A giant, a thousand meters tall, with dark skin, emanated an astonishing demonic aura as its hands tore open the sky. It traversed the spatial turbulence and appeared before them. Its colossal eyes resembled two blood moons hanging simultaneously in the night sky. The immense pressure made everyone feel as if the air had thinned considerably.
"Seventeen, what important matter requires us to come here?" a thunderous voice boomed from the giant.
Before he could reply, he saw the immortal mansion standing between heaven and earth. A look of astonishment flickered in his eyes.
"Ninth Brother, I have summoned everyone here today to jointly open this divine hall," Tu Mie said.
They, the eighteen of them, had been taken as adopted sons by Emperor Cong Zun and trained to become accomplished. The person before him was the ninth in rank. His name was Bi Shang.
Bi Shang landed on the ground, transforming into a human appearance that looked to be in his fifties. He stared at the immortal mansion before him with a bewildered gaze. "This shouldn't be!"
"Indeed, it shouldn't be."
Tu Mie, puzzled, asked, "Ninth Brother, what do you mean?"
Bi Shang shook his head. "This matter is best discussed after Second Brother arrives."
As time passed, the other dozen or so Great Emperors appeared one after another. Their arrivals further intensified the somber atmosphere. After all, the eighteen Great Emperors had never gathered in one place like this before. However, Gu Jin had died tragically, and the one from Mangshan was You Ning.
Tu Mie spoke, "You Ning, why are you here?"
"Where is Eighteen?"
You Ning's face was grave. "Reporting to Your Great Emperor, Great Emperor Gu Jin sustained severe injuries while attacking the Human Race and unfortunately passed away some time ago."
"Eighteen is dead?" Tu Mie exclaimed, disbelief etched on his face.
"Let him die!" Ji Xing, the first among the eighteen Demon Emperors, said with an impatient expression. "Eighteen acted on his own initiative and attacked the Human Race. Did he not consider how many years the Human Race has existed? Our Demon Race has attacked multiple times without success in conquering the Human Realm. He alone wanted to attack the Human Race, so who else but him would die?"
"Big Brother is right, the Human Race is not so easily eradicated," said Ping Ye, the second in rank. He was a young man dressed as a scholar, holding a whisk, giving him an air of immortal elegance.
Although the eighteen of them were adopted sons of Emperor Cong Zun, Gu Jin was ranked eighteenth, being the latest to join. Therefore, they never liked this brother. Even upon hearing of Gu Jin's death, in their eyes, it was well-deserved. If he hadn't acted on his own to attack the Human Realm, how could he have died?
"Second Brother, didn't you say earlier that a sacred medicine from our Demon Realm was located in the Deep Dragon Abyss? Why is there a divine hall here?" Bi Shang looked at Ping Ye.
Ji Xing also frowned, staring intently at the towering divine hall. "This divine hall is indeed quite peculiar."
Ping Ye shook his head. "I did divine that the sacred medicine was in the Deep Dragon Abyss, but I am also unaware of why this is the case. I suppose my divination skills have failed!"
A ninth-level Demon Emperor chuckled. "Second Brother, your divination skills are even praised by Father. How could they possibly fail?"
At this moment, Tu Mie looked at Chen Nan with a cold gaze. "Chen Nan, after you broke the formation here, did you see any sacred medicine?"
Chen Nan nervously replied, "Reporting to Your Great Emperor, I did not see any medicinal herbs. When I broke the formation, this divine hall appeared between heaven and earth. The Great Commander can vouch for me."
Fu Chen spoke, "Your Great Emperor, Chen Nan is not lying."
Ping Ye, standing nearby, looked at Chen Nan, a contemplative gleam in his eyes. "You say the formation here was broken by you? You understand the Way of Formations?"
Chen Nan respectfully said, "Junior has studied the Way of Formations in the Human Realm."
"Second Brother, do not underestimate this person. He obtained the inheritance of the Celestial Demon, progressing directly from a first-level Demon Emperor to a fifth-level Demon Emperor," Tu Mie said sarcastically.
Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes widened with surprise. Ji Xing, however,'s eyes lit up. "I've heard that the Celestial Demon inheritance is exceptionally powerful, and that it grants nine lives. Come, come. Let me search his soul to see how marvelous this Celestial Demon inheritance truly is." Saying this, he extended a palm towards Chen Nan.
A terrifying devouring force enveloped Chen Nan. If this person truly performed a soul-searching technique on him, he would be finished! All his secrets would be exposed. Without further thought, he moved his mind. Item after item of high-grade demonic artifacts floated out of the immortal mansion, hundreds of them at a glance. Not only that, but the divine pot that Gong Jian had given him also flew out. Sacrificing a pawn to catch the rook. He had finally managed to gather all the Demon Emperors here, and he had to get them into the immortal mansion by all means.
"Big Brother, let's focus on the main task first," Ping Ye said.
"Then let's spare his life for now." Ji Xing casually waved his hand, throwing Chen Nan heavily aside. He crashed hard into the rocks not far away.
*Bang!*
A large hole was smashed into the rocks, sending shards of stone flying. Chen Nan vomited blood uncontrollably, feeling as if all his bones were broken. His injuries were severe. Furthermore, Ji Xing had left his aura within him, a precaution to prevent Chen Nan from escaping. Even if he fled, he could be tracked by this aura.
"Come, let us seventeen brothers attack together. We shall see if we cannot break this stone door!" Ji Xing's body trembled, and torrents of demonic energy surged from within him. The other sixteen ninth-level Demon Emperors stood shoulder to shoulder with Ji Xing. They activated the demonic energy within them, which roared out and transformed into two colossal palms in the air, each exuding a world-destroying aura. Then, the two palms appeared before the stone door. The seventeen men's expressions were grave as they urged the palms to exert force.
*Boom boom boom!*
At this moment! The sturdy stone door let out a muffled sound. A faint crack appeared in the center of the door. Though minuscule, it made everyone's eyes gleam.
"Young Chen Nan is right, if we brothers attack together, we can completely shake the doors of this divine hall," Tu Mie roared with laughter. If Chen Nan hadn't obtained the Celestial Demon inheritance, he would have richly rewarded the man. But since he had acquired it, if he didn't die, he would eventually threaten their status.
As time passed, the crack in the stone door grew wider. With the widening of the crack, a dense spiritual energy surged from within the immortal mansion.
"Break!"
With Ji Xing's furious roar, the seventeen men exerted their full strength. The stone doors of the immortal mansion let out a deafening boom. The two heavy stone doors were completely pushed open. Countless demonic artifacts flew out.
"Great Emperor, Chen Nan has escaped!" Just as everyone was filled with joy, Fu Chen's voice rang out. He was sweating profusely. "It is my negligence, I should not have lost sight of him."
Ji Xing sneered. "I left my demonic energy within him. He cannot escape my grasp even if he flees to the ends of the earth." Saying this, he looked inside the immortal mansion, grinning. "The divine hall has been opened, brothers, let's go in and see what treasures lie within!" With that, he flew directly inside...