High in the azure sky.
The divine bird cried, its golden wings swaying, its dazzling radiance making the sun in the sky shimmer.
In the woods ten thousand miles away.
The trio carrying their captive stopped in their tracks, dazzled and spellbound by the sight. The tall, thin man in black could not help murmuring.
"So this is the divine bird that confronted the world-destroying meteor in the myths. That momentum that sweeps across the eight wildernesses, that air of confident invincibility—I've only ever seen them in the Human Emperor of our Future Space-Time!"
"The Human Emperor who weighs heaven and earth in the balance, unrivaled in the future?"
The stern man in black frowned as he looked toward the battle poised to erupt in the distance.
Even as a projection, Samael, the Demon King, possessed the strength of the Emperor-Rank Third Step.
Yet that Golden Crow divine bird, only at the Emperor-Rank Second Step, could match his presence without giving an inch.
The tall, thin man also spoke curiously.
"I always found it strange before. According to the Heroic Spirit Throne's records, at the end of every epoch, one supreme powerhouse rises to stand above the entire epoch, like the Human Emperor born at the end of our Sixth Epoch."
"Every epoch has one of these powerhouses unrivaled in their own age. Even the fallen Fourth Epoch saw the rise of Satan."
"But the one born in the Fifth Epoch has no mention whatsoever in the historical records, having vanished into the space-time of the past. I think this sole powerhouse who stood above the Fifth Epoch could very well be him."
The hooded woman also glanced at the glorious, radiant Golden Crow divine bird in the distance and said evenly.
"One who shields all living beings with his own body. Our mission this time concerns him. Let's go. Stop watching. He won't lose."
"All right."
Beneath the firmament, the Golden Crow divine bird Jiang Yang had become was wreathed in blazing golden flames. His golden eyes seemed to shine with peerless sword light, piercingly sharp.
"A demon? Samael? You think you're worthy of setting foot in this beautiful world behind me?"
He beat his magnificent golden wings, becoming a brilliant streak of golden light that shattered the mountain-sized palm outright!
Drops of pitch-black blood rained across the sky and earth, polluting the land for ten thousand miles around.
The confident, arrogant expression of Samael, the Demon King, froze at once, as though he had never expected Jiang Yang, a fellow at the Emperor-Rank Second Step with strength comparable to a high demon in Hell, to be able to shake his palm.
Even though he was now only a projection, merely an incarnation at the Emperor-Rank Third Step, as the Demon King, he was far more terrifying than the Emperor-Rank Third Step.
His gaze grew serious. After sensing the aura of the Golden Crow divine bird before him, he suddenly became utterly grave.
"An aura like Satan's. So you're that sort of fellow too!"
Samael's ink-black eyes immediately blazed. He felt an excitement he had not experienced in countless years.
"Countless years! I've been held down by that almost invincible fellow for countless years! Today, I've finally found someone like him! Hahahahaha!"
Violent, wrathful demonic energy surged from every part of his body in an instant, blotting out the sky and earth!
The demonic energy around him condensed, and a completely intact hand grew back.
"Die, ignorant latecomer!"
Samael stirred the evil power of Hell, seemingly connecting to space-time in some unknown place, and unleashed one heaven-destroying, earth-shattering attack after another at the Golden Crow Jiang Yang had become.
Enormous booms resounded through heaven and earth, and the land for ten thousand miles around collapsed under the blows.
Jiang Yang swiftly entered the Forbidden Domain. His combat power began to rise without limit, and incomparably abundant power flooded his divine body!
He evaded countless attacks from the Demon King, while his radiance dispersed the demonic energy that harried him.
He forged his body into a sword, transforming his entire Golden Crow form into an enormous, gleaming golden divine sword of peerless sharpness, slashing down whenever he found an opening.
Sword Qi swept thirty thousand miles; one sword's cold light shone across nineteen provinces!
With his extraordinary combat instincts and matchless, astonishing killing power.
Even with a body vast enough to fill heaven and earth, the Demon King could not help falling into a disadvantage.
Golden divine light tangled with pitch-black demonic energy, dividing the vast firmament into squares of alternating black and gold.
Around the battlefield, countless Silver Folk stared toward the fighting in shock, all seeing the extraordinary sights that blotted out the sky and sun.
The deafening crashes sent them falling to their knees, praying for the protection of the Gods.
"What kind of beings are fighting?"
An ordinary mortal murmured in a trembling voice.
"The auras of light and darkness are intertwining, fighting!"
"Which god is waging war against evil?"
Some powerful figures among the Silver Folk stared straight toward the battlefield, sensing it carefully.
"This supreme, majestic aura seems like that of His Majesty Jiang, the God King seated upon the throne of the Divine Court!"
Some temple priests who had been granted audiences with the Gods of the Divine Court closed their eyes and ventured a guess.
The nearby members of the Divine Clan were also awed by the powerful presence of the combatants. They dared not approach to investigate, instead silently hoping Jiang Yang would win.
On the battlefield, the original valley had become a crater.
Samael, the Demon King, and Jiang Yang fought a fierce, bloody battle, leaving the forests for ten thousand miles around looking as though they had been plowed.
Three days and three nights passed.
The Demon King was ultimately only a projection. At last, he fell into an absolute disadvantage, half his shoulder severed and black blood streaming all over his body.
Like a dying candle in the wind, he struggled to hold out against Jiang Yang's sword-forged Golden Crow form.
Finally, as though venting his anger.
Samael, the Demon King, blocked a scorching strand of golden-flame Sword Qi with his other hand, opened his mouth, which was covered in sword wounds, and roared furiously.
"You damned bastard! You're just as hateful as Satan! Just wait! Hell will invade the mortal world in the end. No matter how extraordinary your talent, you won't escape death. I'll be waiting for you in the future."
"Hahahahaha! Then now, let me give this world of the past one final gift!"
With that, Samael braved Jiang Yang's killing blow and suddenly soared into the firmament, exploding with a boom. Countless drops of black blood scattered on the fierce winds to every corner of the world.
"Damn it!"
Seeing the black blood spread like mist, Jiang Yang hurriedly spread his golden-flame wings and spat golden fire, burning away most of the black blood.
A small portion still drifted away, however. Under the influence of the Demonic Element in the air, this black blood became a kind of triggering particle.
Many years later, creatures called Magic Beasts began appearing throughout the world. They were born with formidable power and could unleash powerful magical attacks.
They were hostile to living beings, ferocious and violent, and inflicted many devastating losses on the Silver Folk.
But later still, people discovered that the appearance of Magic Beasts was not entirely a bad thing. Their magic could aid mages in their research, and materials from their bodies could be used to develop all manner of magical implements.
Above the battlefield.
Jiang Yang returned to human form, his aura somewhat diminished.
He had fought in his Golden Crow divine form within the Forbidden Domain for three days and three nights. Strong as he was, even he had struggled to keep going, holding on through sheer force of will.
Now that the Demon King had finally fallen, he let out a weary sigh of relief.
Yet questions still lingered in his heart.
"Where did this demon come from, and who is this Satan who's similar to me?"
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