Chapter 355: Wanli Demon City Listening to Wind and Thunder

Five hundred years after the divine war, the world was scoured by heavenly lightning and earthly fire. Great cultivators lay buried in barren mountains and wild lands, while formidable demons and devils were suppressed beneath imperial cities. After that, all life withered, and the world struggled to rebuild. Even after five centuries, practitioners capable of entering the Five Paths remained exceedingly rare.

This was the first decisive battle between two peak Five Path cultivators that Million Demon City had ever witnessed in its five-hundred-year history.

As this true demigod war began, boundless spiritual energy poured into Million Demon City from thousands of miles around. It was late spring, nearing summer, and the weather had been continuously rainy. Along with the spiritual energy came thick, dark clouds gathering from all directions.

They swarmed over Million Demon City like vultures drawn to carrion, covering the entire sky in an instant.

The sky abruptly darkened, looking as if the night sky had collapsed, covering the ancient city like a vast, oppressive hat.

The Golden-winged Great Peng wielded his dark iron divine staff, swinging it down. Ten thousand bolts of lightning tore through the clouds, striking towards Siming.

Siming reached her hand into the clouds above, from which she drew out another illusory sword.

This illusory sword was different from the crystalline, translucent swords she had previously formed. This one was composed of vibrating air, appearing as though a hurricane had been condensed into a three-foot length. Held in her palm, it trembled like constantly colliding particles, unleashing a violent aura.

As the Golden-winged Great Peng furiously flapped his wings and swung his iron staff, pressing down with the might of mountains and seas, Siming, already gripping her illusory sword, swept it horizontally with incredible speed.

A sharp, piercing sound shrieked across the sky. Siming's horizontal sword cut through the furious torrent of lightning like a single thread in an instant. The surface of the lightning collapsed, and the concentrated fire within it exploded, instantly illuminating the surrounding clouds.

In the firelight, the Golden-winged Great Peng's red raven mask abruptly materialized. His figure swiftly approached, the Jingu Dark Iron Divine Staff, like a golden crow, parting lightning and fire as he struck again.

Siming stood unmoving, her left hand forming a spell at her chest. Several illusory swords emerged from her side in quick succession, one by one slashing into the fierce flames. Her figure, too, moved like lightning, not retreating but advancing, cutting once more towards the incoming staff strike.

This sword strike of Siming’s was several times faster than the one that had just cleaved through the lightning of divine retribution.

Just as it seemed her sword would preemptively strike, breaking through the Golden-winged Great Peng's defense and cutting into his flesh, he swiftly flapped his high-raised wings like a dragonfly. His body suddenly shot upward, dodging the rapidly horizontal sword light, while the dark iron divine staff simultaneously crashed down with the force to split a mountain.

Siming's brows furrowed slightly, yet she still did not dodge. Her pupils suddenly turned to ice, and everything seen through her gaze slowed down.

Before the divine staff, a silver light appeared out of thin air. Siming, reacting later, parried with her illusory sword, colliding with the mountain-cleaving strike.

The illusory sword and divine staff crashed together, not only erupting in golden electric sparks but also a clanging sound like steel. Sword and staff scraped against each other, their surrounding air seemingly ablaze. Exploding shockwaves, mixed with firelight and silver gleams, engulfed the two combatants, turning them into black silhouettes.

The stalemate lasted only a moment. Power was infinitely infused into both the sword and staff. As their strength peaked, an explosive roar erupted again. Both were overwhelmed, and the sword and staff sprang apart.

The sky-obscuring flames were instantly torn away by a hurricane. The source of the hurricane was the sword in Siming's hand—a sword formed by condensing the wild winds of the sky. Its power far surpassed any mortal sword, but it was still significantly inferior to the true sacred artifact in the Golden-winged Great Peng's hand.

Neither of them paused.

Siming flicked her wrist, and the dispersed hurricane transformed into winding white mists, condensing back into her palm like a whale drawing water.

She stared at the Golden-winged Great Peng.

Beneath the city-pressing dark clouds, the Great Peng Demon Saint's golden feathers were like armor, his figure shining like a golden sun.

The Golden-winged Great Peng twirled the sacred artifact in his hand, feeling its power. The dark iron divine staff rotated continuously. Around him, flames flickered, making his posture appear divine.

Siming, however, gently shook her head and said, "You don't deserve it at all."

The Golden-winged Great Peng did not retort. He looked at the wild, shadow-like sword in Siming's hand and said, "At least it's better than you not having a sword that suits you."

Their exchange was very brief.

Two thunderclaps erupted almost simultaneously as their figures vanished from their spots.

Where the staff and sword connected, the vast sky ignited with one artificial sun after another. Golden flames and hurricanes collided and intertwined. The trailing currents, glowing with fire, swept down in spiraling arcs. The surrounding forests were entirely affected, mountains crumbled, forests caught fire, and debris of earth and wood were drawn back into the sky by Siming's power, which reverted to a hurricane.

The clouds, heavy as black iron, held accumulated lightning plasma. Within them, Siming performed her ever-changing swordplay, colliding with Golden-winged Great Peng's still-unfamiliar staff techniques. Bursts of flames exploded between them. The heavy dark clouds were continuously pierced, revealing one cave-like opening after another to the sky.

Light from outside fell through these openings, striking the ravaged ground like divine pillars.

No one could discern the movements of the two figures, only perceive countless slender arcs of light in the air and the firelight exploding at their ends—these were the traces left by repeated sword and staff collisions.

This nearly divine war was exhilarating. The Golden-winged Great Peng was inherently the fastest divine bird in the mortal realm. In his prime, he could travel thousands of miles in an instant, soaring from north to south. Although he was no longer at his peak, as a renowned Demon Saint, how could he be an empty name?

Spiritual energy from all directions continuously poured into his body—this was his authority: Heaven Devouring.

Inside his body, hundreds of thousands of muscles, refined like steel, tightened and vibrated, emitting a metallic hum. Each pulse of his powerful heart was like a volcanic eruption. Blood flowed through his entire body in an instant, providing power. The demon race's bodies are inherently formidable, and his was almost like a golden Buddha, impervious to fire and lightning, indestructible.

He hadn't felt this exhilarating in a long time.

Wielding the sacred artifact, he discarded technique, swinging the divine staff like a long blade—chopping down from the sky, sweeping horizontally, or cutting at the waist. Each strike carried immense power, imbued with the majestic aura of the ancient saints who once swept through the Immortal Court, reducing countless bones to dust.

But even with such fierce attacks, Siming did not fall behind in the slightest.

She held the illusory sword, engaging Golden-winged Great Peng in a head-on confrontation. Wherever the divine staff's golden light struck, a corresponding cold, sharp gleam flashed, annihilating its power.

Siming moved through the clouds, her hurricane sword condensing and dispersing, dispersing and condensing. The vast dark clouds also continuously repeated the process of being pierced and re-forming.

She was once a Divine Official of a Divine Kingdom, with an almost boundless spiritual sea. Except for being utterly outmatched in a battle against the Sin Lord in Boundary City, she had never truly pushed her limits. Facing Golden-winged Great Peng's thunderous, explosive onslaught, she not only held her ground but continuously counterattacked, relying on exquisite swordplay to exploit weaknesses in his staff techniques. Then, she would unleash torrents of sword intent, wrapped in gales, pressing down like a downpour, launching a suffocating pursuit.

Because Siming's authority was time, time enveloped her. Every one of her sword strokes traveled through layers of space and time, often striking first despite moving later, suppressing Golden-winged Great Peng's most boasted speed.

Below, the mountain-protecting formations of the various peaks had all been activated. The demons could not clearly see the war between deities, only the formations being repeatedly affected, gradually showing cracks like lightning patterns.

In the vast sky, thousands of collisions occurred in an instant. The clouds were again carved with holes. In the light, two long, slender silhouettes rose from the ground, instantly reaching above the layered clouds.

Above the clouds, silver sword light and golden staff radiance collided again, like the moment a tsunami erupts. A massive sonic boom shattered the dark clouds. The power of both figures instantly overloaded, and they were abruptly flung apart, crashing into the clouds.

The Golden-winged Great Peng frantically flapped his wings. A strong wind supported his golden feathers, reducing the impact of the shockwave and steadying him. But after such a frenzied battle, he was still wounded. Priceless golden feathers floated down towards Million Demon City, each one a treasure.

The Golden-winged Great Peng gripped the Jingu Dark Iron Divine Staff. The humming of the divine iron, loud during the fierce battle, gradually ceased. The Great Peng Demon Saint stood on the cloud, body half-bent, sharp talons hanging down like hooks, muscles tense like an arrow ready on a crossbow.

He stared at Siming with scarlet demon eyes and asked coldly, "Who exactly are you?"

Siming also hovered above the clouds. Above her was the bright sun, below was a sea of clouds as black as ink. She stood at the confluence of the two colors, her beautiful face bathed in light and shadow, like a divine sculpture. Her silver hair danced wildly. Wind filled her black divine robe, making it flap noisily. The dispersed hurricanes condensed into white air currents, flying back from the clouds. The broken sword in her hand suddenly became whole. Her violently heaving chest also calmed. At this moment, her almost god-like figure stood on the clouds. The undulating cloud waves below seemed like her subordinates, hammering armor and forging swords, gathering thousands of armies to aid her, stretching for thousands of miles, covering the sky and sun.

Siming looked at his widely spread wings, didn't answer, just spoke coldly: "If you didn't have this sacred artifact, you would surely die today. But it's good; it's been a very long time since I had such an exhilarating kill."

As Siming spoke, a smile appeared on her bloodless immortal face. Normally, she was repeatedly oppressed by Ning Changjiu, lost all spiritual power in her dreams, was beaten on the grass by Zhao Xiang'er, and occasionally punished by Senior Sister Lu Jiajia with a ruler. Everywhere she looked were formidable foes, surrounded by natural enemies. Thwarted inside and outside her dreams, her fate was arduous and full of suffering.

After a long time, she had almost forgotten that she was a Divine Official and Celestial Maiden, second only to the Divine Lord, proudly superior to all things, looking down upon the mortal world—a perfect being that all spirits would prostrate themselves before and look up to!

At this moment, she felt the power in her body. The spiritual sea within her had already stirred up wild winds and raging waves. Holding her sword, she was lifted by the wind and clouds. She said indifferently, "My muscles are warmed up enough. I hope no other demon kings are impatient enough to disturb this battleground. That would be quite a disappointment."

The Golden-winged Great Peng held his divine staff diagonally. Beneath the red raven mask, he emitted a sharp, cold laugh: "Don't worry. Inside Tianzhu Peak, there's a stone lion, two madmen, and one who wanders the four seas, whereabouts unknown. This is my execution ground for you. No one will interfere."

"Oh... so that place is called Tianzhu Peak," Siming said lightly.

Tianzhu Peak was the dark spot on the geomantic map.

Wild winds whipped up, tousling her hair.

Silver and golden long rays streaked across the sky, like two colliding meteors. Amidst the earth-shattering sounds, even steel seemed to burn. Towering flames, wrapped in layers of scorching colors, instantly erupted above the clouds, transforming into rapidly expanding fireballs, like a second sun rising in the sky.

The vast sea of clouds divided the world into two parts.

Below, rain had begun to fall intermittently. Ning Changjiu's battle with the Green Lion and White Elephant had also long begun. Both the Green Lion and White Elephant were great demons who had lived for hundreds of years. In terms of cultivation realm, neither was inferior to Ning Changjiu. Therefore, Ning Changjiu held nothing back. At their first encounter, his Asura Body rose majestically. Years of contemplation transformed into golden sword light, standing beside him like a great formation. He himself was like an unmoving flagpole, surrounded by what appeared to be towering ships and massive vessels.

The Lion and Elephant also immediately used their full power. They revealed their true forms, pressing down with overwhelming force, intending to crush him instantly.

Ning Changjiu did not condense an illusory sword. His current realm was far from Siming's ability to forge all things into divine swords. He merged with his Asura Golden Body, his eyes gleaming golden, like a celestial god. His skin turned from white to a silk-like gold, a color that conveyed both strength and softness. Spiritual energy densely enveloped his body, like flowing water. When the Green Lion and White Elephant lunged, Ning Changjiu circulated his pure golden spiritual energy, confronting their true forms bare-handed. Fighting two against one, he stubbornly forced them to retreat with every punch.

Ning Changjiu hadn't expected to possess such strength.

In his mind, the scripture from his dream materialized. He saw its true name: "Ancient Pure Yang Divine Scroll."

He had never seen this title before, yet it gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity. But now, none of that mattered. As the spiritual energy roared and surged within him, the Ancient Pure Yang Divine Scroll also opened, page after page. He suddenly felt like the legendary Pangu, slowly propping himself up in chaos, raising the sky bit by bit until it was level with him, standing between heaven and earth.

The Green Lion's roar and the White Elephant's low growl echoed continuously through the forest. They were demons, but the young man before them, though seemingly delicate and slender, appeared like a demon god bathed in golden light.

Ning Changjiu looked up at the sky.

Above, he couldn't see Siming or the Golden-winged Great Peng, only churning clouds and flashing lightning.

He trusted Siming's strength and wasn't overly worried about her safety. However, with Siming currently tied up, even if he could defeat these two great demons, the outer city was still half a day's journey away. Escaping with the sword was already incredibly difficult, and if other great demons converged, he would quickly be trapped in a desperate situation with no escape.

While contemplating, the Green Lion roared and lunged again. The White Elephant simultaneously kicked its hooves and swung its trunk, a giant whip-like sweep striking towards Ning Changjiu. Ning Changjiu forcefully withstood the White Elephant's strike. His figure, previously rooted like a mountain, suddenly began to run wildly. He leaped up abruptly, swinging a fist at the Green Lion.

Spiritual and demonic energy exploded, destroying the surrounding trees with devastating force.

After the two figures collided, Ning Changjiu flashed, skillfully circling behind it, and struck with an elbow. The Green Lion was forced to one knee. The White Elephant's long trunk attacked again, extending like a lizard's tongue, striking forcefully at Ning Changjiu.

Ning Changjiu abandoned his attack on the Green Lion, dodged this lightning-fast strike, and with a flick of his broad sleeve, several illusory swords instantly condensed. He crouched, moving like a slithering snake, locking onto the White Elephant's position, then leaped again. As he gripped a sword and slashed at the White Elephant, his Asura Golden Body simultaneously separated from him, manifesting three heads and six arms, all pressing down on the White Elephant.

A continuous series of thudding sounds echoed as the White Elephant's body endured hundreds of punches, slowly being beaten back into human form.

With a tremendous crash, a wave of white energy rippled between them. Ning Changjiu landed a punch on its abdomen, sending the White Elephant demon flying.

But it was, after all, a great demon of the Purple Court realm, with thick skin and tough flesh. Even if Ning Changjiu temporarily suppressed it in terms of momentum and strength, he couldn't truly kill it.

Moreover, he had no proper sword in his hand, only a crude Yulei.

Behind him, the Green Lion again arched its mountain-like body, baring its claws, and pounced towards him. Ning Changjiu knew he couldn't entangled with them any longer. Between the peaks, the demons' encirclement should already be forming. Once the encirclement was complete and pressed in like a fortress, it would be difficult for him to break through, and he might even distract Siming.

Ning Changjiu took a deep breath. As the Green Lion pounced, he turned to meet it, clashing fists. The Green Lion's demonic eyes were serious as it collided, but no sound was made—the Green Lion had pounced on an illusion.

Ning Changjiu, having used the Mirror Flower, Water Moon technique, reformed his body. The illusory swords hidden in his sleeves shot out, striking towards the back of the Green Lion's neck.

The White Elephant tried to manifest its true form again to continue the pursuit, but its pupils were flooded with blinding light, leaving it disoriented for a few moments.

That was the light of the Golden Crow.

In this almost dark, rainy weather, the Golden Crow appeared especially dazzling.

The Ten-Eyed Nation within the Golden Crow opened, and Ning Changjiu escaped into it. The Golden Crow then dove, transforming into a streak of light, rapidly fleeing through the downpour towards the outer city.

The Green Lion and White Elephant exchanged glances.

They did not pursue. Instead, they took out a bamboo tube, and a flare shot into the sky, exploding into fireworks against the heavy rain.

In the several large mountains that were the necessary path to the outer city, defensive preparations were already in place. As a single person, as long as he was below the Five Paths, let alone escaping to the outer city, he could at most pass through Shituo Mountain, Nuer Mountain, and Zhuzi Mountain. The Quicksand River beyond was a natural barrier, and the demons' main forces were already there. He might not even be able to cross the river.

Above the dark clouds, the terrifying thunder continued. This battle, the most extensive in five hundred years, seemed to have no end.

The deities in the sky looked down upon the earth fire, while the demons on the ground gazed up at the thunderclouds. Turbulent currents stirred up hurricanes, like black dragons sweeping through the dense forest. Arcs of electricity flashed, sweeping through Million Demon City with the hurricanes, igniting large fires across the vast dense forest.

Outside the Demon God Hall, the Nine-Spirited Holy One walked onto the plaza, looking at the layered clouds and flashing lightning above. The other eight heads, formed of ghostly flames, flickered in and out of sight. In the strong winds, his mighty mane also seemed like leaping flames.

The battle above affected the weather of the entire Million Demon City. At this moment, the city was sometimes unbearably hot and charged with electricity, other times the temperature suddenly dropped, and frost formed on plants.

Outside Tianzhu Peak, the shouts of "death to the sword-bearer" still echoed, but as one of the four great demon kings of Million Demon City, he remained unmoved.

Among the four great demon kings, the Old Arm-Spanning Ape had committed suicide by entering demonhood, leaving only a single thought behind. The Queen of Ten Thousand Demons guarded his corpse, deducing the starry sea, neither of them concerned with worldly affairs. As for the fifth of the four great demon kings... he had once asked the Queen of Ten Thousand Demons to divine his whereabouts but had learned nothing. He surmised that he must have returned to that unobservable Taoist temple.

Normally, if someone broke the rules, the Golden-winged Great Peng would be the one to kill them.

Now that the Great Peng Demon Saint was tied up, it should logically be his turn to act.

But he remained silent and still, simply looking up at the sky, truly like a stone lion.

Above, the brutal battle continued. Both desired a swift victory, so they exerted their full strength. When their figures again paused facing each other, both were wounded, blood continuously dripping into the clouds.

Siming's sword had been broken countless times.

She used hurricanes as swords, thunderclouds as swords, even imprisoned light in her hand as a sword... but without exception, all were destroyed in collision with the Jingu Dark Iron Divine Staff.

The web of skin between her thumb and forefinger, holding the sword, was already torn open. Her authority over time continuously activated, healing her wounds.

The Golden-winged Great Peng was also not well. His use of the Ruyi Dark Iron Divine Staff was far from perfected; he couldn't establish an impenetrable defense. Though his wings granted immense speed, they also made him a large target, struck multiple times by the opponent's sword, shedding many golden feathers and copious amounts of foul-smelling demon blood.

And he couldn't be sure how long he could sustain the divine staff. Before nightfall, he absolutely had to kill his opponent above the sea of clouds.

"A Saint's artifact is truly extraordinary," Siming praised the sacred artifact without reservation, but showed disdain for the Golden-winged Great Peng: "It's a pity it falls into your hands; it's truly a waste of talent."

The Golden-winged Great Peng's expression remained unchanged. He slowly flapped his wings, staring at Siming's god-killing figure. His mind suddenly trembled, and a startling realization slowly dawned on him: "You're from the Divine Kingdom?!"

Siming said coldly, "Only realizing it now? How foolish."

The Golden-winged Great Peng asked, "Is Baizang actually interfering with Million Demon City's affairs now?"

Siming replied, "What does Baizang have to do with me?"

"You're not from the Silver Snow Palace?" The Golden-winged Great Peng said incredulously, "Then where exactly are you from?"

Siming sighed, "I don't even know which era is my true home."

The Golden-winged Great Peng stared at her, his demon eyes trembling... The Divine Kingdom collapsed, Divine Officials scattered into the mortal realm... For five hundred years, only one Divine Kingdom had been on the verge of collapse, and that was the Saint's Divine Kingdom!

When the Saint was suppressed, his Divine Kingdom was thrown into disarray and then acquired a new master. The Saint's former Heavenly Monarch ascended to the position of ruler, but the fate of the Divine Officials who were once equal in status to him was unknown...

"Jufu?!" The Golden-winged Great Peng said chillingly, "Are you Jufu's Divine Official?"

As if touching upon heavenly secrets, heavenly lightning struck again. The Golden-winged Great Peng, still in shock, did not recover in time, and his back was struck by the lightning, scorching a patch of golden feathers.

But he felt no pain, only stared at Siming, awaiting her reply.

This question, however, caused Siming to pause.

She, of course, knew Jufu.

The Saint was the previous generation's Jufu. The Saint's former Heavenly Monarch had six ears, and should now have ascended to the divine throne, becoming the current Jufu Great God.

But she was certain she was not Jufu's Divine Official.

"Heh, are you only realizing it now?" Siming said faintly.

The Golden-winged Great Peng was shocked: "Are you truly the Saint's Divine Official?"

Siming nodded: "As you said, for five hundred years, only one Divine Kingdom was on the verge of collapse. If I'm not the Saint's Divine Official, whose Divine Official would I be?"

The Golden-winged Great Peng was bewildered for a long time. He slowly lowered the divine staff in his hand and said, "Why didn't you reveal your identity earlier? If I had really killed you, wouldn't that have been a grave mistake, attacking one of our own?"

Siming smiled, "I intend to rescue the Saint. This matter is of great importance. I needed to see if you all were qualified, if you could withstand the test."

Upon hearing this, the Golden-winged Great Peng voluntarily put down his staff and sighed, "Divine Official, it must have been truly difficult for you, wandering the mortal realm all these years. Now that Baizang is high above, I imagine your days have been tough. Million Demon City is willing to stand or fall with you, Divine Official."

Siming was surprised by his change in attitude.

Every Divine Kingdom had Divine Officials and Heavenly Monarchs. There was no clear gender distinction between them, and many deities were even gender-neutral. Siming narrowed her eyes, pondering. She recalled that the Divine Officials and Heavenly Monarchs Jufu had known seemed to all be male... Had the Hun Tian Demon Saint misremembered?

While she pondered, the Golden-winged Great Peng already held up the divine staff with both hands, presenting it to Siming like a treasured artifact. He said, "This artifact recently reappeared, which I assume is related to your arrival, my lady. I hope you will accept this item and return it to its rightful owner."

"Mm." Siming merely nodded, not saying much, afraid of giving herself away.

She reached out to take the divine staff, showing no mercy. The hurricane sword suddenly thrust out, quick as lightning, instantly piercing through Golden-winged Great Peng's flesh, running through his abdomen.

The Golden-winged Great Peng groaned, instantly severely wounded. But instead of showing hatred for the betrayal, he made a decisive move, locking the sword in place with his body. Simultaneously, behind Siming, a colossal golden image rose up.

It was a gigantic golden Peng bird, hundreds of times taller than Golden-winged Great Peng himself.

That was Golden-winged Great Peng's Heavenly Manifestation of Forms!

So Golden-winged Great Peng had also been prepared; both of them had been feigning!

Then, from behind Siming's divine robe, a painting of all heavenly gods and demons slowly unfolded. Accompanying it were nine golden-feathered sharp blades.

These were Golden-winged Great Peng's ultimate techniques: the Great Sun Buddha Kingdom Painting and the Yang Phoenix Azure Feather Sword.

In an instant, Siming was surrounded, with no escape.

The Golden-winged Great Peng tilted his head and laughed sinisterly, activating all his divine powers. "The Old Arm-Spanning Ape is the Saint's Divine Official! Who are you trying to fool?! No matter your origin, you will surely die today!"

The Ruyi Dark Iron Divine Staff suddenly enlarged hundreds of times. Under various spells, the immense divine iron smashed down directly on Siming.

Siming immediately discarded her sword. She also stopped holding back. The Moon Sparrow flew out, transforming into a half-sundial, its silver light instantly illuminating the sea of clouds, creating a thousand-mile expanse of moonlight.

The ultimate divine arts of both sides collided.

Amidst the all-engulfing roar, no one heard a long-awaited, low lion's roar from outside the Demon God Hall.