Donghuang Ziji

Chapter 975 The Demon King is About to Perish

"Haha, this is really funny!"

Facing the sword light of Jade Calendar True Lord, the Yin and Yang Qi of Primordial Chaos True Lord, and the blood light hidden in the Blood Demon Lord's ever-changing form, the Heavenly Demon dealt with them all with ease.

His form, relying on the power of [Chaos] and [Separation], constantly [changes] between existence and non-existence, reality and illusion. Although the Four Swords of Zhuxian, which combines the power of the two True Lords Hunyuan and Yuli, is powerful, without the cooperation of True Lord Qingshi, its annihilation power can only cut off a little of the chaos, but it can recover in the next instant without harming the root.

While the Blood Demon's ability to transform between the old and the new is powerful, the Heavenly Demon's ability to transform is even more formidable. Without needing to pay attention to the Heavenly Emperor Miro and the Eastern Emperor Bell, the Heavenly Demon's ability to transform can always produce a restraining change the instant the blood light rises, firmly suppressing them.

Even with the Heavenly Master of Fate trying to manipulate fate to bind its hands and feet, and the Bodhi Patriarch working with Sun Wukong to continuously bombard it with the golden cudgel that stirred up the wind and clouds, the Heavenly Demon dealt with it with ease.

The chaotic demonic energy distorted and reorganized the surrounding concepts, allowing fate to restrain Sun Wukong, the shattered sword light to block the golden cudgel, and the attacks from all directions to be neutralized.

What's even more surprising is that, despite this onslaught, he still had the composure to observe the battle between Chu Tai and the Demon Lord.

"Such a decisive suppression of the Demon Lord... If it were the old him, he might have truly been subdued by you, but now..."

As the Heavenly Demon finished speaking, the Heavenly Cauldron continued to vibrate, and a power of the Holy Kingdom Dao that was different from the normal Holy Kingdom Dao actually emerged within it.

'wrong! ’

Chu Tai was startled, somewhat surprised to find that the power below was not the Holy Kingdom's Great Dao at all.

The Demon King violently dismantled the Holy Kingdom's order system, and then, through extreme exploitation, reconstructed a distorted yet highly efficient new order.

Under this new order, concepts such as "benevolence," "civilization," "holiness," "inheritance," "universal harmony," and "ideal," which were originally part of the Holy Kingdom system, have been given entirely new, somewhat chilling, meanings.

Benevolence and compassion, which originate from empathy and seek to dissolve the divide between the strong and the weak and build a symbiotic order where everyone gets what they deserve and does what they can, have transformed into a distorted shackle of absolute obedience, becoming the cornerstone of class and a disguise for harsh exploitation.

Those emotions, which originate from one's own morality and empathy, are also distorted into protection and favors bestowed by superiors upon inferiors.

Under such an order, ordinary beings who are protected need to be grateful for the right to life granted to them.

All resistance and questioning will be labeled as unrighteous, ungrateful, and immoral.

The virtues and traditions that guide people toward a better and more virtuous future have also been distorted into so-called ancestral precepts and conventions.

Some injuries and deaths that should not have occurred can be glorified as necessary sacrifices, or even as the cornerstone of building a great cause.

What should have been a path towards equality, prosperity, and freedom from oppression—a ideal of "Great Harmony"—has instead become a matter of everyone simply fulfilling their assigned duties and responsibilities.

In this illusory, absolute order where everyone has a fixed place, all specialness, individuality, and freedom are severed, and there is no such thing as equality.

As a result, much of the order belonging to the Holy Kingdom was assimilated by the Demon King's doctrines, eventually transforming into a kind of order that was repulsive yet impossible to resist, a mixture of dark, golden, and pale colors, and also radiating a trace of iron-gray luster.

This brilliance carries an unquestionable correctness, inevitability, absoluteness, and stability.

It encompasses [will] and [direction], controls [laws] and [justice], constructs [hierarchy] and [ladder], and ultimately transforms into a series of treasures that embody the concept of order, similar to the treasures left behind by the Holy King.

Cold chains of order, a legal code forged from black iron, a thorny staircase connecting different levels...

Each item exudes a terrifying, chilling, and almost distorted aura, constantly redefining what "benevolence," "order," "fairness," and "universal harmony" truly mean...

The spread of this aura caused Chu Tai's expression to change, Yu Li Zhenjun frowned, and Sun Wukong wanted to hit him a couple of times, but Bodhi Patriarch, after thinking for a moment, knocked out the restless Tian Siming with a backhand.

Hunyuan Zhenjun suddenly looked at Tianmo: "You handed over the Saint King Dao you had mastered to Junmo?"

"As expected of the Primordial True Lord of the Eastern Celestial Realm, who was the first to perceive the fundamental changes of the era and was determined to relinquish his control over the destiny of immortality, he saw through my scheme at a glance. Indeed, I handed over the Great Dao of the Saint King that I had mastered to him, and even gave him the concept of the ideal state that I had already deduced. Although it differs somewhat from the one in the Heavenly Cauldron, it is still a complete system..."

While defending against the surrounding attacks, the Heavenly Demon looked at the turbulent Heavenly Cauldron and laughed, "Look, the transformation has begun again."

The Primordial True Lord spared a few thoughts to look, and the cold chains of order, the law book forged from black iron, and the thorny staircase connecting the upper and lower levels were constantly being perfected. The cold form of the chains gradually dissipated, the edges of the book radiated a soft glow, and the staircase was further disassembled, eliminating a large number of thorns.

Everything seems to be moving in a good direction.

However, both Hunyuan Zhenjun and Chu Tai could see clearly that the seemingly perfect order was essentially just a better disguise.

The so-called perfect order is nothing more than an update and iteration of systemic violence; the so-called progress is nothing more than the continuous improvement of oppressive techniques.

It can be said that the Demon King's Great Dao transforms the antidote that could cure him in the Holy Kingdom into an even more terrifying poison, constantly suppressing him from multiple aspects, including his body, mind, and cognition.

Endless light and shadow appeared on the disassembled staircase, and countless applause rang out with each step upward. The glass barriers at the edges served as both magnificent stage protection and an invisible threshold.

The soft glow emerging from the edge of the book dispelled the strictness of the law, but the hard book itself still demonstrated its fundamental unshakability; the so-called softness was nothing more than a dreamlike illusion that numbed the will.

As for the chains that have shed their coldness and are gradually crumbling, they are hidden in every aspect of life. Through continuous reconstruction, transmission, and replacement, they use the five colors, five sounds, and five flavors to suppress the spirituality of all beings, blind their vision, and confuse their judgment. Invisibly, they bury certain thoughts into the blood of all beings.

Of course, under the theory of the Demon King and its powerful rule, most people are able to have a relatively stable and peaceful life.

"But this should not be a theory that oppresses all living beings, much less the basis for your continuous extraction of their power..."

Chu Tai watched as the system of order was constantly being integrated and updated, relinquishing more and more power so that more and more people could live better lives.

The only thing that has remained unchanged is the Demon King himself, who is at the very top of this system.

Its wisdom guides (pulls) all beings forward, its power protects (builds) all beings in peace, and its radiance illuminates (occupies) the future of all beings.

Everything was a stepping stone for him to go even further. "The Philosopher King? A selfish version? No..."

Chu Tai shook his head, denying his own idea, and said with a cold look in his eyes, "Your power should not be called that of a philosopher-king, but rather that of an extreme tyrant and despot disguised as a philosopher-king. Indeed, your nature has completely changed. I should have been certain when you chose to cooperate with the Heavenly Demon."

"To say I've changed is an understatement; it's more accurate to say I just want to survive."

The power of the Demon Lord constantly impacted the Heavenly Cauldron. The light emanating from the Yin-Yang Lamp, even if it illuminated the self-concept within its system, would be submerged by the entire system, and even extinguished by the closest people around it.

The Demon King clenched a wisp of light and sneered, "Freedom without power is nothing but an illusion. The so-called people should just do their jobs and maintain order. They can know some things, but they should also know what is untouchable..."

"So you build barriers to cognition, taming and entertaining consciousness..."

Chu Tai spoke softly, recounting the many terrifying and twisted aspects of the principles derived from the Demon Lord, and finally drew a conclusion.

"As expected, you are beyond redemption."

"You think you'll let me go just because I'm supposed to be saved? When the Heavenly Demon showed me my power earlier, that monkey's killing intent was practically right up to my face. What a pity. I was originally planning to cooperate with you to kill the Heavenly Demon and then do other things."

Junmo's answer made Tianmo sneer: "So you want to cooperate with them to kill me? I'm afraid you want to use the characteristics of your own Great Dao to plunder the Saint King Great Dao within me. So when I used you to attack me, I copied the Saint King Great Dao to you, and you immediately chose to cooperate with me. Isn't it all for the origin of the Heavenly Cauldron in Taiyi's hands, and the complete Saint Kingdom Great Dao within it?"

"What, the complete Holy Kingdom's Great Way is so perfect, haven't you digested its principles yet?"

The Heavenly Demon intentionally pointed out that the Demon Lord was not in good condition, trying to get Chu Tai to take action and kill him completely in advance.

Chu Tai did not respond. Instead, he suddenly shook the Eastern Emperor Bell, and visible ripples spread outwards, temporarily freezing the watching demons. He seemed to be letting the Demon Lord seize the secrets of the Heavenly Cauldron.

Everyone was somewhat surprised by this change, but whether it was Hunyuan, Yuli, or Blood Demon, Bodhi, Wukong, and Tiansiming, none of them let this opportunity pass. They acted simultaneously, with four layers of sword light, yin and yang energies, blood-red amber, the net of fate, the spiritual realm, and the stabilizing needle, layer upon layer, building a powerful protective system that temporarily trapped the Heavenly Demon within.

Although Junmo found Chu Tai's actions strange, he was also worried that it might be a trap.

However, Chu Tai's move was an open scheme, and Jun Mo could not refuse such a good opportunity. Without the slightest hesitation, he chose to completely devour the Heavenly Cauldron.

As this treasure became part of the Demon King, the complete Holy Kingdom Dao appeared within his body, and the powerful force of order further perfected the systemic power contained within the Demon King Dao.

The manifestation of countless orders made the aura of the Demon King increasingly filled with universally recognized concepts of wisdom, justice, kindness, selflessness, and temperance, or rather, it drew ever closer to the so-called philosopher-king.

But just as the Demon Lord's power reached its peak, he suddenly widened his eyes and opened his mouth slightly: "Fellow Daoist Taiyi, thank you for your trouble."

Junmo would never forget that voice, nor would Chu Tai, and the three True Monarchs and the Blood Demon Lord were also startled.

He was the master of the Celestial Cauldron who once united many people to establish the Holy Kingdom system and experiment with it.

This successor to the Holy King, whose records had been erased and for whom no substantial information could be found, appeared within the body of the Demon Lord, freezing him in place for a brief moment.

Without any hesitation, Chu Tai threw out the Eastern Emperor Bell. After the treasure left his hand, it transformed into a stream of light, piercing through the barrier between the light of the universe and the cosmos, and striking the true form of the Demon Lord.

The terrifying power caused the Eastern Emperor Bell to vibrate, and visible ripples swept across the Demon Lord's body, shaking its essence and attacking its very core.

It was at this moment that a very faint ray of light emerged from the Dao of the Demon Lord, guiding the Eastern Emperor Bell deeper and deeper.

The Lord of the Demonic Path sensed something, tried to struggle, and kept questioning the Lord of the Heavenly Cauldron for not telling him these things or helping him in the past.

The Lord of the Celestial Cauldron did not answer, but silently emitted a faint radiance, just like the one in the memories of the Lord of the Demonic Path.

However, that glory of yesteryear guided him toward hope, toward kindness, and toward order.

But now, this radiance is extinguishing his life, erasing his possibilities, and pushing him toward death.

"Don't even think about it!"

The Demon Lord roared, and terrifying pressure spread outwards continuously, colliding violently with the Eastern Emperor Bell.

The phantoms of the Nine Songs Gods appeared, drawing out the innate essence of the Eastern Emperor Bell. With absolute advantage, it crushed the power of the Demon Lord, attacked the core of his Dao Fruit, shook his foundation, and tore apart his essence.

The Demon Lord, like the decisive one, simultaneously acted from the past and the future at the moment he was severely injured, tearing apart his own form and exposing the Celestial Cauldron, which had not yet been fully digested but was already deeply bound to his Dao Fruit.

At the same time, it continuously severs the connection between its own Dao fruit and the Heavenly Cauldron.

"It's now!"

The voice came from inside the Celestial Cauldron. Without hesitation, the Eastern Emperor Bell shattered the Celestial Cauldron. As the ripples passed through the fragments of the Celestial Cauldron, they spread towards the past and future with the help of the Celestial Cauldron's master, targeting all the Lords and Demon Lords in the entire universe.

They attempted to conceptually annihilate this powerful demonic figure who had separated from the Holy King's Path.

"This is not okay!"

The Heavenly Demon, who had broken free from the power of the Eastern Emperor Bell and the seals of the crowd, sensed this and could no longer remain still.

He didn't copy the Holy King's Path to the Demon Lord just to have him restrain Chu Tai; he hoped to use this guy to perfect another path of order.

Therefore, the Lord of the Demonic Path cannot die yet.

The Heavenly Demon brandished his shepherd's staff, materializing more artifacts of the Holy King's Great Dao inheritance, which appeared beside the Demon Lord, attempting to buy him time.

(End of this chapter)