Demon Mountain, a place brimming with Spiritual Energy, was vibrant, thriving, and resplendent—truly the greatest Holy Land in the Divine Domain.
At that moment, Demon Mountain trembled, shocking the many Demon Kings. Without the Seven-Colored Demon Empress present, they began to panic.
Then, maniacal laughter echoed as a shroud fell over the sky. Once the sky was obscured, all the Martial Artists of the Demon Clan could not help but tremble and kneel.
"After so many years... For so long, I was left with only a wisp of my soul. This time, I finally won’t have to spend my torturous existence in that dark, boundless void!
"From now on, this world will inevitably prostrate itself at my feet!"
She was the Undying Phoenix, mentor to the Seven-Colored Demon Empress. A wizened Old Lady, she was so frail that she trembled as she walked, yet her power was undeniably immense. Her strength was so great it inspired terror in all who felt it.
The Xiao Tian Demon General and the Jiufeng Demon General immediately knelt in homage. They knew exactly who this old monster was: a mighty being who had dominated the Divine Domain for ten thousand years!
"Ancestor above!" they exclaimed.
The Undying Phoenix spoke. "It seems my Demon Clan has indeed declined. I have only slept for ten thousand years, yet I never expected that in that time, my Demon Clan would have fallen to such a state! How pitiful!"
Her tone was heavy with lament. The faces of the Xiao Tian Demon General and Jiufeng Demon General turned awkward, but they dared not show any anger. This powerful being was simply too terrifying.
The Undying Phoenix then asked, "Where is my disciple?"
"Reporting to the Ancestor, the leader of the Righteous Gods broke through to the Divine Monarch realm, and our Leader went to offer her congratulations!" they replied, their bodies trembling.
"Hmph!"
"My Demon Clan is supreme! And yet, she chooses to mingle with the Righteous Divine Lineage. If that is the case, then she is not worthy of being the ruler of the Demon Clan!
"Gather all the upper echelons of the Demon Clan! I have something to say!"
"Yes!"
Although the two Demon Generals were unconvinced—after all, the Seven-Colored Demon Empress’s contributions since becoming its ruler were immense—they knew the Undying Phoenix’s criticism, while excessive, could not be challenged. She was, after all, a legendary powerhouse from a past generation and the Empress’s master. Thus, they didn’t dare act recklessly and immediately summoned all the other high-ranking members of the Demon Clan.
The Undying Phoenix looked at the dozens of Demon Clan leaders gathered before her and saw that not a single one was a Martial Artist of the Main God Realm. At this realization, she truly felt heartbroken.
She declared, "My Demon Clan was once the ruler of this world. It’s unthinkable that we’ve now declined to this extent. I am heartbroken, and I am utterly disappointed in all of you!"
The crowd dared not speak, but they had already done their best. The situation was far better than it had been. Before the Seven-Colored Demon Empress took command, the Demon Clan had been in shambles, right after the era of the Divine Dragon’s annihilation. Internal strife had plunged the clan into chaos, leading to the fall of many Main God experts. The once-greatest clan in the Divine Domain had nearly been wiped out. Thankfully, the Seven-Colored Demon Empress rose against the odds, igniting a sliver of hope. If not for her, the Demon Clan would not exist today, which was why their faith in her was absolute.
The Undying Phoenix spoke again, "The Seven-Colored Demon Empress has led my mighty Demon Clan toward ruin. For this, I will condemn her for her crimes!"
The Undying Phoenix was a woman of immense ambition. Now that she intended to take charge of the Demon Clan, she couldn’t allow anyone else to maintain such a grand reputation within it.
Finally, the Jiufeng Demon General could not watch any longer. He rebuked the Undying Phoenix, "Ancestor, our Demon Clan once endured a dark age of internal slaughter! The clans were all vying for supremacy. If it weren’t for our Leader ending that dark age, the Demon Clan wouldn’t be here today! We would have been wiped out long ago!
"I will not stand for you slandering our Leader!"
He was a man of unwavering integrity. It didn’t matter if he was facing the King of Heaven himself—if they spoke unjustly, he would refuse to yield.
The Undying Phoenix’s expression turned cold. "Are there any others who object?" she asked in a chilling voice.
"I object!"
"I object, too!"
Immediately, a third of the several dozen high-ranking members—all hot-tempered Demon Kings—voiced their defiance.
The Undying Phoenix sneered. "Excellent. I’m very satisfied with this result!"
With a wave of her hand, she unleashed a burst of power that severed one of the Jiufeng Demon General’s arms.
The Jiufeng Demon General let out a muffled grunt.
The other Demon Clan leaders stared in shock.
The Undying Phoenix spoke again. "Who else objects?"
Instantly, the defiant group of more than a dozen shrank until only five remained.
"I object!" Jiufeng Demon General said weakly.
Another streak of power lashed out, striking his body with brutal force. His legs were instantly severed.
Xiao Tian cried out desperately, "A Jiu, please, don’t be so stubborn!" At this point, the Jiufeng Demon General was the only one left objecting.
Weakly, he said, "Xiao Tian, you don’t understand how much the Leader has done for us. Do you remember when I was captured by warriors from the Evil God lineage? They were about to skin me alive, but our Leader, without a word, annihilated their entire city to rescue me!
"She offended several Main Gods, who united to denounce her and demanded she hand me over, or else they would declare war on the Demon Clan.
"But our Leader said that as long as someone is a member of the Demon Clan, no matter how great their crime, the entire clan will shoulder the burden together.
"So, from that moment on, if anyone dares speak ill of the Leader, I will be the first to object!
"All of you have been cared for by the Leader! You’ve all received life-saving aid from her! Why won’t any of you stand up and say a single word for her now?
"Is it just because she is the Ancestor? I ask you, where was she during the dark age? Where was she when the Demon Clan was being bullied? Only the Leader has always been there, defending our clan’s honor. That is why she is our one true leader!"
As soon as Jiufeng Demon General spoke these words, the faces of many powerful Demon Clan experts flushed red with shame. It was true. If one were to judge by merit, the Seven-Colored Demon Empress’s accomplishments would undoubtedly rank among the top three in the clan’s entire history.
Yet now, a person of such merit was being branded a criminal. It was a pity, but in the end, none of them dared to step forward. They did not dare to offend the Undying Phoenix.
Her strength was ranked among the top five in the history of the Demon Clan. With her restored, they were not foolish. They all knew she was seizing power for herself, and the Seven-Colored Demon Empress was merely a pawn to be sacrificed. To stand up now would guarantee a gruesome and tragic fate.
"Enough!"
A blast of power from the Undying Phoenix struck down, cleaving the Jiufeng Demon General’s body in two. The sight was shocking and horrifying.
The members of the Demon Clan were heartbroken, especially Xiao Tian. He felt his own heart shatter—after all, Jiufeng Demon General was his best brother.
Xiao Tian fell to his knees and begged, "I plead with the Ancestor to spare his life! My brother speaks without restraint! Please, I ask the Ancestor to forgive him!"
"Forgiveness?" the Undying Phoenix thundered. "Whoever dares to plead for him, I’ll kill them as well!"
At her words, no one dared to reply.