Asura Path, Double Iron Wheel Mountain.
A bitter wind howled outside the Yama Palace. Chu He sat on a demonic watchtower carved from a black megalith, staring blankly towards the distant mountains in the direction of the human realm.
He wore human realm attire—a black shirt and jeans, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His hair was cut completely short, and the wind revealed a refined and quiet profile.
He had cut his hair himself with a dagger a few days ago when he first arrived in the demon realm. The original intention was just to get rid of the troublesome curly ends, but as soon as he shortened them, they naturally curled up again. In a fit of annoyance, he had cut it all off, which ended up being much less trouble.
Normally, the form of a Heavenly Dao being couldn’t be altered at will, but now that he was more than half-fallen into a demon, it no longer mattered.
Not far away, crimson smoke swirled over the roiling surface of the Sea of Blood. Several Ghost-Asuras dragged corpse bags, climbing wetly out of the shallows.
The corpse bags they used could be large or small; the largest could hold over ten thousand human skeletons. Chu He had brought the Demon Lord to the Four Evil Paths once before, when Fan Luo was nearly sealed by Zhou Hui. At that time, it was to hide from Zhou Hui’s pursuit, but in the Yama Palace, he happened to see an opened corpse bag. The sight of tens of thousands of entangled bodies with ferocious faces had made him storm away on the spot, and from then on, he was unwilling to set foot in the Asura Path ever again.
The Demon Lord, however, had told him that different corpse bags were used to refine different types of corpses. The ultimate purpose was to refine the collected human bodies into low-level hell demons for the Asura clans to command. Whenever war broke out in the human realm, the Ghost-Asuras would collect tens of millions of bodies. Without a continuous supply of hell demons to command, the Asuras could not fight against the Heavenly Dao clans, who far outnumbered them.
Chu He watched expressionlessly as the enormous corpse bag was dragged from the water. Judging by its size and the trail it left on the beach, it had to contain at least a hundred human corpses.
The Ghost-Asuras hauled the bag, crossing the beach and winding up the rugged mountain path until they reached the magnificent dark crystal road outside the demon palace. The smell of a hundred bodies wrapped in a single bag was simply indescribable. The Ghost-Asuras left a trail of wet, heavy footprints on the crystal ground, finally dragging the bag to the wide steps below the watchtower before turning back to the Sea of Blood to haul the next one.
Chu He sat on the watchtower, staring at the bulging bag oozing blackish-red bloodstains at his feet. After a moment, he reached into the void, grasped a leaping, golden-red flame, and flicked it gently.
The flame landed on the bag and, with a “BOOM,” erupted into a brilliant inferno, instantly burning the entire bag and the hundred-odd corpses inside to ash!
“You!” The Ghost-Asuras whirled around. “What are you doing?!”
Chu He said flatly, “It stinks.”
“That is something His Majesty the Demon Lord requires!” The Ghost-Asuras leaped towards the watchtower, screeching, “Where did you come from, you ignorant human—”
In mid-air, the Asuras transformed into black shadows, wraithlike, and were upon him in an instant. But in the next second, Chu He’s gaze shifted to them. His expression was indifferent. Maintaining his pose with one fist propping up his chin, he opened his mouth and gently breathed out a puff of golden fire.
—BOOM!
The golden fire transformed into a soaring giant bird with wings ablaze, engulfing all the Asuras in the blink of an eye!
Chu He lazily jumped down from the watchtower, landing almost silently on the crystal ground, then turned and walked up the giant, reflective steps.
Behind him, the crackling of burning bones echoed from the flames, and the screams died out almost immediately.
The architectural style of the Yama King Palace was actually similar to that of the Heavenly Dao—a giant palace enclosing a city. It was just that the building materials were not yang-aspected gems like gold, jade, and lapis lazuli, but rather yin-aspected ones like crystal, opal, and moonstone. The palace walls were built from countless gray, fluorescent gems, each ten feet long and wide and five feet thick, stacked so high one had to crane their neck to see the top. It took the time to drink half a cup of tea to cross a single room.
There were tens of thousands of such rooms in the Yama King Palace.
Among the Four Evil Paths, the paths of Hungry Ghosts and Animals were barren and harsh, and the Hell Path was almost undeveloped. Only the Asura Path possessed a richness comparable to the Thirty-Three Heavens. It was said that during the peak of the Asura’s power, the entire land was made of gold, the trees were crystal, and the fruits were dazzling gemstones of every color. Even its gloomy, dark sky was composed of a single, boundless piece of moonstone.
But thousands of years of constant conquest by the Heavenly Dao had sharply reduced the wealth of the Asura clans, leaving them with little more than an empty shell.
Chu He passed through room after room. Some rooms were scenes of debauchery with pools of wine and forests of meat; some housed giant, mountain-sized hell demons. In the corners of other rooms, giggling sounds could be heard—a group of Asura women were amusing themselves with several men abducted from the human realm.
Chu He lowered his lashes, his face cold, pale, and handsome in the shifting light and shadow.
An Asura woman smiled seductively and reached out a fair arm to pull him, but the moment her nail touched the corner of his sleeve, the Phoenix’s True Fire lingering around him made her scream and snatch her hand back as if struck by lightning.
Without a second glance, Chu He finally passed through the deep corridor and arrived at the terrace at the end. He pushed open the bronze doors, and a damp wind rushed in, instantly whipping his hair back.
The Demon Lord turned his head. His black royal robe was patterned with red, and his gaze was as disdainful as a high and mighty emperor’s.
Chu He walked forward calmly and leaned on the railing, looking down at the dense, endless army of the Four Evil Paths below the palace.
This demon army was led by the Asura clans, with hell demons, great monsters, and hundreds of billions of vengeful ghosts as its main force. It concentrated almost all the strongest power of the Four Evil Paths. Above this army, the energy of death condensed into black smoke, spiraling up into the sky like a giant dragon stretching across heaven and earth.
The Demon Lord looked down upon his army from his high vantage point. He glanced at Chu He beside him, seeming very satisfied with the scene. His gaze then turned to the distance.
—Mount Buzhou in Hell.
The only direct path for the six realms of beings to the Formless Heaven.
“You killed someone outside?” the Demon Lord asked suddenly.
“A few Ghost-Asuras,” Chu He said. “They made the first move.”
The Yama King Palace itself was the Demon Lord’s eighth consciousness, so he could sense what had just happened outside and knew that Chu He had used his true fire to deliver the several hundred corpses dragged from the Sea of Blood. But he showed no sign of blame, his expression even calm. Perhaps the fact of standing here, shoulder-to-shoulder with the Phoenix Bright King, surveying his powerful army, had given him a strange sense of satisfaction and pleasure, making him too lazy to bother with such trivial matters.
“You don’t like corpse refining?” the Demon Lord asked conversationally.
Chu He didn’t answer.
“There’s no other way. The number of hell demons we need far exceeds the natural rate of creation, so we can only plunder resources from the human realm. The Buddha also once incarnated as a monk to spread his teachings throughout the human realm, using the power of various feudal lords and warlords to grow his followers and strengthen the Heavenly Dao…”
Chu He interrupted him. “Were those corpses freshly killed?”
The Demon Lord turned to meet Chu He’s gaze. The latter’s head was slightly tilted, his face handsome, showing no expression at all.
“Yes,” the Demon Lord said.
Chu He turned to walk back towards the corridor, but the Demon Lord suddenly grabbed his wrist.
“I will crush the Heavenly Dao, destroy the Buddha’s body, and make the Asuras the new masters of the six realms. I will plunder more resources from the human realm to strengthen the Four Evil Paths, let endless death qi spread and turn human cities into ruins, prevent hundreds of billions of vengeful ghosts from being reborn, and make the earth collapse to become the domain of the Asuras. Do you know why I’m telling you all this?”
“Because you need my power,” Chu He said flatly.
But the Demon Lord said, “No.”
He moved closer to Chu He, his hot breath almost touching his ear as he spoke. “I am not asking for your opinion. I am simply telling you my goal, and then revealing the fact that you must follow me.”
Chu He seemed to find this absurd and tried to pull his wrist away and step aside, but failed. After a moment, he finally gave up the struggle and asked, “Why?”
“Because you have an innate desire to submit to those with a strong will. You have lived for tens of thousands of years and have not shed the fledgling instinct in your blood.” The Demon Lord’s lips curled, but there was no smile in his eyes. “Just like when Zhou Hui forcefully broke eleven of your phoenix bones on the battlefield and then proposed to you, you agreed. And when he found you in the human realm and confined you within a barrier, sealing your nine orifices and locking your spine, you naturally submitted…”
Chu He narrowed his eyes and yanked his hand, but the Demon Lord forcefully pulled him closer. “I once thought of trying to move you, but it turns out that the weak human approach doesn’t work. What you need is confinement, control, and conquest. You won’t even spare a glance for the weak…”
Chu He’s tone was tinged with anger. “Are you out of your mind?”
“I am merely stating my future attitude towards you,” the Demon Lord said politely, though the force in his fingers did not relax in the slightest. “One day, we will trample Mount Sumeru and stand side-by-side at the pinnacle of these six realms… If this makes you uncomfortable now, I apologize. I was too impatient.”
The Demon Lord finally loosened his fingers, bit by bit. Chu He abruptly pulled his wrist free, only to see several distinct black threads on his skin—manifested demonic energy.
The Demon Lord Fan Luo had finally recovered his strength as a Great Asura King. If the Heavenly Dao had not chosen Zhou Hui, in terms of individual combat power, no one in the Heavenly Dao could now face the Demon Lord head-on.
Chu He rubbed his wrist, an imperceptible shadow crossing his mind. His expression and even his eyes likely didn’t change, yet the Demon Lord seemed to have instantly read his thoughts, smiling as he asked, “Isn’t this the very purpose for which you have been offering me your heart’s blood as a sacrifice? Now that the goal is achieved, you should be happy.”
“I was merely hoping you would help me block the lightning tribulation,” Chu He stated, calm and frank.
“Well now my divinity is fully restored, any lightning tribulation will be automatically dispelled. At least your safety is guaranteed.” The Demon Lord seemed unfazed by his honesty. “Being able to do something for you actually brings me some comfort.”
This was the Demon Lord’s usual way of thinking. Although Chu He couldn’t understand it, he knew some people were indeed like this. They didn’t care about the other person’s feelings or emotions, only emphasizing their own sovereignty, giving to the other person in their own willful way and demanding submission in return.
Like a person who admires a flower, it is enough to possess the splendor of the moment it blooms; the plant’s own joys and sorrows are almost non-existent.
This seemed somewhat similar to Zhou Hui, but Chu He knew that deep down, Zhou Hui still held hope for affection. It was just that Zhou Hui had honed unparalleled patience and self-control over long years. He could wait until the end, wait until the thing he truly desired fell willingly and steadily into his palm.
Chu He lowered his eyes, all his emotions hidden beneath lashes as long as a raven’s wings, and turned to walk back into the palace corridor.
“Phoenix,” the Demon Lord said suddenly.
Chu He’s steps paused slightly as he heard the Demon Lord’s voice from behind. “In seven days, I will go to the border between the human and hell realms to release death qi, allowing the Asura clans to harvest a large number of resentful souls and vengeful ghosts. I want you to accompany me.”
Chu He didn’t turn back. He stood there for a long moment. From the Demon Lord’s perspective, he could see his straight back. Though his shoulders weren’t broad, they had an unyielding, solitary strength. The lines of the black shirt tightened all the way down to his lean lower back and the parts further below, which were deeply hidden in his pants.
“I know,” Chu He finally said after a moment, his voice flat. “I’ll go.”
·
Meanwhile, in the Sea of Blood.
The sea surface surged violently, with clouds of mist. Countless demons devoured and tore at rotting flesh, their roars and collisions echoing.
Suddenly, a massive wave, like a rolling mountain range, crashed down from the sky. Countless demons were startled and fled in all directions. Innumerable skeletons were shattered within the blood-red waves as the peak slammed down onto the trembling sea with a thunderous roar!
Maha’s figure appeared amidst the soaring spray of blood. His long silver hair flew wildly in the wind, and his beautiful, womanly face, set against the backdrop of the vast Sea of Blood, had a cold, sinister, and evil quality. He was completely naked. As the wave crashed down, he dived into the deep sea like a fish. A few seconds later, he burst out of the shallows. The sea spiders that had been tearing at rotting corpses nearby immediately fled in terror, scuttling into the sea and disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Maha lazily stood up, drifting ashore on a boat made of interlinked bones, and planted a foot on a rock.
Jia Louluo sat on a razor-sharp cliff edge, chin in hand, dressed in short, practical clothes. His face was expressionless as he absentmindedly gazed at several black shadows floating like icebergs in the depths of the Sea of Blood—they must be Chaos Beasts. They were mostly extinct in the six realms due to their immense size. These last few were actually being raised by Maha in the deep sea.
“Hey,” Maha walked up to him and casually kicked Jia Louluo, making him sway. “Move over!”
“…” Jia Louluo sat up straight and shifted his butt two inches to the side.
Jia Louluo’s serious injuries had not fully healed. His muscular thighs were wrapped in bandages, and crisscrossing wounds on his six-pack abs oozed blood. Probably because he really couldn’t adapt to the environment of Hell, he hadn’t slept well for the past few days. There were dark, ashen circles under his eyes, making him look as haggard as a seriously ill patient.
Seeing this face that resembled Zhou Hui’s looking so wretched, Maha actually felt a sliver of malicious pleasure. “Can’t get used to the Sea of Blood? Why not go back to the Yama King Palace? Weren’t there a few Asura women who specifically performed a heavenly demon dance array to seduce you the other day? You can just play with them for a bit. You should be able to fall asleep when you’re tired, hahaha—”
“…” Jia Louluo said, “Not interested.”
“Don’t be so sullen, you stupid little brother. They’re really into your type. I heard Zhou Hui’s human form was also very popular with the Asura women back then, but your pure and ascetic type should provoke their desire for conquest even more.” Maha quirked a corner of his lip, sizing up Jia Louluo with ill intent. “It’s a rare trip to the Four Evil Paths, you should broaden your horizons. You probably don’t have anything like this in that godforsaken snow mountain, right? Ever heard of joyful zen?”
Jia Louluo didn’t even want to speak anymore.
Maha tied up his bloody, silver hair with his slender white fingers, shaking his head and clicking his tongue. “You’re so pitiful, you’ve gone stupid from chanting sutras. But since you’ve studied the scriptures so carefully, do you know the story of Indra seeking to marry countless Asura women as his consorts? So, if you’re determined to become a Buddha, you have to marry an Asura woman, otherwise another twenty thousand years of chanting will be useless. Go on, your big brother fully supports you. I’ve even prepared the betrothal gift for you right here…”
Maha casually grabbed at the air, and a large, colorful sea snake appeared, wet and dripping, in his hand. It hissed and struggled in terror, its tail whipping out with a “smack” and slapping Jia Louluo right across the face.
“…” Jia Louluo wiped his face, finally reaching his limit.
He reached under his butt, pulled out a crumpled white robe, and held it up to Maha’s nose. “Can you please put on some clothes before you speak?”
In the Sea of Blood, Maha had almost no awareness of needing to wear clothes; he was far too comfortable in the buff. However, Jia Louluo’s expression was one of extreme, unbearable tolerance. After a long moment, Maha finally gave a lazy grunt, casually draped the sea snake around his brother’s neck, took the robe and wrapped it around his naked body, then kicked Jia Louluo aside again and sat arrogantly on the cliff edge.
