Chapter 606: Shocks the World

"One of the Four Sovereigns of the Heavenly Court, the Great Emperor of Nirvana of the South Pole, Jiang Lianyi." Jiang Lianyi's voice was soft as she introduced herself. The moment she pulled back her hood, the entire venue fell into complete silence, and her self-introduction was heard with perfect clarity.

"The Phoenix Clan's Ancient Ancestor?!" "Am I seeing this correctly? That's Madam Jiang Lianyi, the Phoenix Clan's Ancient Ancestor, one of the two ancestors of the Demon Race!" "Didn't they say she had perished? She's still alive?"

The two high-ranking officials of the Nine Nether Sect breathed a sigh of relief. Shi Huagu, even more confident, waved his hand. "I've said it before: I've personally met with the Young Master Lu, tested him with ancient secrets, and verified his identity with truth-detecting spells. His identity is genuine!" "I think Sovereign Zhutian is just a sore loser, spouting nonsense because he's desperate!"

The entire venue erupted. Not to mention the junior cultivators, even the long-renowned immortal grandmasters couldn't remain seated. They rose in shock, staring intently at Jiang Lianyi, intent on imprinting this scene into their minds.

In the Buddhist Kingdoms and Great Xia, human cultivators, even if they hadn't seen Jiang Lianyi's appearance, had certainly heard of her great name. She was a prominent figure, renowned since ancient times, far more famous than Zhutian. After 300,000 years of historical accumulation, she had become an almost mythical, faith-like presence for the Demon Race. The Demon Race revered the Demon Immortals, whose appearances were unknown, making Jiang Lianyi a figure who commanded universal allegiance among them.

The Demon Race's reaction was even more intense. Their brains felt congested with excitement, they were flustered and incoherent, their bodies trembling uncontrollably. Many demons had tears streaming down their faces, excitedly kneeling on the ground, shouting that an immortal had appeared and paying homage to Jiang Lianyi. Even the Great Demon Kings showed the same heartfelt respect, prostrating themselves before Jiang Lianyi and seeking her blessings.

It was as if an ancient myth had been reenacted. Zhutian relied on the nascent power of the Dao Fruit to compel the Demon Race's submission, while Jiang Lianyi, simply by her presence, caused them to switch allegiance. Even members of the Demon Race Alliance wavered, unsure which side to support.

The Tribulation-passing stage expert from the East Sea Dragon Clan rubbed his eyes hard, thinking his old vision was failing him and he was experiencing hallucinations. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The Old Dragon Emperor had believed the Phoenix Clan was in danger and specifically sent him to help them. Now, it seemed, help was unnecessary. With their ancient ancestor still alive, how could anything happen to the Phoenix Clan? This was a being on par with their own ancient ancestor; short of an Immortal, who could stand against her?

Both the Tribulation-passing stage experts from the East Sea Dragon Clan and the Demon Realm Dragon Clan looked towards Jiang Mingzi and the Phoenix Clan, wondering if the Phoenix Clan knew about Jiang Lianyi's existence, and if she was indeed their ultimate trump card. Turning to look, they saw Jiang Mingzi crying like a child, wiping away tears and snot. As the most powerful cultivator in the Phoenix Clan, he was their pillar and backbone, making decisions for all major matters. Many demons coveted the treasures held by the Phoenix Clan, and one wrong step could doom them to eternal destruction, putting immense pressure on him. Zhutian's coercion to force the Phoenix Clan to choose a side had driven him to an impossible dilemma. With the return of their ancient ancestor, there was finally someone above him, and his burden could finally be lifted.

The other members of the Phoenix Clan reacted even more intensely than Jiang Mingzi, weeping uncontrollably. Some couldn't even maintain their human forms, transforming into phoenixes representing the Five Virtues, their continuous calls echoing throughout the Demon City.

As for the younger generation of prodigies, the moment they saw Jiang Lianyi, their minds went blank, losing all perception of their surroundings. Only Meng Jingzhou, who had met Jiang Lianyi before, managed to remain lucid.

"Damn it, why wasn't I standing on the Altar of Heaven? I could've beaten a nobody like Zhu Yunwu too." The two of them had agreed to return to the sect together to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, but that bastard Lu Yang broke his promise, making a breakthrough right before the ceremony and hogging all the glory.

Even the old Chaos Beast sealed within Kong Hao was stunned. The changes in the Demon City far exceeded his imagination. He had merely intended to witness the establishment of the Demon Nation and perhaps check on how his enemies were faring. How had it spiraled into this situation? Moreover, a formidable figure like the Phoenix Clan's Ancient Ancestor was merely "one of the Four Sovereigns" in the Heavenly Court. Just how terrifying was the power of the ancient Heavenly Court?

The five elders felt a slight sense of relief upon seeing the crowd's reaction. "Right," they thought, "it's not just us reacting this way to the Phoenix Clan's Ancient Ancestor; everyone else is the same."

On the Altar of Heaven, there was a deathly silence. Among the ten Demon Emperors, some genuinely submitted to Zhutian, while others were controlled by the nascent Dao Fruit. Regardless of their situation, the moment they saw Jiang Lianyi, they felt the timidity of a junior encountering an elder.

Cold sweat broke out on Zhutian's brow. The current Demon Race might not know Jiang Lianyi's identity, but as an ancient Great Demon, how could he not? "Wife of the Qilin Immortal." Just those five words were enough to elevate Jiang Lianyi's status even further, completely overshadowing him.

Damn it, how could Jiang Lianyi appear at such a crucial moment? If it came to a one-on-one fight, Zhutian wasn't afraid. He admitted Jiang Lianyi was powerful, among the top tier of Half-Immortals, but he controlled so many demons, and his Dao Fruit was nearly complete, making their strengths comparable. "Calm down, calm down," Zhutian repeated, breathing deeply to compose himself, thinking through the problem calmly and organizing his thoughts.

"Hasn't it already been confirmed? I didn't feel the Qilin Immortal's Dao Fruit suppression, which means the Qilin Immortal has perished. The Demon Nation is established, I have a strong army, and a mere Jiang Lianyi won't cause any significant trouble." Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to use the Qilin Immortal's name at the founding ceremony to legitimize his status.

"What's wrong? Don't you recognize me?" Jiang Lianyi saw Zhutian lost in thought, and with a cold sneer, she spoke without mercy.

Unwilling to turn hostile with Jiang Lianyi at that moment, Zhutian transformed into his human form, cupped his hands, and chuckled, "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Jiang. It's been 300,000 years since we last met, and your elegance remains unchanged." "However, I've never heard of the Heavenly Court. When did you join it, Fellow Daoist?"

Not only did Zhutian want to control the Phoenix Clan and use them as pawns, but he also undoubtedly coveted the treasures she had left for them. Under such circumstances, how could Jiang Lianyi give Zhutian any respect? "Must I report to you when I joined the Heavenly Court?" "Not to mention you, even the Qilin Immortal wouldn't dare to meddle in my affairs to such an extent!"

Hearing their exchange, the crowd below once again erupted in fervent discussion, their expressions excited. This was a public unveiling of an ancient mystery!

"The ancient Heavenly Court truly existed!" "Why have I never heard of it? I thought the Heavenly Court mentioned in books was just a fictional tale written by ancient Immortals." "What do you know? Immortals have profound foresight and their own considerations; how could it be just a tale? You're ignorant!"

"This Young Master Lu is truly the foremost prodigy of ancient times; no wonder he could defeat Zhu Yunwu." "Didn't you hear Madam Jiang's introduction? She's one of the Four Sovereigns of the Heavenly Court. There must be someone even higher up, like the Heavenly Court's Lord, Celestial Venerable Dou." "Young Master Lu is Celestial Venerable Dou's disciple—an Immortal's disciple!"

Everyone marveled at Young Master Lu's talent, and also at his luck. He had a truly excellent master.

Zhutian frowned. "What exactly is this Heavenly Court..."

Jiang Lianyi's lips curled into a sarcastic smile as she looked down at Zhutian. "The Heavenly Court is an entity known only among Immortals, related to their deepest secrets. If I weren't the Qilin Immortal's wife, I wouldn't be qualified to know about it." "As for you, do you think you're qualified?"