Chapter 470
Otherwise, this path would remain forever closed to him.
...
A few days ago, far out at sea.
The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor wielded the Wan Yao Banner, sweeping through the ocean and vanquishing the great sea monsters.
The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor had changed in appearance; his black robes had transformed into a purple cloak, and atop his head rested a crown of gold and jade.
Behind him, waves surged and crashed.
Standing upon the waves were the demon clan cultivators, divided into thirty-six factions by him.
Their transformations were not fully complete; some still bore the forms of shrimp, crabs, fish, and turtles, yet their presence was anything but weak.
This group of demons stood in a dark expanse of ocean, the water blackened by a trench that stretched thousands of fathoms deep. Not even the human race, nor the demons who had long inhabited these waters, could accurately gauge its depth. All they knew was that if one were to stumble into it, escape would be nearly impossible.
“Where is the Ancestor of the Sea Swallowing?” Yōu Míng Xiān stepped forward and shouted, “The Great Freedom Demon Emperor is here!”
At first, the water before them remained calm, as if no living being had heard his words.
But suddenly, a water column as thick as a hundred feet surged from the depths, scattering the ominous clouds above.
Yōu Míng Xiān felt as if a terrifying presence had locked onto him, and he instinctively took a couple of steps back, his gaze fixed on the depths of the sea. To his astonishment, the black water gradually transformed into a deep blue, and then a massive azure giant kun leaped from the surface, staring directly at him.
Looking down again, where was the trench?
At that moment, he realized that the trench, wide enough to span thousands of fathoms, was likely just the gaping maw of this giant monster!
Feeling the overwhelming aura emanating from the giant kun, Yōu Míng Xiān's heart raced with caution.
Though this great demon had not fully transformed, he knew that some ancient demon clans took pride in their origins and often existed in their true forms. They were not only formidable but had accumulated powers and abilities over the years that far exceeded common understanding.
For instance, the giant kun before him, known as the Ancestor of Sea Swallowing, was one of the overlords of this ocean region in the East Continent.
Its strength rivaled that of his former master, the esteemed Ming De, and it was rumored to be an ancient demon that had survived from the previous epoch!
Even the five sects of Xuán Wēi would not dare to disturb such a being lightly.
This time, the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor sought to meet the Ancestor of Sea Swallowing, primarily to recruit this demon clan—not just for its strength, but for the invaluable secrets it possessed, which were of immense worth to the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor!
“...Great... Freedom... Demon... Emperor?”
The giant kun seemed to have lived for too long, its speech slower than others, but it became more fluent as it continued, “You dare to call yourself a demon emperor?”
The Ancestor of Sea Swallowing's enormous eyes fixed on the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor, as if it could instantly discern who among the group was the most formidable, and its tone held little respect for this demon ancestor.
“This spiritual treasure...” it gazed at the Wan Yao Banner, a hint of wariness in its voice, “You truly wish to prove your status as a demon emperor?”
With a flick of the Wan Yao Banner, the Great Freedom spoke:
“I seek to unify the demon clans. In the future, we will not only be free from the oppression of the human race, but I will also create a grand law...”
“They...”
The Great Freedom pointed at the thirty-six demon cultivators behind him, declaring proudly, “These individuals know that under my command, the demon race has a chance to thrive once more!”
Beside him, Yōu Míng Xiān couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
The actions of the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor since his resurrection had truly exceeded his imagination.
He even felt that it surpassed the expectations of the Saint Ancestor of Jiǔ Yōu.
Or perhaps, the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor had long anticipated that someone would set their sights on him, which is why he had taken the unprecedented step of proving his status as a demon emperor through his resurrection!
Everyone thought that the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor had placed his hopes solely on his own revival, but through his observations during this time, he realized that the true focus of the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor over this epoch had been the integration of the demon race and the bloodline of the Great Freedom Demon Sect!
No one had expected that the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor aimed to lead the demon race!
After his resurrection, aside from a tentative attack on the celestial gates, he had completely abandoned the idea of competing with the various celestial sects in human territory, instead dedicating himself to unifying the demon race and achieving the status of demon emperor!
After an epoch of planning spanning hundreds of thousands of years, the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor had finally revealed his intentions, and everyone realized that he had indeed found a path to escape the confines of the game!
If he continued to scheme within the human realm, no major power would allow the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor to thrive.
Yet, the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor had chosen the demon race!
The demon clans were numerous and diverse, with no unified cultivation methods, and the title of demon emperor existed only in legend.
The five sects of Xuán Wēi had made efforts, but to no avail.
No one had anticipated that the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor would truly create a cultivation method capable of accommodating the vast multitude of demon clans through means that ordinary people could not fathom!
Even using this as a foundation, he had initially achieved the status of demon emperor!
And the demon race itself did not resent this; in fact, the response was overwhelmingly enthusiastic—having been forced into the depths of the sea, they naturally harbored grievances. The actions of the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor had quickly rallied the thirty-six factions of demons, and his aura grew stronger by the day!
The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor had found a blank slate, a power vacuum with no competitors, and even boundless potential.
He looked at the Ancestor of Sea Swallowing before him, who hesitated for a moment, seemingly tempted, but then shook its head and tail, ultimately rejecting him!
This was the first demon cultivator who could refuse after the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor had presented the Wan Yao Banner!
And this Ancestor of Sea Swallowing was also the strongest among these demons, with hidden depths that even the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor felt a twinge of wariness and desire towards.
Furrowing his brow, the Great Freedom asked, “Sea Swallowing, I have heard of you since the last epoch; you too have been oppressed by human cultivators!”
The Ancestor of Sea Swallowing fell silent.
“Are you truly willing to spend your life trapped in the deep sea?”
The Great Freedom's words ignited the fury of the demon cultivators behind him.
“I am not willing.”
After a long pause, the Ancestor of Sea Swallowing finally spoke.
“If you are unwilling, then why not...” The Great Freedom waved the Wan Yao Banner, pointing to the thirty-six demon clans behind him, “Join us?”
The Ancestor of Sea Swallowing gazed at the group of demons on the waves, his expression cold.
“I am unwilling, but to recognize you as the demon emperor...” the Ancestor of Sea Swallowing enunciated each word carefully, “You are not worthy.”
“Not worthy?” The Great Freedom's tone turned icy. “I have toiled for hundreds of thousands of years to create the Wan Yao True Method!”
“Now, my demon followers are like clouds!”
“The five sects of Xuán Wēi are watching me grow!”
“Am I not worthy?”
The Great Freedom declared proudly, “Then who in this world is worthy?”
The Ancestor of Sea Swallowing opened his mouth to respond, but suddenly, from the direction of the Luminescent Mountain, a disturbance arose.
Due to the barrier of the Nine Mountain Realm, they could not see the phenomenon, but...
Everyone present, except for Yōu Míng Xiān and Chén Tíng, felt an instinctive sense of the emergence of the Fú Sāng Mù (Fusang Tree).
“That... is the true demon emperor!”
The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor understood better than anyone what was happening. He looked towards the direction of the Nine Mountain Realm, his earlier confidence fading. After a long silence, he suddenly turned to Yōu Míng Xiān and asked, “How old is Zheng Fa?”
Yōu Míng Xiān, already confused about what was happening, was even more puzzled by the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor's question about Zheng Fa's age, but he still replied, “Not yet thirty?”
“Thirty...”
The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor fell into a long silence.
For hundreds of thousands of years, he had been secretly plotting, issuing commands time and again, and conducting research on a universal cultivation method for the demon race, which had led to the creation of the Wan Yao Banner.
But...
Zheng Fa was only thirty?
Lost in thought, he raised the Wan Yao Banner and suddenly swiped it towards the Ancestor of Sea Swallowing.
Days later, a giant kun pattern appeared on the Wan Yao Banner. Yōu Míng Xiān watched from the side, feeling very puzzled—why did it seem like the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor was enraged?
Wasn't he initially intent on subduing the Ancestor of Sea Swallowing?
But the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor clearly had no intention of explaining to him; he simply gazed into the distance towards the Nine Mountain Realm, as the Wan Yao Banner in his hand echoed with the roars of myriad demons.
...
In the Nine Mountain Realm, Zheng Fa, though unaware of what the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor was doing, sensed that this person was truly fixated on him.
And the current attitude of the five sects of Xuán Wēi indicated that they would no longer view the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor as a thorn in their side.
Thus... the Nine Mountain Sect now faced two paths:
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