Volume 2 - Chapter 40: Three Immortals, The Transcendent Pinnacle - Part 1
Beyond Tianmen Pass, three thousand miles to the north.
Here flows a river called the Chishui River. The water has a dark red tint, its bed lined with crimson stones, and it serves as the dwelling place of many water-dwelling demons.
By the river stands a mountain, at the foot of which lies a small, thatched hut. An old recluse often sits here in the desolate wilderness. This old man is, in truth, a demon who has reached the Three Immortals Realm. He calls himself Chishen, the Crimson God.
The Crimson God commands demons within a thousand miles. This river is his ancestral land, and he was once a Crimson Blood Python within its waters. After three centuries of absorbing the sun and moon's essence, he transformed into a flood dragon, then roamed and hunted until he finally attained the Three Immortals Realm.
But now, this Crimson God knelt trembling before the hut.
Three figures sat by the hut, resting, their mere presence radiating a terrifying pressure. Despite their attempt to restrain it, the Crimson God could barely control his shuddering heart, unable to fathom how he had provoked these three demon lords.
“Damn the Li family! Damn that old bastard! And damn that little wretch!”
Myriad Mountains Demon King clenched his fists, his eyes bloodshot, his breaths labored. Gravely injured, he was suppressing his wounds and his rage alike.
He had failed to avenge his son and even lost a comrade in the process.
Inviting the other two demon lords to join him had cost him dearly. His subordinate demons were annihilated, and the thousand-year foundation of his Myriad Mountains Demon Domain was utterly destroyed!
His hatred for that youth was near madness.
“That old man from the Li family showed up here. The Divine General Mansion should now be at its weakest. I heard that the Li family still has two of those ancient, undying elders, with one whereabouts unknown and the other watching over the ancestral shrine.”
“What a shame. Now that news has reached them, it’s likely too late to act. We should have anticipated this sooner. Had we contacted the Sacred Palace or Longmen beforehand and arranged for them to lie in wait outside Qingzhou City while we dealt with the boy, we could have dealt a critical blow!”
The young man in a silver robe squinted, his eyes showing regret at the missed opportunity of a lifetime.
“That’s uncertain. If the Fist Saint dared to appear here, he might have called upon the two Li family matrons who married out of the family to help guard the place.”
Beside him, the Dragon Lord shook his head slightly. “Besides, the old ones in the ancestral shrine are not to be trifled with. If the Sacred Palace and Longmen were willing to join forces, there would be hope, though.”
“They've already reached out in secret.”
The silver-robed youth dropped a startling revelation. “Those people who sought us out before... you think they would act on the authority of just one person in the Void Realm? If I'm not mistaken, they should be starting to band together now, dividing the Great Yu Divine Dynasty into ten regions, letting us live a little more comfortably.”
“They’re working together?”
The Dragon Lord froze, looking at the silver-robed youth in surprise. These factions, normally at odds or even outright hostile for years, were now joining hands?
The silver-robed youth shook his head slightly and said no more. “Now, what’s our plan? The Demon Subduing Division outside the pass will likely pursue us soon and add us to their wanted list. These hounds of the Demon Subduing Division have an uncanny sense of smell. Should we continue traveling together or part ways here?”
Hearing this, the Dragon Lord and Myriad Mountains Demon King remained silent.
“If we stay together, do you intend to take us to the Sacred Palace?” the Dragon Lord asked, looking at him.
The silver-robed youth nodded slightly, sighing. “I once left the Sacred Palace to live more freely, but now, for Brother Wanshan’s sake, I’m forced to swallow my pride and return. Besides the Sacred Palace, I refuse to go to the Great Wilderness Heaven. The beings there are far too terrifying.”
Myriad Mountains Demon King’s gaze grew cold. Grief over his unavenged son and the death of his brother weighed on him heavily, but he knew the two demon lords beside him were already contemplating their own retreats and next moves.
Their involvement was only due to a previous transaction, without concern for his pain.
“I have no interest in the Sacred Palace. And you, are you planning to go to Longmen?” Myriad Mountains Demon King asked the Dragon Lord.
The Dragon Lord nodded with a sigh, “Going to Longmen is not ideal. They once invited me to join, but I declined, wanting more freedom. Now, going to them as a last resort feels shameful.”
Myriad Mountains Demon King sneered.
One claimed to seek leisure, the other, freedom—nonsense! It was simply that they hadn’t been tempted enough. For this mission, they had all prepared for the worst and planned their escape routes long ago.
“Since you both have places to go, then let us part ways here.”
Myriad Mountains Demon King said.
Injured far more than the other two, he felt a touch of unease about traveling together.
“And what about you? Where do you intend to go—the Void Realm?”
The Dragon Lord asked.
Myriad Mountains Demon King nodded. “Given the situation, it’s my only choice. I hear the people there are pure-hearted, untouched by worldly concerns—hah!”
The Dragon Lord detected the irony in his words, though he couldn’t tell if it was directed at the Void Realm or at himself, so he paid it no mind. “The Void Realm is preparing to attack Liang Province. You could use this opportunity to exact your revenge.”
“Revenge? Ha!”
Myriad Mountains Demon King’s eyes were cold. “That lot’s planned attack route deliberately bypasses Tianmen Pass. They’re avoiding this thorn, hoping to satiate themselves first.”
A bunch of fools… he thought to himself but held his tongue. The last thing he wanted was to stir up trouble with the Void Realm by letting word slip.
“They’ve been secluded for years. This time, emerging from their isolation, it’s only natural for them to feast first,” the silver-robed youth remarked.
Then, rising to his feet, he added, “Since that’s the case, let me wish both of you great success. May we meet again someday, share a drink, and enjoy a hearty meal together.”
“Of course. We’ve known each other for many years, so there’s some camaraderie between us,” the Dragon Lord replied with a light laugh, his expression warm.
The silver-robed youth smiled faintly, said no more, and cast a glance at Chishen, who still knelt trembling on the ground. Without looking back, he took off and flew away.
The Dragon Lord watched him leave before turning to Myriad Mountains Demon King. “Brother, I’ll take my leave as well. Farewell!”
Myriad Mountains Demon King gave a slight nod.
The Dragon Lord glanced at Chishen and asked, “Would you like to accompany me to Longmen?”
Chishen felt bitterness welling up within him. Though he had cultivated for thousands of years and once roamed far and wide, he now realized that all the powerful demon factions these three lords spoke of were ones he’d heard of or even been invited to join in his younger days.
But like these demon lords, he had declined for the sake of a quiet life.
For over four or five centuries, he had guarded his ancestral river, finding peace and enlightenment here.
Now, however, he could feel the Dragon Lord’s gaze boring into him.
Refusing would likely mean death.
These three demon lords were wanted by the Great Yu Divine Dynasty, and he knew their whereabouts. They couldn’t afford to leave witnesses.
“I am willing,” Chishen replied, lowering his head in gratitude, though his heart was filled with bitterness.
“Good. Then come with me,” the Dragon Lord said.
“May I gather my belongings?”
“Granted.”
Moments later, the Dragon Lord departed with Chishen in tow.
Only Myriad Mountains Demon King remained, seated before the hut, his expression dark and foreboding.
Suddenly, a gentle breeze stirred behind him. A figure clad in pristine white robes appeared silently.
Myriad Mountains Demon King’s face shifted, but he did not turn around.
“After causing such calamity, do you still intend to press on recklessly?” the white-robed figure asked evenly.
“Ha! Did he send you to drag me back?”
Myriad Mountains Demon King’s eyes gleamed with mockery.
“If you’re willing to cut off your demonic tendencies and sow the seeds of good, there’s still a chance for salvation,” the white-robed figure said calmly.
“You’ve never lost a son, have you?” Myriad Mountains Demon King sneered.
The white-robed figure remained impassive. “This isn’t the first son you’ve lost.”
“But it is the last one!”
Myriad Mountains Demon King roared as he turned sharply.
His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the white-robed figure. “Do you understand? I’ll never have another son as talented as him. Do you know how terrifying his potential was? Given time, he could have united our entire race! The Sacred Palace, Longmen—all of them would have groveled at his feet!”
The white-robed figure faced his outburst with unwavering composure and replied calmly:
“Your son was indeed gifted, but to reach such heights, he would have needed at least a thousand years.”
“And now? You don’t even have that,” he added, his tone matter-of-fact.
Myriad Mountains Demon King glared at him furiously, knowing deep down the truth of his words. Reaching that level in a thousand years would have been considered rapid progress.
But the world had already grown restless.
Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his anger and spoke in a low voice. “I can’t go back with you. I must avenge my son. I must avenge Gao Xiong!”
“You’re incorrigible. Must you court death to find peace?”
The white-robed figure’s gaze grew cold.
Myriad Mountains Demon King laughed derisively. “If you want to stop me, come and try.”
The two stared at each other in silence until the white-robed figure finally said, “Your demonic tendencies run deep, and you refuse to repent. I cannot control your actions, but there are certain techniques you must not use in public. If you do, don’t blame me for coming to capture you.”
Myriad Mountains Demon King said nothing, his face grim.
“This is a Sacred Heart Talisman. Keep it to save your life. This is your last chance,” the white-robed figure warned coldly, handing him a talisman glowing with dark green light before vanishing into thin air.
Myriad Mountains Demon King took the talisman and put it away, his expression growing darker. He sneered and muttered, “Do you think I’m just some dog? I’ve cultivated for ten thousand years. I am a king—the King of the Mountains and Forests, the King of Demons!”
His gaze turned southward, toward Tianmen Pass, filled with hatred. Finally, he turned and soared into the sky.
As he flew over the Chishui River, he raised his hand and struck down fiercely.
Demonic energy surged from his palm into the river below.
The demons frolicking in the waters were suddenly stricken with terror as they looked toward the sky.
“Save us, Crimson God…”
Some demons cried out in fear, but their voices were drowned.
In an instant, the entire Chishui River turned to blood, a scarlet ribbon winding through the land as if the earth itself was weeping.
The figure of Myriad Mountains Demon King disappeared into the horizon.
Shortly after, the white-robed figure reappeared, hovering high above.
He looked down at the river of blood and murmured a low chant before speaking softly to himself:
“Perhaps this, too, counts as subduing demons and vanquishing evil…”
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