It was only after Yin Shuang’s description that I finally understood everything that had transpired over the past 25 years.
After the little fellow and I killed the lord of Holy Word Town, the Demon Dragon Empire finally acquired a set of the Phoenix Heaven Battle Armor, along with two sets of Thunder Battle Armor, resulting in a massive surge in their power. However, my unexpected, severe injury and subsequent coma also placed the Demon Dragon Empire in a precarious situation.
Fortunately, the little fellow kept things under control, and furthermore, the Holy Word Church remained uncertain about my fate, while also having to keep an eye on the Moruo Church lurking nearby.
The combination of these factors ultimately deterred the Holy Word Church from making any rash moves.
On the other hand, owing to this battle, the prestige of the Demon Dragon Empire reached its zenith.
Moreover, possessing the Phoenix Heaven Demon Armor and the two sets of Thunder Battle Armor truly equipped the Demon Dragon Empire with the capacity to directly confront the Holy Word Church.
The defeat of the Phoenix Heaven War God also cast doubt upon the Church’s authority. Although many people still feared the Church's immense power, it was no longer the blind dread of the past; after all, the myth of Phoenix Heaven's invincibility had finally been shattered.
In the same year, the Demon Dragon Empire burned down the churches scattered across the Demon Dragon Continent, savagely hunted down the Church’s clergy, and officially declared the Holy Word Church a heretical cult. For a time, rivers of blood flowed, and everyone lived in terror; subsequently, the Holy Word Church’s influence on the Demon Dragon Continent was utterly eradicated.
Not long after, the Demon Dragon Empire abolished the Holy Word Calendar and adopted the Shenli (Divine Calendar) of the ancient Divine Dragon Empire.
It carried the imposing aura of restoring the former glory of the Divine Dragon Empire.
In the fifth month of Shenli Year One, the Demon Dragon Empire dispatched heavy armored warriors into the King’s Forbidden Zone for cultivation, simultaneously searching for the Night Luminous Pearl while training.
In the fourth month of Shenli Year Two, which was ten months after I fell into a coma!
Yin Shuang gave birth to a pair of dragon-phoenix twins.
This was absolutely tremendous news; one could say the Demon Dragon Empire had finally completely escaped the curse of a thin bloodline.
The continent’s populace and military were all overjoyed, and this greatly boosted the morale of Jiuyao Chongyang and the Divine Matron, among others.
What was even more astonishing was that both little ones had completely inherited my Demon Devouring Physique! This discovery sent Jiuyao Chongyang and the others into a frenzy of delight…
The boy was named Jiuyao Xingye!
The girl was named Jiuyao Xingzhan!
When the news spread, the world was shocked; both the Holy Word Alliance and the Moruo Alliance were thrown into utter disarray, gripped by anxiety.
The Demon Devouring God Killer had long become the most terrifying entity on the Mafa Continent!
The previous First Generation Dragon Shadow had almost annihilated the entire Moruo Alliance single-handedly!
And I, a thousand years later, had also made the Moruo and Holy Word factions suffer bitterly.
Now, to have two more appear at once—what was to be done!
All signs indicated that the rise of the Demon Dragon Empire was unstoppable.
The Holy Word Church truly panicked, and the Moruo Church could no longer afford to be preoccupied with other matters.
In order to completely eliminate this menace, the Holy Word Alliance and the Moruo Alliance had no choice but to set aside their mutual prejudices! They actually joined forces to invade the Demon Dragon Empire, determined to annihilate it at any cost, or failing that, at least kill the two children.
It was precisely at this critical juncture that Ji Du and the others, who were inside the Forbidden Zone, had to prematurely exit their seclusion, despite not having completed their cultivation. They donned the Phoenix Heaven Demon Armor, becoming the Demon Dragon Empire’s strongest Phoenix Heaven War Gods. Along with them emerged Yue Yao and Luohou, who were heavy armored warriors that had entered the Forbidden Zone later.
With Luohou and Yue Yao wearing the two sets of Thunder Battle Armor, coupled with the more than twenty remaining heavy armored warriors from the Demon Dragon Empire, and with the little fellow’s assistance, the masters from the invading Holy Word and Moruo Churches were ultimately defeated.
It was also in that battle that the terrifying power of the little fellow, as the Empire’s Guardian Divine Beast, became known to outsiders for the first time.
The two remaining Phoenix Heaven War Gods from the Moruo Church, ten Thunder Generals, and twelve Blazing Flame Magic Gods and twelve Radiance Daoists—none of them could gain any advantage against the little fellow and were forced to flee in defeat.
But even so, the losses on the Church’s side were devastatingly heavy! Two Phoenix Heaven War Gods were severely wounded; without the aid of Town Return Scrolls, they might have perished in the Demon Dragon Empire.
Furthermore, two Thunder Generals, two Blazing Flame Magic Gods, and two Radiance Daoists were killed by the little fellow! Six heavy armored warriors fell. This battle truly made the little fellow famous throughout the world.
One could say that within Demon Dragon City, the little fellow was absolutely an invincible existence!
Thereafter, the little fellow acquired a terrifying title that caused everyone to speak its name with dread—the Dark Crimson Moon Demon!
The outside world knew nothing of the little fellow’s origins, yet its form was identical to the legendary Crimson Moon Demon, but its strength far surpassed it. To distinguish it from the original, the little fellow was dubbed the Dark Crimson Moon Demon.
I wonder what its reaction would be if it knew!
That utterly tragic battle also inflicted heavy casualties upon the Demon Dragon Empire!
Yin Chi, Yin Yao, Bai Lou, Bai Zhan, Chi Xiang, Chi Yu, Tu Yao, Mu Yao, and Shui Yao died on the spot! Ji Du, Luohou, Yue Yao, Jin Yao, and others were severely wounded.
Following this battle, both the Holy Word and Moruo factions completely abandoned any thought of invading the Demon Dragon Empire.
The terrifying might of the little fellow far exceeded their imagination! As long as it was present, they dared not dream of conquering Demon Dragon City, and even had to guard against a fierce counterattack from the Demon Dragon Empire!
However, the severe injuries suffered by Ji Du, Luohou, and Yue Yao, as well as the deaths of Yin Chi, Yin Yao, Mu Yao, and others, meant the Demon Dragon Empire was utterly incapable of capitalizing on the situation to launch a counteroffensive.
Both sides were forced to cease hostilities there.
On the other hand, as a precaution, Jiuyao Chongyang and the Divine Matron decided to send the two little ones into the newly constructed training base within the King’s Forbidden Zone.
They would wait until the children were sensible enough before Ji Du would teach them martial arts cultivation!
The Mafa Continent ushered in another rare period of peace.
Yet everyone knew clearly that an ultimate battle between the Holy Word, Moruo, and Demon Dragon factions was inevitable.
Therefore, mutual vigilance prevailed, and both sides strived to accumulate sufficient combat power.
They also implemented a series of corresponding measures.
Due to the deaths of Yin Chi, Yin Yao, and others, the Demon Dragon Empire’s ranks of heavy armored warriors suffered significant vacancies. To fill these gaps, Jiuyao Chongyang drew large numbers of promising young warriors from the royal family, the Black Flag Army, and the Ranger World to cultivate in the King’s Forbidden Zone. This contingent included Mo Hui, Mo Cha, Ji Du’s niece Jiuyao Shenru, Crown Prince Shen Xu, nine elite disciples from the three major tribes, and outstanding warriors like Tong Lei and Qing Long. A total of forty-nine individuals were selected to be cultivated as successors to the next generation of heavy armored warriors for the Demon Dragon Empire.
On the other side, the Churches also adopted similar measures. After opening up the Hall of Confusion, Hellfire, and Death Temple, the Churches conscripted large numbers of elite masters to cultivate within these locations.
Coinciding with the activation of the Hall of Confusion, Hellfire, and Death Temple, ancient magic, various ultimate combat skills, and Taoist techniques left behind from the ancient era were successively discovered.
It could be said that during this period, magic, Taoist arts, and combat techniques on the Mafa Continent advanced by leaps and bounds at an astonishing pace.
The entire continent seemed to have returned to the peak era of the Divine Dragon Empire.
Similarly, the cultivation results from the Forbidden Zone’s Dark Hall astonished many! Those who trained within saw their strength increase at an astonishingly rapid rate.
Many broke through limits that had previously seemed insurmountable.
Compared to masters of the same level who had not undergone training in the Dark Hall or the Forbidden Zone!
They were clearly much stronger.
However, completing the full assessment of the Forbidden Zone Dark Hall was not an easy task, so for a long time, no true Dark Hall Warriors or Forbidden Zone Warriors were ever produced.
Six years later, Xingye and Xingzhan began their training under Ji Du.
In terms of innate physique, the two little ones were far superior to me, and their comprehension was equally astonishing. Coupled with the effective instruction from Ji Du and others, the progress of the two little ones in their cultivation could only be described as terrifying.
Mastered Basic Swordsmanship at age eight! Achieved Assault Sword Qi at age nine! Mastered Assassination Swordsmanship at age eleven! Mastered the Half-Moon Scimitar at age twelve! Mastered Savage Charge 1 at age thirteen! Mastered Blazing Fire Sword Technique at age fourteen! Reached the peak of Crimson Moon at age fifteen! Comprehended the Eye of Death at age sixteen! And became a Heavenly Demon Warrior! This year was Shenli Year Seventeen. And in this year, another major event occurred that would completely change the structure of the entire continent.
The Bich and Cangyue Empires formed an alliance and announced their secession from the Holy Word Church.
The Holy Word Church was immensely enraged and immediately launched a purge!
To prevent the Demon Dragon Empire from taking advantage of the situation, the two Churches committed almost all their available forces!
The lineup was incredibly powerful!
One must remember that the strength of Heavy Armored Warriors, Thunder Generals, Blazing Flame Magic Gods, and Radiance Daoists who had trained in the Dark Hall was far superior to their counterparts of the same level who had not.
Everyone believed that the decision by the royal houses of Bich and Cangyue was utterly overestimating their strength—like an egg striking a stone.
However, the final outcome shocked everyone.
The Church’s heavy armored warriors met with tenacious resistance from the Bich and Cangyue nations.
Facing the vastly strengthened Bich Empire and Cangyue Empire, the Church was horrified to discover that the heavy armored warriors of Bich and Cangyue were absurdly powerful, certainly not inferior to the Church’s Dark Hall Warriors.
It was only later learned that seventeen years prior, Bich had discovered the location of the Scorpion Worm Nest, and the two nations had secretly formed a defensive and offensive pact, dispatching elite warriors to train in the Dark Hall.
Warriors who had undergone Dark Hall training were evenly matched in combat strength, but Bich and Cangyue had planned meticulously while the Church acted carelessly, nearly suffering a major loss.
Fortunately, the Holy Word Church, possessing Phoenix Heaven War Gods, Blazing Flame Magic Gods, Thunder Generals, and Radiance Daoists, still held the absolute upper hand.
It was at this critical moment that Ji Du, Yue Yao, and Luohou from the Demon Dragon Empire arrived, finally saving the Bich and Cangyue nations from crisis.
However, the Holy Word Church, having been prepared, did not prolong the fight and immediately retreated.
It seemed they had been terrified by the ambush!
It turned out that this entire scenario was an alliance secretly forged by the Demon Dragon, Cangyue, and Bich nations, aiming to eliminate the Church and restore the imperial era where monarchical power reigned supreme.
From that point on, the structure of the Mafa Continent underwent another dramatic transformation.
Following the Demon Dragon Empire, the Bich and Cangyue nations finally broke free from the Church’s control and became independent empires.
The Holy Word Church was utterly reduced to a solitary commander.
Nevertheless, as the Holy Word Church still controlled the Sacred Domain, the Hall of Confusion, and Hellfire, it retained considerable power.
This prevented the Bich, Demon Dragon, and Cangyue Empires from taking any rash action.
The situation once again entered a stalemate.
The scene was extremely chaotic; the previously adversarial Holy Word and Moruo factions became allies.
While the Demon Dragon, Bich, and Cangyue—who had previously been treated as manipulated puppets—became their sworn enemies.
The vicissitudes of fate were truly unpredictable.
The struggle between the divine authority of the two major Church factions on the continent shifted into a direct confrontation between monarchical authority and divine authority.
One could say this was the inevitable course of history.
The divine authority camp, unified by Moruo and Holy Word, stood against the monarchical authority alliance camp, composed of the Demon Dragon, Cangyue, and Bich.
The Mafa Continent thus entered a historical era of contention between monarchical and divine powers.
Despite this, the strength of both sides was roughly equal, meaning neither dared to make a move rashly.
This situation persisted for a long period.
In Shenli Year Eighteen, the two little ones had attained the strength required to challenge the King’s Forbidden Zone!
Because they inherited my physique, they also possessed the innate Dragon Transformation Body, which allowed them to utilize the Dragon Shadow from my Dragon Shadow Sword with ease and skill.
Perhaps due to the shared physique and bloodline, they were equally unafraid of the counter-assault from the Crimson Blood Sword Spirit, and through the memory inheritance of the Crimson Blood Sword Spirit, the two little ones had mastered almost all of my skills.
The Nine Heavens Star River Sword Technique, Lightning Sword Technique, Hundred Battles Saber Technique, Thunder Battle Qi, Lion’s Roar Transformation, Mutated Dragon Shadow—all my signature skills were mastered by them!
One could say the two little ones were virtually my replicas.
No! They were more accurately described as enhanced versions of my replicas.
In Ji Du’s words, this represented the perfect warrior in the truest sense!
Be it speed, strength, awareness, technique, or spirit, they had achieved a state of perfection!
Ji Du believed that with their cultivation level, they were certain to complete the cultivation in the King’s Forbidden Zone and become true Forbidden Zone Warriors!
Indeed, the facts proved Ji Du correct.
In Shenli Year Twenty-Four,
Xingye and Xingzhan, at the age of twenty-three, utilizing their formidable power, completed the ultimate assessment of the King’s Forbidden Zone and became genuine Forbidden Zone Warriors.
This news was undoubtedly exhilarating.
Upon leaving the Forbidden Zone, Xingye took over Ji Du’s Phoenix Heaven Demon Armor, becoming the Demon Dragon Empire’s Phoenix Heaven War God.
Xingzhan replaced the deceased Shui Yao’s Sacred War Armor, becoming the Shui Yao among the Jiuyao.
However, it was regrettable that despite over twenty years of searching, the legendary Night Luminous Pearl, rumored to exist within the King’s Forbidden Zone, remained unfound.
Nevertheless, the emergence of Xingye and Xingzhan caused the Demon Dragon Empire’s fighting power to surge dramatically.
Just as the Demon Dragon Empire was ambitiously planning to launch an attack on the Churches,
A shocking piece of news arrived!