Chapter 146: The Elite Showdown

“Fellow cultivators, in this fierce battle, my junior brother and I will join forces to confront the Unborn Demon Lord. As for Xuanhuang and Mogu Duo, I entrust them to the Great Master and the two of you. Does this arrangement suit everyone?”

The voice transmitted was that of Ming Tianlun, the Second Elder Supreme of the Hundred Flowers Sect, an old man with a baby-faced appearance.

“Amitabha. How confident are you two in dealing with the Unborn? I alone can contend with Mogu Duo, but against Xuanhuang, I fear I am powerless,” said Master Rangci, the abbot and top expert of the Great Compassion Monastery, with a grave and reluctant expression. Master Rangci’s profound cultivation earned him the respect of Buddhist elders, ranking even above many divine monks of Futuo Temple.

“Leave the old demon Xuanhuang to us,” said Yu Miao, a True Immortal of the Tai Chi Sect, wielding a whisk and carrying twin swords on his back. A scattered immortal who had just passed through the third thunder tribulation.

Ming Tianlun and Ji Wujue exchanged wry smiles. The Unborn Demon Lord was universally recognized in the Shenzhou cultivation world as the foremost demon of the demonic path, a sixth-level scattered demon! It was difficult just to survive several encounters with him, let alone defeat him. They had hoped the alliance of the cultivation world would gather ten scattered immortals, but most sects’ top masters remained secluded, merely surviving in hiding. Only the Hundred Flowers Sect, Great Compassion Monastery, Tai Chi Sect, and the Sword Sect had responded. Among them, the two scattered immortals Ming Tianlun and Ji Wujue were the most powerful at the fourth level. If they did not confront the Unborn, no one else could.

“Brother Yu Miao, this battle between righteousness and evil looks grim. If we can capture the old demon Xuanhuang first and then swiftly aid brothers Ming and Ji, perhaps we can avoid heavy casualties,” said Dugu Po of the Sword Sect, carrying a massive dark blue sword on his back, his face stern and bearded like sharp thorns.

“There’s no other way,” Ji Wujue sighed. Life or death was uncertain, the future unpredictable. But since righteousness and evil have never coexisted, and the scattered demons had broken the rules by launching an attack, the scattered immortals supporting the righteous path had no choice but to bravely confront them.

“Hahaha! Have you all made your plans? I’ve been waiting for you for a long time. Why do you hesitate to enter my Ten Thousand Demons Heaven? Are you afraid? Hahaha!”

As the five scattered immortals finished their discussion high above the clouds, a wild and arrogant aura suddenly rippled through the air. Three figures appeared a hundred miles ahead of them.

The leader of these three stepped on azure qi, clad in a crimson robe, with a gaunt face appearing about forty years old. A purple whirlpool of demonic energy swirled above his head—this was the Unborn Demon Lord! To his left stood the old demon Xuanhuang, smiling as he gazed into the distance, his pupils radiating terrifying yellow and blue light.

“Heh heh heh! Boss, these few are just perfect for me as nourishment. I’ll devour their flesh and blood, then trap their souls in my demon taro, so they’ll never be reborn,” said Mogu Duo, the strangest-looking of the three demon lords. He resembled a perfect skeleton, with blue flames flickering in his eye sockets. His jawbones clacked as he spoke, producing a rattling sound. Though he had no flesh, his jade-green bones were as hard as diamond, crystal clear. In his left hand he held a black scythe-like blade; in his right, a demon taro corpse emperor flower—both treasures he had refined over a hundred years.

Though Mogu Duo looked eerie, his strength was the weakest among the three demons, as many spells required a flesh body.

“Evil demons! We have come to settle the score with you three!” Yu Miao raised his whisk, ready to strike.

“Hold, fellow cultivator,” Master Rangci hastily stepped forward. Yu Miao hesitated but stopped to hear what the venerable monk had to say.

Master Rangci chanted a Buddhist mantra and said, “Unborn! The rules of Heaven and Earth—whether righteous or demonic—the scattered immortals and demons must not interfere in worldly conflicts. Have you all forgotten this unspoken law?”

The monk’s attempt at persuasion was but a futile effort akin to bargaining with a tiger’s hide.

“Hahaha! Rangci, who sets the rules of Heaven and Earth? The strong prevail! The day my Ten Thousand Demons Heaven unites Shenzhou is near. Why fear such petty rules? You have cultivated for centuries and yet remain so naive, truly clutching at Buddha’s feet in desperation!” The Unborn Demon Lord laughed heartily, then suddenly changed expression and roared, “Today, all of you scattered immortals shall remain here; none shall escape! Attack together!”

With that, the Unborn Demon Lord vanished over a hundred miles in an instant and raised his hand, proclaiming, “No birth, no death!”

Suddenly, boundless demonic clouds erupted—like smoke but untouchable, a gray haze filled with twisted faces, ferocious roars, and anguished resentments. Thoughts and emotions flooded the scattered immortals’ minds. Without deep cultivation and focus, they would immediately fall under the demon lord’s control.

“Amitabha! Formlessness and fruitlessness, pure world flying blossoms!” Master Rangci softly chanted, and ethereal heavenly sounds spread through the area. White, pink, and golden lotus flowers, epiphyllum, and various sacred Buddhist blossoms blossomed from thin air, colliding with the foul demonic clouds and consuming them.

“Thousand-Leaves Formation!” Ji Wujue shouted, summoning countless flying leaves that enveloped each scattered immortal in a green radiance, physically blocking the demonic clouds. The bizarre evil thoughts touched the leaves and dissipated into blue smoke.

“Celestial Ten Techniques!” Dugu Po pointed his finger, and a giant sword soared behind him. Golden lightning spiraled above thousands of sword auras, forming a wall of blades that bombarded the three scattered demons.

At the same time, Yu Miao clapped his palms and shouted coldly, “Supreme Tai, Ultimate Way, Xuanhuang Demon Lord, receive my Tai Chi primal energy!”

His palms suddenly enlarged ten thousand times, crackling with thunder and lightning, forming a massive Tai Chi diagram hurled at the old demon Xuanhuang.

Meanwhile, Ming Tianlun flicked his fingers, releasing hundreds of sword energies, summoning a peerless giant sword that hovered overhead. Countless golden runes shimmered on the blade. Though appearing ordinary, it contained boundless killing intent, outshining the other treasures present.

“Immortal sword! Haha, Ming Tianlun, so you’ve brought such a treasure this time. No wonder you’re so bold. I gladly accept!” The Unborn Demon Lord sneered and unleashed a demonic hand seal toward Ming Tianlun, tearing open a spatial rift with flashing flames and writhing electric snakes.

Seeing this, Ji Wujue charged sideways. The two brothers quickly maneuvered hundreds of miles away from the demon lord. Yu Miao and Dugu Po surrounded the old demon Xuanhuang, while Master Rangci faced off alone against Mogu Duo. Thus, the three-sided battle commenced.

The war between scattered immortals and demons unfolded high in the sky. Ordinary people looking up could only see dark clouds thick with lightning, unaware that the world’s top experts were fighting to the death.

These eight chose to duel tens of thousands of feet above ground to avoid shocking the world below and to provide convenience for their disciples, maintaining non-interference. Without cultivation above the nascent spirit stage, no one could survive even a moment in this place, where fierce winds could shred flesh.

In the Mohuang Mountains, the righteous forces led by the wise supreme monk and Jun Wuji were engaged in direct dialogue with the Ten Thousand Demons Heaven.

Ahead, the demon cult led by Emperor Huangming, Shen Yinnan, and Shangguan Zheng stood on the clouds. Behind them, five demon lords including Ren Qianshu and Qi Baifang, alongside sixty-two cave masters such as Zhuge Weiyan, formed massive ranks. Further back, thousands of disciples of Ten Thousand Demons Heaven awaited orders, ready to unleash a volley of swords to annihilate all opposition. The sky shimmered with myriad treasures, dazzling beyond description. Below in the valley, thousands of disciples gazed upward with indescribable excitement.

“Wise one, you dare come to die before me in person? Have the Taoists and Buddhists all lost their minds?” Emperor Huangming’s demonic voice echoed across the mountains and skies, majestic and unparalleled.

Thousands of demon cult disciples shouted to boost morale as demonic energies surged upward with arrogant fervor.

The wise supreme monk spun his prayer beads and declared loudly, “Emperor Huangming, we have come alone to slay the evil demons, to set the heavens right and restore justice. If you know what’s real, release our fellow cultivators and spare yourselves death!”

In truth, the righteous sects had almost no hope for their comrades captured by the demon cult; escape was nearly impossible.

“Hahahahaha…” Emperor Huangming laughed heartily and secretly unleashed a demonic chant that forced several sect leaders to resist internally.

“How laughable, monk! If you want to see them, then meet them again in hell! Attack!” Emperor Huangming flicked his dragon-sleeve, and battle erupted instantly.

Shen Yinnan and Shangguan Zheng, two cult envoys, joined five demon lords to launch the first assault. They wielded their treasures and nascent spirits to strike at their opponents, who were renowned sect leaders and abbots—far from easy to defeat in one blow.

“Thank you, fellow cultivators,” the sect leaders subtly nodded to Jun Wuji amid the fierce onslaught, none acting rashly.

The Hundred Flowers Sect leader smiled calmly, flicking his finger as a five-colored divine light burst forth like ethereal ribbons forming a vast celestial river, instantly engulfing the seven demon cult elites and their spells with no trace left.

“What! Who exactly are you?” Emperor Huangming was shocked to see his subordinates vanish without a trace, suspecting Jun Wuji was some incarnation of a scattered immortal, as no ordinary person could possess such cultivation.

“I am Jun Wuji. Emperor Huangming, what’s there to be surprised about? Since this is a life-and-death battle, show some real skill,” Jun Wuji said calmly, sweat pouring from his forehead and back. All his spiritual energy had been drained, and it was a miracle he could still fly.

Though the “Phantom Flower Formation” was powerful, it could only trap opponents temporarily. Casting it on so many at once weakened its effect considerably. Jun Wuji stepped back, taking several pills, guarded closely by Xuan Shengguang, the leader of the White Cloud Sword Sect.

“Haha, truly there are heavens beyond heavens. Fine! I shall let you witness the supreme demonic artifact of my Ten Thousand Demons Heaven!” Emperor Huangming, a person of great renown, immediately noticed Jun Wuji’s weakened state. The vanished followers were certainly still alive but trapped. Even if they all died, it would not shake Emperor Huangming’s resolve, for as the overlord of the demonic path, he had his own trump cards!