Demon Gods Descend, Immortal Mountain Drenched in Blood

The lingering effects of the Demon Venerable's fall had not yet dissipated, and the radiant glow of the Immortal Realm had not yet fully blanketed the sky, yet the Witchcraft God Temple deep within the Demon Realm, perpetually shrouded in black mist, had already unleashed a Nine Netherworlds inferno that shook the very depths of the Demon Realm. This temple, hidden in the heart of the Demon Realm Abyss, was constructed from millions of years of icy ice and the bones of Demonic God. Skull wind chimes hanging from the eaves jingled in the wind, each sound carrying the wails of countless living beings. Outside the temple, the black mist surged like boiling water, within which countless struggling, wronged souls floated, and even the Heaven and Earth Laws were twisted and deformed here.

Deep within the temple, the Nine Netherworld Crystal Throne gleamed with a chilling, eerie light. Its surface was intricately carved with countless Spirit Devouring Runes, each greedily consuming the surrounding demonic energy. Leaning back on the throne was the Great Witch Venerable, his black robes flowing like an abyss of ink, the cascading hem swirling with black mist formed from countless Gu worms—these Gu worms were monstrous species that had fed on millennia of Demonic Baleful Energy. Their bodies were jet black, as small as needles, and each wriggle emitted a hissing sound as faint as a mosquito's buzz, coalescing into a disturbing hum. Anyone who approached carelessly would have the Gu worms burrow into their bodies, instantly devouring them into a skeleton. His face, covered in dark purple scales, was hideous and terrifying, the left half of his face concealed by thick Mysterious Iron bone armor, inlaid with three scarlet gems. His Demon Eye was fixed on the void within the hall; the only exposed eye on the right half of his face was crimson like molten lava, its pupil reflecting the afterimage of the Demon Venerable Wu Zhong reduced to ashes. His burning rage caused even the surrounding space to ripple, black Space Cracks spreading like a spiderweb. As the undisputed strongest being in the Demon Realm for millennia, the Great Witch Venerable had endured and bided his time for tens of thousands of years, laying countless traps and planting seeds of demonic energy throughout the Immortal Realm. He intended to use the Demon Venerable Wu Zhong to exhaust the Immortal Realm's vitality, waiting for both to be weakened before leading his army of witchcraft to sweep across the Three Realms and ascend to the supreme position. However, this arrogant overlord of the Demon Realm had unexpectedly fallen into the hands of a newly ascended Heavenly Immortal, not only disrupting his millennia-long plan but also causing the Demon Realm heavy losses and utter disgrace.

"Ren Xiaoyao..." The hoarse voice, like metal scraping against demonic flames, carried Bone Erosion coldness and overwhelming ferocity, echoing in the empty temple and causing the Demonic Crystal on the ceiling to rattle. "Dare to ruin my grand plan? Then I'll let you taste the power of the Twelve Divine Fiends of the Heavens! This weapon, dormant for ten thousand years, will be sacrificed to your Immortal Soul!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the Great Witch Venerable slammed his withered, bony hand down on the Witchcraft Altar before him. The Altar, constructed from the bones of countless beings, stood dozens of feet tall, its surface covered with dense, Blood Runes. Between the runes flowed a viscous, dark red liquid—the Essence Blood of countless cultivators. Twelve jet-black demon Demonic God statues stood atop the Altar, each lifelike, over three feet tall, radiating a suffocating Destructive Aura —some wielding sharp blades, their faces contorted in grotesque expressions; some possessed wings and bared fangs; some had enormous bodies covered in bone spikes. As the Great Witch Venerable activated his Heart Demon, the Altar suddenly erupted with blinding black light. The twelve demon Demonic God statues instantly shattered, and from the broken stone fragments, wisps of invisible black energy, like ghosts, Demon-Bane and the Immortal Realm realm, the sound of Sky-Rending Strike like the wails of ghosts. These black wisps followed the pre-marked coordinates, disappearing into various hidden corners of the immortal Immortal Realm —the locations of the Demon Realm's spies that had lain dormant for thousands of years, whether in extremely yin places or desolate Secret Realm with sparse Spiritual Qi. These were all excellent strongholds for the Demonic God to manifest their true forms, waiting only for a command to burst forth and unleash a bloodbath.

At the same time, the wind in the Immortal Realm suddenly became biting and piercing, and the previously gentle Spiritual Qi instantly turned violent and chaotic. Ren Xiaoyao, who was sitting cross-legged by the Spirit Lake, suddenly felt the Primordial Immortal Charm surrounding him fluctuate violently, as if a boulder had been thrown into the calm lake. He abruptly opened his eyes, a golden light flashing in them, and the Safety Knot tied between his fingers trembled incessantly. It was a thought woven by his senior brother with his last bit of spiritual power before his death. The tassel was made of thousand-year-old Spirit Threads and adorned with three tiny immortal jades. At this moment, the warm spiritual light on the tassel flickered, colliding fiercely with the Evil Aura quietly spreading between heaven and earth. The spontaneously flowing immortal aura condensed into a thin Golden Shield around him, like the rising sun, isolating him from the evil. The increasingly dense demonic energy sent a chill down Ren Xiaoyao's spine. His Divine Sense spread out like a tidal wave, covering the entire Immortal Realm. In an instant, he detected twelve distinct and terrifying auras rapidly converging from twelve directions within the Immortal Realm—the Eastern Cloud Sea, the Western Demon Flame Valley, the Southern Rainforest, the Northern Ice Plains, the Southeastern Swamp, the Southwestern Desert, the Northeastern Snowfield, the Northwestern Immortal Realm Desert, and even several Ancient Secret Realm in the heart of the Immortal Realm. Each aura contained a ferocity and Power of Destruction no less than that of the Demon Venerable Wu Zhong, and they resonated with each other in a strange rhythm, like an invisible net of slaughter tightening from all directions, firmly locking down the Spirit Lake area. The pressure in the air grew increasingly intense, making even breathing difficult.

"A lurking Devil Creature, huh? It's well hidden." Ren Xiaoyao slowly rose, the Emperor Dao Runes on the bluestone slab beneath his feet lighting up, golden light spreading along the slab like a awakening dragon. The Emperor Sword at his waist seemed to sense this, automatically drawing its sheath with a "clang." The golden light flowing from the sword collided with the demonic energy spreading between heaven and earth, emitting a clear and resolute sword cry, as if proclaiming its determination to protect. He looked up and saw a burly figure clad in bone-spiked armor descending from the eastern sea of clouds. The armor was inlaid with countless cultivator skulls, each skull radiating a venomous red light, as if recounting the pain of its past life. The figure wielded a Giant Axe the size of a door, its blade stained with dried Black Blood, fragments of flesh and bone still clinging to the edges. Sha Qi, like a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, surrounded him, dyeing the clouds a dark red wherever he passed. A thick, pungent stench of blood filled the air—the "Blood Axe Demon God," one of the Twelve Demon Gods, wielding the power of slaughter, nourished by the blood of the living. Wherever it passed, nothing grew, and life was ravaged. From the direction of Demon Flame Valley in the west, a dark shadow burning with eerie blue Nether Ghost Fire drifted in, its form elusive like a wisp of a ghost. Wherever it passed, layers of frost instantly froze the ground, even freezing the Spiritual Qi in the air into tiny Ice Crystals that fell to the ground with a crisp sound. This was the "Chilling Demon God," who controlled extreme Yin power, capable of freezing the soul and corroding Immortal Bone. Even Golden Immortal could hardly resist its erosion. Deep in the southern rainforest, the earth trembled violently, and countless thick, dark green vines burst from the ground, coiling into a giant tens of feet tall. The surface of the vines was covered with inch-long, highly poisonous barbs, the tips dripping dark green venom that corroded upon landing. Carving deep pits and emitting pungent white smoke, this is the "Poison Vine Demon God," feeding on all kinds of poisons and adept at trapping and ambushing. Its venom can instantly disintegrate immortal power, rendering cultivators powerless to resist. On the northern icy plains, an ice-blue figure treads through the snow, its chilling aura almost freezing the heavens and earth. Wherever it passes, thousands of miles are frozen and snow falls. It holds an Ice Crystals spear, its tip gleaming with a deadly cold light, seemingly capable of piercing any defense—this is the "Ice Edge Demon God." In the southeastern swamp, a viscous black mist rolls in, countless tentacles writhing within, emitting a nauseating stench. Wherever it passes, vegetation withers and life vanishes—this is the "Rotten Flesh Demon God," nourished by rotting flesh and capable of releasing a poisonous mist that corrodes all things. In the southwestern desert, amidst swirling yellow sand, a colossal figure formed from boulders and sand strides forward, each... Each step caused the earth to tremble, and deep ravines to split open beneath their feet. They wielded massive sand hammers, their blades wreathed in the raging power of sandstorms—this was the "Sandstorm Demon God." In the snowy northeast, a silver-white figure swept in, as agile as a cheetah, wielding two crescent-shaped blades that gleamed with a cold light. A biting wind surrounded them—this was the "Wind Blade Demon God." In the northwestern Gobi Desert, a colossal Demonic God slowly approached, its body twisting with gravity, crushing the surrounding rocks. It held a heavy giant hammer—this was the "Gravity Demon God." In addition, there was the "Lightning Punishment Demon God," who controlled the Thunder Force; the "Shadow Demon God," ethereal and adept at stealth and ambush; the "Illusion Demon God," capable of creating endless illusions; and the "Devouring Demon God," who devoured all energy. These Twelve Demon Gods each possessed unique Divine Ability, representing the pinnacle of the Demon Realm's combat strength over millennia.

The Twelve Demon Gods, some ferocious and terrifying, others enigmatic and unpredictable, each wielded an extreme Power of Destruction —slaughter, chilling cold, deadly poison, icy sharpness, putrefaction, sandstorm, thunder, shadow, gravity, illusion, devouring, and Annihilation. They all manifested their true forms, converging from all directions. Their figures intertwined in mid-air, forming a thick black curtain that completely sealed off a hundred-foot radius around the spirit lake. The demonic energy was so dense that it transformed into a tangible Black Rain, drizzling down. The raindrops fell, instantly scorching the Spiritual Qi herbs on the ground, turning them black and emitting pungent white smoke. The once clear blue lake quickly became murky under the influence of the Black Rain, and the Spirit Fish in the lake floated to the surface belly up, soon turning into puddles of black pus that emitted a foul stench. The ancient pines on the shore also withered rapidly under the erosion of the demonic energy, their branches and leaves turning black, their trunks covered with black veins, as if they would break at any moment.

"By order of the Great Witch Venerable, I will take your dog's life!" The Blood Axe Demon God attacked first, his burly body leaping into the air, his Giant Axe Sha Qi surging. He infused his entire Devil Cultivation Method into his giant axe, the blade flashing red, unleashing a thousand-foot-long blood-red axe beam. Wherever the axe beam passed, space was cleaved in two, forming a pitch-black rift. From within the rift came wails and howls, turning the surrounding Spiritual Qi to dust. With World-Ending Aura, it slashed directly at Ren Xiaoyao. Immediately following, the Chilling Demon God spewed out a mouthful of Nether Ghost Fire, not scorching hot, but rather extremely cold. In the air, the flames transformed into several ferocious ghost heads, their gaping maws roaring as they lunged at their target. Once touched, they would invade the soul through the meridians, freezing it into ice. The eagle will never be reincarnated; the Poison Vine Demon God wielded his vines, countless poisonous thorns raining down on Ren Xiaoyao like a storm. Each thorn contained a Gu poison capable of corroding Immortal Bone. It was formed by the Poison Vine Demon God collecting all the poisons of the Demon Realm over ten thousand years, combined with his own Devil Cultivation Method. Even Golden Immortal would need Hundred Years Cultivation to completely remove it, and the slightest carelessness would result in death from the poison; the Ice Edge Demon God swung his Ice Crystals crystal spear, countless ice shards appearing out of thin air, shooting towards Ren Xiaoyao's vital points like a rain of arrows. The ice shards contained extreme cold that could instantly freeze immortal power; the Sandstorm Demon God wielded his yellow sand warhammer, stirring up the power of the wind and sand between heaven and earth, creating a giant sandstorm ten thousand feet high. The giant sandstorm contained countless sharp grains of sand, attempting to bury Ren Xiaoyao and strangle him in the sandstorm.

The Twelve Demon Gods attacked in perfect unison, leaving no blind spots. Demonic energy intertwined with various Power of Destruction, forming a terrifying Energy Torrent that caused a brief disruption to the Heaven and Earth Laws in this area. Spiritual Qi could not flow normally, and the power of Immortal Method was suppressed, as if the entire space was squeezing towards Ren Xiaoyao.

Ren Xiaoyao's eyes narrowed, not daring to be careless in the slightest. He stomped his left foot on the ground, Emperor Dao Runes beneath his feet instantly erupted with dazzling golden light, rapidly spreading along the ground and covering an area of a hundred feet around him. As the runes flowed, they exuded a majestic Emperor's Might. With the flow of the runes, the Time Flow Rate in the world suddenly slowed down, and the attack speed of the Twelve Demon Gods also slowed down. Although it was only for a brief moment, it had already bought him a chance to catch his breath. At the same time, he swung his Emperor Sword, Primordial Immortal Charm continuously poured into the sword's body. The golden light on the sword's body surged, drawing a circular Golden Sword Light. The sword light spread out, like... A blazing sun rose from the spot, its warm and dazzling golden light filled with the power of purification and protection. The crimson axe blade collided with the sword light, instantly being mostly dissolved. The remaining force also deviated from its trajectory, striking a distant mountain peak with a deafening roar. The entire mountain peak was cleaved in two, sending debris flying and dust billowing everywhere. The Nether Ghost Fire hissed in the golden light, quickly extinguishing and dissipating into wisps of black smoke. The poisonous spikes and icicles that were shot at were deflected, falling to the ground with a crisp cracking sound. The poison on the spikes instantly lost its activity under the golden light.

"Attack together! Form the Heavenly Fiend Array!" The leading Blood Axe Demon God roared, a flicker of fear in his eyes, before becoming even more ferocious. The Twelve Demon Gods simultaneously unleashed their full power, their figures shifting and taking on strange positions, forming an ancient and malevolent formation. Their demonic energy surged, connecting with each other to form a black light shield, trapping Ren Xiaoyao in the center. Countless ferocious Demonic Runes flowed across the shield, radiating a chilling pressure. These Demonic Runes were the core of the Twelve Capital Gods and Demons Array, containing the power to destroy heaven and earth—the very "Twelve Capital Gods and Demons Array Formation" unleashed by the Twelve Demon Gods together. This formation was an ancient, peerless killing formation passed down from the Demon Realm Ancient Inheritance, requiring the combined efforts of twelve top Demonic God gods to unleash. It amplified the power of each Demonic God, enhancing their individual strength. Its power increased several times over, far surpassing that of a one-on-one battle. In ancient times, it caused heavy losses to the Immortal Realm. Within the formation, some Demonic God invoked the power of the earth, stirring up towering waves of Earth and Stone and stone, carrying boulders and bone spikes, crashing down on Ren Xiaoyao with boundless force; others manipulated the Law of Wind, transforming them into countless sharp wind blades, densely packed and all-pervasive, imbued with demonic energy, capable of easily slicing through immortal armor; still others condensed thousands of Demonic God Demonic Soul, forming an illusion of a vast army, these Demonic Soul being cultivators who had died tragically at the hands of Demonic God, their faces contorted in grotesque expressions, emitting mournful howls, attempting to disturb Ren Xiaoyao's mind and make him lose his way in the illusion; still others invoked the Thunder Force, bolts of black demonic lightning falling from the top of the formation, containing destructive and corrosive power, carrying an aura of annihilation, bombarding Ren Xiaoyao within the formation.

Ren Xiaoyao infused his sword light with the Emperor's Fire, transforming his swordplay into his self-created "Heaven Burning Sword Technique." This Swordsmanship was created after he broke through to the Heavenly Immortal Peak Primordial Immortal Charm, combining his own Emperor's Fire with the Primordial Immortal Essence. Each strike contained the power to Heaven-Burning Emperor Formation and destroy the earth, while simultaneously retaining its protective essence. Countless golden sword shadows fell like meteors, carrying the blazing Emperor's Fire, which shimmered with the golden light of the Primordial Immortal Charm, colliding with the attacks of the Twelve Demon Gods. "Boom—" The deafening roar shook the universe, the entire Immortal Realm trembled violently, and the waters of Spirit Lake were churned into waves hundreds of feet high, crashing against the rocks on the shore with earth-shattering sounds. With a resounding crash, the Spirit Vein at the bottom of the lake were affected, emitting a mournful sound. The once clear lake water, mixed with mud and demonic energy, became murky and turbid, and the Spirit Crystals at the bottom of the lake shattered under the Energy Impact. Although he had comprehended the Heaven and Earth Breathe Together and possessed exquisite Immortal Method, and his Emperor Sword contained the immortal charm left by his senior brother and his own path of protection, the Twelve Demon Gods were, after all, the top combat force of the Demon Realm had been dormant for many years. Each of them had the strength of Golden Immortal, and now that they had formed an array, their power increased exponentially. Even with Ren Xiaoyao's formidable strength, he gradually felt the pressure, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. His immortal energy was being consumed at a rate far exceeding that of the past.

In the midst of the fierce battle, Ren Xiaoyao was desperately resisting the attacks of the giant waves of Earth and Stone and rocks and the demonic lightning. His body swirled with Primordial Immortal Charm energy, constantly dissolving the incoming power. Unexpectedly, the figure of the Chilling Demon God suddenly transformed into a wisp of black smoke, silently merging into the surrounding demonic energy. Using the cover of the Heavenly Fiend Array, it circled behind him and unleashed a mouthful of extremely concentrated Nether Ghost Fire. The ghost fire moved with incredible speed, like lightning flashing through the void, instantly grazing Ren Xiaoyao's shoulder. His moon-white Daoist robe froze instantly, a thick layer of frost spreading down his shoulder, covering half his body. The Primordial Immortal Charm on the robe collided violently with the frost, producing a cracking sound. A bone-chilling cold... The chill ignored his defenses, frantically invading his body through his meridians, freezing his immortal power and momentarily slowing his movements. It was this fleeting opening that the Blood Axe Demon God keenly seized. He roared, a glint of wild joy in his eyes, and his Giant Axe, carrying immense force and a dense Sha Qi, slashed fiercely towards Ren Xiaoyao's head. A sense of alarm rose in Ren Xiaoyao's heart. He frantically circulated his Soul Power, forcibly twisting his body to dodge, barely avoiding a fatal blow. However, his left arm was still slashed open by the axe's edge, leaving a deep, bone-revealing wound. Black demonic energy, like a bone-deep abscess, surged wildly into his body through the wound, corroding his Immortal Bone, causing excruciating pain, as if countless poisonous insects were gnawing at his bones.

"You're courting death!" A fierce glint flashed in Ren Xiaoyao's eyes. Although his immortal power was frozen and demonic energy was eroding him, his belief in protecting the Immortal Realm grew ever stronger, like a beacon in the darkness, guiding his way. He gritted his teeth, ignoring his injuries, and poured all his divine Soul Power into the Emperor Sword. The sword instantly erupted with an unprecedentedly dazzling golden light, so bright that it was impossible to look directly at it. The surrounding demonic energy, illuminated by the golden light, dissipated like ice and snow meeting the blazing sun. Ren Xiaoyao's... His figure transformed into a golden streak of light, ignoring the dense attacks around him. Those attacks instantly melted away upon landing on the golden light surrounding him, and he charged straight towards the core of the Twelve Demon Gods ' formation—the location of the Poison Vine Demon God, and also one of the weak points of the Heavenly Fiend Array. This sword strike contained his ultimate understanding of the Way of Protection, possessing both the Purifying Power of the Primordial Immortal Charm and the incinerating might of the Emperor's Fire, and carrying a do-or-die determination. It was the strongest attack he could unleash at this moment, risking his own life and the future of the Immortal Realm.

The Golden Sword Light light swept through the Poison Vine Demon God's layers of vine defenses with unstoppable force. Those seemingly indestructible vines, scorched by the golden light and imperial fire, withered and burned instantly like paper, emitting a sizzling sound. The dark green sap evaporated, releasing a pungent odor. The sword light pierced straight into the Poison Vine Demon God's core—a poisonous pearl radiating a dark green light, the very source of its millennia-long cultivation. Under the golden light, the pearl quickly dimmed, then erupted with intense light. The Poison Vine Demon God let out an utterly shrill scream, its voice filled with pain and resentment. Its body rapidly withered and burned in the golden light, countless poisonous vines snapping, releasing their dark green venom. Evaporated by the Emperor's Fire, he ultimately vanished into a wisp of black smoke. But at the same time, the other eleven Demonic God seized this golden opportunity, each unleashing their most powerful Killing Moves — the Blood Axe Demon God's all-out slash, the Chilling Demon God's frozen soul, the Ice Edge Demon God's Ice Crystals piercing, the Sandstorm Demon God Rotten Flesh Demon God Lightning Punishment Demon God Shadow Demon God's world-destroying Gravity Demon God's shadow attack, the Illusion Demon God's illusionary erosion, the Devouring Demon God's energy absorption, the Wind Blade Demon God's thousand-blade slash... Eleven terrifying attacks simultaneously struck Ren Xiaoyao's vital points, showing no mercy, each attack containing enough power to severely injure Golden Immortal.

"Pfft—" Ren Xiaoyao suddenly spat out a mouthful of golden Immortal Blood, which turned into golden raindrops in the air and scattered all over the ground.

Each drop of blood contained pure immortal power, and upon landing, it merged into the soil, causing the spiritual herbs scorched by demonic energy to instantly sprout tender green shoots. His body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto a giant rock on the shore of the spirit lake. With a deafening roar, the several-meter-high rock was instantly shattered, and the fragments flew like meteors, splashing across the lake and creating a sky full of water droplets.