A Rank Three Demon Spirit, scorched by the flames, reverted to its true form. A bolt of thunder then struck it, and with a deafening BOOM, the demon was obliterated into dust.
"No, don’t! I don’t want to die!" Amidst a chorus of unwilling roars, three or four Rank Three Demon Spirits perished in an instant, utterly defenseless.
Outside!
An uproar erupted. All of the White Demon King’s subordinates had been sucked into the giant black ball, their fates unknown. Before long, however, the massive sphere began to glow crimson.
Bloodcurdling screams continuously echoed from within.
The screams were as mournful as wandering souls and as shrill as ghosts. Each cry bored into their ears, sending a shiver through the hearts of the onlookers. ’Just what horrors are unfolding in there?’
Suddenly, a glittering golden orb floated out from the giant black ball, as brilliant as the brightest star in the night sky.
"What is that?"
"Heavens, that’s a Demon Spirit’s Lifebound Golden Core!"
This meant only one thing: a Rank Three Demon Spirit had died at the hands of the Snake Race’s new Snake King.
In the blink of an eye, a second Lifebound Golden Core floated out, hovering above the giant black ball. ’Two Rank Three Demon Spirits are dead?’
"Just what kind of horrors are unfolding in there? The White Demon King and the Saint Peng King are inside—are they just going to let their subordinates be slaughtered?"
The Demon Spirits inside the black ball were desperate to survive, but the demonic spectators outside were even more desperate to know what was happening. Not being able to see was torture; the suspense was killing them.
A third Lifebound Golden Core floated out. This one was huge, the size of a pigeon’s egg.
"It’s the Lifebound Golden Core of a Deep Mountain Great Demon!"
One by one, the Lifebound Golden Cores of Demon Spirits floated out, dangling high in the air. They were both brilliant and dazzling, and a horrifying sight to behold—like a row of bloody heads hanging from the top of a city wall.
"That snake is a Demon! An absolute Demon! How can he just slaughter them like this? Such a massacre defies the heavens and will provoke the wrath of all!"
A Great Demon in the wedding procession cried out in terror. One had to understand that Rank Three Demon Spirits were the product of endless Cultivation. They had all passed through the baptism of Crossing the Tribulation, becoming transcendent beings.
Now, as Lifebound Golden Cores continuously appeared to hang above the giant black ball, the Demons below were seized with terror. The hair on their bodies stood on end as if frozen by a demonic spell, and their minds went completely blank.
’Don’t tell me the White Demon King and the Saint Peng King are going to die in there, too?’
It was unclear who said it, but the thought left everyone stunned into silence. If the Lifebound Golden Core of a Deep Mountain Demon King appeared next, it would mean the sky was falling.
Inside the black ball, it was truly a human Hell. Searing flames, imbued with Celestial Might, only accelerated the Demon Spirits’ deaths. Combined with the bombardment of Celestial Thunder, the interior was now filled with terrified pleas for mercy.
"Lord Snake King, let us out! We swear we won’t interfere again!"
"I was wrong! We were wrong! It was all the White Demon King’s orders, we were forced into it! Lord Snake King, we never wanted to be your enemy. Just let us out, and we’ll do whatever you say!"
This place was the domain of the snake, Tu Xiao’an. To survive, they had to convince him to show mercy.
In just a short time, six Rank Three Demon Spirits and two Deep Mountain Great Demons had already perished.
In the Yaoling Mountain Range, decades could pass without a single Rank Three Demon Spirit dying. Yet ever since this snake had appeared, the deaths of Demon Spirits in the mountain range had become a constant occurrence.
During the previous war between the snakes and rats, the Gray Demon King’s Rat Race had lost more than ten master-level Demon Spirits.
In addition, several Deep Mountain Great Demons had also died at this snake’s hands.
Now, the slaughter was continuing, and growing ever more intense.
"Heh heh. You want me to spare your lives? It’s not impossible," Tu Xiao’an said, raising an eyebrow. "All you have to do is shout, ’Fuck you, you dead hedgehog!’ and I’ll send you right out."
Upon hearing this, a shadow fell over the faces of the assembled Demon Spirits. ’Does he have to be so childish?’
’Is this some kind of children’s game?’
Besides, they wouldn’t dare. The White Demon King was standing right there, watching them.
Cursing him behind his back was one thing, but with the target of the insult right here, how could they possibly dare to speak?
"Don’t dare to? Fine, then wait for death. I can always use more Rank Three Demon Spirit Golden Cores."
With the Lifebound Golden Cores from these Rank Three Demon Spirits, Tu Xiao’an was confident he could become a true Demon King in one fell swoop.
"Fuck you, you dead hedgehog!"
Amidst the scorching flames, one Demon Spirit, unable to withstand the inferno any longer, finally shouted out the words, his voice trembling with terror.
"Haha, well said! You get to live."
The White Demon King’s furious voice immediately rang out. "You bastard! To save your own skin, you dare betray me? Your death will only be more miserable! Do you really think you can survive just because he spares you? The power over your life and death has always been in my hands!"
SWOOSH!
A heaven-shaking ray of white light shot toward the Demon Spirit. The demon was paralyzed with soul-shattering terror. It knew it stood no chance of blocking an attack from the White Demon King, the Deep Mountain Demon King. A direct hit would mean instant annihilation.
In that instant, a mass of Dark Flame enveloped the terrified Demon Spirit and teleported it out of the sphere.
Once outside, the Demon Spirit could hardly believe it. Breathing in the fresh air, it felt as if it had been reborn.
"I survived! I survived! This is wonderful!"
A large donkey hovered high in the sky, wailing and sobbing uncontrollably.
So, this Demon Spirit was a donkey that had achieved demonhood, a very rare sight indeed.
Having survived against all odds, the donkey demon certainly didn’t want to linger in this place of conflict. It immediately bolted.
But many of the gossiping onlookers chased after it. "What in the world happened in there? Quick, tell us! How did you get out?"
"Even the White Demon King and the Saint Peng King are trapped and can’t get out. What makes a mere donkey like you so special that you could escape?"
"Inside... inside..."
The donkey demon was blocked by a crowd of demons, unable to escape. It was a difficult situation to explain. It couldn’t very well admit it had been released for cursing the White Demon King, could it?
’Cursing the White Demon King as a dead hedgehog... that was probably the peak of my entire life.’
But when it recalled the terrifying scenes inside the black ball, the donkey shuddered, its eyes rolled back into its head, and it fainted dead away.
The demons: "..."
’Just how terrifying was it in there that a mere memory could make you faint? Isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?’
"Everyone, look! Another Lifebound Golden Core has floated out!"
Another Rank Three Demon Spirit had died. The tides were turning. The Snake Race’s new Snake King was truly the most terrifying being in the Yaoling Mountain Range.
「Inside the Black Ball Celestial Furnace.」
"White Demon King, they all died because of you. Now, it’s your turn. Your Lifebound Golden Core as a Deep Mountain Demon King must be quite large, wouldn’t you say?"
It had to be said that the Cultivation of a Deep Mountain Demon King was truly heaven-defying. The scorching flames and repeated volleys of Thunder Shock had left even the Saint Peng King with considerable injuries, yet the White Demon King remained completely unscathed. His body was shielded by a towering aura of Demon Qi, making him seem impervious to all harm.
"Fine. You want my Lifebound Golden Core? We’ll see if a snake like you has what it takes. I’ll be standing right here. Come and get it."
RUMBLE!
Inside the furnace, an Extraterrestrial Meteorite plummeted toward the White Demon King.
The White Demon King simply pointed from afar, and the meteorite ceased to exist.
"It’s useless. You may be able to trap me, but you can’t harm me. No matter how many tricks you have, it’s all in vain."
Tu Xiao’an was slightly taken aback. ’Still so confident, even in a situation like this?’
’Looks like I’ll have to use my trump card.’