Chapter 132: The Demon Clan (Please subscribe!)

Inside the Panwang Palace, the two of them chatted about a few trivial matters before drifting into broader conversation. As this was the domain of Ancestor Panwang, he naturally played host to Hongyun. As they exchanged drinks, nearly a millennium passed in their company.

On this day, while the two were conversing with smiles, their expressions shifted simultaneously. Ancestor Panwang, in particular, wore a grim look. If one were to look outward following their gaze, the reason would become clear. The vast expanse of the rift outside had been cleared of all other cultivators. Standing before the Panwang Palace were over a dozen Daluo-level beings, arrayed in a pincer formation. Although they kept their stature below the height of the palace—a gesture of thin respect for the Ancestor—their presence was overwhelming.

Suddenly, a sound, part wailing and part screeching laughter, echoed through the air, sending a surge of fury through Panwang.

"Hehehe, Ancestor Panwang, I have come under the orders of the Demon Emperor Taiyi. Are you not going to come out and receive your command?"

"Jiuying, have you forgotten how I lopped off three of your heads last time!"

Panwang’s voice boomed from within the hall. He did not rise; instead, the closed eyes of the Wasteland Python beneath the palace snapped open, glaring outward with an unreadable expression. "Yingzhao, Jiuying, Guiche—do the three of you alone think you can provoke me?"

"We know your poison arts are formidable, Ancestor, but what of it? You are but a man alone!" Jiuying laughed wildly, his multiple heads speaking in unison with a tone of malicious persuasion. "I have brought over a dozen Daluo with me. We need only delay you and set up a Heaven-Earth Confinement Array. With these ten Daluo trapping you here, you will miss your chance at the Zixiao Palace! Now, you have two choices: submit to the command of our Demon Emperors Dijun and Taiyi, or fight us, so that I may see how much you have improved in the last hundred thousand years!"

Before Panwang could retort, flames erupted as a single-legged divine bird, resplendent and beautiful, descended. Blue and red light shimmered across his feathers. "Ancestor Panwang, you have eyes only for my three brothers, but none for me!" He flapped his wings, and his infinite flaming feathers began to burn, igniting the very void. "Dare to look down on me, and I shall make you pay!"

"Heh, I wondered who it was. So it is Bifang. You are no good bird yourself, and there is nothing 'good' to see here."

Ancestor Panwang manipulated the Wasteland Python, and toxic vapors began to diffuse from his body, causing the surrounding Daluo to tense. He glanced at Bifang, then lowered his gaze, his eyes flashing with intensity. "To block my path to the Dao is to sever my lifeblood. If your Demon Clan truly insists on this, then once the first strike is made, there will be no turning back. Bifang, wait a moment."

Jiuying’s eyes darted around, calculating the stakes. Eastern Emperor Taiyi had given many instructions, but this mission was his to lead. If he could truly bring this one into the fold, his status would surely rise. Yet, a cold shiver ran down his neck at the thought; this was not the first time the Demon Clan had sought out Ancestor Panwang. Last time, he had brought two Daluo, along with a host of Taiyi Golden Immortals and Golden Immortals to lay siege to the Panwang Cave. He had never expected the Ancestor to be so ferocious—his poison arts had wiped out his lesser demons instantly, and by consuming them, he had summoned five Daluo-level constructs that nearly beat him to death. Aside from the two Daluo the Ancestor had spared, the rest of the demons had been fed to his "little pets."

Today, having brought over a dozen Daluo to settle the score, he had to vent his rage. "If you are willing to join our Demon Clan, we can let bygones be bygones, and there will be no talk of your path being severed..."

Hearing this, the dark expression on Panwang’s face turned into pure wrath. He slammed his hand on the table. About to shout, he remembered Hongyun’s presence and muttered, "This... I apologize for letting you witness such a farce, fellow Daoist. Rest assured, even if I were to flee, these few could not contain me. But there is a foul bitterness in my chest that must be purged; I cannot simply let this go."

With that, he vanished from his seat and appeared atop the head of the Wasteland Python. "Fellow Daoist, no need for you to intervene. Just watch my methods!"

He looked down, his withered hands extending from his sleeves. Countless insects swarmed out from the body of the Wasteland Python, their aura rising sharply. "Noisy! Let us fight first!"

The Wasteland Python surged, its massive body abandoning the form of the palace as its tail swept across the void. The Daluo demons scrambled, save for Guiche, who remained. His eyes burning crimson, Guiche brandished his Sky-Piercing Halberd and struck at the tail with all his might.

Boom!

The earth trembled, and stones rained down from the rift, yet Guiche did not budge. He used his halberd to hook the serpent’s tail and vaulted into the air, slashing toward Ancestor Panwang on the python's head.

"Good brute strength!" Panwang roared. A poison spider at the early Daluo stage appeared beside him. Though it lacked the undying spirit of a true Daluo, it wove a web that spanned the sky, ensnaring Guiche.

Seeing this, Bifang shrieked, raining down feathers of fire to burn the web. But as the fire touched the silk, it transformed into clouds of toxic mist that engulfed Bifang. Undeterred, Bifang crashed into the Wasteland Python, his flames igniting its scales.

By now, Guiche had broken free, but the poison spider lunged at him. Though Guiche cleaved it in two, a breath of destruction emanated from its corpse. *Self-destruction!* Guiche’s eyes widened, his halberd raised to block, but the creature detonated.

At that moment, Jiuying lunged with water and fire, his wailing cries grating on the nerves. Yingzhao’s wings beat, and in a blink, he vanished, reappearing behind Panwang, his iron staff glowing with runes as he prepared to strike.

Seeing this, Ancestor Panwang forced out his own essence blood to fuel the Panwang Cauldron. A resonant hum filled the air, and a blinding toxic light erupted, sending both Yingzhao and Jiuying flying backward. As Panwang’s face paled, the two demons transformed into their original forms, vomiting black blood that hit the ground and corroded a crater miles wide, forming a lake of poison.

Bifang hovered above them, his flames distorting the very space. In the center of the explosion, Guiche shielded himself with his wings, revealing his true form—a fierce nine-headed bird. Looking battered, he glared at Panwang, his killing intent reaching its peak.