Immortal of the Ages

Chapter 225: Exceptional Devil!

"Who is this?" Yun Xiao asked the War Princess, his brow slightly furrowed.

"A Sword Cultivator from the Eternal Sword Prison," she replied.

Yun Xiao hadn't heard of this place, but he guessed it must be formidable, akin to the Endless Netherworld. With Blue Star and Red Moon by his side, he knew his view was broad enough. The journey from mortal to Creator Immortal was immeasurable, filled with countless paths to the heavens. This path, once embarked upon, would inevitably lead to stronger and stronger opponents. It was all part of the game!

"A Sword Cultivator, huh..." Yun Xiao felt a slight headache coming on. The human-devil-demon secret was his to keep, and this woman, once she left, would likely shatter his grand plan.

Before he could speak, the butterfly-knotted woman turned to him and said coldly, "So you're the husband of the human Empress, a genius Sword Cultivator? I thought you were a promising talent, willing to take you to the Eternal Sword Prison for further training. But here you are, unfaithful despite having a partner, so despicable in character. As long as I am around, a person who fraternizes with devils and demons like you shall never tarnish the sacred grounds of the Eternal Sword Prison!"

"I never said I wanted to go to your Eternal Sword Prison," Yun Xiao replied calmly.

Disappointed, Qian Die could only shake her head at him and sigh, "A frog in a well, short-sighted, ignorant of the vast world, and you dream of mastering the sword? Yun Xiao, brace yourself for your downfall. We Sword Cultivators can't stand impurity. Someone as tainted as you doesn't deserve the world's praise." With that, she turned to leave, her sense of justice shining in her eyes.

She hadn't gone far before she couldn't resist looking back at Yun Xiao, sneering, "That coffin of yours was quite peculiar, must be something valuable. My master has a keen interest in such oddities. Hand it over willingly, and you might just find a way to survive."

"Who is your master?" Yun Xiao inquired.

"It's Gu Baiyi!" Qian Die declared proudly.

Upon hearing this, Yun Xiao nodded and then turned to the War Princess. "Kill her."

Qian Die was momentarily stunned, thinking she had heard wrong, and scoffed coldly, "You think a useless princess at the Early Awakened Emperor Realm can do it?" Of course, she was at the same level of cultivation! Had she been stronger, she would have already made her move.

But then, in the very instant Yun Xiao's words faded, while Qian Die was still smirking, the War Princess's blood-red steel whip, like a venomous dragon, lashed out furiously, entangling Qian Die in a blink!

"Uh?" Bound by immense force, Qian Die’s arms, waist, and legs were instantly soaked in blood! WHOOSH! The Mortal Dust Devil Blood overwhelmed her, draining her blood.

Torrents of fresh blood flowed along the whip towards the War Princess.

"Master!" Qian Die's face twisted in rage, glaring at the human, devil, and demon before her. She clutched a bead, ready to crush it!

STAB! A streak of azure light pierced her heart, exploding a three-inch hole in her back.

"Uh…" Qian Die looked down to see the blood-red whip, like a dragon, coiling around her, her blood gushing from her heart like a flood towards the War Princess.

"Am I dead?" This last question popped into her mind just before she collapsed with a thud, eyes wide open, limbs stiff, motionless.

WHOOSH! All the blood drained from her body! In an instant, she turned into a bloodless corpse, as if dead for many years. Her face, body, and muscles all collapsed inward, turning dark purple and withered. Beauty turned to bones in the blink of an eye.

Without another word, Yun Xiao stepped forward and thrust his sword into her Sword Bone.

Qian Die's Sword Soul wailed, transforming into a pure force absorbed by the Heaven Burial Sword Soul.

Swiftly, the Sword Aura of the Heaven Burial Sword Soul increased to 550 layers, its edge sharper than ever.

Qian Die's sword, adorned with four Emperor level Blood Crystal Sword Rings, revealed she possessed a Galaxy grade Sword Soul.

Yun Xiao, seizing the opportunity, deftly removed the four Sword Rings and replaced his own four Saint level ones. Now, his sword boasted five Emperor Sword Rings!

"So many layers of Sword Auras and Emperor Sword Rings, this Eternal Sword Prison must be a treasure trove!" Yun Xiao chuckled coldly. What a splendid place! He had a penchant for such splendid places.

Behind him, the War Princess witnessed in awe as his Sword Soul devoured Qian Die's. Her lips parted slightly, her heart trembling once more. She had grown somewhat numb to Yun Xiao's freakish powers.

Some folks might not seem mighty at first, but their unique methods hinted at their potential to become monstrous in the future. Yun Xiao was one such person! And so was the War Princess, in her own right. But she was merely a part of Yun Xiao's monstrous nature, not her own.

"Don't move," Yun Xiao instructed, after dealing with the Sword Soul, turning to look at the War Princess.

She stood rigid, trembling. The Mortal Dust Devil Blood coursed through her veins, driven by her beating heart, under Yun Xiao's control.

The vast amount of blood that the War Princess had absorbed from Qian Die was being consumed by the Mortal Dust Blood Calamity, extracting the essence of the blood and triggering transformations, forging more Mortal Dust Devil Blood.

Like blood dragons birthed from a blood seed, her heart and blood vessels began to transform her delicate body into a perfect battle entity. Soon, Qian Die's blood was completely assimilated.

"Moon Fairy's Divine Desolation Physique devours the Desolate Essence of heaven and earth to strengthen his body. But you, blood slave, rely on consuming the essence of blood to elevate your cultivation... The Mortal Dust Devil is indeed more fearsome than the Divine Desolation Demon God!"

The latter was the true nemesis of all beings.

"Why don't you ask my name?" The War Princess clenched her fists, visibly irked.

"A blood slave is a blood slave; what need is there for a name?" Yun Xiao looked at her coldly. His strategy was to dominate her in spirit, to ensure her submission. It was a battle of wills.

"You..." The War Princess felt humiliated but had to swallow her pride.

"Human blood isn't much use to you, so drink less of it," Yun Xiao advised.

"This princess refuses to drink demon blood; it's too foul," she said through gritted teeth.

"Then drink your devil blood; devil blood holds the power of bloodlines," Yun Xiao suggested.

"You want me to slaughter my own kind?" The War Princess bit her lip.

"What else? If not to slay devils, what use are you? Do you also fancy talking about morals and mercy?"

Yun Xiao didn't even need to lay a hand on her. As his voice grew colder, the War Princess felt her blood vessels searing with pain, the agony of her bloodline being stripped away, a nightmare ready to unfold at any moment. She didn't even have the option to end her own life!

"This is your final warning. In the eyes of the world, you may be a rising unparalleled devil, but in my presence, you only endure and obey; rebellion is not an option." Yun Xiao's voice echoed in the blood vessels within her.

"Yes…!" The War Princess was filled with sorrow and anger, her sharp fangs piercing her red lips, drawing blood, but she had to swallow it down.

Yun Xiao changed the subject, asking, "Are the Endless Netherworld and the Eternal Sword Prison two separate pocket universes?"

"No, they belong to the same universe called the Nine Hells. There are nine hells in total, and the Divine and Demon Continents lie in the creases and folds between the Endless Netherworld and the Eternal Sword Prison, lands formed by the squeezing together of these two realms," the War Princess replied, head bowed.

"Understood!" Yun Xiao's gaze turned icy as he looked outside. "Next, we split up. Your target is the Violet Emperor! I'll give you the details of the plan on the way."

"Yes!" The War Princess nodded. From that moment on, Yun Xiao would reside within her. Though he couldn't know her thoughts, he could control all her actions.

WHOOSH! Human, devil, and demon, the three split ways right at the entrance of the underground palace. From then on, it was unlikely anyone would see them together again. As they departed, Yun Xiao had already left, while the War Princess lingered, looking at Moon Fairy.

She knew, this was also Yun Xiao… It was as if he were omnipresent!

"What are you staring at? Move!" Moon Fairy said coldly.

"Yes..." The War Princess suppressed the annoyance and rage in her heart. The proud princess of the Endless Netherworld, now a mere blood slave. This change of status was something she'd have to adapt to for a long time.

▬ι══🪦✧⚰️✧🪦══ι▬

In the Ancestral Temple, within a slightly secluded courtyard of a mansion resided the Violet Emperor. His hands clasped behind his back, he stood in the main hall, his eyes closed in meditation.

"Your Majesty, a decree from Forbidden Fate! The Supreme Marshal, Du Ding, has sent someone to seek your guidance," the Violet Sky Prime Minister, Wei Feng, reported as he entered with a peculiar expression.

Compared to Moon Fairy, who had raced back alone at breakneck speed, the messenger of the Violet Sky Immortal Army was indeed much slower. After all, descending to the Ancestral Temple meant being cautious of attacks from cultivators of the Heavenly Realm.

"Oh? Speak," the Violet Emperor replied, his tone indifferent.

Wei Feng hurriedly whispered into the Violet Emperor's ear the decisions made by the Forbidden Fate Demon Emperor after the disappearance in the Primordial Array.

"Not to attack the Heavenly Realm, but to slaughter the civilians of the lower realms instead. Forbidden Fate is forcing us in Violet Sky to commit such atrocities. His heart is venomous! Du Ding is uncertain and seeks your decree," Wei Feng said, bowing.

The Violet Emperor laughed upon hearing this. Without hesitation, he said, "I've told you before, Violet Sky has reached a point of no return. If we're to be the villains, we must embrace our wickedness completely. Hesitation and looking back are our greatest taboos."

"Your command is my wish," Wei Feng replied, feeling uneasy but understanding that Violet Sky was now irrevocably tied to the demons, a tiger difficult to dismount, compelled to kill at its whim.

"Are you worried about Violet Sky being condemned, especially the potential upheaval in our own empire?" the Violet Emperor asked with a smile.

"Yes," Wei Feng nodded. The situation in each Immortal Empire was complex, and there were diverse opinions within Violet Sky about their current stance.

"Don't bother with fleeting public opinion. The foolish lack the ability to think independently. They vent their rage wherever the wind blows, mere creatures of unthinking fury. The truth doesn't matter. Let them vent their frustrations as the underclass, get their fill of righteousness, and they will quiet down," the Violet Emperor said, sneering coldly. "I have a cunning plan to quell the discontent in Violet Sky."

"Please enlighten me, Your Majesty!" Wei Feng said respectfully.

The Violet Emperor looked towards the direction of the Divine Dawn Royal Palace and sneered. "Have the entire Violet Sky Immortal Army discard their Violet Sky armor, claiming to be soldiers of Divine Dawn. Split into two groups: one of nine million to invade the ninety-nine territories of the Divine Dawn Immortal Empire to kill, and the other one million to return to Violet Sky to slaughter our own people. This will stir public outrage, shifting the blame and anger. The unthinking masses will then be manipulated into crossing borders to attack the Divine Dawn Immortal Empire!"

Wei Feng was left utterly shocked by these words.

The Violet Emperor shrugged his shoulders, his eyes brimming with disdain. "The common folk are but foolish pigs! Blind to the obvious, they thrive on conspiracy theories. Just hint at a mystery that affects them, and their anger ignites, leaping headlong into the pit. I'll take a leaf out of Divine Dawn's book and write a little piece myself. Stirring emotions? I'm quite good at that too!"

"Sound reasoning," Wei Feng replied with a helpless smile. "I'll inform Du Ding right away."

"No rush," the Violet Emperor said gravely. "Surviving in this crevice requires wisdom! The Heavenly Realm's Primordial Array strategy is ambiguous but can't withstand probing. We in Violet Sky must not be the cannon fodder in this chaos. Let Du Ding take his time. Here in the Ancestral Temple, I bet the Demon Emperors will soon send a small force to the Heavenly Realm's markets to kill and test the waters. We'll see what happens then!"

"Yes!" Wei Feng pondered, then asked softly, "Your Majesty, is there a chance the Primordial Array malfunctioned on its own?"

"That's highly unlikely!" The Violet Emperor thought of Divine Dawn and Yun Xiao, these two formidable youths, and finally shook his head. "One is steady and ruthless, the other cunning and sinister. They excel in playing possum. This must be another of their tricks, and the Forbidden Fate's siege tactic is sound. Indeed, many cultivators from the Heavenly Realm are fleeing."

The Violet Emperor turned towards the depths of the Ancestral Temple and muttered, "Let's see what scale of force the Demon Emperors send for this probing attack!"

▬ι══🪦✧⚰️✧🪦══ι▬

BANG!

A young man in black suddenly extended his palm, striking hard across the face of a golden-haired, burly man! The golden-haired man crashed into the wall, breaking through several palaces before finally getting up, half of his face covered in blood.

It was the Ape Saint! And the young man in black was, of course, the youngest Eclipse Demon Emperor. He had the bloodline of the Heavenly Hound, the King of Beasts!

"So you've become a traitor to the demon race too, even taking that rebel to Forbidden Fate?" The Eclipse Demon Emperor's face was ferocious, his canine teeth gleaming coldly, his eyes burning with fire. He had already judged Moon Fairy guilty, but he hadn't expected these Demon Saints to flirt with him under his nose.

After much chasing, was Moon Fairy actually hiding in the Ancestral Temple all this time? This was a blatant challenge to the authority of the king of beasts.

"Eclipse Demon Emperor!" The Burning Saint helped the Ape Saint up, his tone grave. "Forbidden Fate has ordered that Moon Fairy's case be judged after the battle! You have no right to punish him now!"

"Judge after the battle? Letting this traitor wreak havoc under our noses, and it'll be too late after the battle!" The young man in black had never felt so ridiculous! If not for this farce, their group would have moved out much sooner.

"Gu Emperor, Red Lotus!" Eclipse turned to the other two Demon Emperors, his voice harsh. "We must root out Moon Fairy first. As long as that traitor lives, our grand plan is in jeopardy. This little beast has bewitched Forbidden Fate and set a foolish plan, proving his collusion with the humans to buy time!"

"Eclipse, please respect Forbidden Fate's orders!" Burning Saint said. He was the second-in-command of the resentment demons. Backed by the Forbidden Fate Demon Emperor, his authority couldn't be ignored. He placed himself in front of his friend, the Ape Saint, and continued coldly, "Let me remind you once again. Moon Fairy's talents far exceed those of Divine Dawn and Yun Xiao. He is a future Demon Emperor of our Demon Continent! You're using coincidences to frame him, driven by envy and a narrow mind! I speak on behalf of the resentment demons and Forbidden Fate; stand down!"

"Fool!" The Eclipse Demon Emperor was so furious he was about to explode.

"Who's the fool? I know why you're panicking! You mistakenly killed Lady Hua Lian, incurring a life-and-death feud with Moon Fairy. You're too late to regret it now! Of course, you want to slander him, to push him away!" Burning Saint retorted with a cold laugh.

The top-ranking Demon Saints watched their quarrel, speechless for a moment.

Burning Saint hadn't been this bold before, but with Forbidden Fate's rising status, he too had risen in prominence. Otherwise, the next slap from the young man in black might very well land on his face.

"Gu Emperor, Lotus!" At his wit's end, the young man in black turned to them.

As the eldest, the Gu Emperor could only sigh and say, "I know Eclipse well. He's not the jealous type. If a prodigy emerges among the beasts, he'd be delighted."

Hearing this, the young man in black's rage subsided slightly.

"But—" The Gu Emperor sighed again. "Since Forbidden Fate has given the order, we'll follow his instructions and investigate thoroughly after the battle."

"You!" The Eclipse Demon Emperor's anger flared up even more.

"Lil Pup!" Red Lotus grabbed him, urgently softening her voice, "Forbidden Fate has already given the orders. Your actions now are pointless. To prove Moon Fairy is a traitor, just focus on one thing—the Primordial Array. If we rampage in the Heavenly Realm's markets and they don't activate the array, it'll prove Moon Fairy's advice was just to buy time."

"Red Lotus, I just want to know what you think," Eclipse pressed, staring intently at her.

"I believe in you," Red Lotus replied.

"Fine!" Eclipse gritted his teeth, then turned coldly to the Ape Saint. "If you want to prove that fox is one of us, then immediately muster a million beast demons and follow me out of the Ancestral Temple to attack the Heavenly Realm!"

"Yes!" The Ape Saint nodded in agreement.

▬ι══🪦✧⚰️✧🪦══ι▬

After some time, over a million beast demons had gathered in front of the Ancestral Temple. The Eclipse Demon Emperor, his eyes bloodshot with fury, stood at the forefront.

"Charge!" he commanded, leading the million-strong horde, ready to rush forward.

Just as they started their thunderous advance, a silver Three-Tailed Demon Fox, shrouded in white mist, suddenly sprang out from the Heavenly Realm's market, landing right in front of the beast army!

BOOM! As the demon fox hit the ground, the earth cracked open, creating a huge rift that blasted right up to Eclipse!

"Moon Fairy!" The demons of the Ancestral Temple were all stirred. The million-strong demon army, gazing at this fox, were thrown into confusion. Was he a traitor or a shunned genius?

"You dare to show up?" Eclipse was already seething. Seeing the fox, his face twisted grotesquely, morphing into a dark beastly visage.

"For trying to alienate me, you lead a million of our kin to their doom. Why wouldn't I come?" The Three-Tailed Demon Fox retorted coldly.

The Eclipse Demon Emperor let out a sinister laugh. "Anxious, are we? Seems like there really is a problem with the Primordial Array."

"You stupid fucking mutt! The War of Immortals started because you were provoked first, attacking the battlefield, and now you blame me? Can't you see how cunning these humans are from that battle? Still think there's a problem with the Primordial Array? Dream on! How many more human traps do you plan to fall into?" Moon Fairy shot back coldly.

"The truth about the Primordial Array will be clear with a test," the Gu Demon Emperor called from behind.

"Then why don't you send a million of your insect demons to test it? Why should my beast race be cannon fodder? If you really want to test, let the resentment, insect, plant, beast, and bird demons each contribute two hundred thousand! And didn't Forbidden Fate order you, Gu Emperor, to do the killing? Now, you're playing dumb here and making my beast demons do your bidding!" Moon Fairy scoffed. His words instantly cooled the fiery rage of the million beast demons, their fervor quickly dying down...