Time flies; since Di Tian, acting on the schemes of Yu Yuanchen, ventured alone into the Demon Realm to meet the Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu, another five years have passed in the blink of an eye.
For the Saint Demon Continent, these five years have been a period of superficial calm masking turbulent undercurrents.
Under the invisible protection of Yu Yuanchen's group and the enlightenment brought by their "exchanges," the Temple Alliance gained a precious window of respite.
A new generation of geniuses emerged like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, and the heritage of the Six Great Temples radiated new vitality through interaction and collision, with their overall strength steadily improving. Although they still could not confront the Demon Race head-on, their ability to protect themselves had increased significantly.
High-level Alliance officials like Yang Zhou and Han Tao became increasingly respectful toward Yu Yuanchen and his companions, granting almost every request; the Alliance's library and secret realms were almost entirely open to them.
On the side of the Demon Race, the offensive continued, but the scale and intensity were clearly kept within a certain range, appearing more like a routine formality to maintain pressure.
Since his battle with Yu Yuanchen six years ago, the Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu had lived in seclusion and rarely appeared, with internal Demon Race affairs mostly handled by the Moon Demon God Agares and the Star Demon God Vassago. A strange, eerie calm hung between the two major powers.
However, the top-tier existences who truly understood the situation knew that beneath this calm lay even more dangerous undercurrents. The information Yu Yuanchen had sent via Di Tian back then was like a stone cast into a deep pool, stirring up ripples in the hearts of the Demon Race's highest echelons that refused to settle.
In the core forbidden zone of the Temple Alliance lay the private cultivation sanctuary of Yu Yuanchen.
The space here was shrouded in layers upon layers of Thunder Law Runes, the internal time flow differed slightly from the outside, and the concentration of Origin Qi was more than ten times that of the outside world—a sacred cultivation ground opened up by Yu Yuanchen using his Spirit-level strength and Law Power.
At the summit of a lone peak wreathed in Thunder Power, Yu Yuanchen sat cross-legged with his eyes slightly closed. No earth-shattering aura radiated from him; instead, his presence was restrained to the extreme, as if he had merged with the entire secret realm and even the vast world outside.
Only when he inhaled and exhaled did subtle ripples stir in the void around him. Faintly visible were countless dust-like Law Runes flickering in and out of existence: the violence of thunder, the scorching heat of fire, the suppleness of flowing water, the heaviness of earth, the holiness of light, the depth of darkness, the shifting of space, the vitality of life... encompassing all things, yet ultimately returning to a single streak of purple-gold lightning that governed all laws and judged the heavens.
After five years of secluded cultivation, having absorbed the essence of the six major systems of the Temple Alliance and integrated them, his cultivation level had long since stabilized at the mid Spirit-level (around Level 100+), but his realm had reached the level of a Third-level Deity due to his insights into his divine position. His comprehension of the Thunder Law had also reached a new height, though he lacked the vast amounts of Immortal Spiritual Qi needed to raise his cultivation further since the Saint Demon Continent was not in the God Realm.
He had even begun to attempt to integrate and sublimate other Law mysteries using thunder as a guide, exploring a broader path of his own.
More importantly, his adaptability to the Plane Law of the Saint Demon Continent had greatly increased; the suppression he previously felt had weakened to a negligible level, allowing him to exert almost his full strength! At this moment, if he were to fight the Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu again, he could easily defeat him; even with a Super Divine Artifact for protection, Feng Xiu would not last ten rounds in his hands.
Not far from him, Ye Zhilan stood quietly beneath the phantom of a Sacred Heart Immortal Begonia that radiated a vast Life Aura. She held a jade slip inscribed with ancient priest prayers, her body flowing with a gentle and pure milky-white radiance that shimmered in harmony with the Begonia phantom.
In these five years, she had deeply integrated the healing, purification, and buffing paths of the priest system with her own insights into the Plant God divine position. Her Life Divine Power had become increasingly pure and vast, and she had gained a clearer path toward her eighth trial of "repairing the divine position," with her cultivation steadily advancing toward the Level 100 threshold.
Suddenly, at the edge of the secret realm, in an area shrouded in dense elements, the space twisted slightly, and a slender silver figure emerged quietly.
It was Gu Yuena.
She remained as cold and ethereal as ever, but the aura around her had undergone a heaven-turning transformation.
The Silver Dragon King Pressure that was once restrained had now transformed into a more vast, profound divine might, as if she were the supreme deity in control of the elemental origin.
As her amethyst-like eyes opened and closed, scenes of the evolution of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, and Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind flickered within them.
Three years ago, deep within this secret realm, she had triggered the Seven-Colored Heavenly Tribulation!
The power of that tribulation was not a whit weaker than Yu Yuanchen's Godhood Tribulation, and it was fraught with extreme danger.
Relying on her profound foundation as the Silver Dragon King and her absolute control over the Elemental Law, Gu Yuena had successfully passed through it despite the perils, officially stepping into the Spirit-level domain and becoming the second True God in the team after Yu Yuanchen.
"Congratulations, Sister Gu Yue, your cultivation has improved again." Sensing Gu Yuena's aura, Ye Zhilan put away her jade slip and looked over with a smile.
Gu Yuena nodded slightly, a rare, faint smile appearing on her cold face: "I have gained a little. The various elemental magic of this world has unique insights in its basic construction and combinatorial changes, giving me a new understanding of the Elemental Essence."
Her gaze shifted to Yu Yuanchen atop the lone peak, a flash of unnoticeable brilliance crossing her eyes. Even after becoming a god, she still felt that Yu Yuanchen's aura was unfathomable, like a bottomless abyss.
Just then, two other powerful auras erupted from different directions of the secret realm, rapidly converging toward the center.
One was holy and magnificent, like the sun descending into the sky—it was Qian Daoliu. He was bathed in pure Angel Holy Light, the six wings on his back becoming increasingly solidified. In his hand, he held the phantom of a greatsword condensed from Light Divine Power, radiating a supreme will to judge evil and purify the world.
The other was overbearing and tragic, his Qi and Blood like a dragon—it was Tang Chen. The force field around him distorted space; beneath his bronze-colored skin, it was as if magma were flowing. His muscles were taut, filled with explosive power. Although he held no Clear Sky Hammer, the terrifying battle intent to crush everything in his path was as solid as substance.
In these five years, Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen had not wasted their time either.
Drawing inspiration from the Knight System's Belief Condensation Method and the concept of the God Seal Throne, and combining it with his own cultivation path, Qian Daoliu had finally taken a critical step, his soul power completely transforming into a higher level of divine power.
After reaching Level 100, his soul power, which already possessed divine-level qualities, transformed further. However, because his Spiritual Power and physique had not reached the spirit-level before achieving Level 100, he could not undergo a transformation on the basis of the spirit-level after reaching Level 100. He had only just reached the spirit-level, so he did not trigger a Godhood Tribulation. His realm was solidly at Level 100, but in terms of combat power, he was no less than an ordinary True God (slightly stronger than the Demon Emperor in Dou San).
Tang Chen had taken a different path. He frantically tempered his physique, integrating the warrior system's secret techniques for explosive Qi and Blood with the Clear Sky Hammer Technique. He actually achieved the Dao through strength, pushing his physique to the spirit-body level before reaching Level 100! With physical strength alone, he could shake mountains! Similarly, his soul power and Spiritual Power had not fully caught up, and his realm was at Level 100, but his close-combat ability was terrifyingly peerless.
Although the two had not passed a Godhood Tribulation, it was not because they could not; if it were only the Four-Colored Elemental Tribulation, they could have passed it easily. They simply wanted to challenge the Seven-Colored Heavenly Tribulation after filling in some gaps to obtain a stronger transformation. But their strength had already undergone a heaven-turning change, enough to run rampant in this world.
Yu Yuanchen slowly opened his eyes, the scene of cosmic birth and death flashing through his pupils. He looked at the four people gathered and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
"Five years of secluded cultivation, you have all made great progress. It is a cause for celebration."
His gaze lingered on Gu Yuena for a moment, and he praised her inwardly. The Silver Dragon King's talent was truly heaven-defying; upon becoming a god, her realm had almost reached the peak of a Third-level Deity, only a step behind him, and her potential was immense.
"Now, our side has two True Gods and two at Level 100, and Zhilan is not far from Level 100. With such strength, we finally have enough capital to sit at the table and play the game in this world," Yu Yuanchen said in a deep voice.
For the past five years, he had not relaxed his monitoring of the Demon Race's movements. Through the secret line of the Evil Emperor, he vaguely knew that the Demon Race's high-level officials were by no means indifferent to the information Di Tian had brought back.
The various investigations, deductions, and even secret space experiments conducted in secret by the Moon Demon God Agares and the Star Demon God Vassago had not escaped the Evil Emperor's perception.
And all of this was within his plan. He needed sufficiently powerful helpers to carry out that audacious plan—hunting the Planar Spirit!
This thought stemmed from the needs of his own path. Yu Yuanchen aimed to condense a God King position, and relying solely on the damaged Thunder God Position and the Power of Faith from the Douluo Continent was far from enough.
He needed more vast and original provisions. And this "spirited" Planar Spirit of the Saint Demon Continent, having assimilated countless local deities, was undoubtedly the best target due to its abundant origin and complete laws.
Of course, this matter was extremely risky, no different from snatching food from a tiger's mouth. Therefore, he needed to lay out a plan and borrow strength. The contradiction that inevitably existed between the Demon Race and the Planar Spirit was the "blade" he had chosen.
Five years ago, he sent Di Tian to the Demon Emperor Palace; on the surface, it was to show goodwill and give a warning, but in reality, it was to plant the seeds of suspicion and guide the Demon Race toward a path of conflict with the Planar Spirit.
He knew well that with the wisdom and suspicious nature of the Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu, he would never easily believe Di Tian's one-sided words. But the hint that the Planar Spirit coveted the Seventy-Two Demon God Pillars (the foundation of the Demon Race's survival) was enough to plant deep doubts in his heart.
Over these five years, through the fragmented information occasionally sent back by the Evil Emperor's line, Yu Yuanchen knew that the Demon Race's high-level officials had secretly conducted many meticulous investigations and verifications. They had used various secret techniques and even invited the Star Demon God Vassago, who was adept at deducing heavenly secrets, in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the Plane Will.
The result, naturally, was nothing. How shrewd and experienced was the Planar Spirit? How could it leave behind obvious evidence? But this result of "finding no evidence" could not dispel the Demon Race's suspicions—after all, it involved the origin will of the plane; if it were true, how could it be so easily discovered?
The members of the Demon Race are not fools. Although they haven't found any clues, they have confirmed one thing: the Plane Law is indeed extremely powerful. Viewed in this light, the situation appears suspicious.
The Demon Race's final method of verification is the step Yu Yuanchen anticipated—constructing a Planar Passage to leave the Saint Demon Continent!
It is not as if the Demon Race has no thoughts of leaving a retreat path. While the Saint Demon Continent is good, if it is truly as Di Tian hinted—that the Planar Spirit of this plane harbors malicious intent and wishes to uproot them—then preparing a retreat path early, considering defeat before victory, is the act of a wise man.
However, constructing a stable Planar Passage capable of accommodating an army or even transferring Super Divine Artifacts like the Seventy-Two Demon God Pillars consumes vast resources and creates significant disturbances, making it extremely easy for the Planar Spirit to detect.
There is great controversy within the Demon Race regarding this. The Radical Faction among the high-level officials believes this move is a waste of manpower and money, shakes the morale of the army, and may not even succeed; the Conservative Faction believes it is better to believe it exists than to assume it does not, and that early preparation is paramount.
In the end, it was the Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu who overruled all objections and made the final decision: prepare in secret and attempt to construct an experimental passage on a small scale. Firstly, to verify the technical feasibility, and secondly... it is also the final test of the truth behind this matter.
What Yu Yuanchen is waiting for is this very timing! He knows deep down that the Planar Spirit could never sit idly by and watch the Demon Race leave with "its" Seventy-Two Demon God Pillars.
Once the Demon Race begins to seriously construct the passage, the Planar Spirit will inevitably be unable to restrain itself and will intervene! At that moment, the truth will be revealed, and a conflict between the Demon Race and the Planar Spirit will be unavoidable!
"Five years of lying low, the wind and clouds are about to rise." Yu Yuanchen's gaze pierced through the barriers of the Secret Realm, looking toward the direction of the Demon Race's territory, and he whispered to himself.
Just then, his mind stirred slightly. A message, extremely obscure and carrying an evil spiritual fluctuation, traveled through the vast space and entered his Sea of Consciousness. The message came from the Evil Emperor, and its content was brief yet earth-shattering:
"The Demon Race... has officially launched the 'Abyss Corridor' project... location... beneath the Demon Capital Heart City... Vassago is personally setting up the formation... Agares is acting as the Guardian... the Demon God Emperor... is suspected to be watching from the shadows..."
A stunning gleam erupted in Yu Yuanchen's eyes! "The Demon Race has made their move."
Gu Yuena, Qian Daoliu, Tang Chen, and Ye Zhilan all looked solemn upon hearing this. They knew that the storm Yu Yuanchen had been waiting for and pushing toward was finally about to begin.
"What is our plan?" Gu Yuena asked coldly.
"Observe the changes quietly and act when the opportunity arises." A cold arc curled at the corner of Yu Yuanchen's mouth. "The Planar Spirit will never sit by and watch the Demon Race leave with its 'dowry.' Once it personally enters the fray to intercept, that will be the moment the Demon Race realizes the reality and breaks completely with it."
"At that time, when two tigers fight, one will surely be injured. And we..." Yu Yuanchen's gaze swept over the four of them, "...will be the oriole that arrives last."
He paused, then continued: "I have already sent a message to Di Tian, telling him to act according to the situation. At the critical moment, he can reveal himself and convey our 'goodwill'—preserving the bloodline of the Heaven-Defying Demon Dragon Clan—to the Demon God Emperor. As for whether he believes it or not, it is irrelevant; as long as he doesn't regret it later, that is enough."
In truth, this was another layer of Yu Yuanchen's reasoning for having Di Tian approach the Demon God Emperor. When Di Tian saw the Demon God Emperor again, he actually developed some thoughts of his own. It wasn't that he wanted to betray them, but rather that he wanted to win over this rare Black Dragon bloodline.
That's right, the Heaven-Defying Demon Dragon Clan to which the Demon God Emperor belongs are descendants of the Black Dragon, and their bloodline is extremely pure—a presence not to be underestimated even among True Dragons. It is just unknown why they ended up here.
As the son of the Dark Dragon King, Di Tian naturally had the intention to recruit them, and Gu Yuena was likely the same.
Because Yu Yuanchen's cooperation with them has been quite smooth, for the sake of Di Tian and Gu Yuena, it would be no harm to protect the surviving Heaven-Defying Demon Dragon Clan after the great war.
As for the Demon God Emperor, as everyone knows, he, Yu Yuanchen, is the least vengeful person.
"Then when do we set off?" Tang Chen rubbed his hands, his fighting spirit soaring.
"No rush." Yu Yuanchen shook his head. "Constructing a passage is not a one-day task, and the Planar Spirit's reaction will also take time.
We must wait until they reach the critical moment of their struggle before appearing to clean up the aftermath. Before that, continue your cultivation and maintain your best state."
Everyone nodded, each suppressing the waves in their hearts and immersing themselves back into cultivation. However, the atmosphere within the Secret Realm had quietly become heavy and filled with a murderous aura.
The storm is no longer just brewing.
The wind has already risen from the end of the duckweed.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan