Four Years Later (I Forgot to Say It Yesterday: Happy Winter Solstice)

Time flies, and four years have passed in the blink of an eye.

The Prison Mountain Great Marsh, atop the main peak of "Withered Bone Mountain".

A grand banquet for Demon Kings is underway. Thirty-six Demon Kings, each with a different appearance and a fierce aura, sit around the hall. Each of them is at the peak of the Myriad Phenomena Perfection realm, and three of them have even reached the Primordial Spirit level!

"Big Brother!" roared the Myriad Manifestations Perfected Demon King, Myriad Phenomena Perfection with a single horn and dark red scales covering its body. "Our Withered Bone Mountain is now strong and well-equipped, and with the three of you, the Primordial Spirit Kings, in command, along with over thirty Myriad Phenomena brothers, are we afraid of a mere Myriad Phenomena Human Race brat like Ji An? No matter how strong he is, can he turn the world upside down?"

"Fool!" Seated in the main seat, the Golden-Eyed Tiger King, his entire body golden, even his pupils, sneered, slamming his hand heavily on the stone table, causing the wine cups on it to shake. "You saw him in action with your own eyes. In these four years, he has slaughtered countless Myriad Phenomena Demon Kings. Even those troublesome old geezers like 'Bloodfang' and 'Shadow Bat' have fallen into his hands. If not for that, why would we need to put aside our blood feud and form an alliance here?"

He surveyed the demons below, his voice heavy. "This Ji An's movements are bizarre; he's even comprehended an entire Dao, and we don't know what supernatural powers he's cultivated. His physical body is incredibly powerful. The Dragon Whale King and his companion, both Primordial Spirit kings, set up an ambush, but somehow the news leaked out, and they were ultimately annihilated by him. Even their cave was destroyed. Those were two Primordial Spirit Demon Kings!"

"Damn it!" Below, the Iron-Armored Mountain-Rending Bull King, his breath steaming white vapor, roared, "If it weren't for this brat Ji An forcing me, I would still be enjoying my carefree life in my cave, feasting on blood every day! How happy I would be! Now I have to cower here in fear!"

"Old Niu, calm down." The Howling Moon Wolf King, with his silver-gray fur and cunning, cold eyes, spoke in a hoarse voice, "Old Jin is absolutely right. This boy, Ji An, has become a major threat to our Prison Mountain Great Marsh Demon Race. When we find a good opportunity, we might be able to surround and kill him, take his essence and flesh, and divide and eat him. With such a body, Ji An will surely be a great tonic. Perhaps—using this opportunity, we can make our Withered Bone Mountain a force as powerful as the 'Myriad Demon Valley' that shakes the Great Wilderness. That's not just wishful thinking!"

"Myriad Demon Valley!" A fervent desire immediately shone in the eyes of the Demon Kings.

That was the true behemoth of the Great Wilderness Swamp, with immortals and Demon Kings forming its ranks, ruling over hundreds of millions of Demon Race.

"Haha!" The Golden-Eyed Tiger King grabbed a jar of blood wine and drank it down, his golden pupils flashing with ferocity. "Xiaoyue's words resonate deeply with me. It's not too late to pursue our ambitions after we've slain Ji An! Brothers, drink this to your hearts' content—"

"Golden-Eyed Tiger King!"

"Howling Moon Wolf King!"

"Iron-Armored Bull King!"

"Come out and face your death!"

Before the Tiger King could finish speaking, a cold voice pierced through the array's barrier and resounded clearly in the ears of every Demon King!

The murderous intent contained in that voice instantly silenced the Demon Kings who had been restless with their dreams of the future.

The entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

"Damn it! Speak of Ji An, Ji An is here!" The Golden-Eyed Heaven-Splitting Tiger King crushed the wine jar in its hand, its golden pupils blazing with murderous intent. "Good! Very good! Saves me the trouble of going looking for him! Brothers, this free snack is perfect for a flag-raising ceremony with his heart and liver!"

"Roar! Big brother is right. I will tear him apart and devour his flesh!" Flame Rhinoceros King pounded his chest, making a metallic sound, his eyes filled with bloodlust.

The Demon King could join the Withered Bone Mountain were all sinful individuals. Now, being so arrogantly challenged by Ji An, their ferocity was fully unleashed. They roared and howled, their demonic energy billowing like smoke, stirring up the surrounding area and causing the winds and clouds to change color.

Just as the demons were enraged and preparing to fight...

Buzz!

A dozen or so figures suddenly appeared in the hall.

The leader, clad in black armor, had a cold expression and an aura that clearly reached the level of Primordial Spirit Daoist. He was none other than the leader of the first squad of the Dark Fiend Guard under Northmont Yin's command.

Behind him stood eight cultivators, all dressed in standard black armor, each at the Myriad Phenomena cultivation level, though each wore a lingering weariness on their faces.

After four years of pursuit, they not only failed to capture or kill Ji An, but also lost four of their comrades. For a team of Primordial Spirit cultivators, this was an utter disgrace.

The leader of the Xuan Sha clan swept his gaze over the astonished and bewildered demons, explaining, "Fellow Demon Kings, I am Marquis of Anch’an, commander of the first squad of the Dark Fiend Guard Northmont Clan Northmont Yin. Mo Sun Ji An is an enemy that my Northmont Clan must kill. He relies on magical treasures and escape techniques to be exceptionally fast. It is feared that you kings alone will find it difficult to completely subdue him. Today, my Dark Fiend Guard is willing to join forces with you all to kill this villain. Whoever takes his head will be richly rewarded by my Northmont Clan!"

They had already arrived when Ji An spoke, and were just about to appear while the Demon Kings were discussing. Now that Ji An had arrived, he could only keep his story brief.

The sudden appearance of an "ally" startled the Demon Kings, who looked at the Dark Fiend Guards with suspicion and surprise.

However, before the Tiger King could respond, the cold voice rang out again, tinged with sarcasm. "Oh? So it's you stray dogs who have joined forces with the Demon Race. Perfect, saves me the trouble of searching for you one by one."

Before the words were finished, a faint blue light suddenly appeared on the distant horizon, its speed far exceeding that of an ordinary Primordial Spirit Daoist!

With his arrival, the surrounding Power of Heaven and Earth surged, and an overwhelming pressure pressed down on everyone like a tidal wave Ji An's azure wings fluttered behind him as he quietly waited in the air.

A month ago, he would never have provoked so many Primordial Spirit Daoists at once. Faced with such a Demon Race alliance, Ji An would have mostly waited for them to separate, then sneaked into their lair and quietly killed them.

As for how to know how many people are in their lair, since Ji An cultivated "Thunder God Eye" to the second level, he could even detect the ambush of Void Returning Immortals, so it was naturally not a problem.

But that was a month ago. In the past month, his strength has increased greatly, and he is naturally confident that he can take on four opponents at once.

As for the Myriad Phenomena Level Demon King and the Dark Fiend Guard, Ji An didn't take them seriously.

In the past four years, Ji An's cultivation of the "Crimsonbright Nine Heavens Diagram" has not been as fast as before, but a month ago Ji An broke through to the Twelfth level and reached the Myriad Phenomena Perfection of the "Crimsonbright Nine Heavens Diagram", comparable to the Primordial Spirit Early Stage!

Although his cultivation level increased very quickly, his comprehension of the Dao was even faster.

Four years ago, he had only comprehended one Thunderfire Dao; now he has comprehended two entire paths: the Swiftwind and Sharp Metal Dao!

However, he was a little slower on the Heaven and Earth Great Dao, but Ji An felt that as long as he took one more step forward, he would be able to comprehend the Dao Domain.

The most regrettable thing is that Ji An has not yet grasped the essence of swordsmanship, or any kind of skill-based Grand Dao.

Inside the main hall.

"Arrogant! Utterly arrogant!" The Golden-Eyed Tiger King laughed in fury, his ferocious aura soaring to the sky. "We have thirty-six Myriad Phenomena Brothers, three Primordial Spirit Kings in command, and fellow Daoists from the Northmont Clan assisting us! How dare he dare to boast like this! Does he really think my Withered Bone Mountain is made of mud?!"

"Roar! Tear him apart!"

"A blood feast delivered right to our doorstep, saves us the trouble!" The Howling Moon Wolf King's eyes flashed with cruelty. "Brothers, follow me and charge out! Let's devour this arrogant brat! Let him know that Withered Bone Mountain is not a place where he can run wild!"

"Kill!"

Kill him!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Figures of various shapes and sizes soared into the sky from the main hall and from various parts of the mountain peaks.

Leading the group was the Golden-Eyed Tiger King, a mid-stage Nascent Primordial Spirit radiating Golden Light. To his left was the Iron-Armored Bull King, a massive creature resembling a small mountain, and to his right was the Howling Moon Wolf King, with its white fur.

Behind them, thirty-three Myriad Phenomena Perfection Demon Kings, each with a unique form, exuded murderous intent, their demonic clouds churning.

Further out, there were countless Violet Palace Demon Race, all shrouded in a visible black aura of sin.

Mo Sun, along with eight other peak-level members of the Myriad Phenomena team, also quickly ascended into the sky. Although their figures were inconspicuous among the Demon Kings, the pressure they exuded was not to be underestimated.

They stared coldly at Ji An opposite them.

The sky above the Withered Bone Mountain was instantly filled with countless enormous demonic bodies and dense demonic clouds.

Before those countless Demon Race in their true forms, Ji An's figure appeared so insignificant.

"Ji An!" The Golden-Eyed Tiger King's voice echoed through the mountains, "You chose the path to heaven, yet you barged into the gates of hell. Today, I will use your head to celebrate the rise of my Withered Bone Mountain!"

"You?!" Ji An's voice clearly reached the ears of every living being, filled with undisguised contempt. "A bunch of chickens and dogs, plus these few stray dogs?"

"Insolence!" The Howling Moon Wolf King, usually the most cunning but also the most intolerant of being looked down upon, roared, "Human Race brat, you dare to be so defiant even when death is imminent! Everyone, attack! Tear him apart!"

Before he could finish speaking, the Howling Moon Wolf King transformed into a streak of silver-gray Flowing Light, moving at an astonishing speed. Its pair of sharp claws, gleaming with a cold light, went straight for Ji An's heart!

Its greatest strength is speed, and it's confident it can give Ji An a taste of its own medicine first.

However-

Ji An's figure vanished like a bubble!

"What?!" The Howling Moon Wolf King's pupils contracted, and a chill instantly rose within him.

The next instant, a golden sword light appeared without warning at the back of its neck.

Pfft!

The Howling Moon Wolf King's massive white wolf body suddenly froze in mid-air, maintaining its pouncing posture.

A golden line quietly emerged from the back of its neck and quickly circled its neck once.

"Ugh--" It let out a short whimper.

The enormous wolf head slid off its neck, the cut smooth as a mirror, without a single drop of blood splattering. Ji An's complete Sharp Metal Dao intent annihilated all its life force in an instant.

"The first one." Ji An's figure appeared beside the headless corpse of the Howling Moon Wolf King, the Universe Sword in his hand humming clearly.

"Roar at the Moon!!" The Golden-Eyed Tiger King and the Iron-Armored Bull King roared simultaneously, they simply couldn't believe their eyes!

In a single exchange, before he even saw how the opponent made their move, Primordial Spirit Realm cultivator, was beheaded?!

"Impossible!" Mo Sun, the leader of the Dark Fiend Guard, was shocked. They had fought against Ji An in the past four years, but they absolutely did not have such a method of instantly killing Primordial Spirit Demon King. Otherwise, they would not have lost only four of their Myriad Phenomena comrades.

"Attack together! I refuse to believe he can rival the combined might of us!" After a brief moment of shock, the Golden-Eyed Tiger King roared.

Thirty-three Myriad Phenomena Demon Kings, thousands of the Violet Palace Demon Race, two Primordial Spirit Demon Kings, and nine Dark Fiend Guards rushed towards the azure figure in the center.

Various demonic lights, magical treasures, supernatural powers, and weapons instantly engulfed the area where Ji An was located.

That power was enough to make even Primordial Spirit Daoist change color!

Ji An was at the eye of the storm, yet his eyes remained calm and undisturbed.

"Thunderfire, scorching the heavens."

He said softly.

Boom-!

Boom-!

Suddenly, Thunderfire Thunderfire appeared in the surrounding space, scattered in various places. Each bolt of Thunderfire contained terrifying power, and the entire Heaven and Earth around seemed to freeze.

Endless purple lightning bolts and crimson heavenly fire appeared out of nowhere.

Heaven and Earth unto itself!

Those Violet Palace Demon Race who charged at the forefront were annihilated in the raging Thunderfire before they could even scream.

The Demon Kings of all Myriad Phenomena, whose protective demonic light shattered like paper, screamed in agony as they were sent flying backward, some dead and others maimed.

The entire sky above the Withered Bone Mountain instantly transformed into a world of Thunder and flames.

"Damn it! Is this the power of the complete Dao?!" The Golden-Eyed Tiger King's body shone brightly with Golden Light, enduring the scorching heat of the Thunderfire, and swung its huge tiger claws at Ji An.

The Iron-Armored Bull King roared, lowered its head, and used its natal magic weapon, the Black Armored Bull Horn, as its sharpest point, crashing down like a mountain. Wherever it passed, even Thunderfire were temporarily pushed aside.

The nine Dark Fiend Guards formed a strange battle formation, with nine black sword beams, like nine poisonous dragons, piercing towards Ji An and sealing off all his escape routes.

Faced with this siege powerful enough to kill an ordinary late-stage Nascent Primordial Spirit cultivator, Ji An's Windsun Heaven-Escaping Wings merely trembled slightly.

Swish!

His figure disappeared again!

All the attacks—tiger claws, bull horns, and sword beams—missed their mark, colliding violently with a deafening roar.

"How is this possible?" The Golden-Eyed Tiger King's pupils contracted. Their attacks had clearly blocked all possible escape routes!

Then he saw a sharp Golden Light, seemingly capable of slicing through the laws of Heaven and Earth, appear before the Iron-Armored Bull King without warning.

The Iron-Armored Bull King instinctively sensed a deadly threat and tried to dodge, but the Golden Light was too fast!

"Puff!"

The Golden Light easily sliced through its prized black horn, which was comparable to a Heaven Rank magic weapon, and pierced through its skull with unstoppable force!

"Moo--!"

A piercing scream echoed through the sky!

The massive body of the Iron-Armored Bull King convulsed, and terrifying Sharp Metal energy raged within its skull.

"The second one." Ji An's figure flashed and disappeared above the bull's head.

"Old Bull!!" The Golden-Eyed Tiger King's eyes were bloodshot.

It was now fully aware that none of them were a match for Ji An, who was probably comparable to some weak immortals!

"It's your turn." Ji An calmly looked at the remaining Primordial Spirit Demon King and Mo Sun.

His azure wings fluttered slightly, and the Thunderfire World around him appeared so calm and composed.

Looking into Ji An's cold eyes, and then glancing at the Withered Bone Mountain littered with demon corpses below, the Golden-Eyed Tiger King finally understood the utter despair that Xiao Yue and the Old Ox had felt before their deaths.

The so-called hegemony of Withered Bone Mountain ended before it even began.

The Dark Fiend Guards in the distance were equally shocked; they hadn't expected Ji An to be so powerful!