Chapter 325: True Form of the Demon Ancestor, Breaking Through the Divine Image Realm

Chapter 325: True Form of the Demon Ancestor, Breaking Through the Divine Image Realm

As soon as Xiao Hu heard this, he glared and said in a deep voice, "Bring that man to me, now!"

"Your Majesty, that man is not weak. It won't be easy to capture him," the spiritual beast replied.

Xiao Hu's eyes narrowed as he looked at the group of super-tier 6 spiritual beasts, and said, "Which one of you will bring him to me?"

"I will, Your Majesty!"

Snow Wolf jumped up immediately, not giving the other beasts a chance. He quickly wrapped his body around the spiritual beast and rushed out of the hall, asking it to lead the way to capture the human.

Somewhere in Tianling State, Zhu Xingzheng was up to his old tricks again, deceiving spiritual beasts. However, he was puzzled as these beasts seemed somewhat different from the ones he had encountered before. In the past, when he entered Tianling State, deceiving and ultimately controlling the spiritual beasts had not been very difficult. But now, it seemed like the task had become more challenging.

These spiritual beasts seemed impervious to his deception, simply covering their ears as if to block out his words.

"This is strange. I haven't let the secret of my deception slip, so why do these beasts seem so wary of my silver tongue?" Zhu Xingzheng wondered to himself.

Suddenly, his expression changed as he realized he was facing a super-tier 6 spiritual beast! But he quickly calmed himself, thinking that it was just a single beast, and with his current peak God Refining stage, he should be able to pull off a deception.

"I, Zhu Xingzheng of the Myriad Ages Alliance, greet the Spirit Beast King!"

Regardless of whether the beast before him was truly the king or not, as a super-tier 6 spiritual beast, it deserved his flattery.

"So, it's you, little brat, who has been deceiving my demon tribe?" a voice boomed, leaving Zhu Xingzheng stunned.

Demon tribe?

And they were quick to resort to violence!

He wanted to resist, but the other party was too strong, far surpassing him. Any resistance now would only ruin any chance of de-escalation.

"King of Beasts, let's talk this out. I have no ill intentions... I have here..." Zhu Xingzheng prepared to take out a pill, hoping to sway the super-tier 6 spiritual beast in the name of the Myriad Ages Alliance.

"Who are you calling a beast? I am a noble elder of the Demon Tribe!" Snow Wolf roared.

Zhu Xingzheng was completely bewildered. He had addressed the beast with respect, so how had it become an insult?

And an elder of the Demon Tribe? In the Spirit Domain, there had never been a Demon Tribe, or so he thought. Was this not just a super-tier 6 spiritual beast?

"By the order of the mighty and awe-inspiring Great Demon King, I have come to capture you, you wretch!" Snow Wolf said, and with a swipe of its claw, it captured Zhu Xingzheng.

In the grand hall, Xiao Hu sat regally on a throne, looking down at the captive below.

On either side of the hall stood a group of super-tier 6 spiritual beasts, their demeanor solemn as they watched Snow Wolf bring Zhu Xingzheng before them.

At this moment, Zhu Xingzheng's heart was filled with dread as he finally realized that something was amiss.

*Smack!*

Snow Wolf tossed Zhu Xingzheng onto the ground and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, the Great Demon King, as commanded, I have brought this man before you."

"Good, very good!" Xiao Hu nodded.

Zhu Xingzheng's face turned green. Every beast in this grand hall was a super-tier 6 spiritual beast, and what was more terrifying was that the spiritual beasts had produced a true king among them!

A king that ruled over the entire tribe of spiritual beasts.

He looked up and saw three thrones. On one sat a majestic Bengal tiger with a thick gold chain around its neck, exuding an aura of flamboyance and newfound wealth.

On the left was a jade dragon, and on the right—a Toadspeak Gem?

Such a powerful Toadspeak Gem?

"Your Majesty, the Great Demon King, I am Zhu Xingzheng, an envoy of the Myriad Ages Alliance. I have come to Tianling State to discuss the formation of an alliance between our two factions..." Zhu Xingzheng said, his voice filled with respect as he felt the overwhelming pressure emanating from the beasts.

He decided to bring out the Myriad Ages Alliance, claiming that he represented them as an envoy. Surely they wouldn't dare harm an envoy.

"As a token of our sincerity, the Myriad Ages Alliance offers a rare and precious pill, a gift to Your Majesty, the Great Demon King."

Zhu Xingzheng quickly took out a bottle containing a pill.

Thanks to his good relationship with the Evergreen Pavilion, and the fact that the Young Master of the Alliance, Fang Hao, was a disciple of Su Lingxiu, the master of the Evergreen Pavilion, he had been able to purchase quite a few pills.

The rapid improvement in his strength was also due in part to the assistance of these pills.

Of course, over the years, he had also used pills to lure many spiritual beasts away from Tianling State...

Zhu Xingzheng believed that as long as he invoked the name of the Myriad Ages Alliance, flattered them, and offered the pill, this trip would be smooth sailing.

Xiao Hu looked at the pill in Zhu Xingzheng's hand and fell into a thoughtful silence. These pills were only produced by the Evergreen Pavilion, and in the entire Spirit Domain, only Su Lingxiu knew how to refine them.

And she was the Demon Tribe's Holy Mother!

If this human was an acquaintance of the Evergreen Pavilion, they couldn't afford to offend him. But Xiao Hu wasn't sure about the current situation of the Evergreen Pavilion. Had they started selling pills to outsiders?

With a flick of his claw, the pill flew out of Zhu Xingzheng's hand and into Xiao Hu's possession. Upon inspection, it was indeed a genuine pill crafted by Su Lingxiu.

Xiao Hu kept it for himself.

Zhu Xingzheng breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hand over your storage bag," Xiao Hu demanded, lifting a claw and revealing a sharp talon.

"Yes, yes!" Zhu Xingzheng cursed inwardly, but he had no choice but to obediently hand over his storage bag.

"Thankfully, I got a storage ring from the Young Master. Otherwise, I would've been cleaned out," Zhu Xingzheng thought to himself, grateful that his most precious items were stored in the ring.

The storage bag was an outdated item in the Spirit Domain, and he only kept a small portion of his collection in it, precisely to avoid being robbed one day.

"And that ring, too," Xiao Hu said, his sharp talon beckoning once more.

"Your Majesty, the Great Demon King, this ring was a gift from my beloved. It is a token of our love. Please, Your Majesty, spare this one item. My beloved has passed away, and this is the only memento I have of her..." Zhu Xingzheng's eyes glistened with unshed tears as he spun a tale of woe.

The beasts listened, their eyes softening with sympathy.

"Give it here. I won't take your ring," Xiao Hu said, his face stern.

Zhu Xingzheng cursed inwardly. This fat tiger was heartless, not moved by his story at all.

Feeling the weight of Xiao Hu's gaze, Zhu Xingzheng swallowed his saliva and reluctantly handed over the ring.

"Don't worry. I've left a mark on the ring crafted by the Young Master. Others won't be able to detect the hidden space within," Zhu Xingzheng thought, his anxiety easing slightly. "Your Majesty, the Great Demon King, I beg of you to return my token of love. Without it, I don't know how I'll be able to go on..."

"Rest assured, I will return it to you," Xiao Hu nodded, and to Zhu Xingzheng's shock, he removed the mark and transferred all the contents of the storage ring into the storage bag. He then returned the empty ring to Zhu Xingzheng.

"Here you go," Xiao Hu said, leaving Zhu Xingzheng feeling miserable and in pain. He could only put on a grateful face and say, "Thank you, Great Demon King."

"Hmm," Xiao Hu nodded.

"Ah?" Zhu Xingzheng was taken aback.

"I know much more than you think. Speak!" The Flame-winged Phoenix demanded, his voice rumbling with power.

"The pills are expensive..." Zhu Xingzheng intended to exaggerate the price he had paid for the pills, but a sudden intuition warned him that doing so might backfire.

So, he changed his tactic and said, "Although the pills are costly, I do have some connections. They offer a buy-one-get-one deal. Great King, if you are interested, I can purchase them for you!"

The Flame-winged Phoenix understood. The buy-one-get-one offer indicated that Zhu Xingzheng had some connection to the Evergreen Pavilion.

"All of you, leave us," the Flame-winged Phoenix ordered, waving his claw. "Quickly convey my orders. Our demon tribe is newly established, and we have many matters to attend to. Snow Wolf and the rest of you, come up with a set of rules and present them to me."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The group of spiritual beasts scattered, each tending to their assigned tasks. With the recent establishment of the demon tribe, they anticipated a busy period ahead.

The Flame-winged Phoenix draped his arm around Zhu Xingzheng's shoulders, as if holding a little chick, and said, "Now, let's have a little chat..."

Yu Xiaolong and Xiaoha also drew closer, curious about the conversation.

...

In Jinhe Lake of Dazhou State, Su Lingxiu and Yue'er were aboard the Evergreen Pavilion's flying boat, discussing their next destination.

"How about we go to Shengzhou next?" Yue'er suggested after some thought.

"The Great Zhou Kingdom?" Su Lingxiu pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement.

Shengzhou, ruled by the Great Zhou Kingdom, was the only state in the Spirit Domain that was not under the control of the Spirit Sect. It was comparable to the Super Spirit Sect and was the only state in the Eighteen States of the Spirit Domain that still had a Martial Arts Academy.

The Martial Arts Academies of the Great Zhou Kingdom were established to select the most talented individuals and cultivate them as the foundation of the kingdom's strength.

In the Great Zhou capital, there was a Royal Martial Arts Academy, and the students admitted there were all exceptionally talented. The offspring of the Great Zhou Kingdom's high officials, especially those with superior talent, also studied at this academy.

"Then let's go to the Great Zhou Kingdom. It will be a good opportunity to meet some old friends," Su Lingxiu said. The jade token that Ziyun possessed came from the Great Zhou royalty, and she wondered how Ziyun was doing there.

"After the Great Zhou Kingdom, let's head to Yunshan State," Su Lingxiu suggested after a moment's thought.

It had been a long time since they had seen Du Yu'ying and Yun Miaomiao of Tai Miao Sect, and they were due for a reunion, especially since they were all from the Inner Domain and shared a good relationship.

"We'll stay here for three more days and then depart," Su Lingxiu decided.

In the pavilion, Li Xuan exhaled deeply. He had finally committed to memory the diagram and rules on the eleventh page of the Grand Prime Book.

"The twelfth page will be even more profound and challenging to memorize," Li Xuan mused to himself.

Suddenly, the Grand Prime Book flipped open, and a golden light radiated from its pages.

"Your pet, the Flame-winged Phoenix, has founded the Demon Tribe and honored you as their Demon Ancestor. You have obtained the True Form of the Demon Ancestor!" Li Xuan was stunned.

Demon Ancestor?

"This Flame-winged Phoenix is truly impressive!" Li Xuan couldn't help but marvel. He was thrilled that his efforts in nurturing the phoenix had not been in vain. The True Form of the Demon Ancestor was different from the True Form of the God Warrior. The latter was akin to a clone of Li Xuan, but its strength couldn't match that of his true self.

On the other hand, the True Form of the Demon Ancestor was on par with Li Xuan's current cultivation level. The stronger the Demon Tribe became, the more powerful the True Form of the Demon Ancestor would be. It could even temporarily boost Li Xuan's strength by channeling the collective power of the Demon Tribe.

However, there was one limitation: the True Form of the Demon Ancestor could only use the techniques and abilities of the Demon Tribe, even when it came to divine abilities. This was a fixed condition.

Additionally, the True Form of the Demon Ancestor did not have a fixed form. It could take on a human shape or transform into various powerful demonic beasts.

Any technique or ability of the Demon Tribe would be inherently mastered by the True Form of the Demon Ancestor, and its power would be doubled.

Furthermore, the True Form of the Demon Ancestor had a unique ability to communicate its will to all members of the Demon Tribe. It could even offer guidance and bestow inheritances to its descendants in a dream-like state.

"I need to pay more attention to the cultivation methods of the Great Demon Martial Arts. The Flame-winged Phoenix's strength is not yet sufficient, and it lacks the concept of Great Demon Divine Abilities. I must impart more Great Demon techniques and divine abilities to it," Li Xuan contemplated.

With the True Form of the Demon Ancestor, he could now transmit some Great Demon divine abilities to the phoenix and help it continue its cultivation journey.

"I never expected that the big cat I caught on a whim would possess such talent," Li Xuan marveled.

He noticed that ever since the Flame-winged Phoenix started learning characters from Madam Xu, its comprehension and intelligence seemed to have improved. It was truly a cultured tiger.

"The cultivation direction of the Great Demon Martial Arts has already been determined, so I don't have to worry about that. However, I still need to enrich it with Great Demon divine abilities and techniques. I should guide the Flame-winged Phoenix further," Li Xuan thought excitedly.

One day, when facing a formidable foe, he could pretend to be evenly matched and then suddenly deploy the True Form of the Demon Ancestor to gain the upper hand and crush his opponent.

Just thinking about it made his heart race!

Thus, Li Xuan temporarily set aside his study of the twelfth page of the Grand Prime Book and focused on enriching the Great Demon Martial Arts, especially the concept of Demon Tribe divine abilities.

Three days later, the Evergreen Pavilion's flying boat soared into the sky and headed toward the Great Zhou Kingdom.

High in the clouds, a dazzling flying boat cruised at a speed comparable to that of a God Refining cultivator, with no sense of urgency.

"It should be about time. I hope the Flame-winged Phoenix won't let me down," Li Xuan said to himself. He had finally enriched the Great Demon Martial Arts with various divine abilities and techniques, mainly in the form of arrays, as the phoenix had originally derived its Great Demon techniques from arrays.

Li Xuan incorporated heavenly laws and even infused the final few arrays with the laws from the tenth page of the Grand Prime Book.

"I'll use the True Form of the Demon Ancestor to 'visit' the Flame-winged Phoenix in a dream-like state and show this big cat the power of its master," Li Xuan thought as he prepared to use the ability of the True Form of the Demon Ancestor to establish a dream-like connection with the phoenix. Suddenly, the Grand Prime Book flipped open.

"Your disciple, Xu Yan, has enlightened the Laws of the God Image Realm. You have broken through to the God Image Realm!" In that instant, Li Xuan's strength surged, and he felt as if he could control the heavenly laws with a mere thought.

He had broken through to the God Image Realm!

Li Xuan was thrilled. He had finally achieved another breakthrough.

In the God Image Realm, he could truly control the heavenly laws! With his profound understanding of these laws, he could now manipulate them effortlessly, bending them to his will and using them as his martial arts god image.

Moreover, with this breakthrough, he had gained the ability to comprehend the heavenly laws' higher truths—the heavenly paths.

The heavenly laws appeared crystal clear to Li Xuan, and he could harness their power with ease, molding them into martial arts god images to serve his purposes.

Beyond the heavenly laws, he had also sensed the existence of even more profound paths.

Vaguely, he seemed to glimpse the operation of paths that corresponded to the tenth page of the Grand Prime Book.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end