The Central Land has birthed a demon!

Four words as heavy as ten thousand jun. The West was shaken. The Eastern Crusade had been annihilated entirely — like a thunderclap shaking the world, leaving everyone beyond stunned.

The Eastern Crusade army had been selected through the most rigorous process. Every one of them came from a different ancient family, bearing noble bloodlines — among the most powerful of the powerful.

And their three commanders were great practitioners of the Celestial Platform First Heaven realm, renowned throughout the West, veterans of many great battles, famous across the world.

Yet even this army had been completely wiped out. Not a single person escaped. Someone had gone to the scene to look — not even a fragment of armor remained. Only faint bloodstains had been left on scorched earth and rock.

“What era do we live in? How could such a Great Demon appear? The Central Land Daoist sects don’t know how to gather faith, they have no thought-force augmentation — how could anyone cultivate to this level?!”

After the initial shock, many voices began to question. They felt this defied reason, that there was a significant flaw in the explanation. Most likely, something underhanded was at work.

“It must be those Central Land Daoists up to their tricks. Their lineages are strange — perhaps they possess some ancient supreme battle formation from antiquity, using the power of heaven and earth to slaughter the Crusade army. They then blamed it all on one demon.”

Some quickly arrived at this conjecture: the Daoist sects had most likely learned of their intentions — to seize the Central Land ancestral artifacts — and had ambushed them en route, then attributed everything to a demon.

For a time, the entire West erupted in uproar. The cultivation world was in complete ferment, for the scale of this event was far too great. Throughout history, many crusades had met defeat and perished — but never had an entire army been annihilated without a single survivor.

What made it all the more baffling was that this was an age of depleted spiritual energy. Three great practitioners, under normal circumstances, were pinnacle existences at the very apex of the pyramid — invincible to all. How had they all died?

Three knights of glorious and illustrious records, together with five hundred knights hardened through iron and blood — specifically assembled to oppose Daoist experts of the cultivation world, their combined strength should have been enough to seize the Central Land ancestral artifacts in a surprise strike.

“Passing judgment and carrying out the execution on that heretic was merely incidental — yet we suffered a calamity of the most terrifying magnitude because of it!”

“The Pope has been thrown into a fury and will personally issue a summons, calling together all the world’s cultivators of the West to assemble the most powerful Eastern Crusade!”

Tibet lay deep and mysterious. Many secrets resided within it. In the present heaven and earth, it was one of the rare unspoiled lands. Ye Fan and the others journeyed on, arriving at the ruins of an ancient temple.

This was Xiao Song’s old home. The moment it arrived, it shook off its listless state and revived rapidly, darting off in a streak and squirming into its little den in the stone mountain.

Yan Xiaoyu found it adorable and followed up, the two of them staring eye to eye at each other. The small stone cave was clean and dry. Xiao Song’s large eyes rolled and spun as it peered outward.

This place held too many memories for it. It had grown up here from infancy, unknowingly breathing in the moon’s essence, until the day it encountered Ye Fan.

“This is a Tibetan Buddhist cave, excavated by a great virtuous holy Buddha.” Little Celestial Master Zhang Qingyang was quite knowledgeable and recognized the origins of the stone cave. That small stone Buddha had been sealed here — and it was this that explained why Xiao Song had gradually developed spiritual awareness, having absorbed the divine radiance of an ancient sage.

“Now that you mention it, the waters of the Buddhist world run deep. Although Buddhism has nearly died out in India, in the Central Land the lineage has spread far and wide — even the Sacred Mountain has moved eastward. Who knows what catastrophe will come in the future.” Youwei Yu remarked.

He came from Kunlun and naturally had a clear understanding of Tibetan Buddhism and the Buddhist temples across the interior’s famous mountains and great rivers. His own sect had also sensed the vast and immense power of the Sacred Mountain.

Whoosh!

Xiao Song bounded and leaped, transforming into a streak of purple light darting around the stone mountain, and finally entered the crack in the mountain’s base. The group followed it in.

When they saw the true dragon head formed from the earth’s veins, they were all startled. A stone dragon had withered and died right here. Beneath the dragon’s mouth sat a cracked small clay jar, containing a crystalline liquid that emitted a fragrant scent.

“Earth essence — this is the reason the little creature was able to survive and grow up while developing spiritual awareness.” Ye Fan murmured.

Xiao Song ran over and, with great determination, held up the small clay jar, insisting that Ye Fan must drink it. It was firm and resolute, and would not be moved.

“Is this an offering to Master?” Ye Fan rubbed its head and smiled.

The small creature nodded earnestly, its face full of gravity and hope.

Ye Fan did not refuse as he had the previous time. He genuinely took it, and drained it dry in one gulp right before its eyes — because this was Xiao Song’s sincere and wholehearted offering.

The little purple creature was overjoyed, bounding and leaping about. After quite a long time, it finally calmed down — and then its mood became a little low. It walked slowly toward a small stone cave.

Inside that cave was the skeleton of a squirrel — its mother. She had died to save it in her time. Having experienced the human world, Xiao Song had come to understand much more.

The last time it had been here, it had laughed with careless abandon. But this time, it lay there very solemnly, gazing at the skeleton with a look of sorrow, not moving for a long, long while.

The others exchanged glances. Ye Fan exhaled softly and said nothing, letting the small creature sit in its stillness.

The little purple creature let out soft, whimpering cries. Tears welled up and rolled from its large eyes. It asked Ye Fan and the others to go on ahead — it would catch up shortly.

Everyone nodded and made their way back up to the surface, giving the small creature its space.

Yan Xiaoyu and the others, whose divine senses were stronger than Xiao Song’s current level, could all perceive what it was doing inside, and could not help but show expressions of surprise. They discovered that Xiao Song had quietly taken its own precious treasures — many extraordinarily rare spiritual fruits — and buried them in that stone cave, interred together with its mother’s skeleton.

“It is performing the rites of filial piety. When we come back out, everyone pretend they noticed nothing.” Long Xiaoqu said.

Without him saying so, no one would have pointed it out anyway. This little creature was sometimes endearingly funny, and sometimes pitiably heartbreaking.

“Let’s go.” Ye Fan said.

Xiao Song’s spirits were not particularly high. At last, it let out a few soft, whimpering calls toward the crack in the earth, and then took one step, looked back, then another step, looking back again — leaving with Ye Fan and the others.

No one said anything. There was no comforting words for such things — it could only sort through its own feelings. One had to say, Xiao Song was deeply perceptive. The intense emotional upheaval of this time stirred a resonance between Heaven and Man within it, and a breakthrough was imminent.

In truth, its cultivation had long since been sufficient. At the secret realm of the Dao Palace, it had been primarily cultivating through breathing in spiritual energy. So long as it had enough essence to absorb, entering the Dao was certain.

Only after the Four Extremes secret realm was it necessary to cultivate through bitter effort and enlightenment. In all the days since, it had eaten spiritual fruits consistently and without pause, breathing in the moon’s essence without ceasing — it should have crossed this threshold long ago.

Today, moved by its feelings, the Dao stirred with the heart. And so it drew down heavenly tribulation, breaking through into the Four Extremes secret realm, truly stepping onto the path of Dao enlightenment and beginning the foundations of cultivation.

Boom!

A bolt of lightning from a clear sky descended from ten thousand zhang above, striking directly toward Xiao Song. The force of the lightning was fierce, domineering, and absolute — making the earth and surrounding mountain ranges rumble and roar.

“Heavens — it has drawn down heavenly tribulation! How many years has it been? Since the depletion of Earth, this must be the first time anyone has brought down tribulation lightning, surely?”

Zhan Yifan cried out in astonishment. The others’ faces changed as well. In the present age, there were almost no people left who could undergo tribulation — for the environment had changed so drastically. Even those prodigies who had once been capable of undergoing tribulation could hardly be perceived by the Great Dao any longer, let alone draw down tribulation lightning.

No one had anticipated that Xiao Song would be this formidable — entering the Four Extremes secret realm and already drawing the attention of the heavens above, requiring tribulation to be sent to block its path.

The little purple creature let out a soft whimper, quickly composed itself, and focused its spirit, beginning to contend with this mighty heavenly tribulation.

It could be said that the training Ye Fan had imparted earlier had played a decisive role. By now, Xiao Song no longer feared the crash of lightning and thunder — it had the courage to face it alone.

Zhang Qingyang and the others finally understood why Ye Fan had taken this small creature as his second true transmission disciple. Earlier they had harbored some resentment and reluctance — but now it all dissolved like smoke.

This was a heaven-defying little creature. At this tender age, it was already subjected to lightning tribulation. Its future achievements would certainly be beyond all measure — incomparable.

For, according to the records of ancient texts, true tribulation lightning began at the moment one broke through into the Four Extremes secret realm — because at this stage, Dao enlightenment was required, and thus the heavens above could perceive one.

By this reckoning, Xiao Song had become one of the rare few throughout all of history who had undergone tribulation from the very outset — and its future Dao attainments would certainly be beyond imagination.

Zhan Yifan and Youwei Yu were deeply envious, as well as deeply shaken. They watched in silence.

The sea of lightning was ferocious, flooding the entire area with its roar, shaking heaven and earth. Xiao Song ascended into the heavens, plunging into the lightning itself to face it head-on.

Ye Fan nodded. His second disciple had truly stepped onto the path of cultivation. He acted as well — not to help, but to neutralize all the tribulation lightning that struck the ground using the Heaven-Defying Array Inscriptions, so that the surrounding mountains and rivers would not be destroyed.

In the end, Xiao Song let out a cry. It was still too young, and could not hold out. Amid the tribulation lightning, it had been gravely wounded.

“Master, please act now — little senior brother cannot hold on any longer.” The others showed worried faces, some of them anxious, urging Ye Fan to intervene.

“In undergoing tribulation, one can only rely on oneself. It must get through this entirely on its own.” Ye Fan seemed heartless in this moment and made no move to help. He only transmitted his voice, telling Xiao Song it must hold on — it had to endure and push through on its own.

Unceasing cries of distress came through. In the end, even someone of cold temperament like Long Xiaoqu nearly couldn’t bear to watch, unable to stop himself from wanting to fight against heavenly punishment to help.

But he was stopped by Ye Fan. No one was allowed to approach. The little purple creature’s body was rent and bleeding all over, nearly scorched black — and yet the heavenly tribulation was becoming more and more immense.

The tribulation lightning was terrifying, becoming a vast expanse like the ocean, sweeping across the sky, measureless and without end, falling downward. Within it, a small purple sprite wailed and struggled.

Ye Fan was merciless. He transmitted his voice loudly, directing Xiao Song on how to endure the tribulation — but he refused to act.

In the end, Xiao Song used every technique it possessed to preserve its life. It had no more strength even to cry out. It displayed its full cultivation, offering up the first three strikes of the Demon Emperor’s Nine Slashes — straining to the very limit.

In that instant, Long Yuxuan, Huang Tiannü, and the rest were struck by an illusion. Within that ten-thousand-zhang sea of tribulation lightning, they seemed to glimpse a great Emperor — proud and sovereign, disdaining all beneath the heavens.

“Master — do you see it? Within Xiao Song’s body, there is a kind of potential. Dimly and fleetingly, it transformed into an undying divine radiance — disdaining the tribulation lightning!” Several of them called out, their voices trembling.

“That is its ‘Dao Self’ potential — the very foundation from which it will one day ascend to the summit.” Ye Fan murmured. In the blur of that moment, he seemed to see a Demon Emperor rising to power.

“Master — in any world, only one person can prove the Dao and become Emperor. If Xiao Song always stays by your side, in the end, which of you will become Emperor?” They had struck upon a sharp and cutting question.

“From ancient times to today, not a single sacred body has ever proven the Dao to become Emperor…” Ye Fan murmured to himself, saying nothing more.

“Even if Master does not prove the Dao… to raise up two great Emperors — that would be without precedent in all of history, peerless under heaven.”

They had heard that Ye Fan had a senior disciple in the Northern Dipper Star Domain, bearing a bloodline force akin to the Solar Sacred Emperor — who might one day prove the Dao.

“My Dao… what will it become?” Ye Fan looked toward the infinite and profound depths of the sky above, as though trying to pierce through all the star domains and look upon his great enemies — the Heavenly Emperor Son, the Sacred Son of Yao Guang, Yin Tiande, and the rest. He had always been accumulating his strength, building up gradually — for when his Dao was ready, it would be unlike any other, and when he forced his way through to the end, he would defy and slay the Great Dao itself.