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On Blue Star, the winds of fate were shifting. The great battle between yin and yang—between light and darkness—was about to begin.
After two full days of intense fighting between the humans and the demons…
Inside the palace they had been guarding, the eight figures of Lü Dongbin and his companions suddenly opened their eyes.
Their forms were like ethereal spirits, glowing with brilliant golden light that radiated righteous energy. Their eyes reflected the laws of the universe, indifferent to all else.
"We've finally reached perfection!"
"Time to end this chaotic era ruled by demons once and for all!"
"Let's go, everyone!"
One by one, each of the eight spoke. Then they rose, stepping into the air, their figures vanishing from the hall.
At that exact moment, far away in the Taiyin Realm, Zhou Lan snapped open his eyes. He muttered:
"It's time. The eight chosen by righteous energy… they're being called 'Immortals,' huh?"
"Fitting—each one of them matches us, the eight demon lords."
With that, Zhou Lan floated up and shot off in the direction of Blue Star.
But instead of heading to where the other six demon lords were, he changed course—toward the imperial palace in the Divine Capital.
At that moment, a wave of immense righteous power surged through the heavens and earth. The Divine Capital immediately realized what had happened—Lü Dongbin and the others had completed their return.
Now, they had the power to rival the eight demon lords.
It was time to decide the fate of this world: Would humanity remain in charge, or would demons continue to rule?
But before setting off, the Demon Lord of the Divine Capital needed to lay down a contingency plan—just in case.
Looking down at Ling'er and the dark sorcerer he had called in hastily, he said:
"Ling'er, go to the treasury. Take all our resources and leave the ancient continent of Asia. Find a place and put yourself into hibernation."
"The world is on the brink of massive change. If something happens to me… your importance will be self-evident."
Ling'er's face changed slightly, confused.
"Your Majesty, what are you talking about?!"
"You're a Demon Lord—you stand at the top of the world! No one could possibly—"
The Demon Lord raised his hand to cut her off.
"No questions. Just go."
"You're the third dark sorcerer. You know how to seal yourself away."
Ling'er paused, then nodded.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
She turned and left the hall.
Her mission was clear: obey the order, take the resources, and hide.
She didn't fully understand what it meant—but when in doubt, follow orders.
Watching her go, the Demon Lord gave a faint smile.
The body he had created as an external avatar was finally coming in handy.
Ling'er ruled over a domain where she was respected by humans. Unlike most other demons, she didn't enslave humans or commit atrocities. Instead, she showed mercy.
Besides being protected by dark energy, she was also sheltered by a thread of human devotion.
As long as she wanted to hide, almost no one would be able to find her.
Humans were favored by the righteous side. The gods they worshipped would gain power from their faith.
The Demon Lord, being a demon himself, couldn't hide—even if humans worshipped him. His overwhelming dark aura made concealment impossible.
And even if he could hide—how could he possibly dodge the Eight Immortals at his level?
Impossible.
He had spent years preparing for this. He refused to be sealed in demon hell.
He would defeat the Eight Immortals and remain on Earth forever.
He would never run and hide like a coward.
Down below, the dark sorcerer E'Ming finally spoke up, sensing something was off.
"Your Majesty, may I ask why you summoned me?"
Now looking much younger—his former aged appearance completely gone—E'Ming was full of vitality, thanks to the Demon Lord's Soul-Draining Array.
But he hadn't yet used the magical formation the Demon Lord had ordered him to create—there'd been no rush.
The Demon Lord looked at this sorcerer, who had devoted his entire life to serving him, and sighed.
E'Ming was confused.
The Demon Lord waved his hand.
"Leave this place. The great battle between righteousness and darkness is about to begin."
"If someday you find me again, you can return to my side."
E'Ming blinked in confusion.
"What kind of battle could threaten Your Majesty?"
He had grown up among demons, served as a dark sorcerer for over a thousand years, and had always been loyal to the Demon Lord.
But now, his master's words made him feel completely lost.
"Like Ling'er, you need to disappear into the world and stay hidden."
"The war between yin and yang is about to start. Do you want to be dragged into the demon war?"
"Your strength? You'd be cannon fodder."
"Now go!"
The Demon Lord waved him off.
E'Ming had heard some vague rumors from lower-ranked dark sorcerers—now he was starting to piece together what the Demon Lord meant.
He bowed slightly and left the palace.
He had to hide.
There had been plenty of rumors lately—righteous energy awakening, demon-hunting operations, and more.
And now, even the Demon Lord was telling him to leave. If he didn't, he might just be the next dark sorcerer to get hunted down.
But he still couldn't help wondering: Could the righteous side really wipe out the demons and end the rule of the demon lords?
Seemed… unlikely, didn't it?
With a head full of doubts, E'Ming vanished into a secret place where no one would find him.
At the same time, Zhou Lan arrived at the Divine Capital. Like he'd done it a hundred times before, he walked right up to the Demon Lord.
"Master, let's go."
Zhou Lan's voice was calm and to the point.
No extra words needed—he knew the Demon Lord was not only his equal in power, but possibly even more knowledgeable.
He'd already seen the Demon Lord send away his dragonkin and dark sorcerers. That alone told him how serious this war would be. No one could predict victory or defeat.
"Let's go, Zhou Lan."
The Demon Lord nodded and stepped forward.
His human form transformed into a dragon-headed humanoid, and he walked up beside Zhou Lan.
The two of them released their powers, blasted through the palace walls, and shot into the sky—heading straight toward the battlefield where the other six demon lords and the Eight Immortals awaited.
Meanwhile, Lü Dongbin and his companions were floating high in the sky, shining with golden light. Wherever they stepped, lotus flowers bloomed beneath their feet.
Seeing them appear, the human army erupted in cheers:
"Immortals!!"
Iron Crutch Li nodded slightly.
"Three days have passed. Now, we Eight Immortals will end the demons' reign once and for all!"
With that, the eight of them raised their supreme righteous artifacts. Infused with their power, they launched a single joint attack.
The air twisted and cracked under the pressure—and the massive demon charging at them was instantly obliterated.
Their attack didn't cause the slightest bit of damage to the land below.
That was the difference between righteous and dark energy: righteous magic aligned with the harmony of the world and didn't bring destruction.
Dark magic, on the other hand, always left chaos in its wake.
"Just a low-level demon," Lü Dongbin said casually, drawing his sword with a flick of his fingers. "One slash is enough."
At that moment, all six remaining demon lords arrived on the battlefield—without exception.
Their terrifying aura distorted the skies. A suffocating pressure filled the air.
"....."