Wielding the Thunders Across Two Worlds

Incense Blessing Divine Curse, reaching the Nine Heavens!

As the wisp of incense smoke vanished, Bai Fei, having witnessed it before, remained calm. But Ye Yunsheng jumped in fright, and Xue Feishuang’s pupils contracted sharply.

Only these three sensed the extraordinary nature of the Incense Blessing Divine Curse; the other guests were completely unaware.

Of course, Gu Zhao and the other senior Daoists could also perceive it, now that they were focusing their senses carefully.

"This time, the Divine Soul Telekinesis within the Incense Blessing Divine Curse is much more stable," Gu Zhao commented first.

"I wonder if it can contact the great figures in the heavens of the Taoist Sect?" Yunyang said expectantly.

"If a True Monarch Celestial Emperor’s True Spirit descends, we’ll have a powerful backer," Taoist Yan Song said with a grin. "I bet they wouldn’t mind the bit of Evil Qi on this world’s Demon Fiends."

Taoist Yi Hong scoffed. "In your dreams."

Taoist Ming Yu chuckled. "We have to look on the bright side. After all, there’s still a Demon Ancestor in this realm, and he’s not to be trifled with!"

By now, the Incense Blessing Divine Curse was complete. Gu Zhao and the senior Daoists gathered thin clouds and summoned a fine drizzle. This rain, infused with Taoist True Qi, had the power to nourish life and expel evil. As it fell upon the common people attending the grand ceremony, it helped them ward off illness, strengthen their bodies, and calm their minds.

This was the final ritual of Daluo Palace’s ceremony. While smaller-scale versions were performed by individual Elders and Inner Sect Disciples during regular festivals, the one during the annual New Year’s ceremony was undoubtedly the largest in scope and most potent in effect.

Realization dawned on Xue Feishuang. ’No wonder the common folk looked so hopeful just now,’ she thought. ’So Daluo Palace has this kind of ability.’

Then again, considering Daluo Palace’s usual style of slaying demons, eliminating evil, helping those in peril, and aiding the poor, it wasn’t surprising.

Just then, a powerful surge of Demon Qi erupted from the eastern sky, approaching at extreme speed.

"Hm?"

Everyone whipped their heads around to see a massive dragon’s head suddenly emerge from the distant clouds. Its enormous body followed, weaving through the clouds. It swayed its head and tail, seeming to move slowly but in fact flying toward Daluo Palace with incredible speed.

"A dragon!"

"A white dragon!"

"Such a huge dragon! It’s a white dragon... the Dragon King!"

The common people were struck with terrified awe. Trembling, they fell to their knees one after another, kowtowing endlessly.

Xue Feishuang was also startled. "The Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits... Wasn’t he severely injured and missing? Why is he here now...?"

She quickly looked back, only to find that the Daoists of Daluo Palace showed no signs of panic.

In the next moment, the white dragon was already over Cuiluo Mountain. Its lithe body, easily a thousand meters long, blotted out the sun as it coiled in the sky above Daluo Palace.

"That Incense Fire Divine Thought just now..."

The Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits’s eyes glinted. With a shimmer of his draconic body, he transformed into a middle-aged scholar and landed amidst the Daluo Palace New Year’s ceremony.

"Dragon King!" Gu Zhao greeted him with a cupped-fist salute.

"Gu Palace Master." The Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits nodded, glanced around, and smiled faintly. "Daluo Palace grows ever more prosperous. My congratulations."

Gu Zhao turned and instructed Yunyang to handle the remaining affairs of the New Year’s ceremony. He then led the Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits to a rear courtyard, also inviting Bai Fei, Xue Feishuang, and Ye Yunsheng to join them.

「...」

"The Celestial Demon has returned." The Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits’s first words startled everyone.

"A Celestial Demon?" Ye Yunsheng asked in alarm. "Do you mean the same kind of Celestial Demon from the descent ten thousand years ago? Another one has appeared?"

"Not another one. It *is* that Celestial Demon," the Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits said calmly. "The Great Sun Profound Light Celestial Demon Ancestor."

"Huh?" Ye Yunsheng was stunned. "The Great Sun Profound Light Celestial Demon Ancestor? What an arrogant name!"

Compared to Xue Feishuang with her deep heritage and Bai Fei with her close ties to the Spirit Court, the Holy Union Sect had a shallower foundation. As its founder, Ye Yunsheng was only a few hundred years old. Although he had heard of the Celestial Demon’s descent ten thousand years ago, he didn’t know the specific details.

This was the first time he had ever heard this Demon Ancestor’s name.

Bai Fei asked, "How do you know this, Dragon King?"

"Because members of the Demon Race in the East Sea have also begun cultivating Demon Techniques and creating a Demon Realm," the Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits said calmly.

Unlike in the Central Plains, where many Ghost Gods cannot achieve Ascension and the lineages of Fairies are not widespread, the East Sea Dragon Race has long lifespans and unbroken lines of heritage.

Therefore, when it comes to concern for the future of this world, the Dragon Race surpasses most of the Demons, Spirits, and Gods.

Back then, when the Celestial Demon descended, it spread its Demon Techniques far and wide, reshaped the very land, and brought about a boundless, murderous calamity. It shook the heroes of the world, and only by the combined efforts of this realm’s masters was the Demon Ancestor suppressed and killed. The Dragon Race contributed greatly to that effort.

Now, ten thousand years have passed. The masters from that era are either dead or have achieved Ascension. Many masters of the new generation are unaware of how terrifying the Demon Ancestor was, or the danger he posed to this world.

Only the Dragon Race, with its long history and detailed records, remains extremely wary of the Celestial Demon. They know that once it returns, it will inevitably spread its Demon Techniques and transform environments across the world into Demon Realms.

Thus, after being alerted by the Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits, the Dragon Race conducted a thorough search of the East Sea and, just as expected, found a Sea Beast with several thousand years of Dao Practice.

This Sea Beast was not only cultivating a Demon Technique and slaughtering the Sea Race, but it had also transformed a thousand li of earth veins. When the Dragon Race moved to exterminate it, it even tried to contact the Demon Ancestor with its mind to ask for help!

"So, the Celestial Demon has awakened and will soon return," the Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits said gravely.

Ye Yunsheng swallowed. "He’s been dormant for ten thousand years. Why come out now of all times?"

Bai Fei smiled teasingly. "What, were you still hoping to achieve Ascension?"

"I have a Ghost God Body! What Ascension am I supposed to achieve?" Ye Yunsheng retorted. "But I’m only just over four hundred years old. I’m still young! I’ve still got several hundred years left to live. What if the Celestial Demon appears and just swats me dead?"

Xue Feishuang couldn’t help but laugh at his words. She hadn’t expected the Holy Union Sect Leader to be such a character.

Snow God Mountain also had a ten-thousand-year heritage. Although its historical records weren’t as extensive as the Dragon Race’s, it had related accounts. She asked, "Since that Celestial Demon can only be contacted via Demonic Thought, it must mean he hasn’t recovered his full power yet. Has the Dragon Race been able to locate him?"

The calamity of the Celestial Demon’s descent back then was indeed difficult to withstand, but if they could launch a surprise attack before it had fully recovered, they might be able to take it down with minimal cost.

A cold glint shone in Xue Feishuang’s eyes. "Perhaps this time, we can annihilate it completely!"

The Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits shook his head. "We can’t find him. That Celestial Demon’s cultivation realm is unfathomably profound. Although the Great Whale True Monarch awakened his Demonic Thought, we are completely unable to trace its origin through the unseen void."

"But we can force him out." The Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits looked at Bai Fei and Xue Feishuang.

"What do you mean by that, Dragon King?" Bai Fei asked.

"Thirty years ago, that Heaven-Opening Demon Ancestor lured the Ink Flood Dragon into ambushing me. He intended to use my flesh, blood, and Divine Soul to enrich a Demon Realm, but Gu Palace Master intervened and saved my life."

The Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits continued, "Besides me, he also lured the Great Whale True Monarch in the East Sea into becoming a Fallen Demon, to reshape the land."

"He must be planning to pass down his Demon Techniques in various places, letting those who are cultivating demons act as his vanguards. When the time comes, there will be Demon Realms spanning thousands or even tens of thousands of li everywhere, and Demonic Qi will flood the world. Only then will he reveal himself.

"At that point, with an endless supply of Demonic Qi as his support, he would surely succeed in a single stroke. His final goal is to transform the entire world into a Demon Realm, turning this plane into the Demon Realm."

The Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits said, "Therefore, we need to find those powerful individuals who are cultivating demons ahead of time and eliminate them. By doing so, when he sees his pawns being removed one by one, he won’t be able to resist jumping out himself.

"After all, even at his peak back then, he was no match for the combined masters of this realm. Without the support of Demonic Qi from Demon Realms across the land, even if he fully recovers and reappears, he won’t have the power to change the grand outcome."