earth blazed with light. In less than two breaths, the crimson earth cracked and shattered in chunks. With the black orb as its center, the crimson earth within a hundred zhang rapidly disintegrated, vanishing into the void. The pressure unleashed was enough to obliterate all living things!
Meanwhile, Daluo Tian Zun, clad in heavy armor, retracted his hand. A trickle of immortal blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, his internal primordial energy momentarily in chaos.
The Great Demon King Hua Tian Shang glanced at Daluo Tian Zun, a teasing smile on his face, and said: "Your Invincible Heaven Shield has reached perfection, Daluo. You've made quite some progress, to be able to block one of this King's World-Annihilating moves."
Daluo Tian Zun did not reply, no trace of arrogance appearing on his cold face. In truth, there was nothing to be proud of.
Thuẫn Thiên Vô Địch, true to its name 'Invincible', this immortal technique, once unleashed, achieved an invincible, impenetrable state, with an invincible law imbued within it. Unexpectedly, it was forcefully shattered by the Great Demon King, causing a severe backlash that gravely wounded him!
The World-Destroying move just now, if he hadn't intervened to help, Pangu Heavenly Venerate, no matter how powerful, would have surely been gravely wounded or crippled, if not killed outright.
Daluo Heavenly Venerate furrowed his sword-like brows. Six golden orbs behind him rapidly spun. Following this, a circle of characters appeared before Daluo Heavenly Venerate, radiating a beautiful golden divine light. Immediately after, Daluo Heavenly Venerate powerfully swung his right palm, striking the pattern.
BOOM!
The space trembled as a dazzling divine light shot out at the speed of light, heading straight for the Great Demon King!
The Great Demon King chuckled faintly. Fierce blood-red demonic energy surged from his right hand, then he thrust it forward. The blood-red energy in his hand violently expanded, transforming into a blood arrow that shot towards the divine light.
A loud buzzing sound was heard. In less than a moment, the blood arrow collided with the divine light. Facing the blood arrow, the divine light was like a bamboo tube meeting an axe, directly cleaved in two, splitting into two paths that struck the sky and the crimson earth below, creating a prolonged, violent explosion.
The blood arrow, still as fierce, pierced through the divine light and shot like lightning towards Daluo Heavenly Venerate. Daluo Heavenly Venerate frowned, retracted his right hand, and hastily teleported upwards. Just then, the blood arrow, carrying terrifying killing intent, streaked past his previous position, then vanished into the horizon.
Daluo Heavenly Venerate's expression was grim. Just then, a green light appeared and enveloped him. The chaotic vital energy within him instantly stabilized, his condition recovering to near peak.
Daluo Heavenly Venerate raised an eyebrow and nodded in thanks to Taishang Laojun.
The Great Demon King clicked his tongue, feeling utterly vexed. He addressed Taishang Laojun:
"—Taishang Laojun! It's been over a hundred epochs now. Every time we've fought, this King has refrained from attacking you out of respect for your age and longevity. Can't you tell good from bad and just watch from the sidelines?"
Taishang Laojun offered a benevolent smile and replied:
"—This old man knows, Great Demon King. Can't you see I'm only offering support from the sidelines?"
Hua Tianshang's eyebrow twitched, feeling intense disdain in his heart. *Isn't your only skill just providing support?!*
Although Taishang Laojun's magical power wasn't high, and he was hardly worth mentioning among the combat strength of the Eighteen Heavenly Venerates, his mastery of elixirs, medicine, and healing arts was unparalleled in the entire universe!
Oh, wait, in the Chaotic Demonic Realm, there was the Blood-Robed Demon Venerate who could rival Taishang Laojun. But in terms of brazenness, he was nowhere near Taishang Laojun.
Every time a Heavenly Venerate was cornered and nearly beaten to death by him in battle, Taishang Laojun would intervene, unleashing one recovery technique after another, bringing them back to near-peak condition.
The Great Demon King felt utterly exasperated, like a cockroach that just wouldn't die no matter how many times it was stomped, stomped on for over a hundred epochs!
"—You dare to be careless!"
The voice arrived, accompanied by a surge of sword qi. In less than half a second, the sword in Taiyi Heavenly Venerate's hand shot towards Hua Tianshang like a meteor, bringing with it endless bone-chilling cold qi, causing the surrounding space to freeze. This time, Taiyi Heavenly Venerate advanced with his sword, intending to engage the Great Demon King in close combat!
Đại La Tianzun and Yuanshi Tianzun exchanged a glance with their divine eyes, then quickly nodded. Instantly, both teleported, appearing a moment later beside the Great Demon King, joining Taiyi Tianzun to surround him.
Facing Taiyi Tianzun's lightning-fast sword strike, the Great Demon King forcefully parried, his right hand swirling with hundreds of points of starlight as it clashed against the ice sword.
Bang!
The ice sword in Taiyi Tianzun's hand quickly shattered, scattering icy cold light. Piercing through the icy mist, Hua Tiancang delivered a kick with lightning speed. However, Taiyi Tianzun had already prepared; a black and white Bagua formation diagram had appeared, floating before his body.
The moment the Great Demon King's kick landed on it, Taiyi Tianzun roared:
"Explode!"
Boom!
The diagram exploded violently, emitting a sky-shaking sound, and smoke billowed everywhere. Hua Tiancang was flung out from the smoke, tumbling several times in the air to stabilize his body. Meanwhile, a dazzling purple circle of demonic energy condensed before his hand. Immediately, a Demonic Phoenix carrying Nine Nether flames spread its wings and burst forth, flying towards Taiyi Tianzun with a thunderous roar, leaving behind sky-engulfing flames.
In a flash, Đại La Tianzun suddenly appeared out of thin air before Taiyi Tianzun, his hands quickly spreading wide. Following this, a golden circle appeared, enveloping both him and Taiyi Tianzun.
"Heavenly Shield of Invincibility!"
The Demonic Phoenix shrieked, striking the golden circle with a boom. It transformed into surging flames, its terrifying heat causing space to ripple and the red earth below to slowly melt. The Heavenly Shield of Invincibility and the Demonic Phoenix simultaneously canceled each other out!
This outcome had long been anticipated by Hua Tiancang. The moment he stabilized his body, he soared through the air like a rocket. The instant the Heavenly Shield of Invincibility vanished, his figure appeared above Đại La Tianzun's head. Hua Tiancang smirked, and simultaneously raised a palm, shouting:
"Slay Heaven!"
The moment the incantation was uttered, demonic energy surged forth from all directions in the void. Blood-red demonic energy enveloped the Great Demon King's palm, creating an immense visual impact.
The gathering of demonic energy happened extremely quickly; almost as soon as the incantation left Hua Tiancang's lips, his hand was already swirling with dazzling blood-red demonic energy.
"Try this move!"
The Great Demon King laughed heartily as Slay Heaven descended! From the outside, the palm strike seemed to descend incredibly slowly, its afterimages etched into the air.
However, Đại La Tianzun had no way to dodge it!
"Ultimate Law!"
Đại La Tianzun's expression subtly changed; his body remained motionless, able only to parry on the spot, forced to receive this palm strike from the Great Demon King!
"Hongmeng Void-Shattering Sword!"
In that instant, Taiyi Tianzun roared, unexpectedly surging forward from behind, the Immortal Sword in his hand radiating a profound black light.
Primordial Chaos energy, shattering the primordial order! This black color was precisely Primordial Chaos energy, one of Taiyi Tianzun's five strongest sword techniques.
"Great Luo Annihilation!"
Đại La Tianzun roared loudly, and with perfect synchronicity, unleashed his ultimate move with a punch, his right hand transforming into gold, radiating vast golden energy of infinite hardness. Together with Taiyi Tianzun, they struck towards the Great Demon King, their two techniques combining on the spot to confront the Slay Heaven palm!
No sound was emitted; there was complete silence. For the sound was so immense that even the Heavenly Dao could not describe it. All that was seen was the world losing its color, and the sky blazing with light, as Taiyi Tianzun's Immortal Sword shattered and Đại La Tianzun's golden hand disintegrated.
The two Tian Zuns violently spat out immortal blood, plummeting from high in the sky like meteors to the ground, shattering hundreds of miles of hard crimson earth and raising a thick cloud of dust.
"Great Demon King!" Pangu Tian Zun roared, breaking the silence of heaven and earth. His body, which had been fluctuating between flushed red and sickly green, was healed by Taishang Laojun. Pangu Tian Zun then exerted all his peak strength, stomping the ground and soaring upwards, shattering the crimson earth beneath his feet and vanishing on the spot! This speed could now rival that of the Great Demon King Hua Tiancang; he had clearly unleashed a major technique.
However, someone acted even faster than him. Yuanshi Tian Zun was already not far from the Great Demon King. Seeing the two Tian Zuns gravely injured and in critical condition, he immediately brandished his horsetail whisk, drawing a large, shimmering mystic character. This character rapidly transformed, becoming a colossal hand of primordial force that reached for the Great Demon King.
Primordial Chaos Force, condensed to perfection, the Heaven-Propping Single Hand Art!
The Great Demon King spat out a mouthful of demon blood, much like spitting out phlegm. Taking the two previous attacks had also caused him a slight disturbance.
Seeing the colossal hand, carrying immense pressure, strike towards him, the Great Demon King sneered, raised one hand, and softly called out:
"Disperse!"
As soon as his words left his mouth, the colossal hand suddenly vanished, not a trace of its aura remaining, as if the technique had never appeared!
Yuanshi Tian Zun's aged face showed astonishment, his eyes trembling. However, he quickly calmed his mind, reasoning that though the Great Demon King's previous move was incredibly bizarre, it certainly couldn't be used repeatedly in quick succession.
At the same time, Pangu Tian Zun delivered a kick that startled ghosts and gods, striking towards the Great Demon King. In previous instances, he had been caught off guard and couldn't unleash his protective techniques, but this time was different.
But the Great Demon King's speed was inconceivable. Facing Pangu Tian Zun's kick, he immediately met it with his own leg. When it came to physical combat, he feared no one!
Boom!
Pangu Tian Zun, blocked by the Great Demon King, fiercely retaliated with a punch, but as before, the Great Demon King dodged it. In just an instant, the Great Demon King countered with a terrifying kick, striking Pangu Tian Zun in the abdomen and sending him flying a distance. But immediately after, Pangu Tian Zun flew back like lightning, continuing to unleash punches and kicks. From start to finish, it was dazzlingly fast!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Great Demon King and Pangu Tian Zun fought with fist techniques, their physical combat skills displaying absolute peak power, so fast it was hard to observe. From the sky, then dragged back to the ground, they were mostly knocked flying apart only to rush back together and continue punching, which was why their battlefield kept shifting.
The crimson earth beneath them cracked and shattered countless times!
However, only Pangu Tian Zun was at a disadvantage; immortal blood streamed from the corner of his mouth, while the Great Demon King's clothes were merely dishevelled. A glance was enough to tell who was superior.
"Now this is what I call a fight!"
The Great Demon King laughed heartily, his voice reverberating between heaven and earth.
Yuanshi Tian Zun also hastily joined the fray, and with Pangu Tian Zun, brandished his horsetail whisk, unleashing immense immortal force. But he was still far outmatched by the Great Demon King's speed; when he unleashed a major technique, the Great Demon King would still counter and break it, even striking back and forcing him to retreat.
The Great Demon King, fighting two Tian Zuns at once, showed no panic. In fact, he laughed louder and louder, his speed and strength seeming to increase without end, gradually forcing Yuanshi Tian Zun and Pangu Tian Zun into continuous retreat.
Thái Thượng Lão Quân saw from afar and shook his head, exclaiming:
"Another Demon Emperor has emerged in the Chaos Demon Realm! How are you two? I've done my best, but this is the limit of my power!"
Thái Thượng Lão Quân withdrew his right hand, and the green light instantly faded. In front of him, Đại La Thiên Tôn and Thái Ất Thiên Tôn slowly stood up, though severe injuries were still evident on their faces. Đại La Thiên Tôn's golden armor was almost completely shattered on his upper body, revealing a muscular physique covered in wounds that were difficult to heal.
Thái Ất Thiên Tôn was even worse off; his grand robe was tattered, and his Immortal Sword was also broken.
"Many thanks, Lão Quân. Recovering half our strength is sufficient."
Đại La Thiên Tôn spoke, gazing intently at Đại Ma vương, who was raging fiercely in the distance.
"Swallow this. Try to survive and return to the Immortal Realm. Reinforcements will arrive in just a few breaths. Đại Ma vương is much stronger than before; the five of us are no match for him."
Thái Thượng Lão Quân offered two orange immortal pills to Thái Ất Thiên Tôn and Đại La Thiên Tôn. There was something he didn't say: it was truly fortunate that Đại Ma vương hadn't focused his attacks on just one of them.
At that point, he feared they couldn't be saved, and even if they could, it would be too late!
Swallowing Thái Thượng Lão Quân's immortal pills, Đại La Thiên Tôn and Thái Ất Thiên Tôn regained their vitality within two breaths, forcibly restoring themselves to their peak.
The two exchanged glances and nodded, then joined the battlefield with lightning speed.
Boom!
Bàn Cổ Thiên Tôn, clutching his Pangu Axe, was sent flying far back, skidding across the ground. Taking his place, Nguyên Thủy Thiên Tôn brandished his horsetail whisk, conjuring an immortal spell, and shouted:
"Thoái Long Trì!"
As soon as the immortal spell was cast, two gigantic illusory chains pierced through the swirling black clouds, descending from the Ninth Heaven, targeting Đại Ma vương as they descended.
"Susanoo!"
Đại Ma vương roared, a grin never leaving his lips. Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Nine Netherworld flames erupted from beneath his feet, transforming into a thousand-zhang tall demonic giant that enveloped him.
Following his hand movements, the giant raised its massive hand and seized the chains, unexpectedly crushing them with immense force.
Then, Đại Ma vương immediately swung his arm and threw a punch. Susanoo followed suit, its colossal fist slamming down towards Nguyên Thủy Thiên Tôn. This single punch tore through the void, causing fierce winds to howl.
Nguyên Thủy Thiên Tôn frowned deeply, hastily waved his horsetail whisk, creating three streaks of white light that shot towards the colossal fist.
At the same time, Bàn Cổ Thiên Tôn, gripping his Pangu Axe, soared forward and roared:
"Khai Thiên!"
The Pangu Axe gleamed with dazzling blue light, emanating a boundless aura of vital energy. This single axe strike could cleave the heavens, opening up a new sky for a Middle-tier universe!
Nguyên Thủy Thiên Tôn's three streaks of white light also caught up, circling around Bàn Cổ Thiên Tôn to contend with Đại Ma vương's Susanoo. This technique was called the Three Pure Ultimate Dao Qi!
BOOM!
Khai Thiên and the Three Pure Ultimate Dao Qi collided with the demonic giant's punch, resulting in an earth-shattering explosion. The scattered vital energy tore through space, and the crimson earth below shattered and vanished into nothingness.
Bàn Cổ Thiên Tôn and Nguyên Thủy Thiên Tôn were blasted back a thousand meters by the explosion, their blood and qi surging.
The demonic giant also swayed and vanished, leaving scattered flames in the void. Only Đại Ma vương's royal robe fluttered, his iron-like face remained impassive, a sinister smile on his lips, showing no signs of distress whatsoever.
Just as Yuanshi and Pangu fell back, hundreds of thousands of immortal swords from all directions pursued the Great Demon King. The hundreds of thousands of immortal swords covered the skies, bringing with them the might of a blazing sun, devouring heaven and earth, their oppressive power shaking all living beings – a magnificent and boundless spectacle!
Then, Taiyi Tianzun roared:
“Wujin Jianxian Wanli Guizong!!”
As if that weren't enough, above them, the dark clouds parted, and from within, a gigantic hand descended, covering heaven and earth. Its dazzling golden light pierced through nine layers of dark clouds as the colossal golden hand slowly pressed down towards the Great Demon King, its boundless might crushing the red earth for hundreds of thousands of meters!
“Daluo Fumo Shou!”
Daluo Tianzun’s eyes blazed with golden light, he clasped his hands together and roared loudly. Ranked third among the Eighteen Tianzun, he truly lived up to his name!
“Going all out, are we?”
The Great Demon King laughed heartily and arrogantly. He was at the epicenter of all the terrifying pressure, yet he remained calm and unafraid. The ground beneath him had long since vanished; he was suspended in the middle of a deep chasm in the earth, his royal robes fluttering wildly.
Seeing these two great moves appear, Yuanshi Tianzun and Pangu Tianzun no longer held back.
“Yuanshi Guiyi Hongmeng Zhongji Fa!”
“Tianhe Paixing Fu!”
Yuanshi Tianzun waved his horsetail whisk, channeling all the primal energy within him to unleash a technique. A stream of black and white immortal qi intertwined and shot out, gradually growing larger, its aura vast and mighty, heading straight for the Great Demon King. Along its path, it tore through space, and the earth vanished!
Alongside this, a phantom image of a gigantic axe, no smaller than the golden hand descending from the sky, appeared. Its aura was heavy as if containing the entire universe, and it chopped down, aiming straight for the Great Demon King!
The four great moves of the four leading Great Powers of the Hongmen Immortal Realm were unleashed simultaneously!
The Great Demon King looked up and laughed loudly. Facing these four great immortal techniques, he stretched his arms out to his sides, his blood-red pupils glowing crimson, and roared:
“Shenluo Tianzheng!”
BOOM!
The hundreds of thousands of immortal swords, the golden hand, the great axe, and the great immortal qi technique were about to strike the Great Demon King when suddenly, a thunderous roar shook the Honglou Realm. They were sent flying back at lightning speed! The hundreds of thousands of immortal swords scattered like fallen leaves in a gale, the golden hand recoiled, sent flying into the sky, dented and shattered! As for the black and white immortal qi, it rapidly disintegrated.
All four great moves were utterly shattered!
Shenluo Tianzheng, a technique within the Great Demon King’s Wushang Yin, was capable of repelling all living beings and myriad things!
Heaven and earth gradually returned to silence, the oppressive power from the four great immortal techniques completely vanished. The Great Demon King smiled faintly and asked:
“Is that all?”
In response to his question, the four Tianzun remained silent, their gazes grim, their faces as cold as ice. In the distance, Taishang Laojun sighed dejectedly.
By this point, hadn’t the victor already been clearly decided?!
Looking at the Great Demon King Hua Tiancang, who was now calm and unhurried, he nevertheless brought with him an indelible despair.
He could truly be considered the second Demon Emperor of the Hunmang Demon Realm…
“Great Demon King, your demonic power reaches the heavens, I, Daluo, am impressed! However, killing us won’t be that easy!”
“Oh, Daluo, you think too highly of yourselves. If I wanted to kill you, do you think you’d be standing here spouting nonsense like this? This King merely wished for a good fight to stretch my muscles and bones; I absolutely have no intention of killing.”
His reply was met with four stone-cold faces.
The Great Demon King coughed lightly and continued:
– Alright, actually, I want to question you all about something. What do you, people of the Immortal Realm, know about *that thing*? You understand what I'm asking, don't you? If you don't speak, I'll have no choice but to invite one of you five back to my Demon Realm for some tea and cakes!
– Apologies, but this cake is unpalatable. Your Demon Realm surely knows a bit about it already, so why ask us?
Pangu Heavenly Venerate snorted coldly.
– A redundant question. Of course, I want more details!
The Great Demon King raised an eyebrow. Is this hulking brute all brawn and no brains?
Taishang Laojun flew over from afar, stroking his silver beard, a benevolent smile gracing his lips, he said:
– Though the Demon Realm is beautiful, we cannot visit. We five old men still need to return and pay respects to the Immortal Emperor. Can this battle conclude here, Great Demon King? Our reinforcements are about to arrive. You wouldn't want to slaughter us all, would you?
A faint, cold smile touched his lips, and the Great Demon King said indifferently:
– Laojun, this time, I, this King, cannot give you face. This matter concerning *that thing* is of grave importance. My old man wants me to keep one of you, or at least a body part, so our shamans can seize their souls!
The expressions of the four Heavenly Venerates turned grim once more. The Great Demon King continued:
– Come now, it's only an arm. Just chop it off and give it to me. Why risk your lives?
The four Heavenly Venerates scoffed inwardly. Losing an arm and recovering it was easy enough, but who would willingly chop off a limb and offer it to an enemy to beg for their life? It was too humiliating. More importantly, having their souls seized would reveal the secrets of *that thing*!
– Heavenly River Deluge!
Just as both sides were locked in a stalemate, a voice echoing through heaven and earth suddenly rang out. The five Heavenly Venerates breathed a sigh of relief. Reinforcements had arrived.
Booming crashes!
From an unknown corner, a tsunami, accompanied by the booming crashes, surged forth. The waves reached ten thousand zhang high, approaching the nine dark layers of the heavens! The tsunami crashed down, obscuring all vision, threatening to engulf the Great Demon King.
This water could corrode all things, sweeping away all living beings!
Standing within the swirling waves, the Great Demon King's blood-red eyes remained cold and unmoving. His powerful divine sense was enough for him to perceive the space tearing open behind the five Heavenly Venerates, creating a path back to the Immortal Realm.
The reinforcements for the five Heavenly Venerates were none other than Shui Mo Heavenly Venerate. His sole purpose was to rescue the five of them; he had no intention of continuing the battle.
– Stubborn!
The Great Demon King said indifferently. He raised his hand, channeling his demonic power.
Following this, five black orbs suddenly appeared in the space. As soon as these five black orbs emerged, the vast deluge was rapidly absorbed by them, with a continuous rushing sound. In just a few breaths, the deluge was sucked dry!
The five Heavenly Venerates frowned, including Shui Mo Heavenly Venerate. He urged quickly:
– Go quickly!
However, no sooner had the words left his mouth than the Great Demon King extended his right hand. A scorching red orb spun in his palm.
In just a second, the blood orb vanished, but an aura of extreme danger permeated the space.
– Run!
Shui Mo Heavenly Venerate roared. The five Heavenly Venerates dared not hesitate, rushing one after another into the spatial gate.
Whoosh!
But at that very moment, a streak of blood-red light shot out from the Great Demon King's hand in a flash. The Heavenly Dao fell silent, heaven and earth lost their color. Only the blood-red light could be seen, drawing a long line towards the six Heavenly Venerates. As the streak flew, the red earth disintegrated, and space warped!
BOOM!
The instant the crimson light touched the bodies of the five Heavenly Venerates, the spatial gate snapped shut. The crimson light erupted, centering on the now-vanished spatial gate, blasting outwards a hundred *zhang* in a flash, scattering the red earth and blinding the heavens and earth!
The Great Demon King’s face was stern and cold, a faint glow lingering in his blood-red pupils amidst the dust, his regal robes billowing in the wind.
Ten breaths later, the roar of the explosion slowly faded, restoring peace to the Hong Lou Realm. The ground now lay over a thousand *zhang* deep, an unfathomable abyss, devoid of any light.
Amidst the settling dust, a lone arm, a grim addition to the desolate scene, drifted down.
In a flash, the Great Demon King appeared and snatched it. After a brief inspection, he let out a faint chuckle.
The arm of Shui Mo Heavenly Venerate… What an unlucky fellow.
“— Young Master, what happened? The Hong Lou Realm shook so violently?!”
Suddenly, an aged voice echoed in the Great Demon King’s mind. Hua Tian Shang, with one hand clutching the arm still gushing immortal blood and the other tearing open the void, replied mentally:
“— Mission accomplished, on my way back!”
“— Oh, so quickly? Alright, hurry back a bit, the Grand Emperor Conferment Ceremony is about to begin!” The old man on the other end was slightly surprised, but quickly added.
Hearing this, a leisurely smile spread across the Great Demon King’s stern face.