The Demon World was situated on the "back" of the Beast World, much like twins nurtured by the same Dot Mom—residing in the same womb but in different fetal sacs. They shared the same origin and the same energy ceiling, meaning their World Levels were identical. While the Laws involved differed in their leanings toward light or darkness, they ultimately stemmed from the same source.
In other words, this world should also have had a Rank 8 Demon King.
However, considering the bird-ghost in the Beast World had been dead for countless years—clearly slain by the Heavenly Demon Race—it was likely that the Rank 8 Demon King of this world was also no longer among the living.
Through a comparison of the two worlds, Wei Huan caught a glimpse of why the Heavenly Demon Race occupied these small worlds and their method of growing stronger. They were like cuckoos occupying a magpie's nest, seizing the resources and plundering the world's "Providence" (Qi) to fuel their own growth.
But how the Heavenly Demons cultivated wasn't the priority right now. The priority was that after reading the memory fragments of the thirteen demons—especially the Great Demon—Wei Huan had a basic concept of this world and knew exactly where the Heavenly Demon Race's spatial rift was located.
As expected, it wasn't far from where they had arrived. Those following the fleeing demons had strayed too far. Returning was an option, but as Wei Huan looked toward the destination of those few demons, he saw a new choice.
Those creatures had chosen to flee in this direction because there were still two Rank 7 Demon Kings guarding the Heavenly Demon Race's base of operations, and it wasn't far away. That base housed the Boundary Gate the Heavenly Demons used to leave this world. If it were destroyed, they likely wouldn't be able to escape for a long time.
'Cut off the retreat, catch the turtle in the jar.'
The last time that Heavenly Demon escaped, he had been annoyed for a long while. Moreover, if that demon hadn't escaped, this demonic catastrophe wouldn't have happened. With these thoughts, Wei Huan made up his mind.
This time, he would pull the problem out by the roots.
With the memory fragments providing basic info on the Demon Realm, the Heavenly Demons, and the world map, he no longer needed to hold back. Full speed ahead. Yake's Rank 7 vehicle was fast, but it couldn't match Dot Mom's speed under Wei Huan's Nether Power enhancement. Wei Huan summoned Dot Mom and added a protective barrier. They streaked across the land like lightning. In just over half a day, they arrived at the Demon Mountain—or "Holy Mountain"—that appeared in the memories of every demon.
Similar to the Holy Mountain in the Beast World, this peak stood majestic and thick amidst the jagged terrain, yet it had been sliced in half by some unknown, magnificent force. Because it was still quite tall and perfectly level at the top, it looked distinct from a natural plateau. Seen from a distance, it was extremely prominent, regarded by the demons as the ultimate symbol of the Demon King's power.
"They're all broken mountains? Is there something special about that?" Yake asked, having spotted the broken mountain early on.
Wei Huan shook his head. He didn't know, nor could he see anything specific in the demons' memories. He wondered if the Rank 7 demons he was about to hunt would know. No one knew the reason for this peculiar terrain, but war was already at the doorstep.
Wei Huan's undead army descended from the sky. Under the siege of four Pseudo-God-level undead, a mere two Rank 7 demons were simply no match. Half an hour later, Wei Huan stood before the Heavenly Demon Race's Boundary Gate, holding the souls of the two Demon Kings in his hands, lost in thought.
"Are you going through?" Brother Hammer couldn't help but manifest and speak. "The situation over there is unknown. It is, after all, where the Heavenly Demons come from. I'm worried..."
"I'm not going." Wei Huan shook his head. He still had immense potential and was growing at a tremendous pace; there was no need to risk entering an unknown world. No matter how curious he was or how much he wanted to know what the future held, he wouldn't go, nor would he let his teammates take that risk.
"Then you...?" Brother Hammer asked, puzzled.
Wei Huan shifted his gaze from the Boundary Gate to the two Demon King souls in his hands. These two Rank 7 Demon Kings were tall and robust, with curved horns and red magic patterns on their black skin. Their combat power was incredibly high. Although he had won easily, the cost wasn't low.
The Big Bear that had engaged them in close quarters was already a Pseudo-God-level undead with staggering defense, yet it had been killed once and sent back to the Great Tomb. Other undead, aside from Hero-level ones, couldn't even get close before being crushed by the demons' Domains. Only Legendary-rank undead and above could leave wounds on them. Wei Huan had to deploy all his high-level undead, plus Brother Hammer, Big Foot, and the others, to end the fight quickly.
It would be a waste to use souls of this caliber for "Soul Searching." He wanted to "eat" them; perhaps he could add one or two more Pseudo-God-level Undead Heroes.
However, he still had many questions. Only souls of this strength could endure the agony of his Soul Searching for a longer duration, allowing him to peer into deeper secrets. So, his hesitation wasn't about entering the gate—it was about whether to "devour" these two Demon Kings.
Decisively, Wei Huan made his choice. Secrets could be explored later; increasing strength was the hard truth. He was about to face those three Heavenly Demons; winning would be difficult, so he had to be cautious.
"Destroy the Boundary Gate."
Wei Huan gave the order and walked away. He summoned two Double-Headed Hidden Demons and gave them the souls of the Demon Kings simultaneously. In the Beast World, there had never been suitable beasts for the Double-Headed Hidden Demons to merge with. Consequently, his most relied-upon undead unit lacked high-level leaders to anchor them. Since the demon attribute and the undead both belonged to the Dark element, the merger—while not strengthening the physical body—would significantly boost their power. There was no need to overthink compatibility; just let them eat.
The two "lucky" Double-Headed Hidden Demons swallowed the souls. Dark energy flooded their frames. Their already sturdy bodies became even more powerful, and red magic patterns—unique to the demon race—surfaced on their skin. Their auras surged, quickly reaching the Legendary Hero level.
Wei Huan watched expectantly, waiting for the birth of two Pseudo-God-level undead. But clearly, after reaching the Legendary rank, their advancement slowed. Soon, one of them stopped evolving, stuck at the Half-Step Pseudo-God stage. A pity.
Wei Huan shifted his regretful gaze to the other Double-Headed Hidden Demon. Fortunately, while its evolution was slow, it hadn't stopped. As he watched, he suddenly realized why there was a difference between the two.
The "Death Fire" in the soul of the evolving demon was extremely vigorous. The "Threads of Wisdom" hidden deep in its soul were sprouting and growing, beginning to pulse under Wei Huan's gaze. It was like the birth of new life; the process of a heart forming from nothing and then beating had an indescribable magic to it.
This sense of "Wisdom" existed in every Elite and Hero-level undead. Their superiority over others was clearly no accident—they were inherently different. At this moment, this unique "Wisdom" allowed the Double-Headed Hidden Demon to do more than just absorb energy; it was using the process to comprehend true Law Power.
Most notably, a demonic eye-like pattern slowly appeared between the brows of its dragon-like face. This was something the other demon lacked. The new pattern emerged slowly, but the moment it fully manifested, the Double-Headed Hidden Demon seemed to push open a final door. Its aura exploded instantly.
It had completely stepped into the Pseudo-God Rank.
"Congratulations, Boss, on another Pseudo-God!" Big Foot was the first to offer congratulations.
"Congratulations, Boss!" The other Void Bugs followed suit.
Yake felt the change and said, "This Pseudo-God Double-Headed Hidden Demon seems special and very strong. An eye grew on its forehead?"
Wei Huan looked up, meeting the new eye's gaze. He quickly understood its uniqueness. Double-Headed Hidden Demons were natural hiders with two heads: the front dragon-head for heavy defense and attack (specializing in biting), and the rear snake-head for stealth and venom. Now, the rear snake-head had "vanished." Not like a chameleon's camouflage, but by literally disappearing from the root into a sub-dimension. Under its control, it could reappear anywhere nearby—more hidden and more lethal than before.
However, this was just one minor change. What truly shocked Wei Huan was that, at the location of his own Magic Eye pattern, this demon had developed a Sea of Divine Soul. Though tiny and incomparable to his own, it was a breakthrough from zero to one. This Sea of Divine Soul provided the demon with the ability of "Self-Suggestion," allowing it to boost its combat power beyond its original stats.
In short, it could "Burst" (Power Up).
Tier 1 Burst, Tier 2 Burst, Tier 3 Burst. Each tier doubled its original attributes. While doubling stats might seem common, it was the most practical effect. Even now, Wei Huan couldn't fight without the buffs from Diviners and Shamans. This Double-Headed Hidden Demon could "Burst" even 'after' receiving those blessings.
Though a frantic "Burst" would surely cause a massive backlash afterward, on a necessary battlefield, such an invincibly powerful existence was needed to break a stalemate. A Pseudo-God high-tier Dark Beast at full stats with a Tier 3 Burst—the thought was terrifying. While he hadn't tested it, he suspected not many could beat it in a 1v1 below the God level.
Wei Huan was satisfied and kept this enlightened demon outside as one of his personal companions. The demon's soul sea radiated genuine joy and worship. It was developing its own emotions, yet it remained strictly bound by the rules of the dominated toward the dominator—never to betray, never to refuse, even if turned to dust.
Wei Huan looked at the single eye on its forehead and its other head hidden in the void. After a moment, he decided to name it: "Big Head."
Wei Huan was pleased; Big Head didn't dare be otherwise. He hadn't named an undead in a long time. To him, naming a "tool" carried great significance—it wasn't just a recognition of status, but a sign that this undead would frequently remain by his side. Even the Shura Horse that ate the Black Dragon and became a Half-Step Pseudo-God didn't have that privilege.
After keeping Big Head outside, Wei Huan retracted most of his undead army, leaving a field of demon corpses. He captured a Rank 6 soul to search, hoping to see if he'd missed anything. Unfortunately, a Rank 6 demon knew little and couldn't endure the process for long. Wei Huan gained no useful intel.
It seemed he had to head back. Before leaving, he glanced at the corpses, wondering if such a battlefield could give birth to Heroic Spirits. Heroic Spirits were a branch of the undead he still hadn't figured out. Once this war was over, he would immerse himself in research.
Three minutes after they walked away, the ground behind them shook. Yake, standing at the main output position of the [War Platform], released five Rank 7 Forbidden Curse scrolls. Heavenly fire tore through the sky, descending with raging flames that pierced the firmament and fell straight onto the broken mountain.
An earth-shattering roar sounded. Beneath the rolling smoke were ruins. Even a Rank 7 scroll couldn't destroy the mountain itself—its foundation was immovable—but the man-made nests atop it were wiped out. The fierce fire consumed the demon corpses, and thick smoke turned the sky completely black.
Wei Huan left without looking back, ordering Dot Mom to hasten. Perhaps the Heavenly Demons had received news and were rushing back, or perhaps they were still sieging the garrison base, unaware. Either way, the moment of direct confrontation had arrived.
Any enemy who dared to draw a blade against humanity would be made to know the meaning of terror.
---
What does an army of one hundred million look like? If a person counted to one hundred million at top speed, it would take two years. After the Challenge World arrived, the total population of the entire European continent was only a bit over a hundred million. If one hundred million demons stood shoulder-to-shoulder, they would truly be boundless.
It was now Wei Huan's fourth day in the Demon World. The army of one hundred million being sent to the Beast World had not yet finished its crossing. The Heavenly Demon Race was clearly worried that a long wait would lead to exposure, so they arranged for an elite vanguard of over 200,000 to go to the Holy Mountain first.
They had already scouted the area. After the humans occupied the Holy Mountain, they built a headquarters there. If they could achieve a surprise raid, even if they couldn't kill the human who controlled the undead, killing a large number of other human Challengers would win them half the battle.
Humans were not a "prolific race," but they weren't rare either. Their strength wasn't particularly great, but it wasn't terrible. Their physical strength was mediocre, their spiritual laws were mediocre—a race mediocre in all aspects. On the King's Battlefield, they had been beaten into hiding, only daring to "wriggle" in the shadows.
Whenever it remembered that it had been defeated by such "trash" and had its world stolen, the Heavenly Demon felt immense humiliation. It didn't even dare report this to its leader, only seeking help from two friends—and even then, it had been mocked. This caused the Heavenly Demon to loathe the human who controlled the undead with a passion.
It 'had' to kill him!!
"I will stay to organize the army and join you later. You take the vanguard to hunt down that human. We must make him realize the power of the Heavenly Demon Race," the Snail Heavenly Demon said to the companion helping it. It handed over an elite squad containing three Rank 7 demons and over a hundred Rank 6 demons.
This time was different from the last. It had spent a year integrating and mobilizing every powerful demon in the Demon World. It was prepared and attacking proactively. They even used tactics the Heavenly Demon Race only reserved for powerful races—feinting in the east while attacking in the west—vowing to kill these humans!
The Heavenly Demon Race had no vocal cords; all communication came from signals released by the tentacles on their heads. This created a silent, resonant frequency in the mind of the recipient—no language barrier, no racial gap. It was a superior form of communication.
Watching its kin leave with 200,000 elite demons, the Heavenly Demon turned back to the narrow exit and the other kin who had been working for a day to "nibble" and expand the tunnel. The Heavenly Demons were few in number, a race born powerful. Even when their plane was captured by the "Challenge World," they easily reached the end of the challenge and became one of the strong races on the "meat grinder" that was the King's Battlefield. If they weren't so few, they wouldn't be "one of" the strong—they would be the 'only' strong.
Feared and avoided by all races, they moved through the battlefield like fish in water. They had never been provoked by lowly humans.
"Together."
The Heavenly Demon stepped up to the honeycomb-like spatial tunnel. With a wave of its hand, a brilliant light fell on the edge. Bit by bit, the spatial barrier expanded like a leaf being eaten by a snail.
After two cycles of sunrise and sunset, the combined effort of the two Heavenly Demons finally made the tunnel a bit larger, allowing one more demon to squeeze through at a time. Carving out a tunnel of this size in such a short time was an exhausting task even for Heavenly Demons, who were naturally gifted at finding small worlds and boring spatial holes.
The other Heavenly Demon was relatively mild-tempered and weaker than the Snail Heavenly Demon. It obeyed orders but reached its limit after using its talent continuously. It didn't speak; once it confirmed the tunnel could handle one more demon, its body suddenly elongated. It crawled into a hole in the spatial tunnel, curled up, and blocked the entrance perfectly with its snail shell, signaling it was done for the day.
Though angry, the Snail Heavenly Demon said nothing. Their race was scarce; as one died, another was born. Without external interference, there were only nine in total. There were vast gaps in strength among the nine—some were lazy like this one, while others had half a foot on the path to godhood. But no matter the difference in temperament, they were the only nine in existence—the closest of kin.
Expanding a teleportation tunnel wasn't a one-day job. The Snail Heavenly Demon decided to reorganize the demon army instead. Moving an army of one hundred million presented massive logistical problems. The beasts in the surrounding mountains had been hunted down to the last cub. Hunger and the boredom of long inactivity were making the demons increasingly irritable; even its talent was struggling to suppress them.
Whatever. Once the humans were dead, it wouldn't bother sending these demons back. Let them fend for themselves here; after all, the law of the jungle was natural.
Imagining the future chaos in this world, a sense of vengeful pleasure arose. But as it was fantasizing, its heart suddenly skipped a beat. Vaguely, it felt the earth vibrate. But when it focused, nothing was happening. With its strength, it wouldn't have a hallucination. If it felt an ill omen, something 'must' have happened.
It whispered its companion's name in its mind, calling out: 'Are you there? Are you okay? Did something happen?'
After a long while, its companion roared in its mind: 'It's a trick! The loathsome humans set an ambush! They wounded me! That trash actually wounded me!'
The Snail Heavenly Demon was horrified. "What!?"
---
Meanwhile, in the Demon Realm.
An undead that looked like white jade bone and shaped like a jellyfish was floating in mid-air. Though seemingly elegant and slow, it was moving at extreme speed. It crossed lands of volcanic lava, flew over pitch-black poisonous swamps, and traversed seas of fire where no bird could cross, finally spotting the tail of the demon army.
The scale of one hundred million was massive. From the time they were discovered at the tunnel until Wei Huan entered this world was only three days. In reality, if he had flown in the right direction for ten minutes, he would have seen the army's silhouette. But the thirteen demons he initially followed had gone in the exact opposite direction, forcing him to take a massive detour that took six days to correct.
Now, the Heavenly Demons' retreat was cut off. It was time to catch the turtle.
Wei Huan looked at the demons gathered here. There was no sympathy in his eyes, only thick killing intent. Perfect. He would use the souls of this army of one hundred million to nourish his Great Tomb.
"Go."
Wei Huan gave the command in his mind. "Big Head," the Double-Headed Hidden Demon sitting beside him, opened its mouth and yawned vividly like a cat. It stretched, then suddenly launched itself out like a projectile.
At the same time, the demons at the rear of the army felt something strange. They looked up at the sky in confusion. From the grey firmament, clumps of "snow" fell. They felt icy and slightly painful on the skin. Reaching out to catch them, they saw the "snow" was grey.
The Demon World had no seasons. At most, it had acid rain or heavenly fire, but never "snow." They didn't even realize what "cold" felt like. Some demons even stuck out their long, crimson tongues to lick the grey snow.
The fragile mucous membranes of their mouths were instantly struck by agonizing pain.
"Aaaagh!!"
Shrill screams rang out, serving as the opening curtain for the battle. A black shadow crashed down from the sky. Before they could even see what it was, a circle of over a hundred demons around it turned into a mess of minced meat.
Then it charged straight through, like a hot blade through tofu, easily cutting a massive gash into the demon army. When it doubled back, countless demons died on the spot.
Amidst the chaos, the terrifying killer finally stopped. It was a muscular monster with a dragon's head, red magic patterns, and a magic eye on its forehead.
But it wasn't a demon. What kind of monster was this?