Beneath the earth! When Yan Cangtian, with a single sword, ventured alone into the depths to defeat Ren Du—crushing all demons single-handedly—he determined that the deepest part of the underworld lay a staggering thirty thousand zhang beneath the surface. This alone marked a descent of thirty thousand zhang, and the subterranean world itself was vast beyond measure, a labyrinth of countless twists and turns.

It could be said that the underworld was practically the largest maze beneath the entire landmass. Deep within this underground realm was a sanctuary for the demon race, known as Demonic Wood Cliff. This Demonic Wood Cliff was the most mysterious of all demon strongholds.

In all of history, the Demon Wood Cliff had only been assaulted twice. The sinister dread of Demonic Wood Cliff had long since become a legend. Demonic Wood Cliff was, by its very nature, the sacred ground of the demons.

All authority flowed from Demonic Wood Cliff, spreading its influence in every direction. Each generation of Demon Sacred Emperors favored a different style, but the current one, Oriental Yao, had retained the architectural tastes of his predecessor. The palace built upon Demonic Wood Cliff remained the Sole Dominion Palace.

This palace was constructed with breathtaking dominance; the entire structure coiled like some colossal, primordial beast, forcing any viewer to gasp in fear at a single glance. Behind the Sole Dominion Palace lay an alley called Green Bamboo Lane, densely populated with emerald bamboo stalks. Beyond countless bamboo stalks rested the Lotus Flower Residence, within which lay a pond of jade-green water, the Lotus Pond, blooming with pink lotus flowers amidst countless green lily pads.

Truly, The leaves of the connecting lotus are endlessly green, the reflected sun makes the facing flowers appear uniquely red. Oriental Yao, clad in robes the color of pale rose, stood with his hands clasped behind his back before this Lotus Pond. The injuries sustained in his battle with Chu Duan had healed about eighty percent, yet Oriental Yao remained deeply perplexed.

Chu Duan, the one who could cleave the sky with a sword, was undoubtedly strong, but by all rational measure, Chu Duan should not have been his match, especially now that Oriental Yao had mastered the True Elixir of the Lotus Flower. After all, mastering the True Elixir of the Lotus Flower required one to exist in a state of being neither male nor female, achieving the status of the Three Altars Confluence, neither demon nor fiend, neither mortal nor immortal. Once mastered, while he might not surpass the uniquely brilliant Yan Cangtian, defeating Chu Duan should not have been difficult.

Why, then, had he lost to Chu Duan? Since the incident at Mount Hua, Oriental Yao had been grappling with this very question. As Oriental Yao pondered, powerful, resonant footsteps approached from behind.

Oriental Yao frowned slightly. “Who is it?” A surge of annoyance rose in him; no one was permitted entry to his Lotus Residence without his express permission, yet footsteps were now undeniable. “It is I.” The voice was resonant, carrying an aura of unparalleled dominance.

Oriental Yao spun around abruptly and beheld a figure that shocked him to his core. It was an imposing, rugged giant of a man. This man was exceptionally tall, his physique immensely sturdy, like a mountain, like the sea; standing there, he resembled a colossal giant standing proudly above heaven and earth.

Oriental Yao shuddered uncontrollably. “You—you were supposed to be dead?” “I did not die; I still live.” The imposing, rough-hewn man laughed heartily. “You took advantage of my moment of weakness after being struck down by Yan Cangtian’s sword to slay me and usurp my position.

Though I was taken by surprise, and that strike should have killed me, fortunately for me, I was born with the power of nine lives, so I could not perish.” Oriental Yao sneered. “The power of nine lives?” He couldn’t help but scoff. No one in this world had ever heard of such a thing.

Ren Du had never revealed the reason, likely because it was his ultimate trump card. As Oriental Yao spoke, he subtly activated an incantation. Ren Du laughed heartily.

“You must have been summoning your Oriental Seventy-Two Guards just now. With their unique formation, trapping me for a short while would not be difficult. Unfortunately for you, I have already reorganized my Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits of the Sole Dominion.” “They cannot aid you now.” If his opponent had been anyone else, Oriental Yao would have had other moves, such as calling upon the current Three Great Demon Kings.

But facing Ren Du, the previous Demon Sacred Emperor, those cards were useless. Oriental Yao gave an easy smile. “Very well, let me see how much progress the Old Sacred Emperor has made these past years.” Oriental Yao’s sleeve flickered, and the formless, quality-less Needles of Shadowless Passage shot out.

These needles were tiny, invisible, and blindingly fast—truly superlative instruments of harm. “Clang!” Ren Du erupted in a blaze of dark light, clearly protected by a demonic artifact. Oriental Yao’s speed of attack was unmatched across the world; perhaps no one alive could rival his current velocity.

The old tactic against Oriental Yao was to rely on magical treasures for defense, striking before the artifacts broke. However, this required artifacts of extremely high quality, meaning confronting Oriental Yao was essentially a contest of who could burn more resources. Chu Duan, as the head of the foremost immortal sect in Jin State, could certainly afford to burn resources.

However, in the cultivation world, few could sustain such expenditure. Ren Du had vanished for many years; he probably couldn't afford this kind of spending anymore. A smile touched the corner of Ren Du’s lips.

Relying on the demonic artifact’s power to close the distance, he suddenly conjured a hand out of thin air. As this hand reached for him, Oriental Yao prepared to retreat—retreating was never difficult for one whose speed was supreme. But at that moment, he found his vital energy in chaos; he was caught firmly in the grasp of the Heaven-Seizing Palm.

Bang! Ren Du’s left fist slammed heavily into Oriental Yao’s body. Oriental Yao’s defensive power was not remarkable.

Taking the full force of the blow, he coughed up a mouthful of blood, his complexion becoming even more vividly flushed. “I’m poisoned?” Oriental Yao asked in disbelief. “Is there any poison in this world that can incapacitate me?” “You are not poisoned.” Ren Du shook his head.

“It’s just that the technique you practiced from the start was flawed. The True Elixir of the Lotus Flower I left behind—you thought I didn't cultivate it because it required being neither male nor female? That was a grave mistake.

That was the final trap I laid for you. After you were defeated by Yan Cangtian’s sword, eager to increase your strength to challenge him again, you ruthlessly mastered the True Elixir of the Lotus Flower, and in doing so, you fell into my scheme. This so-called True Elixir of the Lotus Flower is not the Elixir at all; it is the Gown-Changing Divine Art.” The Gown-Changing Divine Art!

Indeed, there existed a cultivation method in the world closely resembling the True Elixir of the Lotus Flower: the Gown-Changing Divine Art. The True Elixir of the Lotus Flower required one to be neither male nor female. The Gown-Changing Divine Art required a man to dress as a woman, also existing in a state of being neither male nor female.

Both were peerless divine arts, treasures capable of stabilizing an era. However, the two techniques possessed a profound difference. The True Elixir of the Lotus Flower could elevate one’s personal strength to unfathomable heights, making them nearly invincible.

But the Gown-Changing Divine Art allowed the practitioner to cultivate immense power only to eventually transfer it all to another—a perfect realization of the saying, ‘to make a wedding dress for another.’ Oriental Yao murmured, “I finally understand why, after cultivating the True Elixir of the Lotus Flower, I was defeated by Chu Duan. It turns out this was the Gown-Changing Divine Art, and you intend to absorb my cultivation for your own use?” “Precisely.” Ren Du roared with laughter. “I must thank the cultivation of the Gown-Changing Divine Art for making your mind somewhat erratic; otherwise, plotting against you would have been truly difficult.

But now that your Gown-Changing Divine Art serves me, my power will surge. When that happens, I will defeat Chu Duan and Zhou Qingxuan on your behalf, become the preeminent figure in Jin State, and establish a true Demon Kingdom, perhaps even rivaling the Demon Civilization of the Central Celestial Dynasty.” The true power of the Central Celestial Dynasty lay in its distinct civilizations—the Demon Civilization, the Sword Civilization, the Sorcery Civilization, and so forth. The Central Celestial Dynasty was truly a dynasty that unified the myriad civilizations of the world.

“Now, you can die, Oriental Yao!” Mount Hua, North Peak. Hunting Sky-Dragons in the snowy mountains during deep winter was quite a pleasure. Sky-Dragon meat stew was among the top five delicacies of all the wild fowl on Mount Hua.

Naturally, Lu Yuan’s favorite remained dog meat. As the saying goes, ‘Twice-simmered dog meat could tempt an immortal out of his ascetic life.’ Lu Yuan held his wine flask, gazing at the snow-covered Mount Hua, wondering idly what he should do next—chase a dog or hunt a Sky-Dragon. Since the New Year was approaching, the North Peak was livelier than usual.

The sword immortals, elders, and disciples descending the mountain had mostly returned, leaving only a handful behind. Just as Lu Yuan was contemplating his next activity, a sweet, delicate voice called from outside his door: “Is Senior Brother Lu here?” Hearing this voice, Lu Yuan instantly felt the urge to flee in disarray. Who was at his door?

It was the current Eleventh Junior Sister, Lin Yixing, the one who had replaced Sima Bo as a true disciple. The reason Lu Yuan turned pale at her name was her incessant questioning; she always arrived with a torrent of inquiries. She was only at the fifth level of Qi Condensation, and Lu Yuan could easily answer her cultivation questions, but there were just too many of them.

Lu Yuan’s nature was lazy; he had no desire to answer so many queries, making him constantly want to escape. Alas, she had come calling now; it seemed he was destined to serve as a free question repository. Thus, he was helpless.

Lu Yuan pushed open the door, and the round-faced Lin Yixing stood sweetly waiting outside. “Senior Brother Lu, Martial Uncle Fang Ru has instructed that everyone gather at the Cloud Mist Palace’s Cloud Cuisine Hall. He said it is the Minor New Year, and we should have a reunion feast.” That explained it.

Lu Yuan relaxed and accompanied Lin Yixing toward the Cloud Cuisine Hall. Along the way, Lin Yixing continuously peppered him with questions about the cultivation world, to which Lu Yuan offered casual replies. Finally arriving at the Cloud Cuisine Hall, the atmosphere inside was excellent.

Everyone greeted him warmly as he arrived, and Lu Yuan returned their greetings one by one. The North Peak’s current strength was unprecedentedly weak. The strongest publicly acknowledged figure was Fang Ru, and the hidden figures in the Cloud Immortal Realm totaled only six at the Great Dao realm.

Despite their current frailty, their camaraderie was exceptional; if they worked together, the North Peak would inevitably regain its strength. Lu Yuan settled into a corner seat. A moment later, Martial Uncle Ye Yangrong arrived, flying in on his sword.

“A major event has occurred! A major event has occurred!” For Martial Uncle Ye Yangrong, who had seen countless storms, to shout about a catastrophe, the matter must be truly grave. Ye Yangrong announced loudly, “The Demon Sacred Emperor, Oriental Yao, is dead!” What!

The Demon Sacred Emperor Oriental Yao is dead! Who did it? They couldn’t definitively ascertain the culprit in the end; he had simply died under bizarre circumstances.

After some discussion, everyone concluded that under the current circumstances, the most likely action for Mount Hua and the Five Great Immortal Sects would be to dispatch forces one by one into the underworld.