Chapter Ninety-One: Changes Among the Demon Clan

In the vast and boundless ancient realm lies a paradise for demonic beasts, untouched by humans. Here, these creatures have lived in peaceful tranquility for hundreds of thousands of years, and several supreme demons of unparalleled power have once appeared.

Their legacy is long and their clans formidable, with many powerful beings among them. Although human warriors have entered this realm every century to collect the divine spring from the Azure Sea and Jade Heaven, they have never shown any intention of encroaching upon the demon tribes.

Despite the ancient realm’s immense expanse, it is still far smaller compared to the human world. Its sole advantage lies in the presence of rare heavenly treasures and natural wonders absent in the human world. With fortune, one might even acquire a few ancient relics.

However, true treasures remain beyond the reach of human warriors. The occasional gains are always found beyond the main strongholds of the demon clans, such as the Purple Flame Symbiotic Lotus and the Mysterious Spirit Fruit obtained by Leng Tian—both extraordinary natural spiritual wonders.

Humans are only free to enter certain places at will, namely the Tower Reaching the Heavens and the Azure Sea and Jade Heaven, for these were granted to humanity by the Void God thousands of years ago.

At that time, the demon tribes erupted in uproar. Many great demons were furious: the ancient realm had always been their stronghold, and the Azure Sea and Jade Heaven had been the abode of their divine elders. For the Void God to simply bestow it upon humans was a slap in the face!

In response, the four remaining grand demons who had ascended to saintly status emerged, uniting to resist the mighty Void God. Yet, they were subdued with a mere wave of his hand. The Void God then commanded the few surviving human divine abodes, healing their wounds in the endless expanse of space-time, to set a barrier within each Tower Reaching the Heavens. All its benefits and trials were designed solely for human warriors; any demon intrusion would be immediately extinguished.

Thus, the rule forbidding demons from entering the Azure Sea and Jade Heaven was established. After witnessing the Void God’s overwhelming power, the demons knew resistance was futile and ultimately acquiesced. They retreated deep into the ancient realm to nurture their strength, awaiting the day when a great demon god would return to challenge the Void God and reclaim the Azure Sea and Jade Heaven.

As Leng Tian and his fellow human warriors ventured into the Azure Sea and Jade Heaven, the demon tribes were already mobilizing for a grand plan they had long awaited.

Though the Azure Sea Sage had once been the demon tribe’s supreme ruler, he was not their mightiest divine elder. His power, though invincible for tens of thousands of years, was but a child learning to walk compared to the ancient mighty beings of the demon clans.

Moreover, the Azure Sea Sage had, twenty thousand years ago, failed in his transcendental rebirth and had been grievously wounded. He remained within the Azure Sea and Jade Heaven to recover, no longer concerned with the affairs of the demon tribes.

Deep within the vast ancient realm lies the main stronghold of the demon tribes—mountains crisscrossing and stretching across the land, towering peaks piercing the clouds, and endless forests concealing countless demonic beasts. Enormous demon birds occasionally emerge from the clouds, their expansive wings blotting out the sun.

Two figures descended from the clouds, gliding through the forest below toward the heart of the mountains.

"Brother Chiyan, has the clan truly decided to summon back the divine elder this time?" one of the large demons, clad in blue-green scales, asked.

"Perhaps," replied Chiyan solemnly. "After ten thousand years of waiting, several demon lords have poured their hearts into summoning an ancestral demon god. But it is no easy matter."

Chiyan’s expression was grave, tinged with a hint of weariness. He gazed at the endless mountain range and the throng of beasts rushing into its depths. With a sigh, he continued, "Though the Azure Sea and Jade Heaven have their own barriers, they are but trivial obstacles that cannot stop the humans’ advance."

"Brother Chiyan, do not be disheartened," said the blue-green scaled demon with fury in his voice and clenched fists. "Back when our demon elders were still strong, the Void God would never have dared to act so arrogantly. He only did so because our tribe was weakened, dividing our lands among those detestable humans!"

"Wotu, you must temper your temper," Chiyan advised. "Think back—although we held overwhelming numbers and superior strength, we never eradicated humanity. Have you ever wondered why?"

"It’s because humans are cunning," Wotu said bitterly. "They couldn’t overpower us head-on, so they resorted to vile schemes—inciting internal strife among our tribes, then exploiting the chaos to deal us a crushing defeat. Otherwise, why would our demon elders have abandoned the human world?"

Wotu’s words brimmed with deep-seated hatred, resentment burning over humanity’s deceitful victory against a mightier opponent.

Chiyan listened with a heavy heart, casting a worried glance at the furious Wotu. He sighed and said, "Brother, what you say is only part of the truth. The main reason lies in a human named the Heavenly Martial Saint Emperor. Legend has it his cultivation reached the final perfection of the fifth celestial realm, while our Heavenly Demon Emperor was a full level below. That’s why humanity won."

Wotu’s expression shifted with disbelief. "Chiyan, where did you hear this? I’ve always known the battle between the Heavenly Demon Emperor and the Heavenly Martial Saint Emperor ended in a stalemate!"

"That is what the ancient texts say, but I learned otherwise through bloodline inheritance. There are secrets hidden from the world."

"What secrets? Brother Chiyan, tell me! You have bloodline inheritance? Why have I never heard of this?" Wotu’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. He and Chiyan had been comrades for centuries, yet this was the first time he heard of such a thing.

Before Chiyan could answer, a burly man with a blackened face descended from the sky, landing beside them with a deep voice, "There’s nothing strange about that. Brother Chiyan carries the blood of the Dragon Clan, a direct branch of the Heavenly Dragon Emperor. Such inheritance is only natural."

"It’s Brother Shitian!" Chiyan’s face brightened warmly at the newcomer’s arrival. "It’s been so long since I last saw you!"

"Wotu has been longing for your Hundred Flower Dew, Brother Shitian," Wotu said with a different expression, as if eyeing a delicious treat in Shitian’s hands.

"Heh, brothers, good to see you both well! Wotu, my Hundred Flower Dew is all gone. The next batch won’t mature for another hundred years. If you can’t wait, ask the elders. They’ve already taken the remainder! Ha ha..." Shitian laughed heartily, patting Chiyan’s shoulder with sincere warmth.

Wotu sighed helplessly. "Forget it, I dare not ask again. Last time, I was beaten so badly I was bedridden for over half a month!"

The three of them laughed together. Chiyan’s smile faded, his face growing serious as he asked Shitian, "Brother Shitian, I heard you recently wiped out the Linghuan Sky Fox family?"

Shitian’s expression stiffened briefly before he laughed freely, "Your sources are well-informed, brother. I did kill the couple; only two remnants escaped. My son is still hunting them. Their deaths will soon be confirmed."

Wotu’s face grew stern. "Brother Shitian, surely you don’t intend to eradicate them completely?"

"Why not?" Shitian’s tone turned cold.

Chiyan quickly intervened, sensing the tension. "Let’s not let this spoil our brotherhood. We should hasten to the altar."

Wotu, mindful of Shitian’s temperament, apologized, "Brother Shitian, I misspoke. Please don’t take it to heart."

"Heh, Wotu, I’m not petty. We’ve been brothers for many years; how could I hold a grudge over a moment’s offense?" Shitian’s words felt unfamiliar to Wotu, as if the carefree and straightforward elder he once knew had changed.

Chiyan observed everything silently, a sigh escaping him. From now on, he sensed his bond with Shitian would grow distant. Shitian bore the direct bloodline of the Shitian Leopard, whose ancestors were trusted generals of the Heavenly Demon Emperor. His status was bound to rise, and if a divine elder returned, Shitian’s lineage would surely be favored to restore their former glory.

"Let’s go. The elders must be waiting impatiently," Shitian said lightly, then took off on a light beam.

The two demons exchanged a glance, disappointment evident in their eyes. "Let’s go..." Chiyan sighed, following on his own light beam.

Wotu rubbed his nose, feeling a bit wronged. "Looks like the Hundred Flower Dew is forever lost to us."

The three demons disappeared, enveloped in swirling demonic energy, heading deeper into the mountains.

At the heart of the mountain range stood a towering peak, unmatched in both area and height by the surrounding summits.

At its base, tens of thousands of demons lay prostrate, silently awaiting.

Among them were several bearing noble bloodlines. Suddenly, a dragon’s roar shattered the sky, followed by the thundering gallop of hooves echoing through tens of thousands of ears.

Two massive figures blotted out the sun as tens of thousands of demons lifted their heads, roaring in unison—a hundred-foot-long azure flood dragon coiled in midair, alongside a great roc whose wings spanned the heavens.

The azure dragon opened its mouth, its deep voice resonating, "Children, today is a sacred day. We shall summon back the divine elder to avenge our past humiliation. I will select a few outstanding ones among you to send to the divine elder’s sanctuary for cultivation!"

The hundred-foot dragon spiraled, transforming in a flash of azure light into a robust elder clad in blue robes, a single horn upon his forehead and white beard flowing to his chest. His eyes gleamed faintly with blue lightning.

The time for the demon tribes’ resurgence had come.