Against the Gods - Volume 06 - Lordship in Illusory Demon

by Mars Gravity

  The words of the Little Demon Empress had undoubtedly fiercely pierced the weak spot of every single person here. They were exceedingly clear regarding what their actions meant and what intentions they had harbored in the depths of their heart. The Seven Families, the various Duke Palaces, and all those people who had defected to Duke Huai Palace, every single one of them was shivering uncontrollably. The only thing left for them to do was to desperately beg for mercy, declare their loyalty, and swear the most vicious of oaths.

  The Little Demon Empress slowly extended her hand, her movement immediately causing everyone to hold their breaths… that tender and delicate hand which was as white as driven snow was, in their eyes, undoubtedly the hand of a death god that could instantly steal away all life.

  Clang!

  Following a flip of the Little Demon Empress’ hand, a short blade which radiated cold light flew out from Bai Guiming and fell in front of Duke Huai with half of the blade burying itself into the ground. The Little Demon Empress’ low voice swelled up following that, “Since you want to express loyalty… very good. Whoever amongst you personally kills Duke Huai, this empress will pardon his crimes!”

  A dead silence engulfed the great hall for an instant, but following that, a surging of wave of energy exploded outwards, and it was as if the Demon Imperial Hall was being shaken by an earthquake. The people who had originally been kneeling on the ground all frantically rushed at Duke Huai, their speed and their panic surging profound energy nearly exceeding the limits of their life.

  Helian Kuang was the closest, and his reaction speed was the fastest as well. He scooped up the knife that had been thrust into the ground, and with scarlet eyes, he rushed towards Duke Huai while howling with evident hatred, “Duke Huai… die!!”

  His hate was without a doubt the real deal. He would naturally not blame himself for the situation he found himself in right now; rather than blaming himself for betraying the righteousness of his ancestors, he would rather push the blame entirely onto Duke Huai… All of his strength was concentrated in the short blade within his hand, and it directly lunged towards Duke Huai’s vitals. Helian Kuang resented that he could not directly cleave his body in two.

  At this time, an explosion rang out in the air above them, and the rooftop of the Imperial Demon Hall had largely collapsed. A crimson black conflagration, which covered the sky and the earth, brought a scorching and tyrannically sinister energy wave along with it as it exploded downwards… before the flames had even arrived, that incomparably berserk energy wave had already caused all those who rushed towards Duke Huai to collapse to the ground, and the floor of the great hall swiftly sank before everyone’s eyes.

  “It’s Duke Ming… Be careful!” Yun Che yelled in a low voice as he grabbed the Heaven Smiting Sword and rushed in front of Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou.

  The Little Demon Empress swung a long sleeve. Golden Crow flames surged towards the sky, and in the blink of an eye, the devilish fire that filled the sky was blown apart by the impact. Following the dissipation of the Fallen Devil flames, a figure clothed in silver robes could be seen floating in the sky far above.

  “Duke… Ming!!” The people who had seen Duke Ming before let out startled cries. Even though Duke Ming had disappeared for more than one hundred years, his appearance remained completely the same as before. It was only that the “smiling appearance” that he used to display, that warmth and courtesy and that lack of princely airs, had all dissolved into thin air. At this moment, only a devilish smile was displayed on his face.

  The Little Demon Empress floated in the air and came face to face with Duke Ming, her eyes giving off a bone-piercingly cold killing intent. “Duke Ming, this empress was beginning to think that you would not have the guts to show up.”

  “Sigh.” Duke Ming observed the dreadful state of Duke Huai Palace below and let out a short sigh. “The victors rule the world while the losers become bandits. When this duke had initially thought of my day of victory, I had also naturally thought of the consequences of failure… It is only that this duke did not lose to any man, but has lost to the Golden Crow Divine Spirit… The strength of man, in the end, cannot compete with the strength of gods. If not, this Illusory Demon Realm would belong to this duke’s clan.”

  “Duke Ming… So it really was you!!” Mu Feiyan pointed a finger at Duke Ming, and he was furious that his entire body was trembling. “The previous Demon Emperor placed such great trust in you, and all those years ago, when you desired to leave Demon Imperial City, the previous Demon Emperor and I had done our utmost to dissuade you… In those days, the Demon King told me to be wary of you, but from the beginning to the very end, I disapproved of what he had said… However, who would have thought that you were really such an ungrateful, despicable, and poisonous villain!”

  “Hehe…” Duke Ming gave an apathetic bark, “The lifespan of a man, if it is short, it will last decades; if it is long, it will last millennia. But in the end, all becomes dust and is scattered to the heavens and earth; all is transient. In this short life, if one is ambitious, why would one be willing to be beneath another and become another person’s servant. If the Demon Emperor’s clan could establish themselves as the emperors of the entire realm, then why couldn’t this duke’s clan do so as well?! This duke has merely done what many average people have desired to do but had not the nerve to. I have done things that these plebeians have never even dared to dream of! So what wrong did this duke commit?! Even though I have suffered defeat today, this duke only feels dissatisfied. I have absolutely no regrets!”

  “The words of Duke Ming are absolutely wrong.” Yun Che gave a dull laugh as he replied languorously.

  “Oh?” Duke Ming inclined his eyes to look at Yun Che. “Why don’t you tell me exactly what this duke said that was wrong.”

  “It was not anything you said explicitly. Your entire premise is wrong to being with.” Yun Che shook his head as he smiled faintly but contemptuously. “What is a human? Humans can afford to not be invincible, can afford to not have any glorious achievements, and can afford to live a life of complete mediocrity. What makes someone human is not their shape or their independent will. The most important defining and most basic characteristic of what defines humanity is our human nature, our intrinsic sense of honor and our innate sense of what is right and wrong. Duke Ming, these characteristics, do you possess them? Oh… it seems like you are nearly completely void of them. If that is the case, then what qualifications do you have to call yourself a man? In the end, you are merely a malicious beast at best.

  “Since even your premise that you were a human being is completely wrong, then whatever you have said after that is merely a big pile of rubbish.

  “Furthermore, you compared yourself to the clan of the Demon Emperor, that is simply the biggest joke that I’ve ever heard. Why could the Demon Emperor’s clan reign supreme for ten thousand years? It had nothing to do with the fact that they inherited the bloodline of the Golden Crow! In those years, it was the first Demon Emperor who pacified the chaos within the Illusory Demon Realm, ended the strife between humans and demons, and unified the entire Illusory Demon Realm, bringing ten thousand years of peace, prosperity, and lack of strife to the entire realm! So the Demon Emperor’s clan does possess the qualifications to rule all under heaven and to receive the obeisance of all the citizens of the realm. But you, Duke Ming … What qualifications do you have?!

  “As a member of the Illusory Demon Royal Family, you have received the favor of the Demon Emperor’s clan. From birth, you had a noble status, and you enjoyed the best that the Illusory Demon Realm could offer. But not only did you not feel grateful and loyal, you actually harbored such evil intentions in your heart! You even invited wolves into the very heart of the realm and caused the Illusory Demon Realm to suffer a great crisis. You caused Demon Imperial City to descend into chaos, and even despicably and maliciously murdered the previous Demon Emperor and the Little Demon Emperor. The Little Demon Empress had very nearly
been consigned to death by you in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley as well… Not only did you not render a single service to the Illusory Demon Realm, you actually created crisis after crisis! While the Demon Emperor’s clan has the great merit of uniting the realm, you, Duke Ming, only have heinous and malevolent acts left to your name! So on what basis can you compare yourself to the Demon Emperor’s clan? How do you even possess the shamelessness to attempt to make that comparison in the first place?!

  “The Demon Emperor’s clan could rule over ten thousand years and all under heaven was at peace. But you, even if your nefarious plot had succeeded, on the day where all truths come to light, you will also be destroyed under the hatred of all the people of the realm, and you will definitely not last!

  “Moreover, your royal father, your grandfather, all the ancestors of your clan, what view do you think they will take towards your so-called ‘ambition?’ Do you think they will feel gratified and proud?! No! What they will feel is only pain, sadness, disgust, and anger! Yes, anger! That they could not descend from the heavens to personally throttle you to death! Because you have turned all their glory into shame, causing your clan to forever become a black stain upon history…”

  “Silence!!!”

  Duke Ming, who still carried a calm expression on his face despite his utter defeat, at this moment, could not help but to let out a hoarse cry filled with anger and hatred. His face distorted, and intense emotions started to ripple in those previously calm eyes. In this world, the sharpest blades were words which cut to the heart! Every sentence Yun Che uttered, every word he said, was like the sharpest of needles which fiercely drove into his most vulnerable points. This caused his originally unyielding and resolute demeanor, which allowed him to disregard everything, to be completely perforated.

  He had finally personally tasted the sharpness of Yun Che’s words… and he finally understood why his own son, Duke Huai, would not only be angered to distraction by this person but would even have the shadow of this person lingering in his heart.

  “Oh! Has your shame driven you to anger?” The aura that Duke Ming released in his rage was incomparably shocking, but how could Yun Che be scared because of that? He gave a gleeful smile and continued, “The victors as kings and the losers as bandits? No, no, no. That is something that can be appended to ambitious and ruthless people, it completely doesn’t suit you. Because the current you is at the very best someone who is about to endure universal scorn and abuse. A mere stray dog!”

  Duke Ming’s body started to tremble, “This duke… will kill you!!”

  Chapter 624: Reign of Terror

  Duke Ming roared loudly. His whole body burst into flames, and a Giant Flame Devil that was more than thirty meters tall fell from the sky as it opened its big, ferocious mouth and stormed towards Yun Che.

  The pressure from the tenth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm completely suffocated Mu Feiyan, even with his power. However, the Giant Flame Devil had only flown for less than thirty meters when a streak of scarlet-gold flames burned across the sky, and as soon as it touched the Giant Flame Devil, it was as if fierce flames touched rotten wood, and the Giant Flame Devil instantly burst into flames. In the blink of an eye, the crimson-black Giant Flame Devil became the color of scarlet-gold. Its figure twisted, and it roared in deep agony… Before long, it was burned to ashes, and became sparks that shattered to bits in the sky.

  Even though everyone had already experienced the extremely terrifying powers of the Little Demon Empress again and again, a scene like this still trembled everyone’s heart and soul in fear. Duke Ming’s pupils shrunk, and his chest was heaving violently. He looked at the Little Demon Empress, and said in an intricate voice, “Could it be… that your profound energy… has already… achieved the Divine Profound Realm!?”

  The four words “achieved Divine Profound Realm” were so shocking that everyone was stunned, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

  Divine Profound Realm… the legendary Realm of Divinity! The people who stepped into this realm would no longer be normal; instead, they would become a god amongst men! However, the reason it was a legend was because it had never appeared before; it was even generally acknowledged as impossible for a mortal being to achieve, and it merely existed within the records and imagination of humans.

  The Little Demon Empress’ extremely ridiculous strength… the bestowment from the Golden Crow Divine Soul…

  Could the Little Demon Empress, who had awakened her bloodline and received the Golden Crow Divine Soul’s unparalleled divine power, truly have stepped into the legendary realm that no one could achieve…

  Everyone’s hearts were trembling violently, and the respect and fear in their eyes that gazed upon the Little Demon Empress increased several times… Of course, it was mostly fear. The remaining resistance in their hearts was all shaken by the two words “Divine Profound” and ceased to exist.

  “No, that is impossible.” Duke Ming shook his head slowly, and the crimson-black flames on his body swayed madly. In the span of a few breaths, the flames had already risen up to more than three hundred meters high. “How is it possible… for someone to be stronger than this duke in this world! Absolutely impossible!!”

  Duke Ming’s eyes widened as he roared, and the three hundred meter tall Devil Flames burning on his body made a devilish howl and charged abruptly towards the Little Demon Empress.

  In an instant, the space collapsed and the blue sky changed color. This was the strength of a practitioner at the tenth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm, that used to be the strongest in the Illusory Demon Realm, giving his all. If this Fallen Devil Flame were to fall, it would be enough to burn half of Demon Imperial City to ashes.

  An apocalyptic pressure caused the crowd beneath to yell in terror.

  The Little Demon Empress focused her gaze as the Golden Crow’s flames burned silently on her body. She raised her arms, and her tender, snowy arms dazzling under her wide, gray sleeves. But it was the simple, light wave of the young girl’s flawless, fine arms, that instantly planted an enormous Fire Cage, and shrouded Duke Ming and his three hundred meters of Devil Flames all within.

  When the Fallen Devil Flame touched the Fire Cage, no matter how violent it was, it wasn’t able to advance even half an inch. The Fire Cage started shrinking rapidly. Every inch that it shrunk, the Fallen Devil Flame then backed off an inch. Gradually, the Fire Cage shrunk until it was less than three hundred meters, but it was still shrinking in speed, and the Fallen Devil Flame that had nowhere to escape was being compressed, swallowed, and dissipated little by little, like a desperate beast trapped in a cage; no matter how it struggled or cried, it was unable to escape and could only wait to perish completely in lament.

  The Fire Cage shrunk until it was only ten meters, and only then did it finally stop shrinking. The Fallen Devil Flame that was originally three hundred meters tall had been burned until there were only scattered flames left, and not a single trace could escape the cage. Duke Ming was trapped in the center of the cage and couldn’t move at all… because during this process, he tried to escape more than ten times, but every time he touched the Golden Crow Flame on the Fire Cage, he was burned and overwhelmed by the pain.

  The difference between his strength and the Little Demon Empress’ was evident from this.

  Solely based on the profound energy levels, the difference between the tenth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm and half a step into the Divine Profound Realm was less than half a small realm, but the difference between them was half a plane. Whether it was the Little Demon Empress’ Golden Crow bloodline or the Golden Crow Flame, it all completely suppressed Duke Ming.

  The Duke Ming that the Little Demon Empress of four months ago was definitely unable to oppose now was unfit to even be her opponent.

  “Duke Ming…” The Little Demon Empress reached out her palms, but they weren’t facing towards Duke Ming; instead, they faced downwards, and above her arms, the ascending Golden Crow Flame
s scorched more and more. Each of her words was filled with hatred, “You killed my father, killed my brother, harmed my whole clan, and drove my Illusory Demon Realm into chaos! Your crimes must be paid with the blood of your whole clan!!”

  “This empress gave up everything and crawled back from the abyss of death… to make your whole clan… fall into infinite hell!!”

  The voice of the Little Demon Empress seemed to be from outside the heavens and clearly spread to all of the corners of Demon Imperial City. After the last word was spoken, she waved her arms that were burning with the Golden Crow Flames. The surging scarlet flames became an enormous Golden Crow Flame Silhouette and flew towards the west side of the Demon Imperial City…

  In the time of a few breaths, the large Golden Crow Flame Silhouette had already flown away more than ten miles, temporarily circled in the air above, and abruptly dropped down…

  The loud explosion shook the whole Demon Imperial City, and a scarlet-gold fire pillar shot up and spread towards the sky. Even from more than hundred miles away, they could see the flames shooting up into the sky. Under the ruthless Golden Crow Flame… and it was the Little Demon Empress’ Golden Crow Flame; there was no question that everything would be burned into ashes.

  “That’s… that’s…”

  “That’s Duke Huai Palace!!”

  The sound of yelling came from everywhere, and there was even the sound of those sucking in a cold breath. The Little Demon Empress actually sent her Golden Crow Flame to Duke Huai Palace over ten miles away! Even with such a distance, the flames and smoke filling the air, and the power of the flames that still startled and frightened people’s hearts, even from more than ten miles away, all showed that the great Duke Huai Palace had been completely demolished… The entirety Duke Huai Palace, including the living people within, were all buried within… and none of them would be able to survive!