From the fake emperor to the concubine

"Senior," Blood Butcher swallowed hard. "I am Blood Butcher, here on the orders of the Demon King."

"The Demon King's order?" Zheng Yi's avatar interrupted him. "What order requires such a large-scale operation?"

"It's to avenge the two hall masters, Blood Eagle and Black Flood Dragon," Blood Butcher said, forcing himself to speak.

"Revenge?" A cold glint flashed in Zheng Yi's avatar's eyes. "Just for two reckless fools, your demon race is going to launch a full-scale invasion of human territory?"

Sensing the sudden surge of power emanating from Zheng Yi's avatar, the three demon generals couldn't help but take a few steps back.

"Please calm down, senior!" Snake Princess quickly said, "We have no intention of being your enemy!"

"Is that so?" Zheng Yi sneered. "Then what was the purpose of your massacre of the Demon Heart Sect and your threats to the Heavenly Serpent Sect?"

The three demon generals were speechless for a moment.

"Forget it," Zheng Yi waved his hand. "I don't want to argue with you too much. But since you're here, don't think you can leave so easily."

As he spoke, Zheng Yi waved his hand lightly.

Instantly, the spiritual energy in the entire world began to fluctuate violently, and a huge barrier completely sealed off an area within a hundred miles.

"A domain?" Blood Butcher exclaimed in shock. "No, this isn't an ordinary domain, it's... the power of laws?"

"You do have some knowledge," Zheng Yi's avatar nodded. "This is my minor world; here, everything must follow my rules."

The Lesser Thousand Worlds is the highest level of combat technique that only Nascent Soul stage cultivators can master; it's equivalent to creating one's own independent space in reality.

In the Lesser Thousand Worlds, Nascent Soul stage cultivators are the absolute rulers, capable of arbitrarily altering the laws of this space.

The three demon generals sensed the changes in the surrounding space, and their fear reached its peak.

"Senior, we...we are willing to withdraw our troops!" General Bull Demon said in a trembling voice. "As long as you let us leave, we will immediately return to the demon realm and never attack the human race again!"

"Withdraw your troops?" Zheng Yi's avatar wore a half-smile. "Now you want to withdraw? Why weren't you thinking of withdrawing when you were slaughtering human cultivators?"

"Senior, we really know we were wrong!" Snake Princess hurriedly begged for forgiveness.

"Is admitting your mistakes enough?" Zheng Yi's avatar's tone turned stern. "Are the lives of those innocent cultivators you killed so worthless?"

The three demon generals were rendered speechless by the questioning; they had indeed killed far too many innocent human cultivators.

"However," Zheng Yi changed the subject, "I am not an unreasonable person."

"What do you mean, senior?" Blood Butcher asked cautiously.

"It's very simple." Zheng Yi, in his avatar, pointed to Zhang Yunfan behind him. "The three of you, choose one of you to fight my disciple one-on-one. If he wins, you can leave safely. If he loses..."

"What if he loses?" Blood Butcher asked.

"If he loses, one of you must remain," Zheng Yi said calmly. "Whether he lives or dies depends on your performance."

Upon hearing this suggestion, the three demon generals exchanged bewildered glances.

To make a Foundation Establishment cultivator fight against them at the peak of the Golden Core stage—isn't that blatant bullying?

The problem is, if they don't agree, all three of them might end up here today.

"Senior, isn't this a bit unfair?" Snake Princess asked tentatively. "The difference in strength between a Foundation Establishment cultivator and a peak Golden Core cultivator is too great."

"Unfair?" Zheng Yi sneered. "When the three of you at the peak of the Golden Core stage teamed up to deal with a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators, why didn't you say it was unfair?"

"Besides, my disciple isn't just any ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator." Zheng Yi's avatar glanced at Zhang Yunfan. "He once killed your demon race's Blood Eagle and Black Flood Dragon; his strength shouldn't be underestimated."

The three demon generals then realized that the young man in front of them was the legendary Zhang Yunfan.

Although he was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, he was no pushover for being able to kill a demon clan leader who was at the mid-Golden Core stage.

"So? Do you dare to accept the challenge?" Zheng Yi asked in his avatar.

"This..." Blood Butcher hesitated.

Although Zhang Yunfan is quite strong, he is only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. With his peak Golden Core cultivation, he has a high chance of winning.

But the question is, what if we really lose?
“I’ll do it.” Just as Blood Butcher hesitated, General Bull Demon suddenly spoke up.

"General Bull Demon?" Both Blood Butcher and Snake Queen were somewhat surprised.

"Since we're going to fight, let's fight to the bitter end," General Bull Demon said in a gruff voice. "I want to see just what this legendary Zhang Yunfan is all about."

“Very good.” Zheng Yi nodded. “Then you’re the one.”

Then he said to Zhang Yunfan, "Yunfan, go. Remember, give it your all, hold nothing back."

"Yes, Master." Zhang Yunfan took a deep breath, gripped the Void-Breaking Sword, and walked towards the center of the battle circle.

Although nervous, I was mostly excited. The opportunity to fight against a peak Golden Core expert was truly a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

General Bull Demon looked at Zhang Yunfan as he approached, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.

In his view, even if Zhang Yunfan was able to kill Blood Eagle and Black Flood Dragon, it was just good luck. In a real head-on battle, this junior human would be no match for him at all.

"Boy, I advise you to surrender," General Bull Demon said, raising his massive hammer, "to avoid suffering."

"Is that so?" Zhang Yunfan smiled faintly. "Then let's see who's better."

"Good! You've got guts!" General Bull Demon sneered. "Then I'll show you what true strength is!"

"Bull Demon Shakes the Mountain!"

General Bull Demon suddenly leaped up, his giant hammer smashing down on Zhang Yunfan with the force to split mountains and shatter rocks.

The power of this attack was terrifying; the air itself was compressed, creating a loud explosion.

Zhang Yunfan dared not be careless and immediately used his movement technique to dodge.

"Breaking Through Emptiness Step!"

His figure moved elusively like a ghost, narrowly dodging the Bull Demon General's attack.

"boom!"

The giant hammer smashed into the ground, instantly creating a huge crater.

"The speed isn't slow," General Bull Demon said, somewhat surprised, "but just being fast isn't enough!"

"Bull Demon Combo!"

General Bull Demon began a series of attacks, wielding his giant hammer with tremendous force, each strike possessing the power to move mountains and fill seas.

Zhang Yunfan could only keep dodging and looking for an opportunity to counterattack.

However, the difference in strength between the peak of the Golden Core stage and the early stage of the Foundation Establishment stage was too great. General Bull Demon's attack range was extremely wide and his speed was extremely fast. Zhang Yunfan was quickly put on the defensive.

"Looks like he's nothing special after all," General Bull Demon sneered. "In that case, let's end it here!"

"The Bull Demon roars!"

The Bull Demon General opened his mouth and let out a deafening roar, the sound waves hitting Zhang Yunfan as if they were solid.

This is not only a sonic attack, but also contains a powerful impact on divine consciousness.

Zhang Yunfan felt a wave of dizziness and his body involuntarily paused for a moment.

"An opportunity!" A glint flashed in General Bull Demon's eyes as he swung his giant hammer at Zhang Yunfan with the force of a thunderbolt.

"Danger!" Zhang Yunfan realized the danger and forced himself to calm down.

"Piercing Void Sword Technique - Sword Qi Like a Rainbow!"

A dazzling sword light slashed out, colliding precisely with the giant hammer.

"Ding!"

The sound of metal clashing resounded throughout the heavens and earth, and Zhang Yunfan was thrown backward by the enormous force.

"Not bad, you managed to block my attack." General Bull Demon was somewhat surprised. "You do seem to have some skill." "However, this is just the beginning!"

The demonic aura emanating from General Bull Demon began to surge, clearly indicating that he was preparing to get serious.

"Demon energy manifests!"

A dense demonic aura condensed behind him into a gigantic bull-shaped phantom, exuding overwhelming power.

"Is this... the innate divine power of the demon race?" Zhang Yunfan's heart sank.

Once a demon reaches the Golden Core stage, they will awaken their own innate divine power. This divine power is extremely powerful and is the demon race's strongest attack method.

"Boy, take this!" General Bull Demon roared, and the bull-shaped phantom behind him instantly merged into one.

At this moment, the Bull Demon General seemed to have truly transformed into an ancient divine bull, his power several times stronger than before.

"Piercing Void Sword Technique - Ten Thousand Swords Return to Their Origin!"

Sensing the surge in the Bull Demon General's aura, Zhang Yunfan dared not hold back and unleashed his strongest move.

Countless sword shadows appeared in the air, each flashing with dazzling light.

"A mere trick!" General Bull Demon dismissed it with disdain and charged directly into the swarm of sword shadows.

His body was enveloped in demonic energy, as hard as steel. The sword shadows that struck him could only leave shallow marks, unable to cause any real damage.

"What?" Zhang Yunfan exclaimed in surprise.

His "Ten Thousand Swords Return to One" technique didn't have much of an effect on General Bull Demon.
"My turn!" Bull Demon General broke through the sword shadows and threw a punch at Zhang Yunfan.

This punch contained the full power of the Bull Demon General, causing the space itself to tremble.

Zhang Yunfan knew that taking the punch head-on was definitely not a wise move, but it was too late to dodge now.

"The Ultimate Technique of the Void-Piercing Swordplay: The Void-Piercing Slash!"

Zhang Yunfan exerted all his strength and unleashed the strongest move of the Void-Breaking Sword Technique.

The sword light and the fist shadow collided in the air, bursting out with a deafening roar.

"boom!"

A massive energy surge spread outwards, causing the entire battlefield to tremble violently.

As the light faded, Zhang Yunfan's figure appeared in everyone's sight.

His face was pale, blood was dripping from the corner of his mouth, and his clothes were mostly torn, indicating that he had suffered a serious injury.

In contrast, General Bull Demon, although somewhat disheveled, was clearly much less injured.

“Not bad, you're quite remarkable to still be standing after my full-force attack,” the Bull Demon General said approvingly. “However, this ends here.”

With that, he raised his giant hammer again, preparing to launch a final attack.

Zhang Yunfan looked at the Bull Demon General charging with his hammer, his heart filled with resentment.

Is this how we're going to lose?
Just then, Zheng Yi's voice suddenly rang in his mind:
"Yunfan, don't think about defeating him, try to understand him."

"Understand him?" Zhang Yunfan was taken aback.

“Every strong person has their own path. Try to comprehend their path; it will greatly help your cultivation,” Zheng Yi continued.

Upon hearing his master's words, Zhang Yunfan's heart stirred.

Yes, Master had him fight the Bull Demon General not so that he would win, but so that he would gain insights from the battle.

With this in mind, Zhang Yunfan stopped thinking about how to defeat the Bull Demon General and began to observe his fighting style.

General Bull Demon's fighting style is extremely direct; every strike is fierce and powerful, without any fancy techniques.

This is his way—to break through all laws with force and to overcome all things with rigidity.

"I see." A look of understanding flashed in Zhang Yunfan's eyes.

Although my own swordsmanship also pursues sharpness, it is still too flashy in comparison. True masters often find simplicity in their methods.

Just as Zhang Yunfan was lost in thought, the Bull Demon General's attack arrived.

"It's over!" General Bull Demon grinned maliciously, and his giant hammer smashed down on Zhang Yunfan with earth-shattering force.

But this time, Zhang Yunfan neither dodged nor blocked; instead, he stood there quietly.

"You're courting death!" General Bull Demon thought Zhang Yunfan was scared out of his wits, so he attacked even more fiercely.

Just as the giant hammer was about to strike Zhang Yunfan, he suddenly moved.

"Piercing Void Sword Technique - One Sword Splits the Heavens!"

This sword strike had no fancy moves, no complicated variations; it was just a simple, straightforward strike.

But this sword strike contained the truth that Zhang Yunfan had just comprehended—the great way is simple, and one sword can break through all laws.

"What?!" General Bull Demon sensed the unusual nature of this sword strike and was greatly alarmed.

The sword light and the giant hammer collided again, but this time the result was very different.

Although Zhang Yunfan's sword did not defeat the Bull Demon General's hammer, it was not completely suppressed as before.

The two remained locked in a stalemate in mid-air for a moment before retreating simultaneously.

"Interesting." General Bull Demon looked at Zhang Yunfan, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. "Your swordsmanship has made a breakthrough."

"Thank you for your guidance," Zhang Yunfan said, bowing slightly.

Although he knew he was still inferior to General Bull Demon, this battle deepened his understanding of swordsmanship.

"However, the battle is not over yet." General Bull Demon raised his giant hammer again. "I acknowledge your strength, but that doesn't mean I'll hold back."

“I understand.” Zhang Yunfan nodded. “Please do your best.”

The ensuing battles were even more intense.

General Bull Demon displayed the true strength of a peak Golden Core cultivator, with each strike possessing earth-shattering power.

Although Zhang Yunfan has made breakthroughs in swordsmanship, the gap in cultivation level is still huge.

Gradually, he began to lose his grip.

"Piercing Void Sword Technique - Sword Heart Clarity!"

Zhang Yunfan unleashed a new move he had just mastered; the sword light was like a mirror, reflecting all the flaws in the Bull Demon General's attack.

But even if he saw the flaw, he couldn't fully exploit it with his current strength.

"Bull Demon Stomp!"

Bull Demon General leaped up and stomped down on Zhang Yunfan with both feet at the same time.

This move contains the power of the earth's laws, making it extremely terrifying.

Zhang Yunfan tried his best to dodge, but he was still caught in the aftershock and was sent flying.

"puff!"

Zhang Yunfan coughed up a mouthful of blood, and his face turned even paler.

"Enough." Just as General Bull Demon was about to give chase, Zheng Yi's avatar spoke up.

"The outcome is decided; Yunfan has been defeated."

Hearing his master's words, Zhang Yunfan was unwilling, but he knew that continuing to fight would only cause him more serious injury. (End of Chapter)