Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Nascent Soul of the Demon Empress

Dong. Dong. Dong.

The great bell thundered incessantly, its sound filled with a majestic and irresistible allure, its boundless power sweeping in all directions.

“Don’t let him escape!”

A tense and urgent shout echoed from within the ancient demon clan hall, and in the next moment, more than a dozen figures burst forth together!

Vast demon aura and divine radiance shot straight into the sky! In their eyes, nothing else existed; all their attention was fixed on the three-meter-tall great bell as they pursued it relentlessly.

The bell was a uniform dark green, its era indiscernible, as though it had witnessed countless centuries. An ancient and primeval aura emanated from it, shaking the very soul…

The cultivators of the Proud Feather Divine Dynasty and the Purple Gold Sacred Land emerged from the ancient hall with grim expressions, their faces dark and sullen—clearly, they had suffered heavy losses within.

Without needing to ask, it was obvious they had been dealt a severe blow.

They shouted orders for those nearby to intercept the great bell.

As for the few transformed great demons, their anger was palpable, faces twisted with unwillingness. Yet, faced with so many powerful human cultivators, they were helpless; breaking through the encirclement, they were ready to seize any opportunity.

Previously, the ancient war chariots of the Proud Feather Divine Dynasty, which had been overturned, returned to the battlefield, forming a battle formation in the sky, blocking the area and cutting off the bell’s path.

Everyone surged forward, intent on seizing the bell! Almost simultaneously, they reached out to grasp it.

Bang!

More than a dozen massive hands formed of energy reached out, clutching at the bronze bell. These were not mere physical hands, but manifestations of power. As they competed for the bell, they also fought among themselves, making it dangerously chaotic!

Crack—crack—

At that moment, unable to withstand the onslaught of so many formidable cultivators, the bronze bell slowly began to fracture and then, with a resounding crash, shattered completely.

Boom!

In that instant, an overwhelming surge of demonic power exploded forth, hurling everyone violently away. Not a single person could withstand the tempestuous force.

The ancient chariots of the Proud Feather Divine Dynasty and all their cultivators and beasts, as if formed of drifting sand, were reduced to nothing but dust in an instant.

It was just like when Ye Wuyá had earlier shattered bones with his sword intent outside the ruins!

Ye Wuyá gazed over and saw that the people of the Purple Gold Sacred Land fared no better. Most of their cultivators and demon beasts were shredded by that tidal wave of demonic energy, dissolving into mist and blood, dying without even a chance to struggle.

The human cultivators who had fought the transformed great demons now all spat blood, tumbling through the air, suffering grave injuries…

At this moment, from within the shattered remains of the bronze bell, a surge of life force erupted—vast as an ocean. The combined life force of everyone present paled in comparison to its strength.

At the center of this endless demonic energy was, shockingly, a crimson “infant” that radiated an uncanny vitality!

The “infant” lay with its eyes closed, as if in deep sleep. It was only the size of a fist, crystal clear and dazzling, its flesh vivid and distinct. Brilliant blood-colored divine light coiled around it. That boundless demonic power and mighty life force were emanating from it alone.

Dong. Dong. Dong.

From the infant’s chest came the sound of a powerful heartbeat. It trembled with every thump, still brimming with life—its heart still beat with undiminished strength!

“What the hell is this? Did the bronze bell give birth? Sun Wukong was born from stone, but is this baby born from a bell?” Ye Wuyá’s heart was shaken to its core by the spectacle before him.

“Amitabha, mercy, mercy! Benefactor, you are mistaken! This is not a child born of a bell, but the nascent soul of the demon clan’s empress!”

Unnoticed until now, a chubby monk had appeared at Ye Wuyá’s side. He was plump and fair, with a large belly, holding a lush branch before his eyes just like Ye Wuyá. He spoke in a low voice.

“Damn it!”

With a cold flash, Ye Wuyá instinctively thrust his sword at the monk!

Ye Wuyá had been on high alert; the sudden appearance of a fat, white monk so close nearly gave him a heart attack.

The fat monk caught Ye Wuyá’s sword between two fingers, smiling serenely. “There’s no need for alarm, benefactor. This humble monk merely found this spot the most concealed, and so I came without invitation. Please forgive my intrusion.”

No matter how hard Ye Wuyá tried, the monk’s fingers did not budge in the slightest. This shocked him yet again!

His fleshly body, when in top form, possessed the strength of ten thousand pounds. Even now, though only half-recovered from internal injuries, he still had a thousand pounds of force. Yet the monk’s two fingers held the sword as firmly as an iron vice.

Realizing the fat monk meant no harm, Ye Wuyá ceased his struggle.

“When did you arrive?” he asked.

Ye Wuyá now recognized this was the same flashy, golden monk from before.

“The moment the great demons began to fight, I was already here,” the fat monk replied.

“What? You—‘I’ was already here?” Ye Wuyá was startled—not so much by the monk’s words, but by the fact that he had been present, undetected, for so long. If this monk harbored ill will…

A chill ran down Ye Wuyá’s spine at the thought.

“Ah, that—slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue. Please don’t mind me, benefactor. I was a Daoist before becoming a monk,” the fat monk chuckled awkwardly.

Ye Wuyá shot him a look full of disbelief and said nothing further.

The fat monk, too, sensed the awkwardness. The two crouched there in silence, continuing to watch the unfolding drama, neither speaking again.

No one could approach the infant. With every beat of its crimson heart, the blood of those nearby surged as though their veins might burst; pain stabbed their own hearts, and many coughed blood and were forced to retreat.

“Fat monk, you say this fist-sized infant is the nascent soul of the demon clan’s empress?” Ye Wuyá suddenly asked.

“Yes. I—I mean, this humble monk, also learned of it by chance. Ten thousand years ago, as the empress of the demon clan neared her end, she sought the art of nirvana and rebirth from the ancient Phoenix clan. Judging by the scene, it seems she may have succeeded… but also perhaps failed,” the fat monk replied, not holding anything back.

“What did you say? Can one truly be reborn?” Ye Wuyá asked in astonishment.

“That… this humble monk cannot say for certain. Perhaps… maybe… it’s possible?” the fat monk replied hesitantly.

The infant’s terrifying heart, by merely beating, was already more than anyone could bear.

“It’s her! It’s the nascent soul of our demon clan’s empress!” In the sky, several great demons were overcome with shock, unable to hold back their cries of awe.

The infant’s heart thumped powerfully. Then suddenly, it soared into the sky, transforming into a streak of blood-red divine light that shot far into the distance.

“Stop her! Don’t let her get away!” shouted an elder of the Proud Feather Divine Dynasty, his face filled with anxiety.

“Block her—at all costs!” cried a strongman from the Purple Gold Sacred Land. “That is the nascent soul of the demon clan’s empress—the source of her power. If any other great demon obtains it, another demon emperor might rise again!”

As their orders rang out, the transformed great demons had already taken off in pursuit. Nearly everyone else chased after the nascent soul at the same moment.

The Proud Feather Divine Dynasty and the Purple Gold Sacred Land left most of their people behind to guard the area.

The rest transformed into streaks of divine light, racing after the nascent soul of the demon empress with all speed.