It had to be said that Tu Xiao’an, this snake, was growing far too arrogant. He was filled with immense self-confidence.
At the slightest disagreement, he had threatened to replace the king of a major race.
The statement was simply too arrogant, too domineering. At the very least, the crowd of Demons below gasped in shock. But to Tu Xiao’an himself, the declaration was nothing special.
And he just might be able to do it. His inflated confidence stemmed from the immense power that fortified him from deep within. This power had already rendered Tu Xiao’an fearless; he even felt invincible.
’I even sent the Gray Demon King running. What’s another Demon King like you to me?’
Tu Xiao’an had even started to see anyone below the level of the Deep Mountain Demon King as mere nobodies, completely beneath his notice.
"You damned snake, you’ve gone too far!"
Just as the White Demon King had predicted, the Saint Peng King’s fiery temper finally erupted. As the foremost Dapeng Divine Bird of this era and the King of Hundred Birds, when had he ever suffered such an insult?
None who could become the king of a race were to be trifled with. They were all favored children of heaven and earth, possessing incomparably noble bloodlines and looking down upon all other living beings.
’Replace their king?’
’What right does a mere snake like you have to say something so contemptuous? You become the king of the Snake Race and suddenly you forget your own name?’
As the Saint Peng King’s rage exploded, the entire space began to tremble violently. In an instant, the world turned upside down as if the starry sky itself were collapsing. A majestic wave of a Demon King’s power surged forth, causing the countless birds of the Yaoling Mountain Range to tremble in terror.
Their king was angry, and the consequences would be severe.
The Saint Peng King instantly reverted to his imposing, half-man, half-bird form. A pair of black wings unfurled from his back, stirring up wind and clouds. Without even a single flap, they had already thrown the surrounding space into chaos.
As a Dapeng Divine Bird who was also a Demon King, even if he wasn’t quite on par with the Deep Mountain Demon King, the gap wasn’t actually that large. His innate advantages were simply too pronounced.
In ancient times, both the Dapeng Divine Bird and the Phoenix were symbolic totems among birds, holding illustrious status. "In the Northern Ocean, there is a fish named Kun. The Kun is so enormous, its size spans thousands of miles. It transforms into a bird, and its name is Peng."
The Dapeng Divine Bird was the undisputed King of Hundred Birds.
And yet, Tu Xiao’an remained hovering in the air, his expression calm and composed. ’The world is full of countless creatures. So what if your bloodline is noble?’
’Looks like my little joke from before is about to come true.’ He turned to the Azure Owl with the face of a young girl. "My dear, want to be the King of Hundred Birds?"
"Of course!" the Azure Owl giggled, accepting with delight as her eyes sparkled brightly.
"Then your master will give you a grand gift." As Tu Xiao’an spoke, he glanced at Su Rushi on her back, then waved a hand at the Azure Owl.
The Azure Owl understood instantly. She abruptly flew off, heading for the edge of the White Demon King’s Demon King Domain.
Tu Xiao’an turned his gaze back to the frenzied Saint Peng King. His black wings were now fully spread, so vast they seemed to blot out the sky and sun.
’Hmph. A Dapeng Divine Bird?’
’In this world, one Divine Bird—the Immortal Spirit Peacock—is more than enough.’
’I wonder what a Demon King’s Golden Core looks like.’
A slight smirk played on Tu Xiao’an’s lips, and a trace of amusement flickered in his bewitching eyes. But in the next second, his expression changed. With just a slight twitch of his black wings, the Saint Peng King had suddenly appeared right in front of him.
"Dead Snake, you can go die!"
BOOM!
Tu Xiao’an let out a muffled grunt as the Saint Peng King’s kick landed squarely, sending him flying backward.
He flew backward with such speed that he reached the edge of the Demon King Domain in the blink of an eye. Countless sharp, spear-like thorns suddenly sprouted from the Domain’s Light Shield, gleaming with a cold light. Crashing into them would surely riddle his body with bloody holes.
’Damned hedgehog!’ As Tu Xiao’an caught sight of the spikes, a thought flashed through his mind. Instantly, shimmering Snake Scales covered his entire body, forming a one-of-a-kind suit of Snake King Armor.
SCREECH!
Tu Xiao’an was slammed against the countless thorny spears. The indestructible Snake King Armor perfectly blocked the perilous impact, but his internal organs churned, leaving him feeling awful.
’His speed is incredible!’
This Dapeng Divine Bird truly lived up to its legend of "beating the water for three thousand li and soaring ninety thousand li on a whirlwind." Its flight speed was so fast that even Tu Xiao’an couldn’t track its trajectory.
"Didn’t you ask me before if this would be a duel or a group fight? I, the Saint Peng King, will tell you now: one-on-one, you snake won’t live to see tomorrow’s sun!"
The moment the Saint Peng King finished speaking, he vanished without a trace.
Countless pairs of eyes searched, but none could find him.
The next moment, a fist and a foot struck Tu Xiao’an’s body. They were followed by three more punches and four kicks, then seven or eight more punches and over a dozen kicks. The only sound was the constant disturbance in space and an unending series of rumbles.
It was a brutal scene: the Saint Peng King viciously pummeling the newly ascended Snake King of the Snake Race. Every punch and kick landed solidly, striking his Snake Scales and kicking up flashes of golden light.
As the world’s foremost Divine Bird, the Saint Peng King’s speed was simply outrageous, so fast it was as if he were cheating.
Not far away, a wicked smile spread across the White Demon King’s handsome face. He loved to see this sort of thing. ’Even though I’m not the one fighting,’ he thought, ’as a spectator, I really should be applauding and cheering.’
That snake was just too arrogant—first trying to steal the Deep Mountain Demon King’s bride, then declaring he’d replace the king of the Hundred Bird Race.
With one shameless boast after another, he was barreling down the road to his own doom with no intention of turning back.
The White Demon King thought to himself, ’Once this snake is dealt with, my wedding can proceed as planned. And I’ll be in an even better mood for it.’
’As for my bride?’
The White Demon King looked at Su Rushi, sitting on the back of the Immortal Spirit Peacock, and his expression darkened slightly.
The earlier scene where the bride rejected the groom had caused the White Demon King to harbor a grudge. He had been utterly humiliated.
’Humans are so treacherous, biting the hand that feeds them. I treated her so well, and this betrayal is what I get in return.’
’Unwilling to marry? I am the great Deep Mountain Demon King. When I wish to marry someone, your willingness is not a factor.’
’This is a blessing that countless Female Demons in the Yaoling Mountain Range dream of but can never obtain.’
’It’s all that damned snake’s fault. He thinks he can just take her away?’
The more the White Demon King thought about it, the angrier he became, as if he could already see himself being made a cuckold. He stretched out a finger and pointed from afar. In an instant, a sky-shattering beam of white light shot out. It expanded violently upon contact with the air, transforming into a long spear. A boundless Vengeful Spirit abruptly materialized, and an overwhelming killing intent swept forth, whipping the air within several hundred meters into a violent, suffocating gale.
"Brother Peng, fall back!"
The telepathic message entered the mind of the Saint Peng King, who was in the midst of his frenzied assault on the snake. In truth, he didn’t even need the warning. The moment the Saint Peng King saw the incomparably violent and terrifyingly powerful beam of white light shooting toward him, he scrambled to dodge aside.
This attack was no joke; it held the power to overturn heaven and earth.
Tu Xiao’an was completely enveloped by the white light, which formed a storm around him, causing his figure to flicker in and out of existence.
Huh???
The crowd of Demon Spirits below watched, their hearts trembling in fear. Just how much did the White Demon King hate that snake to disregard his own dignity as the Deep Mountain Demon King and launch such a sneak attack?
White Demon King’s internal monologue: ’I just couldn’t hold back!’
All one could say was that the damned snake was just too easy to hate.