The fervor to find Ji Mo in the Demon Realm subsided, and a wave of panic spread throughout, as war erupted.
To the shock of the world, the rebels were fighting under the banner of Ni Tie.
An uproar ensued everywhere. Had Lord Ni Tie truly fallen out with Lord Tian Mo completely? Then, how should they choose their allegiance?
Based on the situation, siding with Lord Tian Mo Chi Yan was naturally more stable and wise. After all, Chi Yan was a genuine Demon God, while Ni Tie was merely a small cub. How could he possibly contend head-on with Chi Yan?
However, to everyone's surprise, the colossal Eternal Alliance was the first to declare its stance, pledging full support for Ni Tie.
This further stunned all factions. Logically, the Eternal Alliance should have unconditionally supported Lord Chi Yan, as they had always championed Tian Mo. Why the sudden turnabout?
"Our Eternal Alliance resolutely supports Lord Tian Mo and Lord Ni Tie, our original intention remains unchanged."
Amidst the widespread suspicion, the Eternal Alliance's statement only deepened the confusion.
Then, whispers began to circulate that Lord Ni Tie had always been with Lord Tian Mo.
This left everyone utterly bewildered. If that were true, then who or what was the Chi Yan in the Imperial City's Divine Temple?
A false god?
Following this, various unsubstantiated rumors became increasingly exaggerated.
Some claimed the High Priest harbored ill intentions and had facilitated the descent of an evil god.
Others suggested that Demon Lord Solon's rule was unpopular, with widespread discontent, and that he had deliberately had someone impersonate Tian Mo to consolidate his power.
...
These rumors were, in fact, secretly disseminated by the Eternal Alliance, achieving astonishing results.
After Wenren Changkong met with Ji Mo, the Eternal Alliance decisively chose to stand with Ji Mo. Wenren Changkong had even seen the mark on Ji Mo's body, confirming it was the Tian Mo mark.
Therefore, he decisively utilized all of the Eternal Alliance's channels to launch a public opinion war.
Upon hearing the various rumors, Chi Yan was furious to the point of explosion.
What? Some people were actually doubting my authenticity? You fools, are your eyes blind?
And what was going on with the Eternal Alliance? Were they unable to distinguish between true and false, or had they been deceived by that scoundrel Ji Mo, daring to oppose me?
Chi Yan could clearly sense that his faith throughout the Demon Realm was gradually waning.
"Ji Mo, you are so insidious. You intend to shake my foundation."
Chi Yan's gaze turned icy, his teeth grinding audibly.
"Supreme Lord Chi Yan, your loyal servant is willing to share your burden and lead the army to quell the rebellion."
A shadowy figure, walking with its legs splayed, prostrated itself before Chi Yan. It was the Night Priest, who had fled back to the Demon Realm.
Upon returning to the Demon Realm, the Night Priest discovered that indeed, the times had changed. It didn't care about the change in Demon Lords, but it was enraged that its original position had been usurped by the High Priest.
What made it even more furious was that the High Priest, who was once merely its subordinate, was now highly valued by Chi Yan and had surpassed it in strength, making it almost impossible for the Night Priest to reclaim its status.
Now, only by achieving merit could it regain Chi Yan's favor.
The High Priest glanced sideways at the Night Priest, sensing a threat, and also knelt, adding insult to injury by saying, "Omnipotent and peerlessly divine Lord Chi Yan, Night Priest, your previous invasion of the Xuanling Realm failed, and you are still a sinner. Let me lead the army to clear out the rebels for you."
Originally, the High Priest was not adept at flattery, but now it was forced to compete.
It felt it had to suppress this sycophantic Night Priest and not give it a chance to recover.
Demon Lord Solon, standing nearby, was inwardly furious. "You shameless wretches, kneeling down whenever you speak! If this continues, won't we have to crawl before Lord Chi Yan from now on?"
Hearing the High Priest's words, Chi Yan developed a greater aversion towards the Night Priest. Back then, despite such a golden opportunity, the Night Priest, in conjunction with the Ghost Realm's army, had failed to conquer the Xuanling Realm. It was truly incompetent.
Chi Yan hated incompetent failures the most.
"I am incompetent and deserve death, but I implore Your Excellency to grant me another chance."
The Night Priest choked, its voice filled with grief and indignation. "I have divined that Ji Mo is among the rebel forces. I bear an irreconcilable hatred for that dog Ji Mo, and I will not be at peace until he is torn to shreds."
Upon hearing this, Chi Yan's mind stirred. His divine sense immediately penetrated the Night Priest's consciousness, capturing the scene where the Night Priest had attempted to harm Ji Mo with a voodoo doll, only to be backlashed.
No wonder the Night Priest walked with its legs splayed; it seemed the aftereffects of that backlash were still present.
As a man, Chi Yan naturally understood that indescribable pain. Even though he had always been cold-blooded and ruthless, he couldn't help but show a hint of sympathy.
In comparison, being "harvested" by that bastard Ji Mo three times seemed insignificant.
"You have suffered."
Chi Yan, uncharacteristically, showed a trace of warmth, helping the Night Priest up and making a decision: "You shall lead the army to quell the rebellion. Find a way to capture Ji Mo, and I will personally avenge you."
"Thank you, Your Excellency, for your grace!"
The Night Priest kowtowed heavily, its face filled with overwhelming gratitude.
However, inwardly, it was ecstatic. This was, in fact, part of its little scheme.
It had learned that Chi Yan had offered the reward of becoming an immortal to find Ji Mo, deducing from this that there must be some unknown entanglement between Chi Yan and Ji Mo.
This was why it had staged this scene, winning Chi Yan's sympathy.
The Night Priest was also extremely curious. It sensed a deep malice from Chi Yan towards Ji Mo and was eager to know what had transpired between them.
The Primordial Soul Devouring Toad, holding high the Panda battle flag, led the beast army in sweeping through everything, unstoppable, occupying vast territories.
Primarily, the Iron-Eating Beasts had appeared, and many tribes worshipped Ni Tie, thus offering no resistance.
Furthermore, some alliances, having believed the circulating rumors, chose not to oppose the rebels.
As for those tribes and alliances that dared to resist, they met grim fates. The resisting demons became food for the beast army, while the counter-attacking beasts became the prey for a host of gourmands.
Those two young girls, who harbored aspirations of maintaining world peace, found their outlook on life beginning to warp. They followed the army, ravaging everywhere, not for world peace, but to taste the flesh of all the demonic beasts in the world.
During this period, Ji Mo began to notice something amiss with himself.
His body would inexplicably heat up, his heart would race, and he felt a pervasive heat and dryness.
"You beast, could I possibly have developed feelings for Honey Snow Ice Orange?"
Ji Mo was so shocked that he almost slapped himself, calling himself inhuman.
However, upon careful consideration, he confirmed he had no wicked thoughts towards the two girls, and thus breathed a sigh of relief.
"Could I be gay?"
Ji Mo trembled, his face turning pale with fright.
Fortunately, he finally confirmed he wasn't gay.
But then, he wished he had been gay, because he developed a problem even more severe than being gay.
Ji Mo discovered with surprise that the closer he was to the beast army, the more easily he would experience his blood boiling.
In reality, it seemed he had developed some inexplicable emotional connection with the demonic beasts.
"I'm really not human either."
Ji Mo wailed, his mentality collapsing.
He was unaware that this was, in fact, the power of faith.
From the beast army, the Primordial Bull Demon tribe, and the territories of the Eternal Alliance, threads and wisps of faith converged, continuously pouring into his body, causing the phenomenon of his body heating up.
Since the closer he was to the beast army, the stronger the faith, the more intense his heating phenomenon became.