Chapter 908
The jailer is unwilling to accept defeat, and the arrow breaks on the execution platform
Chapter 908 The jailer is unwilling to accept defeat, and the arrow breaks on the execution platform (Seeking monthly votes~)
The Demon God Mountain and the Black Sea are far apart, but the Demon Emperor believes that Lie Shanyu of the Demon God Mountain must be looking here through some means, and perhaps a cultivator on the Black Sea has his soul possessing him.
The Demon Court naturally still has some methods and resources that it has not yet used, but the defenses of this mountain are equally alarming. It naturally does not want to expend its strength here, while the Demon God Mountain is watching from the sidelines.
Moreover, this whole affair originated with the human race, and Demon God Mountain wanted to watch the tigers fight from the sidelines; how could he allow that?
Lie Shanyu naturally understood the Demon Emperor's meaning: as long as he didn't make a move, the Demon Court would surely retreat.
Lie Shanyi looked at the scene displayed in the Xuanjing ahead, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Brother, should our Demon God Mountain make a move?"
Lie Shanyu stared for a moment, then turned around and smiled, saying, "What do you think? Should I make a move?"
Behind him, besides Lieshanyi, the other three great god-kings were also present.
The Eastern Guardian God King, Jiang Shouxuan, has a refined and slender face, an air of otherworldly grace, and always wears a moon-white robe. The Jiang family is well-versed in the art of magic formations.
Zhennan God King, Ji Hongye, is tall and has double pupils. He carries a longbow on his back.
The God King of the West, Ying Jue, had a cold expression, like ice that would never melt.
Mount Demon God is home to four great families of gods and demons, with the Lieshan family at the head, followed by the Jiang family, the Ji family, and the Ying family, each with a profound and deep-rooted heritage.
Lie Shanyu's gaze swept across the faces of Jiang Shouxuan, Ji Hongye, and Ying Jue. This time, the rumors about Gu Yuanqing had caused a great stir in the entire Demon Realm in a short period of time, and it was possible that these families had been pushing things along behind the scenes.
The Demon Realm has been quiet for far too long.
The four great families suppress the Demon Realm, and their descendants have served as jailers for generations.
In this realm, the divine path has been severed, and demigods are the limit. Even now, achieving the state of "immortality" is extremely difficult.
As a cultivator, who would willingly be trapped in such a cage?
Ordinary people are one thing, but they already possess unparalleled inheritances, so who would be willing to accept that?
So this time, the true demon has manifested in the world, and some people finally couldn't stand the loneliness.
None of the four divine kings spoke.
Lie Shanyu smiled and said, "Forget it, it's no use asking you."
His gaze suddenly fell on the foot of the mountain, and then he said calmly, "Let them come up."
Three elderly men, supported by others, shakily made their way up the mountain. Their bodies were hunched over, and each step seemed to require all their strength. Their aura was extremely weak, and they looked no different from ordinary elderly people on their deathbeds.
However, none of the people present dared to underestimate them.
Because of the faces of these three, all four God-Kings present recognized them—they were the previous patriarchs, beings who should have "fallen" ten thousand years ago.
The three walked to within ten feet of Lie Shanyu, broke free from his support, and bowed in respect.
"Your old minister, Jiang Yuanzhen."
"This old minister, Ji Chongshan."
"Your old minister, Ying Wugou."
"Greetings, Your Majesty the Divine Emperor."
The three people's voices were old and hoarse, as if they were coming from a coffin.
Lie Shanyu stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at them with a cold smile: "So you old guys are still alive."
Jiang Yuanzhen raised his head, revealing a wrinkled face. He grinned, showing his few remaining teeth: "Your Majesty, I'm almost unable to walk anymore."
"Then why did you come out in the first place?" Lie Shanyu's voice was unreadable.
The three elders exchanged glances, and finally Jiang Yuanzhen spoke up: "Ultimately, we must find a way out for the younger generation in our family."
Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the room momentarily froze.
The four divine kings behind Lieshan Yu had different expressions.
Lie Shanyi frowned slightly and glanced at the others.
Jiang Shouxuan lowered his gaze slightly, revealing no emotion; Ji Hongye remained calm; Ying Jue remained expressionless.
But clearly, they weren't surprised to see their elders there.
Lie Shanyu said indifferently, "Then you should know what will happen if this sky breaks?"
Jiang Yuanzhen nodded slowly: "This old minister understands."
Ying Wugou's words were icy: "It's either life or death, it's all the same. Even in the worst-case scenario, how different would it be from what we're experiencing now?"
Ji Chongshan smiled, his face creased with wrinkles: "Even the greatest sins have been atoned for over so many years. We may not have made any great contributions, but we have certainly put in the hard work. What I fear is that those above us have long forgotten our existence."
Lie Shanyu's gaze swept over the three of them: "Are you really planning to do this?"
Ji Chongshan looked up at Lieshan Yu and smiled slightly: "Does Your Majesty not want to? If it weren't for Your Majesty's approval, how could our three families have stirred up such a storm?"
Ying Wugou suddenly said, "It is said that the seal on that underground cave in Beiyun Mountain has malfunctioned for the fourth time in recent years. Four hundred years ago, a demon at the Shattered Heaven Realm even entered it."
Lieshan Yu's expression was icy: "What you want to do is beyond my control, but don't drag my Lieshan clan into these matters."
Ji Chongshan smiled, his voice hoarse, and said, "Your Majesty, the Lieshan clan has always been the leader of Demon God Mountain, and the oath to advance and retreat together has been a vow since ancient times. If the heavens are destroyed, who will believe that it has nothing to do with the Lieshan clan? Rather than that, why don't we all go all out and fight?"
Lie Shanyu narrowed his eyes slightly and said indifferently, "Let's leave these matters aside for now. Since you were the ones who stirred up this matter, why don't you handle it?"
Ji Chongshan looked at the scene in the Xuanjing mirror, bowed slightly and said, "As a subject, it is only right that I serve Your Majesty."
Lie Shanyu said calmly, "Then let me see the foundation of your Ji family. I have long heard of the Heaven-Breaking Bow, but I have never actually seen it with my own eyes all these years."
Ji Chongshan sighed softly, "These old bones of mine don't know how many more times they can draw a bow. Since Your Majesty is in such a good mood, how could this old minister dare to refuse!"
As he spoke, he took out a jade bottle, broke the seal, and a drop of blood shimmering with golden light flew into his mouth.
A tremendous vitality emanated from his body. He straightened his hunched back, his thin frame suddenly bulging, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out, as if in an instant, time had turned back, and he had reached his peak.
This person was also at the Undying Realm of Chaos!
But the power of that drop of blood was not limited to that. A tremendous force surged forth, and golden light flowed between his brows, transforming into divine runes. Behind him, a phantom of a god and demon appeared.
Ji Chongshan raised his hand and made a grasping motion in the air. Golden light surged from his palm, and an ancient longbow gradually took shape.
Lie Shanyu sensed the aura emanating from the bow, and his gaze sharpened slightly.
This bow is the Heaven-Piercing Bow, one of the Ji family's treasures. Legend has it that the bow was made from the rib of a demon god, and the bowstring was made from the demon god's sinew. The Ji family also has three God-Slaying Arrows, with the arrow shafts forged from divine metal and the arrowheads polished from the demon god's teeth.
This bow can only be drawn by someone of the Ji family bloodline. It possesses earth-shattering power, and its god-slaying arrow locks onto the enemy, ensuring their demise.
Legend has it that the demigod of the Ji family once used this bow to kill a true god!
However, Ji Chongshan clearly did not use the God-Slaying Arrow this time. That kind of arrow, when combined with the Heaven-Breaking Bow, was the true foundation, and it would only be used when the Ji family was facing a life-or-death situation.
However, even the second-best Demon-Slaying Arrow is still a powerful weapon, and when fired from the Sky-Piercing Bow, it possesses immense power.
Ji Chongshan raised his hand and made a grasping motion, and the ancient longbow solidified completely in his palm.
The bow was jet black, with faint dark gold patterns visible—divine markings naturally formed on the demon god's ribs.
As the bowstring tightened, a deep hum resounded in the void, as if awakening from a deep sleep.
Ji Chongshan held the bow in his left hand and tapped the string with his right.
He did not take the arrow, but instead pointed his fingers together like an arrow and condensed his true energy into an arrow.
The phantom of a god and demon behind him moved in sync with him. The phantom slowly opened its eyes, with two golden flames burning within them, seemingly piercing through the endless void and locking onto a certain spot above the Black Sea.
As the bowstring was slowly drawn back, a strong wind suddenly rose atop Demon God Mountain. The four God Kings all took a step back, channeling their energy to resist the overwhelming pressure.
When the bow is drawn three-tenths, a change occurs in the void.
Centered on Demon God Mountain, the clouds swirled wildly for thousands of miles, forming a gigantic vortex. Deep within the vortex, lightning flickered.
The bow was drawn halfway, and the phantom images of gods and demons behind him began to burn.
Golden flames surged from the phantom's eyes, flowing down its arm to the fingertips of Ji Chongshan's right hand, merging with its true essence to transform into a golden arrow.
This is the Ji family's secret Demon-Slaying Arrow. It uses bloodline as its guide, the power of divine and demonic phantoms as its arrowhead, and the laws of heaven and earth as its sharp edge.
The bow is drawn to six-tenths of its full extent.
Ji Chongshan's body trembled slightly. His face, which had regained its youthful appearance, was once again etched with wrinkles. The power of that drop of golden blood was being frantically devoured by the bow, but his hand remained steady.
Above Demon God Mountain, deep within the swirling vortex stretched for thousands of miles, a chaotic void reigning, as if an ancient being was awakening. The four divine kings retreated again and again, but even their divine might was becoming unbearable for them.
The bow is drawn seven-tenths of its length.
Ji Chongshan's aura began to become ethereal, and he seemed to merge with the burning phantom of the god and demon behind him, his eyes also blazing with golden flames.
And this arrow has already locked onto its target.
Above the Black Sea, both the Demon Emperor and the Asura King looked up, for an inexplicable crisis was looming.
Gu Yuanqing also raised his head; he could sense that something was happening in the Dragon Demon Realm.
"Is Demon Mountain finally going to make its move?"
The bow is drawn to eighty percent of its full extent.
With a flick of Ji Chongshan's right finger, the golden Demon-Slaying Arrow took shape. The arrow was long and slender, flowing with golden divine patterns, and its tip gleamed with a cold light that seemed capable of tearing through the void.
At this moment, time seemed to stand still. At the summit of Demon God Mountain, everyone held their breath.
Between heaven and earth, only the bow, the arrow, and the man who drew the bow remained.
Ji Chongshan released his right hand.
"boom--"
A deafening roar shook the heavens and the earth, as if the entire Demon Realm had been torn apart by this arrow.
The golden arrow left the bowstring, flew a thousand feet, and suddenly disappeared into the void.
Only a golden trail remained, lingering for a long time, as if even the laws of heaven and earth could not heal this wound.
At the summit of Demon God Mountain, Ji Chongshan's body suddenly trembled.
The Heaven-Shattering Bow in his hand faded and disappeared, and his entire being seemed to have been drained of all strength; his fleeting youth and bulging muscles faded away in an instant.
She looked even older than before.
He was hunched over, panting heavily, but a smile appeared on his lips.
"Your Majesty... I have made a fool of myself."
Before he could finish speaking, he almost lost his footing and fell.
The younger members of the Ji family behind him rushed forward to help him up.
He coughed twice and said, "I'm getting old after all. If it were before, I could draw the bow ninety percent of the way."
Lie Shanyu stared intently at the Xuanjing mirror.
In the mirror, a golden streak of light suddenly appeared above the Black Sea, heading straight for the Dragon Demon Realm at an incredible speed.
Wherever it passed, the void collapsed and the laws of nature were disrupted.
Suddenly, Lieshan Yu turned his head sharply to look at Ji Chongshan.
Ji Chongshan coughed and sighed softly, "It seems I really am getting old; even my aim has deteriorated a bit!"
Lie Shanyu's face had turned icy cold.
……
Within the North Spring Cave.
Gu Yuanqing had already seen the incoming arrow light. In the blink of an eye, he arrived at the Dragon Demon Domain. The boundary membrane shattered instantly, and the golden arrow light streaked across the sky.
The Demon Emperor suddenly roared, "Lieshan Yu!"
Although the arrow did not lock onto the Demon Court, the direction it pointed to was precisely where the Demon Court was located.
Having been locked in a standoff with Demon God Mountain for many years, the Demon Court naturally recognized the arrow light from the Sky-Breaking Bow, and even the Demon Emperor dared not underestimate it.
It quickly manipulated the Demon Court, and the huge golden crow flapped its wings, instantly climbing a hundred feet upwards, with arrow light flashing through the afterimage of the three-legged golden crow.
Gu Yuanqing's brows suddenly furrowed again, because judging from the arrow's trajectory, it was clearly going to intersect with Beiquan Mountain, and its target... seemed to be the place where the underground cave was sealed!
What exactly is Demon Mountain trying to do?!
He naturally did not believe that this was an incorrect target. In a battle between masters, the flow of energy and the locking of divine sense would not be slightly different, let alone such a difference!
Neither the Demon Court nor the Asura Sea attacked the Dragon Demon Domain itself, because everyone knew that the Dragon Demon Domain was connected to the underground cave. If the domain was damaged, the spatial rift would likely expand, leading to a great disaster. This arrow was clearly a deliberate act.
Demon God Mountain has always claimed to safeguard the Demon Realm, so why would they suddenly do this? Could it be that it wasn't Demon God Mountain, but some other force? Or was it the work of a true demon incarnate?
Although the arrow did not land, its power, which was close to that of a true god, was enough to cause the earth within a radius of tens of thousands of miles to collapse and the cracks in the underground cave to be completely torn open.
Li Miaoxuan also saw the arrow.
She exchanged a glance with Gu Yuanqing and said, "I'll do it."
"Be careful, this arrow is not simple." Gu Yuanqing nodded.
"It's not as good as the Guizang Hall! The only concern is that it might scare away the Demon Court and the Asura Clan." Li Miaoxuan smiled, and with a thought, the hairpin on her head flew up.
Gu Yuanqing laughed and said, "It's alright. It's easy for it to come, but it won't be so easy for it to leave."
Li Miaoxuan made a hand seal, and her hairpin transformed into a long sword that shot through the air.
At this moment, the arrow light streaked across the sky above Beiquan Mountain, and the blade light transformed from the Dragon-Slaying Guillotine intercepted it from the side.
However, just as the blade was about to strike the arrow, the golden arrow suddenly sped up by a fraction.
The arrow flashed past the blade, its speed undiminished, heading straight for the seal in the underground cave.
"what?"
Li Miaoxuan raised an eyebrow, changed her hand seals, and shouted:
"cut!"
In the void, the execution platform appeared.
In the center of the execution platform was a huge guillotine, its cold light gleaming.
The moment the execution platform appeared, a solemn and imposing aura swept across the heavens and earth.
The arrow seemed to sense a threat and accelerated again.
Suddenly, a divine figure appeared on the execution platform.
The phantom was tall and imposing, its face still unclear, but its form was much more solid than before.
The illusory figure raised a hand, clenched it in the air, and the golden arrow was caught in his grasp.
The arrow light trembled violently, emitting a piercing shriek.
The golden divine patterns on the arrow flashed wildly, trying to break free of control, but no matter how much it struggled, it was to no avail.
The illusory figure of a deity pressed the arrow light onto the execution platform, and the guillotine fell.
"Snap—"
The golden arrow light shattered inch by inch.
Countless golden fragments scattered and flew everywhere. Within each fragment, a tiny phantom of a divine soul could be vaguely seen twisting in pain before being completely extinguished.
At the summit of Demon God Mountain.
Ji Chongshan's body swayed suddenly, and a mouthful of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. His already aged face became even more ashen.
"Ancestor!"
The younger members of the Ji family behind him hurriedly supported him, their voices trembling.
Yes, as everyone expected, we're starting to unravel the foreshadowing from these worlds.
(End of this chapter)