Chapter 1152

When discontent takes root, it spreads at lightning speed.

The unrest among the Three Corpses Hall’s demon cultivators soon drew Mo Tianjun’s attention. Though he stood at the Immortal Emperor realm, he still relied on those demons to supply him with celestial materials and treasures—without them, his grand devourment scheme could never be perfect. The Three Corpses Hall could not descend into chaos, at least not yet.

Mo Tianjun summoned the elder cultivators, ordering them to pacify the restless demons below. With such esteemed figures present, surely the commotion would be quelled swiftly! Yet to his surprise, more than half of the elders simply cast agitated glances at him instead of moving to obey.

“Respect for one’s master and unconditional loyalty to the sect leader—such discipline exists only in the righteous Immortal schools!” he thought bitterly. Among demon cultivators, no one wielded absolute authority—only power spoke. “If you think you’re capable, then try and take command!”

Seeing this, Mo Tianjun forced a wry smile. After dominating for nearly a million years, he never imagined that, on the eve of shattering the Void and ascending to the Divine Realm, his own underlings would dare to rebel. Who had given them such courage?

That day, Mo Tianjun unleashed slaughter within the hall, wiping out nearly all mid-level elders. Once they tasted his absolute might, the would-be mutineers fell back into line.

Alone in the vast main hall, Mo Tianjun’s thoughts churned. What had come over him? Ye Yu truly held boundless potential, and absorbing him would grant a qualitative leap in power—vital for confidently facing the Divine Realm. But was such a risk necessary?

In recent times, he had shown restraint so often that even his nature had grown blurred, his Dao faint. After much deliberation, Mo Tianjun decided to strike at Ye Yu ahead of schedule—his second and final change of plan.

He began preparations immediately: enlist another Divine Physician’s aid to heal his wounds, then dispatch the demon-monkey to seize Ye Yu from Wuwei Tower. Ideally, lure Ye Yu alone to the ambush site—that would be most convenient. Within the Tower, strong figures abounded; a fresh Emperor-level aura rang in his senses. Though not terrifying, if those female Immortals intervened, they could upset his grand design. He had to tread carefully.

Originally, the monkey demon’s target had been Ye Nian, but that stubborn ape bound A Kong instead and nearly got injured himself. Left with no choice, the demon kidnapped A Kong. Fortunately, events unfolded smoothly and Ye Yu came alone, along with that under-estimated Xiao Meng. The only disappointment was the demon’s self-destruction failing to harm Ye Yu at all.

But the plan had advanced too far to retreat now.

Mo Tianjun raised his hand, clenching his right fist. Crimson filaments surged from the ground, coalescing into a complete cocoon around them. A brutal, chilling aura rose in response.

Ye Yu glanced at the surrounding formation-seals and asked softly, “Do you intend to fight to the death? Don’t worry—I won’t flee. But I’ve always wondered: why did you wait until I reached the Immortal Lord realm before making a move, instead of attacking me earlier? All this time you’ve ... ‘invested’ in me!”

Indeed, “investment” was the perfect word—celestial materials, Immortal allies, critical intel. From Ye Yu’s perspective, Mo Tianjun had acted like a benevolent senior, constantly nurturing him. Even when Ye Yu sensed something amiss, he found no justification to confront Mo Tianjun. All the more, he was curious about the demon lord’s true motives.

“Heh, quite perceptive,” Mo Tianjun replied. “As you said, everything I’ve done for you has been an investment. You know, I’ve been waiting for you to grow stronger!”

With that thought, Mo Tianjun’s Three-In-One prime form reappeared: the fierce old man at center, flanked by the cunning, soft-voiced youth on either side—both staring at Ye Yu with greedy longing.

Mo Tianjun began to speak of his Dao. As legend held, the Three Corpses Hall was founded by three beings: Mo Tianjun, Mo Dijun, and Mo Shenjun. After the cataclysm in Heaven, Mo Tianjun became the sole hall lord—not because the other two fell, but because he had merged them into himself. This “Assimilation Path” was his Dao.

Originally, all three hovered at the brink of Emperor realm, unable to transcend their own Dào. Mo Dijun grew ever more violent; Mo Shenjun, sly and effeminate, grew anxious; only Mo Tianjun remained calm. In one decisive moment, he absorbed both into his being—gaining their cultivation, Immortal techniques, and divine powers. The three existed in perfect harmony, yet always under Mo Tianjun’s absolute rule—he was the true head.

Since ascending to Immortal Emperor, he had not grown arrogant; he knew his journey did not end in Heaven. Only by stepping into the Divine Realm could he achieve his true goal. Thus over the millennia he had scoured for the finest “ingredients” to assimilate, but found none worthy—no ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ genius could surpass himself.

By chance, Ye Yu emerged—breaking through realms at a staggering pace, mastering both righteous and demonic arts. In mere months he rose from newcomer to Immortal Lord—a feat unheard of in history. Without doubt, Ye Yu was the supreme ingredient he sought. Assimilating him would be the perfect path forward.

And so, Mo Tianjun’s “investment” in Ye Yu accelerated his realm-breaking ever onward.