Ye Jingyu looked up at the phantom figure, utterly bewildered, and the phantom figure looked back at him with equal confusion, seemingly both perplexed as to why the previously aggressive individual had suddenly dropped to his knees.

"Are you Zhurong, the God of Fire?" Ye Jingyu projected his divine sense directly into the fiery red phantom.

"I don't know either. I haven't materialized a true body yet, having lost much of my memory. Apart from combat instincts and some cultivation techniques, I recall nothing else," the divine sense from the fiery red phantom flowed into Ye Jingyu's sea of consciousness.

Ye Jingyu's eyes rolled back, nearly causing him to faint. What was this? He didn't know? Could 'I don't know' really dismiss Black Nether Tyrant? However, his mind swiftly recalled the sliver of divine consciousness that had once imparted the Twelve Heavenly Witches Extermination Grand Array to him. It seemed, perhaps, that consciousness had mentioned the Twelve Heavenly Witches Extermination Grand Array was derived from the condensed vital essence of the twelve Primeval Great Gods by the Demon Lord Chiyou?

If Zhurong's vital essence was part of it, then it wasn't strange at all? Perhaps his true form really was the Great God Zhurong?

The thought that this fiery red phantom might be the legendary God of Fire, Zhurong, sent a jolt of excitement through Ye Jingyu. There were twelve such phantoms here; if they all materialized their true bodies, wouldn't that mean they were the twelve Primeval Great Gods?

The Twelve Heavenly Witches Extermination Grand Array should rightly be called the Twelve Primeval Gods Extermination Grand Array.

With such a formidable backing, Ye Jingyu's confidence surged instantly. Looking at Black Nether Tyrant again, the latter no longer seemed quite so terrifying.

"How do you know he is the God of Fire Zhurong?" Without moving, he asked Black Nether Tyrant directly.

Black Nether Tyrant glanced up at Ye Jingyu, intensely wishing he could beat him up, but seeing Zhurong's phantom standing guard before the youth, he held his tongue. Though he couldn't fathom why the mighty God of Fire Zhurong would obey the command of someone not even at the Demon King realm, he still spoke his reasoning.

The phantom's appearance was identical to Zhurong's, and its aura matched the Zhurong remembered by Black Nether Tyrant perfectly, though it was weaker. Most importantly, it was the incantation he had just uttered. His current strength was equivalent to at most a Ninth Heaven Demon Lord, yet he had used that divine art to completely devour the Flame of Destruction that could have incinerated a Ninth Heaven Demon Lord. Such mastery over fire could not be found in anyone else besides the God of Fire Zhurong. Furthermore, the Extinguishing Flame Divine Art was known only to him and the Black Nether family; any attempt to counterfeit it would be impossible.

Hearing Black Nether Tyrant’s words, Ye Jingyu became even more certain that this fiery red phantom was indeed Zhurong. However, he couldn't understand the connection between Zhurong, the God of Fire from Primeval mythology, and the Purple Flame Demon Race of the Demon Clan?

Although Black Nether Tyrant held Ye Jingyu in contempt, his reverence for the God of Fire reached a level that made even Ye Jingyu feel slightly ashamed. Even knowing that the present phantom was merely a manifestation of Zhurong’s vital essence, not his true body, Black Nether Tyrant remained exceedingly respectful and even clarified some doubts for Ye Jingyu.

In the Primeval Era, demons and monsters ran rampant, and ferocious exotic beasts plagued the land. Human life was incredibly difficult, constantly under the threat of annihilation. Some humans endowed with great wisdom and perseverance stepped forward, leading the struggle against nature. In their quest to enhance their power, many recklessly attempted various fusions of different forces. Many failed, vanishing completely into the long river of history, but a portion succeeded in integrating these powers, becoming true masters of profound abilities.

People called them Witches...

Zhurong was one of these individuals. His birth name was Chongli. When he was very young, his parents were tortured and killed by the Demon Race, and many of his clansmen became meals for various savage beasts. To change the destiny of his people, Chongli embarked on the path of seeking power at a tender age. He eventually traversed the entirety of Jiuzhou, even reaching the Southern Sea. On a mountain called Zhurong, he absorbed the True Fire of the Sun and grasped the essence of flame. However, his physical form underwent a massive transformation, leading him to adopt the new name Zhurong.

Upon his return, Zhurong, relying on his immense power, protected humanity alongside dozens of other Witches, teaching them how to control fire. The Extinguishing Flame Divine Art practiced by the Black Nether family was a technique he created.

Later, with the aid of these mighty Heavenly Witches, humanity engaged in a massive war against the Demon Race, historically known as the Witch-Demon War. It concluded with the resounding victory of the Heavenly Witches, establishing humanity as the sovereign power between Heaven and Earth.

But this peace was short-lived. A horde of demons descended upon the mortal realm from the Abyss. Their power was comparable to the Demon Race, but their numbers far exceeded them, and they were bloodier and more savage than the demons. The Heavenly Witches threw themselves fearlessly into the fray to save humanity, and countless Heavenly Witches perished in that great War of Gods and Demons.

The demons were soundly defeated and forced to retreat from the mortal realm to what is now the Demon Realm...

To eradicate any future threat, the major Heavenly Witches of that time—Fuxi, Nuwa, Shennong, Zhurong, Gonggong, Dijiang, and others—led the Witches in a relentless pursuit into the Demon Realm. Black Nether Tyrant was among those who arrived in the Demon Realm at that time.

However, he was very young then, merely accompanying his father, following Zhurong on his campaign. Countless Heavenly Witches and countless demons perished in that battle; blood nearly dyed the entire Demon Realm crimson. Black Nether Tyrant's father, his elder brother, and his clansmen all died in that fight, and even the formidable Heavenly Witch Zhurong fell in that combat.

The demons were nearly annihilated by the Heavenly Witches and were ultimately forced to retreat back into the Abyss. Finally, the three most powerful Heavenly Witches—Shennong, Fuxi, and Nuwa—acted simultaneously, joining forces to seal the Abyss.

The Demon Clan residing in the Demon Realm today is not the original Demon Race in the truest sense. Many of them, like Black Nether Tyrant, are descendants of the former Witch Clan. Some are descendants of the remaining demons, and a portion are hybrid offspring of demons and members of the Witch Clan...

Among the descendants of the Witch Clan, the greatest aspiration for one faction was to return to the mortal realm. But by then, the passage to the mortal realm was sealed. Having lost their pinnacle powers, they could no longer break through the passage. By the time they amassed enough strength to open it, many people had forgotten the Witches; they only knew of Immortals. The humans of the mortal realm viewed them as demons and slaughtered them, much as the Witches had once done to the demons. It was in the Demon Realm later that a stunning genius emerged—the Demon God of the Tag Clan, Chiyou...

(This is the sixth update for today; the gold bricks have increased by two thousand. There is one more chapter coming. If the Star Writer finishes this chapter and the recommendation votes have not reached four thousand, there will be seven updates today. If they reach four thousand, I will continue writing. Ugh, this internet cafe is so loud! My head is buzzing!)