The black grave mountains in the Phoenix Mountain region began to shake violently. The Demon King Tribulation, transformed by the Yellow-Faced Demon King, vanished. Simultaneously, the vengeful spirits taken out with it, along with some of the power of other demon lords, disappeared. More than that, some demon lords let out miserable cries, their temples exploding and black blood spewing from their seven orifices, accompanied by endless agony.
"Ju Liu Bu! What have you done!"
The fact that the Demon King Tribulation was resolved was astonishing enough. But Ju Liu Bu had not only died, but he had also taken with him these other demon lords, and even a portion of the power of some demon kings. That portion of power seemed to have been gnawed away by something.
Was it evil spirits, the dead, or vengeful souls!
Although the demon lords had transformed into demons, they were still alive. The evil spirits in hell gnawing at a portion of their power directly caused that separated portion of their power to vanish completely, inflicting immense damage on their main bodies.
The demon lords could even vaguely sense the state of their "dead" power, which was one of excitement and liberation. Eerie grinding sounds repeatedly echoed in their minds!
It was as if they had been caught by countless wild beasts and torn apart!
"Impossible, the Trial Demon Tribulation has been resolved! What kind of righteous law is this, unaffected by the demon tribulation, yet why are there sounds of spirits grinding teeth and sucking blood!"
The black grave mountains experienced one anomaly after another. The Silver Bottle Maiden, who was resting, quickly stood up. However, the other manufactured demon kings would not let the Silver Bottle Maiden escape. The closest one, a demoness in black, pointed at the Silver Bottle Maiden and simultaneously conveyed orders to the other demon kings.
"Do not let this woman go! She was also unaffected by the demon tribulation before, she must know Ju Liu Bu's current state!"
The demon kings and demon lords abandoned their own temples. Because the separated power contained a portion of their own wisdom, when this portion of power, along with this wisdom, was eaten by the evil spirits and damaged, their own intelligence decreased. As a result, some demon kings began to become muddled.
They said not to let the Silver Bottle Maiden go, and to capture her.
But in reality, when several demon kings attacked, they all went for the kill!
The demoness in black maintained a sliver of clarity, but the other demon kings had already gone half-mad. The Silver Bottle Maiden naturally dared not fight, but she never expected such a situation to occur!
"We agreed to fight one stage at a time!"
The Silver Bottle Maiden escaped using fire遁 (fire evasion). The demon kings missed, and the demonic energy of the entire Phoenix Mountain became turbulent and agitated.
The Silver Bottle Maiden appeared near a demon temple, where there was a strong smell of burning mountain demonic fire. Not far away were the demon kings who had just attacked her, spewing fire from their mouths, their bodies scorched and rotten.
Although she couldn't defeat them.
She couldn't leave now either.
The Silver Bottle Maiden sensed the surging demonic energy...
It seemed that leaving now would not be so easy.
The Trial Demon was meant to disrupt one's inner stability, and遁术 (evasion techniques) required a concentrated mind and the circulation of thoughts to be performed. The demonic thoughts affected this area, making it difficult for cultivators who possessed遁术 to perform these life-saving ultimate techniques.
"True Martial Demon Subduing Spell!"
The Silver Bottle Maiden chanted the demon-subduing spell, hoping to borrow the power of the True Martial Great Emperor again. But suddenly, to her surprise, the demon kings, who were not afraid of demon-subduing spells and even fed on righteous laws, trembled violently when entangled by the True Martial spell. Their very forms and spirits seemed to be twisted, as if being wrung like a rag and spun around.
"It's effective? Why?"
These Trial Demon fiends should not have been harmed by righteous laws. The Silver Bottle Maiden was astonished. She had just chanted the True Martial Demon Subduing Spell, but she hadn't intended to use it on them.
But this unintentional harm allowed the horde of demons to discover the Silver Bottle Maiden's location. They were blinded by rage, carrying astonishing killing intent, and surged towards her like a tide, moving mountains and seas!
"The ability to manage the tribulation is lost!"
"Our demonic energy, our grudges, are damaged...!"
The demoness in black's face was contorted with ferocity. Black blood gushed from her seven orifices, and rolling demonic energy even poured out of her nostrils, much like how incense smoke flowed from a wounded incense god.
The other demon kings roared:
"Kill her! Slaughter her! Eat her! She has divine power, eating her will restore our strength!"
Those demon kings were known for their strength and had weaker intellects. Having been damaged, they had lost all reason. The demoness in black warned them: "Do not kill her if you capture her! Do you want to disappear completely from the world!"
"Master said to capture her alive!"
But the demon kings and the multitude of demons could no longer listen. The horde of demons pushed aside everything in their path, including the black grave mountains and their own temples!
As the temples collapsed, the horde of demons let out mournful cries, then vaguely shouted for the Silver Bottle Maiden's body.
Flames flickered in the Phoenix Mountain region, and the Silver Bottle Maiden's mind began to waver, making it difficult to concentrate. The distance she escaped using fire遁 became shorter and shorter with each attempt. She continuously shifted, consuming a large amount of divine power.
And the horde of demons pursued. With the surging demonic energy, the Silver Bottle Maiden, who possessed the divine power of fire, shone like a meteor in the dark Phoenix Mountain region.
Although the Heavenly Fire Tribulation could burn and kill the horde of demons, their numbers were vast, and there were innate-level demon kings present. The Silver Bottle Maiden's divine power was already scarce, and after a brief recovery, she was once again at her wit's end.
"Why hasn't he appeared yet!"
The Silver Bottle Maiden felt a sense of urgency in her heart. The mastermind behind these demons had not yet revealed himself!
She couldn't hold on any longer!
*Thump!*
Suddenly, the roars of the horde of demons ceased, and a tall, ethereal figure appeared before the Silver Bottle Maiden!
Vast immortal might emanated, causing the horde of demons to bow their heads in submission. The Silver Bottle Maiden was stunned at first when she saw the immortal dressed in snow-white, and then she was shocked.
Because the killing intent in the immortal's eyes was directed at her!
White-clothed... immortal.
It was the person who called himself the Jade Dragon Dao Master!
Although he was the Jade Dragon Dao Master, the Silver Bottle Maiden had never heard of this person in two hundred years. She had even visited the Jade Dragon Dao Academy in the past and never met him.
Dao Master was likely just a false title!
The Silver Bottle Maiden had already discarded her golden spear, so she used her golden sword to fight. However, before she could even raise the sword, Chen Taichu gently pressed his hand down, instantly freezing all of the Silver Bottle Maiden's movements!
In an instant, it was as if heaven and earth had shrunk into one place. Ten thousand rays of yang energy extinguished the gloom, like the scorching sun illuminating the world!
An immortal of the Ascension Realm!
The next moment, he transformed into clouds and mist, appearing before the Silver Bottle Maiden, his left hand grabbing her face.
"I asked the monks of Lingyin Temple to politely invite you, but you didn't give me face."
"I originally just wanted to detain you for a while."
"But your current actions have truly angered me. For this woman, you have damaged one of my great demon generals."
Chen Taichu held the Silver Bottle Maiden's face. His eyes were hollow, filled with the deepest hatred.
"You disrupted my good deeds and forced me to appear personally. Who did you make a deal with to obtain the power to fear no demon tribulation?"
"A mere mortal god dares to defy heaven and resist the Trial Demon Tribulation! These Trial Demons were created with great effort by me, and I even manipulated the heavenly laws in my palm!"
"It is impossible for anyone in this world to defy heaven and resolve the Trial Demon Tribulation in an instant!"
"Speak, speak, who is it, which immortal, what is their name, what spell did they give you! If you don't speak, I will refine you now!"
Chen Taichu was, of course, somewhat exasperated.
After all, at first, he felt that everything was within his grasp. He had also anticipated that the Silver Bottle Maiden would go directly to Phoenix Mountain to display her prowess. After all, she hadn't dared to come to the Jade Dragon Dao Academy the last time he invited her. If she wanted to find clues, she could only come to Phoenix Mountain, where these demons were hidden.
Furthermore, he believed that whether it was the Silver Bottle Maiden or that unknown immortal, once they entered Phoenix Mountain, they would inevitably be entangled by the demon tribulation. The Trial Demon Tribulation would continuously accumulate until they could no longer bear it.
At the same time, if he could obtain the wishes of an immortal, it could greatly increase the growth rate of the Wu Wang Medicine. Although he had obtained new Wu Wang Medicine from Xu Fu, all the Dao Heart Demon Seeds in the Qiantang and Phoenix Mountain regions were carefully arranged by him. Using them to strengthen the Wu Wang Medicine given by Xu Fu would also be a good choice.
Originally, it would only take three days to trap her. With the wishes obtained after this immortal was killed, combined with the powerful Wu Wang Medicine present here, several Yin World Immortal Officials from the Ten Thousand Longevity Palace could be directly transformed into Trial Demon Kings in the mortal world.
Then, the Silver Bottle Maiden, as the main ingredient, would be refined into Green Liver and Jade Blood. Once the Heavenly Fortune Pill was formed, he could begin the substitution, replacing the Ming Dynasty's Fire Virtue with the Song Dynasty's Fire Virtue.
The effect of the Heavenly Fortune Pill was to reverse the heavenly fortune, causing the Ming Dynasty's national fortune to be replaced by the Song Dynasty's. It would not be a direct snatch, but a silent assimilation.
By then, the Ming Emperor would be the Song Emperor, and the Ming laws would be the Song laws, with no difference between them.
The scriptures and classics that were being recited incorrectly and transforming into demons would then be corrected. It would only take a simple reversal.
Because yin and yang are opposite and relative, to replace each other, the wrong must first be turned into the right.
Thus, seize their fortune!
Thus, change their laws!
But now, all of this had failed.
As if in the dark, that immortal had received the help of the mortal world's heavenly fortune. He truly did not understand how the Demon King Tribulation had been eliminated.
What was supposed to be catching a turtle in a jar had turned him into a clown, damaging his immortal dignity. As a result, he had to personally appear here to stabilize the situation, but he did not expect that the mysterious immortal had not yet appeared.
It was as if... it was a tribulation specifically designed to target him and trap him!
There had been no movement for decades.
But just on the eve of success, he suffered a great loss, disturbing his peace. This could not be described as mere bad luck.
Fortune was effective for mortals. For immortals, although defying heaven was not permissible, it was not difficult to glimpse some heavenly secrets and fortunes. By following heaven's will, one could accumulate a lot of fortune, not having to rely entirely on fate like mortals, and being powerless over one's future.
Moreover, even if his fortune was tampered with, he should have noticed it. At least he would have felt a premonition, but now there was nothing. Yet, beneath this calm surface, there were all sorts of troublesome matters that made him restless.
"It's truly laughable. I have already become a Taiyi Scattered Number. Although I haven't entered the true stream, I am not far from the peak of ascension. How can I still be subjected to tribulations, and moreover, tribulations influenced by humans!"
"How can a mere immortal of the same level bring me tribulation? The demon king is the final demonic trial. Passing it means ascension and becoming an immortal. All those thirteen hundred good deeds, the unwavering compassionate heart, can be cast aside. Upon entering the immortal realm, one will know the profundity of all laws. Unfortunately, there are no great paths in the mountains and rivers, and one still seeks from the mortal world."
"No immortal has ever been punished by any tribulation. At most, they would be struck by lightning a couple of times, but those were just anomalies that appeared after obtaining some rare treasures or cultivating some astonishing divine abilities. If one mastered lightning techniques, they could easily resolve lightning tribulations."
"This strangeness must have a cause, but it is definitely not due to tribulation."
The Silver Bottle Maiden listened in shock. Although her face was pressed down and she was unable to move, her mind was racing. She simply couldn't remember who this person was or why he spoke with such familiarity.
What... did he need her to do?
"It is... the True Martial Great Emperor who wants to kill you!"
The Silver Bottle Maiden's tone was very certain. Chen Taichu became angry: "What nonsense are you talking about."
"The True Martial divine position cannot be invoked by anyone."
"You have completely angered me. Time is almost up. Since you won't speak, I won't ask anymore. You could have lived for three more days, but unfortunately, you brought about your own destruction. I will refine you here into Green Liver and Jade Blood, making a great medicine."
"But before that, I need to invoke the Ten Thousand Longevity..."
Chen Taichu threw the Silver Bottle Maiden to those demon kings. The demon kings restrained her, and then Chen Taichu began to chant the spell. As his thoughts arose, the horde of demons immediately prostrated themselves, their prayers turning into a roaring response. A large amount of wishes and popular support began to gather around him.
The shattered demon mountains and emerging demon temples all began to gather towards a darkest peak. The true Phoenix Mountain was here. Temples were rebuilt, and stones were paved into roads and foundations. Soon, an ancient and magnificent palace appeared on the black demonic mountain.
"Cough, cough, who are you, and what are you doing?"
"I should at least know who I'm dealing with."
The Silver Bottle Maiden tried to pry information from Chen Taichu, hoping to get some useful news, but she only received a cold glance from the latter.
"A dying person, why speak so much!"
Chen Taichu disdained to tell the Silver Bottle Maiden anything. After all, since the Silver Bottle Maiden wouldn't reveal why she could resist the demon tribulation, he had no reason to expose his actions to the immortal behind the Silver Bottle Maiden.
In any case, that immortal wouldn't just watch this Yue Xiao Niangzi be killed by him.
He was sure to draw him out!
Chen Taichu held the Silver Bottle Maiden's golden sword.
He simply raised it and examined it.
"Crack!"
A Five Thunder Divine Machine, its black muzzle, suddenly appeared at the back of Chen Taichu's head.
A powerful divine force interrupted his spell!
Heavenly Retribution!
His body trembled violently. This sudden ominous premonition caused Chen Taichu's body to freeze. He could feel that this firearm was extraordinary! But... how did it appear here?!
It was... some kind of遁术 (evasion technique)!
Ji Xiang had consumed the power of two immortal artifacts, and thus possessed the abilities of two immortal artifacts, making their use even more skillful.
You say firearm?
This is also an immortal artifact.
And Ji Xiang's voice echoed in his ears, not loud, but like the infernal fires of hell, burning directly into his heart.
"Do not move."
"Move and you die."
A palm landed on Chen Taichu's shoulder. One of his fingers was pitch black. Following that, this left hand slid down from his shoulder and swung back fiercely!
The Dust-Burden Great Sin Demon Subduing Divine Banner descended from the sky. The numerous demon kings immediately let out screams before being completely covered by the crimson divine banner, instantly refined into surging demonic energy, their forms dispersed, and all swept away clean!
"Collect."
A faint voice of demon subduing fell. The divine banner disappeared, the myriad demons were subdued, and the countless demonic energies flowed into Ji Xiang's hand and were eaten into his abdomen!
As this demon-subduing power was displayed, Chen Taichu still did not know Ji Xiang's identity.
After all, Ji Xiang had used Ascension divine abilities and Five Thunder spells in his two battles with the Yin World.
However, he also possessed遁术 (evasion techniques) and disappeared while Ji Xiang was devouring the horde of demons. When he looked again, his expression could no longer be maintained, and he was stunned with horror.
"You... you!"
"The one causing trouble here is you, this remnant immortal!"
Ji Xiang chuckled and pointed to Chen Taichu's shoulder.
"Remnant immortal, you will get hit if you speak like that."
Chen Taichu did not yet understand what he meant, but suddenly he felt dizzy. His previously stable immortal form and spirit suddenly seemed to be separating from his body, flashing for a moment. Even his soul momentarily lost consciousness, almost leaving his body.
His left shoulder, where that black finger had pressed, extended downwards all the way to his heart.
*Buzz—!*
An eerie sound emanated from his mind. Following that, his magical power dropped, his cultivation became difficult to use, his state of mind sank, his wisdom was damaged, and his consciousness became confused. It was the regression of his Dao Heart!
In his ears, he heard Ji Xiang's voice, faint and with a hint of mockery.
"Now, we are about the same."
"Aren't we... 'Banished Immortal'!"