Chapter 366
Having said all that, the Demon Emperor still hadn't revealed his trump card, instead changing the subject:
"The Southern Wilderness Origin is of little use to me. In fact, it is a hindrance to me today, preventing me from leaving this realm!"
"But you are different. If you want to be an enemy of the Eastern Pole Emperor, even if your current strength is enough to easily kill an Earth Immortal, the Eastern Pole Emperor has integrated the Origin of the World for several eras. His immortal Immortal Qi is already abundant and his foundation is extremely profound. He can even take a step to the ultimate at any time. Compared with him, your strength still seems inadequate."
"Therefore, if you can merge with the Southern Wilderness Origin, you will possess the ability to contend with the Eastern Pole Emperor. With just a period of accumulation, communicating with the Heavenly Realm, and drawing Immortal Qi into your body, with your talent, you will surely be able to defeat the Eastern Pole Emperor in a short time!"
At this point, the Demon Emperor's lips curled into a slight smile, "At that time, you will control the Heavenly Dao of the Eastern Pole of the Central Heaven and the Southern Wilderness, and be able to integrate the World Sources of the Five Realms and condense them into one. With the scale of the Five Realms, once they are merged, you will be able to advance to the ranks of the Heaven Realm Territory!"
"And as the new World Lord, you will receive tremendous benefits and instantly become an immortal! From then on, you will be freed from the shackles of humanity, roam the world freely, and live a long and carefree life. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
"Heh, that's an interesting remark..." Xiao Minghuang chuckled.
Of course she knew that since the Demon Emperor had painted such a wonderful future for her, it was impossible for him to do so without paying a price, much less help her for nothing. After all, this Demon Emperor was a ruthless person who could even kill his own wife with his own hands!
Moreover, while paying the price, we must also consider the enormous risks that go hand in hand. If the Demon Emperor fails to deliver on his promises, or only partially delivers them, then we will inevitably end up with nothing!
"So, what is the price?"
Xiao Minghuang said calmly.
Although she had already guessed the Demon Emperor's purpose, she still showed no sign of surprise, as if she had already seen through everything.
Upon hearing this, the Demon Emperor's lips curled into a mysterious smile. He said, "Since you stand before me, you should already know that the path I cultivate is a supreme path of detachment from emotions, severing all ties of cause and effect. To succeed, one must sever all entanglements!"
"My daughter, she is my last remaining bond in this world. Once she disappears, my path will be complete. I thank you for bringing her to the Central Devil Palace ..."
Before he could finish speaking, the Demon Emperor suddenly took a step, his figure flickered, and he vanished into the void. In an instant, he rushed out of the Red Dust Demon Palace and headed straight for the Devil Palace outside!
The Demon Emperor's speed was extreme; in just a few breaths, he had already traversed the entire Devil Palace and rushed towards the Drunken Immortal Hermit!
Xiao Minghuang remained unmoved, lightly touched the ground with her jade feet, and transformed into a streak of light to chase after it.
The two of them, one in front of the other, arrived at the entrance of the Devil Palace in the blink of an eye.
Rumble!!!
The Demon Emperor's divine might was awe-inspiring, like a god descending to earth. A monstrous demonic aura enveloped the sky, crushing mountains and rivers, causing the heavens and earth to tremble!
In an instant, the entire Devil Palace was shaken by a terrifying force!
The servants in the palace felt a chill run down their spines; a strong sense of oppression washed over them!
"What's going on?!"
"The Devil Master has made his move?"
Everyone was horrified.
The Drunken Immortal Hermit was immediately terrified, a sense of despair welling up in his heart.
"The princess... failed?"
The Drunken Immortal Hermit turned pale, incredulous.
In her memory, Princess Xiao was the most powerful person in the entire Five Directions One Realm. Just now, Princess Xiao single-handedly killed an Earth Immortal. With such demeanor, even if she was a peerless genius and no match for the Demon Emperor, she shouldn't have been defeated in less than a quarter of an hour, right?
Her mind was a complete mess.
Thump!
The next second, the Demon Emperor descended upon the central Devil Palace, enveloped in raging demonic flames.
"My daughter, all my efforts have been in vain, but today I have succeeded. Please lend your father a helping hand!"
His cold, deep voice resounded through the sky. Then, he raised his arm and swung his hand downwards, his demonic palm shattering the heavens and blotting out the sun.
Boom!!!
An incomparably violent force swept across the heavens and earth, causing the entire Devil Palace to shake violently, as if it were about to collapse at any moment!
"My Devil Master Lord, why is this happening?!"
"Devil Master Lord, calm down!"
"Devil Master, spare me!!"
One by one, the powerful Devil Race hurriedly knelt on the ground, begging for mercy. They had no idea what had happened, and the Demon Emperor suddenly made his move, intending to destroy the entire vast Devil Palace!
The Demon Emperor seemed oblivious, his eyes indifferent and devoid of emotion. His demonic hand descended, and in an instant, the defensive restrictions surrounding the Devil Palace shattered and disintegrated. Then, he slammed his hand down, and the laws of the entire small world completely collapsed and disintegrated. With this slam, the entire central Devil Palace shattered into countless fragments, falling into the dark void turbulence.
"No--"
"Devil Master Lord, stop!!!"
"Devil Master Lord, spare my life!!"
In an instant, countless servants of the Devil Palace fell into the void turbulence, their cries for mercy and screams echoing out, but they were quickly drowned out by the even more violent explosions.
However, as the smoke dissipated and the void returned to calm, a beautiful figure slowly emerged—it was Xiao Minghuang.
Her expression remained indifferent, her body unharmed, her robes fluttering, her black hair flowing, spotless, bathed in a holy golden light, her eyes shining like stars, her divine radiance dazzling, as if what had just happened was all an illusion.
Behind her stood the Drunken Immortal Hermit and the Netherworld Demon Venerable, both completely unharmed and without the slightest injury.
"I don't quite understand why you killed all your servants?" Xiao Minghuang said indifferently, "Logically speaking, they didn't do anything to wrong you."
Whether they were loyal to me or not is irrelevant. I'm about to leave and no longer need them, so I simply killed them. That's all.
The Demon Emperor said calmly.
His eyelids were lowered, and his tone was calm, even making one wonder if he would really kill his own subordinates.
Hearing these words, Xiao Minghuang felt a chill run down his spine. A person like the Demon Emperor could kill his own wife and daughter with his own hands, let alone these servants who had no relation to him.
484. Merging with the source of the realm, he is now classified as an Earth Immortal!
Perhaps, in his eyes, these people's lives were no different from a grain of sand floating in the air...
"Princess Xiao, let's cut the preamble. It's time to make a choice. This is your last chance. Will you choose to cooperate with me and ascend to the position of World Lord, or will you oppose me and die by my hand?"
He suddenly opened his eyes, his deep, vast gaze flashing with a terrifying ferocity.
"Hehe..."
Xiao Minghuang chuckled and was about to refuse when she heard a shrill scream from behind her.
Seeing Princess Xiao hesitate and seemingly prepared to compromise with the Demon Emperor, the Drunken Immortal Hermit could no longer remain calm. He directly ignited his own Purple Mansion Grotto-Heaven and ended his own life prematurely. This was to force the Demon Emperor to sever his own World Source in advance, and also to force Princess Xiao to stand on the same side as him, becoming completely irreconcilable with the Demon Emperor!
"Demon Emperor, you demon, no matter what, I will not let you have your way!!!"
The Drunken Immortal Hermit roared wildly, his whole body bursting into flames. His Purple Mansion Grotto-Heaven became fuel, quickly burning his own Daoist magic to ashes!
The sudden scene startled everyone present.
The Demon Emperor's expression immediately turned ugly. Almost at the same moment, he clenched his fists, and a mysterious, elusive, and boundless power was extracted from his body, transforming into a beam of light that shot straight into the sky.
"Boundary Origin!"
The moment this power appeared, although no one explained it to him, Xiao Minghuang seemed to know it from birth and immediately understood its origin.
After a moment's hesitation, she glanced back at the Drunken Immortal Hermit, who was engulfed in flames, and then leaped into the void, chasing after the Southern Wilderness Origin.
The moment the boundary source was severed, the Demon Emperor's aura weakened at an incredible speed, and his entire body seemed to freeze in the void, motionless.
At this moment, the Netherworld Demon Venerable, who had been silent and seemingly invisible, suddenly moved. He walked casually to the side of the Drunken Immortal Hermit, whose aura was raging and who was about to perish. He raised his right hand, and a strange, deep purple magical power spread across his palm as he reached out towards her.
He grabbed her by the neck and lifted her into the air!
Suddenly!
A powerful supreme law enveloped the Drunken Immortal Hermit, even rampaging through her Purple Mansion Grotto-Heaven, suppressing her body, along with her Purple Mansion Grotto-Heaven and Primordial Spirit. The process of the Drunken Immortal Hermit's self-destruction was abruptly stopped!
"You..." The Drunken Immortal Hermit's pupils constricted, his gaze fixed on the Netherworld Demon Venerable, and he stammered out a few words: "Why... why?"
She stared at the Netherworld Demon Venerable, noticing his suddenly blank stare. She couldn't understand why Netherworld Demon Venerable wanted to kill her.
You don't need to know.
The words had barely left his mouth.
The Demon Emperor seemed to be gradually recovering, and said calmly.
A wisp of demonic power permeated all directions, causing fear to rise in all directions.
He raised his palm and slashed at the air, and a jet-black longsword appeared before him. He flicked his finger, and the longsword hummed and trembled, transforming into a streak of light that flew towards the Drunken Immortal Hermit.
The long sword whistled through the air, tearing through the void with terrifying sharpness, piercing through the body of the Drunken Immortal Hermit, splattering blood that filled the sky.
In an instant, the Drunken Immortal Hermit's Purple Mansion Grotto-Heaven collapsed, his Primordial Spirit shattered, and he perished completely, leaving no trace of his body!
The Netherworld Demon Venerable stared blankly at everything before him, a look of pain on his face.
"Hmph!" The Demon Emperor snorted coldly, taking a step forward. "Since you miss her so much, then go and keep her company!"
The words had barely left his mouth.
A powerful demonic aura erupted, engulfing the Netherworld Demon Venerable's body. Then, the Demon Emperor waved his arm, and demonic energy surged, annihilating the Netherworld Demon Venerable's physical body. His form and spirit were destroyed, turning into nothingness!
The Netherworld Demon Venerable has fallen.
In the vast sky, only the Demon Emperor remained.
He stood alone in the void, appearing completely calm. It was as if he had just killed his own daughter with his own hands. His expression was neither joyful nor sorrowful, as if he had done something insignificant.
But in the next moment...
A mysterious, profound, indescribable, and supreme aura brewed within him, instantly sweeping across the entire sky, as if the most essential elements of heaven and earth had merged into his body.
Before this power, all things appear insignificant, like dust, while only the Demon Emperor stands between heaven and earth, eternal and immortal.
"This feeling..."
The Demon Emperor closed his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips.
After personally murdering his wife and daughter, he severed almost all ties with the masses, yet simultaneously achieved a profound alignment with the Dao, finally enabling him to take that ultimate step...
At the same time.
Above the heavens.
Following the trail of the Southern Wilderness Origin, Xiao Minghuang pursued it relentlessly, traversing countless distant voids, crossing dark Void Tunnel and chaotic spacetime currents, until finally, after passing through a thick boundary wall, he arrived at a silent yet reassuring place.
Xiao Minghuang looked around and saw that it was a strange space.
In her field of vision, a small island appeared, floating in an inexplicable void. There was no sunlight here, only a sphere emitting white light suspended in the center of the island, radiating a gentle and pure energy that illuminated this not-so-vast space.
This is... the origin of the Southern Wilderness!
Xiao Minghuang paused slightly, then lightly touched the air with her toes and floated over.
She came in search of the Southern Wilderness Origin, and upon arriving in this space, she was not rejected at all. Instead, the Southern Wilderness Origin emitted a soft light, illuminating her path forward.
This shows that...
"The Southern Wilderness Origin might not reject merging with me..."
Xiao Minghuang pondered in her heart.
She knew that the most common and intense desire of all living beings, regardless of race, was to prolong their existence. The way to achieve this was to improve one's own realm and break through the limitations of human lifespan, or to take longevity pills, or to use other secret techniques or methods.
If we apply this analogy to the Heavenly Dao world, then the Heavenly Dao has two ways of perpetuating its existence.
One way is to reduce the loss of life within the world governed by the Heavenly Dao. The simplest and most direct way to achieve this is by, like the Demon Emperor, massacring a large number of high-level cultivators. These cultivators seize the creation of heaven and earth and add it to themselves. Once they die, the creation returns to heaven and earth, thus perpetuating the existence of the Heavenly Dao.
Secondly, it involves expanding the boundaries of the worlds governed by the Heavenly Dao. There are many ways to do this, but the simplest and most effective method is to seize the source of other worlds to replenish oneself; or to seize the living beings of other worlds to replenish oneself, and so on.
Xiao Minghuang then arrived near the Southern Wilderness Boundary Source, stopped in place, and carefully examined the Southern Wilderness Boundary Source.
The Origin of the Realm is the most fundamental, essential, and unique energy of a world.
Xiao Minghuang knew that there was no question of which came first, the world or the origin of the world.
This does not mean that a world first gave birth to a source, and then the source gave birth to the world.
Rather, the world and the origin of the world were born and formed together, complementing each other, progressing in sync, and neither can be dispensed with.
However, after the world was formally formed, the Origin of the World, due to its special properties, rose above the world and gradually became the power that dominated the world. Whoever controlled the Origin of the World was almost equivalent to controlling the world.
However, this also depends on the compatibility of the boundary source with the fusion or the person who controls the boundary source.
The higher the degree of compatibility, the greater the power that can be exerted.