Chapter 948: From Today, Become the Great Demon King

Chu Feng lay on the bamboo raft, his eyes dim and vacant, staring at the sky. He was silent, drifting far away with the great river.

He didn't know how much time had passed. The mist in the air grew thicker, and the current slowed. Lying there, he felt a rich surge of energy and spiritual essence wafting over him.

The evening glow was crimson, almost like blood. It filtered through the dense fog, casting a deep red hue that flowed around, imbued with a desolate beauty.

Chu Feng sat up. "Where is this place?"

He himself didn't know how long he had been drifting. Now, he had entered a cluster of lakes. After careful observation and quiet reflection, he recognized the place: Cloud Dream Marsh.

Sitting quietly, no longer lying back despondently, Chu Feng's mind gradually calmed. The gloom that had enveloped him began to dissipate, and he felt himself recovering.

He knew he couldn't sink into despair. All the sorrow he should feel had been shed today. From now on, he would have no time for weakness or grief. From this point forward, he would become a demon king!

Life had to go on, and the path had to be walked. But he would strategically campaign in the Yang Realm. For some, he was destined to be called the Great Demon King.

In truth, he didn't want to kill, but having reached this point, how could he live up to the title of "Demon Chu" if he didn't slay Celestial Lords and shake the foundations of the major sects in the Yang Realm?

"Actually, I just like being a happy human trafficker," Chu Feng scoffed at himself.

No need to be resentful of the world, nor to lament himself. He banished his sorrow, wishing only to continue his journey peacefully. He would adjust himself to become a joyful demon king.

He knew that if his parents were still alive, and if those people were still here, they would all wish for him to live well and happily.

"One day, we will meet again. It won't be too far away."

Chu Feng leaped into space. Since he had already planned his future path, it was time to let go and make his move, to make a final stand.

Looking at the stars and the darkness, he lifted his head. From now on, there would be no more tears, only fighting spirit and a smile.

Though he couldn't smile now, he didn't want to carry such a heavy burden or let bitterness weigh him down. He told himself that everything would get better.

Gently tapping the stone box, Chu Feng roused the Demonic Ancestor Cauldron within.

"It's time to wake up."

He asked the Demonic Ancestor Cauldron how it felt and what its current state was.

A small cauldron appeared, ancient and weathered. Most of its cracks had healed, but some fine lines still remained, not yet completely erased.

That day, when Celestial Lord Taiwu pointed his finger, even if his power was suppressed to the Illumination level, the superposition of multiple energy bodies was terrifying, comparable to a deity's strike!

"It still needs a bit more time," the demonic cauldron said. It had nearly disintegrated this time, suffering severe damage, and required some rare materials to repair itself.

Chu Feng retrieved a bracelet from the stone box space. It shimmered with starlight, and tiny black spots like emerging cosmic black holes dotted its surface.

This was a Starry Sky Mother Gold Bracelet, obtained from Xu Chengxian, the Myriad Star Body. It was one of the rarest mother gold crude weapons, its complete inherent order not yet fully realized.

Chu Feng handed it over and placed it inside the cauldron, allowing the Demonic Ancestor Cauldron to melt and absorb it. The cauldron itself contained mother gold, so with this bracelet, its cracks and other damage would be repaired without issue.

"This..." The Demonic Ancestor Cauldron murmured awkwardly. This gift was truly too valuable.

"Recover quickly. We still have things to do," Chu Feng said, allowing no refusal.

At the same time, he slipped another, even more special mother gold bracelet — the Vajra Cutter — onto his own wrist.

Chu Feng piloted the Green Bamboo Boat, propelled by Saint-level energy, traversing the starry sky. He found an ancient teleportation array on a deserted planet and from there, ventured deeper into the cosmos.

He located an ancient mine in the sea of stars, the former resting place of the Vajra Ancient Ancestor of the Mecha Race. This was the ideal healing ground for metal life forms.

The Demonic Ancestor Cauldron remained there, beginning its swift recovery.

Afterward, Chu Feng continued his journey alone.

The people from the Yang Realm had retreated; at least, none dared to show themselves recently. The edge of the universe returned to tranquility, and the terrifying large ship billowing with Yang energy was no longer seen.

The battle at the Great Abyss, where even a Celestial Lord perished, had caused an immense stir and widespread impact.

Even many days later, it remained the hottest topic. Naturally, Chu Feng and Yao Yao were frequently mentioned, along with Lei Gong and Heavenly Blade.

Chu Feng entered the most prosperous place in the Yin Realm universe: the Ruined Capital.

The Dragon Clan Ancestor from prehistoric times, the universe's foremost expert who had personally mentioned the Yang Realm species, once resided here.

Tens of millions of years ago, the Demonic Ancestor also resided here; it was his secluded cultivation retreat.

Later, it was destroyed and became ruins. However, about five million years ago, it gradually prospered again, becoming a transit hub for various star systems, and its proximity to the planets inhabited by the top ten cosmic races led to its renewed splendor.

The orthodoxies here weren't particularly strong, but they were adept at business, accumulating wealth from all directions. There were numerous records of divine medicines being traded, along with breathing techniques, scriptures, and, of course, secret treasures.

Chu Feng arrived, not for herbs or breathing techniques, but to take a final look at this universe and to understand the current situation.

"You all sympathize with Chu Feng, thinking his fate and that of Lei Gong and Heavenly Blade were tragic. I don't agree. They were completely overestimating themselves. Why bother? If they hadn't engaged in this so-called bloody fight and decisive battle, the Yin Realm wouldn't be so miserable. Don't you see? It's because these people refused to yield that the people from the Yang Realm stretched out their hands and directly annihilated several stars. All this trouble was caused by them."

In a bustling district, on a street-side restaurant, someone was holding forth, their words naturally provoking widespread dissatisfaction and a clamor among the crowd.

"How dare you speak like that? Do you think we should just kneel here, waiting for people from the Yang Realm to arrive and decide our fates based on their mood—whether to kill, torture, or spare us—without any resistance?"

The middle-aged man who had spoken earlier sneered, saying, "To attack when you can't win is to overestimate oneself and is truly unwise. I'm not criticizing Lei Gong, but that old man truly failed to preserve his integrity in his later years. He shouldn't have acted; it would have been much better for him to peacefully retire. And that Chu Feng, that demon, should have known his place. If he had considered the bigger picture, he should have let himself be captured by the Yang Realm people. But he refused to yield, and to kill him, the Yang Realm people launched a major campaign, harming many innocent people."

Immediately, the crowd erupted. Someone retorted, "I think you're inherently spineless! In your eyes, the Yang Realm is supreme, strong enough to do no wrong, and our resistance is somehow mistaken?"

That person shook his head and said, "That's how it is. If they hadn't jumped out to engage in this so-called confrontation, the people from the Yang Realm might have stopped after killing a few people. I'm not saying anything against Heavenly Blade, Lei Gong, or those other old folks, and Demon Chu, but they truly overestimated themselves."

Naturally, this area could not remain quiet, and a fierce debate ensued.

Though few evolvers agreed with that person's viewpoint, there were indeed a handful, causing some elder figures to twitch with anger, pointing at them with flushed faces.

"You scoundrel! If you see a powerful figure from the Yang Realm, they make you kneel, and if they don't kill you, you consider it a great favor. If they threw you a few bones, would you wag your tail? Our evolvers, Lei Gong, Other Shore Flower, and Heavenly Blade, went to battle, to fight, even shedding blood and losing their lives, struggling to perish with the enemy, yet you find them not strong enough, so you don't appreciate their sacrifice. You're utterly servile!"

"Who are you calling an old bastard?!" the middle-aged man retorted, indignant.

Chu Feng watched and listened quietly. After understanding the situation, he remained indifferent. Having made peace with life and death and about to enter the Yang Realm universe, he paid no mind to such petty squabbles.

At that moment, someone said, "Keep running your mouth. You're spouting such nonsense. Chu Feng might not be dead. If he comes back, he'll surely slap you to death."

The middle-aged man curled his lips in disdain. "It's been so many days, and they've only found a few strands of his so-called active blood. It probably has no reference value. That demon is dead. Besides, even if he did show up, what then? He'd likely be half-crippled, and he'd still have to be reasonable."

"What reason is there to discuss with you?" someone scoffed.

Chu Feng listened for a moment, found it irritating, and simply walked over. Instantly, the bustling, noisy area became so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

Everyone was dumbfounded. Some trembled, some with excitement, others with fear.

While they were talking about him, the very subject of their discussion suddenly appeared!

"Chu Feng, what... what are you doing?" The person who had been spouting nonsense earlier trembled with fear, backing away continuously.

"Bang!"

Chu Feng didn't speak. He simply pressed forward lightly, and the man began to disintegrate from his feet upwards, steadily disappearing.

The man shrieked in horror, "You can't do this! Let's talk, let's discuss things reasonably!"

"You already call me a demon. What reason is there to discuss? From today on, I am a demon king!" Chu Feng said calmly. There was nothing more to say to such a person.

He strode away, leaving the so-called Ruined Capital.

Soon after, he visited the former major powerful clans one by one, including the ten remaining top clans. Of course, he went in secret, causing intense unease among these evolutionary sects. They were all greatly distressed, unsure why he had called upon them, and felt profound fear.

A person who dared to fight the Yang Realm to the very end, and survived even after Celestial Lords had perished, struck fear into all sides. When they learned of his arrival, their hair stood on end.

Some orthodoxies felt particularly guilty. They had lingered outside the Great Abyss, intending to do some unsavory deeds. Now, cold sweat trickled down their backs, fearing Chu Feng had discovered their actions and was coming to collect.

In fact, they had overthought it. Chu Feng was merely inquiring and learning about matters concerning the Yang Realm.

The Yang Realm had previously subdued many evolvers in the Chaos Universe, some of whom had originated from the Yin Realm, journeying there to seek the status of a Battle God.

A portion of them surrendered, followed the people of the Yang Realm, becoming their followers or even slaves, and returned to this universe.

When Chu Feng battled the earliest disciples of the major Yang Realm sects, he used the strange substance from the green gourd to eradicate them, simultaneously annihilating many such Saints, wiping them out completely.

He believed that when those individuals returned, they had sent messages to their clans, informing their people about the Yang Realm.

Chu Feng had come for this very reason. To enter the Yang Realm, he naturally needed to understand its major sects and preemptively investigate the backgrounds of Taiwu, Hunyi, Yuanshi, Luanyu, and others.

It was effective, and remarkably so!

He visited clan after clan, and seeing as they all feared him, they indeed held nothing back, telling Chu Feng everything they knew.

"The Yang Realm Celestial Lords paid a great price, with even powerful beings involved, just to open a stable path connecting the two realms that can last for over a year?"

Chu Feng's pupils contracted. This news was extremely important to him!

He had originally intended to leave, but now, after learning that the Yang Realm path would remain stable for a considerable period, he changed his mind.

He wanted one last burst of madness. How could he let them off so easily? Waiting to rise and fight in the Yang Realm was far off; it would be better to reap some benefits here first!

Chu Feng being alive was, naturally, astonishing news, causing shock across all factions.

Some people were terrified. They had once worn black cloaks, answering a summons to meet the people from the Yang Realm at the edge of the universe, providing various information and data about Chu Feng.

Now they feared that the news would leak, inviting the Great Demon King Chu Feng to a bloody purge!

However, after waiting for a long time, they realized Chu Feng wasn't bothering them, and only then did they breathe a sigh of relief.

At this point, Chu Feng had already entered a secret planet controlled by the Great Dream Pure Land to see his child—the little Daoist priest.

"It's good that you've returned alive!" an old woman from the Great Dream Pure Land said tremblingly, smiling and with tears in her eyes. Seeing Chu Feng reminded her of Qin Luoyin.

"Daddy, where are you going next?" the little Daoist priest asked innocently. Lost in the "womb trance," he had forgotten everything and now remembered nothing, merely a child with a pure heart, yet exceptionally precocious.

Chu Feng looked at him, his heart aching. So young to lose his mother, and he was not a responsible father, having no time to care for him. Recently, he had been struggling, engaging in bloody battles, and had only just returned after leaving with Qin Luoyin's body.

Although the time wasn't very long, Chu Feng felt as if a century had passed. Every day recently had been a torment of life and death, blood and bone.

"Daddy is going to slaughter gods, to offer sacrifice to some people..." Chu Feng couldn't continue. He couldn't tell him that he was going to offer sacrifice to his grandparents, mother, uncles, and others.

The old woman and the elderly male Saint in the Great Dream Pure Land trembled at his words. They realized Chu Feng was about to embark on an incredibly insane undertaking.

The little Daoist priest, confused, pressed further, finally asking, "Where's my mom?"

Last time, although he had seen Qin Luoyin covered in blood and in an unresponsive sleep, he was ultimately deceived by well-meaning lies, being told that Qin Luoyin had gone into seclusion to recuperate.

He had, after all, never emerged from this "womb trance" state. Even with his precociousness, he didn't know the truth, hence his question.

Chu Feng looked at him, unable to speak, filled only with sorrow.

At this moment, he also thought of many things. The little Daoist priest had once said that in his previous life, he possessed the potential of a Celestial Lord. It seemed this wasn't just a casual remark; there was indeed something strange about him.

This time, everyone had been captured by Taiwu near the Great Abyss, but the little Daoist priest was the only one missed. He must possess some secrets.

Chu Feng set off. He was going to embark on his final act of madness. From today, he would become the Great Demon King!