686: Chapter 686 Demon Soldier's Dreamy Musings

Demon Venerable Sui Xing's chest heaved violently, his dark golden scales opening and closing rapidly like war drums. Each movement released a scorching current of air, as if an ancient Vicious Beast within his body was madly crashing against its cage, about to break free.

Finally—he squeezed the word out from between his teeth, as if scraping a piece of flesh from his own bones, stained with blood foam: "...Yes."

Demon Venerable Tun Yue remained silent.

She merely lowered her head slightly, her silver hair cascading down like a waterfall, veiling her incomparably beautiful face.

Moonlight flowed between her tresses, outlining a soft silver edge, yet it could not illuminate the barely perceptible tremor in the depths of her eyes.

"I shall obey Big Brother's command."

Her voice was cold and clear, like frost falling on a jade plate, so crisp it made one's heart tighten.

Yet only she knew—the long, slender fingers resting on her knees were trembling like a candle in the wind, knuckles turning white, almost tearing her dress apart.

Demon Venerable Shi Ri nodded.

He turned and strode toward the depths of the tent.

One step!

Dark red Yao markings lit up an inch from his back, like volcanic magma suddenly erupting from the earth!

Two steps!

The Yao markings spread to his forearms, the veins beneath his skin bulging like coiled Dragons!

Three steps, four steps, five steps...

By the tenth step, his entire being was completely engulfed in a magma-like crimson!

It was as if boiling molten iron was flowing beneath his skin; the scorching heat waves twisted the surrounding air into visible vortices, and the Dragon-skin tent hissed as it was scorched by the heat, emitting a charred smell!

He raised his right hand, splayed his five fingers, and traced stroke by stroke in the Void Realm—

it was a rune so complex it was suffocating.

Countless hair-thin Yao markings intertwined and wove together, layer upon layer, like thousands of venomous snakes coiled into a ball, slowly rotating in the air, exuding an aura of extreme antiquity, as if unearthed from the grave of time.

This was the scent of the primordial era, an ancient mark before which even time had to retreat—the teleportation mark of the Ancestral Demon Land.

Only when personally branded by the Demon Emperor could this spatial channel to the Ancestral Demon Land be opened.

And this mark on Demon Venerable Shi Ri—was personally branded by the Demon Emperor deep within his Soul a thousand years ago.

It had not been used for a thousand years.

Today, the seal was broken!

The rune spun faster and larger, until finally, the entire Void Realm was churned into a dark vortex, with dark red lightning crackling at its edges.

Deep within the vortex, the silhouette of a giant tree that blotted out the sky was vaguely visible, its twisted branches like mountain ranges, its canopy supporting the sky like a dome, as if holding up the firmament of another world.

Demon Venerable Shi Ri stopped and looked back.

His gaze pierced through the ghostly green Yao fire, through the pitch-black Dragon-skin tent, and through the sleeping Savage Beasts and Yao soldiers in the hundred-mile Yao Race encampment—finally, it fixed upon the direction of Yuyao Pass.

"Chu Changsheng..."

He whispered this name, a flash of bottomless dread crossing his orange-red slit pupils, which shrank to the size of needle points, as if he had seen something he should not have seen.

"What exactly are you?"

No one answered.

Only the ghostly green Yao fire danced behind him, stretching his burly figure, casting a long, long shadow on the Dragon-skin wall, like a silently roaring giant beast.

He stepped into the Void Realm.

His figure vanished.

The vortex closed.

Only the two Demon Venerables remained in the tent, along with a room full of ghostly fire.

Demon Venerable Sui Xing stared fixedly at the empty spot, his eyes splitting with rage, and after a long moment, he slammed his fist onto the armrest!

Boom!

The Dragon armrest exploded into powder!

"Damn it—"

His voice was low like the roar of a trapped beast, filled with unvented violence and frustration, his fangs chattering as he gnashed them.

"Isn't Big Brother being too cautious?! Even if that brat is in the Late Stage of Earth Immortal, with the three of us joining forces, we might not be unable to tear him to shreds! If we had a real fight, who lives and who dies is not yet certain!"

"Third Brother."

Demon Venerable Tun Yue spoke softly, her silver eyes flickering in the Yao fire, like two cold stars suspended above an abyss.

"Think calmly."

Her voice was extremely light, so light it seemed as if she were afraid of waking something that should not be awakened.

"When did Big Brother start... becoming so cautious?"

Demon Venerable Sui Xing was stunned.

Demon Venerable Tun Yue slowly raised her head, her silver gaze piercing through the dome of the tent, as if looking through the sky dyed ghostly green by the Yao fire, looking through the years, and looking through that figure in her memory who always charged at the very front.

"How long has he lived? And how long have we lived?"

"How many years has he fought the Human Race before Yuyao Pass? How many Geniuses has he seen? How many Geniuses has he killed?"

"When has he ever... been afraid?"

Demon Venerable Sui Xing fell silent.

His Adam's apple bobbed, but he could not spit out a single word.

Demon Venerable Tun Yue withdrew her gaze and lowered her head, her long, slender fingers gently stroking the fabric on her knees, her knuckles turning white, yet she struggled to keep her voice steady.

"Big Brother has never been afraid of a fight."

"What he fears is not being able to win."

"And as for the opponents he thinks he cannot defeat—"

Her voice suddenly paused, the deep blue in the depths of her silver eyes trembling violently, like an undercurrent beneath an ice lake suddenly surging.

"Up until now, not a single one has survived."

The tent fell into deathly silence.

The ghostly green Yao fire danced between them, crackling, casting their shadows on the Dragon-skin wall, one on the left and one on the right, like two silent stone steles distorted by the firelight.

In the distance, occasional low roars of Savage Beasts and the delirious mutterings of Yao soldiers drifted from the Yao Race encampment, low and rough, like the earth snoring.

And at this moment, in the sky—Half-step Earth Immortal Jiang Wuya raised his hands toward the Void Realm and formed a seal!

This seal technique did not belong to any Cultivation Technique, nor was it in any classic.

This was the seal that only a commander who had guarded Yuyao Pass for thousands of years could use—The! Seal! Of! The! Great! Dao! Edict!

His ten fingers traced profound trajectories in the Void Realm, as fast as afterimages, as heavy as mountains!

Each trajectory triggered the resonance of heaven and earth, causing the Void Realm to tremble!

Each trajectory made the Dao vibrate and the Laws to twist!

Each trajectory was like carving an indelible character onto the Laws of heaven and earth!

The seal was complete!

He suddenly pushed his hands forward—Boom!!!

The sky shattered!

It was not a spatial rift—it was the manifestation of the Great Dao!

Countless golden characters poured out from the rift, like a celestial river hanging upside down, like a torrential downpour of golden rain!

Each character was as large as a mountain, flashing with blinding golden light, illuminating the entire sky as if it were broad daylight!

These were not ordinary characters, but an Edict condensed from the Laws of the Great Dao!

Each character carried the power of heaven and earth!

Each character bore an irresistible majesty!

As each character landed in the Void Realm, it emitted a resonant bell toll that echoed across the eight desolate regions!

The Edict transformed into golden streams of light, shooting out in all directions—

one flew toward the Central Plains!

One flew toward the Western Desert!

One flew toward the Southern Region!

One flew toward the Eastern Region!

One flew toward various places in the Northern Region!

Wherever each Edict passed, the sky was dyed gold, Spiritual Qi vibrated, the direction of the earth shifted, all beasts prostrated, and vegetation bowed low!

This was—the most solemn Edict in thousands of years of the Human Race!

Half-step Earth Immortal Jiang Wuya took a deep breath, his chest feeling as if he had swallowed the entire firmament.

Then—he spoke.

It was not an ordinary voice.

It was—the—voice—of—the—Great—Dao!

Each character was like heaven and earth speaking for themselves!

Each syllable made the Void Realm tremble, made the Dao resonate, and made all living things bow their heads!

This was not the voice of one person; this was the will of the entire heaven and earth!

This voice was not limited by distance, nor was it obstructed by any Formation; in the same instant, it resounded across every inch of land in Nanming Province!

Every Cultivator, regardless of their cultivation level or location, felt as if thunder had been poured into their ears, causing their Soul to tremble!

"From this day forth—"

"The Human Race junior Chu Changsheng shall succeed as the commander of Yuyao Pass!"

"All regions, all forces, all Imperial Dynasties, all clans—must all obey his orders!"

"Do not disobey this Edict!"

The last four words fell like four ancient divine mountains crashing down, striking everyone's heart!

It made their blood surge and their Divine Soul tremble!

The entire Nanming Province—at this moment, fell into deathly silence.

A thorough, deathly silence.

The wind ceased to blow, the clouds ceased to drift, and even time seemed to be nailed in place by these four words.

Whether it was a Cultivator in the middle of Cultivating, or a merchant traveling on the road; whether it was a Sect Elder discussing the Dao, or a fierce warrior fighting on the battlefield—everyone simultaneously stopped everything they were doing, looked up at the golden Edict in the sky, and listened to that thunderous voice in their ears echoing, echoing, echoing—

Do not disobey this Edict.

Do not disobey this Edict.

Do not disobey this Edict.

Then—it exploded!

"What?! Yuyao Pass has changed commanders?!"

"Chu Changsheng?! Which Chu Changsheng?!"

"Who else could it be?! That Chu Changsheng from the Southern Region ten years ago! The Chu Changsheng who destroyed the Myriad Demon Palace!"

"What right does he have to be the commander of Yuyao Pass?! How old is he even?!"

"It's no use trying to figure it out! The Edict of the Great Dao has descended, and heaven and earth are endorsing him, how could it be fake?!"

Across all regions, discussions swept through like a tsunami!

Some were so shocked they dropped their teacups, some stood frozen like clay statues, some were trembling with excitement, and some sat slumped on the ground with ashen faces!

But more than anything—it was shock!

The Edict of the Great Dao!

What kind of concept was this?

This was the most solemn and irresistible Edict of the Human Race!

It was ten thousand times weightier than an Imperial decree, ten thousand times weightier than the last words of an Old Ancestor!

Since the history of the Human Race, the number of times the Edict of the Great Dao has been used can be counted on one's fingers, and each time was at a moment of life or death for the Human Race!

Every time it was used, it was witnessed by heaven and earth and testified to by all living things!

And Half-step Earth Immortal Jiang Wuya actually used the Edict of the Great Dao to announce a young man succeeding as commander?!

This meant—Half-step Earth Immortal Jiang Wuya was not seeking the opinions of the various regions; he was notifying them!

This was not a negotiation, not a discussion, not a personnel arrangement that could be bargained over—this was an unchangeable mandate of heaven!

A mandate stamped by heaven and earth, signed by the Great Dao!

But the most shaken—was the Southern Region.

Because the name Chu Changsheng was simply too famous in the Southern Region.

Too damn famous.

That super powerhouse who stirred up the winds and clouds of the Southern Region with his own strength.

That god of slaughter who caused the Myriad Demon Palace to be destroyed overnight.

That person who was rumored to have fallen, and also rumored to be still alive—

"Chu Changsheng?!"

"He didn't die?!"

"Not only is he not dead, but he has also become the commander of Yuyao Pass?!"

"Late Stage of Earth Immortal... What exactly has he experienced?! Ten years! Only ten years!"

Across the Southern Region, countless people exclaimed, their voices trembling with disbelief!

Those who had once crossed paths with Chu Changsheng now had varying expressions—

Some were ecstatic and howled at the sky!

Some were ashen-faced, their hands and feet turning cold!

Some were struck as if by lightning, sitting paralyzed and unable to get up!

Some were trembling all over, unable to say a single word!

The entire Southern Region, at this moment, was turned upside down.