Chapter 408: Once There Were 100,000 Demons, Trampling the Heavens and Breaking the Demon Court

The atmosphere in the river valley was somewhat oppressive.

Li Changshou gazed at the figures before him, feeling as though he was confronting a bloody chapter of human history.

Xuan Du Great Mage sat by the river, grilling fish, while Ling E and You Qin Xuan Ya stood behind Li Changshou, both frowning as they watched the more than a hundred figures standing by the riverbank.

These figures were hard to call living beings; they emitted no aura fluctuations, their eyes were vacant and unmoving, like stone or clay statues.

Yet they were indeed living beings; they were still alive, most bearing various wounds, with half of them missing limbs, and beneath their ancient-style armor, it seemed as though dormant fierce beasts lurked.

"Shixiong, they are…"

"Humans."

Xuan Du Great Mage stood up with the grilled fish in hand, gesturing with a smile, and from the group of over a hundred, a man and a woman stepped forward.

The man was nearly ten feet tall, his body bulging with dark muscles, and his iron armor seemed fused with his flesh.

The woman was petite and delicate, with a scar on her cheek, but she still gave off a predominantly gentle impression.

The two raised their right hands to their hearts, knelt on one knee, and said in unison:

"Greetings, my lord."

Behind them, the more than a hundred figures stood silently, resembling statues even more.

Ling E instinctively hid behind Li Changshou, while You Qin Xuan Ya stared at these figures, lost in thought for a moment.

"Ah…"

Xuan Du Great Mage sighed, "Communicating with them is quite troublesome; it took me several months to have a conversation with each one.

They are all willing to return to Hong Huang and follow your commands to hunt down the Yao race remnants from ancient times.

Shidi, make good use of them."

Yet Li Changshou remained unusually silent.

Ling E asked softly, "Great Mage senior, where do these predecessors come from?"

"Xuan Du City," Xuan Du Great Mage laughed, "In ancient times, when Xuan Du City was under heavy siege, the Human Emperor sent these warriors to assist in its defense.

Now that the situation at Xuan Du City is stable, even Dao soldiers are sufficient for guarding it.

They were just idling there, so it’s better for them to return to Hong Huang and fight the Yao race once more."

"The Yao race of today I can handle," Li Changshou said, "Shixiong, let these predecessors return to Xuan Du City to rest."

"Yes," the man and woman replied with bowed heads, standing up and walking back to the ranks, resuming their silent stance.

Xuan Du Great Mage asked curiously:

"Why? Do you know their strength?

Though there are only one hundred and eight of them here, they are the elite survivors of the ancient human race.

The strongest army of the human race that once toppled the Yao Court and broke the Zhou Tian Great Array—they are their successors."

Li Changshou smiled bitterly, "Shixiong, what virtue do I have to command them?"

"So that’s what you’re worried about. Come, sit down," Xuan Du Great Mage said with a smile, waving them over, "You two commanders, please join us as well."

They all sat by the campfire, where Ling E volunteered to take the grilling stick, and You Qin Xuan Ya went to the stream to catch more spirit fish.

The man and woman sat upright, eyes lowered.

Li Changshou sat facing them and lightly changed the subject.

"Shixiong, what kind of battles are happening at Xuan Du City?"

Xuan Du Great Mage said slowly, "Minor matters, just some extraterrestrial demons wandering around the edges of the Chaos Sea.

Some innate gods and demons that escaped Pangu’s divine axe during the creation of the world have also created various beings.

These beings are mostly violent and harbor deep greed toward Hong Huang, but the power of the Heavenly Dao envelops the three thousand worlds of Hong Huang, preventing their invasion.

However, since the Heavenly Dao is not complete, there are always loopholes, so back then, the Dao Ancestor acted, establishing Xuan Du City to expose those vulnerabilities and block the paths of those beings entering Hong Huang.

During the late stage of the ancient Witch-Yao War, when both sides were severely weakened and the vitality of beings in the world hit its lowest point, affecting the Heavenly Dao’s operation, those extraterrestrial demons stirred up trouble, and Xuan Du City became quite lively…"

Ling E murmured in admiration, "There really are extraterrestrial demons."

"Tsk," Xuan Du Great Mage shook his head, "Those fellows have no fixed form and look utterly ugly, nowhere near as handsome as your shixiong."

Ling E laughed, "You can’t compare them like that."

"Hahaha," Li Changshou chuckled a few times, then looked at the two commanders, took out a tea set from his sleeve, brewed six cups of tea, and used his immortal power to send them to everyone.

"Please, seniors."

"Thank you," the tall man said quietly, his square face calm under his disheveled hair.

The woman held the hot tea with both hands, took a sip with her head lowered, and her gaze showed a slight change.

"It’s very good."

"As long as you like it, senior," Li Changshou said warmly.

Xuan Du Great Mage laughed, "Shidi, do you know why these two are commanders?

It’s not just because of their strength, but because they’re the only ones who can still communicate normally now, retaining their seven emotions and six desires, making them quite similar to us.

However, they’ve also suffered the most…

You should talk with them more."

Li Changshou nodded slowly, naturally understanding that Xuan Du Great Mage was advising him to keep this force.

For a moment, he hesitated and fell silent again.

Ling E, ever the one to liven things up, asked softly, "Great Mage, are these predecessors from the ancient human race?"

"Yes," Xuan Du Great Mage said, his gaze distant as he held his tea cup and looked at the clouds in the sky.

They sat on low stones, listening to Xuan Du Great Mage recount that past story…

The human race was created by Lady Nüwa, born with innate Dao bodies, inherently weak but adept at cultivation and close to the Dao.

At that time, the human race was just one of the myriad races in the world. After Lady Nüwa became a saint, most races avoided the humans, allowing them to multiply and spread across the plains and mountains of South Jambudvipa.

But disaster soon followed.

Due to the human race’s souls being close to the Dao, the Yao Master Kunpeng offered a method to Emperor Donghuang Taiyi to refine secret treasures using human souls. The Yao race, in their quest to completely defeat the Wu race, began massacring humans and capturing their souls to forge weapons against the Wu.

The human race was slaughtered until barely one in a hundred remained, and the Yao race still refused to stop, intent on wiping them out entirely…

This part of human history becomes vague from here, as if later generations deliberately obscured it.

Xuan Du Great Mage, as a witness and participant in history, knew the full truth.

"…Although the Teacher and Lady Nüwa joined forces to save the remaining humans, the survivors had etched their hatred for the Yao race into their bones."

Xuan Du Great Mage said indifferently:

"After the disaster, the surviving humans hated the Yao race to the extreme. They pushed their cultivation recklessly, even deviating from the proper path and turning into demons.

Although the saints preserved the human race’s spark, it was their weakest period, and the Yao race feared future threats, wanting to eradicate them completely…

That was the most grueling yuan hui for the human race, which is why we have them."

Li Changshou said, "One hundred thousand demon soldiers, shattering the heavens."

Ling E bit her lip and carefully handed a grilled fish to the female commander nearest to her.

"Senior…"

The latter gently shook her head, giving Ling E a faint smile, and continued sitting upright.

Xuan Du Great Mage casually took the fish and said with a smile, "Give it to me; don’t waste it."

Ling E quickly handed it over.

You Qin Xuan Ya asked, "The one hundred thousand demon soldiers… could you explain in more detail?"

Li Changshou sighed and explained for her:

"Entering the demonic path means turning obsessions into a Dao realm, gaining a rapid boost in power but easily leading to Dao heart collapse and loss of control.

These predecessors sought to gain strength quickly without losing control, so they first entered the demonic state, used secret techniques to enhance their Dao realm, then severed their Dao hearts, sealing off their seven emotions and six senses, cutting off all external perceptions.

They locked their souls within their bodies, using special secret methods to distinguish friend from foe, transforming into demon soldiers under the Human Emperor’s command to protect the human race."

Xuan Du Great Mage clicked his tongue in wonder, "As expected of my shidi; you even know such secrets!"

"I read about it on a sheepskin scroll…"

Li Changshou sighed, "I thought it was just a legend, but after visiting the Fire Cloud Cave and meeting the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and learning about Senior Suirenshi, I realized the human race’s demon soldiers truly existed.

Human lifespans are too short, and Hong Huang’s timeline is too long; so much history is lost over the ages…"

"Shidi, do you know that after the Yao Court’s fall, only three thousand six hundred and twenty-three of them remained?"

Xuan Du Great Mage said, "I took them to Xuan Du City. Over the years, those with limited lifespans have passed away.

As for the rest…

Shidi, take them to fight the Yao race.

Let them find a dignified end on the battlefield; that’s the kindest thing we can do for them."

Li Changshou asked, "Shixiong, is there no way to help them restore their perceptions?"

Xuan Du Great Mage frowned, "That might be too cruel for them."

"How can we know what they truly want without asking?"

Li Changshou pondered for a moment, his eyes gleaming with resolve—he had an idea.

"They are ancient human heroes and shouldn’t fight in this era.

Shixiong, I’ll take them to An Shui City for now, and give it a hundred years to see if I can help them regain their seven emotions and six desires.

If they wish to be freed, they don’t need to die on the battlefield in sorrow. Our human predecessors deserve dignity and respect.

They fought to give the human race today’s prosperity; we can’t have them standing at the front lines now…

I don’t think that’s right."

Xuan Du Great Mage looked surprised, "You’ve already thought of a way?"

"Just a rough idea…"

Li Changshou mentioned two words, and Xuan Du Great Mage first paused, then clapped and laughed, praising how quick-witted Li Changshou was.

Ling E blinked…

Xiao Ai?

She realized she still didn’t know her shixiong well enough.

As the two teacher-brothers discussed this, the two demon soldier commanders remained silent;

But their gazes toward Li Changshou gradually showed a hint of gratitude.

Since Li Changshou had no intention of using these over a hundred ancient human warriors in battle, Xuan Du Great Mage didn’t press further.

Still, Xuan Du Great Mage felt a bit downhearted.

He had personally gone to Xuan Du City to bring these one hundred and eight ancient human demon soldiers back, only for them not to become Li Changshou’s "anti-Yao weapon" and instead give Li Changshou more work…

As the senior brother, Xuan Du Great Mage felt a little embarrassed.

So, he took the initiative to inquire about the Yao race’s rebellion. If Heaven’s Court was under too much pressure, he, as an old-timer of the human race, could step in and intervene directly…

Li Changshou reported the current "results" honestly, and Xuan Du Great Mage laughed heartily.

Ling E and You Qin Xuan Ya, however, looked a bit uneasy upon hearing Heaven’s Court’s various tactics.

Ling E naturally felt some disdain, as the Toilet God Hall’s methods were dirty in every sense…

You Qin Xuan Ya said, "What does marriage have to do with combat? The Yao race deserves death, so we should defeat them openly and fairly.

Acting like this is far too unscrupulous."

Li Changshou and Xuan Du Great Mage exchanged glances and both burst out laughing.

Xuan Du Great Mage said, "Unscrupulous isn’t always a bad thing."

"You Qin Shimei," Li Changshou said seriously, "In Heaven’s Court today, ninety percent of the heavenly soldiers and generals are of human origin, and since the world is dominated by humans, Heaven’s Court can be seen as protecting the human race.

I don’t care about the life or death of these openly rebelling Yao, let alone their marriages.

Effectively reducing the enemy’s forces, undermining their morale, and creating internal conflicts is just protecting our own heavenly soldiers and generals.

Of course, I don’t hate those spirits friendly to humans, and there are wicked individuals among humans, but these rebelling Yao—have they truly been oppressed by Heaven’s Court?

Heaven’s Court has only been established for a short time; these Yao are just feeling threatened and afraid.

Upholding Heaven’s Court is because the Heavenly Dao is impartial, and Heaven’s Court acts according to the Heavenly Dao. The stronger Heaven’s Court becomes, the sooner good and evil in the world will reach balance."

You Qin Xuan Ya fell into thought.

Ling E murmured softly, "Shixiong, You Qin Shijie wasn’t criticizing you; don’t be angry…"

Li Changshou laughed, "Don’t worry, I know You Qin Shimei’s temperament. Heaven’s Court needs talents like her."

Ling E pouted slightly; earlier he had called her Xuan Ya!

"Hmm," You Qin Xuan Ya responded with her head lowered, but she didn’t let go of her stance on this matter.

Xuan Du Great Mage watched quietly, then thought of something, his smile never fading.

If Yun Xiao Shimei joined the discussion, who knows what it would be like…

Li Changshou was concerned about the "mastermind" behind the Yao race and directly asked, since Xuan Du Great Mage was here:

"Shixiong, I always feel someone is guiding Lu Ya behind the scenes."

It’s not that I underestimate Lu Ya.

It’s just that if Lu Ya had such vision, the Yao race wouldn’t be in their current state.

"Minor matter, let me calculate it."

Xuan Du Great Mage performed divination with his fingers and soon let out a light sound of surprise.

Li Changshou asked quickly, "Lady Nüwa?"

"No, it’s not Lady Nüwa acting; the other side actually has the ability to erase heavenly secrets!"

Xuan Du Great Mage narrowed his eyes slightly, raised his hand to summon the Tai Ji Diagram into his palm, and closed his eyes in concentration.

This time, it took a full quarter of an hour, with the Tai Ji Diagram’s rhythms flowing continuously…

Finally, Xuan Du Great Mage softly uttered a name:

"Bai Ze."

Li Changshou was slightly startled, then showed sudden realization: "No wonder; it’s that ancient Yao commander.

A Yao commander who survived the Witch-Yao War is no ordinary foe!

Shixiong, this Bai Ze absolutely cannot be left alive.

Could you take action, Shixiong, and eliminate him early? If he aids Lu Ya again, Heaven’s Court will face real trouble."

"Agreed," Xuan Du Great Mage said, "I didn’t expect Bai Ze to enter the calamity on his own initiative.

I’ll go settle scores with him now!

But Bai Ze is an innate auspicious beast with the ability to seek fortune and avoid disaster, so I’ll need to put in some effort; it might take time."

Li Changshou thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps we can use his ability to seek fortune and avoid disaster, reverse yin and yang, and lure him into a trap."

"Oh? That’s interesting; tell me more."

Right there by the riverside campfire, the two teacher-brothers began discussing… one hundred ways to deal with an auspicious beast.

Of course, one hundred was an exaggeration; Li Changshou just provided seven or eight ideas and, based on Xuan Du Great Mage’s understanding of Bai Ze, identified a few possible weaknesses.

For example, this beast, skilled in divination and whose innate divine ability is self-preservation, has always had smooth sailing and might overly trust its instincts.

They discussed from noon until the sun set in the west, and Xuan Du Great Mage was eager to confront Bai Ze. He took two grilled fish for the road and tore through space to disappear.

Before leaving, Xuan Du Great Mage left two jade talismans for Li Changshou, containing the methods for refining demon soldiers.

—To help Li Changshou find a way to restore the demon soldiers’ seven emotions and six desires.

In front of Ling E and You Qin Xuan Ya, Li Changshou brought out a paper effigy, had it ride the clouds, and led the one hundred and eight statue-like demon soldiers away.

They didn’t say a single word throughout; now, they only followed Li Changshou’s commands.

What a terrifying force this was?

Starting with immortality in cultivation, absolutely obedient, unknowing of fear or retreat, masters of coordinated battle formations, efficiently using their immortal power, and each possessing several spiritual treasures…

Xuan Du Great Mage had entrusted them to Li Changshou’s command, essentially wanting them to go all out against the Yao experts in the North Continent, giving these demon soldiers a proper end.

This idea wasn’t wrong in itself, but Li Changshou preferred to let them make their own choices…

Now that the human race was in a prosperous era and Heaven’s Court could suppress the Yao race, why make these human spirits fight to the death?

Surely, they’d want to see the magnificent prosperity they fought for…

After careful consideration, Li Changshou decided to take them to An Shui City and let them live in the mortal world for a while.

He planned to wait until the Yao situation on the North Continent border stabilized, then try to find a solution.

He wondered if, with Lady Houtu’s power of seven emotions resonance, he could help them return to normal…

However, before Li Changshou and the demon soldiers could reach An Shui City, Ling E hurried into the alchemy room, holding a jade talisman wrapped in over ten layers of immortal power.

"Shixiong!

Someone delivered this jade talisman at the mountain gate, and the gate disciples said…"

Li Changshou shifted his focus and asked, "What did they say?"

"It was left by a Daoist who called himself Ze Bai, specifically for you!"

Li Changshou was taken aback.

Ze Bai… Bai Ze?

If it was really him, this ancient Yao commander couldn’t be spared!