In a palace deep underground. The walls and floor were formed of stone, filled with a dense layer of lines that wove together into a formidable demonic array. A faint hum filled the air as it revolved. In the center of the palace, there was a small pond, around a hundred feet in size. The pond overflowed with blood, the thick red liquid tumbling and bubbling up and releasing its rank smell into the air.

The Demon Monarch sat cross-legged deep within the blood pond, entirely naked. His long hair surged along with the waves of blood. Lines crawled along the surface of his body, and if one looked carefully they would discover that these patterns were completely similar to the ones engraved upon the walls. It was like he was borrowing the strength of this blood pond and the array formation to duplicate these markings onto his body.

Suddenly, the Demon Monarch’s eyes flashed open. His crimson eyes were filled with endless pain. As if sensing something occurring to the Heavenly Demon Array, the cruelty in his eyes became increasingly violent.

He had lost at Immortal Eclipse Valley and ended up being chased down by Qin Yu and severely wounded. It was a painful experience, one he learned from. Because of that, he had hardened his resolve to use the Demonic Path’s inherited blood pond to duplicate the secret runes of the Demonic Path onto his body, and forcefully step into the Divine Soul realm. He never imagined that Qin Yu would dare invade the High Command at this time. In this critical moment, if he were to fall short of his goal and suffer a backlash then he would surely die.

The Demon Monarch lifted his hand and a sphere appeared in his palm. It seemed to possess an invisible power as the surrounding blood water was forced away from it. The sphere was the size of a fist, black all over, and shined with an iridescent light, as if it were carved from the most precious jade in the world. But at this time, as the Demon Monarch held it tightly in his hand, pained howls and wails cried out from the black sphere. Atop that shimmering surface, the distorted faces of people appeared.

Kacha –

The black sphere shattered. Scarlet flames rose up, wrapping up all the fragments and burning them to ash.

Within Mulberry Sky Mountain, the Demonic Path High Command was far from being like the rumored hell it was, one filled with inexhaustible blood and horror. Rather, it was stern and strict, with architecture that emphasized the unsurpassed might of the Demonic Path.

Qin Yu walked within. A massive number of demonic cultivators gathered around him, but, as he walked forwards, these people drew away like the tide, none of them daring to stop him.

This was because besides the Demonic Path Elder that had died outside the mountain, there had also been two other Demonic Path powerhouses that had once again proven how terrifyingly strong Qin Yu was with their lives.

Suddenly, countless demonic cultivators cried out loud and grabbed their heads in pain. Their eyeballs turned crimson as if flames burned within their bodies. Their sad howls joined together as one as they all fell to the ground, writhing and screaming. As demonic energy surged around them, sharp bone spikes began to drill out from their shoulders, elbows, waists, and all over their bodies.

Roar –

The first of the cultivators to complete the demonic transformation rose up on their feet and leapt at Qin Yu. Their mouths were opened wide with fangs that pierced through their lips. Blood mixed with saliva dripped down their chins, their faces twisted with mindless killing intent.

Qin Yu furrowed his eyebrows. He lifted his hand and thrust outwards with a thunderous roar. Before the demonic cultivator approached, it was sent flying away. Countless bones were broken all over and its body became a twisted mess. Even so, it still didn’t lose the energy or will to move. It stabbed its hands into the ground and roared as it crawled towards Qin Yu.

And at this time, more and more demonic cultivators had completed the demonic transformation. They roared at him together, their voices and bodies linking as one. All of them rushed forwards without fear, blocking all possible directions around them.

Qin Yu narrowed his eyes, a severe light flashing in his pupils. He flicked his sleeves and the Five Element Swords appeared. They spun around, forming the Five Element Sword Array as they pushed forwards.

Rumble rumble –

The Five Element Swords swept up the surrounding heaven and earth spiritual energy. It was like a giant grinding pan that rapidly rotated and the demonic cultivators ahead were like little beans that were directly ground to pieces. Black demonic blood poured down like in a torrential storm. It covered the ground in the blink of an eye, making the prestigious Demonic Path High Command seem like a living hell on earth.

Qin Yu continued forwards, indifference in his eyes, without a hint of pity or emotion. His gaze locked onto the distance. Somewhere deep beneath the Demonic Path High Command, that was where the aura of the Demon Monarch was. His aura was violently fluctuating; it was clear he was preparing for his last-ditch struggle.

The demonic cultivators were clearly people who had been abandoned. After being transformed, they lost all will and consciousness and attacked him in a suicidal manner in an attempt to slow him down. After realizing this, Qin Yu naturally wouldn’t be fooled. He continued behind the Five Element Swords, a black-robed figure beneath a rain of blood!

“Ahh!”

“No! No!”

“Demon Monarch, please forgive me!”

More and more demonic cultivators started to cry out in horror, panic in their eyes as their bodies started to undergo demonic transformation. These demonic cultivators clearly had cultivation levels than those before, indicating their higher status in the Demonic Path High Command.

At the same time, this also meant that after undergoing demonic transformation, they would be even stronger. As the Five Element Swords cut through their bodies, there was actually a little bit of hindrance. One could hear the rough sounds of shattering bones in the air.

The final ones to undergo demonic transformation were the Demonic Path’s Nascent Souls. No one knew exactly how much terrifying strength was hidden within the Demonic Path High Command, but right now in front of Qin Yu were nine transformed demonic creatures, each one over ten feet tall and with demonic energy lingering around them. Their pained expressions had a hint of awareness left in them, but they couldn’t overcome their instinctual brutality.

As they roared, these nine demonically transformed Nascent Souls sprung forwards. Their speed drastically rose, each one comparable to a late Nascent Soul master. They were like bolts of lightning as they shot forwards.

Qin Yu furrowed his eyebrows. He came to a stop and the Five Element Swords turned into a sword curtain that covered him.

Bang –

Bang –

The demonically transformed Nascent Souls were sent flying away. Deep cuts marked their bodies and one could even see the flesh and bone beneath. But as demonic energy wildly surged around them, these cuts glowed and regenerated.

They unexpectedly had nearly undying bodies!

And what was even more astonishing was that these nine demonically transformed Nascent Souls could wrest away the strength of other demonic cultivators and those that had been transformed. They grabbed those nearby and bit down on their necks, instantly turning their victims into withered corpses. Then, the faintly weakened auras of those demonically transformed Nascent Souls were restored to their full might.

If this continued, then his only choice would be to slowly cut down all the transformed cultivators and demonic cultivators and then strike down the nine demonically transformed Nascent Souls one at a time. But, this would take an incredible amount of time.

The Demon Monarch needed time. In order to gain more time, he was willing to pay any price, even destroying the entire Demonic Path High Command.

Qin Yu absolutely could not let him do so.

His eyes flashed. The curtain of Five Element Swords around him disappeared, vanishing from sight. The nine demonically transformed Nascent Souls were startled for a brief moment before they came wildly rushing forwards. At this time, a blue sword appeared in Qin Yu’s grasp. He lifted his hand and cut forwards.

Bang –

Between the heavens and earth, everything became a vast sea of thunder. Endless purple thunder erupted from the sword blade.

The wood-attribute magic sword had been refined from Skythunder Bamboo and inherently possessed the ability to release thunder energy. As the Five Element Swords were refined, the five elements tempered each other constantly and the quality of the magic swords rose. When Qin Yu reached Nascent Soul, the Five Element Swords and Five Element Nascent Souls linked together, and the swords benefited once more, becoming even stronger.

Now, all five elements had converted to wood, each one galvanizing the power of thunder. This created the dreadful sight of a sea of thunder drowning out the world, completely submerging the nine demonically transformed Nascent Souls.

The power of thunder represented the ultimate yang, the ultimate light. It had an inborn ability to restrain the power of the demonic path. Moreover, Qin Yu’s wood-attribute magic sword had been forged from Skythunder Bamboo, and after the growth was sped up by the little blue lamp, its age has surpassed 10,000 years and it reached an unparalleled level of quality. The might of its thunder was incomparably potent. The nine demonically transformed Nascent Souls looked as if they had fallen into a vat of molten iron. They howled in pain and sorrow as the demonic energy around their bodies was directly melted away. Their skin disintegrated and their flesh and blood fell off. Even the markings of their demonic transformations began to fade.

Their crimson eyes were restored to brightness. There was even a bit of gratitude in them. Then, they all roared out loud and forcefully suppressed their strength, allowing that sea of thunder to wash away the demonic energy around their bodies.

Qin Yu slowly said, “Today, I came here to kill the Demon Monarch alone. I will blame no one else for what happened before.”

Hearing this, the nine demonically transformed Nascent Souls had no more scruples. They roared once more, suppressing the demonic strength in their bodies, and then flew out from the pool of thunder to sit down cross-legged.

A Demonic Path Elder shouted, “Qin Yu, I hope you keep your word!”

“Hurry and kill the Demon Monarch. I cannot maintain suppression of the demonic strength for too long!”

“The Demon Monarch has abandoned my Demonic Path, so we will abandon him!”

Even ants tried to live, no matter how feeble an existence they were. Formidable cultivators were the same, especially these cultivators of the Demonic Path. When the Heavenly Demon Array was broken, in order to protect himself the Demon Monarch hadn’t hesitated to use every single demonic cultivator within the Demonic Path High Command to kill Qin Yu. At that time when he made that choice, he had already been abandoned by the Demonic Path.

Qin Yu flicked his sleeves and a road opened through the purple thunder. As for the demonically transformed cultivators who were unable to rid themselves of the transformation, all of them began burning down into powder. These demonic cultivators were all elites amongst the Demonic Path, otherwise they wouldn’t have had the qualifications to enter the High Command to cultivate.

Now, all of them were being killed off. The nine suppressed demonic Nascent Souls felt their hearts drip blood. They knew that after today, even if they didn’t die, their cultivations would drastically drop. In addition to 70-80% of the Demonic Path’s elites being eliminated, they would inevitably fall into a period of unprecedented decline. It was already no longer possible for them to rule the world. Resisting their enemies and preserving their inheritance would already be the most that they could do!

To the Demonic Path, today was an unrivalled catastrophe.

Within the blood pond, the markings on the Demon Monarch’s body were nearly complete. He clenched his teeth, “You scum, you actually refuse to die for me!? You all deserve death!”

Bang –

The ground above his head violently shook and the entire underground palace began to shake. A distant sense locked onto him, causing despair to flood the Demon Monarch’s eyes. Just a single step. Just one more step and he would have succeeded.

Viciousness flashed in his eyes. The Demon Monarch took a deep breath and then the endless viscous blood within the blood pond started flowing up his nostrils, all of it vanishing into his body!

The blood that covered a 100 foot long pool, that was able to fully submerge him, over a hundred of him, was actually sucked dry by him!

Runes carved onto his bare body started to burst with a blood red light. The Demon Monarch’s aura rose at an alarming speed, wildly surging upwards.

Rise!

Rise!

In the blink of an eye, he reached his previous peak. Then, without stopping, he climbed to a whole new level.

Kacha –

Kacha –

The ground cracked and ruptured, fissures spreading out like a web throughout the walls and palace. The entire underground palace trembled, on the verge of collapse!

Bang –

The entrance to the underground palace was destroyed. Qin Yu walked in. At this time, he saw the Demon Monarch drenched in a blood red light, the aura around his body incomparably terrifying.

“Qin Yu!”

The Demon Monarch howled, his gaze filled with deep hatred. If looks could kill, Qin Yu would already have been torn to shreds. The blood red light around the Demon Monarch body quickly faded, transforming into a blood red robe that draped around him. He looked like a blood demon emerging from the nine nether hells, his bloodthirst and killing intent so thick it made one’s soul shiver.

Qin Yu frowned. He slowly said, “How long can you keep up this state?”

“Long enough to kill you!” He lifted his hand and pressed down. There was a thunderous bang in the underground palace. Endless spiritual strength gathered, turning into a bloody palm that fell down.

Bang –

With a heaven-shaking ring, the entire Mulberry Sky Mountain started to quake, as if there were dreadful explosions occurring deep underground.