Chapter 121: The Demon Emperor’s Dragon Battle

The rumor of this news sent shockwaves through the upper echelons of the human race.

More than a hundred years ago, the Demon Emperor Long Zhan launched a fierce offensive against the humans, nearly reaching the vicinity of the Sacred City.

However, the war came to a halt when the Demon Emperor mysteriously disappeared, thanks to the humans’ tenacious resistance.

At the time, the human leaders speculated that the Demon Emperor might have perished in battle. After all, a superhuman warrior on their side, comparable to the Demon Emperor, had also vanished. The shattered Soul Jade Tablet confirmed that this human warrior had indeed fallen.

It was therefore presumed that the human warrior and the Demon Emperor likely perished together.

Yet, over the past century, no new Demon Emperor emerged among the demons, sowing seeds of doubt among the human leaders about whether the Demon Emperor was truly dead. They sought out evidence multiple times but never found any.

Now, the human leaders never expected that the Demon Emperor had actually returned. This revelation was truly astonishing, suggesting that the Demon Emperor had likely been sealed away by that human warrior in a desperate bid.

The Demon Emperor’s return was no good omen; his frenzied actions a century ago were testament to that.

Upon learning this news, even the five Elders wore grave expressions.

It was also clear that the Demon Emperor’s return was not recent but had likely occurred some time ago. The recent disturbances within the demon race probably stemmed from this very cause.

“The days of peace are truly coming to an end!” Chu Feng muttered to himself, a heavy weight settling in his heart. It was not hard to imagine that with the return of a warmonger like the Demon Emperor, a great war between the two races was inevitable.

As soon as he received the summons from the Grand Elder, Chu Feng took the Eagle Warship immediately to the Sanctuary, harboring a vague sense that this summons was connected to the Demon Emperor’s return.

However, he could not fathom why the Elders wanted to see him.

Inside the Sanctuary, only the Grand Elder was present; the other four Elders were absent. Upon seeing Chu Feng, the Grand Elder’s first question was, “How is your combat strength now?”

“Comparable to an average late-stage Seventh Rank Heavenly Spirit warrior,” Chu Feng replied.

The Grand Elder showed a trace of surprise. Chu Feng’s improvement had exceeded his expectations.

“Good,” the Grand Elder nodded, then added, “At this pace, in three more years, your strength might surpass that of Yu Yang from back then.”

“I will do my utmost!” Chu Feng said solemnly.

The Grand Elder nodded again and stepped closer. “I suppose you’ve heard about the Demon Emperor’s return?”

“I have,” Chu Feng nodded.

The Grand Elder said, “The reason I summoned you today is somewhat related to this. The recent disturbances within the demon race are only the beginning. The true war is still ahead.”

Though Chu Feng had guessed as much, a flicker of confusion remained on his face. He clearly did not understand what influence a Heavenly Spirit warrior like him could have on such a war.

“Currently, the human and demon forces are relatively balanced. If a full-scale war breaks out, it will be a mutually destructive battle. The Demon Emperor’s return will cause the humans to suffer even greater losses,” the Grand Elder explained.

Chu Feng’s heart sank upon hearing this. The Demon Emperor had boasted he would annihilate the humans within a century. Though Chu Feng thought this claim arrogant, it nonetheless attested to the Demon Emperor’s formidable power.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Chu Feng asked, “Is the Demon Emperor really that strong? Can a single Sacred Spirit warrior seriously sway the tide between the two races?”

The Grand Elder nodded. “Not only is he strong, but he is also a strategic genius. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to advance so close to the Sacred City over a hundred years ago.”

According to the Grand Elder, he had faced Long Zhan himself a century ago but was completely outmatched.

Long Zhan was not merely called ‘Long’ as a family name; he truly belonged to the Dragon Clan, one of the most powerful demon clans blessed by the heavens with terrifying aptitude.

More than a hundred years ago, Long Zhan had already reached the pinnacle of cultivation, far advanced along the Way of Heaven.

The Grand Elder admitted that even now, his strength still slightly lagged behind Long Zhan’s at that time.

Back then, the only humans capable of standing against Long Zhan were the five Elders.

One of those Elders also bore the surname Long—Long Teng. Although younger than the Grand Elder, Long Teng’s cultivation was profound and his power immense, making him one of the most powerful Sacred Spirit warriors in human history.

However, during the demon assault near the Sacred City, the chaos was immense. No one witnessed how Long Zhan disappeared or how Elder Long Teng died.

They only speculated that a cataclysmic duel had occurred between the two dragons, supposedly ending with both perishing. Yet, Long Zhan’s return was genuinely unexpected.

The five Elders surmised that Long Zhan had been sealed in a secret location by Elder Long Teng and only recently freed.

Hearing mention of the seal, Chu Feng’s expression grew complicated and uneasy as he recalled rescuing the man in azure robes beneath the ruins of Ancient Lin City.

Chu Feng thought this was too coincidental because that azure-robed man had been sealed away at the time.

They had rescued him three years ago, and the Demon Emperor was also believed to have been freed in recent years.

Moreover, while the Demon Emperor had returned, the azure-robed man—whom Chu Feng called “Nameless Big Brother”—had not appeared in the Sacred City. After all, the return of a missing Sacred Spirit warrior would have caused a major stir, which had not happened.

Chu Feng’s expression darkened with growing dread. Though reluctant to believe it, an uncontrollable thought surfaced in his mind: “Could Nameless Big Brother actually be the Demon Emperor Long Zhan?”

Chu Feng was torn with doubt, unable to be certain. After all, that man bore no demonic traits and emitted no demonic aura upon awakening.

“Grand Elder, since the Demon Emperor Long Zhan was sealed within our human territory, can we now confirm the location of his seal?” Chu Feng asked.

The Grand Elder’s face showed a flicker of strangeness as he looked at Chu Feng and sighed. “Originally, we did not intend to reveal this so soon, but since you asked... It is not difficult for the demons to deduce that the Demon Emperor was sealed. Naturally, they will try every means to locate the seal. Think carefully: among all the major demon-related events in our territory in recent years, what was the closest significant incident to the Demon Emperor’s return?”

At that moment, Chu Feng’s expression changed dramatically. He staggered, unable to remain calm. Looking at the Grand Elder, his voice trembling, he stammered out three words: “Ancient... Lin... City.”

The Grand Elder nodded. “Exactly, Ancient Lin City. If my guess is correct, a demon spy embedded within the human ranks uncovered the probable location of the Demon Emperor’s seal. But for the demons, crossing our borders is perilous—stronger individuals are easier to detect.”

“So the demons staged a diversion, and part of their beast army slipped into our territory, causing the bloodbath at Ancient Lin City.”

“As for the demon force of fifty thousand, they likely had another purpose: attempting to break the Demon Emperor’s seal through a blood sacrifice ritual.”

At first, the Grand Elder hesitated to tell Chu Feng, fearing the truth might disturb his cultivation. But Chu Feng’s reaction now exceeded the Grand Elder’s expectations, though not in a good way.

The Demon Emperor’s seal was preliminarily believed to be at Ancient Lin City, and the azure-robed man was also sealed there. Since Chu Feng had freed that man and the Demon Emperor had returned, he found it impossible to believe this was mere coincidence.

In that case, the most likely conclusion was that the azure-robed man was the Demon Emperor.

Upon reaching this conclusion, Chu Feng nearly lost his mind.

Because of the Demon Emperor, tens of thousands of Ancient Lin City’s citizens had died without a proper burial, including neighbors who once cared for him.

Because of the Demon Emperor, the human race would face an immense crisis once more.

But what was most unbearable was that Chu Feng had, with his own hands, broken the Demon Emperor’s seal. How could he face those who had died? How could he face the entire human race?

“Wrong, wrong...” Chu Feng muttered, his eyes bloodshot and his mind unraveling. His inner spiritual energy ran rampant, ravaging his body—a sign of spiritual turmoil.

“This is bad!” The Grand Elder’s expression changed instantly. He acted swiftly, striking Chu Feng a few times to knock him unconscious temporarily, then used his own cultivation to quell the chaotic spiritual energy within Chu Feng.

After confirming Chu Feng was no longer in danger, the Grand Elder exhaled deeply but remained puzzled. He murmured, “How could this happen? With his strong willpower, he shouldn’t have lost control upon hearing this news.”

Suddenly, the Grand Elder’s pupils constricted, his face filled with disbelief as a possibility dawned on him. He stared blankly and whispered, “Could the Demon Emperor’s escape be connected to him?”

The Grand Elder could not verify this immediately. But knowing Chu Feng well, he believed that nothing else could have pushed such a prodigious martial talent so close to spiritual collapse.

When Chu Feng awoke half an hour later, though still distressed, he had calmed considerably.

“You’re awake,” the Grand Elder said softly, his voice void of blame despite the somber expression.

Chu Feng rose, guilt etched deeply on his face. He knelt and said, “Grand Elder, Chu Feng is guilty. I have wronged the human race, I have wronged the fallen comrades of Ancient Lin City!”

The Grand Elder sighed and helped him up. “I had some suspicion already. You must have unintentionally released the Demon Emperor, right? It’s no fault of yours. Perhaps this is fate’s test for you! In truth, with the Demon Emperor’s return, the five of us have pinned our hopes on you. Since you feel guilty, then bear the responsibility of protecting humanity. This matter began with you, and in the end, it must be resolved by you.”