The Demon Lord is Born

Tai'an City. Han Diao Si sat in his study, his expression grave, holding a newly received secret letter. The letter contained information about Wang Ritain's challenge to Wang Xianzhi.

He frowned slightly, a flicker of thought crossing his eyes, then he called out, "Someone!"

A nimble subordinate quickly entered the study and knelt on one knee, respectfully asking, "My lord, what are your orders?"

Han Diao Si gently placed the secret letter on the desk and said in a deep voice, "Go and gather all information on Wang Ritain for me. The more detailed, the better." The subordinate acknowledged the order and quickly withdrew. Han Diao Si leaned back in his chair, pondering, "This Wang Ritain, merely a minor retainer of the Xuanyuan Family, has risen to prominence in such a short time, even challenging Wang Xianzhi. There must be a hidden reason."

Not long after, the subordinate returned to the study, holding a thick stack of documents. Han Diao Si eagerly took them and began to read carefully. As he read, his frown deepened, and his eyes were filled with surprise. "He's just a minor retainer from an ordinary background, yet he's achieved so much. This Wang Ritain must be hiding a great secret." Han Diao Si murmured to himself. He then stood up and paced back and forth in the study. After a moment, he stopped and commanded, "Send people to Wudi City to closely monitor Wang Ritain's every move. You must uncover the secret he holds." The subordinate acknowledged the order and left again. Han Diao Si gazed out the window and sneered inwardly, "Wang Ritain, despite your extraordinary strength, challenging Wang Xianzhi is ultimately overestimating yourself. Before Wang Xianzhi, you are nothing but an ant." In his heart, Wang Xianzhi's power was unshakeable, a deep-seated reverence.

At the Two Chan Temple, the morning bell chimed melodiously, and Buddhist chants wafted through the air. Li Dongxi, dressed in a monk's robe, skipped over to her father, Li Dangxin, her face full of curiosity. "Dad, I heard there's someone in the martial world named Wang Ritain who's going to challenge Wang Xianzhi. Can he win?" Li Dongxi asked, blinking her large eyes.

Li Dangxin, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, opened them slowly upon hearing his daughter's words, a gentle smile on his face. He reached out and patted Li Dongxi's head, saying, "Dongxi, Wang Xianzhi is not someone an ordinary person can contend with." Li Dangxin, as a Great Vajra of Buddhism, possessed immense strength. Ordinary Heavenly Phenomenon Realm experts were insignificant before him. Even Cao Changqing had been forced to retreat before his golden body. However, when Wang Xianzhi was mentioned, a hint of solemnity flashed in Li Dangxin's eyes. He shook his head slightly and sighed, "Wang Xianzhi has suppressed the martial world for sixty years. His terrifying power is beyond imagination. Even I would have difficulty gaining an advantage against him, let alone Wang Ritain."

In the martial world, whether in bustling taverns or prosperous markets, the topic of conversation invariably revolved around Wang Ritain's challenge to Wang Xianzhi. Everyone shook their heads, having no confidence in Wang Ritain's victory. Wang Xianzhi's invincible reputation had long been deeply ingrained in the hearts of the martial world. His oppressive aura was like the Sword of Damocles hanging over everyone's heads. "This Wang Ritain has commendable courage, but the gap in strength is obvious. How could he possibly defeat Wang Xianzhi?" an old martial artist said, taking a sip of wine with disdain. "Yeah, tomorrow we'll see how many moves it takes Wang Xianzhi to defeat him. I think ten moves would be too many," someone next to him agreed. The crowd burst into laughter, as if Wang Ritain's challenge to Wang Xianzhi were merely a farce.

Outside the gates of Wudi City, Deng Tai'a, Cao Changqing, and Huang Longshi, three powerful figures, stood side by side. Deng Tai'a gazed at the city gate, a complex expression in his eyes. "That final sword strike from Wang Ritain seemed to hold even more terrifying power that he didn't unleash," Deng Tai'a said softly. His intuition told him that Wang Ritain was no ordinary person. Cao Changqing nodded slightly and sighed, "This young man, at such a tender age, to achieve so much is truly astonishing. It's a pity that against Wang Xianzhi, his chances of winning are still slim." Huang Longshi, however, frowned deeply, inwardly shocked. Wang Ritain's divination readings remained consistently vague, making him feel increasingly that Wang Ritain was mysterious and unfathomable. "Who exactly is this Wang Ritain? Why are his divination readings so strange?" Huang Longshi muttered to himself.

Wang Ritain returned to the inn. As soon as he stepped into his room, he sank heavily into a chair. He knew clearly that the entire world, due to Wang Xianzhi's fearsome reputation, did not favor his challenge. He looked out the window, his gaze firm, and thought to himself, "With my current strength, it is indeed difficult to deal with Wang Xianzhi. Sword Twenty-Three, though powerful, is still insufficient against the peerless Wang Xianzhi. I must improve my strength to have even a sliver of a chance." With this thought, Wang Ritain opened his system interface, looking at the surge in Prestige Points he had accumulated from several battles in Wudi City, and felt a surge of excitement. "These Prestige Points can finally be put to good use," Wang Ritain murmured to himself, then opened the system's exchange shop.

The system exchange shop was filled with a dazzling array of cultivation techniques and secret manuals, overwhelming the senses. Wang Ritain's gaze swept across the numerous cultivation manuals, hesitating. Suddenly, a secret manual exuding a mysterious aura caught his eye – "Summoning Demon Scripture." Wang Ritain's eyes were instantly drawn to it. He carefully examined the manual's description and learned that it was a treasure of the Chen family and was extremely compatible with the Seven Demonic Blades he had previously cultivated. Without any hesitation, Wang Ritain decisively exchanged a large amount of Prestige Points for the "Summoning Demon Scripture."

In an instant, a massive influx of information flooded Wang Ritain's mind. He learned that the "Summoning Demon Scripture" was originally named the "Martial Scripture," hailed as the general outline of all martial arts in the world. If cultivated in reverse, it became a scripture of the demonic path. After being adjusted by the system, this cultivation technique could be used in conjunction with the Seven Demonic Blades to temper demonic energy, summon the demonic self, and, upon reaching its peak, could even transform into the Great Freedom Heavenly Demon to defy the Heavenly Dao. Wang Ritain was overjoyed, knowing that this manual might be the key to his victory against Wang Xianzhi.

Wang Ritain eagerly began to cultivate the "Summoning Demon Scripture." He sat cross-legged, circulated the true qi within his body, and followed the methods in the secret manual to guide the demonic energy within him. However, as soon as he began to cultivate, Wang Ritain felt the demonic energy within him instantly spiral out of control, surging wildly like a runaway horse. The other occupants of the inn immediately felt an extreme pressure, as if an invisible giant hand were tightly gripping their throats. "What's going on? Why is there such a powerful oppressive aura?" a martial artist in the inn cried out in terror. Everyone showed fear and looked around, trying to find the source of the pressure.

As Wang Ritain cultivated, boundless demonic energy emanated from his room, enveloping the entire inn. Those practicing martial arts in the inn were disturbed by the demonic energy, their faces contorting in pain. Some with weaker willpower even began to suffer qi deviation, letting out painful roars. "This is bad, this is the aura of a demonic cultivation technique! Get out of here quickly!" an elder shouted loudly. As if waking from a dream, everyone rushed towards the inn's exit.

The surging demonic energy instantly attracted the attention of the entire Wudi City. The guards on the city walls, upon seeing this, their faces changed dramatically. "Quick, quickly report to the City Lord! A demon has appeared!" the guards shouted in panic. The city's residents also looked fearfully towards the inn, their eyes filled with terror.