Villain : After Slacking Off, The Protagonist Collapse-Chapter 267
Chapter 267
Northern Territory.
One of the five major regions of the Nine Heavens Realm, the Northern Territory was distinct from the desolation of the West Desert and the prosperity of the Central Region.
Most of its lands were occupied by forbidden zones, making the Northern Territory inconspicuous and often overlooked.
In some ways, it was even less noteworthy than the West Desert, which at least boasted the renowned Ten Thousand Buddha Sect. By contrast, the Northern Territory was rather ordinary.
Despite this, it still housed two immortal-level factions: the Yin-Yang Holy Land and the Gu Family. However, after the destruction of the Gu Family, only the Yin-Yang Holy Land remained dominant.
At this moment, a winding mountain range sprawled across the land. The towering peaks, blanketed by dense forests, resembled a fierce white tiger standing on its hind legs, exuding an aura of savagery that seemed to roar at the heavens.
Deep within these mountains lay an unfathomable canyon. Hidden in the shadows of this abyss was a massive altar, constructed from an eerie, pitch-black stone that emitted a faint blue glow.
In the darkness, the light flickered like ghostly flames, creating a chilling and ominous atmosphere.
“These fools in the Nine Heavens Realm only know how to fight among themselves. I bet they’d never guess we’re about to sacrifice most of the Northern Territory,” a grotesque creature sneered beneath the altar. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦
This creature stood just over a meter tall and had an unsettlingly twisted form, appearing as if dozens of different animals had been grotesquely merged into one.
Its visage was so terrifying that even the bravest souls would shudder upon seeing it, especially in the dead of night. Its hideousness was almost otherworldly.
“Master Heavenly Demon, how could those idiots in the Nine Heavens Realm possibly anticipate this?” said Du Guxiong, his face full of flattery.
“They’re all still preoccupied with the conflict between the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Clan and the Ancient Imperial Clans. How could they ever suspect what we’re doing now? Besides, they probably think we’re still bound by the Eternal Emperor’s seal, unable to act.”
Despite his domineering reputation in the outside world, Du Guxiong’s status within the Ancient Desolate Demon Realm was far from lofty. Before beings like the Quasi-Emperor-level Heavenly Demon, all he could do was bow and scrape.
However, when it came to ordinary demons, Du Guxiong’s arrogance knew no bounds.
“The demonic array is nearly ready. In just a few days, it will be fully activated,” The Heavenly Demon said, his hideous face twisting into a cruel grin.
“Once the Heavenly Fiend Demon Array is opened, most of the Northern Territory’s living beings will be sacrificed to establish a direct link to the Demon Realm.”
“Even the Eternal Emperor’s seal won’t be able to stop us! When that happens, the entire Nine Heavens Realm will once again fall into the hands of the Heavenly Demon Clan.”
Heavenly Demon’s eyes gleamed with expectation. The suppression of the Eternal Emperor’s formation had frustrated the Heavenly Demons for far too long, leaving them seething with rage and resentment.
Now that the seal was about to be broken, how could they not be overjoyed?
“I hear that the Holy Son of the Primordial Holy Land is quite the prodigy. Is it true?” Heavenly Demon asked Du Guxiong casually.
As the Demon Emperor’s right hand and the overseer of the Heavenly Fiend Demon Array, Heavenly Demon’s authority and strength were unquestionable.
At the eighth stage of the Quasi-Emperor realm, he held absolute command over the operation, and Du Guxiong dared not show the slightest disrespect.
“It is indeed true,” Du Guxiong replied after a moment of deliberation. “The Holy Son of the Primordial Holy Land is hailed as the greatest genius in history.”
“He started transcending tribulations while still in the Quasi-Saint Realm and once killed a ninth-stage Saint King while still in the Saint Realm.
“His strength and talent are both terrifyingly extraordinary. In the past, even the Demon Emperor perceived him as a threat and wanted to eliminate him. Unfortunately, the seal of the Eternal Emperor’s formation prevented us from acting directly against Jiang Chen.l
“But that will no longer matter once the array is activated. When the Demon Emperor is freed, even the so-called greatest genius will be nothing more than an ant, easily crushed with a single hand.”
Though Du Guxiong deeply despised Jiang Chen for thwarting their plans and for his affiliation with the Primordial Holy Land, he begrudgingly acknowledged Jiang Chen’s monstrous talent.
He was, without a doubt, the most formidable prodigy Du Guxiong had ever encountered, with strength and ability reaching unimaginable heights.
“A mere prodigy is hardly worth mentioning. Killing him later will be a simple matter,” The Heavenly Demon said dismissively.
Du Guxiong nodded with a sycophantic smile but said nothing more.
—
Meanwhile, in the Void.
The Pure Yang Holy Master and the Sun God King strode through an endless expanse of space. Guided by the power of the All Heaven Mirror, they arrived at a mysterious location.
Below them lay an ancient altar, its intricate patterns stretching out in all directions. In the distance, they could faintly make out the gates of the Yin-Yang Holy Land.
“The Ancient Desolate Demon Realm managed to set up this array right under the Yin-Yang Holy Land’s nose, and they didn’t notice?” The Pure Yang Holy Master clicked his tongue in disbelief.
Though the altar was at least a thousand kilometers away, that distance was insignificant for experts of their level.
The proximity of the array to the Holy Land, combined with their ignorance of its existence, left the Pure Yang Holy Master speculating whether the Yin-Yang Holy Land had colluded with the Ancient Desolate Demon Realm.
“Too complacent,” the Sun God King remarked with a shake of his head. “If not for the Primordial Holy Land’s early discovery, the consequences would have been catastrophic.”
“Most of the Northern Territory’s life would have been sacrificed, and while the Yin-Yang Holy Land might have preserved itself, allowing such a formation to be set up unnoticed is an inexcusable lapse.”
The Pure Yang Holy Master sighed and said, “Let’s get started. The sooner we deal with this, the better.”
“Agreed.”
Without hesitation, the two unleashed their power, tearing through the void with devastating force. The surrounding space quaked as their energy reverberated across the mountains, causing the earth to tremble and the sky to shake.
The intense fluctuations surged like a tidal wave.
“Who’s there?” A grotesque Heavenly Demon bellowed in alarm, its expression shifting rapidly.
Could it have been discovered by the Yin-Yang Holy Land? Impossible. If they had noticed, it would have been long before now, not at this critical moment.
In the next instant, the void exploded as the Pure Yang Holy Master and the Sun God King arrived together.
“Die!” The Pure Yang Holy Master thrust both hands forward, radiating the power of the sun and moon.
His terrifying aura erupted, suppressing the heavens and earth, as an immense, destructive palm hurtled toward the altar ahead.
“Stop!” Seeing the altar about to be obliterated, a Great Saint-level Heavenly Demon’s pupils shrank, and it rushed to intercept.
Boom!
Their collision unleashed a wave of devastating energy. The void shattered, the ground quaked, and mountains trembled. In an instant, the land for thousands of miles around was obliterated.
“Who dares!” The violent tremors roused the experts within the Yin-Yang Holy Land.
The Yin-Yang Holy Master, along with several Saint-level experts, rushed out. When they saw the Pure Yang Holy Master battling a Great Saint-level Heavenly Demon in the distance, their faces darkened.
“Yin-Yang Holy Master, your age must be catching up with you!” the Pure Yang Holy Master quipped with his habitual sarcasm.
“A demon sets up a formation right under your nose, and you don’t even notice? Your ancestors would be so furious they’d break out of their coffins to slap you!”
The Yin-Yang Holy Land experts grimaced, their faces a mix of embarrassment and fury. The truth was undeniable, leaving them no room to retort. Their expressions flushed with shame; this incident was utterly disgraceful.
For such an event to occur within the territory of an immortal-level faction like the Yin-Yang Holy Land was inexcusable.
An enemy setting up a formation at their doorstep without detection? If not for an external warning, they would still be unaware. Should news of this spread, it would be a humiliation beyond measure.
“Kill!” The Yin-Yang Holy Master bellowed, determined to salvage what dignity they could by slaying the demon before them.
“You seek death!” The Heavenly Demon roared in fury, releasing a tide of black divine light that blanketed the heavens as if to devour the world. Its anger was palpable.
