Chapter 285: Chapter 231 Taking Charge! [2 more!]
"Such petty tricks, and you dare flaunt them in front of me?"
If Chen Jichuan were an ordinary person, he might truly have been deceived by the Fuling Demon King. But Chen Jichuan had the ’Insight Skill,’ a technique renowned for its ability to see through all worlds, comprehending all things—be it space, time, or causality.
Though its powers are currently limited by his cultivation level, the ’Insight Skill’ is no less potent than any super-level technique when it comes to breaking illusions and perceiving hidden truths.
The ’All Heavens Walking’ method of the Fuling Demon King is indeed formidable. Yet to Chen Jichuan, its mysteries can be unraveled in merely a breath’s time, allowing him to capture the demon king’s true form.
As for the talk of switching freely between ’true’ and ’false’ selves, it might be achievable if the ’All Heavens Walking’ technique were cultivated to an even higher level.
But at present, the Fuling Demon King clearly has not reached that stage.
His feigned composure was nothing more than an attempt to deceive Chen Jichuan into lowering his guard.
Yet, before Chen Jichuan and his ’Heavenly Eye,’ all deception proved futile.
"Hah!"
Chen Jichuan did not waste words on the still-posturing Fuling Demon King. Raising his hand, he summoned a small banner. Immediately, flames surged forth, transforming into a fire dragon that roared as it lunged toward the Fuling Demon King.
This was the ’Taiyang Flame Banner.’
Since its creation, Chen Jichuan had never used it in actual combat until today, marking its debut.
The appearance of this banner left the Fuling Demon King unable to maintain his facade. Panic flashed across his face, realizing that his techniques and secrets had been completely seen through. Fear and disbelief gripped his heart, rendering him unable to advance or retreat. Faced with imminent death, he could not hold back any longer and pleaded, "Spare me, my lord! Fuling is willing to surrender!"
"Surrender, and abandon all resistance; otherwise, I’ll reduce you to oblivion!"
Chen Jichuan sternly rebuked, pointing his finger forward. The ’Taiyang Flame Banner’ revolved in the air as the fire dragon circled menacingly.
A fleeting look of struggle crossed the Fuling Demon King’s face.
Seeing the fire dragon poised to strike, and himself trapped by secret techniques with no means of escape, despair overwhelmed him. He lowered his hands, ceasing all resistance.
"As long as the green hills remain, there’s no fear of running out of firewood."
Harboring a sliver of hope.
As the Fuling Demon King relinquished his resistance, the celestial ’Taiyang Flame Banner’ descended, landing on his brow. The fire dragon returned to the banner, amplifying its power immeasurably. In an instant, the Fuling Demon King reverted to his true form—
"Hissss!"
A serpentine demon coiled, its body enveloped in cloud-like mist—a telltale sign of the ’Cloud Snake’ bloodline, an exotic species from the barbaric wilderness.
"Excellent!"
Chen Jichuan was delighted. Pressing his hand against the Sword Map to guard against the Fuling Demon King’s escape, he performed a series of Seal Techniques, pushing the ’Innate One Qi Demon-locking Bone-shrinking Great Method’ to its zenith.
This technique was versatile.
At a grand scale, it could encompass entire mountains, even celestial bodies.
On a smaller scale, it could be inscribed within the consciousness sea, imprisoning the Divine Soul, granting control over life and death.
The powers of the Fuling Demon King were formidable. Chen Jichuan coveted his secret techniques and intended to subjugate him eventually. Yet, knowing how unruly this demon king could be, Chen Jichuan relied on the ’Innate One Qi Demon-locking Bone-shrinking Great Method’ for prudence and safety.
For now, he refrained from immediate utilization.
"I’ll temporarily suppress him beneath Wuling Mountain. Once my cultivation has further advanced and the ’Innate One Qi Demon-locking Bone-shrinking Great Method’ reaches a new level, I will tame and control him for my own use when the time is right."
Thus, Chen Jichuan worked steadily, sealing the Fuling Demon King’s physical form and Divine Soul with the ’Taiyang Flame Banner’ while encompassing the Central Peak with the ’Innate One Qi Demon-locking Bone-shrinking Great Method.’ Utilizing the mountain’s landscape and earthly energies, he confined the Fuling Demon King deep within its core, rendering escape impossible.
At last.
This marked an overwhelming first victory, a triumph of immense proportions!
...
"That was truly laborious!"
Chen Jichuan took a long breath, though his heart brimmed with joy.
Turning, he glanced at the countless demons prostrated across Wuling Mountain’s terrain. Gazing through the mountain’s mist, he also spotted several Great Demons and Little Demons attempting to flee amidst the chaos.
"Hurry!"
Chen Jichuan’s eyes sharpened as he performed sword techniques. Streaks of Sword Qi soared, mercilessly obliterating the Great and Little Demons trying to escape. The Sword Qi returned, drenched in blood, filling those who remained with dread and terror.
"Obey me diligently. Any disobedience will result in your deaths!"
With a sweep of his hand, Chen Jichuan dispersed the Sword Qi. The group of demons hurriedly complied, bowing and kowtowing repeatedly in abject submission.
These demons, both large and small, were masters of servile opportunism. Loyalty meant little to them. Since their ruler had been defeated, resistance was out of the question. They promptly pledged fealty to their new master.
...
"This humble demon greets the great king! May the great king’s fortune be boundless!"
Within the Fuling Cave of Wuling Mountain, Chen Jichuan sat atop his throne. The four major disciples—Li Ji, Guu Zhengyang, Liu Han, and Chuu Zhongyou—stood beside him. Seated further down were twenty-two deacons, including Ding Xuan and Lu Daren. Below them were the Fuling Demon King’s four major demon commanders, bowing their heads in submission.
Each possessed cultivation at the late-stage First-order.
"There were originally nine commanders in the mountain, but five were slain earlier, leaving only us four. The mountain now hosts twelve chief leaders, fifty-four secondary leaders, and three hundred and two minions."
Among the four major demon commanders, a clever-looking Monkey Demon named ’Hou Qi’ spoke respectfully, presenting a detailed report on Wuling Mountain’s situation to Chen Jichuan.
Previously, Wuling Mountain had been ruled by the Fuling Demon King, whose ambitions led him to bring the demons from all five peaks under his command, establishing an impressive sphere of influence.
He even trained his demon commanders rigorously, imparting martial techniques to them. Chief leaders, secondary leaders, and numerous minions patrolled the mountain and honed their skills.
It was clearly the makings of a grand plan.
Yet his venture met a premature end. Before his aspirations could bear fruit, Chen Jichuan unexpectedly appeared, vanquishing him and condemning him to a suppressed existence within the mountain’s depths.
His legacy had now become Chen Jichuan’s spoils.
"The commanders are comparable to late-stage Qi Refinement and would match the deacons in our sect."
"The chief leaders equate to middle-stage Qi Refinement, akin to the sect’s head stewards."
"The secondary leaders are at early-stage Qi Refinement, similar to miscellaneous disciples within the sect."
As Chen Jichuan scrutinized Hou Qi and the other three demons, he nodded to himself in approval.
This time, he had brought nearly two hundred cultivators, all capable of Qi Refinement. Though their formation was impressive, he had seen clearly along the way that this barbaric wilderness harbored countless dangerous figures. Some, like the Fuling Demon King, commanded entire regions, while others cultivated in solitude, hidden within the mountains and rivers. To establish a foothold here, he would need reinforcements—not fewer, but more. The more, the better.
Suppressing this thought, Chen Jichuan addressed the four demons: "Do you know which demon kings or Evil Gods reside around Wuling Mountain? Which are worth guarding against, and which were allied to the Fuling Demon King?"
Having newly claimed his position, Chen Jichuan lacked extensive knowledge about the area. Besides a preliminary survey of the vicinity before entering Wuling Mountain, he only had some rough intelligence gathered by Luo Pu.
However, Luo Pu’s observations were crude.
For example, the presence of the Second Layer Heaven Demon King in Wuling Mountain had been noted, but details about his origins or techniques were missing.
Now that Chen Jichuan had taken control of Wuling Mountain, it was the perfect time to question these native demons for insights.
"Reporting to the great king—"
Upon hearing Chen Jichuan’s query, Hou Qi and the other demons eagerly answered, offering fragmented information about the surrounding area. They primarily focused on details regarding the various demon kings and Evil Gods.
The gathered intelligence allowed those present, including Chen Jichuan, to gain a clearer understanding.
The meeting lasted nearly an hour.
As it concluded—
"Deacon Ding."
"Deacon Lu."
"From this moment on, the demons of this mountain will be under your command. You shall station yourselves at the southern and northern peaks, overseeing their daily drills without negligence."
Chen Jichuan addressed Ding Xuan and Lu Daren, the foremost among the twenty-two deacons, issuing his orders.
"Understood!"
Ding and Lu, upon hearing this, were overjoyed. Understanding that they had gained Elder Dai’s favor and trust, they hurriedly expressed their compliance.
...
Eight hundred miles south of Wuling Mountain lies a region of dark hills and waters, with an ominous pool known as ’Black Water Pond,’ formed by the convergence of ten deadly streams.
On this day—
The Zi Han Demon King emerged from the Black Water Pond. Cloaked in a violet robe, he listened as a demon commander kneeling respectfully on the shore reported, "Reporting to the great king: A few days ago, a group passed through Black Water Pond and headed for Wuling Mountain. Their leader battled the Fuling Demon King. The Fuling Demon King was defeated and suppressed beneath Wuling Mountain. His subordinate demons were all subdued by the newcomer. Wuling Mountain has changed masters!"
Chen Jichuan had made his way from the southernmost locations to Wuling Mountain. Traveling with nearly two hundred cultivators, the group was conspicuous, despite efforts to maintain a low profile. Along the journey, they could hardly escape the notice of various demon kings and Evil Gods.
Black Water Pond, situated south of Wuling Mountain, took note of their movements as well.
Though Chen Jichuan and his party possessed obvious strength and intentionally avoided the pond’s center, merely skirting its edges, Zi Han Demon King chose not to provoke a powerful foe unnecessarily, allowing them to pass unhindered.
Still, he secretly dispatched a subordinate demon to tail them and monitor their movements.
Unexpectedly, in less than a thousand-mile span, they had seized control of Wuling Mountain, and judging by the circumstances, seemed intent on establishing a foothold there.
Zi Han Demon King’s face grew cold, his brows furrowing. "Fuling’s strength surpasses mine, yet he was subdued so easily. What is the origin of these people? Neighbors of this sort will surely bring trouble."
The Zi Han Demon King deliberated cautiously.
The Black Water Pond and Wuling Mountain were separated by roughly eight hundred miles—a short distance for demon kings, and merely a ten-day to half-month journey for their subordinate demons. Conflicts between the two territories naturally occurred from time to time.
The two demon kings had even crossed swords directly.
The Zi Han Demon King was intimately familiar with the Fuling Demon King’s abilities.
Thus, upon hearing that Wuling Mountain had been taken and the Fuling Demon King suppressed, his shock and wariness intensified. Vigilance took root in his heart.
After much contemplation—
Feeling the need to act, the Zi Han Demon King summoned several demon commanders, instructing them: "Quickly head to Scorpion Mountain and Fire Crow Mountain. Invite the Great King and the Third Great King to Black Water Pond for a meeting!"
To the east of Black Water Pond lies Scorpion Mountain, some seventeen hundred miles away, home to the Yinbo Demon King.
To the west, nineteen hundred miles away, stands Fire Crow Mountain, the domain of the Fire Crow Demon King.
The Zi Han Demon King shared borders with multiple territories and often clashed with neighbors. However, he had intentionally cultivated alliances with Yinbo and Fire Crow Demon Kings, whose domains were farther afield. These alliances were mutual defenses against closer rivals.
He shrewdly embraced the principle of distant alliances and near warfare.
Now faced with an uncertain threat, the Zi Han Demon King summoned his two sworn brothers, intending to have their presence impose upon the new ruler of Wuling Mountain.
Once the emissaries had departed, the Zi Han Demon King considered further. Feeling these measures insufficient, he dispatched three additional messengers, bearing tokens and letters to extend his influence.
"With Fuling defeated, I must test his alliances. If I can take his place and form pacts with them, future stability is assured."
The Zi Han Demon King made his moves, gradually finding solace. Though the summoned demon kings would take time to arrive, the Zi Han Demon King refrained from excessive action and instructed his commanders to closely monitor Wuling Mountain’s developments, reporting without delay.
He himself submerged once more into the depths of the Black Water Pond to focus on cultivation.
...