Killing someone doesn’t always require bloodshed.
For instance, the Inner Demon had just crushed the Phoenix Emperor into dust, leaving behind only a faint trace of his consciousness.
As the embodiment of the will of the realm, the Inner Demon’s strength not only rivaled that of the main entity but even surpassed it slightly. Killing an ordinary Great Emperor was as trivial as stepping on a mouse.
The Inner Demon had no intention of slaughtering all the Great Emperors of the Divine Realm. He wanted to leave them alive to exert pressure on the Immortal Realm, forcing its will to turn its gaze toward the cultivators of the Divine Realm. This way, the suppression he faced would lessen significantly.
The Inner Demon counted on his fingers, then glanced into the Divine Realm’s formation. He stopped counting and chuckled.
“I’ll just kill two at random.”
His visit was primarily to vent his anger. He blamed the Divine Realm’s ancestor for obliterating his territory, the Hundred Thousand Mountains, with a single finger. Thus, he decided to take two Divine Realm Great Emperors as compensation.
He had already killed one. Who would be the next lucky one?
Seeing no one stepping forward, the Inner Demon tore open a corner of the formation and strode inside.
The Great Emperors of East Jia State lost sight of the Inner Demon. The flying birds couldn’t enter the formation, so they could only wait anxiously.
They had witnessed the Phoenix Emperor being stomped to death by this senior figure, and their hearts were stirred with awe, unable to calm down for a long time.
The Wu Xi Great Emperor even declared, “From this day forward, I am this senior’s loyal supporter. As long as he doesn’t harm the Immortal Realm, I will regard him as the leader of East Jia State.”
Another Great Emperor retorted, “What kind of nonsense are you spouting? He’s already the leader of East Jia State. Your words lack vision. Do you want the senior to stomp on you too?”
The Wu Xi Great Emperor fell silent for a rare moment, then murmured, “I was reckless.”
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to argue back, but the image of the Inner Demon stomping a Great Emperor to death was too shocking. He truly feared suffering the same fate.
Inside the Divine Realm’s formation, the Inner Demon faced off against several Divine Realm Great Emperors. Among them, the most powerful was the Three-Path Great Emperor, who spoke in a conciliatory tone.
“Since you’ve come to kill a Great Emperor, and you’ve already killed one, you should leave now.”
“But I never said I’d only kill one,” the Inner Demon replied with a smile.
“Killing one Great Emperor is already a significant concession. Greed knows no bounds—don’t push your luck!”
The Inner Demon frowned, eyeing the Three-Path Great Emperor. “You talk too much. Fine, I’ll kill you next.”
After all, it didn’t matter who he killed.
The Three-Path Great Emperor’s brows furrowed deeply. His Great Dao manifested instantly, forming a defensive barrier around him. The other Great Emperors stood by his side, ready for battle.
“Look how scared you are,” the Inner Demon sneered, his crimson eyes beginning to glow. “I’ve been out for too long. I won’t waste any more time.”
He raised his hand toward the sky, reaching through the heavens and across the realm, and shouted,
“Sword.”
A pure sword energy condensed with his words, as if the entire world was now filled with nothing but the essence of the sword. The mountains and rivers were imbued with sword intent, which quickly coalesced into the Inner Demon’s hand.
In his hand, a brilliant sword appeared.
“A Celestial Sword?!” the Three-Path Great Emperor exclaimed in shock. “Are you a Sword Dao Great Emperor?!”
“No,” the Inner Demon replied calmly, his words few. He simply swung the sword.
With that swing, the world was flooded with blinding white light. Sword intent surged uncontrollably, and even the formation couldn’t withstand it, shattering instantly. The sword energy spread in all directions, stirring the winds and clouds for thousands of miles.
Even faint traces of the sword energy traveled millions of miles, where cultivators who encountered it turned it into a treasure for their future cultivation.
This became a fortuitous opportunity for others.
The Great Emperors of East Jia State were mesmerized. The flying birds observed the radiant sword energy in silence. After a long while, one of the Great Emperors finally exhaled and said,
“Such a sword is rare in the world, truly one of a kind.”
“A Sword Dao Great Emperor!” the Wu Xi Great Emperor declared confidently.
The overwhelming sword light finally dissipated after a long time. No one could see what had happened inside the Divine Realm, but they noticed a figure in green robes leisurely walking out.
He walked unhurriedly, boarded his ferry, and sat at the bow like an old man, enjoying the scenery.
Killing Great Emperors was quick, but appreciating the scenery took time.
For him, killing Great Emperors was a way to vent his anger, while enjoying the scenery was a hobby—one that couldn’t be neglected.
As his eyes shifted, he suddenly had a whimsical thought: he wanted to play a game of chess. But with no opponent to play against, he had no choice but to let it go.
The ferry no longer followed the current, yet it moved faster than ever, gliding over mountains and rivers, disappearing into the distance. It vanished into the misty cliffs, as if a celestial being was returning to his hidden realm.
Back in the Divine Realm, the surviving Great Emperors were filled with terror, their mouths slightly agape in extreme fear.
The body of the Three-Path Great Emperor stood upright.
But only the body.
His head had already fallen to the ground, his eyes still open, as if watching the figure in green robes depart.
No matter how you looked at it, the Three-Path Great Emperor was dead. In the hands of the ancient monster from the Hundred Thousand Mountains, he was no different from a chicken.
The Great Emperors and Sages quickly spread the news throughout East Jia State, proclaiming that the senior from the Hundred Thousand Mountains had made a stunning move, slaying two arrogant Great Emperors of the Divine Realm!
The cultivators of East Jia State began beating drums and blowing suona horns, celebrating the double victory.
Many cultivators even organized pilgrimages to the Hundred Thousand Mountains, bringing gifts and words of gratitude.
The status of the Hundred Thousand Mountains soared to unprecedented heights in the hearts of East Jia State’s cultivators. This incident also led to the Inner Demon’s deeper integration with the Immortal Realm.
The will of the Immortal Realm began to gradually acknowledge his existence, and the restrictions placed on him became less severe.
Sitting in the center of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, by the tranquil lake, the Inner Demon felt the unity of heaven and earth. He couldn’t help but smile.
“Fortune has turned. When the world is unified, one day, it will all bear the name Chen.”
Good night, good night.