Chapter 486: The Demonic Race's Compromise, Conditions, and an Unexpected Surprise
"Heh heh heh, so, Xiao Tiance, have you made your choice?"
In Sacred City, deep within the spirit array, the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor's mocking tone rang out, his words dripping with provocation.
Xiao Tiance frowned deeply. This was something he hadn't anticipated.
"I miscalculated," he muttered, the smile vanishing from his face. His sharp eyes moved between the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor and the Nine Heaven Corpse Demon Emperor. Although the dense mist within the spirit array prevented sound from transmitting outside, it didn't stop the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor from giving silent signals to his demon emperors.
It was clear that Xiao Tiance had underestimated his opponent's cunning.
Xiao Tiance's Retort
**"A choice? If those outside dare to attack the Great Thousand World, I'll fight to the bitter end and drain you dry right here.
Without the three of you, I don't believe those 'trash' outside could truly invade the Great Thousand World,"** Xiao Tiance declared coldly.
His words caused both the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor and the Nine Heaven Corpse Demon Emperor's pupils to shrink slightly. Smirking, Xiao Tiance added, **"If your Demonic Race truly had the power to conquer the Great Thousand World, you would have done so already. You wouldn't have wasted thousands of years in this stalemate along the Sacred Abyss Continent.
So enough with the bluffs. Come on, let's continue fighting. I'm in a foul mood and need to vent some anger."**
These words left the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor and the Nine Heaven Corpse Demon Emperor visibly annoyed. Trapped in this spirit array, they were at a significant disadvantage.
Their demonic energy would gradually deplete in the prolonged battle, while Xiao Tiance, impossibly, kept replenishing his spiritual energy almost instantly. They'd already witnessed his near limitless recovery abilities.
Even worse, the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor could sense that something within Xiao Tiance had grown even stronger during the battle.
If this dragged on, they truly risked being exhausted to death.
Though the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor spoke of using a trump card, unleashing it could risk unsealing the Evil Heavenly God imprisoned in the heart of the Great Thousand World a scenario they couldn't afford.
After an intense exchange of glances with the Nine Heaven Corpse Demon Emperor, the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor sighed and relented:
"Xiao Tiance, name your terms."
Xiao Tiance's Terms
Xiao Tiance laughed, his voice dripping with mockery.
"So quick to surrender? And here I thought I might get to see your so called trump card. What a pity..."
But then, his laughter abruptly stopped. His expression turned serious as a faint glow emanated from the positioning jade talisman he carried someone from White Jade Pavilion had arrived.
"Why now of all times?" Xiao Tiance frowned inwardly. He couldn't see through the array to identify who had come, but if the demon emperors outside discovered them, it would make the situation even more precarious.
Thinking quickly, he shifted his gaze back to the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor.
"Two conditions," Xiao Tiance said, his tone cold and decisive. **"First, for the next hundred years, the Demonic Race is forbidden from sending any Heavenly Demon Emperors to invade the Great Thousand World including the Sacred Abyss Continent and the Zhuxian City battlefield.
Second, the Dark Heavenly Demon Emperor must come with me. He is the one responsible for the destruction of the Heavenly Dao Sect, which provided me with invaluable resources when I arrived in the Great Thousand World. He is mine to kill or seal.
If you someday conquer the Great Thousand World, perhaps he will return to you. But if we turn the tables and gain the upper hand, I doubt you'll have time to concern yourselves with him."**
The Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor's Dilemma
The first condition wasn't too difficult to accept. They had no immediate plans for a large scale invasion, and restricting their Heavenly Demon Emperors wouldn't hinder them from sending lower level soldiers to train against the Great Thousand World's forces.
The second condition, however, was much harder to swallow. Allowing Xiao Tiance to take the Dark Heavenly Demon Emperor one of their top tier combatants was a bitter pill.
While the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor and the Nine Heaven Corpse Demon Emperor mulled over their options, Xiao Tiance stood calmly, confident they would have to concede.
"Saint Heavenly Lord," the Nine Heaven Corpse Demon Emperor said quietly through a spiritual transmission. **"We should accept. Dark Tian has already been severely crippled by Xiao Tiance. Even if we save him, restoring him will require tremendous time and resources.
Moreover, as long as he hasn't reached the level of our deity, it's impossible for Xiao Tiance to truly kill him. At most, he'll be sealed away and endure some suffering. We can live with that."**
The Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor fell silent. He knew this was a rational perspective, but the humiliation of conceding to Xiao Tiance in their own Sacred City was intolerable.
Still, the alternative continuing to fight and risking their lives was far worse.
The Deal is Struck
Seeing the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor's hesitation, Xiao Tiance smirked.
"What's wrong? Can't decide? No problem. Let's continue, then I haven't had my fill of smashing you yet."
This taunt finally pushed the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor over the edge.
"Enough! We agree to your conditions. Release the spirit array and leave. I guarantee no one will stop you."
Xiao Tiance nodded, satisfied. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a white jade bottle and sealed the unconscious Dark Heavenly Demon Emperor inside with a powerful array.
He turned to the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor and Nine Heaven Corpse Demon Emperor, who both wore expressions of pure fury.
"Well, it's been fun. Let's do this again sometime if you survive long enough."
With a stomp of his foot, Xiao Tiance activated spatial energy.
As he prepared to leave, he thought grimly, "Whoever came to the Sacred City better not get caught, or this whole situation could spiral out of control..."
The Great Thousand World's fate hung precariously in the balance, yet Xiao Tiance had once again managed to turn the tide in his favor albeit temporarily.
The next moment, the inner spirit array dissipated, but the outermost layer remained intact. Simultaneously, Xiao Tiance's figure vanished along with the now destroyed array.
"Hahaha, Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor, Nine Heaven Corpse Demon Emperor, this array will dissolve in half an hour. Don't say I didn't keep my word it's just that there's no point discussing trust with your Demonic Race." Xiao Tiance's laughter echoed as his voice faded into the distance.
Outside the Array: An Unwelcome Surprise
Hearing this, over a hundred Heavenly Demon Emperors who had surrounded the area quickly closed in, only to be interrupted by an icy command.
"Stop, all of you," the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor said, his face dark with fury. Though he was enraged, he wasn't naive none of those gathered could handle Xiao Tiance. Thirty late stage Heavenly Demon Emperors and dozens of mid and early stage ones might dominate others, but against Xiao Tiance, they would merely be lambs to the slaughter.
"Saint Heavenly Lord?" The other Demon Emperors glanced at their leader in confusion, seeing him still trapped within the array.
"Let him go. No one is to stop him. Anyone who defies this order shall die," the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor commanded coldly.
"Understood, Saint Heavenly Lord," they replied, reluctantly stepping aside to clear a path.
A Bitter Regret
As Xiao Tiance surveyed the assembled Heavenly Demon Emperors, he couldn't help but feel regret.
"What a shame," he thought. "If I weren't wary of whatever trump card the Demonic Race might have, I could have wiped out at least a dozen of them in half an hour. That would've been enough to craft materials for several Heavenly Beast Puppets."
With a sigh of disappointment, he turned toward the array. Smiling faintly, he saluted and said:
**"Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor, Nine Heaven Corpse Demon Emperor, the mountains and rivers will surely meet again.
When we do, I hope your strength has improved perhaps enough to put up a better fight! Hahaha!"**
As Xiao Tiance's laughter faded into the distance, the faces of the Demonic Race's leaders darkened.
What they'd anticipated as a grand ambush had instead turned into a humiliating display. Xiao Tiance had trapped them in an array so strong that their combined might couldn't shake it. The result: the entire Demonic Race's prestige lay in shambles.
"Curse you, Xiao Tiance! One day, I'll tear you limb from limb!" Both the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor and Nine Heaven Corpse Demon Emperor roared in unison, their fury echoing through the heavens.
Reuniting with His Allies
Xiao Tiance, now outside the Sacred City, pulled out his locator jade talisman. Following the glowing beacon, he quickly found Lin Dong, Xiao Yan, and the rest of their group.
"Tiance Elder/Teacher!" the six greeted him in unison, their surprise turning to relief upon seeing him unscathed.
"Ah, so it was you," Xiao Tiance said with a smile. "I was wondering why the jade talisman suddenly activated."
He was pleased to see his disciples, Huai En and Huang Min, as he'd expected them to be concerned about his safety after several months in enemy territory. But seeing Lin Dong and Xiao Yan two of the Great Thousand World's most formidable warriors was an unexpected surprise.
"Tiance Elder, we're just glad you're safe. Where's Qin Tian Elder?" Lin Dong asked, bowing respectfully.
"Qin Tian has already returned to the Sacred Abyss Continent," Xiao Tiance replied, his expression softening. "But this isn't the place to talk. Let's head back to the Great Thousand World first."
An Unexpected Encounter
As the group traveled through one continent after another, nearing the Haoyue Continent, Xiao Tiance suddenly stopped mid flight. His powerful soul force rippled outward, scanning the surroundings.
"What's wrong, Tiance Elder?" Lin Dong and Xiao Yan asked, noticing his sudden shift in focus.
Xiao Tiance's lips curled into a smile.
"Good news. Wait here I'll be back shortly."
Moments later, Xiao Tiance disappeared into the void. After a brief search, he struck the fabric of space with his palm, shattering it to reveal a heavily injured figure none other than the elderly predecessor he and Qin Tian had risked everything to save.
Xiao Tiance quickly approached, noting the man's severe injuries and unconscious state. Without hesitation, he produced a healing pill and carefully administered it, infusing spiritual energy to aid in its absorption.
A Glimmer of Hope
After a tense moment, the old man's wounds began to stabilize, and his life was no longer in immediate danger. Xiao Tiance let out a sigh of relief.
"Phew! That was close."
Carrying the elder, Xiao Tiance left the void and returned to Lin Dong and the others.
"We can go home now," he said, his smile brimming with satisfaction.
"Teacher, is this injured elder the one you and Qin Tian Elder sought to rescue?" Huai En asked, noticing the man's demonic features.
"Indeed," Xiao Tiance replied. "I thought we'd failed, but it seems fortune has smiled upon us after all."
The success lifted his spirits, dispelling his earlier frustration over abandoning the battle against the Saint Heavenly Demon Emperor.
A Triumphant Return
With Purple Yan's spatial abilities aiding their journey, the group crossed the Half Moon Sea and several continents, eventually returning to the Sacred Abyss Continent.
As they approached, their auras unmasked, they were immediately detected by Lu Tong, who rushed out to greet them.
"Tiance! Xiao Yan! Lin Dong! You're all back! This is wonderful news!" Lu Tong exclaimed, his joy palpable. Seeing Xiao Tiance unharmed and as formidable as ever was especially reassuring.
Xiao Tiance handed the injured elder to Huai En and embraced Lu Tong warmly.
"Sorry to have worried you, Elder Lu."
"No apologies needed just having you back is enough," Lu Tong said with a hearty laugh.
An Ominous Revelation
Back at the Great Thousand Palace branch, Xiao Tiance oversaw the elder's treatment. While his physical injuries were manageable, Xiao Tiance's expression darkened as he examined the man's soul.
"Tiance, what's wrong? Are his injuries worse than they appear?" Lu Tong asked anxiously.
Xiao Tiance sighed deeply.
"The physical wounds are minor, but his soul has suffered irreversible damage. I'm afraid his recovery will be limited."
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