"Great Heavenly Demon..."
Under the Four Heavenly Demons' tightly closed eyelids, their eyeballs imperceptibly shifted.
It seems the Nine Lives Emperor Lord was also forced into a corner.
Under the Demon Ancestor, there are Nine Great Heavenly Demons. In reality, they are not Demon Race members created by the Demon Ancestor's Divine Ability, but rather primal beings born at the dawn of Chaos, similar to Chaos Demon Gods. They embody the Dao of "Demon" even more profoundly than Chaos Demon Gods, and their nature is exceptionally cruel, pursuing only their innate evil thoughts.
The Demon Race, in fact, was created by the Demon Ancestor using the Heavenly Demons as a blueprint.
In the distant past, the Heavenly Demons belonged to no faction. They simply followed their instincts, wandering through Chaos. Wherever they passed, stars extinguished, worlds withered, and the Heavenly Dao collapsed, reducing all order to disorder and pushing prosperity towards its end.
They clashed with many Chaos Ancient Gods, engaging in massacres that lasted tens of thousands of years, ultimately resulting in mutual destruction.
Later, the Demon Ancestor emerged, his cultivation unrivaled in the world. He suppressed countless Heavenly Demons, killing most of those he could not control and leaving a group of Heavenly Demons, led by the Nine Great Heavenly Demons.
Among the Nine Great Heavenly Demons, the Great Heavenly Demon was the strongest, bloodthirsty and cruel. Aside from the Demon Ancestor's commands, even other Heavenly Demons greatly feared him.
The Great Heavenly Demon could be said to be one of the strongest combatants apart from the Demon Ancestor.
Even the Demon Ancestor acknowledged his strength and bestowed upon him the honorific title of "Great Heavenly Demon," meaning the head of the Heavenly Demons.
"In the name of the Demon Ancestor, I summon the Venerable Great Heavenly Demon."
The Nine Lives Emperor Lord's voice was solemn, chanting an ancient demonic name.
It was a secret incantation known only to a select few.
"Om—"
An indescribably deep hum began to reverberate, like the final, mournful wail at the end of all things.
Throughout the entire Demon Domain, from the lowest-ranking Demon Race members to the Demon Generals guarding the four directions, all felt a deep stir within their hearts at the same moment, sensing a terrifying aura gradually awakening.
The Great Heavenly Demon had awakened.
Its "awakening" not only affected the Demon Domain but also caused countless beings in the Immortal Realm to feel suffocated, experiencing extreme terror.
The Great Heavenly Demon's aura inherently carried a negation of all existing order and life forms. Even the Demon Race, in its presence, became impure flaws that needed to be "corrected."
"What matter has awakened me?"
The Great Heavenly Demon's voice suddenly resounded in the Myriad Demon Hall, sending a chill down one's spine.
"Great Heavenly Demon... it is I."
Although the Nine Lives Emperor Lord was a trusted confidant of the Demon Race, now commanding all demons, he could not adopt a high posture in front of an existence like the Great Heavenly Demon.
Though both were in the Celestial Golden Immortal Realm, their strengths were vastly different.
The Great Heavenly Demon's very existence was an Incarnation of "disordered destruction," a manifestation of Chaos's dark side. His power was tyrannical and unparalleled; he had slain countless powerful individuals in Chaos.
"I slumbered in the breath of the end, savoring the supreme joy of Chaos returning to silence... What matter is worthy of disturbing me prematurely?"
The Great Heavenly Demon immediately questioned, clearly displeased.
"Demon Ancestor informed me of an 'Anomaly' born in the Immortal Realm."
The Nine Lives Emperor Lord's voice was steady as he said,
"According to our deductions, this variable is mostly related to the Lingxu Heavenly Palace. Supporting the new Human Race emperor and even subduing the Nine Nether Devouring Phoenix to serve him—this person's ambitions are beyond our imagination. Even if the opponent is not a variable, he has already severely interfered with the grand plan."
"Variable?"
The Great Heavenly Demon repeated the name, and after a moment, an ambiguous low sound came.
"To actually subdue the Nine Nether Devouring Phoenix? That... piques a sliver of my curiosity."
Upon hearing this, the Nine Lives Emperor Lord rejoiced. With the Great Heavenly Demon emerging, adding another Celestial Golden Immortal Realm expert, he could feel much more at ease.
"Since that is the case, let's initiate the plan to annex the Immortal Realm ahead of schedule."
"Four Heavenly Demons, Demon Master, you two must assist the Great Heavenly Demon. This plan must succeed; failure is not an option."
"Yes."
How could the Demon Master dare to say no? He could only accept the order...
Years flowed by, and several centuries had passed since Jiang Hao and Nangong Wenjian returned and Little Red underwent Nirvana.
The emergence of the Great Heavenly Demon caused Han Xuanji's heart to suddenly stir. He opened his eyes, looked up, and his gaze pierced through the Immortal Realm, reaching a corner of the Demon Domain.
"Hmm? Another Celestial Golden Immortal expert has emerged?"
Han Xuanji frowned slightly, his gaze falling upon a mass of dark shadow.
A terrifying malice emanated from it, causing him to feel a bit uneasy.
This person's strength was much greater than that of the Nine Lives Emperor Lord, and should also be stronger than Qin Wuming, whom he met in the River of Destiny.
[Great Heavenly Demon: Celestial Golden Immortal Realm Perfection, Chaos Heavenly Demon, leader of the Nine Great Heavenly Demons, the Demon Ancestor's foremost expert, Incarnation of destruction. During the ancient Immortal-Demon War, he was severely wounded and fell into slumber after being besieged by multiple Celestial Golden Immortal experts from the Immortal Realm. Now, due to the variable, he has awakened early and is about to launch a war against the Immortal Realm.]
What a Great Heavenly Demon!
Quite strong.
Han Xuanji was currently only at the Celestial Golden Immortal Perfection Realm, merely on par with him. If they truly fought, Han Xuanji had no confidence in instantly killing the opponent, even with the yuanshi banner.
After all, as a powerful subordinate of the Demon Ancestor, who knew if the opponent possessed treasures left by the Demon Ancestor?
This was definitely the strongest person Han Xuanji had ever faced.
Han Xuanji felt that he still needed to be more cautious and could not actively seek trouble with the opponent.
Otherwise, thousands of years of cultivation would turn to naught in an instant, making him a laughingstock.
"There's still a good amount of chaos dao demon origin left, but it will take some time to break through to the Limitless Primordial Realm..."
Han Xuanji pondered.
He was a bit helpless; the System couldn't directly grant cultivation, he still needed to improve step by step. Even he couldn't directly break through Realms like using a cheat engine. Breaking through to Limitless Primordial was no child's play; a slight misstep could lead to death and the dissipation of his Dao.
The emergence of the Great Heavenly Demon not only brought a sense of urgency to Han Xuanji, but the entire Immortal Realm was also shaken by it.
In the Human Race's Azurewood Immortal Realm, at the center of the Immortal Realm, stood an Innate Spiritual Root, the "Jianmu," that propped up the heavens and earth. Its evergreen leaves, which had been so for billions of years, fell without wind, scattering like rain. The leaves withered yellow in mid-air, seemingly symbolizing something.
In the Lingxiao Immortal Realm, within an ancient Secret Realm. A group of ethereal figures also ceased their Dao discussions. One elderly man suddenly looked up, his gaze piercing through layers of immortal palaces, looking towards the Demon Domain. For the first time, his usually calm face showed a look of shock.
"The Great Heavenly Demon... The Demon Race is going to launch a war ahead of schedule."
The old man's voice carried a rare chill,
"We, too, must prepare to welcome His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor's return."
...Myriad Buddha Immortal Realm.
Myriad Buddha Temple, by the Eight Treasures Karma Pool.
Half of the ten thousand golden lotuses that had bloomed in the pool instantly withered, turning into black ash and sinking to the bottom of the pool.
An Ancient Buddha who was lecturing suddenly stopped, his flower-pinching hand paused slightly, and the Perfection Buddha light behind his head even showed a barely perceptible ripple.
"Amitabha."
The Ancient Buddha's downcast eyes reflected fragments of a future filled with mountains of corpses, seas of blood, and collapsing worlds,
"The sign of the end has appeared, the boundless kalpa... its momentum is earlier than anticipated."
The Arhats and Bodhisattvas listening below were all deeply shaken, their Buddha hearts clouded.
"Buddha is merciful, may I ask for a solution?"