Chapter Twenty-Six: A Riot of Demons!

“Quick, send someone to summon the Second and Third Lords!” The Tiger Demon sprang up abruptly, donned his armor, gripped a great broadsword, and charged out of the cave. Outside, the beastly demon soldiers were being massacred by the Roc Demon King and his avian horde—wails and screams pierced the air, as though hell itself had broken loose. The Roc Demon King, leading the Eagle Demon King, unfurled his massive wings and razor-sharp talons, swooping down from the sky to tear the demon soldiers limb from limb.

Enraged, the Tiger Demon King’s broadsword blazed forth like a shooting rainbow, slashing directly at the Roc Demon King as he cursed: “You wretched old bird, how dare you slaughter my children! Today, one of us must die!”

The Roc Demon King swept aside the blade with a gust from his wings, his voice sharp as steel: “Kitten! Today, it’s either your death or mine!”

With a piercing roar, the Tiger Demon King transformed into seven forms at once—eight white-striped, golden-eyed tigers roared in unison, leaping skyward with claws and fangs bared, pouncing together upon the Roc Demon King. The Roc Demon King merely sneered, and in a flash assumed his true form—a colossal roc, several tens of yards long, majestic beyond compare. His wings hung like clouds over the sky, his talons sharp as swords, his beak curved like a hook. With every beat of his wings, a thunderous force shook the heavens. The tigers’ claws and fangs, for all their ferocity, could not so much as loosen a single feather from his body.

The eight giant tigers attacked relentlessly, but were brushed aside again and again. The roc’s talons tore at the tigers, sending white fur flying through the air. Realizing the roc’s feathers were impenetrable, the Tiger Demon King recalled his forms and spat out a magical orb. The pale yellow orb shone with a golden light as soon as it left his mouth, and the surrounding air seemed to solidify. The Roc Demon King found his movements hindered, and in dodging, lost several feathers to the Tiger Demon King’s broadsword.

All of the roc’s power was vested in his feathers, so each one lost caused him great pain. He roared, “Kitten, you have your Earth-Pacifying Pearl to still the air—do you think I have no Storm-and-Thunder Pearl?” With a piercing screech, he spat out a swirling orb of violet and azure. As soon as it left his beak, a fierce gale roared forth, laced with crackling lightning, striking the Tiger Demon King from all directions.

At first, the Tiger Demon King had relied on brute courage to challenge the roc, but wood begets wind, and wind overcomes earth—by nature, he was restrained by the Roc Demon King. With his cultivation inferior and overcome by the Storm-and-Thunder Pearl, his white fur was stripped away, and he was forced to land, clutching his Earth-Pacifying Pearl atop his head.

The Roc Demon King, sensing victory, gave no quarter. He shot toward the Tiger Demon King like a sword splitting the sky. The tiger, unable to dodge, raised his broadsword in a desperate block. Their powers collided, the extraordinary blade shattered, and the Tiger Demon King coughed up blood, his aura dimming.

Sensing danger, the Tiger Demon King summoned his last treasure—a Mountain-Shaking Stone, which expanded with the wind to become a massive barrier, blocking the roc’s advance. Powered by demonic force, the stone’s golden glow shook the heavens, and countless avian soldiers above fell from the sky as if struck by a giant hammer.

Yet the Roc Demon King, his neighbor for millennia, knew his tricks well. He spat from his mouth a spear of azure light—the Cloud-Piercing Lance—which became a streaking rainbow, stabbing straight at the Mountain-Shaking Stone. The spear, brimming with power, struck three times, and the stone could no longer withstand its penetration, shrinking back to a pebble and flying into the tiger’s mouth.

Victorious, the Roc Demon King sneered, conjured a sword of blue feathers, and launched a relentless assault on the Tiger Demon King.

The loyal beastly demons rushed to defend their king, but each was slain in a flash of the roc’s movements—their necks snapped, bones shattered, screams echoing. Seeing his followers fall, the Tiger Demon King roared in fury and assumed a towering dharma form—a massive tiger whose eyes shot beams of spiritual light, leaping upon the Roc Demon King with all his might.

This form could split mountains, and the Roc Demon King dared not be careless. He clashed with the tiger, Storm-and-Thunder Pearl in tow, and the battle raged fiercely. Suddenly, a piercing neigh rent the air. From the clouds galloped a magnificent white celestial steed, charging into the flock of avian soldiers—each stomp of its hooves fell like a mountain, and its biting jaws scattered the bird-demons in defeat.

It was the Horse Demon King, having heard from a lesser demon of the roc’s invasion, now arriving in wrathful majesty.

The Eagle Demon King, deep in slaughter, saw the horse’s ferocity and swept forward on his wings to meet him. The celestial steed brandished a whip of feathered chains—brilliant white and edged with razor-sharp barbs. The Eagle Demon King was not to be outdone; with a flick of his wings, a Soaring Sword appeared in his grasp.

The steed’s feathered whip sparkled with spirit light, and the Eagle Demon King’s sword was of rare and peerless quality.

In an instant, horse and eagle clashed, magical powers unleashed, feathers raining down from the heavens amid shrill shrieks, while the valley roared with the chaos of battle as the minor demons fought all around.

Though the Tiger Demon King assumed a mountain-sized form, inwardly he cursed his fate. The Golden-Crested Roc was a grandmaster of the highest order, his power far surpassing the tiger’s. Of his two allies, only the Horse Demon had come; the Monkey Demon King was nowhere to be seen. Though the tiger managed to maul one of the roc’s talons, he himself was battered and bloodied, unable to withstand the roc’s relentless Storm-and-Thunder Pearl and blue feathered sword. Wishing for a respite, he shielded himself with the Earth-Pacifying Pearl and shouted, “Old bird, you’ve stormed my home without cause—what’s your true intent?”

The Roc Demon King’s sword flashed as he sneered, “Little cat, you’re bold indeed! Colluding with the Jade Purity Hall was one thing, but now you dare steal my beloved concubine? Unless I skin and gut you, my hatred will never be quenched!”

Any man, cuckolded, would become a wrathful demon, let alone the domineering Roc Demon King. How could he swallow this insult?

The Tiger Demon King, wrongly accused, fumed, “You have eyes that see a thousand miles—so sharp in the past, yet so muddled today? When have I ever stolen your beloved?”

Little did he realize that Lady Swallow’s flower basket had indeed fallen into the tiger’s valley, and the keen-eyed bird-demons had surely noticed.

The Roc Demon King, recalling not only the theft of his beloved but the tiger’s recent royal pardon—freeing him from servitude—grew even more furious. He answered not, but pressed his attack, every move aimed to kill. The Tiger Demon King, overpowered and seeing the roc would not relent, chose to bargain: “Old bird, fighting to the death only benefits others. If you kill me, you’ll pay a price yourself. Should the Jade Purity Hall arrive, you won’t fare well either.”

The Roc Demon King, already wary, was about to withdraw when several lesser demons flew over, carrying a beautiful but barely breathing woman. They cried, “Great King, we’ve rescued Lady Swallow—but... but…”

The little demon dared not continue. The Roc Demon King’s sharp gaze took in everything at a glance—his treasured consort, near death, unconscious, her clothes in disarray and her fair skin covered in bruises, clearly ravaged by the tiger’s venomous hands. Overcome with rage, he bellowed, “A father slain, a wife stolen—filthy cat, even if I must chase you to the Underworld, I’ll never let you go!”

The Tiger Demon King saw that the woman the little demons carried was the rare beauty he had only recently enjoyed, and his heart sank: So she truly was the roc’s beloved? He knew that not even the most silver-tongued persuasion could change the Roc Demon King’s mind now. In desperation, he launched himself once more into battle, matching the roc blow for blow.

As the demons fought with fury, not far off, Yang Nan stood with his magical weapon, gazing at the tangled, roaring melee in the sky, lost in thought. Behind him stood Mountain God Yang Liancheng, the Monkey Demon King, the Flower Demon King, the Tree Demon King, disciples of Kunlun, Old Crab Chiyang, and others—all awaiting his command to sweep the demon valley clean.

The Flower Demon King and Tree Demon King, though summoned by Yang Nan’s decree, were unfamiliar with this new master of Kunlun. Yet the clever Flower Demon King understood that demons could never triumph over cultivators—especially not one with the mighty Kunlun Sect behind him.

Her decision to submit was made not only out of fear, but after careful observation of this new master’s methods. Although young, he acted unlike previous leaders, who, remembering the founder Qingya, had mostly sought peace and offerings without trouble. This one, however, was sharp-edged from the start, employing every scheme—sowing discord, framing, deceiving—stopping at nothing.

All signs pointed to his intent to annihilate dissent and unify the Seventy-Two Demon Valleys under his rule!

With cultivation only at the Battle-Master level and so little age, yet such ruthless methods, caring nothing for loyalty or old ties—this kind of human cultivator was truly terrifying!

The Flower Demon King, nearly two millennia old, had seen ruthless and fierce cultivators, but never one so bold and audacious. She judged at once: if the Demon Valleys did not submit, utter destruction awaited.

Unlike previous generations of Spirit Beast Mountain’s masters, this young lord’s heart held but one principle: Those who yield will prosper; those who defy will perish!

Even if he failed, he would not die—but to provoke the countless hidden masters behind him would be to invite annihilation; the Seventy-Two Demon Valleys would be as fragile as clay chickens and straw dogs.

How could all these factors not fill her with dread?

She was, after all, a demon—no match for the Daoists of Kunlun! Submission was the only path; resistance meant certain death.

As the Flower Demon King pondered, Yang Nan suddenly turned to her and smiled gently, “Fair Begonia, in your view, who will prevail between the Roc and the Tiger Demon?”

She glimpsed the sky, where swarms of demons screamed and fell, and replied solemnly, “Honored Master, this humble demon believes the Roc Demon King will be the final victor.”

Yang Nan nodded, “I think so too. But there’s no need for formalities, Fair Begonia—just call me brother, as kin.”

The Flower Demon King felt a chill—though she surpassed Yang Nan in strength, his warm smile sent shivers through her heart, and she dared not overstep: “There is a natural order, Master. You are our lord, and I would never dare such boldness.”

‘As if you truly dare not! Did you not once seek to escape Kunlun’s yoke? This courtesy is but fear I’ll make an example of you,’ Yang Nan mused silently, though his expression remained gentle. The Seven-Star Begonia demon was both beautiful and powerful, her mesmerizing arts fatal to the unwary—one breath of her flower pollen, and even skilled cultivators might perish, their souls scattered.

Nor had he forgotten her deadly, exquisite Seven-Star Begonia treasure.

Still, she had always abided by the demonic code, never harming humans, seeking only quiet cultivation. The flower and insect spirits of the valleys all looked to her as leader. Beside her, the Tree Demon King, honest and simple, deferred to her in all things.

Since the flower and tree demons recognized the way of things and came of their own accord, Yang Nan would not burn bridges. Watching the brutal battle rage above, he smiled faintly, then looked down at his followers and declared, “I am new to these demon valleys, and you may not yet know my character. Today, forgive my boldness as I speak plainly—If others do not offend me, I will not offend them. But if they do—then I will destroy their entire clan!”

At such domineering words, the assembled demons blanched. Seeing the icy resolve in Yang Nan’s eyes and the chilling smile on his lips, they quaked with fear. The Flower Demon King, understanding the warning, immediately declared, “We demons shall obey only our master’s commands!”

Yang Nan laughed heartily, then addressed all behind him: “Mortals dwell in the world, demons in the wilds, ghosts in the underworld, and immortals ascend to heaven—each to their place, each fulfilling their destiny. Such is the way of Heaven and Earth! Any demon who dares descend among mortals to wreak havoc, I will show no mercy! Both the Tiger and Roc Demons have devoured countless humans—if I do not destroy them, they will surely meet a violent end. Such bloodthirsty monsters have no place in the order of Heaven. All of you, consider this well!”

Though his tone was mild, the killing intent was boundless. The demons behind him listened with dread and answered in unison.