Under One Person, your rebellious life has reached the heavens?

Most importantly, its life hangs in the balance, and it cannot fathom the consequences of its refusal. If the True Demon King's Court truly possesses ten rulers, any one of them could easily annihilate the Dragon Palace...

The more he thought about it, the more chills ran down his spine. However, the old Dragon King remained calm and composed, saying:

"This news came too suddenly. Allow me to observe for a few days before giving a reply. It just so happens that the Xuanzun of the human race has invited me to a gathering under the moon tomorrow, but I still do not know the purpose. Young friend, are you concerned? Or would you like to go?"

"No need, senior. My status is too low to go. However, several seniors in the royal court, as well as His Majesty, have heard of the Demon Lord's actions and wish to ascend to heaven to confront them. You will then have a good look at them."

"Is that so..." The old Dragon King feigned surprise and doubt, then wisely refrained from asking any further questions.

Then, the burly man said sincerely, "His Majesty has already anticipated the time you need to consider, and he is willing to give you some buffer time. Perhaps things will change after you return from the moon, who knows?"

"Thank you then."

The old man's smile was meaningful, and all the wrinkles at the corners of his eyebrows relaxed.

"No need to be so polite. I look forward to working with you on matters for the royal court in the future."

"There is nothing else here, so I will take my leave now. I wish you good health, all the best, and a smooth journey."

The burly man politely bowed deeply, then turned and led the other demon kings away from the Dragon Palace, their figures vanishing in an instant.

Chapter 525 Conspiracy

After the envoys from the True Demon King's Court left, the old Dragon King's gaze remained fixed on the abyss outside the palace, and he did not look away for a long time.

The entire place fell silent. The three demon kings—Dragon Palace Master Long Jue, Prime Minister Tai Gui, and Red Serpent Evil General—stood silently, each pondering what choice the old Dragon King would make.

Until it was confirmed that there was not a single unfamiliar presence within a thousand miles of the abyss.

The old man's gaze gradually returned to the palace. He looked at his sons, subordinates, and his close friends who had been with him for many years. He saw resistance in their expressions, as if they did not want him to submit to the so-called royal court.

"Once you're caught up in it, you have no choice."

The old Dragon King let out a helpless sigh. He neither agreed nor disagreed. Even he himself was undecided. If he made the slightest mistake, all his thousands of years of cultivation and accumulation would turn to ashes.

"Buzz!"

After saying this, the old man casually waved his hand, creating a barrier that sealed off the entire palace, preventing outside eavesdropping. He then lay down on his throne, looked around at Long Jue, Tai Gui, and Chi She, and said:

"There are no outsiders here, so please speak freely, everyone."

"Father, I believe... we must never make contact with these demons! Any contact could lead to our downfall."

The Dragon Palace Master was the first to speak. He was imposing, strode forward with the air of a dragon and the gait of a tiger, and delivered a clear and firm admonition:

"Who doesn't know that after these ancient demon races were defeated, they fled into secret realms to eke out a living, while the weak demon races left in the world were brutally massacred by the human race."

"Such behavior will not be forgotten even after thousands or tens of thousands of years!"

"Moreover, before that, their bloodthirstiness and infighting were notoriously terrifying in the human world. They didn't even spare their own kind. We were weak, and we were just creatures who had risen from the mortal realm. In their eyes, we were born to be the lowest of beings and would never be treated with respect."

"Even if you, Father, submit to them and submit to the so-called Sun-Devouring Demon Emperor, the other ancient demon kings and rulers may not be able to tolerate you. Your joining is undoubtedly robbing them or their trusted confidants of their resources."

"To steal someone's opportunity and hinder their cultivation is a blood feud that will surely bring disaster to the Dragon Palace. I urge Father to reconsider!"

"......"

The old Dragon King remained silent, only looking at his child with some relief. A smile gradually appeared on his wrinkled face. He had thought about these things before, but he had no choice in the matter.

The Grand Chancellor, standing to the side, hunched over, coughed a few times before speaking:

"My lord, the secret realm they promised you is meant to make you a weapon for them to use against humanity."

"The hatred between the ancient demon race and the human race is a thousand times stronger than our grudges with the human race. You have accepted the gift from the Sun-Devouring Demon Emperor. If you were to conquer the human world in the future, I would be frank, but you would not be able to pass the test of the Xuanzun."

"Even if Xuanzun is restrained by the Devouring Sun Demon Emperor, don't forget that the mere impact of a battle between such monsters could plunge us into eternal damnation."

"Moreover, there might be a reason why Xuanzun sent someone to invite you to the moon. It would be better if you sided with the human race. At least, the human race clearly has the advantage in terms of strength."

Prime Minister Taigui analyzed the situation for the Old Dragon King, saying:

"The pinnacle of cultivation for humans is the 'Immortal Palace,' while for demons it is the Sovereign. The two are roughly equal, but those human cultivators are truly powerful, holding secret realms in their hands. Once war breaks out, the True Demon King's Court only has ten Sovereigns, plus the Demon Emperor, making a total of eleven. They are unlikely to be able to defeat the more than twenty Sovereigns of the human race."

"Moreover, there is a fatal variable involved."

"You mean...?" The old dragon king had a bad feeling; the power of the human race might be far more terrifying than it had imagined.

"Flying Immortal Sect".

The Grand Chancellor spoke frankly, a deep sense of apprehension appearing in his cloudy eyes, and said in a low voice:

Do you still remember their Master?

"Back then, you and I watched the battle against the three ancient demon kings from afar. We could see that the man was incredibly cunning. In order to maximize the harvest of faith and solidify people's hearts, he did not even show one-tenth of his strength."

"He put on a fierce battle with the three ancient demon kings and severely injured them. But in reality, you and I both know that he is probably the most terrifying human being besides Xuanzun."

"Furthermore, although he is not as powerful as Xuanzun personally, his sect is countless times stronger than the Sanyi Sect."

"In several battlefields in the near-ancient years, their lineage has manifested faith bodies, which are as powerful as they were in life. The Flying Immortal Sect has accumulated over five thousand years, and only two or three faith bodies have been born, but the number is guaranteed to be more than twenty. They are likely to be at the mid-to-late stage of the Immortal Palace realm, capable of rivaling or even overpowering the Sovereign."

"This sect is almost the strongest sect in the human race on the surface. Its combat power is extremely strong. With the addition of the masters of other forces, there are probably forty top-level experts who can compete with the ruler. Once the war starts, our Dragon Palace will be caught in the middle and is destined to become cannon fodder."

"Therefore, we hope you will reconsider. If possible, we should stand on the side of the human race, where our chances of survival will be greater."

The hunchbacked old tortoise's words were like a sharp sword, startling the Dragon King so much that he felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. Just thinking about it gave him a headache.

Once one reaches the Immortal Palace realm and enters the later stage, possessing a secret realm, one is equivalent to a demon race ruler. If one stops at the middle stage, one is comparable to the sixth stage of the Ancient Demon King's Corpse Severing Realm, and the difference is quite exaggerated.

However, throughout history, none of the leaders, Dao Lords, or Masters of the Flying Immortal Sect have died young. They have all reached the mid-stage of the Immortal Palace, with no upper limit, and may even reach the peak.

This threat alone is enough to crush the Dragon Palace.

Seeing the old Dragon King growing increasingly anxious and his face full of sorrow, his longtime friend, the Crimson Serpent Evil General, an old man who, after transforming into human form, had only one arm and two crippled legs, and was sitting in a wheelchair.

It sensed its old friend's dilemma, pondered for a moment, and then said:

"Now that we're in the game, we have no choice but to wait. We can't escape. This world is so narrow; we can't avoid the flames of their conflict. One day, we'll have to make a choice. In my opinion, we should cut the Gordian knot and first choose one side to befriend..."

"Which side?" the old Dragon King asked softly. Of the three demon kings, he valued this demon's suggestion the most.

"Human race."

"The Pegasus and Taotie that cooperated with Xuanzun seem to have had good endings and have all become Masters. Their actions back then were really too fast. They were originally just mid-level Kings, but in less than ten years, they had become Masters and could even go toe-to-toe with you. From this, it can be seen that they have gained many benefits from humans."

"Furthermore, a few years ago, when Xuanzun was besieging the four top human sects, he personally went to the Sea Abyss to prevent you from interfering and sealed off the entire sea area. If he had taken action at that time, I think the Dragon Palace would not have had any chance of continuing to exist."

"But he didn't take action and kept his promise. After destroying the powerful figures of the four major sects, he gave us our freedom again."

The elderly man in the wheelchair let out a long sigh of relief: "Let's choose them. It's a choice between the two. I'll choose the one I've met before, because I'm more confident in my decision."

At this point, the attitudes of the three demon kings had all been revealed.

Long Jue did not want the old Dragon King to submit to the power of the Sun-Devouring Demon Emperor's lineage. Tai Gui advised the old Dragon King not to enter the camp of the ancient demon race. The one-armed Red Serpent Elder told him to jump to the human race.

After careful consideration, the old Dragon King felt that time was running out.

Although its excuse for dispersing the messenger was to reconsider, it understood that once the conflict between humans and demons was resolved by tomorrow, it would be seen as a fence-sitter if it wanted to pledge allegiance to either side, and the effect would be far less than making a decision tonight.

"That's enough, that's enough..."

"It's truly beyond our control."

After a long while, an aged sigh echoed deep within the silent palace. A radiant white light, as pure as an immortal, slowly spread from the jade pendant held in the old Dragon King's hand. It was none other than the communication artifact left behind by the Flying Immortal Sect Master when he visited the Dragon Palace.

Its gamble, its choice, is... humanity!

Coincidentally, a similar scene unfolded in the Tianshan Mountains, far on the frontier. After seeing off the guests from the True Demon King's court, the Wolf King sat alone in the deep, secluded fortress, pondering for a long time, pacing back and forth.

It thought of many things, including the tragic history of its ancestors being rejected, driven out, and slaughtered by their own kind, the exile life it experienced as a child being chased by human cultivators, and all sorts of bitter setbacks and hardships.

A thousand years pass in the blink of an eye, and everything we have achieved in the present moment is so hard-won that we cannot bear to let it all vanish in an instant.

In the end, the Wolf King thought of a majestic figure standing tall under the night sky, suppressing all heroes alone, his posture was simply invincible!

As night deepened and all was quiet.

This burly, weathered old man silently walked out of the old village. Taking advantage of the bright moonlight, his figure flashed and disappeared into the Tianshan Mountains, heading straight east.

The skeletal white tiger, far away in the desolate northern sea, also received the invitation. Its laughter, which shook the desert, pierced through the thirty-three heavens, stirring up an endless sandstorm. In an instant, several terrifying auras vanished without a trace.

........

The Sun-Swallowing Secret Realm, one of the six sacred lands of the demon race in the ancient era, is actually hidden in the central and western inland regions of Kyushu.

Unlike the distinct day and night outside, within this secret realm, nine suns hang in the sky, constantly illuminating heaven and earth. Mountains rise ten thousand feet high, and the land stretches for a thousand miles. Lakes, mountains, plains, plateaus, and mountain ranges—all kinds of scenery abound.

Ancient and magnificent stone buildings stand side by side on the vast land. This is the lair of the True Demon King's Court and the residence of the Sun-Devouring Demon Emperor.

Inside the most magnificent stone palace, an ancient emperor, over two thousand years old, wore a robe adorned with gold and flame colors, featuring a divine bird soaring into the sky and overlooking the sun, moon, and stars.

Its face was aged, and its hair was gray-brown, but it did not appear decadent. On the contrary, it was full of energy, like a god who could not be corrupted by time. From the inside out, it revealed an extreme power, as if it carried the world on its shoulders, and a single glance was enough to shatter all things in the world.

This is the Sun-Devouring Demon Emperor, a world-suppressing demon who has cultivated for 2,400 years, a supreme demon emperor in the Dominator Realm.

Inside the palace, there were five ancient monsters of unfathomable strength. Seated below them were all sovereign beings who had weathered many storms and whose realms had reached their peak.

However, with such a grand display, the guests being welcomed must naturally be of extraordinary status.

There were twelve of them in total, all in human form, handsome and alluring, and around a thousand years old.

He seemed to be restricted by some kind of shackles, and the fluctuations in his cultivation level always hovered around the level of the Ancient Demon King's Severing One Corpse. Even so, he was not looked down upon by the Devouring Sun Demon Emperor and the rulers present.

The reason is simple: these guests come from the Sunset Royal Court beyond the Heavenly Abyss!

"With the meeting imminent tomorrow, I wonder how confident Your Majesty the Demon Emperor is?"

A blond, middle-aged man in the delegation asked a question.

Its name is Si Li, and it holds the highest position. Its true form is a golden-eyed, azure-water lion. In the outside world, its cultivation level was that of a ruler, but after entering the Heavenly Abyss, it was suppressed to the peak of the King Realm, and its strength was reduced to less than one-tenth of its original value.

"Ninety percent."

The Sun-Devouring Demon King responded casually, showing little emotion, as if to it, all humans were insignificant, merely grasshoppers in autumn.

"In that case, I'll be in trouble once it's done."

Si Li picked up a bowl of blood-red wine, immediately bowed to the Devouring Sun Demon Emperor, and drank it all in one gulp, feeling quite pleased with himself.

"..."

The Sun-Devouring Demon Emperor smiled without saying a word, held his wine cup, took a small sip, and said slowly:

"Alright, the people of the Flying Immortal Sect are yours."

"As for the gluttonous beast, I will clean it up for you."

The Sun-Devouring Demon Emperor made his promise with a very gentle smile.

It has been trying to get information out of these messengers, but it doesn't believe their stories. It claims that it has a blood feud with the Flying Immortal Sect and that they have taken a lost ancient artifact. Therefore, it has come to seek the help of the Devouring Sun Demon Emperor to conquer the Flying Immortal Sect and retrieve the treasure. It is not convenient to tell them the details.

As a result, the Sun-Devouring Demon Emperor also received a major piece of news: the strongest demon king under the Sunset Royal Court Demon Emperor is the Taotie, whose bloodline has awakened to the fifth transformation. Its strength is terrifying, capable of swallowing the sun and moon and dominating the eight wastelands.

These messengers came from the camps of other demon kings and did not want the two Taotie to merge into one race after the future Tianyuan and the Great World were connected, thus posing a threat to them. Therefore, they prepared to eliminate them in advance.

Si Li even told the Devouring Sun Demon Emperor in person that it could try to plunder the bloodline power of the Taotie, and provided him with a related secret technique.

That is a bloodline within the Sunset Royal Court, second only to the royal family, and whose upper limit of cultivation realm is on par with the royal family.

However, even an existence like the Sun-Devouring Demon Emperor, placed in the Sunset Royal Court, would only be considered a mythical demon king with the strength barely ranking in the top twenty, far removed from their only emperor and strongest king.

Having learned all the information from Si Li, the Devouring Sun Demon Emperor simply smiled modestly, feeling ashamed of his own inferiority and unworthy of the title of Demon Emperor.

Its cunning and methods far surpass those of Si Li, and it strictly forbids its demon subordinates from revealing any secrets.

To this day, these foreign demons have no idea just how terrifying the monster before them truly is.

"Once Your Majesty the Demon Emperor has cleared away all obstacles and reigned supreme over the world, there are a few rather special items that we would also like to request your help in searching for. Would that be alright?"

Si Li smiled faintly. It chatted happily with the local natives and took the opportunity to make a new request.

"What is it?" The Sun-Devouring Demon Emperor asked knowingly, without revealing the slightest flaw.

"The three innate magical artifacts are: the Book of Time, the Ancient Jade of Heavenly Heart, and the Chaos Cauldron."

"If you can find one of these three, bring it back to the royal court in the future, and His Majesty will surely give you unimaginable benefits. At the very least, he will make you a king, entrust the management of Tianyuan to you, and clear away the threats from the Daye Dynasty and the Void Sword Sect for you."

Si Li spoke fluently, outlining a bright future for the Devouring Sun Demon Emperor in the near future.

"Is that so? Then I will certainly do my duty and go all out to find the whereabouts of those innate magical artifacts for you all."

The Sun-Devouring Demon Emperor answered heartily, patting his chest to assure them, and then asked, "I hope that when we are in dire straits in the future, Your Excellency and the Sunset Royal Court will lend a helping hand to save us."

"That's natural. We are both demons, so there's no need for further explanation."

"Come, let's drink to our hearts' content! We wish Your Majesty the Demon Emperor a successful campaign tomorrow!"