Quinn Shepherd concentrated wholly on his summoning, oblivious to everything else. Suddenly, a burst of blood-red light erupted, dyeing the snow-covered valley as if soaked in blood.
That blood-light shot skyward, towering nearly a hundred zhang high. Sizzling arcs of electricity coiled into thunderbolts, crackling as they blasted in all directions. The thunder smashed against the valley cliffs, melting the snow, and even the stone itself—molten rock began to flow down the cliff faces.
Thunder formed a net around the blood-light, sizzling and crackling as it shifted. A terrifying demonic power hammered in from another world, striking the idol atop the altar within the blood column.
The wooden idol instantly cracked and swelled, growing taller and more imposing by the second, its aura becoming ever more terrifying!
From the Glutton Dragon Pouch at Quinn’s waist, the Nethervault Demon King’s angry and anxious voice rang out: “You brat, did you hold back last time when you summoned the Jaha Demon God? This time the Plague Demon God you’ve called forth is way stronger than before!”
He was wrongly accusing Quinn this time.
When Quinn summoned the Jaha Demon God at the Imperial Academy, he already knew much of the demonic tongue but hadn’t fully mastered it. In the days since, he’d absorbed the language learned from the Tu Bo pact with the Nethervault Demon King, grasping more and more of the demon tongue. That made the demon god he summoned now much stronger—it wasn’t that he’d held back last time.
Seeing this terrifying spectacle, the old Daoist lost his earlier composure. His face shifted, and he flicked out his horsetail whisk: “Go!”
The whisk unfurled in the wind, each strand instantly transforming into a sword-thread dozens of zhang long. Suspended in midair, they spread out like a giant spinning white parasol—only countless times larger.
Moreover, the whisk was highly dangerous—each strand was a sword-thread, and the thinner it was, the harder it was to defend against!
The whisk moved at blinding speed, slicing through countless bolts of thunder and lightning. In the next instant, it hovered above the valley, severing the terrifying demonic power crashing in from another world!
Quinn immediately sensed his summoning was about to be interrupted. He shouted, and Dragon-Qilin leapt skyward, roaring furiously. The roar blasted into the whisk, scattering its sword-threads; the severed demonic power instantly reconnected and surged forth again.
The old Daoist, seeing this Dragon-Qilin, brightened and sneered, “You foolish beast, helping evil without knowing it—sooner or later you’ll bring disaster on yourself. But you look magnificent; if you surrender and serve me as a mount for a hundred years, you could wash away your sins. Otherwise, your cultivation will be for nothing!”
"Beast?"
Dragon-Qilin was furious, roaring in rage. He opened his mouth and unleashed a blazing pillar of fire at the old Daoist!
The old Daoist’s body trembled as his yuanqi erupted, manifesting a giant turtle-backed deity behind him, more than ten zhang tall. The whisk in his hand turned into a snow-white serpent, while his other hand thrust forward with a thunderous boom, blocking Dragon-Qilin’s fiery blast.
The flames surged around the giant hand, waves of fire soaring sky-high and scorching the surrounding cliffs red-hot.
"Heaven-Man?" Quinn’s heart sank.
Dragon-Qilin’s four hooves churned, conjuring clouds of fire beneath him as he charged at the old Daoist. Suddenly, the whisk in midair swept down, its countless threads wrapping around Dragon-Qilin’s legs and binding them tightly.
The old Daoist was delighted. He laughed, “You little wretch still refuse to yield? Do you want your soul scattered and destroyed?”
At that moment, Quinn patted the Glutton Dragon Pouch, and its mouth widened. A four-faced, eight-armed demon-god mechanism leapt out, each of its eight arms gripping a treasure: a qin, pearl, bow, arrow, relic, broken sword, demon-subduing staff, and thousand-tiered pagoda—all treasures Quinn had stolen from the Loulan Golden Palace.
Quinn had placed the Nethervault Demon King in the pouch, and now, finding himself armed, the Demon King seized the treasures. Quinn released him, clearly wanting his help in the fight.
The Nethervault Demon King knew the stakes: as long as he stayed by Quinn’s side, Quinn would spare his life. But if Quinn were killed and he fell into the old Daoist’s hands, he’d be doomed.
For the sake of the Nethervault creatures’ migration plan, he had no choice but to fight the old Daoist to the death.
The treasures Quinn stole from the Loulan Golden Palace were all sect-suppressing artifacts—formidable and rare. As the greatest holy land beyond the frontier, the palace’s collection was exceptional, but Quinn hadn’t had time to use them for cultivation.
Armed with these treasures, the Demon King’s bloodlust surged. His four faces twisted with savagery as he thought, “If I take this brat by surprise now, I’ll be free! But this steel body is packed with his mechanisms—if I kill him, the locks might trap me inside forever... Better finish off the old Daoist first!”
His hands swept the qin, sending waves of demonic music crashing out. The old Daoist’s soul was shaken—heart-devils surged within his Dao heart, and he quickly shouted, forming a purity mudra to suppress them.
The turtle-backed deity behind him raised a hand, the white-serpent whisk rising up. Suddenly, a tidal wave crashed down toward the Nethervault Demon King.
The Demon King’s four faces snarled as he unleashed the power of the eight treasures, striking at the tidal wave. With a thunderous crash, he was blasted backward, slamming deep into the cliff wall.
The white-serpent whisk opened its jaws wide and smashed straight into him, driving the Demon King into the mountain.
You little Daoist, you have no idea how terrifying the ruler of the Nethervault is. You've angered me!
The cliff exploded as the Nethervault Demon King burst out from the shattered mountain, brandishing the thousand-tiered pagoda. The flying towers merged into a colossal pagoda hundreds of zhang tall, pressing down on the old Daoist.
The old Daoist sneered, and the deity behind him slammed down a palm, smashing the Demon King and his pagoda to the ground, leaving him pinned and unable to move.
At that moment, the dense blood-light and surging demonic power vanished. On one of the bone altars, the bear-headed demon god idol transformed into a hundred-zhang-tall demon god, letting out an earth-shaking roar: "Insects of this lowly world, prepare to face the wrath of the Bear-Tyrant Demon God of the Nethervault—huh, Nethervault old man!"
The Bear-Tyrant Demon God saw the Nethervault Demon King lying at his feet and burst out laughing: "Nethervault old man, the mighty ruler of the Nethervault, reduced to this state! It's because of useless leaders like you that our realm has fallen so far! You should have stepped down ages ago!"
The Nethervault Demon King, both ashamed and furious, tried to rise, but the Bear-Tyrant Demon God stomped him down, laughing: "Tyrant, even you have met your match today. Summoner of Demons, what sacrifice do you offer me?"
Him!
Quinn pointed at the old Daoist. The Bear-Tyrant Demon God hurled a punch at him—the turtle-backed deity behind the Daoist raised a hand to block, a dull crash resounded, and Quinn was left dazed by the shockwave, while the old Daoist was blasted into the opposite cliff.
The Bear-Tyrant Demon God leaped up, smashing another punch into the old Daoist embedded in the cliff, grinning wickedly: "Delicious little insect—huh?"
A sword-light flashed from behind, stabbing into the Bear-Tyrant Demon God’s back and piercing through his chest—it was the old Daoist, wielding the sword that had been strapped to his back, landing a decisive blow.
"Not bad. But this body isn’t what you think!"
The Bear-Tyrant Demon God grinned wickedly, pounding his fists into the cliff, his face savage: "This body is just a demon-god idol—even if you chop off my head, it won’t harm my true self!"
"Is that so?"
Suddenly, a voice rang out. The Bear-Tyrant Demon God turned in alarm—sword-light circled his neck three times, and his massive head tumbled from his shoulders.
"Withered Leaf Daoist, this foolish disciple is late."
The sword-light soared up and landed atop the cliff. There stood a scholar in fluttering blue robes, his gaze settling first on the Bear-Tyrant Demon God’s headless body, then shifting to Quinn. He bowed respectfully: "Lucas Lu, disciple of Master Qiong of the Principle-Seeking School, greets the Heavenly Demon Cult Master! Cult Master, you are a senior—surely it’s not improper for a junior to raise his sword against you?"
The Bear-Tyrant Demon God’s head rose, reattaching itself to his neck. He sneered: "Another stray cat and dog."
Quinn’s expression remained cool as he shook his head: "Master Qiong and I are peers. He didn’t come himself, only sent you—clearly, he thinks little of me."
Lucas Lu replied calmly: "My teacher isn’t unwilling to meet the Heavenly Demon Cult Master in person—he simply has more urgent matters, saving the world’s commoners."
"Does that mean assassinating the emperor?"
Quinn said, "The Imperial Preceptor gave Old Tathagata face, letting him rescue Master Qiong and the others. Old Tathagata promised that Master Qiong would enter monastic retreat and not meddle in worldly affairs. Why break that vow?"
Lucas Lu’s face stiffened. Suddenly, another voice laughed: "For the sake of all living beings, why not break a promise?"
Quinn turned. On another peak stood a Daoist nun, her white robes embroidered with a plum blossom over the chest.
"Azurefish Adept of Spirit-Grace Palace, greetings to the Heavenly Demon Cult Master." The Daoist nun saluted.
Quinn smiled: "Why the formality, Adept?"
The Daoist nun replied solemnly: "Enemies though we are, etiquette must be observed. Though it may seem like bullying for so many to target the little Cult Master, as the leader of the demonic world’s foremost holy land, your seniority offsets that charge."
Quinn gave a slight smile. "Well said. Anyone else here to kill me?"
"I’ve come to kill you."
Auspicious clouds drifted in, and an arhat landed atop a peak, giant prayer beads in hand—each bead the size of a human head. He pressed his palms together: "Heavenly Demon Cult Master, your status is high. I am Monk Goodheart, here to subdue demons. Please, teach me."
"Surely the demonic world’s foremost Cult Master won’t mind one more opponent?"
Another figure appeared on a neighboring peak, his clothes patched and tattered but his spirits high. He laughed boisterously: "I am Lyle Luo, Hall Master of Lotus Hall under Beggar Sect Chief David Qi. I’ve come to ask the Cult Master for a life—his life. Oh, and it seems your little fox companion once offended my sect master, who insists she must be killed."
Lina the Spirit Fox quickly hid behind Quinn, peeking out to spit: "Your sect master is so petty, not worthy of respect!"
Lyle Luo pointed at her, laughing: "That’s the little fox! Fellow orthodox cultivators, it’s my honor to stand with the righteous path and besiege the Heavenly Demon Cult Master. This battle should be called the Slay-the-Demon, Defend-the-Dao Conference!"
"Slay-the-Demon, Defend-the-Dao Conference? Good name."
From the shattered mountainside, Withered Leaf Daoist crawled out, coughing blood. He sat on the cliff to recover, then solemnly declared: "If we can eliminate the Heavenly Demon Cult Master and bring peace to the world, our sacrifice is worth it. For the righteous path!"
On every surrounding peak, Heaven-Man Realm experts straightened, chests swelling with fervor. In unison, they shouted: "For the righteous Dao of this human world’s vicissitudes!"
"Kill—"
The five foremost experts unleashed their yuanqi, divine phantoms surging behind them as they hurled their strongest techniques into the valley!
At that instant, the Bear-Tyrant Demon God roared, detonating all the energy in his statue body!
"Heavenly Demon Immeasurable!"
Quinn hastily dragged Lina behind Dragon-Qilin as a shield. The shockwaves turned rock to powder, boulders tumbled from the sky only to be shattered into dust. Even with Dragon-Qilin guarding them, Quinn and Lina felt an unimaginable pressure, their bones creaking under the force.
Around the valley, the Heaven-Man experts vomited blood and crashed backward, their life and death uncertain.
When the earthquake-like shaking finally stopped, Quinn peeked out. The Bear-Tyrant still stood tall, awe-inspiring, prompting Lina’s delighted admiration: "Bear-Tyrant is amazing!"
Suddenly, the Bear-Tyrant Demon God’s statue began to crumble, breaking apart inch by inch. The distant consciousness of the demon god muttered in frustration: "My energy is spent, I failed to harvest these sacrifices, but at least I got to see the Nethervault Demon King humiliated... Summoner of Demons, I’m leaving!" With a final shout, the idol detonated and his will withdrew to the Nethervault Realm.
Lina was stunned. Outside the valley, she heard the coughing and groans of Lyle Luo and the others—they were injured, but not dead.
"Young master..." Lina turned to Quinn.
"It’s fine."
Quinn rose, dusted himself off, hauled the flattened Nethervault Demon King idol up from the ground and tossed it onto Dragon-Qilin’s back. Eyes bright and spirit unbroken, he briskly summoned the remaining three bone altars back into the Glutton Dragon Pouch, then shouted: "Dragon Fat, run!"