Chapter 112

Chapter 112: The Demon World

United Righteousness, being a coward, had mustered all his courage to prepare for a fierce battle, but never would he have imagined that these muscular opponents would resort to underhanded tactics!

The Taicang Sect, a small startup with humble beginnings, had struggled to even join the Daoist Association. Their sect's master and disciples had worked tirelessly, always abiding by the core socialist values, paying their taxes diligently. It was only through such perseverance that they had managed to grow into a large-scale joint venture with thousands of employees.

Maintaining a positive image as a company was no easy feat!

Yet now, in front of all these industry bigwigs, their reputation was being effortlessly tarnished by these gangsters!

Gangsters truly lived up to their reputation; their methods were insidious. A mere pebble thrown at them led to a direct retaliation targeting their livelihood!

United Righteousness was anxious, but when he explained the situation, the Buddhist and Daoist leaders present could only respond with, "..."

To be honest, this plot twist was a bit out of left field.

Seeing the strange expressions on his peers' faces, which seemed to imply disbelief, United Righteousness was deeply discouraged.

Of course, he wasn't saddened because his comrades, who had just fought alongside him, now doubted him due to Mo Luo's words. Rather, it was because the old abbot of Tiandechi Temple had just agreed to promote the Taicang Sect and apply for commendation from the Religious Affairs Bureau! What if the old abbot changed his mind now?

What could be more sorrowful than a promising project falling through?

The kneeling Mo Luo beings muttered, "Your Majesty?"

Unity Right felt Shuocang Sect's prospects were crumbling and his composure shattered. "Is this never going to end?!"

The Mo Luo beings: "???"

Feeling helpless, Unity Right turned to his master. "Master! What should we do?!"

Wei Xi stared straight at the Mo Luo crowd, narrowing his eyes. "Fight."

These Mo Luo were tall and robust, exuding intense auras. Despite his concern for maintaining his idol image, he had already shown great restraint by not pouncing on them earlier.

As soon as he spoke, he couldn't hold back any longer. He leaped forward like an arrow leaving its bow.

Shuosong caught a fleeting glimpse of his movement and, reaching out to grab him, found him already immersed in the Mo Luo throng. His brows furrowed, and without hesitation, he drew his Godslayer Whip to pursue.

Utterly stunned by his master's efficiency, Unity Right stood frozen for a moment. Though still a bit timid, he thought of his master and junior brother on the front lines and steeled himself. Letting out a battle cry, he charged into the Mo Luo, blindly swinging his fists just as he had during the ghost replacement ritual.

In chaos, they say, even a master can be felled by untrained fists. Whoever was by his side mattered not; the attack must come first!

The Mo Luo: "!!!"

The multitude of monks, Taoist masters, and auspicious beasts in the rear: "!!!"

What was going on? Why had the battle suddenly begun?

The one who seemed to be having the most fun in this situation was probably Wei Xi. Food was on his left and food was on his right. He was like a wild creature set free in the wilderness, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he swiftly picked out his favorite and pounced.

Instantly, the Mo Luo were thrown into disarray.

Unity Yi: "Yi ya ya ya ya!!!"

The Mo Luo dared not engage him in combat: "Your Majesty!"

Unity Yi was fearless in the face of death: "Your Majesty my ass! Bring it on if you've got the guts, with real weapons!"

This time, Distress Demon was truly on the verge of tears: "No way, Your Majesty! How could we dare offend you?"

Upon finishing his words, he was caught off guard by Wei Xi's sudden assault, causing him to cry out in agony, "My horn!"

After Wei Xi had tasted the horn of the Azure Dragon last time, he developed a keen interest in all sorts of horns. Noticing the massive, deep black horn on the forehead of the Distress Demon, resembling that of a unicorn, he leaped onto its back, clamped down on its throat, and with one hand, grasped the tip of the horn, frantically trying to pull it downward.

With an astonishing display of strength and an element of surprise, he actually succeeded. A crisp snap echoed as the demonic horn shattered in Wei Xi's palm.

The demonic horn was an integral part of Mo Luo's magical power. Infused with the charm of his demonic aura, he had always cherished it dearly. In ancient times, he would even periodically use human blood to maintain its luster. Now, with it suddenly being twisted, he was both furious and pained. His demonic energy surged through his body, and he shook off Wei Xi as he charged forward, "Ahhhh! How dare you!! I'll kill you!!"

With Shuo Zong guarding nearby, his gaze sharpened instantly upon hearing this. He swiftly drew the Godslayer and positioned it in front of Wei Xi, but before he could make a move, Unity Righteousness, who had overheard the Worry Demon's voice, spoke up first, "You say you can't offend me, yet you clearly want to kill my master! It's evident that your calling me a Demon King is just a bunch of nonsense!"

Tormented Demon: "AAAAA!"

Tormented Demon: "Your Majesty, you've misunderstood!!"

He quickly halted his steps. Wei Xi, who had tensed up and was ready to engage in combat, looked at him questioningly.

Shuo Zong: "..."

Tormented Demon forcefully restrained himself, stopping just a few paces away. He panted heavily with murderous intent, fixating his gaze on Wei Xi but not daring to approach.

Wei Xi regarded him with a cold and wary gaze before stuffing the demonic horn into his mouth, revealing his row of sharp white teeth—

"It's a bit hard."

But the taste was decent. The outer layer was rich in demonic essence, while the inside absorbed a hint of vitality from living creatures. Although it wasn't as tender and delectable as a dragon's horn, after chewing for a while, it offered an enduring flavor akin to dried spring bamboo shoots.

Troubled Demon: "QAQ"

My horn has been eaten!

After Wei Xi finished devouring the Magic Horn, he licked his fingers with lingering desire, his gaze flickering as he longed for another bite.

Perceiving his intention, the Distressed Demon rubbed its bald forehead, its inner fury indescribable. Though it desperately wished to perish alongside this adversary, a glance at United Righteousness compelled it to ultimately choose a sorrowful escape.

Damn it, if you can't beat them, run from them!

***

In the rear, the Taoist priests and monks were left speechless.

The divine beasts also muttered blankly, "What kind of bizarre fight is this…?"

Most of the divine beasts had lived for thousands of years, and they had never seen the Asuras show such tolerance towards anyone other than Bo Xun before. Now, even the densest could tell that something was off. Xia Shouren finally guessed the reason behind his inexplicable beating earlier as he held his wound, his heart filled with sorrow: "Is there a curse on Wei Xi?"

Whoever provokes him will suffer misfortune to the end?

Tuanzhiyi had originally been worried about his master being attacked, but now he couldn't help but be slightly stunned by the situation.

Was it really worth going to such lengths just to avenge a stone's injury?

He stood frozen, his emotions becoming complicated.

In the next second, he felt a powerful force on his back, followed by Tiangui kneeling at his feet and declaring with determination, "We can't delay any longer! Your Majesty! Since you refuse to believe us, I have no choice but to offend you once and take you back to the Demon World!"

An indescribable sound rang in his ears, like chaotic air being torn apart. Tuanzhiyi looked down at Tiangui's wide-eyed face, barely having time to feel disgust before catching sight of something even more alarming from the corner of his eye.

A rift had suddenly appeared in the air, resembling an abyss with a gaping mouth, its interior a dark crimson that seemed bottomless, ready to devour everything in an instant.

Without knowing why, he knew that he was about to be taken away by that rift, to a place that was likely completely different from this world.

In the midst of his panic, Unity Right's mind went blank, unable to react promptly. It wasn't until he heard his own voice that he realized he had instinctively shouted, "Master!!! Help me!!!"

While Wei Xi was eating, he saw the situation with his eldest disciple and without hesitation, kicked the Demon who had just bitten off half an ear. He rushed towards his disciple, stretching out a hand, "Brotherly Bond! Grab hold of Master!"

Terror-stricken, Unity Right attempted to run to his master, but the Celestial Demon already had a grip on his shoulder, preventing him from moving forward.

Fixing his gaze on the ominous fissure behind his disciple, Wei Xi's eyes turned fierce. With a swift kick to a nearby Mo Luo's head, he used the momentum to leap towards his eldest disciple.

This sudden turn of events stirred chaos among the surrounding auspicious beasts. Even Xia Shouren, who held a grudge against his own tail, panicked and ran towards the fissure, yelling, "Wei Xi! You're insane! Stop! No one except those from the Asura World can open their rifts! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

Wei Xi replied coldly, "As a master, how could I ignore my disciple's life and death?"

Xia Shouren stomped in anger, "You're really an idiot! Your disciple is Bo Xun! Bo Xun! If he awakens and doesn't recognize you, or traps you in the Demon World, you'll really be foolishly dead!"

Wei Xi: "Nonsense."

Then, he grabbed Unity Right's shoulder and turned to look at his second disciple, "Que'er! Danger here! Stay away!!"

The distance was now considerable, and he couldn't clearly see his second disciple's expression. All he could make out was a slender, upright figure standing against the light.

Wei Xi found himself inexplicably unable to look away.

His second disciple remained motionless, standing there like a statue.

The barrier expanded instantly, its devouring force surging over from the side with unstoppable momentum. Instinctively, Wei Xi turned his gaze back to the rift.

At the same time, he suddenly heard a sharp sound piercing through the air, heading straight for him.

Feeling a sudden tightness around his waist, he looked down subconsciously and discovered that it was his second disciple's Godslayer Whip binding him.

As the rift completely engulfed them, amidst Mo Luo's chaotic cries, only the low, reproachful voice of his second disciple could be heard in his ear:

"You're really incredibly foolish."

Outside the rift, a cacophony of startled screams rose and fell. He vaguely caught another sharp outburst from Xia Shouren, even more shrill than before:

"Old beast!!! You must be fucking crazy!!! If you enter the Asura World, Bo Xun will awaken and kill you first!!"

Wei Xi didn't catch it all clearly and leaned out to look outside the rift. "What did he say?"

Ears promptly muffled, the second disciple replied solemnly, "If it's not important, there's no need to listen."

United Righteousness was so frightened by this sudden turn of events that he felt like crying. Looking up, he saw his junior apprentice brothers assessing him with the gaze one would give a slab of pork.

A chill ran down his spine. "Junior Apprentice Brother, your gaze seems a bit terrifying."

Shuo Zong: "Is that so?"

United Righteousness: "I feel like you're considering whether or not to kill me..."

Shuo Zong raised an eyebrow. United Righteousness was rather perceptive. Indeed, the moment he realized this person might be Bo Xun, he had harbored the intention to kill. Later, when he found the crowd ahead of Mo Luo, he had also planned to eliminate the root of the problem beforehand.

It was just that he hadn't actually gone through with it.

Trembling from the aura emanating from his junior apprentice brother, United Righteousness sought refuge in his master, asking, "Is it because I might be the Demon King?"

Shuo Zong glared at him as he clung to Wei Xi's back and coldly snorted, kicking him away from Wei Xi's side.

There were countless reasons to kill you; this is likely the least significant one.

*********

The celestial demon who had accompanied them through the rift was furious upon seeing this. "How dare you show disrespect to His Majesty!"

Shuo Zong completely ignored him, instead looking up to examine the rift of the Asura World.

The Asura Realm was the most enigmatic among the Six Realms of Heaven and Earth, born from the malevolent thoughts and desires of living beings and isolated from the other five realms. Back when Heavenly Court was in power, even the Netherworld's Hell had officials appointed by them. However, no one except the Mo Luo knew where the Asura Realm was since the beginning of time.

Although Shuo Zong didn't bother with the celestial demon, Unity Right glanced at him. Despite his unappealing appearance, the demon had always shown respect and even stood up for him against his terrifying junior. Taking into account previous occurrences, Unity Right began to realize that things might not be as he had imagined.

Feeling no imminent danger around him, he whispered, "This rift, it's really not meant to kill me, right?"

The celestial demon panicked. "Why would His Majesty think that? This is the rift connecting the other five realms to our Asura World! We're here to invite Your Majesty to ascend the throne!"

At the mention of ascending the throne, Unity Right jumped in surprise. "What the hell, it's already 8102, and you still have an emperor?"

The celestial demon answered respectfully, "The Asura World exists because of His Majesty, and Mo Luo was born from it. Your Majesty is the supreme deity of the entire Asura Realm, so we naturally need to support you."

Unity Right felt that the situation wasn't as grim now. He cautiously spoke to his master, "Sigh, Master, being a demon king seems pretty nice. The entire Asura Realm belongs to us."

Wei Xi, somewhat perplexed, asked, "Is the Asura World very large?"

Tuan Jie Yi turned to Tian Mo, who promptly responded, "At least half the size of the Human Realm."

Wei Xi: "!!!"

Tuan Jie Yi: "!!!"

Wei Xi's expression shifted as he thought about his own tiny sect headquarters, which felt insignificant in comparison, "Seems pretty good, I guess."

Tuan Jie Yi was tempted, "If it's true, should we just submit? Let them help me regain my powers, and then, Master, we'll be prosperous! The Demon World must be incredibly wealthy. After ascending the throne, we'd have a bunch of subordinates at our disposal. Even though they might not be the most attractive, we could still live a corrupt life like ancient emperors, right?"

Shuo Zong stared at him, his gaze gradually turning cold.

As a Desire Demon, Bo Xun embodied all desires of the world, wielding immense power that inherently suppressed the Demon Realm's Mo Luo. Millennia ago, he posed the greatest threat to the other realms. Now, with the collapse of Heavenly Dao and the absence of the Upper Heavenly Court, there were few forces left to restrain the Asura World. If he truly returned to the Demon Realm at this moment, the other five realms beyond the heavens would likely face grave danger.

Shuo Zong lowered his eyes, calmly stroking the Godslayer Whip at his waist, pondering the opportune moment to eliminate this nascent threat before it awakened.

The Heavenly Devil and the other Mo Luo revealed ecstatic expressions. His Majesty's stance had finally softened!

They exchanged glances, seeing the ripples of excitement in each other's eyes. After thousands of years of silence, the time for the Asura World to rise had finally arrived!!

Each with their own thoughts, they all arrived at the Demon World.

United Righteousness felt a thrill at the prospect of becoming an emperor, and his fear dissipated. Curiously, he asked the Heavenly Devil, "Where are we going?"

The Heavenly Devil replied, "Naturally, to His Majesty's capital city!"

"Capital city?" United Righteousness echoed.

The Heavenly Devil said proudly, "It's the most prosperous metropolis within His Majesty's realm."

"Aha!" United Righteousness exclaimed to Wei Xi, "Master, did you hear that? A capital city! The place with the highest property prices is now all ours!"

Upon hearing the mention of property prices, Wei Xi's eyes immediately lit up. He couldn't help but recall the bustling capital, where land was incredibly valuable. Back when he first arrived, he couldn't even afford to rent a place for his sect. Now, it seemed he would possess an entire city.

Wei Xi suddenly lost interest in the nearby Mo Luo. Envisioning Ning Tian's office building, he felt a tinge of envy. "So, does this mean we can have our offices in a skyscraper in the city center?"

United Right waved his hand dismissively. "That's nothing. Master, when I become the emperor, if I fancy any office building, we'll just seize it all!"

As he mapped out his plans, he felt a sense of prosperity unfolding before him. The more he thought about it, the more he realized the Demon World was an excellent place.

The foolish master and disciple thought this way, stepping eagerly into the rift at the same time.

Instantly: "..."

As far as the eye could see, there stretched an endless expanse of barren desert, not a single tree in sight.

United Loyalty stared, then turned to the Heavenly Demon. "Where is my capital?"

The Heavenly Demon pointed enthusiastically into the distance. "Your Majesty, it's right over there!"

Wei Xi narrowed his eyes and followed the direction, spotting at the foot of the barren mountain where he had emerged from the rift a faint outline of a city wall, within which were tightly packed low-rise dwellings.

In the very center of the city stood a slightly larger structure that towered above the others, though even a general among dwarfs was still short. Compared to the appearance of Ning Tian's Central Business District skyscrapers, this building paled in comparison, let alone the grandeur of the Huaihua Rural Government building.

The Heavenly Demon happily explained, "Your Majesty, that is your royal palace."

United Righteousness: "..."

Wei Xi: "..."

Wei Xi knitted his brows deeply.

After a moment of silence, United Righteousness also felt something was off, but seeing how thrilled the demons were, he didn't feel right to voice his concerns.

He paused for a moment, then, out of politeness, decided not to act on his unease and reluctantly nodded. "...Alright then."

The Mo Luo emerged from the fissure, assembled, and their faces were visibly filled with joy due to the return of their Devil King. The Heavenly Devil gathered his subordinates and asked, "So, Your Majesty, should we escort you to the palace first?"

United Righteousness hesitantly nodded.

Three seconds of silence passed between them.

Heavenly Devil: "?"

Heavenly Devil slightly bent his body. "Your Majesty, why aren't you moving?"

United Righteousness: "..."

United Righteousness hesitated and asked, "What about the vehicle?"

Sky Demon: "Huh?"

United Righteousness: "Never mind."

United Righteousness continued, "There's no transportation to pick us up? Are we just supposed to walk?"

The Sky Demon was taken aback, seemingly not expecting this question from his sovereign. Few Asura World beings had ventured to the Human Realm in thousands of years. Turning to Distress Demon for an answer, he learned that the 'vehicle' referred to the metal boxes he had seen sliding on the streets back in the Demon World.

Scratching his head, the Sky Demon replied, "...The Demon World doesn't have those from the mortal realm, and His Majesty didn't seem to need any tools before... Does Your Majesty not wish to walk? I can carry you then."

United Righteousness: "............................................"

Damn it, even Ning Tian, a high-ranking executive of a corporation, had a chauffeur and a dedicated car. Was the emperor of the Demon World so unimpressive? A Lincoln or a Hongqi stretch limousine would be acceptable, but not even a Wuling Hongguang?

Looking into the Sky Demon's enthusiastic eyes, United Righteousness fell silent for a moment before politely declining the offer to be carried.

United Righteousness was now desperately in need of a vent and couldn't help but take out his phone. But upon unlocking it, he realized there was no signal.

He raised it up, trying to catch a signal, then asked, "Is the signal weak on this mountain?"

Sky Demon continued with, "Huh?"

United Righteousness: "..."

From the confusion in Sky Demon's gaze, United Righteousness suddenly realized something, grasping his phone in disbelief.

"Does the Demon World not have the internet?"

Sky Demon: "Huh?"

"Are there... places to charge phones here?"

Sky Demon: "Huh?"

"......"

With a stern expression, Shuo Zong stepped out of the fissure, casting a glance back at the sealing gap that was mending itself. Gripping the Godslayer Whip tightly, he meticulously analyzed the aura emanating from the crack, secretly planning how he would whisk Wei Xi away after defeating Unity and Justice.

In a nutshell, it is imperative to prevent Bo Xun from awakening in the Demon World.

He glanced indifferently towards Unity Yi's position amidst the crowd.

At this moment, the other party turned to look at him initiative, their expression rather solemn.

Shuo Zong furrowed his brow. The latent alertness that had been simmering within him ever since Unity Righteousness spoke of his ascension plans was provoked once more. What did he mean by that?

In the next moment, Unity Right was seen dragging Wei Xi frantically through a sea of Mo Luo, rushing towards them with a terrified expression on his face.

"Junior Brother, quickly think of a way to get us and Shifu out of here!"

Shuo Zong: "??"

Tears streamed down Unity Right's cheeks. "What the hell is this place?! Talking about ascending the throne? What emperor? He should be going up the mountains and into the countryside to help the poor!"

Shuo Zong: "....?"