Wielding the Thunders Across Two Worlds

Summer quietly passed, and a gentle autumn breeze began to blow.

However, Cuiluo Mountain was suffused with Spiritual Qi, and the Small-leafed Purple Sandalwood trees were evergreen. Though some plants did shed their leaves, the rolling mountain range remained a sea of emerald green as far as the eye could see. It was no wonder it was named Cuiluo Mountain.

Ever since Taoist Huai Yi and the others had their Realm Breakthroughs, the remaining cultivators were still a bit behind. The most wicked and depraved villains around Daluo Palace had been completely purged, and the remaining Demons and Ghosts had scattered. Though everyone was still traveling about, upholding justice, their efficiency was not as high as it had been before.

At the same time, however, the old Daoists’ travels took them farther and farther afield.

Daluo Palace had only two branch temples in Yongzhou, overseen by Taoist Shen Hao and Taoist Yu Zhang, but it was enough to extend its influence into the region. They eliminated some lone-wolf practitioners and a few minor factions across the land, even venturing to the East Sea, where they killed a good number of sea monsters that had come ashore to wreak havoc.

Taoist Xu Ning of the Pure Sect was active in Yazhou, his fame growing far and wide. After destroying a Ghost from the Southern Border, he accepted an invitation from the local powers to establish a Daluo Palace branch temple in Songyun Prefecture and assumed the role of its abbot.

Wanling Jiangnan was composed of five provinces: Yongzhou, Jiangzhou, Yazhou, Shanzhou, and Yuezhou.

Daluo Palace had now established branch temples in three of the provinces. The other two, Shanzhou and Yuezhou, were to the west. Despite being separated by the An Tai Mountain Range, the old Daoists’ Cultivation was becoming so profound that they had begun to cross the mountains and make their presence known in those regions as well.

And as the old Daoists traveled the land Exorcising Demons and Evil Spirits, even without killing any particularly powerful or vicious Demons and Ghosts, their efforts accumulated. The number of Thunder Seeds in Gu Zhao’s Sea of Consciousness grew to six, and his own Cultivation increased by several centuries’ worth.

’It’s a snowball effect!’

Gu Zhao lay on a recliner under the Purple Sandalwood Tree, rocking back and forth in comfort. ’At this point,’ he mused, ’I could take on the Ink Flood Dragon head-on and win.’

If he kept up this pace, he would reach the pinnacle of this world in less than ten years.

Apart from him, the old Daoists who possessed Thunder Seeds were also progressing at a divine speed. While they couldn’t pool everyone’s power as he did, their Thunder Seeds absorbed Evil Qi to bolster their own strength, and this, combined with their exceptional natural talent, led to rapid improvement.

After Jiangzhou was completely stabilized, the old Daoists from the various branch temples also began to venture out.

For instance, Taoist Shen Hao and Taoist Yu Zhang traveled to the East Sea Shore, while Taoist Yi Hong, Taoist Jing Feng, and others frequently journeyed north and west to slay Demons and Ghosts emerging from the Wanling River or Shanzhou.

Gu Zhao laced his hands behind his head. ’I wonder if Shanzhou and Yuezhou have any particularly notorious villains?’

...

「Shanzhou, Yunhai Prefecture, Cloud Celestial Divine Palace.」

The Cloud Celestial Palace Master was in the deepest part of the divine palace’s Earth Palace, engaged in his Cultivation. Black smoke coiled around him, and Demonic Qi billowed outwards. No one who saw him now would believe that the typically arrogant and dashing Cloud Celestial Palace Master could transform into such a savage, inhuman figure.

SKREEE—

A piercing shriek echoed through the Earth Palace. Behind the Cloud Celestial Palace Master, the phantom of a skeletal, terrifyingly savage hawk manifested before slowly dissipating back into his body.

The Cloud Celestial Palace Master opened his eyes. A flash of blood-red in their depths vanished in an instant, and the savage grin on his lips softened into an arrogant curl.

’The *Long Wind Celestial Opening Divine Demon Scripture* is truly far stronger than the Cultivation Technique passed down through my bloodline!’ The Cloud Celestial Palace Master rose, sensing the profound Magical Power flowing through his body. ’As long as I can achieve Ascension, who cares if it’s to the Spirit Realm or the Demon Realm!’

Just then, the Cloud Celestial Palace Master’s Divine Soul wavered. It was as if a Demon God had manifested in the depths of his Sea of Consciousness—a faint vision of a Great Sun Illumination, of eight arms raised high, of a Demonic Sound flooding his ears.

In his mind, the Demon God’s manifestation in his Sea of Consciousness was a sign. His Dao Practice was profound, his cultivation of the Demon Technique was a success, and now a Demon God from the Upper Realm was guiding him. This was ironclad proof that he could achieve Ascension to the Demon Realm!

The Cloud Celestial Palace Master shook his head. This was the fifth time he had sensed the Demon God. The previous times, it had simply manifested and then vanished just as quickly, so he paid it no mind, assuming this time would be no different.

However, just as he was waiting for the Demon God’s manifestation to fade, a Demonic Sound entered his Sea of Consciousness.

"The legacies of the Taoist Realm’s heavens have descended to the Lower Realm!"

"Speed up the creation of the Demon Realm, and reshape the very world!"

"Seek out and kill the heirs of the Taoist Realm! Do not allow the True Spirits of the Taoist Realm’s high celestials to descend!"

The Demonic Sound faded, and the Demon God vanished.

Demonic light flared in the Cloud Celestial Palace Master’s eyes before he returned to normal, but a tidal wave of shock crashed through his mind.

’Legacies of the Taoist Realm?’

’Create a Demon Realm?’

’True Spirits descending?’

The Cloud Celestial Palace Master had a better understanding of the second command: creating a Demon Realm.

Creating a Demon Realm was practically an auxiliary technique described in the *Long Wind Celestial Opening Divine Demon Scripture*. It involved using Demonic Qi to transform an area into a Demon Realm, then reshaping heaven and earth to turn this world into a Demon God Realm.

The Cloud Celestial Palace Master had stumbled upon the Demon Scripture over a century ago. He had long since transformed a three-hundred-li radius around the ley lines of the Cloud Celestial Divine Palace into a Demon Realm, but he had never let it show on the outside.

As for the legacies of the Taoist Realm and True Spirits descending...

’A new Spirit Realm? Can Upper Gods really descend to the mortal world using just their Divine Thought?’

Confused, the Cloud Celestial Palace Master strolled out of the Earth Palace, only to overhear a few Little Demons whispering nearby.

"Did you hear? The five towns and villages in Dongsheng County were turned into a Ghost Prison overnight. Not a chicken or dog was spared, not a single blade of grass survived. Who could have done such a thing?"

"Who else could it be? Besides those stray ghosts from the West who call themselves a Divine Country but are really just a Ghost Realm, who else can wield death energy to that degree?"

"Do they think that just because the Xuanwei Divine Sect and the Spirit Court went north, Shanzhou is no match for them?"

"Even though the Great Mountain Dharma King is in slumbering seclusion, our Cloud Celestial Divine Palace is still here. They’ve got some nerve!"

"Should we... Palace Master!"

"Mm." The Cloud Celestial Palace Master nodded and walked past them, the blood-red light in his eyes flashing for a moment as he suppressed the killing intent in his heart.

"Palace Master! That bunch of wandering ghosts from the Western Ghost Realm attacked our territory! They wiped out five towns and villages—thousands of mortals," one of the Demons with a higher Dao Practice said, stepping forward to bow. "Those mortals were our chattel, our slaves! Should we strike back?"

"Are you certain it was the Western Ghost Realm?" the Cloud Celestial Palace Master asked.

"Uh..." The Demon scratched its head. ’Since when does our Cloud Celestial Divine Palace need proof before taking action?’

Then he saw the Cloud Celestial Palace Master’s eyes glint. He stopped and said thoughtfully, "I recall that besides these five, other towns and villages have been massacred recently, correct?"

"That’s right!" the Demon said hurriedly. "It’s happened many times in recent years, but the incidents were spaced far apart, and none involved as many towns as this one. We could never find the culprit."

The Cloud Celestial Palace Master’s eyes flickered. He nodded and said, "Then perhaps it really was the work of the Western Ghost Realm."

The deeper his Cultivation of the Demon Technique became, and the larger the Demon Realm he carved out, the more people he needed to kill. He couldn’t just kill the mortals in his own territory. Killing in the Western Countries would also lower his chances of being exposed.

He didn’t understand the Demon God’s message about the Taoist Realm’s legacies and the descent of True Spirits, but there was no harm in being cautious.

Lost in thought, the Cloud Celestial Palace Master arrived at the divine palace’s main hall. A bewitching woman approached him with a graceful gait. "Palace Master, Feihong Ancestor of Jiangbei Yuanzhou Hongguang Mountain has sent an invitation, inviting you to attend his 800th birthday celebration."