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âWhat is wind?â the Ancestral Warden began. âIt is the meeting of heaven and earth, the product of the sunâs lingering warmth and the movement of air. It is said that the Godfiend Abyss Heaven was once nearly destroyed by a single storm. That storm was caused by none other than the Wind God, Tianwu.â
âLater, Tianwu vanished without a trace, just like the other Ancient Gods, evaporated from the Nine Heavens as though they had never existed. No one knows where they went. Tens of thousands of years later, another world-ending storm broke out in the Godfiend Abyss Heaven. People believed that Tianwu had returned. But upon investigation, it was discovered that the storm was not caused by Tianwu himself, but by a group of his descendants who carried the bloodline of the Wind God.â
âWhat happened to those descendants?â Xu Zimo asked.
âThey were hunted down and forced into hiding,â the Ancestral Warden replied. âAfter that, there were no more cataclysmic storms. Over time, those descendants were forgotten.â
âThatâs troublesome,â Xu Zimo said quietly. âThe Godfiend Abyss Heaven is too vast. Without a clear lead, searching for them would be like finding a needle in the sea.â
âIt is indeed difficult,â the Ancestral Warden admitted. âBut we can go to the last place where those descendants were seen. Perhaps weâll find a clue.â
âWhere is that?â Xu Zimo asked.
âSkywind Valley,â the Ancestral Warden said after a momentâs thought. The name seemed almost forgotten to him, as though buried deep in memory.
âWhat does my lord seek from the Ancient Gods?â the Ancestral Warden asked curiously.
âThe exiled Ancient Demons trapped within the Primordial Demon Cave need the inheritance of an Ancient God to break their seals,â Xu Zimo said directly, not hiding anything.
âOh! So my lord has been working all along for the revival of our race,â the Ancestral Warden said in realization, his tone filled with respect and relief. âI am willing to give my life for the Demon Race.â
âNo need for oaths of loyalty,â Xu Zimo smiled, waving his hand. âWeâre all the same. Iâm lenient with my own people. As for this Ancient Demon Realm, itâs finished. If Hellfire Asura wishes to keep running away from reality, let him run for the rest of his life.â
He turned and began walking toward the edge of the Ancient Demon Realm, the Ancestral Warden following close behind.
With a native like the Ancestral Warden to guide him, Xu Zimo needed no map.
Skywind Valley was not located in the southern region but, according to the Ancestral Warden, lay somewhere in the poorer northern territories.
The Ancient Demons had their own teleportation formations, so the journey wouldnât take long.
During the flight, Xu Zimo asked about the current influence of the Demon Race.
As the Ancestral Warden explained, it was just as Xu Zimo had suspected. Though the Ancient Demons no longer ruled the Godfiend Abyss Heaven openly, they secretly maintained influence within many of its major powers.
âThat certainly saves us a great deal of trouble,â Xu Zimo said with a faint smile.
âBut weâll need to move before the Heavenly Court does,â the Ancestral Warden replied. âIf word spreads that the Ancient Demon Realm has been destroyed, all of the Godfiend Abyss Heaven will likely be hunting for us.â
âTrue. For now, we canât confront the Heavenly Court directly,â Xu Zimo said, narrowing his eyes slightly. âBut one day, we will crush them.â
Ancestral Warden nodded solemnly.
They arrived at the Ancient Demon Realmâs teleportation formation, a large circular altar inscribed with glowing runes, surrounded by arcs of violet lightning.
âThis is the Thunder Resonance Formation,â the Ancestral Warden explained. âAmong teleportation formations, it is one of the fastest. It was left to us by an ancient Grand Emperor of the Demon Race.â
Xu Zimo nodded. Standing side by side atop the formation, the Ancestral Warden raised his right hand and activated the formation.
Their destination, Skywind Valley.
The faint blue arcs of lightning instantly flared, exploding into violent thunder. Countless bolts of lightning surged outward, engulfing the entire formation before swallowing both of their figures.
Moments later, they were gone.
Not long after their departure, faint footsteps echoed from the distance.
A man in red robes approached, his expression solemn, his aura powerful, yet subdued.
He knelt before the teleportation formation and bowed three times.
It was unclear whether his reverence was for the formation itself or for the two who had just departed.
Soon after Xu Zimoâs departure, the skies over the Ancient Demon Realm began to tremble violently.
Something immense was descending.
Sensing it, the red-robed man looked up, his eyes narrowing.
âSo⊠it has e at last,â he murmured.
This time, he did not run. Instead, he stepped onto the tallest peak of the Ancient Demon Realm, closest to the heavens, where one could see the entire land.
The once-glorious and vast Ancient Demon Realm now lay silent and desolate, its vitality drained away.
The red-robed man sighed deeply.
He had spent millions of years scheming for peace and stability, only to see it all crumble in an instant.
The shaking of the skies grew more intense, until it felt as though the entire sky were about to collapse.
Finally, with a deafening explosion, the firmament shattered. A blinding divine light poured through the cracks.
He looked up but did not move.
Descending from the heavens came a massive celestial warship the size of a sun, far larger than any seen before.
Around it floated countless planet-sized vessels, each brimming with immense divine power.
As they appeared, the void itself froze. The world seemed locked in stillness.
From the great warship descended a man clad in battle armor. His face was stern and resolute, his brows thick, his eyes sharp as blades, so sharp that few dared meet his gaze.
The armored man saw the red-robed figure standing atop the mountain and paused, slightly surprised, before taking a single step forward.
In that instant, thousands of meters vanished between them.
âHellfire Asura,â the armored man smiled. âI thought you wouldâve fled with the others.â
âThe peace we agreed upon once,â said the red-robed man, Hellfire Asura, the true ruler of the Ancient Demon Realm for eons, âit was your Heavenly Court that broke it.â
âPeace?â The armored man laughed coldly with disdain. âPeace was nothing more than a forting illusion for the weak. Did you really think your kind was worthy to negotiate terms with us?â
âYes,â Hellfire Asura said softly, nodding. âI was indeed too naive. The Heavenly Court would never allow our Ancient Demon Race any peace. Youâre nothing but lapdogs of Heaven himself.â
âYou stayed behind to die, didnât you?â the armored man said with a sneer. âVery well, let me grant your wish.â
âYes, I stayed to die,â Hellfire Asura said quietly. âBut before I go... I intend to make the Heavenly Court pay dearly.â
He slowly closed his eyes, then opened them again, his voice calm. âPerhaps this⊠is the best final contribution I can make to the Demon Race.â
When he finished speaking, he raised his right hand, then plunged it into his own chest.
His fingers tore through flesh and bone, and he ripped out his own heart.
The heart was black, wrapped in writhing infernal energy.
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