Chapter 1387 |
Chapter 1387: Changing the Landscape of the Starry Sky Demons
As she spoke, the Blood Empress Demon King gave Hong Ji no chance to react.
A massive Demon King-level pressure crashed down on him.
With a flick of her jade-like hand, a blood-red petal materialized from thin air.
The petal was breathtakingly beautiful.
Yet it brimmed with deadly menace.
In an instant, it shot toward Hong Ji.
His face twisted in horror, but his movements were locked by the Blood Empress Demon King’s aura.
The attack struck.
Even on the brink of death, Hong Ji dared to threaten her.
As a figure from the Boundless Demon Sect, he believed he held a “get-out-of-death-free” card.
But reality proved he’d overestimated himself.
The petal enveloped him.
Its Demon King-level energy erupted.
Though Hong Ji was a ninth-rank Demon General, he couldn’t withstand it.
He was annihilated instantly!
For a top-tier Demon King, crushing a Demon General was as simple as squashing an ant.
Hong Ji’s body shattered, and his soul fled, desperate to escape.
The Blood Empress Demon King sneered.
With a wave of her hand, an invisible surge of Demon King-level energy ensnared his soul.
Escape was impossible!
“Lady Blood Empress, I was wrong! Spare me! For the sake of the Boundless Demon Sect!”
Even now, he clung to the sect’s name to beg for mercy.
But the Blood Empress Demon King had no intention of sparing his soul.
Ignoring his pleas, she clenched her hand.
Hong Ji’s ninth-rank Demon General soul vanished into nothingness.
The scene left the square in stunned silence.
“What’s happening? Why did the Blood Empress Demon King start killing the moment she arrived? And a ninth-rank Demon General at that!”
“I heard him mention the Boundless Demon Sect. What’s their connection? Was Hong Ji one of theirs?”
“Damn it! Blood Demon City is supposed to be lawless, free from any sect’s grip. I never thought a spy from the Boundless Demon Sect had slipped in.”
“Lady Blood Empress did well! Those dogs from the major sects deserve death!”
“…”
Unexpectedly, Hong Ji’s final cry about the Boundless Demon Sect rallied the crowd to cheer his demise!
Cultivators in places like Blood Demon City and the City of Chaos harbored deep resentment toward the major sects.
Which of them hadn’t been driven to desperation by those powers before ending up here?
Even Su Jingzhen hadn’t anticipated this reaction.
The Blood Empress Demon King turned her gaze to the other Demon Generals who had accompanied Hong Ji.
Without hesitation, she struck.
Her Demon King-level power erupted, annihilating these undercover agents from the Boundless Demon Realm’s sects.
Not a single soul survived.
After dispatching over a dozen Demon Generals, her expression remained serene.
Her gaze swept over the remaining cultivators.
Wherever it landed, fear followed.
They dreaded that she might turn on them next.
One by one, they bowed respectfully, their faces pleading, “You’ve killed them, so you won’t kill us too, right?”
Then, the Blood Empress Demon King spoke again: “From this moment, Blood Demon City is under my control! I will establish a new order here. Those who cannot adapt or refuse to comply may leave immediately. Anyone still in Blood Demon City after one hour will be deemed to have accepted my new rules! Thereafter, violators will be executed without mercy!”
Her voice was frigid, laced with boundless killing intent.
The crowd was both shocked and terrified. Many didn’t hesitate to flee.
“I came to Blood Demon City for its freedom. I could tolerate the unspoken rules before. But if you’re imposing explicit ones, I’m out.”
“Hah, trying to mimic other sects and build a faction here? This isn’t the place for that. Even with Lady Blood Empress’s strength, leading a pack of demonic cultivators and riffraff is too tall an order.”
“Not necessarily! I think her proposal has merit. Blood Demon City lacked a strong figure to hold it openly. Sect disciples often came here under the guise of ‘eliminating evil’ to stir trouble. If we control the inter-realm passageways and set rules, the major sects might think twice before meddling.”
“…”
The cultivators’ reactions were mixed.
Many opted to leave at once, knowing it might be harder later.
True to her word, the Blood Empress Demon King didn’t stop them.
Su Jingzhen watched her, surprised by her decisiveness.
This move thrust them into the open in the Boundless Demon Realm.
Retaliation from its major forces was inevitable.
The Boundless Demon Sect would likely strike first, given her history with them.
“This deviates from my original plan.”
Su Jingzhen sighed inwardly.
He’d intended to keep a low profile in the Boundless Demon Realm.
Through the Realm Merchants, he planned to secretly approach the Boundless Demon Sect and gather intel on Luo Yuebai and Feng Qingya.
“But I’ll adapt. If I make a name here, Qingya and Yuebai might hear of me and seek me out.”
He muttered to himself, ever flexible.
In his view, he had three Demon Kings from the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
With the Blood Empress Demon King, four Demon Kings guarding Blood Demon City made it a top-tier Demon King-level force in the Boundless Demon Realm.
Even the Boundless Demon Sect would struggle to crush them unless the Boundless True Demon intervened personally.
From the moment he subdued the Blood Empress Demon King, Blood Demon City had become a powerhouse.
Even if the Boundless Demon Realm rallied other forces to besiege them, Su Jingzhen wasn’t fazed.
The city’s demonic cultivators and scoundrels were vile.
If they were wiped out, he’d shed no tears.
He and the Blood Empress Demon King could simply leave.
She was already formidable.
With the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, her strength could soar.
With Little Green’s full support, she might soon rival the Ten Great Demon Kings.
Escaping would be trivial then.
With this clarity, Su Jingzhen relaxed.
An hour passed swiftly.
The news had spread throughout Blood Demon City.
The cultivator population dwindled significantly.
Most had retreated to the ports.
No matter how bold the Blood Empress Demon King and Su Jingzhen were, they wouldn’t dare block those.
The ports were vital for the movement of powerhouses from the eight great worlds.
Not even the Boundless Demon Sect would risk shutting them down.
Yet, the desolate square grew increasingly crowded.
These were newcomers, drawn by the announcement.
Their eyes blazed with fervor as they looked at Su Jingzhen and the Blood Empress Demon King.
Restless souls, eager for chaos.
Several Demon General-level experts stood among them.
Su Jingzhen sensed their boundless sin without even looking closely.
“The hour is up. Those who remain have accepted my new rules.”
The Blood Empress Demon King surveyed the crowd, a trace of satisfaction on her face.
Their fervor persisted.
She continued: “From now on, Blood Demon City is a faction of the Boundless Demon Realm. It’s no longer a free-for-all. The inter-realm passageways will be our core resource. Anyone using them—be it powerhouses or Realm Merchants from any world or faction—must report to Blood Demon City and pay tariffs!
I’ll remember each of you. Based on your performance and contributions, I’ll assign positions and regular stipends, akin to other sects. With control over the passageways and ports, Blood Demon City’s future will not disappoint!”
She painted a grand vision—a smart move, regardless of what lay ahead.
She made promises and outlined plans for the city’s growth.
The demonic cultivators and scoundrels buzzed with excitement.
Among the Starry Sky Demons’ nine great worlds, each world’s inter-realm passageways were key ports.
Aside from the top-ranked Demon God Realm, they were lawless chaos zones.
No one had dared seize and openly declare control over them.
Thus, Su Jingzhen and the Blood Empress Demon King were poised to etch their names in history.
Meanwhile, Jin Zhongbao and the Realm Merchants had retreated to the port during her announcement.
Through a small formation left on the square, they observed.
Jin Zhongbao’s plump face was etched with shock.
“What’s happening today will shake the Starry Sky Demons. It’s surreal—terrifying! Countless bold figures have risen in the Starry Sky Demons, but none this mad!
This is the Boundless Demon Realm, second among the Starry Sky Demons. They dare challenge the Boundless Demon Sect openly.
What gives the Blood Empress Demon King such confidence? Even with Jingzhen’s Demon Kings, they have only two. At best, they’re mid-tier among the Boundless Demon Realm’s Demon King factions.”
Watching through the formation, Jin Zhongbao sighed, a hint of fear in his voice.
Had they hesitated and missed the hour, they’d be part of Blood Demon City’s rebellion.
In his eyes, this was a revolt against the Starry Sky Demons’ major worlds!
His heart churned with complexity.
In one day, events had spiraled to this.
“Manager Jin, what now?” a Realm Merchant asked gravely.
Jin Zhongbao smiled wryly. “What can we do? Adapt. If they fail and are crushed by the major forces, their rebellion won’t touch us. If they succeed, we’ve got a good tie with Jingzhen. Future business with them will profit us.”
His eyes brightened.
Secretly, he hoped they’d succeed.
Controlling a port, if managed well, could make him the Realm Merchants’ sole partner here.
The profits would be staggering.
“For now, report this. The rest is out of our hands. Soon, powerhouses from the major forces will come to suppress them. This time will be critical. We’ll watch from the port.”
The other Realm Merchants nodded silently.
On the square, after the Blood Empress Demon King outlined her plans, the city’s madmen began purging undercover agents from the major sects who’d stayed.
They’d long known which shops were sect strongholds but never dared act.
Now, it was a slaughter.
In a newly built palace at the city’s center, Su Jingzhen kept his arm around the Blood Empress Demon King’s waist.
“Sister Blood Empress, isn’t this overreach? We’ve now offended every major force in the Boundless Demon Realm. By tomorrow, a host of powerhouses might come to crush us. With just Mo Xuantian and you, I fear we can’t hold out.”
His expression was grave.
He could foresee this.
The Blood Empress Demon King’s lips curved into a smile.
“But I never planned to hold out from the start.”
Her words stunned him.
Before he could ask, she continued: “In the Boundless Demon Realm, forget the other forces. Take the Boundless Demon Sect alone—leaving aside the Boundless True Demon, first among the Ten Great Demon Kings, even their No Thought Demon King, eighth among them, outmatches me.
If other Demon King factions unite against Blood Demon City, what do we have to resist? Even with the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss’s others, we’d still fall short.”
Her expression stayed calm, as if she’d accepted this.
Su Jingzhen’s confusion deepened.
“Then why the high-profile announcement? We could’ve moved quietly, step by step. Secretly controlling Blood Demon City, even if the Boundless Demon Sect and others caught wind, they couldn’t act openly. It’s part of their unspoken rules.”
He genuinely didn’t understand.
From the start, she’d killed over a dozen Demon General agents, declaring war on those forces.
She’d steered them toward irreconcilability.
The Blood Empress Demon King smiled again. “If they come, we leave. Blood Demon City is full of cruel, sinful wretches. Letting the major sects cleanse it isn’t a bad thing. After they’re done, we return. The Demon Kings won’t garrison it forever, right?
I’d wager no more than three would stay. By then, with my strength boosted in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and with the others’ help, we can reclaim it easily. After a few rounds, their alliance will crumble.”
She paused, then added, “Then we’re in the shadows, they’re in the open. With my power, crushing ordinary Demon King and Demon General forces will be child’s play. Understand now, little brother?”
Su Jingzhen’s heart jolted.
He hadn’t expected her ambitions to be so vast, yet her logic echoed his own.
Neither cared for Blood Demon City’s inhabitants.
Their deaths meant nothing.
The outcome? Blood Demon City would eventually be theirs.
Unless, as she’d noted, the Boundless True Demon hunted them relentlessly to the death—an unlikely scenario.
Soon, their control would be tacitly accepted.
Other worlds might follow.
This could reshape the Starry Sky Demons’ age-old order.
Her charming smile returned. “So, little brother, get ready. We might soon be on the run.”