From afar, Imperial Sons Jin Daoli and Jin Yiqi watched the scene unfold, their hearts torn between admiration and a somber despondency.
Ever since Jin Buyi had arrived at the Demon Ancestral Court, he had gone from possessing nothing to gaining a firm foothold, and then to becoming an Imperial Son. Now, he had even won the hearts of the people.
He had drawn the eyes of the entire Demon Ancestral Court to himself, shining with dazzling brilliance. With Xu Ying's strength, he had swept away the night raids from every clan, captured the clan elders along with thousands of experts, and seized the clans' sacred Great Sage golden bodies.
With his current power, he could easily have slaughtered his way through the demon race, coercing every clan into submission by force and smoothly ascending to the throne of Demon Emperor.
Yet Jin Buyi had chosen not to do so. Instead, he took two measured steps.
The first step was to win the hearts of the people. By securing the willing allegiance of every clan's folk, he seized the moral high ground. Where the hearts of the multitude turned, an unstoppable momentum gathered. Ascending the throne upon such a tide, none would dare object.
The second step was to proclaim himself emperor. Claiming the throne at this juncture was simply going with the flow, meeting no resistance whatsoever.
If, after his ascension, anyone within the clans harbored divided loyalties, plotted rebellion, or colluded with the Immortal Realm, they would stand in direct opposition to the entire demon race, defying orthodox rule. He could bide his time and purge the remnants at leisure.
This was the Kingly Way.
Had he slain those who took part in the night raid and claimed the throne through brute tyranny, countless clan elders would have died. Though the clans might submit out of terror for a time, undercurrents of turmoil would inevitably surge within the demon race.
The demon race would remain a tray of loose sand. Jin Buyi would then be forced to rely on violent subjugation, alienating the clans. External factions could easily intervene, sow division, establish rival emperors, and split the race into Northern and Southern Demon Emperors, plunging them all into chaos.
Those who govern through violence cannot endure for long.
Such was the truth.
Jin Buyi might not have planned to arrive at this point, but someone would surely push him along with the tide. Whether he declared himself emperor was no longer up to him.
At that moment, Xu Ying signaled Yuan Qi. Yuan Qi instantly caught on and manifested his giant snake Primordial Spirit across the sky. Stretching thousands of li, the great serpent whipped its tail and thundered, "All hail Emperor Jin Buyi! Emperor Jin Buyi!"
The big bell and Ling Siyi joined in at the top of their lungs, "All hail Emperor Jin Buyi! Emperor Jin Buyi!"
Jin Buyi froze in surprise. Just as he was about to speak, Xu Ying's hand came down gently onto his shoulder.
Jin Buyi turned around, only to see Xu Ying offer a slight shake of the head.
Many of the kneeling experts had already been moved to tears by Jin Buyi's earlier words. Now, feeling their blood boil, they too shouted at the top of their lungs, "Emperor! Jin Buyi! Emperor! Jin Buyi!"
The voices swelled into a roaring torrent. With the rising sun casting its brilliance across the land, the sound rippled outward along the morning rays into every demon tribe and noble house. More and more voices rose to echo the same name.
Emperor Jin Buyi.
Demon Sovereign Han, Demon Sovereign Kun, and the others looked on at the spectacle. Listening to the tide-like chants, they suddenly understood what was meant by an irresistible trend.
Before such an overwhelming momentum, any resistance was futile. Even as Demon Sovereigns, they were entirely powerless.
Moreover, it had been ages since the demon race had stood so united.
Throughout their past history, they had longed to unite the demon race and forge a single will, yet had never succeeded. Shackled by rival factions and undermined by the Immortal Court's interference, no one had possessed the strength to subdue the clans and win the people's devotion.
Now, someone had.
Xu Ying walked toward them, undoing their seals one by one. The moment some stood up, they joined the clamor. Others, even if harboring hidden motives, knew looking around that the die was cast; they could only bide their time.
Yet biding their time to plot later meant making an enemy of the entire demon race. Before this crushing chariot wheel, any one of them was merely a mantis trying to block a carriage—destined only to be ground to dust!
If they were wise, they would yield. If they chose to play the mantis, only a shattered end awaited them.
Having released everyone's seals, Xu Ying gazed toward the Ancient Fusang Tree and thought quietly, *The Demon Ancestor must have seen this. If he shows himself now and proclaims Jin Buyi emperor, everything will fall naturally into place, and the grand momentum will be sealed.*
If the Demon Ancestor did not proclaim Jin Buyi as the contemporary Demon Emperor, then even if Jin Buyi took the throne, his title would lack legitimacy, leaving grave vulnerabilities behind.
In the future, schemers could exploit that flaw to fracture the demon race!
Xu Ying frowned slightly. The calls for Emperor Jin Buyi were mounting by the second. Having the Demon Ancestor appear right now to crown him would yield the greatest effect.
Yet the Demon Ancestor remained absent.
The cries for Emperor Jin Buyi grew ever more fervent. But if they peaked without resolution, they would inevitably wane. An initial beat of the drum rouses the spirit; the second tires it. Once that momentum collapsed, kindling it again would be immensely difficult!
Xu Ying moved to Yuan Qi's side and whispered, "Master Qi, carry Master Jin to the Fusang tree. Don't let these cheers die down!"
Yuan Qi understood. Manifesting his true form as a great serpent, he raised Jin Buyi high upon his head and roared, "Emperor Jin Buyi!"
He slithered toward the Fusang tree, calling out, "Emperor Jin Buyi!"
Behind him, countless demon experts followed instinctively, shouting in unison, "Emperor Jin Buyi!"
Although Demon Sovereign Han and the others realized Yuan Qi was effectively forcing the Demon Ancestor's hand, Jin Buyi's grand momentum was already established. Yuan Qi was simply going with the flow. Even if Han and the others refused to participate, it would change nothing.
Rather than standing idly by, they might as well add icing to the cake so they could secure a place in the new court.
They joined the crowd, marching forward and chanting loudly, "Emperor Jin Buyi!"
They pushed to the front of the throng. At a time like this, positioning mattered immensely. The closer one stood to the vanguard, the more one appeared as a founding minister of the new sovereign, and the greater one's merits would be.
Deafening cheers shook the heavens as experts from every clan emerged like winding dragons from all directions, converging beside Yuan Qi and even surging ahead of him, sweeping in a grand procession toward the Ancient Fusang Tree.
Watching this, Xu Ying knew that before such an overwhelming tide formed by the entire race, even a reluctant Demon Ancestor would have to crown Jin Buyi as emperor!
He did not follow. Instead, he returned to the ruins of Daoji Palace, picked up the golden book containing the Ten Cave-Heavens Comprehension Method, and resumed his study.
No matter what the Demon Ancestor chose to think, once Jin Buyi reached the Ancient Fusang Tree, the old demon would have no choice but to crown him.
Tribespeople of the demon clans continued to pour in like a tidal wave, their numbers swelling constantly.
Through tens of thousands of years of suffering, the demon race had grown impoverished and frail. The hearts of the people yearned for a powerful Demon Emperor who could put an end to the chaos, unite their kind, and break the yoke of the Immortal Realm's oppression.
At the Ancient Fusang Tree, the Demon Ancestor stepped out of the tree hollow, watching the crowd draw nearer.
He had waited for this day for a very long time. A ripple of excitement stirred his mind, causing a tremor in his Dao heart.
Back when the Ten Demon Emperors had established their Immortal Court upon the Ancient Fusang Tree, he, as the Demon Ancestor, had sheltered all demonkind. What a glorious era that had been!
When the demon race fell into decline, he too had fought on their behalf. In the end, to rescue the Ancestral God, his trunk had been slain and his roots severed. Today, only a few remnants of his roots remained hidden beneath the earth, barely preserving a fraction of his life force.
He knew how to lie low. During the battle of the Ancestral Court, he had refrained from revealing this power, idling away the years while letting the Immortal Realm bully the demons and allowing internal authority to scatter, keeping only the hollow prestige of the Demon Ancestor.
Just now, he had intended to crown Jin Buyi and declare his accession before all. Yet he wanted to wait a little longer. It was a petty calculation of an elder—waiting until Jin Buyi grew anxious and the chants began to fade before making an appearance to bestow the crown.
Only then could he remind Jin Buyi—and the mastermind Xu Ying—who truly held the highest status among the demon race.
Yet Xu Ying seemed to have seen right through his little scheme.
Xu Ying had given him no room to hold back or play hard to get, ordering the crowd to force his hand. Even so, this act of pressure still granted him ample dignity, as Jin Buyi had not declared himself emperor outright, but had instead come to receive his coronation.
"Xu Ying's methods are far too domineering."
The Demon Ancestor looked at the approaching sea of demons, his emotions churning. Setting aside Xu Ying's little maneuver for now, he walked slowly onto the high terrace as the cheers grew louder and more frantic.
Walking at the very front were Imperial Sons Jin Daoli, Jin Yiqi, and Jin Lan, followed by Demon Sovereigns Han, Kun, and Feng. Behind them came the clan elders and leaders, followed by demon luminaries and experts, and finally the vast populace of the clans, an endless, swirling ocean stretching beyond the horizon.
The Demon Ancestor lifted a hand slightly. Jin Buyi flew from Yuan Qi's head against his will, landing before the Demon Ancestor.
Jin Buyi dropped naturally to his knees.
"Jin Buyi is benevolent by nature, steadfast, and broad-minded. Today, having won the hearts of every clan, he may ascend the imperial throne."
The Demon Ancestor looked down. The demons fell dead silent, leaving only his voice reverberating between heaven and earth. "Jin Daoli, Jin Yiqi, Jin Lan, you too are Imperial Sons. Today, on behalf of Emperor Gong, I pass the imperial throne to Jin Buyi. Do you have any objections?"
The three Imperial Sons shook their heads in unison. "We have no objections."
The Demon Ancestor turned to the others. "Today, on behalf of Emperor Gong, I pass the imperial throne to Jin Buyi. Do the clan elders have any objections?"
The elders kowtowed one after another, proclaiming, "We have no objections!"
The Demon Ancestor beckoned with his hand. From the tree hollow behind him, dazzling light and ripples of Dao illumination poured forth—the imperial robe, crown, scepter, jade seal, imperial bell, and other treasures of the Demon Emperor.
Every single relic possessed might comparable to a supreme treasure. They were sacred heirlooms left behind by the demon Immortal Court that had once ruled for countless years, meant to be wielded solely by the Demon Emperor.
Unable to stem the tide of the world, the final Demon Emperor had been forced to abdicate to the human race. After his passing, Haotian Shangdi of the human race posthumously honored him as Emperor Gong.
Following Emperor Gong's demise, the Demon Emperor's regalia had been kept in the Demon Ancestor's custody.
The Demon Ancestor personally crowned Jin Buyi, bestowing the treasures upon him, draping the imperial robe over his shoulders, and helping him to his feet.
Wearing the imperial crown and robe, with the imperial bell hovering overhead, grasping the scepter in one hand while the jade seal floated above the other, Jin Buyi stepped to the edge of the terrace.
Below, deafening cheers erupted from the multitude.
"It has been a long time since the demon race was united behind a single will. Yet having the power of this new dynasty held by the aristocratic clans is no blessing," the Demon Ancestor whispered from behind him. "Your Majesty, you have no faction of your own in the court, and the great clans will inevitably marginalize you in time. You must select talents from among the common demons, cultivate them, and bring them into the court as your wings. Once your wings are fully feathered, your position will be secure, and internal threats will cease."
Jin Buyi lowered his head slightly. "Thank you for the guidance, Demon Ancestor."
The Demon Ancestor continued, "Xu Ying is of another race. He can serve as an ally, but must not meddle too deeply in state affairs. Your only true inner circle consists of Ling Siyi, Demon Sovereign Jinghong, and Yuan Qi. You must balance the various factions and never let one grow too dominant."
Jin Buyi hesitated briefly, then nodded in silence.
The Demon Ancestor smiled. "Win or lose, you will go down as a restorative emperor, an enlightened sovereign. And until then, I will shield you from the wind and rain."
The jubilant celebration of the Demon Emperor's accession lasted for days. While the clans celebrated, Demon Emperor Jin Buyi had to establish a new court system and appoint officials. Without realizing it, more than ten days slipped by, during which he was unable to return to Daoji Palace.
Xu Ying remained inside Daoji Palace, shutting out the affairs of the world and enjoying the leisure. Only the big bell, Yuan Qi, and Mother Insect darted back and forth, busy beyond measure.
In Demon Emperor Jin Buyi's new court, everything was starting anew.
Yuan Qi had even been appointed as the Langzhongling, placed in charge of the imperial guard. Though it was a significant post, he had no subordinates under him. Moreover, while he was a founding merit-holder, his strength was nothing remarkable among the demon race, and many harbored contempt for him.
Whenever he found a spare moment over the past few days, Yuan Qi ran to the tree hollow of the Ancient Fusang Tree. Having received the Demon Ancestor's permission to study the golden bodies of the past Great Sages, no one stopped him whenever he entered.
Ling Siyi was also a founding minister and had been appointed as the Tingwei. She faced the same predicament of having no usable subordinates, needing to recruit talents from various clans to staff the judicial offices and oversee the prisons.
Every time Yuan Qi returned from his meditations in the tree hollow, he would soon seek out Ling Siyi to spar. Although she beat him black and blue every time, she noticed with shock that his strength was improving at an astonishing pace, as if aided by a god.
Two months passed in this manner, until Ling Siyi discovered that Yuan Qi could withstand several of her divine arts before being knocked down. She could not help but wonder, *How is this brat's cultivation advancing so fast? In a few more years, I might not even be able to beat him! Studying Great Sage golden bodies alone shouldn't bring such rapid progress. I need to follow him and see what he's up to!*
That day, once Yuan Qi finished his official duties, he headed back into the hollow of the Ancient Fusang Tree.
Ling Siyi crept in behind him. She watched as Yuan Qi kowtowed to the Demon Ancestor before venturing deeper. Ling Siyi also bowed to the Demon Ancestor; seeing him about to speak, she quickly raised a finger to her lips, shushing him.
The Demon Ancestor had no choice but to stay quiet.
Ling Siyi trailed Yuan Qi and saw the plump youth arrive before the Great Sage golden bodies. Yet he did not linger, continuing further inward instead.
*He's not studying the Great Sage golden bodies?* Ling Siyi thought in astonishment. *Ahead is where the various cultivation methods and divine powers are stored. What is he going there for?*
The demon race's supreme cultivation methods were sealed beneath Da Luo Golden Flames, which not even Demon Sovereigns could breach. Even if a Supreme arrived to crack the golden flames and claim the techniques, it would be useless.
For a weakling like Yuan Qi, stretching out a hand would mean being instantly incinerated by the Da Luo Golden Flames.
Ling Siyi shadowed Yuan Qi as he walked all the way up to a blossom of Da Luo Golden Flame. He looked left and right, and seeing no one around, he raised the Diamond Snare.
The Diamond Snare descended toward the Da Luo Golden Flame. Wherever the snare passed, the flame extinguished, even while the fire below continued to burn. The golden manual sealed within was laid completely bare!
Ling Siyi stared wide-eyed in sheer shock.
Yuan Qi took out the golden manual and retrieved the Diamond Snare. Immediately, the Da Luo Golden Flame returned to its original state, the seal entirely intact!
*So this is the method that Xu fellow taught him!* Ling Siyi realized. Back when Xu Ying claimed he would teach Yuan Qi a way to defeat her, she had only caught the word "snare."
It turned out Xu Ying's idea of using the snare was to steal the demon race's supreme manuals!
Cultivating these arts just to defeat her!
Both shocked and exasperated, Ling Siyi watched on. Yuan Qi flipped through the golden manual, muttering under his breath, before turning around after a short while.
Ling Siyi hastily hid herself and peered out, only to find that Yuan Qi had no intention of stealing the manual away. Instead, he walked up to one of the Great Sage golden bodies and chuckled, "That's the one! The art he cultivated was this very Demon Sage Da Luo Zong Zhen! By comparing the manual against his body, I can unravel all its secrets!"
While he was still engrossed in his comprehension, Ling Siyi suddenly sprang out and shouted, "Niu Yuan Qi, I've caught you red-handed! Stealing our demon race's secret arts—I'm going to tell the Demon Ancestor right now and have him tear you to shreds!"
Yuan Qi turned pale as ash. Falling to his knees with a thud, he grabbed her legs and cried, "Mercy, Auntie, have mercy! I won't do it again!"
Ling Siyi smiled. "If you don't help me open the Da Luo Golden Flames, I'll report you to the Demon Ancestor!"
Yuan Qi looked up, wondering if his ears had deceived him.
Ling Siyi pulled him to his feet and said with a grin, "The Demon Ancestor may be my master, but he's stingy as can be. He only taught me a single art. Go open up the other golden flames for me."
Yuan Qi mumbled hesitantly, "If I open them for you, won't I still be unable to beat you?"
Ling Siyi glared, barking, "If you don't open them, I'll beat you to death right now!"
Inside the tree hollow, the Demon Ancestor sat in his place, reached up to pick at his ear, and muttered under his breath, "Her elbow's bent so far outward it snapped."
Chapter 481