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"…The Eight Immortals."
Shendu raised his eyes. Through the palace walls, his gaze stretched far into the endless sky, where traces of pure positive energy were slowly beginning to stir.
He didn't know how long it would take, but one day that righteous energy would fully awaken. When that time came, the Eight Immortals—the ones who once sealed away the Demon Sorcerers—would return.
With their immense power, they would once again suppress the Demon Lords.
The ultimate showdown between dark chi and righteous chi—no one knew how it would end.
In the original story, the Demon Lords were defeated, sealed away in the Demon Netherworld, and the Eight Immortals ascended to the heavens. Balance was restored between yin and yang.
But now… things were different.
He had crossed over into Shendu's body—but not the Shendu we know from the show, who was a mix of Eastern and Western dragons.
This Shendu was a true dragon, the master of Li Fire and wielder of Solar Flame. A being of pure destructive might.
His power now far surpassed the other Demon Lords. He was on the verge of breaking through the world's limits—but how to do that, he didn't know.
He had once brushed up against the idea of ascension, just like the Eight Immortals—leaving this world entirely.
But it seemed like the world of Jackie Chan Adventures wouldn't let him go.
Why? He wasn't exactly sure. But he had a hunch.
Maybe the reason the world wouldn't allow his ascension… was because he carried the authority of Li Fire.
He was the world's favored child. And the world wouldn't let him leave so easily.
If he really did ascend, maybe it would throw off the yin-yang balance. With Li Fire gone, the world might have to pay a heavy price.
He had a million thoughts racing through his mind—but he pushed aside the idea of ascension. If this world demanded balance between dark and light, and the dark side (demonic chi) was growing stronger, then the light side (righteous chi) would have to grow even stronger to match it.
So with that in mind, Shendu had a crazy idea.
One so wild, even the other Demon Lords would probably laugh at it.
Even he thought it was ridiculous.
Something he would only even consider if he were truly out of options.
A flash of dark chi flickered in his eyes, and a new vision appeared within his pupils.
"…Zhao Lan? What's he coming to me for?!"
The misty energy of the moon slowly appeared in his gaze—the aura of the Moon Demon Lord was descending from the far reaches of the lunar heavens, heading straight for the ancient continent of Asia.
Moments later, Zhao Lan strolled easily into Shendu's palace. He came alone, no demon soldiers or followers with him.
But that made sense—he was the Moon Demon Lord. No other demon would dare block his path.
The two locked eyes. Fire and gravity quietly clashed in the space between them.
After a long pause, Shendu finally said flatly, "Zhao Lan, what do you want?"
He'd never been close with Zhao Lan. Among the eight Demon Lords, the only one he really got along with was Ximu.
Zhao Lan looked around at the lavish palace and muttered, "All flash, no substance."
Shendu frowned, clearly annoyed. "If you came all this way just to critique my palace, you're wasting my time."
"I wouldn't bother coming here unless it was something important," Zhao Lan said with a meaningful look. "This is something only you—the Shendu—can discuss with me."
That sly, calculating expression of his put Shendu a little on edge, but he kept his face calm.
"What is it?"
Zhao Lan's next words completely stunned him.
"You and I—among the eight Demon Lords—are the only ones who, at the peak of our power, tried to fully understand the authority gifted to us by this world."
"You know as well as I do, Shendu—the power of the yin-yang bagua runs through all eight of us. But relying on a single elemental power… it's just not enough anymore."
As he spoke, Zhao Lan raised his hand. In his palm floated a glowing orb—streams of gravity energy swirled inside, mixed with faint traces of fire.
"You and I… we both need the other's authority to take the next step."
"If you're willing to work with me, I'll give you a piece of my moon authority. In exchange, you give me a piece of your fire authority."
After that, silence fell over the palace.
Shendu stared at Zhao Lan in shock. He never expected that kind of offer.
In the universe of Jackie Chan Adventures, the yin side of the bagua represented dark chi and birthed eight Demon Lords. The yang side gave rise to the eight immortal warriors who sealed them—what would become the legendary Eight Immortals.
It was the ultimate balance of power—light versus dark.
And according to Zhao Lan, the Demon Lords' powers could actually be fused.
It made sense. The ancient bagua formations showed that possibility.
Even in the future, Shendu's own son—Drago—had managed to fuse all eight types of demon chi. It nearly led the world to the brink of destruction.
The reason Drago could breathe fire wasn't random—he had inherited Shendu's fire chi.
That's why he only needed seven additional demon chi types—not eight. He already had fire in his blood.
Shendu had never considered merging the eight yin elements. His only focus had been perfecting the power of Li Fire and pushing it to its absolute limit.
But just as he was about to break through to the next level, he hit an invisible wall.
Now, out of nowhere, Zhao Lan was telling him it was possible—to fuse powers and reach even greater heights.
Shendu looked Zhao Lan over, noting the subtle aura of strength around him. He hadn't completely mastered the moon's authority either—he was clearly stuck, probably had been for years.
That's likely why he came here now.
"So? What do you say, Shendu?" Zhao Lan asked after a moment. "You've had time to think it over."
Shendu came back to himself, and his sharp gaze narrowed.
"Why me? The others—Basha, the rest—they have authority too."
Zhao Lan gave a cold, dismissive snort. "Basha and the others, sure, they've reached the peak of Demon Lord power—but they have no interest in enlightenment. Unlike you and me, they don't care about unlocking the deeper laws of this world."
"They're busy indulging themselves, spreading chaos. If I tried to trade with them, they'd laugh in my face."
"Demon Lords value their authority above all. They won't give it up that easily."
Shendu tilted his head, amused. "So what makes you think I'd trade mine?"
"Like you said, Demon Lords don't give their power away lightly."
He wasn't the original Shendu from the show's timeline—so he didn't know if any kind of deal like this had ever happened in the original story.
Maybe Zhao Lan was the only Demon Lord truly devoted to mastering his authority.
The other seven? Either power-hungry tyrants or lazy hedonists.
From Zhao Lan's point of view, it made sense. He really didn't have any other Demon Lords he could go to.
He'd rather go into seclusion and try to master the world's laws on his own… than risk sharing this idea with any of the others.
In a way, Zhao Lan didn't even seem like a Demon Lord anymore—more like a seeker chasing the truth of the universe.
"....."