Between heaven and earth, aside from the thousand-li Black Mountain radiating vast divine light, silence reigned supreme.
The sight before their eyes was simply too astounding. In the blink of an eye, a demonic mountain had turned into an immortal mountain. To call it overturning heaven and transforming earth might be an exaggeration, but bringing forth a blessed land with a single thought was entirely apt.
In comparison, slaying the Old Demon of Black Mountain was not quite as shocking.
Well, in truth, it was still profoundly shocking. After all, not every True Immortal could strike down a top-tier great demon below the True Immortal realm with a single blow!
In the Heavenly Court's Thunder Department, several heavenly generals channelled their dharmic eyes to gaze upon the battlefield from afar, exchanging astonished looks.
"True Lord Huang's capability surpasses mine. By my estimation, suppressing and slaying that Old Demon of Black Mountain would take me at least three moves. After all, his true form was not weak, and his divine soul had merged with the mountain and earth leylines, making him difficult to kill by ordinary means."
"A single stroke of the whip fell like a descending sun. True Lord Huang likely verified a Dao Seed of the 'Yang' attribute, though I wonder whether it is the Great Yang or Lesser Yang?"
"Could it not be the Great Dao of Yang itself? Must it be a branch Dao Seed?"
"Difficult, difficult, difficult! As far as I know, from when he began cultivating to his ascension as a True Immortal, only three or four years have passed in all. In such a short span, no matter how startling his comprehension, grasping even a single branch Dao Seed is already an extraordinary feat."
"Yang embodies supreme rigidity and supreme strength. His martial prowess naturally cannot be weak. Seeing him strike this time, the might was indeed astonishing. I reckon he ranks among the finest even among us True Immortals."
"I care little for any of that. I only wonder how he managed in a single instant to transform that demonic mountain into a pure, spiritual one. What divine ability did he use, or was it some other method?"
"Impossible to tell. Perhaps he stimulated the earth qi through some spell or divine ability, revitalizing the leylines?"
While the heavenly generals of the Thunder Department were in heated discussion, above the Black Mountain range, Zhao Zhen, Tao Xin, and the other generals stared with eyes wide as saucers.
"The True Lord's divine might!" a valiant general suddenly shouted.
The others snapped to attention and roared in unison, "The True Lord's divine might!"
Their shouts shook the sky for a hundred li, pride beaming on every face.
Only after a long while did Zhao Zhen calm down, surveying the mountain range below with his spiritual vision. "Within this mountain, demonic filth no longer remains. Their carcasses have all been converted into nourishing earth qi."
Before long, this thousand-li Black Mountain would completely turn into a blessed land. When that time came, cultivators would inevitably battle over it to seize the territory. However, that had little to do with them. Their demon-slaying mission was accomplished, and it was time to return.
"Withdraw the troops!" Zhao Zhen waved his arm vigorously.
Instantly, the six battle arrays and over seventy thousand heavenly soldiers reformed their ranks. A vast expanse of golden clouds bore them aloft, slowly flying away into the distance.
After they departed, many low- and mid-tier cultivators from Zhaoyun Kingdom flew over in haste, hoping to claim a cave dwelling in the newly born sanctuary or see if any spiritual medicines remained.
Meanwhile, the Yang Spirit and Great Ascension cultivators were in no rush to seize ground or search for treasures. They watched the heavenly troops fade into the horizon, their faces filled with delight.
"The great scourge of our Zhaoyun is finally eradicated!"
"Hmph, the Heavenly Court has finally performed a practical deed—"
"Tsk, that is a bit harsh. The southern lands are vast. Even the Heavenly Court cannot oversee everything. How could they possibly wipe out every demon and monster in the world?"
"This True Lord of Demon-Quelling possesses astonishing capabilities. With him and the heavenly generals of the Thunder Department present, the southern lands should be much more peaceful hereafter."
"Haha, the heavenly generals of the Thunder Department? You had better not count on them. If they were willing to expend effort to subdue demons, would our Zhaoyun have been plagued by the Old Demon of Black Mountain until today?
"As for that True Lord, he has likely just assumed office, which is why he dispatched troops to eliminate demons. Once some time passes, who knows how it will turn out? Still, even so, the fellow Daoists of our realm remain grateful for his benevolence in slaying this demon—"
***
Heavenly Court, Residence of the True Lord of Demon-Quelling in the South, Main Hall.
Zhao Zhen, Tao Xin, and the other generals, having just returned, stood in the hall and bowed respectfully toward Huang Tian, who sat at the head of the chamber. "Greetings, True Lord!"
"Rise," Huang Tian nodded. "For this assignment, you performed tolerably well."
At these words, Zhao Zhen and the others blushed. How could their performance be considered tolerably well? Had they not invoked the True Lord's dharmic whip at the critical moment, they would have had no way to capture and slay the Old Demon of Black Mountain.
Yet Huang Tian had not spoken in mockery; he meant it sincerely.
There were two reasons. First, he was reasonably satisfied with their strength. Though Vice Generals Zhao Zhen and Tao Xin could not compare to the Old Demon of Black Mountain with his unique true form, they still ranked among the elite of Great Ascension perfection cultivators.
The various valiant generals were also seasoned in battle, far beyond ordinary Great Ascension cultivators.
Second, when clashing with the Old Demon of Black Mountain, they had not engaged in foolish one-on-one duels. Instead, they had swarmed forward, leveraging their superior numbers against the monsters. Anyone who insisted on a fair fight against demons and evil spirits was utterly soft in the head. The Heavenly Court had allocated so many heavenly troops precisely to harness collective strength.
*Through this battle, I have gained a clear grasp of their capabilities and can assign subsequent tasks with precision.*
Zhao and Tao could dispatch ordinary Great Ascension foes with relative ease. A single valiant general leading an array of twelve thousand five hundred heavenly soldiers could overpower a typical Great Ascension cultivator. If all of them mobilized together, anyone short of a True Immortal would be utterly suppressed and beaten down.
Just like this encounter with the Old Demon of Black Mountain: although Tao Xin had taken a rough hit from the dharmic seal, he had suffered virtually no real harm. Conversely, the Old Demon of Black Mountain had repeatedly activated the seal, expending a vast amount of dharmic power. He would have had to flee sooner or later, or face inevitable capture.
"I have already instructed that your merits be recorded. Rest for two days, and then continue descending to the lower realm to slay demons and restore peace across all quarters."
Huang Tian signaled his attendant, Deng Zhangjue, who immediately stepped forward to brief the generals on their upcoming targets.
All of them were ordinary Great Ascension and Yang Spirit demons and evil cultivators.
Against such targets, there was naturally no need for Zhao Zhen and the entire force to deploy en masse. Instead, each general would lead a contingent on separate assignments to maximize efficiency.
Once the assignments were arranged, Huang Tian dismissed them and flew alone to the Heavenly Court's Bureau of Merit Evaluation. After collecting his merit points, he carefully browsed through the treasures in the Heavenly Court's vault.
Immortal peaches, three-turn immortal pills, Dao-comprehension true fruits, bodhi seeds, six-turn immortal pills, rank-seven immortal treasures, and various divine abilities...
Huang Tian found his heart stirred. The rare treasures for comprehending the Dao could be overlooked, as he felt they offered him little utility, but he had an acute need for divine abilities and immortal pills. Unfortunately, the merit points earned from slaying the tree demon and the Old Demon of Black Mountain were limited. After weighing his options, he chose only to exchange for immortal pills that increased a True Immortal's dharmic power.
Divine abilities were fine, but they were not the most pressing matter. He already commanded three great divine abilities; acquiring a few more ordinary ones would add little value. But increased dharmic power translated into tangible, immediate strength.
Carrying the exchanged immortal pills and spiritual fruits, he returned to the True Lord's Residence. He had intended to enter secluded cultivation straightaway, but guests arrived in continuous waves.
First came the other three True Lords of Demon-Quelling, followed by various heavenly generals from the Thunder and Dipper Departments, and then True Immortals holding leisurely posts. Every visitor brought gifts, exhibiting extraordinary courtesy and pleasant smiles.
For a time, the True Lord's Residence bustled like an immortal pavilion bathed in rosy mist and crowded with illustrious guests, where gentle breezes swept through cloud halls fragrant with imperial incense.
After socializing with the True Immortals for several days, Huang Tian finally found the leisure to enter seclusion and focus on refining the spiritual fruits and wonderful pills.
Meanwhile, his generals and heavenly soldiers descended to the mortal realm according to the list Deng Zhangjue had provided, endlessly busy subduing demons and evil spirits, never pausing for a moment.
In the snap of a finger, three years flew by.
Over these three years, Huang Tian focused wholeheartedly on cultivation, rarely emerging from seclusion. Whenever he did, it was usually because Zhao Zhen and the others had encountered a troublesome great demon, prompting him to bestow his dharmic whip to strike it dead on the spot.
The rest of his time was devoted to refining immortal pills to augment his dharmic power. As for the origin of these pills, one stream came from the annual immortal stipend.
The second source owed everything to the diligence of his subordinate generals. The moment they finished slaying one demon, they took a brief respite and plunged right back down to eradicate the next, working in a nonstop cycle without pause. Naturally, Huang Tian did not treat them shabbily; he rewarded them with spoils of war, recorded their merits faithfully, and occasionally offered personal guidance.
Thus, although Zhao Zhen and the others barely had a moment of rest, they were thoroughly content.
However, after three years, the great demons and evil cultivators of Southern Jambudvipa had grown cautious.
Those foolish fiends who failed to cultivate ties with major powers were growing scarce. The survivors had either fled to other continents, retreated into seclusion in some remote corner to cultivate quietly, or sought refuge under a True Immortal or Heavenly Immortal to latch onto an influential faction.
Consequently, the merit points Huang Tian acquired over this recent period had dwindled.
Beyond the immortal stipend and merit points, another source of immortal pills came from rewards bestowed by Star Lord Jinde.
In Star Lord Jinde's eyes, although Huang Tian spent much of his time in seclusion and was somewhat prone to picking the soft targets while avoiding the tough ones—turning a blind eye to great demons with prominent backings—he had nevertheless produced solid results. He had quelled much of the turmoil in the southern lands and effectively demonstrated the majesty of the Heavenly Court. For this, the Star Lord had repeatedly rewarded him with precious pills as a token of commendation.
*Three years have passed, and my dharmic power accumulation in the True Immortal realm has reached ninety percent.*
Inside the quiet rear hall of the True Lord's Residence, Huang Tian opened his eyes, lost in thought.
*Three years in the Earth Immortal Realm equate to forty-five years in the late Han world. Over such a vast stretch of time, I have thoroughly comprehended the path to Heavenly Immortal. If my dharmic power were fully accumulated right now, I could immediately make the breakthrough and become a Heavenly Immortal!*
He stood, walked out of the side hall, and headed toward the main hall with a composed expression. There was no need to delay any longer; it was time to take action personally, hunt down a True Immortal great demon, earn enough merits to exchange for immortal pills, and break through in one fell swoop!
Killing ordinary Great Ascension demons was too inefficient and yielded too few merits. Moreover, most of them had now sought shelter under established powers; foolish lone wolves like the Old Demon of Black Mountain were increasingly hard to find.
Yet slaying a single True Immortal great demon would provide all the resources needed for his breakthrough.
True, almost every True Immortal great demon in Southern Jambudvipa possessed a background, entangled with various factions. Seeking to eliminate such a demon would inevitably offend people.
However, it did not matter.
Once he stepped into the Heavenly Immortal realm, Huang Tian believed he would have nothing left to fear, standing invincible among those of the same tier. As for the few Golden Immortals who looked down upon the cosmos, he held little anxiety. From what he knew, throughout the history of the Earth Immortal Realm, there had been no shortage of instances where Heavenly Immortals clashed with Golden Immortals. The strongest among them had even fought nearly a hundred exchanges against a Golden Immortal titan before being suppressed.
And having verified Primordial Extremity and cultivated three supreme divine abilities, he judged that he would be far stronger than those historical figures—far stronger indeed. Holding his ground against a Golden Immortal was by no means unthinkable.
Furthermore, he was no solitary rogue; behind him stood the Heavenly Court and the Emperor.
Besides, had not Star Lord Jinde previously told him to act boldly? Slaying a True Immortal great demon would hardly be an unforgivable offense.
*In truth, it is only because I have not yet plumbed the depths of the Golden Immortal titans. Otherwise, I could act even more boldly.*
With great power came great courage. Setting aside these thoughts for now, Huang Tian reached the main hall, summoned the generals, and got straight to the point: "Assemble your troops and prepare to follow me to the lower realm to slay a demon."
At these words, everyone was stunned. This would be the very first time Huang Tian personally led troops down to eradicate a demon; in the past, he had merely bestowed his dharmic whip. What kind of demon could warrant his personal intervention?
It had to be a great demon of the True Immortal realm at the very least!
Deng Zhangjue's expression shifted slightly. He asked with utmost caution, "May I ask which evil creature the True Lord intends to eliminate?"
"This True Lord has heard that in the lower realm lies Mount Fenglian, a range stretching tens of thousands of li, currently occupied by a great demon named Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord. This demon is bellicose and murderous, feeding upon righteous cultivators and slaughtering innocent mortals for amusement. Over the past two to three thousand years, countless lives have perished at his hands. He ought to be destroyed!"
"Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord?"
Deng Zhangjue turned pale on the spot, and Zhao Zhen and the others felt their hearts drop. The reason was simple: they all knew of this Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord's prowess.
The monster's true form was a scorpion who had bitterly cultivated for tens of thousands of years to verify the True Immortal realm. He possessed no particularly formidable dharmic treasures, but the venomous stinger on his scorpion tail was extraordinarily deadly. Once he unleashed his Reverse Horse Poison Stake, even a fellow True Immortal would have to evade it, or suffer immediate destruction of their immortal body, escaping only with grave injuries if not death.
Moreover, this Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord reportedly shared deep ties with Miaoyin Bodhisattva of the Buddhist sect, making him dangerous to offend.
Naturally, every True Immortal possessed a complex web of connections, and none was easy to cross. That was precisely why the Star Lords and heavenly generals of the Heavenly Court turned a blind eye despite knowing that demons ran rampant below. Nobody wished to make enemies.
Everyone enjoyed endless longevity; wasn't it far better to relish their immortal freedom in peace?
As for mortals and certain righteous cultivators, they were ephemeral creatures born at dawn and dead by dusk, cropped down and regrowing every few decades. Why offend a True Immortal or even a Heavenly Immortal over such short-lived beings?
Deng Zhangjue's eyelids twitched wildly. He secretly sent a voice transmission, detailing Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord's capabilities and origins to Huang Tian. Yet Huang Tian acted as if he had heard nothing, replying instead, "Assemble the troops at once. We descend immediately!"
Though startled and uneasy, none of the generals dared disobey. They mobilized immediately. Deng Zhangjue dared not advise further, merely wondering silently: *Could it be that the Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord has angered Star Lord Jinde, prompting the True Lord to personally descend and capture him?*
While he pondered, one hundred thousand heavenly soldiers were already assembled. Huang Tian spoke no unnecessary words, declaring simply, "Depart!"
With that, a colossal expanse of golden clouds lifted the vast army, heading down toward Mount Fenglian.
Such a grand military deployment immediately caught the attention of heavenly generals across various departments. Huang Tian had been notoriously reclusive, practically never leaving the Heavenly Court, let alone descending personally to quell demons. A sudden movement of this scale meant something monumental was about to transpire!
Entities across all quarters focused their spiritual eyes, closely watching his every move. When they saw the golden cloud drift ever farther before coming to a halt directly over the Fenglian Mountain Range, an uproar broke out.
"Is True Lord Huang planning to apprehend the Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord?!"
"I have never heard of any feud between them. Why would they clash all of a sudden?"
"Could it be Jinde... ahem."
"Doubtful. I have never heard of any rift between him and the Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord or Miaoyin Bodhisattva."
"It couldn't possibly be True Lord Huang acting on his own initiative, could it? What could he be after?"
"Who knows? Perhaps he is too young and lacks experience, and thus hates evil like poison?"
The various departments of the Heavenly Court bustled with excitement. Some looked on from the sidelines, eager for a good show; some hurried to report to their respective Star Lords; others swiftly relayed the news to Miaoyin Bodhisattva of the Buddhist sect. The reactions were manifold.
"Demonic vapors indeed soar to the heavens!"
Standing upon the clouds, Huang Tian looked down at the Fenglian Mountain Range.
Towering crags rose steep and menacing, grotesque fiends lurking in every cleft; its peaks brushed the high heavens, where clouds were condensed demonic vapors; its roots sank deep into earth leylines, where springs ran foul with the stench of blood. Demonic beasts prowled among black pine forests, and skeletal shadows haunted steep cliffs. Yin winds howled with the ceaseless wailing of ghosts and spirits; thick poisonous mists rolled wide, blotting out the radiance of the sun and moon!
"Hm? Why would heavenly soldiers and generals come to my Mount Fenglian?"
Amidst the peaks, inside an exquisite cave dwelling, the brocade-robed Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord stirred. He raised his head, his gaze piercing through the rolling layers of cloud to see the grand army above, immediately recognizing Huang Tian at the forefront.
"True Lord Huang? May I ask why you lead troops here? I recall there has never been any interaction between us, let alone enmity."
His voice boomed up into the heavens. Deng Zhangjue and the others stole glances at Huang Tian, who remarked calmly, "What need is there for personal enmity to execute an evil demon?"
The Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord froze, then erupted into furious rage. "I am a divine lord of my own domain, an immortal who has attained the Dao of a True Immortal, ageless and deathless! How dare you call me an evil demon?!"
With a furious roar, he thrust out his right hand, grasping a white bone trident before rocketing into midair. Hearing the commotion, the tens of thousands of minions beneath him began clamoring and shouting as well. Some unfurled banners while others banged gongs, forming ranks with a forest of blades and spears as thick, chilling demonic qi surged upward.
Gazing coldly at the demonic aura rushing into the clouds, Huang Tian raised his hand. Suddenly, an urgent call echoed by his ear: "True Lord, please hold your hand! Hold your hand!"
The voice sounded remarkably familiar—it came from none other than Arhat Yindeng, who had once sought to recruit him into the Buddhist sect.
"That Heavenly Scorpion Divine Lord is Miao—"
Before the words could finish, the five fingers of Huang Tian's raised right hand curved slightly.
Tens of thousands of li of cloud and mist abruptly drew in their light and condensed their qi, transforming entirely into flowing radiance that gathered within the square inches above his palm.
Light begot one; one begot ten; ten transformed into a hundred; a hundred multiplied into a thousand.
Across the vault of heaven, manifested by thought alone, hung one thousand resplendent suns!
Golden flames blazed, true fire churning.
The searing brilliance painted the surrounding heavens pure white. The boundless sky seemed like a glass bowl bearing boiling soup, creaking on the verge of shattering!
The palm fell, and the suns plummeted!
As if the heavens tilted in the northwest and the earth sank in the southeast, searing light cascaded like waterfalls and blazing flames coalesced into rivers. Wherever they passed, the void billowed with smoke, and the very atmosphere combusted!
Such it was:
A thousand suns descending together!
Chapter 198