A thick, inky shroud of dark clouds blanketed East Heaven Peak, blocking the sunlight that struggled vainly to penetrate the gloom and bring brightness to the dawn.

Everyone on East Heaven Peak had temporarily gathered at the Yi residence, awaiting the coming storm. Perhaps it was because the Yi family was anchored by Ji Changkong—a man who had once stood unharmed against the Demon King’s invasion—that the East Heaven Peak cultivators, who had briefly lost heart, now managed to retrieve their fighting spirit from the back of their minds.

The clouds pressed down, and a biting chill descended from the heavens, casting a heavy, suffocating atmosphere over East Heaven Peak. Any cultivator who had achieved the Divine Soul realm could sense something profoundly unusual emanating from this oppressive aura.

The Yi residence fell into a dead silence, every face taut with vigilance. Heads turned restlessly, scanning the surroundings in every direction.

Yi Kui, seated solemnly near the circular pit, suddenly declared, "They are here!"

The expressions of the gathered crowd shifted instantly. They sprang from their cross-legged positions, eyes darting everywhere, looking up. Their life-bound divine weapons were unsheathed without hesitation, ready for a desperate, final battle against the Demon King and his demonic hordes.

"Everyone pay attention! These vile creatures are not easily deterred by mere blades, spears, swords, or halberds. Their forms can constantly shift and reconfigure; physical damage is rarely fatal to them. Only attacks that can deeply injure the soul, such as lightning, raging fire, or solid ice, can truly cripple and eliminate them."

Yi Qu, as still and composed as a mountain, slowly relayed Ji Changkong's instructions, hoping everyone would know how to fight and protect themselves during the coming engagement.

Chen Bao'er stood beside her grandfather, Chen Hongji, her chubby five-fingered hand clutching a diamond-shaped short sword tightly. She puffed out her chest, clearly prepared to join the fray.

Ji Changkong swept a gaze across Chen Bao'er from afar, then looked at the less capable young maidens. He frowned slightly, then stepped toward Yi Qu, leaning in to whisper a few words into his ear.

Yi Qu nodded repeatedly, his understanding evident in his demeanor.

Once Ji Changkong moved away, Yi Qu suddenly raised his voice, "Those whose cultivation has not reached the Four Symbols Heaven realm must remain within the inner courtyard of the Yi family! You are of no use in this battle, and staying outside will only cause trouble. Elders of every family, ensure you keep them in check and order them into the inner courtyard immediately."

Chen Hongji paused, glanced subtly toward Ji Changkong, gave a nearly imperceptible nod, and led the visibly reluctant Chen Bao'er toward the inner courtyard of the Yi residence.

The elders of the families with the younger cultivators heard Yi Qu's directive and felt a jolt of relief, promptly ushering their children toward the safety of the inner courtyard with joyful haste.

These children were their greatest anxieties. Having secured this primary concern, they could now fight without distraction or fear for their offspring.

The towering flames already visible in the Yi family's inner courtyard—intense, persistent Celestial Fires—shone brilliantly against the deep darkness of East Heaven Peak. Everyone knew the Yi family must have prepared well; being there meant absolute safety compared to anywhere else on the Peak.

Soon, all the young men and women below the Four Symbols Heaven realm were driven into the inner courtyard by their respective elders.

Whoosh! Shriek-shriek-shriek!

The shrill howls of the demonic horde and the sound of them tearing through the night sky grew closer, gradually registering in everyone’s ears. At that moment, every heart on East Heaven Peak seized up; all breath was held, all senses focused, preparing for the earth-shattering confrontation.

A cold wind hissed, and malignant energy permeated the air. Sounds of terrifying ghost cries and wolf howls echoed from all directions of East Heaven Peak.

Streams of pitch-black silhouettes suddenly surged toward East Heaven Peak. In the encompassing darkness, these shadowy forms were almost indistinguishable, moving so fast that the naked eye could barely track them.

Only cultivators who had refined their Divine Souls could discern the movements of these shadows using their soul-sense capabilities!

Gathering all cultivators below the Four Symbols Heaven realm into the inner sanctum of the Yi family had indeed proven to be a wise decision. Otherwise, those problematic youths remaining outside would be as blind as moles, serving only as easy prey for the demonic tide.

"Slaughter!"

A single, icy-cold word suddenly rang out amidst the roiling black clouds, exploding in every direction across East Heaven Peak like a liquid cannonball.

That was the Demon King's unique voice!

The sky-obscuring horde of demons abruptly dove toward the assembled cultivators outside the Yi compound. Amidst piercing shrieks, several who were caught off guard were snatched into the air. Amidst cries of panic, bloody fragments of bone rained down, scattering droplets of crimson rain.

"Are you fools? Act!" Yi Qu roared in the pitch-black night, sounding as if his own parents had just been lost.

The cultivators, suffocated by the Demon King’s sheer oppressive aura, were jolted back to awareness by Yi Qu’s furious shout. The array of offensive measures they had prepared beforehand were unleashed all at once.

Sparks flew, lightning tangled, and serpentine arcs of energy danced across the sky. Everyone's eyes turned bloodshot as they frantically vented their power.

It was at this moment that Ji Changkong's prior warning finally revealed its effect!

Both the blazing torrents of fire and the thin, writhing streaks of lightning, like earthworms, inflicted tremendous damage upon the demons streaming down from above.

Especially the Celestial Thunder!

Those cultivators who knew how to harness the power of lightning, upon release, instantly vaporized any lesser demons they struck into ashes.

The crowd suddenly realized that these demons were not entirely invincible. The fear of the unknown began to recede little by little as demon after demon disintegrated into ash.

Only now did the true battle commence!

With their courage bolstered, the East Heaven Peak cultivators stopped merely defending. Human ingenuity immediately came to the fore; groups of three to five gathered, leveraging their strengths and hiding their weaknesses, uniting to confront the enemy. Under the demon horde's incessant assault, they managed to firmly hold their small patches of ground, periodically blasting the sky with bursts of lightning, fire, and ice.

Wooooo... Wooooo-whoo-whooooo!

From the thick, dense black clouds came the Demon King's unique, piercing shriek.

More demons seemed to burrow up from the deepest recesses of the Netherworld, lunging with claws and fangs toward the clustered cultivators on East Heaven Peak. These dense masses of demons formed clusters, displaying a form of organization, no longer attacking individually.

Attacks fell upon these clustered demons, but for some inexplicable reason, they did not immediately obliterate the entire clump. As the demonic cries echoed, these clustered forms unleashed toxic waves that pierced the soul. Even the cultivators of East Heaven Peak could not withstand them, and their Divine Souls were instantly wounded.

When the Divine Soul is damaged, the naked eye cannot track the movements of the demons, and once again, the East Heaven Peak cultivators found themselves at a disadvantage. Several cultivators caught outside were seized mid-air, torn apart, their entrails and bones tossed down.

The air on East Heaven Peak grew thick with the stench of blood. Many were smeared with the thick, dark blood of their comrades, a sight and smell enough to induce nausea.

"Celestial Fire! Summon the Celestial Fire!" Just then, a light shout came from Ji Changkong.

In the circular pit within the inner courtyard, Yi Kui and Yi Huoshan’s faces tightened, sharp glints flashing in their pupils.

The circular pit, constructed from various fire-attribute Yuan Stones and spirit treasures, erupted with the Celestial Fires ignited by the essence of the sun. One by one, they drifted toward the sky, each flame resembling a miniature sun, radiating the fierce light of the midday sun and the core of the earth.

The pitch-black night sky was suddenly illuminated by the Celestial Fires. Even with damaged souls, the cultivators could now use their sight to track the streaking demons.

The rampaging demons, upon carelessly touching the Celestial Fire, let out sharp sizzling cries as they turned to ash, their souls scattered.

Even the small demonic clusters, once penetrated by a single strand of Celestial Fire, would immediately fragment, emitting wisps of grey smoke. The few demons touched by the fire were instantly incinerated.

Seven Celestial Fires floated gently, drifting down to various spots across Abandoned Heaven Peak.

Boom-boom-boom...

Seven consecutive ignition sounds echoed from different corners of East Heaven Peak. Celestial Fire spreads like wildfire. The fire-stones and fire-element spirit treasures piled in those seven locations, aided by the Celestial Fire, erupted in earth-shattering waves of flame.

East Heaven Peak was suddenly transparent with light!

Centered around the Yi family's inner courtyard, a total of eight Celestial Fires burst into brilliant combustion. The chillingly cold East Heaven Peak was suddenly bathed in light as if under the high noon sun—not only illuminated but also surging with intense heat.

More Celestial Fires, one after another, drifted out from various corners of East Heaven Peak, flying and lingering above the peak. Wherever these flames passed, demons recoiled in terror; those too slow to evade were burned until their souls fled their bodies.

"Young Master Ji, thank you!" Yi Qu stood beside Ji Changkong. Watching demon after demon turn to ash, he bowed deeply to Ji Changkong, his face etched with profound gratitude.

Ji Changkong, who was gathering Azure Celestial Thunder to annihilate the demons, frowned, glanced at Yi Qu, and sharply rebuked him, "Now is not the time for pleasantries. Far more powerful demons have yet to appear, and the Demon King has remained in the clouds, unmoving. The outcome is uncertain; what use are such words now?"

Yi Qu immediately looked ashamed, nodding quickly in agreement. He remains calm despite his youth; truly worthy of being the Lord of Xuanyuan Valley, he thought.

"Be careful!"

Ji Changkong cried out, his mind stirring. A ball of Celestial Thunder the size of a fist slammed down toward a demon that had suddenly materialized. This demon possessed four ears, two sharp horns atop its head, and fangs bared menacingly—it looked far more ferocious than the others.

The four-eared, two-horned demon merely shuddered violently within the embrace of a Celestial Fire before lunging toward a beautiful woman from East Heaven Peak, who assumed the creature was dead, having already turned her attention to other demons.

The fist-sized Azure Celestial Thunder arrived just in time, exploding upon the four-eared, two-horned demon and blasting it into four pieces.

The woman, realizing the danger belatedly, patted her heaving chest, her heart pounding, and offered a distant thank you to Ji Changkong.

Without sparing a second glance at the rather comely woman, Ji Changkong’s pupils constricted. He watched with grave concentration as the four-eared, two-horned demon, which had been shattered, was blasted apart.

Surprisingly, this demon, struck by Celestial Fire and then by his Celestial Thunder, did not immediately have its soul dispersed.

Its fragmented body slowly writhed in the void, absorbing the grey smoke residue left behind when ordinary demons were annihilated. In just a short time, having absorbed the soul power of about ten regular demons, this specialized creature had completely restored itself.

Ji Changkong's heart plummeted to the bottom of the abyss!

The very thing he dreaded had finally happened!

Ordinary demons, just like the Demon King, possessed the ability to continuously evolve. This four-eared, two-horned demon was clearly different from the common horde. It had survived the dual assault of Celestial Fire and Celestial Thunder without immediate destruction and had inherited the Demon King's ability to shatter and reform its body.

Such demons were ten times harder to deal with than the ordinary ones!

Although these evolved demons were still not as incomparably terrifying as the Demon King, they remained absolutely fatal threats to common cultivators.

A dozen or so four-eared, two-horned demons appeared out of thin air—these evolved entities moved faster, possessed stronger defenses, and were far more savage in temperament!

Neither Celestial Fire nor Celestial Thunder could instantly kill this type of demon; a moment's lapse, and they would reassemble their bodies and attack with even fiercer assaults.

In just a few breaths, six cultivators from East Heaven Peak, confused by the nature of the threat, were captured by these entities.

Unsurprisingly, the captured cultivators were instantly torn to shreds, their Divine Souls directly devoured by these creatures.

"Be careful! Be extremely careful of the four-eared, two-horned demons!" Ji Changkong roared, his voice raw.

The sight of six friends dying horribly, coupled with Ji Changkong's desperate shouting, made everyone realize the horror of these evolved demons. Without further instruction, they immediately concentrated their strength, directing their focus toward these more troublesome and brutal entities.

But even these specialized demons proved not to be a match for the Demon King’s fundamental power.

Ji Changkong unleashed the power of the 'Thunder Moves Nine Heavens,' yanking a four-eared, two-horned demon into its vortex. He bombarded it repeatedly with Celestial Thunder; after seven continuous injections of heavenly lightning, this demon was blasted into wisps of faint smoke, unable to reassemble ever again.

Yi Qu and the other Yi family masters, seeing one of the specialized demons utterly obliterated by Ji Changkong’s bombardment, felt their courage surge. They immediately began to emulate Ji Changkong, relentlessly striking these evolved demons to deny them the chance to reform.

Once deprived of the opportunity to gather soul power for recombination, these demons, subjected to continuous bombardment, would dissipate completely into nothingness after several consecutive impacts, their life imprints eternally extinguished.

However, Ji Changkong could not bring himself to feel happy.

He suddenly realized that the threat posed by the demons was escalating rapidly.

If ordinary demons could evolve into the stronger four-eared, two-horned types, would even more powerful evolutions emerge after some time? And just how powerful would that supreme Demon King become then?

The four-eared, two-horned demons now possessed most of the Demon King’s capabilities; in time, could they become fully realized Demon Kings themselves?

The concept of an entire landscape swarming with Demon Kings—what did that imply? Even sacred lands like Kunlun and Tianshan, facing such a scenario, would likely face utter annihilation.

If common demons could evolve into Demon Kings, what unspeakable horror might the most wicked and evil Demon King evolve into?

Ji Changkong dared not think any further down that path.

Suddenly, Ji Changkong made a firm resolution: regardless of the cost, today he must ally with the Origin Poison to utterly destroy this Demon King that was wreaking havoc! He absolutely could not grant it any more time to develop!

"Demon King! I, Ji Changkong, am here! If you have the guts, come down and fight!" Ji Changkong suddenly roared up at the sky. His shout echoed across East Heaven Peak like the roar of a dragon or a tiger.

In the inner courtyard of the Yi residence, Yi Kui, who was focused on manipulating the secret array of the Celestial Fire expanse, felt a strange light flash in his eyes. He secretly praised, This child is truly a dragon among men. While everyone else fears engaging, he dares to provoke the Demon King to battle! With such a talent, Xuanyuan Valley's rise is no mere accident!

Wooooo-woooooo!

A strange cry echoed from the dense cloud cover. The heavy black clouds began to descend, oppressively looming over East Heaven Peak.

Every cultivator on East Heaven Peak who looked up turned instantly pale. Some whose strength was insufficient trembled, collapsing onto the ground, despair and helplessness washing over them, stripping away every last vestige of fighting spirit.

Yi Kui and Yi Huoshan also shuddered, their faces etched with horror.

That thick mass of black clouds that had perpetually obscured the bright moonlight above East Heaven Peak—that wasn't just a cloud layer! It was the colossal body of the Demon King!

Ji Changkong's expression also shifted in alarm. He stared in disbelief at the dense blackness, covering an area of nearly ten acres, swirling with churning black smoke. The mountain-sized bulk of the Demon King was seated in the clouds, his body towering perhaps thirty feet high, his foot size larger than an ordinary person's by several measures.

An overwhelming surge of evil energy, like a tidal wave breaking its banks, pressed down from the clouds. A primal fear arose in everyone's heart; many found their limbs weak, losing all will to resist.

Could humanity possibly triumph over such a terrifying aberration? This was the most honest thought in everyone’s mind at that moment!

Stronger than last time! Ji Changkong looked up, feeling the immense, pervasive evil washing over him. He sighed internally, which only solidified his resolve to destroy the Demon King at any cost.

"Little Poison, do you have confidence?" Ji Changkong asked the other worldly anomaly within his spiritual consciousness.

"No..." the Origin Poison responded weakly, seemingly intimidated by the current Demon King.

"If you don't, you must find a way! If you and I don't take him down today, we are finished! And we absolutely cannot let him escape; if he runs today, we are doomed tomorrow!" Ji Changkong insisted fiercely.

"I'll do my best," the Origin Poison replied listlessly. "Luckily, my body has also been reformed; otherwise, I wouldn't even dare challenge him. Alas, the power gained from consuming Black Jade Yuan Crystals lately will likely be entirely expended today. Kong Kong, if I don't survive this, you owe me compensation."

Ignoring the Origin Poison’s peculiar nickname for him, Ji Changkong transmitted immediately, "As long as you and I survive today, I will get you as many Black Jade Yuan Crystals as you want in the future! Not just those crystals, but every treasure that enhances soul power, I will find a way to get them for you!"

"Ha! You said it yourself! Hahahaha! I'm going to be rich!" The Origin Poison suddenly became invigorated, shooting out of Ji Changkong's body. It glared fiercely at the mountain-sized Demon King floating high in the void, howling maniacally, "Little demon, you're blocking my fortune! Today, I fight you to the death!"

"Don't think just because you're huge you’re great! If I wanted to be bigger, I could be bigger than you!"

One entity the size of a small mountain, the other the size of a palm—everyone present, including Yi Kui and Yi Huoshan, viewed the Origin Poison’s provocation as lighting incense in a latrine—seeking death! They all adopted a grim expression, mentally preparing for the worst, seeing no hope on their side.

Only the Demon King, suspended high above, fell silent after the Origin Poison’s outburst.

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