Demolish!

"Xu Ying!" Xu Ying and Ling Siyi drew ever closer to the Demon Ancestral Court. Demons of every sort roamed across the Azure Dragon Ruins. Suddenly, a crow as tall as a man perched on a tree branch and began to caw, "Xu Ying is here! Xu Ying is here!" Xu Ying followed the sound and saw a flock of crows flapping their wings into the sky. On the ground, wolves, minks, roe deer, and other demonic beasts bolted through the underbrush, shouting in unison, "Xu Ying is here!" In the next breath, cries of "Xu Ying is here!" echoed across mountains and wilderness alike. A cacophony swept over the four wildernesses like a flood. "Could I have been here before?" Xu Ying asked. Ling Siyi shook her head. "You probably haven't. If you had, Demon Sovereign Han and the others would have recognized you and wouldn't have attacked." Xu Ying asked, puzzled, "If no one recognizes me, how do they know I'm Xu Ying?" Suddenly, Yuan Qi's voice boomed from the distance, "Ah Ying is here!" Amid the vast mountain ranges, a giant serpent raised its mountain-sized head, slithering out from between the misty peaks. It was none other than Yuan Qi. The demons who had been yelling "Xu Ying is here!" ceased their clamor, prostrating themselves respectfully along both sides of the path to let the colossal serpent glide past. Upon seeing Xu Ying, the giant snake transformed into a plump, fair-skinned youth, crying joyfully, "Ah Ying, you're finally here! My long wait wasn't in vain." Surprised, Xu Ying asked, "Seventh Master, why were you waiting for us here?" Yuan Qi glanced warily in all directions. "The Ancestral Court hasn't been peaceful lately. With the date for selecting the Demon Emperor approaching, strange things keep happening. Lord Jin has been ambushed six or seven times already; someone really doesn't want him to become the Demon Emperor. Lord Jin was worried someone might try to stop you from entering the Demon Ancestral Court alive, so he sent me here to wait." Xu Ying inquired, "Is Lord Jin safe?" "Most of those who ambushed him were caught by the nightstool," Yuan Qi praised. "Grandfather Ancestral God's nightstool is truly convenient. Once you invoke it, no matter how profound your cultivation is, you end up inside turning into night soil. Relying on that nightstool, Lord Jin has already bagged several formidable clan elders." Relieved, Xu Ying asked Ling Siyi, "Miss Siyi, the demon race is in such disarray that clan elders dare to ambush an Imperial Son—doesn't the Demon Ancestor hold them accountable?" Ling Siyi explained, "The Demon Ancestor's body perished and his Dao dispersed; only his unyielding spirit remains. He is merely a spiritual symbol of the demon race and wields no real power. Actual authority lies in the hands of the demon sovereigns and the elders of the various clans. When the Imperial clan's bloodline had not yet been found, people quarreled incessantly, and quite a few planned to crown themselves emperor. Now that a Demon Emperor is to be chosen, the capable and ambitious are naturally stirring, hoping to seize the throne for themselves." Xu Ying frowned. In a demon race like this, even if Jin Buyi ascended the throne, it would be difficult to command obedience. Yuan Qi glanced at Ling Siyi. "Grandfather Ancestral God's nightstool doesn't have a hundred percent hit rate either. The one who attacked last night wasn't caught; he escaped its might. Lord Bell and the Mother Insect recognized his methods and guessed he was most likely a visitor from the Immortal Realm. Miss Siyi probably hasn't made many things clear to Ah Ying." Taking Yuan Qi's hint, Xu Ying asked, "Miss Siyi, does your Demon Ancestral Court still maintain ties with the Immortal Realm?" Ling Siyi looked at Yuan Qi and smiled. "The demon race has never broken ties with the Immortal Realm. Many of the primordial behemoths in the Heavenly Dao world hail from the Demon Ancestral Court." A chill ran through Xu Ying. He recalled that when he entered the Heavenly Dao world, he had indeed seen many primordial behemoths dwelling there, living in great comfort... "If factions within the demon race are colluding with the Immortal Realm, does the Demon Ancestor not intervene?" he asked. Ling Siyi chuckled. "Why would he? The Immortal Realm possesses overwhelming might. It is beneficial for some among our race to align with them, so the Immortal Realm will not wipe us out completely. That is the Demon Ancestor's wisdom. Besides, the heavenly gods of the Heavenly Dao world evolved from primordial behemoths; in a sense, they are an extension of our demon race's power." Xu Ying was momentarily stunned, unable to wrap his mind around this relationship between heavenly gods and the demon race. He shook his head. "Even so, the Immortal Realm will never cease meddling in demon affairs. Their interference will only grow deeper." Ling Siyi shook her head. "There is no point telling me this, Young Master Xu. I am not the one who holds power, nor is the Demon Ancestor. It is the demon sovereigns and clan elders who rule." As the three walked and talked, a cold gleam shot toward them like lightning, aimed straight at Xu Ying! The cold glint slithered like a serpent—it was a length of spinal bone overflowing with thick demonic qi, its chill making one feel as though they had plunged into a frigid pool! "A Great Sage immortal weapon from the Immortal Court era!" Ling Siyi's expression changed slightly. She summoned her willow branch, driving its willow leaves forward to meet the Great Sage immortal weapon. Her branch was crafted from a bough of the Demon Emperor's Dao tree. It grew larger upon meeting the wind, perfectly balanced in suppleness and strength, whipping out like a long lash to coil around the spinal bone. Suddenly, an ancient, terrifying demon power erupted from the Great Sage immortal weapon. It was as if a heaven-propping great demon was reviving, billowing demonic power that shook the willow leaves off. Xu Ying immediately perceived the uniqueness of that Great Sage immortal weapon. He had seen many immortal artifacts from the Immortal Realm; most were inscribed with Dao techniques and sustained by their crafter's vital blood. Higher-grade ones possessed spirituality and could cultivate autonomously, growing even more potent. Demon immortal artifacts, however, were different. Such artifacts were often harvested directly from a critical part of a powerful demon's body, forged into a magic treasure that contained their essence, qi, spirit, and Dao methods. Even after the artisan died, descendants who acquired the artifact could still awaken the essence, qi, and spirit sealed within, unleashing peerless power in an instant! At that moment, the spinal bone was as if a demon Great Sage had awakened. Even though Ling Siyi's willow branch was a wondrous weapon fashioned from a branch of the Demon Emperor's Dao tree, it was suppressed! Ling Siyi manipulated the branch, weaving it through the air like a dragon, using softness to overcome hardness to keep the Great Sage immortal weapon at bay, yet the shockwaves destabilized her stance. Seeing this, Yuan Qi instantly hurled the Diamond Snare into the air. Yin and yang qi coalesced into a taiji diagram within the ring, poised to trap the spine-shaped weapon. But suddenly, another treasure roiling with monstrous demonic qi spun straight toward Yuan Qi's neck—a shield polished from a gigantic scale! The shield's edge was razor-sharp and serrated, harder than ordinary immortal gold. In the next instant, it reached Yuan Qi's neck. Yuan Qi flipped backward. The Diamond Snare flew back, clanging against the shield with a sharp chime. The shield was smooth as a mirror, its surface etched with thick immortal patterns. When struck by the Diamond Snare, the Dao patterns snapped with sharp cracks, and fractures spiderwebbed across the point of impact. "What a formidable silver bangle! It even cracked my Azure Dragon Immortal Shield!" an alarmed voice shouted from the distance. Before the voice faded, the ground shook and the mountains trembled. Trees toppled one after another as a hill-sized behemoth rumbled straight toward Xu Ying. It was a bear demon clad in black armor, wielding a massive hammer forged of beast bone. With a deafening roar, he raised the giant hammer high with both hands and brought it down toward Xu Ying with all his might! That bone hammer was also a Great Sage immortal weapon. Under the bear demon's refinement and activation, the ancient essence, qi, and spirit sealed inside erupted. Behind the giant bear materialized another imposing figure—dragon-headed, human-bodied, and four-armed—which raised the phantom of a colossal hammer and brought it smashing down in tandem! That was the essence, qi, and spirit of a demon Great Sage hidden in the bone hammer, awakened by him! The spine-turned immortal weapon and the dragon-scale shield had merely been feints, setting the stage for this fatal hammer strike against Xu Ying! Boom! Demonic power concentrated beneath the hammerhead, crushing the surrounding void. Before it even reached Xu Ying, the pressure shattered space into countless fragments that whistled through the air. Xu Ying lifted his head. Behind him, nine great magic treasures—including the Five Sacred Immortal Mountains, the First Mysterious Pass, and the Water-Fire Huntian Cauldron—aligned neatly, forming a draconic arc. This was the exact arrangement of the Nine Great Realms within the human body. The Nine Great Realms of the human body were connected by the Heavenly River and the Thirty-Three Heavens formed by Mount Heavenly Mountain. The Thirty-Three Heavens and Heavenly River served as the dragon's spine, while the various realms formed the dragon's tail, claws, mouth, and head, stretching forward all the way to Jade Capital. Xu Ying circulated his magic power. The nine magic treasures immediately formed an external realm, completely connected from the Five Sacred Immortal Mountains all the way to Jade Capital! At that moment, he stepped into the immortal realm. Xu Ying raised a palm and met the bone hammer with the Dao Hammer Seal of the Eight Methods of the God of War. With a deafening boom, shattering demonic power and Dao light exploded in all directions around the hammer, grinding away much of the demon Great Sage's essence, qi, and spirit within. The bone hammer was sent flying into the sky. The bear demon bellowed in agony, the palms gripping the handle torn and bleeding as the weapon ripped from his grasp. Xu Ying leapt into the air, arriving before the bear demon. He flicked a finger. While his fingertip was still dozens of yards away, a hole blasted through the bear demon's forehead, followed by the back of his head exploding in a spray of blood mist. Xu Ying soared clean through the cavity in the bear demon's skull, his robes fluttering without catching a single drop of blood. These robes, gifted to him by the Heavenly Fiend Supreme, were not only luxurious but an extraordinary magic treasure in their own right. Passing through the bear demon's corpse and flying over the dense forest behind it, Xu Ying raised a hand slightly, conjuring phantoms of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths behind him. He pressed his palm downward. The mountains ahead shook with rumbling groans and sank into the earth, the immense pressure even crumbling the mountain bodies formed from the primordial azure dragon's remains! The giant demon concealed in the mountains, still controlling the Great Sage spine weapon, sensed this terrifying power. Casting caution to the winds, he roared and revealed his true form. It was a toad with six large eyes, crouching among the peaks, its bulk dwarfing the surrounding mountains. With a guttural croak, its throat ballooned, churning the surrounding air currents into a gale. The Six-Eyed Golden Toad suddenly reared up on its hind legs and pushed both palms upward with all its strength to meet the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Dao King Seal! Boom! The Dao King Seal slammed down, flattening the demonic giant into the dirt. A single palm strike ruptured its innards and belly, crushing it to death beneath a gargantuan palm imprint! The Dao King was the King of the Great Dao. The divine ability pioneered by the Imperial Monarch possessed the majestic resolve to dominate the world's Great Dao. That Dao King majesty had never been shown by Young Master Yuchuan, yet in Xu Ying's hands, it was displayed to perfection. Even if the Imperial Monarch were here, upon seeing Xu Ying execute this technique, he would surely raise a thumb in praise and say, "You have truly grasped the subtlety of my Dao." Having slain the Six-Eyed Golden Toad with a palm strike, Xu Ying floated forward. Wind and clouds churned around him, accompanied by rumbling thunder, radiating the oppressive dread of dark clouds threatening to crush a city. Ahead, demonic clouds roiled as a demon dragon took flight, soaring up from the mountains and fleeing frantically on the winds. This dragon was the demon expert who had wielded the dragon-scale shield. His shield had been cracked by the Diamond Snare and its Dao patterns shattered, but that was not because the shield was weak; the Diamond Snare was simply too formidable. Even so, watching Xu Ying obliterate two demon experts in just two moves had scared the wits out of him. Lacking the courage to face him head-on, he fled at once. Xu Ying followed unhurriedly behind. No matter how fast the dragon flew, Xu Ying kept pace effortlessly. Terror gripped the demon dragon's heart, and he screamed at the top of his lungs, "Clan Elder Liu, save me! Clan Elder Liu, spare my life!" "Clan Elder Liu?" Hearing this, Ling Siyi's face tightened. She swiftly grabbed the masterless Great Sage immortal weapon, filled with anxiety. Could Clan Elder Liu be the one who ordered them to ambush Xu Ying and keep him from entering the Demon Ancestral Court? That Great Sage immortal weapon had been forged from the spinal bone of a demon Great Sage from the Immortal Court era, known among the demon race as the Thirty-Three Heavens Golden Lock. Collecting the weapon brought Ling Siyi both joy and dread. She hastened her pace to catch up to Xu Ying. Behind her, the giant serpent suddenly flew through the clouds and caught her upon its back. Yuan Qi, having shattered the dragon-scale shield with the Diamond Snare, had swiftly caught up. Yuan Qi spoke rapidly, "Clan Elder Liu has very deep roots. If Ah Ying chases that dragon and causes trouble for Clan Elder Liu, it will end badly!" Ling Siyi deeply agreed. Clan Elder Liu came from a prominent demon clan that formed one of the largest power blocs in the Demon Ancestral Court. Throughout the demon race's decline, the Liu clan had produced numerous demon Great Sages. Even after falling, those Great Sages had left behind inexhaustible wealth that sustained the Liu clan's enduring prosperity. Even the four demon sovereigns had to show Clan Elder Liu deference. If he had sent men to ambush Xu Ying, Xu Ying could only swallow the bitter pill in silence. He definitely could not seek retribution, or the fallout would be catastrophic! The demon dragon plunged into the skull of the azure dragon skeleton amidst his dark clouds and vanished. Xu Ying followed close behind, stepping inside. In the next instant, the magnificent vista of the Demon Ancestral Court unfolded before his eyes. The toppled Fusang tree propped up the sky of the Demon Ancestral Court. The fallen Demon Immortal Courts of successive generations lay scattered across the realm, tied down by colossal chains tethered to the earth at one end and to fragments of the Immortal Courts at the other, preventing those floating remnants from drifting ever higher. The demon race had built their territories atop these fragments, thriving in great prosperity. Even with the world shattered outside, the Demon Ancestral Court remained flourishing. "Clan Elder Liu, save me—!" The demon dragon flew toward one of the floating fragments of the Demon Immortal Court. That sacred realm was adorned with tiered palaces in neat and orderly rows. In the center of the palaces stood a willow tree ten thousand fathoms tall, its drooping branches fluttering in the breeze and radiating monstrous demonic qi. The demon dragon plunged into the immortal palace and scrambled rapidly up the great willow. From within those palace complexes, numerous demons took to the air, barking at Xu Ying from afar, "Who dares trespass on our Liu clan's domain?" "State your name!" Xu Ying spoke not a single word. He drew the Purple Nether Saber, channeled his magic power, hoisted the blade high, and swung it downward! Yuan Qi, bearing Ling Siyi, rushed into the Demon Ancestral Court. Before he could call out to stop Xu Ying, ten thousand li of purple qi unfurled across the sky. A saber beam ripped through the void, crashing violently into the demonic immortal palaces! The numerous Liu clan experts standing in Xu Ying's way fled in sheer terror, yet wherever the saber beam swept, buildings collapsed and halls tumbled—be they immortal palaces or heavenly halls, all shattered to pieces! Boom! The saber light struck that eerie great willow tree, bisecting the demon dragon hiding within. The turbulent shockwave swept in all directions, shearing away countless willow branches and nearly cleaving the ancient willow in two! Afar upon the ancient Fusang tree, Daoist Wukong watched this scene unfold. Suddenly overcome with curiosity, he turned his head and asked, "Old... Demon Ancestor, did you invite Xu Ying to the Ancestral Court just to tear the place down? Why invite him when you could have invited me?"