Chapter 492: After the Sexagenary Cycle Year

The emergence of two new Divine Transformation Venerables significantly altered the landscape of Scarlet Kite. Most notably, the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect and Yellow Springs Monastery announced the formation of a Demonic Dao Alliance. Its members included the Joyous Demon Sect, Underworld Mountain Cult, and even the Northern Demon Clan. The alliance headquarters was temporarily established in Night Jade Prefecture.

Ironically, the Heaven Refining Demon Sect was not part of this alliance. Concurrently, the righteous-demonic war reached a stalemate. The Spirit Reversal Blood Sect and Yellow Springs Monastery, who had been forced to serve as vanguard forces, refused to continue, publicly stating that the Heaven Refining Demon Sect must provide adequate compensation for their casualties. Only then could the war proceed. This was, in essence, an act of opportunistic price gouging. Now, with newfound confidence, they could naturally undertake actions previously impossible. Resisting the absolute hegemony of the Heaven Refining Demon Sect was a shared demand among the other four demonic sects. This was partly why the Joyous Demon Sect and Underworld Mountain Cult were persuaded to join.

On another note, they also harbored a covetous desire for the Divine Transformation realm. Times had changed; previously, the Heaven Refining Demon Sect had kept a tight leash on them. The difficulty of achieving breakthroughs was immense. Now, with the backing of two newly ascended Divine Transformation cultivators, they could attempt it without obstruction, making it much simpler than before. A more relaxed external environment would even make it easier to access ruins and secret realms that might contain opportunities for Divine Transformation. Once this crack opened, unless the Heaven Refining Demon Sect acted with lightning speed to eliminate Venerable Yellow Springs and the Blood Demon Palace Master, this opening would inevitably continue to expand. The number of Demonic Dao Divine Transformation cultivators outside of the main Demon Sect would also steadily increase. This would lead to a surge of Divine Transformation breakthroughs, a direct consequence of past severe suppression.

As the news spread, following the demise of the Jade Cloud Sect, the Taihu and Scarlet Kite regions were once again in an uproar. This time, even greater fear swept through the Taihu cultivation world; the sudden addition of two Divine Transformation cultivators to the Demonic Dao side caused a devastating imbalance of power. Their only hope was that the Sword Sect would respond adequately.

Meanwhile, at the Heaven Refining Demon Sect's mountain gate, discussions were also underway among the Divine Transformation Demonic Venerables. They possessed a total of four Venerables, ranked by strength from strongest to weakest:

Heaven Refining Demonic Venerable: Leader of the Demonic Dao, at the peak of the Divine Transformation realm, wielding pseudo-sixth-tier Heaven Refining Demonic Flame. His combat power was unparalleled, with virtually no rivals.

Boundless Demonic Venerable: Sixth-tier Divine Transformation, a Dao of Alchemy Venerable, master of fifth-tier Blood Pill Arts and Human Pill Arts, proficient in the methods of demonic spiritual pill refinement.

Earth Fiend Demonic Venerable: Fifth-tier Divine Transformation, cultivated an Acquired Fiend Demon Physique, whose physical body was comparable to body refiners of the same realm. He was skilled in various fiend arts and nearly unrivaled among those at the same level.

Scarlet Heaven Demonic Venerable: Third-tier Divine Transformation, renowned for his Scarlet Heaven Demonic Light divine ability.

This was the power structure of the Heaven Refining Demon Sect. Apart from the Sect Master's title being inherited, the other three Venerables were Divine Transformation cultivators born in this era. Such a lineup, if they truly wanted to quell the current unrest, they were certainly capable. After all, the Yellow Springs Monastery Master and the Blood Demon Palace Master were merely newly ascended Divine Transformation cultivators, only at the first tier. They still needed time to improve their various attributes to match the standard expected of Divine Transformation cultivators. Their new powers also required time to be mastered and assimilated.

At present, Scarlet Heaven's veins bulged on his forehead as he roared in uncontrollable fury, "These damned individuals, they cause such trouble if we're not careful! Sect Master Senior Brother, should we eliminate these two? Scarlet Heaven is willing to lead the charge."

The Heaven Refining Demonic Venerable glanced at him, calmly shook his head. He simply stated, "In another five hundred years, my extended lifespan will again reach its limit. The longevity treasures in the Ice Prison Realm that can still affect me are few and far between." In other words, this righteous-demonic war was different from previous ones. His goal had to be achieved; he no longer had time to wait for the next righteous-demonic war. The emergence of two new Demonic Venerables greatly bolstered the overall strength of the Demonic Dao, significantly alleviating his pressure. For this reason, changing the rules of the Heaven Refining Demon Sect was acceptable.

Scarlet Heaven immediately fell silent. Boundless Demonic Venerable, who possessed the appearance of a benevolent elder with an ethereal demeanor, calmly remarked, "The Sword Sect's situation has been peculiar these past few years. I suspect they might also be utilizing the power of ancient demon husks." For someone like Sword River, it was impossible to break through to the Divine Transformation realm on his own. When Scarlet Heaven, also a Venerable, had fought him, he could sense a certain homologous aura deeply hidden within Sword River's body. The sensation was similar to demonic corruption, but its intensity was very weak. It was a subtle, gradual influence that was slowly changing Venerable Sword River's personality. This influence was extremely slow, potentially taking over a millennium to succeed, yet it genuinely existed. It differed significantly from the direct demonic corruption seen in the Demonic Dao's Divine Transformation inheritance. Scarlet Heaven had shared this intelligence with the three others upon his return. Now, Boundless Demonic Venerable brought it up.

Earth Fiend Demonic Venerable also earnestly counted on his fingers. "Beneath the three elder Venerables—Grand Void, Dan Chen, and Pure Yang—the Sword Sect has produced three more Divine Transformation cultivators in recent years: Sword River, Poria, and Miaozhen. The next one should be the Grand Righteous Sword Head. Based on the pattern of time, it should happen within two hundred years." The Sword Sect possessed a total of six Divine Transformation Venerables. Aside from Venerable Grand Void, who was at the peak of Divine Transformation, Dan Chen and Pure Yang were only at the fifth tier. Sword River and Poria were at the third tier of Divine Transformation. Both ascended a millennium ago, possessing average potential, and it remained unknown whether they could break through to the mid-Divine Transformation stage in this lifetime. As for Miaozhen, she ascended centuries ago and was still only at the second tier of Divine Transformation. Although the Sword Sect had a considerably higher number of Divine Transformation cultivators, their overall strength was weaker, only able to contend evenly with the Heaven Refining Demon Sect. If Scarlet Heaven were a bit more capable, he could even help the Demonic Dao establish an advantage. Unfortunately, his comprehension of Dao essence was slightly lacking.

Upon hearing this, the Heaven Refining Demonic Venerable said, "The demands of Yellow Springs and the Blood Sect can both be met. Scarlet Heaven, put your personal grievances with them aside for now. Once I achieve my goal and deal with the overseer from beyond the heavens, we will all have a future. If I fail, the existence of the Ice Prison Realm will be irrelevant; even if floods engulf everything, it will have nothing to do with us. This time, Earth Fiend will lead. Retrieve some top-grade blood pills from Boundless's pill repository. Let our sect also join the Demonic Dao Alliance and proceed with the second phase of the war—taking down Moon-Gazing Palace!" With that, he disregarded their reactions and vanished from the hall in a flash.

The remaining three exchanged glances but said little. Each successive Heaven Refining Demonic Venerable inherited the sect's secrets and a certain ultimate secret technique, allowing their strength to consistently reach the peak of Divine Transformation. They had long coveted the realm beyond Divine Transformation. Having undergone generations of research, the Sect Master's objective was a will they had to obey, and they had no power to question it.

"Very well then. Scarlet Heaven, continue to advance the front line with the demonic cultivator army. Earth Fiend, come with me to the Boundless Treasury first. As for diplomatic missions, you can arrange your own time." Boundless Demonic Venerable made simple arrangements. A Divine Transformation council thus quietly concluded.

One month later, at the Demonic Dao Alliance headquarters in Night Jade Prefecture, representatives from six forces—the Heavenly Roc King of the Northern Demon Clan, Earth Fiend Demonic Venerable, Venerable Yellow Springs, the Blood Demon Palace Master, Bishop Youpeng, and the Yin-Yang Demonic Monarch of the Joyous Sect—signed a pact, officially establishing the Demonic Dao Alliance and discussing matters concerning Moon-Gazing Palace.

To be honest, the inclusion of the Heaven Refining Demon Sect was not part of their original plan. The reason they promised benefits to the Northern Demon Saint Lord was partly to leverage the "influence" of Azure Dragon Demonic Venerable. Both the Yellow Springs Monastery Master and the Blood Demon Palace Master clearly understood that this was to achieve a "balance" of high-tier combat power. While breaking through to Divine Transformation indeed granted them the right to challenge the Heaven Refining Demon Sect, if they truly fell out, they could only flee far away while ensuring their own safety. This would mean abandoning the foundations built by generations of their predecessors and completely becoming rogue cultivators. After all, the Heaven Refining Demonic Venerable, a Divine Transformation peak existence, was like a noose on a gallows, ready to ensnare their necks at any moment. Their assertive stance was adopted precisely to secure greater benefits and autonomy. No longer would they simply abide by whatever the Demon Sect dictated, effectively chipping away at the Heaven Refining Demon Sect's hegemony. That they could tolerate such conditions indicated that the opponent's current ambition was greater than imagined.

After seeing off Earth Fiend Demonic Venerable, everyone collectively breathed a sigh of relief. The Blood Demon Palace Master, who had fortunately achieved a breakthrough, said, "It seems our Demonic Dao leader has found a way to break through the Ice Prison's confines. The key might lie with the Ancient Life Demon. Compared to other ancient demons, what is so special about it?" Ancient demons were existences beyond their comprehension. Their physical bodies, sealed within a specially modified prison like the Ice Prison Realm, still possessed the power to easily influence Divine Transformation cultivators—they were incredibly powerful beings. Yet, looking back through history, the Blood Demon had repeatedly broken through its seal, only to be outmaneuvered by lower-realm immortals. As for the Life Demon, there had never been any record of it breaking its seal. What then made the Heaven Refining Demonic Venerable so certain that the Life Demon's existence could help him shatter the Ice Prison's confinement?

This question was not only the Blood Demon Palace Master's but also that of the others. Unexpectedly, the Heavenly Roc King offered an uncertain answer. He spoke with slight hesitation, "The Blood Demon's power lies in the concept of 'blood,' so the Life Demon's power would be the concept of 'life.' Perhaps the Heaven Refining Demonic Venerable simply desires this vitality to ensure his own survival?" At his words, everyone simultaneously thought of Yellow Springs Monastery's plan: to destroy the spiritual energy of the Ice Prison Realm, thereby annihilating the cultivation world entirely. The rules and seals that relied on spiritual energy would naturally dissolve, and when numerous ancient demons emerged, the Ice Prison Realm would inevitably be destroyed with them. The prison would then be broken. The only challenge was how to survive this process. If the Heaven Refining Demonic Venerable harbored the same intention...

"—Impossible!" Venerable Yellow Springs unequivocally denied this conjecture. "Destroying a realm is not that simple. Even after ten thousand years of accumulation, Yellow Springs Monastery only managed to create a small dead zone like the Silent Desert, devoid of spiritual energy. Furthermore, it's crucial to understand that even if spiritual energy vanishes, the world will not be destroyed. The problem is how *we* ensure our strength doesn't diminish. We abandoned this plan long ago."

Everyone suddenly realized the truth and did not continue the debate. "It's too early to discuss these matters now. Let's talk once we've won the righteous-demonic war."

"You are right, fellow Daoists. Regarding today's alliance pact, I hope that when the time comes for mutual assistance, you will not spare your subordinates. Sacrifice is for a better future. Farewell, Moon-Gazing Palace!"

"Farewell, fellow Daoist."

As the first group of elders from the Demonic Dao Alliance successively departed, the second phase of the righteous-demonic war commenced with great intensity!

Five years later, Moon-Gazing Palace's Egret Prefecture fell. The royal Tiger Demon Clan of the Southern Demons suffered heavy losses and withdrew from the righteous-demonic conflict. White Tiger Demonic Venerable did not appear during this time, leading to the complete failure of the Moon-Gazing Palace Master's plan. It is worth noting that because the Southern Demon Clan had not elected a new Saint Lord, they were unable to unite all their forces like the Northern Demon Clan. Thus, their apparent strength was much weaker than the Northern Demon Clan's—not due to inherent weakness, but a lack of unity.

Five more years passed, and Lotus Prefecture fell. Millions of cultivators perished. The Demonic Dao faction unleashed boundless slaughter in Taihu, and it was said that half of Lotus Prefecture's mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas were stained red with blood. Yellow Springs Demonic Venerable and the Blood Demon Palace Master gained widespread notoriety. This massacre was primarily orchestrated by these two. Subsequently, it was Moon-Gazing Palace's main base, Moon Prefecture, that was targeted! The Sword Sect still dispatched Venerable Sword River as reinforcement. However, with Scarlet Heaven and the two newly ascended Divine Transformation cultivators present, they were heavily outnumbered. After eight years of entanglement, Moon Prefecture still largely fell.

At that time, the Moon-Gazing Palace Master, Star Moon Immortal, stepped forward. She activated the Divine Bow Immortal-Breaking Array, which she had set up years ago, using Moon-Gazing Palace's foundational spiritual treasure—the Moon Saint Bow! She fired an Immortal-Breaking Arrow, nearly causing the Blood Demon Palace Master's demise. Had it not been for the supreme undeath attribute of his cultivated "Blood Scripture," which granted him 'blood sea never dries, spirit never dies,' he might truly have been traded life for life by this junior.

After Star Moon Immortal's body and soul were annihilated, Moon-Gazing Palace completely fell into ruin. The Sword Sect dispatched more Venerables, namely Venerable Poria and Daoist Master Miaozhen, to provide aid. They assisted Moon-Gazing Palace cultivators in retreating to the Taihu territory, where they temporarily lay low, awaiting an opportunity for revenge.

Two years later, the Demonic Dao faction reorganized its military forces and entered the third phase of its objectives. The first objective was to establish numerous defensive restrictions and arrays around the Sword Sect's territory, setting up fortresses and nodes to facilitate difficult offensive and defensive battles against the Sword Sect's main forces. This arrangement was primarily entrusted to array masters. The second objective was the most challenging war yet: against Thunderfire Monastery! Their geographical location could technically be ignored, but they could easily influence affairs. Disregarding them, given cultivators' mobility, could allow them to become a force capable of affecting the overall situation.

For the next forty years, the Demonic Dao's offensive encountered its first Waterloo-like predicament, getting bogged down in a protracted war of attrition against Thunderfire Monastery. It became a contest of who had more personnel and who could better withstand the toll of casualties. A sixty-year cycle had passed since the destruction of the Jade Cloud Sect. Once the sixty-year cycle ended, the situation gradually shifted in favor of Taihu.

Meanwhile, in the territory of the Northern Demon Clan, Wang Yu's secluded cave dwelling, where he had been in retreat for many years, finally showed signs of activity. Outside the mountain, snowflakes danced in the wind, blanketing everything in white. The north wind howled past, and the long-closed stone door rumbled open. Wang Yu, whose aura was calm, had blood-red glints in his eyes, and a pervasive, lingering scent of blood seemed to emanate from him. This change in his aura was due to years of consuming Blood Infant Pills. It would dissipate after a period of cultivation and spiritual nourishment. Standing at the entrance, he stretched his limbs, his silver hair casually loose behind his head, fluttering in the wind. Over the years, the Five-Colored Saint Lord would record external events in spiritual jade slips and send them to his cave dwelling along with alchemy ingredients. Thus, he was well aware of the outside situation. Gazing at the snow-covered distant mountains, Wang Yu murmured to himself, "My cultivation resources are depleted again..."