That was a magnificent fortress floating in the Void of the Demon Realm, easily ten thousand li in diameter. It was a colossal war bastion capable of crushing anything in its path.

This gargantuan structure, imbued with the somber and domineering aesthetic of the High Demons, was one of only three ever constructed throughout the countless ages of demonic history. Each one demanded an inexhaustible supply of resources. They served not only as fortresses but also as expeditionary bases.

It was through the might of these formidable war fortresses, coupled with limitless legions, that the High Demons conquered the cosmos—demanding subjugation or annihilation, or greedily plundering any resource deemed valuable.

Aedro, one of the three Demon Emperors, stood at the pinnacle of the High Demon’s Integration Stage, ranked among the ten greatest masters across the Three Realms.

He, representing the Demon Realm, had served as one of the chief commanders of the unified Three Realms Expeditionary Force hundreds of thousands of years prior. This Allied Force comprised the Celestial, Demonic, and Spirit races.

After innumerable years of mutual warfare that severely depleted the vitality of all sides, none possessed the true strength to utterly extinguish the others. Consequently, in the later stages of the Ancient War, the Three Realms began moving toward unification. Forming a united army to conquer the Barren World and share the spoils of war signaled a truce, marking the dawn of a new era.

However, the Barren World proved far from easy to subdue. The supreme beings revered by the native races as Ancestor Gods possessed an indescribable power and boundless creativity. The races they forged were brimming with bizarre and ingenious concepts, making them incredibly formidable in combat. Over the long span of hundreds of millennia, the Allied Force suffered countless devastating lessons at their hands.

Fortunately, with a steady stream of reinforcements arriving from the Three Realms, the Unified Expeditionary Force gradually secured a foothold in the Barren World after paying a heavy toll. Through repeated conflicts, they managed to exhaust the power accumulated by the Ancestor Gods, driving him now to the very brink.

Soon, it was believed, the Three Realms Expeditionary Force would complete its mission and seize dominion over the resource-rich Barren World. The sheer power of the Ancestor God gave the overlords of the Three Realms ample reason to believe that exceptionally precious Chaos Primordial Essence existed here.

Lesser races and rank-and-file soldiers were ignorant of the true worth of the Chaos Primordial Essence; only the super-experts below the peak Integration Stage understood its rarity and value. It was the key to whether they could shatter the limits of biological evolution and achieve the supreme status of existing eternally alongside heaven and earth. More critically, it was the most vital resource required to follow the Three Realms Supremes, successfully endure the Great Tribulation of Heavenly Reincarnation, and survive until the next cosmic genesis.

This explained the absolute obsession of the Three Realms Supremes and those super-experts capable of perceiving the majesty of the Heavenly Dao and the Tribulation of Reincarnation with the Chaos Qi and Primordial Essence. It justified waging wars of extermination and sacrificing countless troops without hesitation.

Because, in this existence, nothing held greater meaning or importance than one's own potential for eternal immortality, or even transcending the cycle of reincarnation. The countless subordinates lost were mere fodder.

...

Lei Dong transformed into the Giant Strength Demon King, Zagu, donning Zagu’s battle armor and gripping the Great Demon Sword. He charged menacingly into this Demon Emperor-level expeditionary fortress. Beneath the massive arched gateway, seemingly forged from the bones of countless powerful enemies, a rotating squad of Demon Generals and Soldiers instantly knelt in terror upon seeing Zagu’s transformed figure exhibiting an unstable demeanor. “Greetings, Giant Strength Demon King. Welcome back, Lord Zagu.”

Having absorbed Zagu’s memories, Lei Dong naturally knew the Giant Strength Demon King was known for his volatile temper and impulsive nature, often slaughtering innocent generals and soldiers on a whim, and that within this Demon Emperor Fortress, he held considerable status.

Without hesitation, he slapped the Void Refinement guarding officer flying, roaring with exceptional ferocity, “Are you mocking me? Where are those incompetent subordinates who dared retreat while I was engaged in single combat with the enemy general?”

The guard, struck down, dared not utter a single complaint. He immediately prostrated himself, trembling, “Lord Zagu, your direct subordinates are currently garrisoned within your Giant Strength Demon King Palace, awaiting your judgment.”

The High Demon population was extremely sparse; the entire Demon Realm possessed only just over ten thousand individuals. Yet, they were the masters of the Demon Realm. The reason was simple: power. Setting aside the Demon Realm Supremes, among the ten thousand High Demons, there were a full three Sovereigns at the peak of the Integration Stage. Furthermore, there were over one hundred individuals ranging from the early to late Integration Stages.

High Demons had very low birth rates, but upon reaching adulthood, they were certain to attain the Soul Transformation Stage, and the Void Refinement Stage was generally a highly achievable goal. Of course, no race could guarantee cultivation to the Integration Stage—not even the High Demons. Those who reached it were the absolute elite of their kind, each having lived for at least hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions or tens of millions of years—ancient monsters. Thus, the more than one hundred Integration Stage experts represented a long accumulation.

For the vast majority of races, reaching the Integration Stage essentially meant achieving the goal of existing as long as heaven and earth. Unless felled by extraordinary circumstances, they could live until the moment the cosmos itself perished. Across the entire Three Realms, fewer than five hundred beings possessed Integration Stage strength, and only ten reached the pinnacle of that stage.

Within this Three Realms Unified Expeditionary Force, nearly one hundred Integration Stage experts were deployed, assigned to the direct command of their respective realms. Among the Demon Realm’s contingent, there were only about thirty Integration Stage experts, with just over ten belonging to the High Demons. This attested to the high status of the Giant Strength Demon King; when throwing a tantrum, he could even execute a Void Refinement general without anyone daring to object.

Lei Dong projected an image of extreme foul temper, and after viciously kicking the Void Refinement general aside, he channeled the massive, potent aura derived from the memories, heading towards his own residence: the Giant Strength Demon King Palace.

Upon arriving at the entrance of his palace, Lei Dong saw more than a dozen of the Giant Strength Demon King’s subordinate Void Refinement Generals, including two High Demons, all kneeling in a neat line at the doorway, awaiting their lord’s arrival.

Demonic commanders always subdued their subordinates through sheer force. The powerful ascended, while the weak depended on the strong for survival. These dozen-plus Void Refinement Generals, including the four already killed by Lei Dong, were the direct subordinates the Giant Strength Demon King had amassed over many years.

“Hmph!” Lei Dong landed on the high platform, letting out a dissatisfied, angry snort.

“Greetings, Master.” Those Void Refinement Generals were visibly unnerved. After all, they had just suffered a humiliating rout and fled.

“You truly have the audacity,” Lei Dong growled, mimicking the roar of the Giant Strength Demon King, unleashing his immense divine sense downward in pressure. “You failed in battle and dared to flee? You have utterly disgraced my prestige.”

“Your subordinates failed in battle; we beg for your punishment, Master,” the group of Void Refinement Generals stated in unison. They had followed the Giant Strength Demon King for a long time and knew his temperament well; daring to contradict him now would only lead to further suffering.

“Hmph, I see you know your place. I am currently in dire need of personnel, so I shall spare your lives this time. Each of you will receive one hundred lashes as self-inflicted punishment, and we will consider the matter settled. If there is a next time, I will rip out your primordial spirits and burn you alive with Nether Flames,” Lei Dong shrieked viciously, mimicking the Demon King’s brutal demeanor.

“Thank you for your chastisement, Master.” Relief washed over the Void Refinement Generals. One hundred lashes, though agonizing, was certainly preferable to death. In truth, despite his cruelty, the Giant Strength Demon King was considered relatively moderate among the Demon Kings; there were far more ruthless, bloodthirsty, and perverse individuals.

After dismissing the group of subordinates, Lei Dong was about to step into the Demon King Hall to take a look around. According to Zagu’s memories, the Demon King kept quite a few treasures stored in the secret internal chamber of the Hall.

At that moment, two figures flew in from the sky.

Even before they landed, a voice, outwardly cheerful but laced with deep malice, called out, “Zagu, I hear you suffered a defeat and returned. Would you like your brother to bring my men and help you get revenge?”

Though Lei Dong heard this voice for the first time, Zagu’s absorbed memories identified him immediately. This was another Integration Stage Demon King under the same Demon Emperor as Lei Dong—Emperor Aedro—and also a High Demon.

This Demon was named Phosius. Like Zagu, he reveled in slaughter and was inherently cruel. However, he was far more cunning than Zagu, often knowing how to avoid the strongest points of resistance. Despite sharing the same cultivation level, Phosius managed his affairs better than Zagu, commanding dozens of Demon Generals and one hundred thousand Demon Soldiers.

Moreover, Phosius was quite lecherous, finding a way to capture and torture female beings of any race to death.

To return to Zagu’s memories: virtually all High Demons were inherently brutal and bloodthirsty, fond of rivers of carnage, with few exceptions. What slightly surprised Lei Dong was that despite Phosius’s venomous words, he didn't seem to be there purely to mock. He and Zagu were considered sworn brothers, having shared life and death countless times.

“Phosius, you came to gloat over me, didn’t you?” Although he knew better internally, Lei Dong deliberately spoke with a muffled, discontented tone.

“How could I, my brother.” Phosius, also a High Demon, landed next to Lei Dong and chuckled, “I came to console you. I’ve brought you fine wine brewed from the blood of virgin Butterfly People—my most prized possession. How about that, am I a true brother?”

Lei Dong felt a pang of distaste, but his expression softened. “Phosius, and Infeed, you’ve arrived at the perfect time. I suffered a major loss this time, and I need you both to help me get vengeance.”

For more novels, visit storyread.net.