Once the Demon Lords had cleared this area, the vast demon host began streaming endlessly through the portal into the Heavens. At the command of their lords, they surged in all directions like a wild flood.
Ye Yu saw Mo Geilian among them and couldnât help but transmit silently: âBe cautious!â
âDonât worry, Big Brother,â Mo Geilian replied without looking back as he dashed eastward. âThis time in the Heavens, Iâll fetch you a fairy for your wife!â
Ye Yu inwardly felt equal parts amused and exasperated. Who taught him that? Out of the blue he vowed to capture the most beautiful fairy in the Heavens as Ye Yuâs consort. âMy brother, youâre too thoughtfulâhow can I ever repay you?â
Watching the demon armies pouring outward, Ye Yu stifled his smile and turned his gaze southâtoward the Unattained Pagoda sectâs stronghold. He had toyed with the idea of meeting his wives in the dream realm, but decided against it. While dreaming, time is too preciousâstrength must be forged without distraction. Besides, if he stormed the Pagoda in his capacity as Demon Lord, heâd owe them explanationsâand not all his wives hailed from dreams!
As for the Pagodaâs safety once the demons reached it, Ye Yu was â NĐŸvĐ”lŃĐłht â (Donât copy, read here) unfazed. The demon-world portal lay well north of the Heavensâ central lands; the Unattained Pagoda lay so deep in the Heavensâ heartlands that the two were thousands of miles apart. By the time the demon horde arrived, who knew what year or month it would be? Moreover, the Pagodaâs forces had grown vastly more powerful: several Immortal KingâRealm experts, plus the defensive arrays Ye Yu himself had laidâno mere demon host could threaten them unless a half-step Demon Emperor intervened.
Ye Yu would also keep real-time watch on the Demon Lordsâ movements. In his eyes, these were veteran campaignersâhe would not let them run amok.
âHere they come!â At that moment, Qu Zhengding of Juque State snapped his gaze to the distance. Several streaks of light shot toward them, then settled precisely before the Demon Lordsâit was seven Immortal KingâRealm experts. They had sensed the massive surge of demonic energy and rushed here, only to witness this terrifying scene.
One handsome sword immortal sneered: âWhat do you demon clans intend to do?â
Qu Zhengding swaggered forward, a bestial grin on his face. âWhat do we intend? Canât you see? Weâll finish what our ancestors couldnât: Ascension! Weâll slay these damned immortals!â His last words clearly aimed at rallying the Demon Lords. Truly, he spared no theatrics.
Though inwardly displeased, the Demon Lords charged the seven sword immortalsâafter all, their mission was to eliminate the Heavensâ elite and secure an advantage for the demon host. All but two obeyed: Ling Qiansha of Qintian State remained motionless, and Ye Yu stood still in silent disapproval of Qu Zhengdingâs posturing. Perhaps Ling Qiansha simply found them unworthy opponents.
With the aid of three half-step Demon EmperorâRealm lords, the seven Immortal KingâRealm experts were swiftly slain.
Qu Zhengding snorted, âI hope you two havenât forgotten our pact: offense and defense united, we strike at Heaven together!â He glared at Ye Yu and Ling Qiansha to remind them.
But Ling Qiansha ignored him, closing his eyes to cultivate. Furious, Qu Zhengding advanced to jeer againâonly for a black swirl of demonic energy to lash around his throat and hoist him high off the ground.
Ling Qiansha said coldly, âIf you encounter an Immortal Emperor, leave it to me. Otherwise, donât bother me.â With that, the black energy vanished, and Qu Zhengding dropped back to the ground, trembling as he staggered two steps away.
The surrounding Demon Lordsâ eyes flickered with newfound reverence. To command such confidence, could this lord of Qintian State truly have reached the Demon Emperor Realm? At the thought, their fists clenched. A Demon Emperorâtruly atop the demon world!
Qu Zhengding rolled his neck, eyes wary. If even he, a half-step Demon Emperor, could not resist, this fellow must indeed be a true Demon Emperor.
Well played,
Qu Zhengding thought, then turned his gaze on Ye Yu. âLord Ye, what about you? Why do you hold back?â
Ye Yu sneered, âHalf-step Immortal Emperor comes to me.â
Qu Zhengdingâs face contorted in disbelief. Ling Qiansha had the credentials to boastâbut Ye Yu, merely Peak Demon Emperor Realm, had no right to such a claim! Qu Zhengding was about to erupt, but then a thought struck himâand he forced himself to grin.
Alright, if he wants to mouth off, let him mouth off.
He cupped his hands. âVery well, Lord YeâI look forward to seeing your prowess!â
Ye Yu said nothing, but mentally added Qu Zhengding to his âmust-eliminateâ list.
As time passed, the demon horde nearly all poured into the Heavens, catching the immortals off guard! Yet the Heavensâ defenders were no pushovers. They quickly organized a counterattack, and both sides clashed in fierce, chaotic battle.
The nine Demon Lords remained stationed around the portalâs outer rim, observing their subordinates through the âMoonlit Abyssâ technique. When their forces encountered resistance, the Demon Lords would occasionally step inâand then return to their vigil, protecting the portal from sabotage.
No one knows how long it lasted before Ling Qiansha finally opened his eyes. From afar, two kilometer-long beams of sword qi thundered in, cleaving all demons in their path, yet pressing onward to strike at the Demon Lords themselves. Ye Yu raised an eyebrow. Such icy sword intent could only belong to at least a half-step Immortal Emperor. Had the Heavensâ top champions already begun to mobilize?