Demon Descent

Above Huang Village, even the clouds seemed gloomier than elsewhere.

Angel Yan, Angel Chase, and Angel Mo Yi hovered hundreds of meters above the ground. Their White Wings fluttered gently in the breeze, a stark contrast to the ordinary, peaceful village below.

Their eyes were all fixed on the dusty road at the village entrance.

Si Yao was indeed sitting there. He had somehow procured an old wicker chair and was reclining comfortably in it, his silver-white hair falling over his shoulders. His ice-blue eyes were half-open, as if he'd come to the countryside to sunbathe rather than face a potential God-Tier Conflict.

"Is he really planning to just... wait?" Angel Mo Yi couldn't help asking Yan over Dark Communication, her tone full of uncertainty.

By the Angel's usual way of doing things, they either eliminated threats in advance or struck like lightning once evil showed itself. Sitting at the enemy's planned arrival point and "waiting for the rabbit" was a method that turned their understanding on its head.

Angel Chase furrowed her brows and tightened her grip on the hilt of her Sword of Flames. "Yan Jie, are we really going to pin our hopes on a method of his that's... almost child's play? If Morgana successfully activates the Demon Gene, the situation will spiral out of control in an instant!"

Angel Yan kept her gaze fixed on Si Yao, recalling her recent communication with Holy Keisha.

When she heard Si Yao's plan to "wait for the demons to activate, then wipe them all out in one fell swoop," Queen Kaisha had unexpectedly agreed after a brief silence, merely reminding them to remain on the highest alert.

"He says he's good at fighting groups," Angel Yan replied over the channel, as if trying to convince her companions—and herself. "Remember the 'Colorless Realm Divine Power' he mentioned? A large-scale suppressive domain. The Queen wants to see just how capable this 'Pangu Old God' really is."

"But he said he's still a 'cripple'!" Angel Chase couldn't help reminding her.

During their time together, they'd often heard Si Yao use that word to describe his not-yet-fully-recovered state.

"So we need to keep an even closer eye on things." Angel Yan took a deep breath. "Be ready. If anything goes wrong, we must intervene immediately. Even if that means violating the procedural justice of the Justice Order, we can't let the Demon Legion take shape on Earth."

As the seconds ticked by, Huang Village continued its daily routine. The villagers knew nothing of what was happening, let alone that several powerful forces were secretly struggling over their fate.

Si Yao seemed to be resting with his eyes closed, but the [Seed of Delusion] in his mind was operating at full speed. He had chosen this seemingly risky plan for three reasons:

First, to maximize his gains.

The moment the Demon Gene was activated, the minds of the lesser demons transformed from ordinary people were at their most confused and most vulnerable to "Information Pollution."

Using his ability at that moment would make it easier for them, in their terror and shattered perception, to develop a deep "belief" in the power of the "Pangu Old God" he'd woven into their minds—and thus yield a large number of True Points, just like Suo Dun, who had only recently awakened.

That was far more worthwhile than eliminating these "potential demons" in advance.

Second, to earn the Angels' trust.

A hundred thousand words of explanation couldn't beat a single demonstration in battle.

Dealing with a Nascent Demon Squad in front of the Angels, crushing them with overwhelming force, would prove his ability and identity far more convincingly than stopping them in advance.

He was determined to get the "observational information about the current universe" promised by Angel Yan. It was essential intelligence for carrying out Lie Weaving on a larger scale.

Third, to step onto the board.

He had always avoided direct clashes with top Great Gods like Carl and Morgana too soon, but avoiding them forever wasn't a long-term solution.

Showing his presence in moderation, within limits he could control, would actually make him seem more mysterious and intimidating.

Once Morgana knew there was someone like him on Earth, she'd have to think twice before trying anything underhanded next time.

This, too, was a form of "Cognitive Anchoring."

As for the risks... What were a bunch of lesser demons, who had only just activated their genes and could barely control their powers, compared to the [Colorless Realm Divine Power] he was about to fully manifest? They were lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

Besides... Si Yao glanced at the three Angels poised for action in the sky. With them there, Morgana couldn't focus all her strength on him. As long as he seemed sufficiently mysterious and powerful, Morgana's first response would be to test him, not fight to the death.

All he had to do was wait until Morgana completed the "awakening" ritual, when she was most relaxed, and then erase her "recruits" in an instant with a thunderous strike.

Just then, the sky darkened without warning. A ripple of heart-stopping Dark Energy Fluctuation spread out from the center of the village.

"They're here!" Angel Yan's gaze sharpened. Her Sword of Flames flashed from its scabbard, and scorching energy began to gather.

The villagers looked up at the sky in terror. A figure with Mechanical Wings, exaggerated makeup, and a voluptuous figure slowly descended from a twisted vortex in the air.

It was none other than the Demon King, Morgana!

"Hm? Bitch! The Angel girls sure got here fast. And they brought... a new face?" Morgana spotted Yan, Zhui, and Moy in the sky at a glance. Then her gaze fell on the silver-haired man at the village entrance, who seemed completely out of place.

What the hell was that? She couldn't see him at all.

What kind of technology was this?

Countless thoughts flashed through Morgana's mind. She even wondered if that bastard Carl had sold her out!

But she quickly made her decision.

"Wake up, my Demon Warriors!"

Dark energy swept through the village like a plague. The villagers it touched cried out in agony as their bodies underwent horrific mutations: keratin covered their skin, bone spurs burst through their flesh, and in the blink of an eye, dozens of hideous low-level demons appeared in the streets.

Morgana looked at her "masterpiece" with a satisfied smile.

The Angels were there, and there was another guy she couldn't see through, but once her Demon Legion took shape, she'd have the means to hold her own.

However, her smile froze the next second.

As soon as all the demons had finished transforming, while their minds were still caught up in the joy and confusion of regaining their strength, a Mental Pressure far more terrifying and profound than the one that had accompanied Morgana's arrival slammed into every newborn demon's mind like an invisible tsunami!

It wasn't aimed at her. It precisely covered her entire "Recruit Camp"!

This was the moment Si Yao had been waiting for—the instant when their minds were most fragile and their perceptions easiest to twist!

[Kongshi Realm Divine Power Imprint]!

The "spectacle" Suo Dun had once experienced now played out in the minds of these lesser demons in an even more violent form.

A Shattered Star River, colliding stars, a World-Ending war between gods and Void Gods, the ultimate white light of the Cosmic Ruin... And within that light, a hazy figure that seemed to embody both creation and finality!

To these newborn demons, whose mental defenses were all but nonexistent, this was no illusion. It was "real memory," branded directly into the depths of their souls!

The terror and trembling that came from facing a superior being at the very source of life, rising from the deepest reaches of their Gene Chains, instantly overwhelmed the euphoria they had just felt.