Two days later, the Ascension Plan officially began.
The demon worldâs elite warriors gathered en masse around the outer rim of the portal to Heaven, cracking their knuckles and flexing their musclesâclearly eager for a grand battle. This wasnât acting, but genuine passion. The demons had waited too long for this chance; now that it lay before them, how could they surrender it so easily?
Once everyone had assembled, the nine state Demon Lords finally met together for the first time. Ye Yu swept his gaze /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ around and immediately sensed several extraordinary auras. Three of the Demon Lords were half a step into the Demon Emperor Realm, and four more were firmly in the Demon Lord Realm. Yet his attention settled on a tall, upright middle-aged man. No trace of demonic energy rippled from himâinstead, it felt as if he stood fused with the very fabric of the demon world. Ye Yu had never encountered such a marvel and began to suspect that this must be a true Demon EmperorâRealm powerhouse. After all, the Demon Qi revival had lasted long enough that genuine resurgences into the Demon Emperor Realm were not unheard of.
Curious, Ye Yu swept his divine sense again and soon spotted Xu Nanqiao among the crowd. He sent a silent inquiry: âWho is that middle-aged man at the northern edge?â
Xu Nanqiao instinctively looked over, surprise flickering in her eyesâclearly she hadnât expected Ye Yu not to recognize him. Still, she replied promptly: âThat is Ling Qiansha, Demon Lord of Qintian Stateâhis territory is the largest in the demon world, and heâs suspected to be half a step into the Demon Emperor Realm! His power is unmatched. Lord Ye, you really havenât done any homework? You should at least know the state Demon Lords if weâre about to cooperate.â
Ye Yuâs thoughts turned over. âWhy donât you send me the dossiers on all the state Demon Lords, and Iâll tell you something in return? Make sure there are portraitsâI wonât know whoâs who without them.â
Xu Nanqiao frowned but obediently complied. She had exhaustively researched the demon worldâs power structure and swiftly produced a file, which she quietly handed to Mo Geilian before nodding toward Ye Yu.
Ye Yu sent another silent message: âUpdate your information: Ling Qiansha isnât half a step into the Demon Emperor Realmâheâs a true Demon EmperorâRealm expert.â
Xu Nanqiaoâs complexion shifted. If Ye Yuâs intel was accurate, she and Bai Qingsong would need to revise their entire plan. This news was priceless. She offered a sincere bow of thanks and summoned Bai Qingsong to discuss strategy.
Seizing the moment, Mo Geilian also approached Ye Yu and passed over the dossier. âBig Brother, this woman gave this to meâwhatâs inside?â
Ye Yu casually erected a barrier and pored over the documents alongside Mo Geilian. The dossier was thorough, including Ye Yuâs own profileâhis cultivation listed as Peak Demon Emperor Realm stood out glaringly, for every other lord had only just reached late Demon Lord Realm. Ye Yuâs status was startling indeed.
Notably, Mo Geilian himself had advanced to mid Demon Lord Realm. Ye Yu couldnât help but suspect he might also be a transmigrator, given how rapidly his strength had surged since slaying Bai Miaoxiang. But Mo Geilianâs talent was simply extraordinary, his progress fueled by the Demon Ascension Heaven artâtruly a gift from the heavens.
Soon, the appointed time for Ascension arrived. Ye Yu and Bai Qingsong returned to the gateway to Heaven. A hulking Blood Demon stepped forwardâit was Qu Zhengding, Demon Lord of Juque State.
âFellow Demon Lords,â he proclaimed, âour assault on Heaven concerns the honor of the demon world. I beseech you: hide nothing. Stand united against the enemy and fulfill our millennia-old dream!â
All the Demon Lords nodded in agreementâexcept Ling Qiansha, who said nothing, his expression grave as he stared skyward. Feeling overlooked, Qu Zhengding bristled, about to lash out, but a neighboring lord restrained him with a gentle shake of the head. With war at hand, no one wished internal strife. âLetâs settle any grievances after Ascension,â another murmured.
At that moment, Bai Qingsong slipped behind Ye Yu and sent a silent message: âLord Ye, we must watch each otherâs backs out there!â
âOf course,â Ye Yu replied, a playful smile tugging at his lipsâan expression that sent a chill down Bai Qingsongâs spine.
This Ye Yu is truly strange
, he thought.
But no matterâafter Ascension Iâll find a chance to eliminate him and assign a capable subordinate to take Lianhua State.
With preparations complete, the nine Demon Lords stepped through the portal together, forging the advance vanguard to pave the way for the rest of their forces.
Ye Yu looked up at the heavens, excitement fluttering in his chest. As an immortal, he never imagined heâd one day lead an assault on Heaven itselfâlife was indeed full of surprises. But this was to his advantage: deep behind enemy lines, he would learn the moment the demons began their ascension and be ready in advance.
The group shot upward with increasing speed. Before long, the nine Demon Lords emerged into the Heavens. The bright, ethereal surroundings brought joyous smiles to their faces.
Qu Zhengding barked another order: âDemon Lords, begin cleansing this place!â
Ye Yu glanced at him again.
Whatâs with this guy? Does he get a kick out of being boss?
he wondered.
According to Bai Miaoxiangâs memories, no one was appointed leader of the Ascension Plan.
Though Ye Yu bristled, many lords obeyed. Four Demon LordâRealm masters unleashed their spells, slaughtering every living being within a thousand milesâno fairy or ghost-immortal spared. In action they reaffirmed the old adage:
Weakness is original sin.