Primordial Era: Reborn as Kunpeng, starting by swallowing the Styx River

Chapter 82 All Demons Return to Their Hearts

The Northern Ice Plains are icy and the wind and snow are like knives.

The dark golden gate of Kunpeng Palace, which was fused with the Chaos Treasure Dividing Rock, was tightly closed like two ancient divine mountains, exuding a cold aura that refused to let any living being approach.

Outside the palace gates, Xuan Gui Dao Ren stood clad in black armor, wielding the supreme innate spiritual treasure Jingyang Zhong, with three thousand elite Asura warriors behind him, their auras chilling and their weapons stained with blood.

They remained silent, their emotionless eyes fixed on the group of kneeling demon remnants before them.

Bai Ze knelt at the front, his robes were already torn, and his once flowing white hair was now covered with mud and bloodstains.

"This wicked subject, Bai Ze, leading the remnants of the Heavenly Court, humbly begs the Demon Ancestor to take me in!"

"For the sake of our shared demonic lineage, and for the sake of the battles we fought together on this ancient land, we beg the Demon Ancestor to have mercy and save these poor lads!"

Bai Ze's voice was hoarse and sorrowful, each word sounding like blood and tears squeezed from his throat.

Behind him, the remaining 100,000 demon soldiers and generals all kowtowed to the hard, ancient ice.

"Please, Demon Ancestor, take me in! Please, Demon Ancestor, save my life!"

The wails converged into a torrent of despair, shaking the heavens and even causing the swirling snow to pause.

However, the gates remained tightly shut, and the palace remained deathly silent.

For a long time, there was silence.

Bai Ze's heart sank little by little.

He knew that Kunpeng and Dijun and Taiyi had a long-standing feud, and could even be considered mortal enemies. Now that Dijun was dead, it was already remarkable that Kunpeng hadn't taken advantage of his misfortune, so how could he easily accept these former enemies?

But he was unwilling! He was unwilling to watch the last embers of the demon race be extinguished just like that!

"Demon Ancestor!"

Bai Ze suddenly raised his head, a resolute glint in his eyes, and shouted, "Though we have been defeated, and though we bear the burden of karma, these 100,000 warriors are all battle-hardened elites who have been tempered by the Lich War!"

"Among us, there are still several Great Luo Demon Saints and dozens of Taiyi Demon Kings!"

"If the Demon Ancestor is willing to take you in, the strength of Beiming will surely increase many times over! At that time, you will have the Asura Clan guarding the Underworld, the Dragon Clan guarding the Four Seas, and us fighting for you in the Primordial World. The Beiming lineage will be able to rival any saintly sect!"

"Even—even re-establishing the Demon Clan's Heavenly Court is not impossible!"

This was a high-stakes gamble; Bai Ze had laid bare the demon race's last trump card.

He's gambling, gambling on Kunpeng's ambition!

I bet this demon master, who once dared to snatch food from a saint, will never be content to live a life of seclusion in a corner of the world!

Sure enough, these words seemed to finally touch that being.

"Buzz"

Without warning, a huge crack appeared in the void above the Northern Sea.

A giant, twelfth-grade karmic fire lotus slowly descended, upon which sat a majestic figure dressed in a dark blue Taoist robe, whose aura was unfathomable.

Kunpeng, descend!

He did not deliberately release his pressure, but the golden wheel of merit behind his head, which was almost solidified and resembled a purple-gold sun, simply scattered a ray of light, which instantly illuminated the entire Northern Sea.

"Hiss hiss hiss—"

'

The radiance fell upon the demons, like spring snow meeting the blazing sun.

The karmic evil energy that had been lingering above their heads and constantly tormenting their souls was forcibly suppressed at this moment, and the deep-seated pain and fear instantly lessened by more than half!

"This feels so good!"

"The karma has dissipated! The Demon Ancestor's merits can truly save us!"

The demons' faces lit up with ecstasy, and they looked at Kunpeng as if he were a savior from suffering, yearning even more to stay in this pure land.

Kunpeng, high above, looked down at the group of demons below who had once shouted at him to kill but now bowed and scraped, a cruel and mocking smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Take you in? Sure."

"Help you offset the cause and effect? ​​That's fine too."

Kunpeng's voice was calm, yet it struck Bai Ze's heart like a heavy hammer: "But I do not keep idle people, much less treacherous wolves!"

"You once served Emperor Jun, and for that so-called Heavenly Court, you even dared to draw your swords against me, the leader of the demon cult."

"Now that Di Jun is dead, you've come to me with nowhere else to turn. Who knows if Di Jun might have some backup plan to resurrect him, or if someone else offers you more benefits, won't you turn around and bite me again?"

Bai Ze's face turned deathly pale, and he hurriedly kowtowed, saying, "Demon Ancestor, please understand! We have sincerely submitted and have no disloyal intentions! If we disobey, may we be punished by heaven and earth!"

"Beheading the gods? Hah, that's a vow to fool children."

Kunpeng sneered and suddenly waved his sleeve.

"Splash—"

—

A long banner, entirely purple-gold in color and radiating immeasurable merit and supreme power, appeared out of thin air and fluttered in the wind.

Demon-summoning banner!

Looking at this treasure that once filled them with fear but has now become their only lifeline, all the demons' breathing became rapid.

"If you want to enter the Northern Sea, if you want to live, there is only one way!"

Kunpeng pointed at the long banner, his tone icy and brooking no argument: "Offer up your true spirits and willingly enter this demon banner!"

"Those who enter the banner, their life or death rests entirely in my hands!"

"If I wish you to live, you will live; if I wish you to die, your souls will instantly vanish!"

"For all eternity, you must not betray us! Even in reincarnation, this mark will forever remain with you!"

"If you can do it, then go; if you can't—"

A murderous glint flashed in Kunpeng's eyes: "Then get out of here! Go outside and face the endless divine punishment and relentless pursuit!"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

Offering one's true spirit into the banner is not merely submission, but utter enslavement!

Once they enter the banner, they are no longer independent individuals, but become puppets in Kunpeng's hands, their life, death, honor, and disgrace all controlled by others.

For the once arrogant demon saints, this was worse than death.

Fei Lian, the Demon Saint, clenched his fists, a hint of struggle and humiliation flashing in his eyes.

"What? You don't want to?"

Seeing this, Kunpeng did not urge him, but simply withdrew his gaze and made as if to leave.

"Since you are unwilling, then please leave. Xuan Gui, see the guest out!"

"Wait! I do! I'm willing!"

Just then, a Taiyi Demon King, who was severely injured and whose body was half burned by karmic fire, suddenly rushed out.

He could no longer bear the torment of karma day and night; that feeling of being worse than death was more terrifying than slavery!

"Whoosh!"

A faint wisp of true spirit flew out from between his brows and entered the Demon-Summoning Banner without hesitation.

"Buzz"

As the true spirit entered the banner, the Demon-Summoning Banner trembled slightly, and a gentle golden light of merit returned, landing on the demon king.

A miraculous scene unfolded.

The karmic fire burning on the demon king's body instantly went out, the rotting wounds began to heal, and the suffocating shadow of death dissipated.

"I survived! Thank you, Demon Ancestor! Thank you, Master!"

The demon king was so excited that he became incoherent and kowtowed frantically to the Kunpeng.

Once there's a first, there's a second.

The instinct for survival ultimately triumphed over so-called dignity.

"I wish to enter the banner!"

"I'd like to too!"

More and more demons chose to compromise, and their true spirits, like moths to a flame, plunged into the demon-summoning banner.

In the end, only Bai Ze and a few other demon saints remained.

Bai Ze glanced at his clansmen who had been reborn behind him, sighed deeply, and the last bit of resolve in his eyes crumbled.

"So be it—for the sake of the demon race, what harm is there in selling my life to the Demon Ancestor?"

"Bai Ze, I offer my true spirit, and will serve the Demon Ancestor for eternity!"

As the true spirits of several demon saints entered, the Demon Summoning Banner burst forth with an unprecedentedly dazzling light.

The last essence of the demon race has been completely absorbed into the Northern Sea!

Seeing this scene and feeling the surging power of fortune within the Demon-Summoning Banner, Kunpeng couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Hahaha! Good!"

"From this day forward, you are all disciples of my Northern Darkness Demon Sect!"

"As long as I remain, no one in this primordial world will dare to harm you in the slightest!"