ASER - Chapter 248
Chapter 248: Supreme Demon King
Discussing matters with Kunlun and the others, A'Diao employed the principle of "one force overcomes ten skills." She presented a plan, and they would then complete, refine, and implement it. However, once their discussion concluded, both sides sensed disturbances in the national veins of Lie Qin and Nan Jin.
They were somewhat shaken.
The border river battles unfolded as A'Diao and the others had anticipated. Tang Song was indeed advancing like a hot knife through butter, not because of superior numbers, but due to two "bugs."
As for the "bugs" of the two nations, we won't delve into that for now. A'Diao had already advanced her plan, and everything was under control. She freed up some time and was now about to depart.
Kunlun: "To the borderlands?"
A'Diao: "No."
She didn't elaborate, turning and teleporting to the Chen family residence.
What did she have to fear now? As the saying goes, "a villain in power struts with arrogance." She had even plundered the secret treasuries of both Lie Qin nations; would she still need to be wary of the Chen family in Tang Song?
So, she teleported directly into the main hall.
She happened upon Chen Ran, who was returning home disheveled and furtive, taking advantage of Chen Xun and Xu Ye's absence.
Old Dog Chen, his face weathered as if he had lived in a mountaintop cave for ten years, was holding a cup of clear water. Upon suddenly seeing A'Diao, he choked.
He almost choked to death.
Speaking of the Chen family, the common people of Tang Song didn't know much about them now. After all, Chen Ran was only a minor official in the beginning. His later fame wasn't due to his official position skyrocketing, but mainly because of his impressive children, then his stunningly beautiful wives and concubines, and finally, his nationally recognized title of "Old Dog Chen."
Men: So envious! A real man should be like Old Dog Chen; the pinnacle of life is nothing more than this.
Women: So envious! Such accomplished children, such exquisite wives and concubines, and Lord Chen doesn't even return home day or night, diligently and conscientiously serving the court and the people. Truly a good man...
While Old Dog Chen, admired and envied by the entire nation, was nearly choking to death, A'Diao remained silent. Xu Zhaoying, calm and composed, raised a hand to quiet the other restless servants, while Xie Yuqing and Chen Yang looked somewhat bewildered and uneasy.
Cough, cough, cough.
Old Dog Chen coughed for a good while, his face flushed red, before finally finding his voice.
"You, you're back? Are you hungry? Thirsty? Your father hasn't seen you for a long time. Have you been tired lately?"
Soft and enthusiastic, enthusiastic yet not without reverence, and within that reverence, a touch of fear.
A'Diao sighed. "Is Father referring to matters like rebellion and killing kings? It is quite tiring. But as your child, to have implicated Father to the point where you had to hide in the deep mountains and old forests, digging canals and farming, that is indeed my unfilial act. Look at all this dust on you, did you just return from the fields?"
Who would have thought that for over a year, ever since Chen A'Diao started confronting the imperial court and the Imperial Family, Old Dog Chen had been preparing for a rainy day and gone into hiding?
Thus, he was nowhere to be seen all day.
But deep down, he ultimately cherished himself the most.
The family honor and the future of his legitimate son, which he once valued most, were still secondary to himself. However, this was also the inherent nature of many scholar-officials throughout history who sought fame and reputation.
"Agriculture is important... Your return this time is for?" Chen Ran, of course, knew how terrifying his own daughter before him was. Beneath that smiling facade, murderous intent likely lurked. Recalling his past mistreatment of her, he immediately became vague, unwilling to elaborate, and even wished she would leave sooner.
"Just passing by, got hungry, so I came for a meal. Isn't Father hungry? We, father and daughter, haven't seen each other for a long time, how about..."
Upon hearing he was to eat with A'Diao, Chen Ran immediately made excuses about needing to bathe, told them to eat by themselves, and then fled.
Still unchanged.
A'Diao sneered inwardly, feeling that this fellow Chen Ran had probably only inherited Chen Gui's shrewd and self-serving nature; other than that, he was rather mediocre.
But when she was young, she truly was a little afraid of him.
She both craved his affection and feared his disdain, because this person determined her standard of living in this obscure and low-key residence. You see, she had actually also inherited Chen Gui's shrewd and calculating side... Her thoughts back then weren't entirely wrong, but looking back now, they seemed quite foolish.
Living in this world, without value, where would affection come from?
After A'Diao came back to her senses, she saw Chen Yang tugging at her sleeve, his eyes expectant.
"What is it?" A'Diao asked irritably.
"Sister, aren't you staying for dinner?"
"No..."
"The First Madam and Mother already instructed the kitchen to stew lots of food. Mother even personally supervised, although there was also a chef auntie providing in-depth guidance on the side..."
A'Diao rolled her eyes. "As if I've never had a meal before?"
Seeing A'Diao about to leave, Chen Yang immediately rattled off a stream of dishes: "Potato and beef brisket, fish head with chopped chili, seafood hot pot..."
Not only did he say it, but just then, the kitchen also brought up the dishes.
It smelled so good... Lately, A'Diao had been too busy, painstakingly dealing with the Imperial Family, the Demon King's palace, and the Arbitration Council, and hadn't had time to improve her living standards for a long while.
She hadn't had a single decent meal.
A'Diao's steps faltered for a moment, her gaze shifting towards the quiet Xu Zhaoying.
The latter possessed an extraordinary demeanor; even now, the way she looked at A'Diao was the same as when A'Diao was young.
Impartial, upright, and dignified.
Of course, she was also adept at discerning people's hearts, knowing everyone in this large residence like the back of her hand.
But it definitely didn't include the Old Madam.
A'Diao even suspected that in this obscure Chen family residence, it wasn't just Chen Xun who had long been controlled by the Old Madam, manipulated by her. And this Xu Zhaoying was probably under her control even earlier than Chen Xun.
Therefore, the entire Chen family had always remained calm and composed amidst the turmoil.
This First Madam seemed never to have been frightened by the calamities that had befallen her and Chen Xun.
"Thank you for the arrangements, First Madam. You are truly good to me. It must be because I am Mother's daughter, right?"
These words were profound. A slight ripple passed through Xu Zhaoying's eyes. She could neither admit nor deny it, so she pretended not to hear and said gently, "Let's eat."
A'Diao casually sat down and began to eat. Xie Yuqing and Chen Yang were delighted, and in A'Diao's presence, they ate three extra bowls of rice.
After eating, A'Diao left, but she requested a portion of food from the kitchen, saying it was for her grandmother.
Xu Zhaoying came over and glanced at the steaming hot food. "Mother said long ago that she's been having her meals prepared privately in her small kitchen recently and won't eat with us."
A'Diao: "First Madam, are you afraid of Grandmother?"
Such a direct question.
Xu Zhaoying's eyes were deep and profound. She raised a hand, dismissing all the servants. Leaning against the doorframe in the kitchen, filled with the aroma of cooking, her posture was infinitely elegant, yet she also revealed a hint of her shrewdness.
"Grandmother is an elder. Since the Chen family's rise, she has single-handedly protected the family. As a junior, it is right to respect her. And when respect reaches its extreme, it becomes fear. But A'Diao, you don't need to."
"Since you haven't enjoyed the benefits, naturally you don't need to fulfill the obligations."
A'Diao still respected this person, so she asked politely, "Then, First Madam, what are your obligations?"
Xu Zhaoying smiled, her words light. "Doing business, I suppose. I have shares in banks like Huayao, but they are not registered under my name."
She only said this much and then turned to leave.
A'Diao stood in the shadows of the kitchen, raising an eyebrow slightly.
Having shares, it sounded understated, but it probably wasn't a small stake. She had always known Xu Zhaoying was good at business, because after Xu Ye left the Chen family, her cultivation speed outside was extremely fast. But she didn't know she was this wealthy.
But she hadn't used so much money. At least since Xu Ye participated in the Lushan Academy assessment, she had been left to fend for herself, relying mostly on her own efforts for resources, seldom depending on the Chen family or Xu Zhaoying.
Not used on her daughter, nor on that dog of a man Chen Ran. What was she earning so much money for?
Toilet: "Could it be used on your mother?"
Look at how pampered Xie Yuqing is; her life is better than that of an imperial concubine in the palace.
Otherwise, how could you say she's over forty but looks like she's eighteen?
A'Diao: "..."
Perhaps it was used for that person.
If the Chen family was as she suspected, then Chen Xun and Xu Zhaoying definitely had some form of cooperation.
A'Diao merely speculated briefly, then carried the food to the Buddhist hall.
Grandmother was drinking tea. Seeing her arrive, she covered her teacup, as if to dismiss a guest.
However, A'Diao was quick on her feet and blocked the old nanny's attempt to close the door.
"Aiya, Grandmother, Grandmother, Diaodiao has come to serve you food."
The old nanny opened the door and looked back at the Old Madam. The Old Madam stared gloomily at A'Diao.
A'Diao, however, was all smiles. She placed the food on the table. "Look, it's all vegetarian. No MSG or salt added, very healthy. Won't you eat?"
The old nanny standing beside her felt her brow twitch.
This Young Miss Diaodiao was still the same as when she was little, vengeful over the smallest grievance.
Perhaps she harbored resentment because the Old Madam had been indifferent to her back then, seeing her weak and seemingly on the verge of an early death.
The Old Madam looked at A'Diao for a moment, picked up her chopsticks, and took a bite. Just that one bite, and her eyebrows rose, a faint light appearing in her murky eyes.
There was both salt and MSG; it was delicious.
A'Diao smiled. "I tricked you. Are you angry?"
A double entendre.
Tricked you, aren't you angry.
Wasn't this brat raised on deception?
"What's there to be angry about?" The Old Madam was profound, showing no ripple of emotion. She only said faintly, "You've become accomplished, much prettier than when you were little. Even if you're fierce, people find you cute. If you were ugly, even if you were well-behaved, you wouldn't be likable."
These words were like repeatedly stomping on A'Diao's sore spot.
Sure enough, A'Diao exploded, jumping up. "Who's ugly? Fine, so you really did think I was ugly before!"
A'Diao's face was terribly dark, her expression fierce.
The old nanny and Toilet were terrified and dared not make a sound. But the Old Madam was as steady as Mount Tai, the wrinkles on her thin face crinkling together as she smiled. "Even if I thought so, didn't I deceive you? I even comforted you that appearance isn't important, what matters is being smart and talented, that makes one seem cute... What, are you resentful that I deceived you because of this?"
"Such a well-intentioned lie, you don't like it?"
At this moment, A'Diao surely had a little evil dragon inside her, puffing up its cheeks and stomping its feet in anger... But on the surface, she maintained her composure and returned a smile. "Indeed, you were just coaxing me. Back then, I thought that appearance truly wasn't important. As long as one was like Grandmother, not good-looking but overflowing with talent and insidiously cunning, that was actually quite good."
The old nanny and Toilet: Are these two, old and young, having a cursing match? Sarcastic and pecking at each other like chickens, the core issue being who is less good-looking...
The Old Grandmother lifted an eyelid. "Taking me as a role model? Then you've surpassed the master, almost to the point of being black."
A'Diao: "Of course. I have to follow in your footsteps my whole life, learn as long as I live. By the way, Grandmother, how old are you this year?"
Here it comes, here it comes.
Toilet focused its attention, observing the Old Madam's reaction.
The Old Madam picked up a piece of pork liver with her chopsticks, took a bite, swallowed it, then sipped her tea and said, "They say a day in heaven is a year on earth. This merely speaks of the hardships of the mortal world. Some people live each day as if it were a year. If you truly calculate it, perhaps it has been myriad prosperities and autumns."
Was this an open admission that she was a celestial maiden?
Moreover, it was tantamount to saying: she fell from the celestial realm to the mortal world, endured hardships, living each day as if it were a year. Counting both her originally long lifespan and her years of pain and hatred, naturally, her body and mind were incredibly aged. As for the so-called "myriad prosperities and autumns"... the more prosperous the human world became, the more she detested it.
Anyway, that's what Toilet thought.
A'Diao was silent for a moment, then got up to leave. But as she reached the door, the Old Madam's voice came from behind.
"However, you are different."
"Chen Diaodiao, I hope you embody myriad prosperities and autumns itself."
A'Diao paused, glanced sideways at the silent trees and pond inside and outside the courtyard, then, without looking back, teleported away.
Once she left, the old nanny didn't dare say much and also quickly departed.
The Old Madam continued eating alone, her appetite seemingly good.
After leaving the Chen family, A'Diao arrived at Mount Qi. The longan tree on that mountain peak was still there.
Toilet: "That celestial maiden's World Book is truly terrifying. Reorganization, restoration, it can even restore living beings to their original state."
A'Diao: "It's my World Book."
Alright, it's yours.
Toilet's large white porcelain ball rolled its eyes and flew a circle around the longan tree. "It hasn't grown in two years, it's useless."
A'Diao, however, didn't care. She hadn't come here to reminisce about the past. Whether Mount Qi was completely restored or not held no meaning for her; she simply didn't care about such trivialities. She came here because this was the location she had conveniently set.
About half an hour later, under the densely starred night sky, one dark figure after another teleported to the mountaintop. They were her avatars, returning and merging into A'Diao's body one by one.
Along with them, the resources and spirit gates they carried also transferred to her.
Facing the starlight and moonlight, A'Diao, now bearing such vast resources, took a deep breath. "Time to go to the battlefield."
She looked up and saw the celestial phenomena, and also saw that the sea of stars was being obscured by dark clouds.
But as her pupils' vision shifted, she saw the core of the Supreme Demon King's body in the Demonic Spirit world – the dormant hellfire situated at the center of a vast array formation.
The Crimson Flame Golden Lion Beast watched the array formation activate, and also watched four Great Demon King bodies suspended in mid-air, while countless Demonic Spirits were below the altar.
Its activation also meant the sacrifice had begun.
Countless Demonic Spirits, with ignorant yet devout hearts, had thought they were here to await the revival of their Supreme one. They never imagined they themselves would be sacrificed. In agony, they wailed and screamed as their souls and bodies transformed into trickles of light... converging brilliantly, becoming boundless vitality that was channeled by the array formation into the hellfire.
"One general achieves renown over ten thousand bleached bones," let alone the resurrection of a Supreme being.
The scene was too cruel. Some lesser Demon Kings felt their hearts falter, their eyes flickering, but seeing the four Great Demon King bodies, they felt reassured.
The plan shouldn't change, right? As long as the Supreme Demon King revives, then...
"We should retreat first..." A'Diao, disguised as a cunning fox-like lesser Demon King, had guessed this from some of the Crimson Flame Golden Lion Beast's actions. But she also knew she absolutely could not remain alive after the Supreme Demon King's revival, as he would likely see through her then.
She had to die first.
So, she deliberately glanced at the Crimson Flame Golden Lion Beast and specifically said this. But just as she finished speaking, the Crimson Flame Golden Lion Beast looked over and lifted its paw.
Crash!
A group of lesser Demon Kings were all cruelly slaughtered.
And the slaughtered lesser Demon Kings also transformed into energy and spiritual body resources, injected into the array formation, becoming fuel for the hellfire's revival.
A'Diao's avatar was slain, and her main body naturally sensed it. She could no longer see the situation in the Demonic Spirit world, but she was certain her plan would not go wrong. She coldly watched the changes in the celestial phenomena, calculated the spatial shifts, and finally, a corner of her mouth curled up.
"He's awakened."
That's right. With a deafening roar, a flowing shadow appeared in the dark Demonic Spirit world. This shadow blotted out the sky and sun, yet it was merely the totem of the Supreme Demon King.
He was Purgatory itself.
Purgatory revived; he was reborn from the hellfire in the altar.
In the human world, in a corner of a certain palace, a person stood there, calm. But their mysterious pupils flashed darkly, yet they made no move to expose themselves, remaining in the human world as always.
His own master had revived, wasn't he happy? He was still lying low, and hadn't returned to the Demonic Spirit world. Could it be that he was still scheming or worried about something?
A demonic claw emerged from the flames, black with a metallic texture, sharp and deadly, grasping the flames as it revived. A pair of magma-like pupils radiated scorching heat.
The Crimson Flame Golden Lion Beast was agitated. "Master, Master..."
It moved closer. That large, dark hand stroked it as one would a beloved dog. "Xiao Jin..."
The Crimson Flame Golden Lion Beast's eyes turned red, extremely agitated.
And this terrifying Supreme Demon King did not indulge in the pleasure of petting his "dog." Instead, he flew up, standing high in the boundless sky of the Demonic Spirit world. He took a deep breath; with crimson long hair, a pale face, and demonic-colored pupils, he slightly curled his lips.
He raised his hand, and four drops of blood flew from his fingertips, landing in the bodies of the four Great Demon Kings.
Those lesser Demon Kings were still too naive.
The seven Great Demon Kings were all once the Supreme Demon King's most trusted generals. The myriad Demonic Spirits were like raising Gu worms – all to cultivate Great Demon Kings. How could he abandon the root for the branches? From the beginning, this big golden dog, the Crimson Flame Golden Lion Beast, was just deceiving people. Of course, the only one who knew this clearly was the imposter A'Diao. But in any case, it was just an avatar; it was perfect to destroy it after its use was fulfilled. Just perfect.
The Supreme Demon King didn't know the details. Now that he had revived, he understood the situation without even discussing it with the Crimson Flame Golden Lion Beast. He looked directly into the void, as if seeing another distant world through space.
The Celestial Realm, which he had once exhausted his entire race to try and invade.
After becoming a demigod, one should overcome the divine tribulation to become a true deity. But he never expected to be schemed against by the lowly human race he once looked down upon. Both the Celestial Clan and the Demonic Spirits became stepping stones for the humans. How could he endure this?
"I will go to the Arbitration Council and eliminate that hypocrite Dantai Zongming."
"All of you, await my command to charge into the human world and exterminate the human race!"
The Supreme Demon King transformed into a red light and instantly tore through space. The Crimson Flame Golden Lion Beast did not follow, as it had to guard the altar. However, the four Great Demon Kings were already reviving. Kui Wei, Bi Shi, Qi Zhen, and Jiu Wei – the Demonic Qi of these four Great Demon Kings howled. Jiu Wei' nine large tails had already formed and were restlessly flicking. Then, a cold and beautiful red fox face appeared, its red lips exhaling a breath. This breath dispersed throughout the Demonic Spirit world, turning the sky crimson. Countless Demonic Spirits inhaled the red gas and, as if bewitched, madly surged towards them.
The Crimson Flame Golden Lion Beast looked at Jiu Wei and sighed inwardly: After all these years, fox spirits are indeed universally the number one seducers of hearts.
After entering the universe, the Supreme Demon King showed no trace. He had to catch that Grand Bishop off guard. However, his cultivation was so formidable, almost pervading the universe, that he sensed a group of peak Great Spirit Kings from the Arbitration Council outside the human world's barrier, seemingly about to enter.
It seemed they were going to assassinate that Chen A'Diao.
This was also beneficial to him.
The Supreme Demon King did not stop them, instead going to find that black hole...
At this time, the Grand Bishop, the three Cardinal Bishops, and all the experts within the Arbitration Council were truly unaware of the situation outside. They were still preparing for battle, and also counting personnel, preparing to act as the "Yellow Springs" (reapers/opportunists) after the Grand Bishop successfully controlled the Celestial Gate, taking advantage of the battle between the human race and the Demonic Spirit Race... just like that incident three hundred years ago.
There were truly many experts, so many that if A'Diao saw them with her own eyes, her ambition for supremacy might even waver.
After all, they were the winning super-group from the primordial era, having devoured the resources of an entire Celestial Clan, occupying the magpie's nest. Each of them was at the peak of cultivation, and their numbers were not small. If placed in the human world, let alone whether A'Diao could escape, the rest of the human race would surely perish.
That's why A'Diao decided to design the "Ultimate Dog-Eat-Dog Combat Plan." Where was the effect of that plan?
The Grand Bishop was indeed at a critical juncture. Today was the third day, and he was only a few hours away from controlling the Celestial Gate.
The world was within reach, then... Suddenly!
He faintly felt uneasy; this was the natural intuition of a demigod-level expert. Then, his expression changed drastically, but he was unwilling to interrupt the speed of absorbing the Celestial Gate. He was just about to warn his subordinates.
Dong!
The sky exploded! A colossal demonic claw, three thousand meters wide, descended from the heavens like the Tathagata suppressing the Great Monkey, striking down with a single palm!
A Demon King, well, they might not be domineering, but they must be very cruel.
The experts gathered at the Arbitration Council had run right into it. If they had been scattered, it would have been better; no matter how powerful the Supreme Demon King was, he couldn't kill experts spread across various locations in an instant. But the problem was their assembly plan – they were all in the Arbitration Council's plaza.
And so... the Grand Bishop, in secluded cultivation within a secret chamber, watched as a huge explosion occurred outside. The bursting energy, mixed with a strong smell of blood, surged and quickly blasted apart the former divine temple, now the Arbitration Council.
Over a hundred peak Great Spirit Kings were killed by that one surprise palm strike – half of them.
Tragic, so damn tragic.
The three Cardinal Bishops were both furious and terrified.
At that moment, the Grand Bishop still harbored some delusions, intending for the Cardinal Bishops and others outside to fight to the death, to hold back this Supreme Demon King for a while so he could speed up his control over the Celestial Gate. But he never expected that the Supreme Demon King already knew he was refining the Celestial Gate. With a sweep of his eyes, across a layer of mysterious space, he charged directly at him.
Not good!
The Grand Bishop had no choice but to interrupt the refining process and leap up.
"Withdraw from the Celestial Realm! Go to the human world! Quickly!"
The Grand Bishop didn't know how the Supreme Demon King had revived and invaded the Celestial Realm, but he knew that without control of the Celestial Gate, he was definitely no match for his opponent. Even if he could fight, he would be at a slight disadvantage, and the cost would be too great.
So, space tore open... The Grand Bishop and the various experts attempted to flee to the human world. Of course, would the Supreme Demon King let them escape so easily?
Pursuit! Mad pursuit!
A one-sided slaughter!
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