Those time travelers that year

"Hoo... I no longer have the strength to take revenge on the Evil Emperor... nor the courage and conviction..."

"Is that so? No wonder you look like such a pathetic loser." Niu Lang said sarcastically. "Back then, you captured me, who had lost all my skills, and brought me to the Divine Path Fortress. Logically, I should have taught you a lesson... But I've changed my mind!" With a grab and a burst of demonic energy, Niu Lang snatched the Tiger Soul Blade from the defenseless Mad King's hand.

"Old partner! Old partner! Only you and I are the best choice!" As Tiger Soul Blade returned to the Cowherd's hands, it immediately emitted a dazzling red light.

"Cowherd..." Seeing this scene before him, and even his last weapon gone, the Mad King pleaded sorrowfully, "Please... kill the Evil Emperor for me!"

"Get out of here! I will definitely kill the Evil Emperor!"

"No! I can't even kill myself... Please... give me a dignified death, grant this coward a proper end!"

"Want to die?!" A wicked smile appeared on the Cowherd's face. Then, in a flash, the Cowherd appeared before the Mad King, attaching the Tiger Soul Blade to the Mad King's crown. "I won't kill you, but I have a very, very brilliant idea!"

"You, what do you want to do?" The Mad King was startled, then he felt his soul and something else being torn apart by something. "You..."

"Hehe, I've separated your humanity and reason, so you can live well from now on—as a beast, hahahaha!!!" The Cowherd laughed loudly, the demonic soldier's power activated, completely shattering the Mad King's humanity.

"No, no... Huh, huff..."

The last vestiges of humanity allowed the Mad King to restrain himself, but under the demonic power of the demonic soldiers, the bestial instincts within him finally overwhelmed his humanity, taking control and causing him to involuntarily run towards the nearby horde of apes, transforming into a humanoid ape in the process. Unfortunately, in the eyes of the apes, however, he was merely an intruder from another race!

Biting, beatings… Amidst all this, the last vestige of humanity within the Mad King brought forth sorrowful tears. And watching this scene, the Cowherd burst into laughter…

No one remembered the pitiful Mad King anymore, and no one cared about him. Night fell, and the Mad King, beaten by the gorillas and transformed into a beast, lay helplessly on the ground. His body was covered in wounds, resembling a wild animal. His humanity had died, and his bestial nature had taken over. For a long time to come, he would face this fate worse than death… barring any unforeseen circumstances.

And clearly, the accident had already occurred.

As the Mad King, transformed into a beast, lay helplessly on the ground howling, the crystal rooted in his heart completely eroded his entire being, and from it seeped out what the Mad King had lost—humanity.

The return of humanity brought back blurred memories and thoughts to the Mad King's soul, suppressing his bestial instincts. In a daze, the Mad King recalled everything: the tragedy of their Divine Alliance, the sacrifice of his brothers and sisters, his own end being wantonly toyed with by the Cowherd…

At this moment, for the first time in his life, the Mad King clearly felt what hatred meant! He wanted to regain his power and take revenge... Just then, a series of images flashed before his eyes: the most glorious time of the Divine Alliance a hundred years ago, when the Evil Emperor was still the young leader of the Divine Alliance.

Controlled by the Primordial Heavenly Demon, Dugu Xingye at that time fell into demonic possession and became the Xuan Tian Evil Emperor. The first victim was the entire Divine Alliance.

Soon, the scene changed again. The reason these remnants of the Divine Alliance were being hunted down was because the Demon Emperor, who had fallen into demonic possession, summoned the meteorite to descend in order to obtain the demonic pearl within it. However, he was sealed away by the Ghost Valley Master. After the Demon Emperor was sealed away, the righteous martial arts world, having regrouped, began to vent its anger on the remnants of the Divine Alliance.

And everything about them now... When the image of the Cowherd separating his humanity appeared before his eyes, the Mad King saw that behind the Cowherd, there was a demon lurking—the Otherworldly Demon. The Mad King instantly knew its identity.

The Evil Emperor, possessed by demonic possession, is the Primordial Heavenly Demon. The one who brought the Demon Pearl is also the Primordial Heavenly Demon. The demonic figure behind the Cowherd is also related to the Primordial Heavenly Demon.

Behind everything that happened to the Divine Alliance and to him personally, there was the interference of the Primordial Heavenly Demon! It was him…

"Primordial Ancestor... Heavenly Demon!!!" At this moment, the Mad King finally knew who his true enemy was, who had caused all of this, and who had led to all of this. At this moment, the Mad King, who had regained his humanity, trembled and reached out his hand to the bright moon in the sky, "...No matter who you are, no matter who made me see all of this... I beg you, give me power, give me the power of revenge!"

'Then what will you use to exchange for it?' a voice asked.

"Everything!" The Mad King shouted with the last of his strength, "I'll give you everything, even my soul!"

"Deal!" the voice declared. Then, the Mad King saw a phantom appear in the scattered moonlight—it was undoubtedly the one who had previously crippled him. But at this moment, looking at the figure in the moonlight, the Mad King also knew one thing: this person was the god who could fulfill his revenge. "Kindness is meaningless, evil never exists. When all beings are plunged into disaster—I will save them, I will destroy them."

'And when all beings lose hope—I will give you…the final salvation.'

'You want power! Fine, but as you said, I will give you power, but your soul—belongs to me!'

"Take it all!" the Mad King replied weakly, his voice trembling. "Take it all, just give me the power of revenge!"

'Then, the contract is established!' The phantom chuckled and placed its hand directly on the Mad King's heart.

A sharp pain, emanating from his heart, caused the Mad King to cry out in agony. Yet, amidst this agony, the Mad King sensed something else—something called power—returning to him.

As the title suggests, the Divine Weapon arc is about to end. Since the protagonist is only operating in the shadows and doesn't plan to participate in the final battle against the Primordial Demon, I won't write about it anymore. Otherwise, if I write from a different perspective, you'll accuse me of padding the story. Alright! So, after the Divine Weapon arc ends, I'll start filling in the plot holes of the main world, and then the next world—anime or game?

404.405 Next, I need to speed up the plot.

What does it feel like to lose something and then gain it back?

The Mad King was experiencing a mix of extreme joy and sorrow. Of course, he was not happy or sad about regaining his power, but rather happy because he had a real goal of revenge. Similarly, he was sad about his brothers and sisters and his deceased clansmen.

After the illusory form dissipated, the Mad King could feel the renewed vitality within his body. Although his heart had completely stopped beating, it had now transformed into a crystal that continuously radiated energy. This crystal replaced his heart, granting him even greater power.

Roar! ! !

With a roar, the madness he had lost returned, and the Mad King leaped to his feet, howling towards the sky. The crystal heart within his body was continuously releasing powerful energy, which flowed into his blood, transforming the meridians within his body.

Now, although he has lost his internal energy, the Mad King's every breath—no, he doesn't even need to breathe actively now—every inch of his skin and every cell in his body breathes autonomously. With each breath, he draws pure energy from heaven and earth, transforming it into a golden energy that flows into his body.

At the same time, the Mad King sensed the remaining fragments of will and information within his blood. Upon hearing this, this last surviving member of the Divine Alliance couldn't help but shed tears.

Blood is the currency of the soul. Since the Mad King's body has been modified, Charles felt it was best to fully utilize this guy's value. Within his bloodline, what had been transferred through blood fusion wasn't just power, but also fragments of the original owner's soul. Since not using it would be a waste, Charles naturally wouldn't hold back.

However, the Mad King was unaware that Charles actually intended to use him as cannon fodder. He could now feel the intimacy and familiarity of those soul fragments in his blood.

"Brothers and sisters, and my people!" The Mad King roared to the sky, tears streaming down his face. "So you haven't abandoned this piece of trash after all, ahhh..." With the Mad King's wailing roar, countless souls surged out of his body, echoing throughout the area. "Let us take revenge, let us take revenge on the real culprit who destroyed everything for us, lend me your power once more, my brothers and sisters, my people..." Countless souls surged out of the Mad King's body and returned to him, completely becoming a part of his own power, continuously increasing his strength.

This transformation will take time, but in any case, once the Mad King completes his transformation, his strength will undoubtedly be far greater than before. He will serve as a suitable pawn and cannon fodder to fight against the soon-to-be-resurrected Primordial Demon. Apart from the one who has been eliminated from this pawn, no one knows what happened here. The Mad King himself doesn't care at all about being a pawn. For him now, as long as it helps him and his brothers, sisters, and people who have sacrificed everything to achieve true revenge, he is willing to sell everything, even his soul.

Anyway, he has nothing left now.

……

Xia Er could naturally sense the transformation of the Mad King's pawn. In any case, for him, constantly digging pits for the Primordial Demon was the right thing to do.

The Mad King, who was ultimately forgotten in the Divine Weapon series and died a tragic death as a beast, was honestly a pretty good cannon fodder. It would be a shame to just watch the Cowherd cripple him like that, so Charles decided to take matters into his own hands. First, he crippled him to protect the Destroyer of Demons, then he made the guy realize in his grief who he really needed to fight. Finally, he activated his backup plan to patch up this piece of trash who had been strengthened through the shortcut of bloodline fusion.

After the patch was applied, this piece of trash finally showed some promise. In addition, Xia Er went to great lengths to load another martial arts system onto him, strengthening his meridians by modifying his heart, thus keeping him away from the danger of qi deviation, and loading the thing he searched from the Shennong Ruler into the Mad King's body.

In a sense, the Mad King can be considered a test stone specially created by Charles.

However, it's likely that the Mad King wouldn't care about these things compared to revenge.

Moreover, Xia Er was genuinely generous in compensating for this piece of trash's lack of combat power. You see, don't be fooled by his previous appearance—created with centuries of cultivation through some bloodline fusion with his siblings. Frankly, it was all for show. He was fine for bullying newbies, but against someone with masterful micro-management like the Evil Emperor, he'd be a complete fraud. Conversely, against a fully-fledged sect leader, that biggest bug in the Divine Weapon series would show them what it means to have a cheat code rather than pay-to-win.

In order to prevent this guy from suffering a crushing defeat in front of the Primordial Heavenly Demon, Xia Er not only went to great lengths to modify his body, but also recorded true god-level martial arts into him.

Anyway, the goal is to kill the Primordial Demon in any way possible!

In contrast to the Mad King's transformation, on the first day of the third month, the Evil Emperor and the Sect Master, both in their full potential, finally arrived at the arena, "Separated by Water and Sky," for their final duel. With Xia Er's promise and the threat of the Primordial Demon, these two, the two humans who had reached the pinnacle of power in the world, knew they needed to advance to an even higher level. Both the Sect Master and the Evil Emperor were filled with confidence and fighting spirit for this battle.

Looking at this era, aside from those outside the hierarchy like Chi You and Xia Er, they are undoubtedly the strongest. In this age where divine weapons and masters of divine and demonic martial arts emerge one after another, those who have truly reached the pinnacle in mind, skill, and body are their greatest rivals.

Amidst the complex gazes of the onlookers, the two strongest humans in the world had arrived here. This was the place where, over a hundred years ago, the Evil Emperor and the former Great Rakshasa Sect Master had fought their final battle. At that time, the Evil Emperor had already fallen into demonic possession, and to save him, the Great Rakshasa Sect Master, who had once used the alias Da Luobu, had traveled thousands of miles back to the Central Plains to challenge the Evil Emperor here. Unfortunately, due to the intervention of the Primordial Heavenly Demon, his efforts were in vain. It could be said that the Evil Emperor, reborn as a human, truly owed the Great Rakshasa Sect a fair duel.

Now, after a century, the Great Rakshasa Sect Master and the Xuan Tian Evil Emperor - Dugu Xingye have finally returned to this battlefield.

"You've arrived early!" With his superb lightness skill, the Evil Emperor arrived here in an instant from dozens of miles away, and naturally saw the sect leader sitting here.

"You know, there's another battle in the making, and I'll give up everything for it..." the sect leader, sitting cross-legged on the ground, replied. "Therefore, I've completely let go of everything and am wholeheartedly focused on the battle to come..."

"Yes, that's right, your aura has now merged with the environment..." Sensing the sect leader's aura and the astonishing power hidden within his body, the Evil Emperor exclaimed in admiration, "You are already a part of the earth! Moreover, you are far stronger than your ancestor from over a hundred years ago!"

"Aren't you even stronger than you were a hundred years ago?" the sect leader said. "These past few days, that reincarnated god-demon has been exchanging blows with us individually. You must have already experienced the Divine Gate Heavenly Barrier!"

“Of course!” the Evil Emperor said. “This battle is a testament to our paths, filled with the same anticipation, the same excitement… and the same enjoyment!”

"There's still quite a bit of time until my 27th birthday—the ninth day of the third month."

"Then this time... is enough for us to decide the winner."

"Then what are we waiting for!?" The sect leader, who had been sitting cross-legged, suddenly opened his eyes. "Come! Let's fight!"

Come on!

Here, there was nothing else but a fair battle between two of the strongest humans. As soon as the words fell, the sect leader and the evil emperor vanished from their spot in an instant. A muffled thunderclap resounded across the water, startling water birds into flight.

An attack without murderous intent does not mean it is without destructive power. In a bare-handed exchange, with the destructive force suppressed, all the damage is actually borne by the individual. In this battle, it is a contest of the mind, skill, and body of both sides.

Neither the Evil Emperor nor the Sect Master were injured in this round of fighting. In fact, even if they stood still, ordinary swords and blades could not harm their bodies in the slightest. The indestructible state that top-tier martial arts practitioners in the martial world could achieve was nothing more than a trivial matter to them.

Fist to fist, finger to finger, claw to claw, palm to palm...

The two exchanged blows with lightning speed, exchanging dozens, even hundreds, of moves in a mere instant, leaving the onlookers breathless. But this was merely a warm-up, a process of demonstrating their martial arts skills and respecting each other. Even so, this series of exchanges was enough to instantly kill 99% of martial arts practitioners.

"What an exaggerated rate of progress!" Xia Er was also watching the battle, though he was hidden from view. He was observing the fight from afar, and even he couldn't help but marvel at the sect leader's exponential increase in strength over the past few days. It could be said that, barring the possibility of the deadly "Twenty-Seven Life Limits" technique, the Rakshasa Divine Art was undoubtedly the strongest divine-level martial art in this world.

However, every gain has its price. While progress is rapid and the Rakshasa Divine Art grows stronger the closer one is to death, it also comes at an extremely terrifying cost. This cost has even become a genetic inheritance, passed down from generation to generation, ensuring that every generation of the Great Rakshasa Sect Master cannot escape the influence of the Twenty-Seven Life Limit. Even without practicing the Rakshasa Divine Art, one cannot escape this curse.

But even so, the sect leader, relying on the twenty-seventh limit, caught up with the Evil Emperor's cultivation of over a hundred years in a short period of time.

In just a few exchanges, the Evil Emperor and the Sect Master had already fought over a thousand moves, remaining evenly matched. It seemed that mere fist and foot techniques were no longer of any use. Since that was the case, then let the real battle begin! The Evil Emperor and the Sect Master exchanged a glance, simultaneously drawing their weapons and clashing once more.

A hundred swords fought endlessly, shattering souls and bones; a single soul scattered, breaking through ten thousand swords to their origin; the strongest Golden Rakshasa battle armor withstood the absolute sharpness of a single strike that shattered the void; ten strikes broke through limits, clashing with the Seven Souls Devouring Spirit… In the blink of an eye, the Evil Emperor's three swords and three blades were all shattered by the Sect Master wielding the Soul Devouring Spirit. The aftershocks of the battle directly affected an area several miles away, instantly annihilating any animals within that range.

These two, under Xia Er's intervention, are now even stronger than in the original story. To ensure everything went smoothly, after intervening in the Mad King's fate, Xia Er immediately went back and challenged the Evil Emperor and the Sect Master to sparring matches. During this process, both the Evil Emperor's unparalleled skills and the Sect Master's unscientific improvement broadened Xia Er's horizons.

During this process, Xia Er naturally also acquired the Evil Emperor's three swords and three blades, as well as the first two forms of his divine skill, and the Rakshasa Divine Art practiced by the sect leader. Although they were of little use to him now, they were still quite good as collectibles.

However, similarly, the Evil Emperor and the Sect Master, both martial arts masters approaching the level of gods and demons, also genuinely glimpsed a higher realm through their battle with Xia Er.

Since they have both reached their limits, ordinary punches and kicks, and common moves, are no longer of any use.

The sky was filled with swirling winds and billowing clouds, the colors of heaven and earth shifting dramatically. The clouds above, separated by a river, were blasted apart, causing the river to flow backward and forming a waterspout that connected heaven and earth. This was the unfolding of the Evil Emperor's divine technique, and it also heralded the official climax of the battle.

Seeing the divine skill appear, Xia Er withdrew his gaze, then reached out and grasped, a dazzling flame appeared in his hand, and then, accompanied by a clear phoenix cry, the phoenix appeared directly in front of Xia Er. Then, the phoenix spread its wings and soared into the sky.

He left Phoenix behind to await orders. Whichever of the two who were fighting above would fall first, Phoenix would descend to save their life. Xia Er then decided to no longer concern himself with the battle. Compared to this, continuing to dig pits for the Primordial Demon was Xia Er's primary concern.

Then, in a flash, Xia Er left Yishui Getian.

——————————Divider Line——————————

Some distance from the river, in a forest, another battle is raging. Here, golden energy converges to form the Dharma image of Fuxi. The Heavenly Gang Righteous Qi Technique, originating from the same source, and the Heavenly Extinction and the King of Yan join forces to fight against the strange demon Niulang, who has manifested a different kind of magical image.

Facing the combined forces of Extinction Sky and King Yan, and with the support of the power of the alien demons, Niulang still managed to fight them to a standstill.

However, having been wounded by the Heavenly Punishment Arrow, the Prince of Yan was still losing his Five Elements essence and was about to enter a state of suspended animation. Mie Cangqiong glanced at the Prince of Yan, knowing he was about to fall into a deep sleep.

"...A teacher for a day is a father for life." This disciple, more outstanding than even his two sons, though they had once been enemies and schemers, now held no grudges against Mie Cangqiong. The Prince of Yan was about to lose his fighting ability, so he could only exchange his own life for his. "Rest in peace!"

"You can use Beiming Xue Lai to distract him." The Prince of Yan, who was struggling to hold on, paused, then transmitted his thoughts telepathically. "Also, if that doesn't work, then hold on a little longer… Shifang Jumie told me that reinforcements are on their way."

'reinforcement!?'

"Hold on, old man! Don't die!"

"...Okay, I understand!" Mie Cangqiong replied with divine sense. "Disciple, take care!" Without joining forces with the Prince of Yan, Mie Cangqiong knew he absolutely could not deal with the alien demon Niulang on his own, but he could still buy enough time. Now, he could only pray that the Prince of Yan would leave quickly... and that the reinforcements would arrive.

406.407 Divine Weapon End

Mie Cangqiong knew that with his current level of mastery over the fire element, which he had cultivated using the Heavenly Gang Qi Technique, he was no match for Niulang, who now possessed multiple demonic weapons and abilities, and had the support of a demonic being. Therefore, he had no choice but to continue fighting Niulang while shifting the battlefield to another location.

He grabbed the unconscious Bei Mingxue and used her to blackmail Niulang. Along the way, he provoked Niulang with words while stalling for time. He knew that while Niulang cared about Bei Mingxue, the demon possessing him was actually more concerned with resurrecting the Primordial Heavenly Demon.

Since they couldn't deal with the alien demon Cowherd, Extinction Sky planned to use Bei Mingxue as leverage to sow discord between the Cowherd and the alien demon.