The Bait-and-Switch Slaughter

Ji Ning and the Flamewing Demon King both had enormous voices.

“Are you the Dongliu Twelve Demon Kings?”

“…Tell your master to come out at once…”

Their voices shook heaven and earth, startling the imperial Qi clan within the immortal estate. They all hurried anxiously to the estate’s entrance.

Prince Qi Rufeng, Second Princess Qi Ruyu, Ji Ning’s disciple Qingya Xiaoyu, and the imperial attendants and guards all stood at the entrance, gazing into the distance. There stood Ji Ning, a wine flask in his hand, at the edge of the cliff. Far off in the sky, an enormous horde of demons came billowing through the clouds.

“That’s the Flamewing Demon King?” Qi Rufeng’s face drained of color. He would never forget that silhouette for as long as he lived; it was his eternal nightmare.

And now, the Flamewing Demon King was one of the twelve figures at the front.

“The Goldfur Bear Demon King, the Snowfox Demon King… yes, yes, they match the watermarked portraits of the Dongliu Twelve Demon Kings in our imperial records exactly.” Qi Rufeng’s face was pale. “The Dongliu Twelve Demon Kings, all of them, have arrived.”

“All of them? Even if we killed several hundred Flamewing Guards, why would that bring every single one of the Dongliu Twelve Demon Kings here?” The black-robed girl also looked despairing.

They did have a Greater Teleportation Dao Talisman, but once it was used it would be gone. And with the Demon Kings’ power, they could pursue through a void teleportation.

If the Flamewing Demon King wanted to hunt them down, he would certainly succeed.

The reason the imperial Qi clan had been able to flee all these years was precisely that the Flamewing Demon King’s desire for slaughter was not that strong. After obtaining the treasure map, his heart was set on the treasure. As for the imperial Qi clan… it was merely some of his subordinate Flamewing Guards who still pursued them.

“The Dongliu Twelve Demon Kings?” Qingya Xiaoyu’s expression changed as she overheard the prince and princess.

“Those twelve… those are the twelve Demon Kings?”

Qingya Xiaoyu stared at the twelve distant figures leading an overwhelming army of countless demons. Even from so far away, the boundless pressure made her heart tremble, and she grew frantic: “Master. I just found a master. Please don’t die. Please don’t die.”

She had broken with the imperial Qi clan and had no other family left in this world. Ji Ning was her master, and now the closest person to her. She could feel his goodwill toward her.

“I don’t want my master to die. I don’t…” Qingya Xiaoyu’s heart was panicked.

If her master died, she would be utterly alone.

“It’s over.” Qi Rufeng’s face was ashen, and he shook his head in despair.

“Even at our Qi kingdom’s peak, we would have been instantly annihilated by the twelve Demon Kings arriving together,” the black-robed girl also shook her head. “Senior Northmont cannot stop them. He cannot.”

The Dongliu Twelve Demon Kings were a legend!

Throughout Star Continent, Cloud Continent, Flame Continent…

In the entire Tristar Crescent Major World, the Dongliu Twelve Demon Kings had a fearsome reputation. It was said that only cultivators with the strength of a Celestial Immortal patriarch could escape when the twelve of them joined forces!

“With the methods of the twelve Demon Kings, even if Senior Northmont uses a Greater Teleportation Dao Talisman, he would probably be attacked before he could teleport away,” Qi Rufeng said, trembling in despair.

Using a Dao Talisman required time.

And at the Celestial Immortal level, one could strike several times in a single instant.

Behind him, the imperial Qi clan was in terror and despair, while Qingya Xiaoyu prayed and begged.

Ji Ning stood at the edge of the cliff, rapidly thinking about how to deal with the twelve Demon Kings. At the same time, he released his divine sense, letting it spread outward.

“What a sight!”

Upon scanning, Ji Ning was shocked.

The area where the distant Dongliu Twelve Demon Kings were located was filled with endless blood light. The blood light surged violently, and twisted within it were the faint phantoms of vengeful spirits.

“No. Not all of them are like this.” Ji Ning carefully distinguished. “Of the Dongliu Twelve Demon Kings, eleven are covered in karmic sin and blood light, hundreds of zhang in scope. Only… that Demon King with the golden bear’s head is merely surrounded by black, turbid energy?”

Yes.

The one who alone had no karmic sin blood light was actually the most famous and highest-ranked of the Dongliu Twelve Demon Kings, the ‘Goldfur Bear Demon King.’ This surprised Ji Ning immensely and made him even more cautious. This Goldfur Bear Demon King had created the ‘Twelve Demon Kings’ and was recognized as their leader, yet had the least karmic sin among them. He had to be careful.

“Dongliu Twelve Demon Kings,” Ji Ning called out loudly. “I am here on my master’s orders to guard the imperial Qi clan. If you know what’s good for you, retreat at once. Otherwise, when my master returns, you will all be dead!”

“Who exactly is your master? Speak his name!” the Flamewing Demon King among the twelve shouted from afar.

“To be so arrogant, this Primal Daoist’s master must be a formidable figure.”

“Brothers, we’re all here. We wouldn’t fear even a Celestial Immortal patriarch.”

The Demon Kings were quietly transmitting to each other, all speculating about who Ji Ning’s master might be. They paid Ji Ning no mind at all. With their strength, they could naturally tell he was at the Primal Daoist level! A Primal Daoist… even if his divine sense was quite powerful, he was still just a Primal Daoist!

In their eyes, a Primal Daoist could not possibly have killed several hundred Flamewing Guards without a single one escaping.

“Brothers, stand aside and watch,” the Flamewing Demon King said.

“Rest assured, Third Brother. If a Celestial Immortal patriarch appears, we will certainly act.”

“Third Brother, go capture the imperial Qi clan.”

The other Demon Kings spoke up.

Something as trivial as capturing the imperial Qi clan naturally did not require the joint effort of all twelve Dongliu Demon Kings.

…

“You little brat, get out of the way!” the Flamewing Demon King said coldly. At the same time, he reached out. Instantly, a massive flaming hand appeared above the mountain peak, directly reaching down to seize the immortal estate below. The imperial Qi clan and Qingya Xiaoyu were terrified and hurriedly hid deeper inside the estate.

“Withdraw.” Ji Ning willed it, and the immortal estate shrank and was stored away.

“You dare meddle in my affairs?” The Flamewing Demon King was enraged. At the same time, the enormous flaming hand in the sky slammed down toward Ji Ning. “Since your master refuses to come out, I’ll take your life first to vent my anger.”

“You demon.”

Ji Ning pretended to be furious. His body immediately expanded to a hundred zhang in height, and he manifested Three Heads, Six Arms.

In his hands appeared three Northsea swords and three Heaven-ranked flying swords.

“Chop!”

Ji Ning’s sword-light was like silk as he madly hacked at the descending flaming hand. At this moment, the level of sword technique he displayed was merely what he had used at the Immortal Fortunes Assembly—enough to match a top-tier Loose Immortal.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!” A series of thunderous explosions followed. The enormous flaming hand finally shattered completely, but the mountain peak had been shaved clean by a layer. The three-headed, six-armed Ji Ning looked furious. “You demon, how dare you bully your grandpa! If my master were here, you’d already be dead.”

“Hahaha…”

“This human Primal Daoist is still so arrogant even at death’s door.”

“His strength is not bad. As a Fiendgod Body Refiner using Heavenly Transformation and Three Heads, Six Arms, he can indeed rival a Loose Immortal. And his sword technique is also at the top-tier Loose Immortal level… He does have the strength of a top-tier Loose Immortal.”

“Mm. Although this human is a Primal Daoist, he indeed has the strength of a top-tier Loose Immortal.”

“Third Brother, trying to kill a top-tier Loose Immortal by merely manipulating the power of heaven and earth from such a distance… you still need more practice.” The other Demon Kings teased.

Indeed.

If the Flamewing Demon King used his magic treasures, killing a top-tier Loose Immortal would be easy. But merely manipulating the power of heaven and earth to form a flaming hand and trying to kill a top-tier Loose Immortal was far from sufficient.

“Hmph.” The Flamewing Demon King’s expression darkened. He immediately flew forward, and six fiery, crescent-shaped blades appeared in the air around him, each radiating a powerful pressure. They were all Immortal-ranked treasures.

“Brat, die!”

The Flamewing Demon King was now using his real methods.

“You demon!” Ji Ning roared, then transformed into a gust of wind, like a massive roc, rapidly pouncing toward the Flamewing Demon King, intending to fight at close range.

“This human is quite formidable. Just this movement technique alone would be hard to find even among Loose Immortals and great demons,” the Flying Demon King remarked from the side.

“Indeed, his potential is impressive. If he trains to the late Wanxiang stage, he might be able to match us.”

“But he’s going to die now.”

“Still, we must remain cautious and be on guard in case his master suddenly appears.”

The Demon Kings chatted lazily among themselves, watching the battle with pleasure.

The six crescent blades of the Flamewing Demon King formed an enormous, fiery serpent in midair. The serpent radiated overwhelming killing intent as it lunged at Ji Ning. Ji Ning, now a hundred zhang tall with three heads and six arms, flew straight toward it.

“Swish swish swish.” Ji Ning’s swords changed.

He had been using three Northsea swords and three Heaven-ranked flying swords.

But now, he instantly stowed away the three Heaven-ranked swords, and the Qianniu sword along with two other Immortal-ranked flying swords appeared in his hands.

“Hsssssss…” The fiery serpent lunged at him, a blade-light flickering in its gaze.

What met it was a terrifying sword-strike!

The sword-light turned into a black divine dragon. The fearsome black dragon sword-qi crashed through everything, blasting the fiery serpent apart and sending the six crescent blades flying.

“What?!” The Flamewing Demon King was greatly shocked.

“Die.”

Ji Ning, who had been pretending to be furious, now revealed killing intent in his eyes. He closed the distance in a flash.

Six streaks of sword-light simultaneously transformed into six black divine dragons, their power overwhelming the heavens.

“Save Third Brother!” The Goldfur Bear Demon King’s expression changed drastically.

“Not good.” The Flying Demon King was also shocked.

“How can this be…”

“His strength…”

“This human…”

The Demon Kings, who had been on guard for a hidden Celestial Immortal, never expected that a Primal Daoist who had seemed so weak would suddenly erupt with such terrifying power. Ji Ning’s aura also exploded, and his sword technique instantly rose to an extremely profound level.

“Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!” The sword-light dragons howled, wild and unstoppable.

“No—!”

Under close-range assault, the Flamewing Demon King had no chance to flee. In but a single instant, Ji Ning’s six streaks of sword-light had overwhelmed and annihilated him!

Silence fell.

Space returned to calm. The countless demons in the distance were still in shock, while the other eleven Demon Kings all wore solemn expressions.

Ji Ning stood in midair. With a wave of his hand, he collected the magic treasures left behind by the Flamewing Demon King. A smile appeared on his face. “Forgive me for deceiving you all just now. I had no choice. After all, the Dongliu Twelve Demon Kings have quite a reputation. And I guessed that after roaming Star Continent for so many years, you must have developed a grand formation suited for all twelve of you to fight together. So I had no choice but to kill one first.”