Chapter 892 - 686: Chief Among the Demon Emperors
Before long, he had fully recovered.
His mountain-like figure sat calmly in the valley, with muscles carved like with axe and knife, and dark golden fur slightly swayed in the spiritual rain.
His whole body exuded demon aura, dense like fog.
Especially those long arms.
Now obviously longer than before the tribulation, they nearly touched the ground when hanging.
There was a certain classical elegance in his posture akin to the legendary "Gibbon Monkey" plucking stars and seizing the moon.
Although not yet transformed into human shape, his postured sitting and the manner of breathing had already manifested the demeanor of an enlightened sage.
Each breath was like a dragon’s low hum, causing surrounding stones to tremble slightly and grasses to bow.
The pervasive pressure was much stronger than before.
"Middle Stage of Transformation!"
Shen Xuan sighed inwardly.
He had indeed succeeded.
Though the Celestial Fire Tribulation was perilous, it helped him to refine away the impurities in his bloodline and break through the realm all at once.
The massive demon power surging around the Divine Power Ape Emperor was as solid as mountains, as vast as oceans.
Shen Xuan had felt similar pressure before on Purple Maple True Monarch.
This meant that from today onward, the Wilderness had gained another Demon Race power capable of contending with Mid-Stage Nascent Soul Cultivators of the Human Race.
The celestial music faded, and the spiritual rain ceased.
Finally, the Divine Power Ape Emperor opened his eyes, with ember-like flames flashing deep in the dark golden pupils.
...
At the mountain peak, two figures stood stiffly.
Five-colored auspicious clouds spread like brocade across the sky, the celestial music yet ceased, the afterglow of spiritual rain still lingering.
All these declared the conclusion of the Celestial Fire Tribulation in the Black Rock Valley.
"He survived the Celestial Fire Tribulation and achieved Middle Stage of Transformation. That old ape actually made it!"
The voice of Golden Winged Eagle Emperor was somewhat raspy.
He stared at the clouds and involuntarily tightened the claws under his wings, making a screeching sound on the rock.
Too fast.
From the gathering of tribulation clouds to the descent of grace rain, only a day’s time had passed.
But he had been tempered by celestial fire for a full three days and nights back then, narrowly escaping complete destruction of divine soul.
Why could this old ape?
"Fellow Daoist Golden Wing, do not underestimate this old ape. Now, he is already middle stage transformation, the same as us."
Beside him, the low and deep voice of Golden Body Cicada Emperor arose, no longer sharp as before.
Middle Stage of Transformation, those four words weighed like a mountain.
Bearing down on the hearts of the two demons, also on the balance of power in the Wilderness.
Golden Winged Eagle Emperor’s expression slightly changed.
The Divine Power Ape Emperor had ascended to Middle Stage of Transformation.
This also meant that his status in the Wilderness would inevitably rise.
That Purple Yunting Tree had openly challenged Golden Body Cicada Emperor.
Reasonably, Purple Yunting Tree wouldn’t be so assertive without some confidence.
Now, with the Divine Power Ape Emperor and Purple Yunting Tree Emperor joining forces, they were able to make a loud sound among the Demon Emperors on the Wilderness, drawing the attention of the entire Wilderness.
And what about him?
For thousands of years, the Golden Wing Great Eagle clan had seen the Divine Power Gibbon Monkeys as prey and blood food.
That sense of superiority had long been ingrained in the bloodline.
Today, the prey stood side by side with him on the mountain top.
That disparity felt like a poisonous thorn, fiercely piercing his heart.
"Just lucky!"
Golden Winged Eagle Emperor stared at the figure in the green robe within Black Rock Valley.
"If not for that True Master Profound Ice intervening..."
"Enough."
Golden Body Cicada Emperor interrupted him, profound light flickering in compound eyes.
"Saying these now only disturbs the mental realm. The urgent matter is how to respond next."
He paused, voice lower: "Purple Yunting Tree dared to openly challenge my position, he must have something to rely on. Now with their alliance of three strong figures, it’s a certainty. You and I alone can no longer check them."
The chest of Golden Winged Eagle Emperor heaved violently a few times, suddenly a cold laugh escaped.
"They can invite external aid, so can we."
Suddenly spreading his wings, fierce winds surged.
"Come, let’s meet Brother Zhenyue!"
"The Wilderness, after all, is the Demon Race’s Wilderness. How could we allow a Human Race cultivator to stir up storms here and form factions?"
"If left unchecked, today it’s Purple Yunting Tree and Divine Power Ape, tomorrow who knows? Each race following the example and attaching themselves to Humans, internal division, great calamity is near the horizon!"
Golden Body Cicada Emperor nodded slowly.
"What Fellow Daoist Golden Wing said is very true. If Brother Zhenyue does not come forward to uphold justice..."
A trace of severity in his voice.
"They can connect with Song Country’s cultivators, and I can go to Liang Country to invite aid. Who wouldn’t?"
The two demons exchanged a look, seeing the coldness and unwillingness in each other’s eyes.
They cast one last look at Black Rock Valley.
There the auspicious clouds were dispersing, a surge of renewed, massive demon aura was rising to the heavens, proclaiming the complete transformation of an emperor.
Ultimately they did not descend.
Not that they didn’t want to, but didn’t dare.
Facing the iron-wall alliance formed by three Tier Four cultivators, going there now would be courting humiliation.
Two beams of golden light shot up, tearing through the clouds as they sped toward the depths of the Wilderness.
If not having the power to break the impasse themselves, then they would go to invite a mountain truly capable of subduing heaven and earth.
That mountain is named Zhenyue.
...
At the mountain peak, the golden light faded swiftly.
"Gone now."
Purple Yunting Tree Emperor retracted his gaze, his voice calm.
Rooted in the earth, he was especially sensitive to the flow of demon aura within hundreds of miles around.
"This time they’ve truly left."
Shen Xuan stood with hands behind his back, the green robe slightly swaying in the valley wind.
Acquainted with Purple Yunting for a hundred years, the tacit understanding had already engraved itself in their bones.
As long as it did not touch upon each other’s fundamental paths, he would surely stand by his old friend.
As to why the two Demon Emperors retreated.
Shen Xuan knew clearly in his heart.
At such a realm, acting was easy but retracting was difficult.
Once true flames were ignited, if any side was damaged, the fragile balance sustained for thousands of years between Humans and Demons would instantly collapse.
At that time, it wouldn’t just be personal grudges.
Though the Demons of the Wilderness were strong, they still couldn’t subdue the surrounding countries.
Eight Demon Emperors harbored individual thoughts.
Just within the realm of Song Country, they had more than ten Nascent Soul True Monarchs.