Black manacles materialized upon his body, cinching tight, preventing any further expansion. Behind him, an immense figure coalesced—a towering silhouette, easily ten thousand zhang tall, wielding a massive battle-ax, possessing the head of an ox...

Upon seeing this phantom, every Minotaur—whether from the Jiuli Tower, Tarym, or Tagri—dropped to their knees. Their synchronized genuflection, the bowing of ten thousand Minotaurs at once, sent tremors through the very earth, an imposing spectacle akin to the heavens tearing apart.

Their faces were etched with reverence, yet beneath the awe lay a surging tide of excitement. Even Jiuli Tower, usually composed, was alight with fervor.

That figure, ten thousand zhang high, looming like a mountain, was none other than the Great Demon God Chiyou, the colossal figure who once dominated the Primordial Era.

He was a being that transcended Demon Kings, Demon Emperors, and Demon Sovereigns. Even as a mere apparition, he radiated enough might to subdue every Minotaur. This was the God of their hearts, the True God, the Only God.

The Minotaur race had always been one of the weaker factions among the demons. However, with the emergence of the Demon God Chiyou, during those ancient epochs, the Minotaurs became the supreme power in the entire Demon Realm. They ruled absolutely, and under Chiyou’s command, they had slain countless Celestial Gods, nearly conquering the Three Realms of Humans, Gods, and Demons to become their ultimate overlords.

That was their most glorious history, the honor they perpetually yearned for.

Every Minotaur bore the indelible memory of that golden age; deep within the core of every Minotaur was buried profound reverence for Chiyou. Every one of them aspired to witness their race rise again.

For generations, their sole objective had been the awakening of the Demon Venerable Chiyou. They held an unwavering belief that their God had not truly perished.

Now, seeing the Demon God of their lineage once more, how could they not be moved? How could they not be ecstatic?

In the void, the majestic Demon God swept his cold gaze over the tens of thousands of Minotaurs below, then lingered upon the black banner, finally settling on Ye Jingyu. Though just an illusory shadow, the sheer, oppressive aura held Ye Jingyu breathless.

Is this the pressure of a Demon God? A body ten thousand zhang high—what grandeur! A casual step must be capable of crushing a mountain, right?

Beneath that authoritative gaze, Ye Jingyu fought the trembling in his body, the fierce power drawn from the Bàyuán Jué stubbornly holding him upright, refusing to let him kneel.

After what felt like an eternity, until the cold sweat on Ye Jingyu’s back had soaked his clothes, the phantom’s gaze finally shifted. It transformed into a stream of blood-black energy that surged directly into Chi Yixiu’s body.

Immediately, Chi Yixiu's physique began to swell again. Each time he neared the point of collapse, those black iron chains would materialize, locking down his flesh, preventing total disintegration, while the immense energy continuously tempered his body.

Through this cycle of tension and release, his body managed to grow to five zhang in height. Finally, even the chains began to show fissures before the growth ceased. Yet, the vast reservoir of power continued to swirl, eventually manifesting as two enormous horns erupting atop Chi Yixiu’s head...

Everyone stared blankly at Chi Yixiu, now over five zhang tall, muscles bulging, his eyes still somewhat clouded, with streaks of black light flickering above his brow.

Especially the Minotaurs of the Jiuli Tower—they were utterly bewildered. What had happened? He was supposed to be the sacrifice, so how could he suddenly inherit the power of the Great Demon God? They had witnessed the Demon God’s apparition dissolve its essence into his body!

The Great Demon God belonged to the Minotaur race; how could he bestow his power upon a human? Without the proper bloodline, how could this be possible? What was truly occurring?

Ye Jingyu and Liang Xiaoke were equally confused. Why did Chi Yixiu suddenly inherit the phantom’s power? And that power was so potent, instantly elevating his strength to the Fifth Heaven realm? Perhaps his physical form could barely contain it? Why was this happening?

Amidst their confusion, Ye Jingyu and Liang Xiaoke felt a wave of dread. Upon seeing that phantom towering ten thousand zhang, they knew exactly who he was. If he truly managed to possess Chi Yixiu’s body and consume his soul, they would be utterly helpless.

But faced with the phantom’s previous display of world-dominating majesty, even Ye Jingyu dared not make a move.

After an indeterminate time—perhaps just a quarter of an hour, perhaps several hours—the vacant look in Chi Yixiu’s eyes suddenly sharpened with clarity. His massive head turned toward Ye Jingyu, and his huge mouth parted slightly: "I am Chi Yixiu..."

Still direct, still simple. Ye Jingyu and Liang Xiaoke, and even Hu Yanqi and the others below the altar, all breathed a collective sigh of relief. It truly was Chi Yixiu; he was unharmed.

At this moment, the Minotaurs in the crowd began to stir restlessly. They still could not comprehend why their Demon God had chosen a human.

"Jiuli Tower, do you know why, after inheriting the position of Clan Leader, you must prefix your surname with 'Jiuli'?" Seeing the warriors murmuring below, Chi Yixiu suddenly looked at Jiuli Tower, who stood on the ground nearly his own height, and spoke calmly.

"Hm?" Jiuli Tower was startled.

"Because 'Jiuli' is the surname of the Great Demon Venerable Chiyou, and our Chi Yi Clan was originally named 'Jiuli'..." Chi Yixiu stated plainly.

Hearing Chi Yixiu’s words, many Minotaurs looked baffled. But Jiuli Tower, the Clan Leader, experienced a profound shock. The Chi Yi Clan were descendants of the Jiuli lineage? This meant that, aside from his own clan members, the Demon Venerable Chiyou had left behind another bloodline in the Human Realm...

Sensing the surging power within Chi Yixiu, feeling the mighty aura belonging to the Demon Venerable Chiyou, and gazing upon the black light that had not yet been absorbed and had instead formed horns, Jiuli Tower lowered his massive head once more. He understood: regardless of whether the Great Demon Venerable Chiyou was truly alive or not, the person before him was the successor to the Great Demon Venerable Chiyou.

Since he was the successor of the Great Demon Venerable, he was the new hope for the Minotaur race. Even though he was currently only at the Fifth Grade realm, once he could fully assimilate those pair of horns, his strength would smoothly break through the Ninth Grade, reaching the realm of a Demon King...

Watching their Clan Leader bow before Chi Yixiu, all the Minotaurs, though full of doubt, followed suit and deeply prostrated themselves. The same thought flashed through their minds: Could this be the new king of our race?

(The three chapters from yesterday were uploaded before 9:30 PM; my computer showed them immediately, but my phone did not display them until later in the evening after I contacted the editor who was offline earlier. I ask that you refrain from abusive language; I was just as anxious seeing them delayed as everyone else! This is not an excuse, merely an explanation of the delay. Those who doubt me can check on a computer to see when they first appeared!)