The Great Demon.
The Four Evil Paths, with the Asura Path as the most revered, and the Hungry Ghost, Animal, and Hell Paths as subordinates, are also known as the Lower Three Paths.
Among the Lower Three Paths, vengeful ghosts from the Hungry Ghost Path might reincarnate as animals, and great demons from the Animal Path can cultivate into Hell demons. However, demons cannot ascend further to become Asuras—the Asura tribe, after all, possesses divinity.
Therefore, top-tier great demons are the apex that can be cultivated within the Lower Three Paths. When one mentions top-tier great demons, many people’s first impression is of the ferocious Chaos and Nine-Headed Infants in the Blood Sea. Yet, few know that, further up, great demons can even cultivate a human form, gaining the joy of wisdom, making them extremely rare beings in the Hell Path.
Phoenix had encountered many great demons in his life. Since his youth, after clearing the Blood Sea and allowing Sakya to return to his Buddha status, he had never feared any vicious creature in the Hell Path.
However, a great demon who had gained wisdom and cultivated a human form was something not only he, but everyone present, was seeing for the first time.
Phoenix’s brows furrowed slightly. With a flick of his sleeve, the glazed prayer beads in his hand soared with the wind, instantly transforming into a pure azure, magnificent longbow, almost as tall as a human, reflecting a moonlight-like brilliance under the dim sky.
Immediately, he drew a long arrow of the same color from the void. Its arrowhead was sharp as a blade, and its shaft was half a zhang long. With slender yet powerful fingers, he nocked the arrow, drew the bowstring taut, and aimed at the great demon hurtling through the air.
“Phoenix bone…” the Three World Wisdom King murmured.
Phoenix narrowed his eyes, and then released the arrow!
The force made his robes and long hair billow backward. The long arrow sliced through the sky like a meteor, striking towards the great demon in an instant!
This was the Phoenix Bone that Phoenix had used to descend into the Blood Sea and kill the Great Asura King with a single arrow, plunging the Four Evil Paths into a thousand-year-long upheaval of full-scale encirclement by the Heavenly Dao.
Although it was just a long arrow, it was enveloped in heavenly gang qi, stirring up spectacular golden flames, instantly illuminating the entire Luminous Heaven like a scorching sun!
the Three World Wisdom King and the Snow Mountain Goddess, along with all the King Arhats and strong novice monks, looked up, their eyes reflecting the unparalleled brilliance of the Phoenix Bone arrow. That light arrived before the great demon in an instant. The arrow’s momentum was like a meteor, completely undiminished, seemingly about to tear his entire being into shreds!
However, at that very moment, the great demon did not dodge in the slightest.
The man even smiled faintly—a fleeting smile that no one could see in the deadly radiance.
The next second, the man swung his blade in mid-air, from bottom to top. With a deafening clang, the blade sliced the long arrow in two at its peak!
The long arrow silently burst open, turning into points of light that fell to the earth. Everyone on the city wall’s face changed.
At that moment, the gang qi dissipated, creating surging air currents that spread in all directions!
Phoenix’s expression changed slightly.
The power of an arrow that even the Great Asura King could not withstand was actually sliced in two in mid-air by this man’s blade—when did a great demon from the Hell Path gain a demonic aura comparable to that of an Asura King?
His pupils suddenly narrowed. He drew a second arrow from the void, nocked it, tightly wrapped his finger around the bowstring, which was taut as a full moon, and then released—
The second arrow cut through the wind and waves, flying forward in the lingering heat of the first arrow. But just before it touched the great demon, the man leaped forward, swung his blade in mid-air, and instantly exploded the Phoenix Bone into a scorching ball of light beneath his blade!
The second arrow shattered into millions of fragments like falling stars, scattering across thousands of miles of scorched earth in a blazing inferno!
Phoenix’s face truly changed then.
However, he had no time to ponder. The man swung his blade horizontally, its edge bursting with dazzling light amidst the demonic aura. In the brief gap between the two arrows, he actually leapt across the battlefield, advancing dozens of zhang with irresistible momentum, now visibly closing in on the Luminous Heaven city wall!
Phoenix took a deep breath. The third, fourth, and up to the ninth arrows were fired almost instantaneously in quick succession. The ground beneath his feet suddenly cracked from the overwhelming pressure. Streaks of brilliant fire illuminated the air, all shooting towards the great demon in the sky. Then, under successive horizontal slashes of the blade, bursts of dazzling electric light, enough to burn one’s retina, erupted, weaving into a blindingly bright net that spanned the field of vision!
the Three World Wisdom King shouted, “Be careful!”
Phoenix looked up at the electric net in the sky, his robes fluttering behind him, but he did not dodge or evade at all. By this point, he was prepared for the loss of all his arrows. With a serene expression, he drew the tenth arrow, aiming it at the great demon who had already flown to the top of the city wall.
The next moment, he released the arrow. The arrow’s light arrived suddenly, but the man’s expression seemed somewhat surprised—
The arrow grazed past his ear, making a whistling sound.
Did he miss?
No, impossible.
The great demon suddenly turned his head, only to see the long arrow pierce through the light net formed by countless intertwining bolts of lightning. In the strong light, fragments of the third to ninth arrows, which had been cut off, were carried by the wind, bringing with them astonishing streaks of fire, and plummeted towards him all at once!
The sky full of falling fire was splendid and magnificent, like a divine creation, bringing down a heavenly punishment capable of incinerating everything to ashes.
That great demon had not expected the tenth arrow to be like this. A hint of surprise flashed across his expression. He then held his position in mid-air, turned, took a deep breath, and held it.
His entire iron armor shone brightly. Almost single-handedly, he confronted the spectacular fiery rain between heaven and earth. Time seemed to freeze at that instant.
—The next moment, he suddenly opened his mouth and spewed black flames, forming a mighty, roaring dragon in the sky!
Boom—!
The giant dragon met the heavenly fire, its furious body twisting and extending beneath the firmament, exploding in successive waves of explosions where it met the heavenly fire. Flames poured over the giant barrier above the man’s head, erupting into brilliant auroras that stretched for hundreds of miles!
Like the overturning of the earth, the reversal of the star sea, the battlefield of gods and demons fell silent for a second, transforming the explosion into white light.
Then, in this infinitely prolonged silence—
Phoenix Wisdom King drew the eleventh arrow.
The man turned his head, demonic blood trickling down his temple.
He did not look at the chilling arrow tip on the longbow that was aimed at him, but instead cast his gaze upon Phoenix Wisdom King, looking into the other’s exquisitely beautiful yet unruffled eyes.
Phoenix released his hand, and the eleventh arrow shot forth, cutting through the wind.
By this time, the great demon’s charge had faltered, his body half-turned, his blade reversed and blocking against the heavenly fire. It was too late to withdraw it. He was only a few zhang from the city tower; an arrow from this distance would arrive in an instant, leaving no time even to turn around.
In a flash of lightning, the man looked at Phoenix Wisdom King, and a corner of his mouth curved upwards.
His hand not holding the blade suddenly lifted, and he perfectly snatched the bone arrow, snapping it precisely in his grasp!
The arrow shaft broke with a crack, its arrowhead still pointing at the great demon’s chest. Phoenix’s true fire instantly blackened the great demon’s entire hand and arm that held the arrow.
However, the man’s expression remained unchanged, as if he felt no pain at all. He casually tossed the broken eleventh arrow far below the city tower, then dove down towards Phoenix Wisdom King in mid-air!
The distance was now extremely close; in almost an instant, he was before Phoenix. In the swirling currents, the two were almost face to face, each able to see their own reflection in the other’s eyes—at that moment, an unmistakable chilling light appeared in the man’s eyes, and Phoenix clearly saw his own surprised face.
Phoenix drew the twelfth arrow, aiming it at the man’s heart, which was now within arm’s reach.
—However, the next moment, the man heavily stomped on the city wall. His iron-armored hand snapped shut, gripping the arrowhead.
That hand was strong and powerful, with prominent veins, carrying a strong scent of rust and blood. The arrowhead could not move an inch in his grasp.
Phoenix’s pupils widened slightly.
The next moment, the man leaped down from the city tower, propped himself on the ground with his blade, and knelt on one knee before Phoenix: “Your Highness, please don’t move—”
He looked up at Phoenix Wisdom King, his side profile still stained with blood and exceedingly handsome, his eyes gleaming with a daunting cold light.
“—I did not come to fight, but to propose marriage to you.”
The vast expanse of heaven and earth fell silent for a moment. No one spoke; no one moved.
Only a foul wind swept across the battlefield, howling towards the sky.
Phoenix looked at him in astonishment, and after a moment, asked, “Who are you?”
Before the man could answer, the Three World Wisdom King suddenly strode over from not far away, his face ashen, silent. He raised his battle-axe and brought it down on the man’s head!
That strike was capable of shattering gold and breaking stone. However, before the fierce wind even arrived, the man spun around suddenly, maintaining his single-knee kneel towards Phoenix, and blocked with his other hand, which held the blade. With a clang, a huge metallic crash, he firmly blocked the battle-axe that came down from behind his ear!
The tremendous sound made everyone’s eardrums numb. the Three World Wisdom King roared, “Audacious scoundrel! Who exactly are you?!”
The man coldly said, “Who are you?”
His brows and eyes were extremely deep, his features hard, his nose straight, and his brow carried the inherent brutality and rebelliousness of a great demon. This sentence instantly inflamed the Three World Wisdom King’s anger even further. Without hesitation, he exerted great force, pressing his battle-axe heavily against the man’s blade, while sternly shouting, “Guards! Bring forth the Heavenly Demon Sealing Formation! Take this demon to Sumeru Mountain and crush him to dust!”
The Vajras surrounding the city tower, who had been awed into retreating by the confrontational atmosphere, rushed forward frantically with their ritual implements, about to charge at the audacious demon—
However, then Phoenix Wisdom King raised his hand and said, “Wait.”
His robes trailed the ground, his expression resolute. Though his voice was not loud, it carried immense deterrent power. The Vajras were filled with dread and uncertainty, and could only hesitantly halt their steps.
The Three World Wisdom King angrily said, “You!”
“What is your name?” Phoenix did not look at him, only at the great demon kneeling before him.
The man looked directly at Phoenix, his hair dark and his pupils crimson, revealing a strong wickedness on his handsome face.
But his gaze was steady. Amidst the blood streaking his face, there was a coolness and determination that suggested an unyielding will, even under the blade.
“I was born on Buzhou Mountain in Hell, and thus my given name is Zhou. After cultivating a human form, I heard that mortals have two-character names, so I wished to seek another character to complete my name…”
An absurd feeling arose in the hearts of everyone who heard him. No name?
A Hell demon, without even a name, as lowly and humble as could be, dared to kneel publicly on the battlefield of gods and demons and propose to Phoenix Wisdom, King of the Thirty-Three Heavens?
This single sentence alone was a great sin, one that even being struck by lightning and having one’s soul scattered would not be enough to atone for!
The Three World Wisdom King’s anger was mixed with an indescribable feeling. In an instant, his face uncontrollably changed. Just as he was about to step forward and personally slaughter this lowly demon, he heard Phoenix suddenly speak: “When you first arrived, you severed the Phoenix Bone arrow, as if riding a great wind and stepping upon the sun and moon…”
The man asked in astonishment, “Was that arrow made from your bone?!”
“…The second character will be ‘Hui’,” Phoenix didn’t answer him, pausing before adding, “It means the radiance of the sun.”
Phoenix put away the last pure azure arrow. The longbow transformed into prayer beads in a flash of light, which he wrapped around his slender wrist, then turned and walked down the city tower.
His back was solitary and desolate. The hair that had slipped from his headband when he fired eleven arrows lifted as he turned, brushing past the man’s face.
“Wait… wait!” The man knelt forward a step, his armor clanking dully on the ground. He said urgently, “Your Highness, I first met you a hundred years ago, and since then, I have been deeply in love. I wish to ask you to—”
Phoenix paused, but did not turn back: “Why are you deeply in love with me?”
His voice was somewhat weary, as if from his very bones, an exhaustion with this endlessly recurring and overlapping fate emanated.
However, the man, unaware, said, “A hundred years ago, when I was still an uncultivated demon, I was captured and brought under the Vajra Bell of the Thirty-Three Heavens. It was you who released me, who was about to be executed, and saved my life…”
Phoenix suddenly turned, staring directly at Zhou Hui.
At that instant, his gaze was almost one of shock.
—That person is not within karma, not within karma—so that’s it!
Because this demon’s original destiny was to die under the Vajra Bell; he shouldn’t even have cultivated a human form! It was his momentary kindness that changed his fate from being struck by the blade. He had personally created this great demon who existed outside of karma!
Phoenix turned around, his expression not changing much, yet no one knew that his hands beneath his robes were trembling, so much so that the prayer beads dug tightly into his palms: “You said you came for what?”
Zhou Hui said in a deep voice, “I came to propose marriage to you.”
Phoenix Wisdom King closed his eyes, like reaching the finish line after a thousand-mile race, like finally reaching the shore after swimming ten thousand miles. He let out a long, almost silent sigh.
When he opened his eyes again, he looked at Zhou Hui and said, “Alright, I accept.”
The entire audience was stunned, and the Three World Wisdom King could hardly believe his ears: “Are you insane! Guards, seize Phoenix Wisdom King! Apprehend this demon and immediately execute him!”
The Vajras were startled and moved, but Phoenix shouted, “Who dares?!”
The two words landed like thunder. In an instant, the situation became tense, everyone afraid to advance or retreat, forming an odd encircling posture, staring wide-eyed at the Three World Wisdom King and Phoenix Wisdom King, who were confronting each other in the encirclement.
The Three World Wisdom King angrily said, “Lowering yourself for a lowly demon, are you mad?! You must accept the marriage to the Snow Mountain Goddess, and return to Sumeru Mountain now!”
Unexpectedly, Phoenix displayed a firm posture completely contrary to his usual image, coldly saying, “No.”
“You—”
“It’s none of your business.” Phoenix surveyed his surroundings, his gaze icy. All those he looked at involuntarily lowered their heads: “—Not only that, whom I choose or do not choose is also none of anyone’s business… I was proven a Wisdom King by battle achievements, and I can abandon that position through slaughter. Don’t force me to consider this day, standing here together, as the last time I share any fate with the lords of the Heavenly Dao.”
The naked threat in his words made the Three World Wisdom King’s face utterly change color. But before he could react, Phoenix took half a step back and placed a hand on Zhou Hui’s shoulder: “Stand up. Since you did not kneel even when faced with the blade and axe, you will never have to kneel to anyone again!”
Zhou Hui rose, holding his blade. He flipped his wrist and grasped Phoenix Wisdom King’s hand, his expression a little strange from the disbelief that it had actually succeeded, but then he took a deep breath and steadied himself: “Your Highness.”
He was extremely tall, with a powerful physique, emanating the inherent coolness and wickedness of a Blood Sea demon. His blood-red pupils were like inorganic shards of ice, fixed on the Three World Wisdom King: “Your Highness, if you need me to make a move…”
In an instant, everyone present had but one thought: this great demon was arrogant beyond imagination!
“What did you say?” The Three World Wisdom King also seemed to disbelieve his own ears. However, at the peak of his anger, only a cold sneer remained: “Ignorant demon, what do you know? You have violated countless Heavenly Dao precepts. As soon as you leave here, heavenly thunder will descend instantly, surely striking you into dust, never to enter the cycle of reincarnation again!—”
“Will heavenly thunder strike me too?” Phoenix suddenly said indifferently.
“You…”
the Three World Wisdom King paused, comprehending the meaning of his words in disbelief.
Phoenix brushed back his fallen hair and tightened his headband. His expression was as indifferent as it was before every campaign in the Blood Sea, as if the vast territory, the bloody battlefield, and the gloomy sky before him did not exist, as if the countless flashes of blades and swords hidden on the path ahead had all receded at this moment, turning into a distant glimmer in the sky.
“Can you promise me one thing?” he asked.
Zhou Hui lowered his head. The great demon of the Blood Sea, like a handsome knight, revealed the strong, clearly defined curve of his neck—a very firm, resolute curve, as if it would never easily break for anything.
Phoenix extended his hand to him. In the strong wind, the string of prayer beads fluttered on his slender wrist: “Take me away,” he said softly, “please don’t leave me alone.”
