The Demon Sect Founder's Command

Xiao Chen killed a Tiger family demigod in front of tens of thousands with his Eight Aspect Worlds divine art, causing the entire arena to erupt in frenzy. A young master at the Spirit-Treasury realm had actually slain a Sky-Mastery expert—a true cross-realm battle! It set every young heart ablaze. Who among the young had not dreamed? Who did not wish to shake the world with a name and awe the four corners of the land?

Here was a living example before them, giving many young people hope of becoming famous across the world. The example was right in front of them—Xiao Chen was only in his twenties and had already achieved such glory, stirring everyone’s emotions.

The Tiger family demigod had made Xiao Chen’s name. His name was destined to spread across the world. Maddening fury! The other three Tiger family demigods felt their hearts crack with grief and rage. The Central Plains Tiger family had lost all face today. This slap was too loud, too stinging—they could no longer stand steady in the sky, trembling from head to toe, pointing at Xiao Chen but unable to speak.

Just at that moment, a white light emerged in the distant sky. A little white donkey appeared, carrying a killer whose body was shrouded in deathly aura and whose murderous intent pierced the clouds. In his hand was a gleaming kitchen knife, especially conspicuous.

That despicable killer! That bastard! That assassin who deserved ten thousand deaths!

The three demigods blazed with fury; flames shot from their eyes. If not for this vile bastard’s two horrifically ugly slashes, their Tiger family demigod might not have died. And now, this killer daring to show up again—it was deliberately sickening them, deliberately tormenting the Tiger family demigods.

"Ah..."

The three demigods roared in rage and charged forward together. For them, this vile killer truly deserved to be cut into ten thousand pieces.

Jin Sanyi said nothing. He just made an extremely lewd gesture with that huge kitchen knife, rubbing it against his own backside, then waved the knife at the three demigods, urged his little white donkey on, and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Such a hateful, infuriating provocation caused one of the demigods to feel such rage that he nearly spat blood on the spot.

In the sky, after the Eight Aspect Worlds merged into one and returned to nothingness, they slowly reappeared. Eightfold space, eight painted scrolls, contained boundless energy. At this moment, Xiao Chen’s mind was utterly empty and clear. His understanding of this divine art deepened, and in a trance he had touched upon a more profound realm, about to unearth even more complex mysteries.

Would moving Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water together recreate primordial chaos? Would connecting the Heaven Aspect and Earth Aspect re-enact the union of heaven and earth? And would the cycle of the Thunder Aspect and Marsh Aspect evolve yin and yang...

The Eight Aspect Worlds divine art was only newly formed. There was still vast space to develop; Xiao Chen could continuously refine and excavate it. This was his unique divine art, with immeasurable latent power.

Killing intent blanketed the sky. The three Tiger family demigods, unable to catch Jin Sanyi, surrounded Xiao Chen again.

Swish!

Xiao Chen unfolded his extreme movement technique, shifting positions around the three demigods. His battle intent soared to the heavens, his murderous aura piercing the clouds.

How could he truly stand against three demigods head-on? Xiao Chen was like a divine dragon, passing through the sky, appearing and disappearing around them. He was waiting for an opportunity! He still wanted to strike!

A young master at the Spirit-Treasury realm daring to face demigods so boldly stirred everyone’s spirits.

"Little bastard, dare you stop and fight?" one Tiger family demigod pointed at Xiao Chen, his body trembling slightly. Today they had lost all face; only by killing Xiao Chen completely could they recover some dignity.

Xiao Chen sneered. "You are decades old, and the three of you gang up on me—and you have the nerve to say that?" His battle intent soared as he added, "One on one, do you dare fight me? If not, the three of you may as well crawl back to the Tiger family and never act like old fogies again. Never appear before me."

"You... Fine! Fine! Fine!" The Tiger family demigod’s fury made his hair stand on end. He pointed at Xiao Chen and said "fine" three times in a row, then roared, "I will fight you alone—to the death!"

This was exactly what Xiao Chen wanted. Forcing him to make such an oath in front of so many people rendered the other two demigods helpless and unable to intervene.

The crowd below buzzed, shocked that Xiao Chen was so audacious. Having just fought a demigod, he now wanted to start another battle—was he overly fond of combat?

In truth, Xiao Chen himself was not completely confident. Having just fought a great battle, killing a demigod had cost him much vitality. But he had just grasped some new mysteries of the Eight Aspect Worlds, and he wanted to further develop them in fierce combat. He dared do this mainly because of his extreme movement technique. If it became too dangerous, he could flee far away. As a young rising expert, losing to an older generation master was no disgrace.

"Please stop." Just then, the Third Princess of Great Shang spoke, her voice like celestial music but devoid of any emotion. "Today is the friendly duel between the strongest young generation of the Great Shang Empire and the Roman Empire... If you have grievances, after the grand assembly ends, you may duel here. I will lend you the venue."

Yin Ying had stopped the upcoming duel. Xiao Chen said nothing in response. The three Tiger family demigods were very dissatisfied but could not show it. The six elders of Great Shang flew up into the sky—they were preparing to clear the scene. If the three insisted on fighting, it would be the Tiger family that looked bad.

"Fine, little dog, we’ll spare your life for now. We will not leave Yin Capital and will take your life at any time." No longer caring about status, they made naked threats.

Xiao Chen smiled indifferently. "There is a saying you should have heard: Do not bully a youth for being poor! I am weaker than the Tiger family now, but that does not mean I will lack strength in the future. Rest assured, I will live well, and one day I will personally visit the Tiger family."

He was not as furious as the Tiger family demigods, but his calm words sent a chill through the three.

"Little bastard... you won’t live long!" The three slowly descended to the ground. They could not just leave; they secretly locked onto Xiao Chen, looking for an opportunity to eliminate him.

Xiao Chen said coldly, "I likewise warn the three of you—you had better flee back to the Tiger family early, or you might die in a foreign land."

The three Tiger family demigods jerked their heads up, glaring at Xiao Chen furiously. "On your word alone..."

Xiao Chen replied, calmly and evenly, "Yes, on my word alone! Never give me an opening. There is already a precedent."

The three Tiger family demigods were furious, and if not for the six elders in the air, they would have charged to fight to the death. Finally, they gritted their teeth and glared at Xiao Chen for a long time before disappearing into the crowd.

Without another word, Xiao Chen shot into the sky, unfolded the Eight Aspect Worlds, and vanished at the horizon in an instant. There was no need to confront three demigods head-on. Today’s battle had brought him great gains; he needed to find a place to meditate and comprehend.

"Handsome big brother... wait for us!" Two little girls called out behind him.

Seeing Xiao Chen leave, the three Tiger family demigods could not sit still either. But they had no way to catch up with him, so they left the arena in frustration.

The event of a young expert killing a demigod had somewhat dampened the crowd’s enthusiasm for the East-West young generation duels. In fact, today’s duels were not particularly exciting. Two experts each from the Roman Empire and the Great Shang Empire fought, and all matches ended in draws. On the first day, both sides seemed restrained and did not truly unleash killing intent. Even several top young experts did not display any impressive divine arts. The first day thus came to a close without much fanfare.

But the crowd was not disappointed, because rumors spread that the two sides would truly fight in the coming days, and it was said that some already had the strength to kill demigods. If so, it would be no less exciting than Xiao Chen’s battle against the Tiger family demigod—there would surely be boundless excitement.

For three consecutive days, Xiao Chen showed no trace. The three Tiger family demigods were anxious and furious but helpless. Speed was no match, and they could not stop him with their mouths. If Xiao Chen simply fled far away, they would be powerless. They were burning with rage inside: not only had they lost two junior experts, but one demigod had died. Returning to the family in such disgrace would not only enrage the family elders but also cause the whole world to mock them. They would never be able to hold their heads up again. Now they only hoped that Xiao Chen would be audacious enough to try to assassinate them, giving them a chance to strike.

On the fourth day, Xiao Chen finally appeared. He was calm and composed, walking into the arena as if he had come specifically to observe the duels.

In the crowd, the three Tiger family demigods’ eyes lit up immediately, and murderous intent surged in their hearts. As if sensing something, Xiao Chen suddenly turned his head and locked onto them unerringly, fixing them with a deep stare. For some reason, the three demigods felt a chill pierce their bodies, as if ice had fallen over them.

"That little bastard is so calm—could he have prepared something?" the three muttered uneasily.

Xiao Chen’s mere appearance caused an uproar. He actually had the nerve to stand so calmly not far from the three Tiger family demigods—a display of remarkable courage.

Linglong and Tuzi, two fair-skinned little girls, sat on a high platform, swinging their white legs restlessly. When they saw Xiao Chen appear, they jumped down and ran over, squeezing through the crowd to his side. Their red little faces were full of excitement as they whispered, "Handsome big brother, everything is fine."

Xiao Chen said nothing, only nodded silently.

To everyone’s surprise, Xiao Chen then announced that he would challenge the experts on the arena. This was sensational news. Many could not understand, and the three Tiger family demigods were even more bewildered.

The arena erupted in commotion. The crowd was astonished, but then they boiled over with excitement, eagerly anticipating this battle!

As if they had known the result in advance, the representative of the Little Li Flying Dagger lineage stepped forward from the Great Shang side, and the curse-master who had once defeated Chu Xingkuang appeared from the Roman Empire side. They were Number One on their respective sides—not that it was about strength, but merely the originally set order of appearance.

Both stared fixedly at Xiao Chen, speaking in voices so faint they were almost inaudible. "You have incredible influence..."

Xiao Chen quickly interrupted them. "Only one exchange each. Who goes first?"

The golden curse-master, though his face was shrouded in mist, seemed to be smiling easily. He strode forward and said, "I’ll go first."

"Good."

The Flying Dagger successor stepped back, leaving only Xiao Chen and the Roman Empire’s Number One in the arena.

The crowd immediately roared. It was said that the future gods trained by the great religions through secret methods already possessed the power to kill demigods, and Xiao Chen had personally killed a demigod in front of everyone—this would surely be a clash of titans. Everyone was filled with anticipation.

"Something feels off," muttered one Tiger family demigod suspiciously.

Another said, "Nothing. This little bastard is too arrogant, still chasing after empty fame at a time like this. That’s good news for us."

At the center of the arena, the duel began. The Roman Empire’s Number One was wreathed in ten thousand beams of golden light as he slowly rose into the air, standing in the sky like a god! No longer as languid as he had been a few days ago, he was now sharp and fierce, his holy light piercing the heavens. This shocked everyone; they sighed that he truly deserved the name of a future god. At such a young age, he already had this aura, and his cultivation was unfathomable.

An ancient scripture appeared in his hand. He flipped through it while chanting. In an instant, starlight filled the sky. Thirty-six stars, each the size of a house, materialized, turning the place into a mythical world. Dazzling starlight engulfed Xiao Chen. The light of thirty-six stars shot into the clouds!

"God says: Seal, trap, destroy!"

The voice of the Roman Empire’s Number One was like an eternal hymn. Although gentle as a breeze, it seemed to contain the power to destroy heaven and earth. Stars illuminated the sky! Thirty-six stars tore through the space, constantly shifting positions, forming a complex star divine formation. Space within was repeatedly shattered, and Xiao Chen’s traces charged and dashed within.

Everyone outside changed color. This was a true annihilation formation. Such a curse could trap even a demigod, perhaps even kill one. The legend was true: the strongest trained by the great religions through secret methods could indeed slay demigods.

"Wow, golden handsome big brother is really amazing. I want to watch him do magic tricks every day."

"Let’s find a chance to catch him. He’s so handsome, makes my mouth water."

The two little girls paid no attention to the surrounding crowd’s eye-rolling. They sat on the high platform, stuffing snacks into their mouths and swinging their white legs around restlessly.

Then, a flash of chaotic light flickered in the battlefield. The thirty-six stars above dimmed in an instant, and Xiao Chen burst out. No one had clearly seen what divine art he used to break the divine formation. The thirty-six stars glowed even more brightly and surrounded him again. But at that moment, Xiao Chen raised a hand and waved, saying, "Only one exchange!"

The Roman Empire’s Number One sighed helplessly. "Very well, it counts as a draw." Then he flew down from the sky.

The crowd did not understand why they only exchanged one move. An uproar broke out as everyone wanted to know why, but the involved parties gave no response.

Tens of thousands were in an uproar, shouting and confused. Just then, the Great Shang Empire’s Number One rose into the air. His white clothes were as white as snow, but his aura was fiercely oppressive. Snowflakes actually began to fall from the sky—purely from killing intent! The arena fell almost completely silent in an instant. Though his face was hidden by mist, everyone could guess who he was—the legendary Flying Dagger successor, the most outstanding disciple of that lineage.

When this man appeared, everyone held their breath. If they were only to exchange one move, that was still enough! Little Li Flying Dagger—one knife was sufficient! The world-renowned flying dagger, known as the best knife under heaven! In those days, Li Xunhuan had shattered the void with his knife and entered the World of Immortality, splashing divine blood with every strike. Never missing, invincible, he shook the eight wastelands. None could evade, none could avoid. The wind-and-cloud single knife swept the world! The divine art of the flying dagger had dominated several eras.

"Are you ready?" the Flying Dagger successor asked, his voice ice-cold.

Xiao Chen nodded coldly, and the Eight Aspect Worlds materialized around him. Faced with this legendary killing art, which could slay a god with a single knife, he dared not be the least bit careless. Little Li Flying Dagger’s reputation was so great it was almost demonic. No one could face it calmly. If Li Xunhuan himself had come, even gods would tremble!

Outside the arena, it was utterly silent. Everyone held their breath, tensely awaiting the earth-shattering strike.

"I like him so much, a cool handsome big brother. I want to catch him too."

"Yeah, wipe your drool. Catch him and have him trim the lawn with his flying dagger—that’d be perfect."

The two little girls were unrestrained in the silent venue, drawing speechless looks from everyone.

At that moment, thunder and wind rumbled through heaven and earth. Was it an illusion or a coincidence? Flocks of clouds drifted by, seeming to tremble. Then the Little Li Flying Dagger was thrown! Thunderclaps rang out one after another, ghosts wailed and gods howled. Figures of angels and demons appeared, gods shrieking in agony. The world-shaking knife changed the weather, making heaven and earth pale. Everyone was shocked.

Legend said it was because Li Xunhuan had killed too many gods and demons in his time. This divine art was envied by heaven; when it was drawn, gods and ghosts were all alarmed! Heaven and earth lost their color as wind and thunder raged. Xiao Chen, within the Eight Aspect Worlds, raised his spiritual perception to its peak, but still could not trace the knife’s shadow. It was a supernatural strike, impossible to detect in advance!

Outside, demigod experts watched, their faces all changing. Such a knife could indeed kill a demigod! Murderous intent filled the sky! Although the moment was the briefest of instants, for everyone it felt as long and unbearable as an age.

The astonishingly exquisite knife was finally detected by Xiao Chen, but by then the blinding knife-light had already broken into the Eight Aspect Worlds and had almost touched his body.

"Pfft!"

Blood exploded into the air. Heaven and earth fell silent. Wind and thunder receded, dark clouds vanished, gods and ghosts disappeared. Heaven and earth returned to clarity. The Little Li Flying Dagger successor stood in the void, icy as a mountain, his white clothes as white as snow. In the sky where Xiao Chen had stood, drops of blood fell. Everyone watched that patch of void nervously.

But Xiao Chen did not fall from the sky. The Eight Aspect Worlds had withdrawn. He stood there silently, his right hand raised before his throat, thumb and forefinger clamping a dazzling flying dagger. The two fingers were cut with bloody lines, and drops of blood fell. The gleaming knife was only an inch from his throat—just a bit more and it would have cut his throat!

The whole arena erupted. Xiao Chen had caught the world-shaking knife, blocking the art that was said never to miss! Strictly speaking, it was not a complete block, since it had cut his fingers and drawn blood. But had it been anyone else, the two fingers would surely have flown off. It was thanks to Xiao Chen’s treasure-body cultivation and his weapon-melting divine art, which made his two fingers stronger than divine weapons. Even so, he had suffered a slight injury, showing just how terrifying the flying dagger art was.

The crystalline light faded. The light between Xiao Chen’s hands shattered—it had been entirely condensed from killing intent, not a real knife.

"I did not use my true dagger, and you were only on the defensive. This round is a draw," the Flying Dagger successor said flatly.

Another draw. Xiao Chen said nothing, but he knew the Flying Dagger successor was terrifying—a true formidable foe.

Tens of thousands buzzed with discussion, all in shock. Although they had only exchanged one move, the atmosphere and pressure seemed even more intense than a true great battle. Many did not understand why they fought only one move and did not truly clash.

Just then, Third Princess Yin Ying announced, "Today’s duels are over. They will continue tomorrow."

The crowd erupted in protest. How could it end like this? They had not had enough. The experts of the Great Shang Empire and the Roman Empire had not really fought today.

The three Tiger family demigods, upon hearing this, shot into the sky and surrounded Xiao Chen from three directions. They knew catching him was extremely unlikely, but they still wanted to try. But then something astonishing happened. The top ten young experts of the Great Shang Empire all rose into the air and surrounded the three Tiger family demigods. Among them were the Little Li Flying Dagger successor, the demonic maiden of the Demon Heaven Palace, and the immortal maiden of the Mercy Sword Pavilion... Even more surprising, the top ten young experts of the Roman Empire also rose into the air and surrounded the three Tiger family demigods.

Everyone below was utterly dumbfounded. These twenty all had power close to that of demigods, and it was said they could even kill demigods. And now they had all trapped the three Tiger family demigods—it was unimaginable! No one knew why.

"You... why are you helping him?" the three Tiger family demigods were utterly shaken. Although these were all young experts, they were all extremely terrifying. Even if a few more demigods came, they would be wiped out.

"We act on the order of the Demon Sect Founder to kill you!"

"The Demon Sect Founder has ordered us to help Xiao Chen kill you!"

"Respecting the Demon Sect Founder’s command..."

The twenty spoke one after another, revealing the truth. The three Tiger family demigods felt like they were going mad. The Demon Sect Founder... his reputation was terrifying! But how could he command all these sects, and even the religious experts of the Western lands?

"Hehe, we know," the two fair-skinned little girls flew up into the sky, speaking mischievously. "Uncle Demon Sect Founder has returned to life and reappeared in the Eternal Continent. He has made peace with all the sects, returning their lost scriptures and treasures. Such a great favor... of course he can command these handsome big brothers and pretty big sisters."

The news of the Demon Sect Founder’s return had long spread across the continent, but being confirmed like this by the two little girls shocked the world! "Uncle said that Xiao Chen is his friend. Anyone who dares to touch Xiao Chen, he dares to kill—even if it’s a white tiger, he’ll kill it without mercy!"

"Boom!"

The entire arena erupted. The crowd was in an uproar. The Demon Sect Founder was actually Xiao Chen’s friend... This news was unimaginable, too shocking! No one would doubt the Demon Sect Founder’s power. He was a hero of the ages, invincible, sweeping through the world without equal! Strictly speaking, even the Undying Evil King of the Southern Wastes was his descendant disciple. He had emerged in a very ancient era and was already unmatched back then—let alone now. There were many legends about him. One of the most credible said he was one of the few people qualified to aspire to the rank of Ancestral God. It was said that the Demon Sect Founder’s past life was Chiyou. Unmatched in the world, in order to reach a higher level, he had let an opponent destroy his physical body and was reborn as the Demon Sect Founder, making his cultivation even more fearsome. During his long disappearance, some speculated that he might have undergone such training again—destroying the Demon Sect Founder’s own body to be reborn in an unknown age. And now, he had truly appeared again!

What was the relationship between the Demon Sect Founder and Xiao Chen? Everyone speculated. This was clearly building Xiao Chen’s reputation. If he himself intervened, there would be no need for such trouble; he could simply send one of his former subordinates to kill these Tiger family demigods. But he chose to act like this, telling the world that he was building Xiao Chen’s prestige—that Xiao Chen was his man and could not be bullied. Even the Demon Sect Founder had stepped in.

Of course, the two little girls present also attracted attention. They called the Demon Sect Founder "uncle"—what did that make their identities?