After a series of fierce battles, the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Three Tribes had already suffered heavy losses and their fighting strength was greatly diminished. Although they now knew who was behind everything and had stopped fighting among themselves to unite against the common foe, they still struggled to fight even when joining forces against the demons.
What was more, the cultivators of all three tribes were burdened by karmic sin and had already begun to run out of strength. They were at a considerable disadvantage against the Demon Tribe.
Thus, the Demon Tribe, which had been resting while its enemies exhausted themselves, quickly gained the upper hand. Even though its numbers among the low-level cultivators were comparable to those of the Three Tribes, and its Golden Immortals and Great Luo Golden Immortals were no more numerous—and might even have been fewer—it was still able to seize the advantage.
However dire the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Three Tribes' situation had become, the Demon Tribe was the very culprit that had driven them into this state. Whether for revenge or to redeem themselves, the Three Tribes had no choice but to fight to the death, even if they were outmatched.
On the battlefield, the Three Innate Tribes and the Western Demon Tribe stood distinctly apart. Immortal Spiritual Qi and surging demonic energy clashed again and again, unleashing boundless killing intent.
Both sides were fighting for their lives. Members of the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Three Tribes fell every moment, and even the demons, who held a slight advantage, continued to suffer losses.
The battle had become a war of attrition.
In the midst of the fierce fighting, three powerful auras suddenly approached. Three streaks of light crossed the sky and landed in the center of the battlefield, revealing three mighty figures. Their auras were somewhat unsteady, but they still radiated the imposing majesty of rulers.
They were the leaders of the Three Innate Tribes: Ancestor Dragon, Yuanfeng, and Primeval Kirin.
Seeing their tribes at a disadvantage, the three leaders had personally joined the fray. The Three Innate Tribes' Innate Divine Abilities were formidable, and even though they had expended much of their strength, a few spells and divine abilities were enough to wipe out large swathes of the Demon Tribe.
In an instant, the area within a radius of a million li was cleared.
But that was as far as they got. The Demon Tribe would hardly let the Three Ancestors act as they pleased.
"Ancestor Dragon, Yuanfeng, Primeval Kirin! Don't get ahead of yourselves!"
With a thunderous shout, great demons descended. Every one of them was wreathed in surging demonic flames, their Dao bodies overflowing with Malevolent Qi. Fierce, wronged souls howled around them, and anyone who drew near felt as if they had stepped into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
They were nine of the Seven Emotions Heavenly Demons and the Six Desires Demon Venerables under Luohu.
As if they had planned it in advance, they came in groups of three, each group confronting one of the Three Ancestors and surrounding them.
"Impudent demons! You plotted to provoke a war between our tribes, brought about the Primordial Tribulation, rampaged across the Primordial World, and slaughtered its living beings, bringing calamity upon all. Do you not fear Heaven's retribution?"
Seeing these high-ranking Great Luo members of the Demon Tribe, Ancestor Dragon roared in fury.
As the strongest fighter among the Three Ancestors, Ancestor Dragon faced the strongest trio: Sound Desire Demon Venerable, Form Desire Demon Venerable, and Lust Desire Demon Venerable.
Hearing Ancestor Dragon's words, Lust Desire Demon Venerable replied disdainfully, "Hmph! Dragon Clan Master, you're nothing special. How could you say something so blind to the will of Heaven? Our Demon Tribe was born in response to Heaven. Sweeping across the Primordial World is simply following Heaven's will. Why would we suffer Heaven's retribution? It is your Three Innate Tribes that Heaven's Dao can no longer tolerate. Your extermination is inevitable."
Ancestor Dragon's face turned livid. He was nearly so enraged that his Primordial Spirit left his body. He glared at the three Demon Venerables, as if he would not be satisfied until he had chewed their bones and sucked out their marrow.
"Three Great Luo Golden Immortals, and you dare speak of Heaven's will before me? What arrogance!"
"Hahaha! Even now, Ancestor Dragon, do you still think you have the strength of a Quasi-Saint?"
"There's no point in talking. Since you're here, stay here!"
With Heaven's Dao having imposed karmic sin upon him, Ancestor Dragon had indeed lost his Quasi-Saint-level strength, and it was still slowly declining. Rather than wait any longer, he immediately offered up the Top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Ancestor Dragon Pearl, and attacked the three Demon Venerables while he still had strength to fight.
Lust Desire Demon Venerable and the others were the strongest fighters beneath the Demon Ancestor, and they naturally had Innate Spiritual Treasures to protect themselves. Each brought out a treasure to defend against his assault. They sought no victory, only to avoid defeat, having clearly identified Ancestor Dragon's weakness.
Clouds and rain roiled, and thunder rumbled. The display was grand, but Ancestor Dragon's might was already far less than before. Though he gave it everything he had and unleashed every spell and divine ability, he still could not break through the trio's defenses.
"Roar!"
Ancestor Dragon transformed into his true form, ready to fight for his life. Bolts of True Dragon Divine Lightning crashed down, and he unleashed his magic power without restraint. The force of the rainclouds turned into blasts of astral energy that shot toward the three below. Even so, he could only barely break through the three Demon Venerables' treasure defenses, and they held him off with their spells.
Lust Desire Demon Venerable and the others had already seen that Ancestor Dragon was running out of strength. The three Great Luo demons seemed to know a combined attack formation. With a glance exchanged, demonic energy surged and the three unleashed their spells. Before long, they had knocked Ancestor Dragon from the clouds.
Their successful strike delighted the three. With a wave of their hands, three Innate Demon Blades shot out, heading straight for Ancestor Dragon, who had landed and returned to his Dao form.
"Ancestor Dragon! Die!"
Just as the Dragon Clan Master was about to fall at the Demon Tribe's hands, the space before them suddenly trembled. A Two-colored Lotus Platform shattered through the void and slowly turned, deflecting the incoming demon blades. In the blink of an eye, it rescued Ancestor Dragon.
"Who goes there?!"
A sudden sense of unease surged in Lust Desire Demon Venerable's heart, and he shouted at the top of his lungs.
A sword shadow shot out of the void, carrying peerless sword intent as it struck toward one of the demonic cultivators.
"Form Desire, look out!"
Before the warning was even finished, the sword light seemed to pierce through space. Form Desire Demon Venerable was only at the mid-stage of Great Luo. Before he could utter a word, the sword pierced through him, and he was instantly annihilated.
A figure appeared atop the lotus platform, clad in a plain-colored Daoist robe and a Tongtian crown. Supreme Yang radiated from him, driving away the demonic energy around him. It was East King Duke, who had just arrived.
With a single strike, he had slain Form Desire Demon Venerable. The remaining two, Lust Desire Demon Venerable and Sound Desire Demon Venerable, were both shocked.
East King Duke had come to slay demons, so he said nothing. He spurred the Pure Yang Sword, unleashing countless sword auras to attack the two Demon Venerables. Lust Desire was horrified. He had never expected this newcomer's magic to be even stronger than Ancestor Dragon's.
Still shaken by Form Desire's grisly death, the two found the sword light flashing toward them like lightning. They hurriedly raised their defenses, but were blasted tens of thousands of zhang away, both badly wounded.
East King Duke pressed his advantage. The Twelfth-grade Innate Yin-Yang Dao Lotus flew out, and as it turned, it dispelled the demonic energy filling the sky. Clouds parted and the sun appeared, and in an instant, the world was bright and clear again.
Several streams of Yin Yang Qi flew from the Dao Lotus and enveloped the already-wounded Lust Desire Demon Venerable and Sound Desire Demon Venerable. East King Duke stirred them with his Spiritual Sense. Supreme Yang Power was the Demon Tribe's bane; the demonic flames around the two vanished in an instant. In a flash, the two remaining Great Luo Golden Immortal Demon Venerables—
fell!
East King Duke had only just appeared, yet in a few short breaths he had slain three Great Luo Demon Venerables. He was unstoppable, like divine might descending from Heaven.
But he was not finished. With a gesture and a spell, he sent the Pure Yang Sword flying again. In the blink of an eye, it crossed ten thousand li to reach Yuanfeng, who was likewise trapped by three Great Luo demonic cultivators. Phoenix Ancestor was already forced entirely onto the defensive. These three demons were no match for Lust Desire and the others; the sword light swept through them, and they were beheaded before they could put up much of a fight.
The Pure Yang Sword returned. Just as East King Duke was about to slay the last three Great Luo demons present, a demonic voice suddenly rang out.
"You truly are an unforeseen variable. You've become a thorn in my side after all!"
Ripples appeared in the void, and a figure in a black robe stepped out.
"Luohu Clone!"
This was their second encounter, and East King Duke could clearly feel that the Demon Ancestor's clone before him was far more powerful than before.
"This man is strange. Fellow Daoist Supreme Yang, be careful."
Ancestor Dragon had now come to East King Duke's side. Though they had once fought each other, East King Duke's current strength still shocked him. But they were allies now, not enemies, so he naturally warned him.
"No need to worry, Fellow Daoist Ancestor Dragon. Fellow Daoist Yuanfeng, go help Ancestor Kirin and slay the Great Luo demons. Leave this man to me!"
"Very well. Be careful, Fellow Daoist!"
Ancestor Dragon said no more and flew off at once.
Only East King Duke and Luohu's clone remained, facing one another.
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