"I can certainly announce this to the demon race. However, uniting them under your banner will depend entirely on your own capabilities."
He crossed his arms, his voice laced with warning. "Demons are wild and unruly by nature. If you wish to achieve something grand, merely relying on my authority to suppress them will never work."
"Naturally."
Xu Fang nodded. "All I ask is that you inform the demon race to gather at the Sea King’s Palace in the North Sea one year from now. By then, I will handle the rest."
With Kunpeng’s influence, no demon would dare disobey his summons. The Sea King’s Palace would undoubtedly be packed.
The one-year timeframe was deliberate—the Northern Uttarakuru Continent was vast, and weaker demons would need that long to arrive. Those with higher cultivation could make it with time to spare.
As for the location, the abandoned Sea King’s Palace, once ruled by the Serpent Demon King, had fallen into ruin. But even a withered camel was larger than a horse—its grand architecture and sprawling grounds made it the perfect future stronghold.
A Major Event Shakes the Demon Race!
For the first time in centuries, the reclusive Demon Master Kunpeng had summoned the demon clans!
Every notable demon in the Northern Uttarakuru Continent mobilized, racing toward the Sea King’s Palace. Only those scattered across the other three continents remained absent.
The demon race’s current standing in the Three Realms was pitiful—little more than a dying breed clinging to survival.
Ever since the fall of the Demon Emperors Di Jun and Donghuang Taiyi, their status had crumbled. Many powerful demons had tried to reverse their fate during the Investiture of the Gods calamity, but in the end, countless mighty figures were either subdued or reduced to mounts for the immortals and Buddhas!
Their situation had only grown more precarious since.
What the demon race desperately needed now was a leader—a pillar to rally behind.
And in their eyes, that pillar was Demon Master Kunpeng.
Though the demon race still had a saint—Nuwa—her actions during the great Demon-Witch War and the Investiture of the Gods had shattered their faith in her.
Nuwa, born of the demon race, had attained sainthood with the help of Di Jun, Taiyi, and her brother Fuxi. She created humanity and received the Hongmeng Purple Qi in the Violet Cloud Palace.
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Yet when the demon race faced annihilation, she stood by indifferently, watching as Di Jun and Taiyi perished. Her own brother, Fuxi, fell in the final battle, only to be reincarnated through her secret arts as the Human Emperor.
From that moment, many demons grew disillusioned with her. Still, some clung to their reverence for Saint Nuwa.
But during the Investiture of the Gods, Nuwa used the demons to punish King Zhou of Shang, leading to countless deaths and cripplings. Many great demons were forcibly enslaved as mounts.
That was the final straw.
Nuwa’s standing among the demons plummeted to absolute zero.
The only figure they still revered was Kunpeng—the Demon Master who had once wielded immense power during the Demon-Witch era.
Thus, when Kunpeng issued his decree, every notable demon in the Northern Uttarakuru answered the call!
For an entire year, the continent buzzed with activity. Demonic winds howled across the skies as countless figures streaked toward the North Sea.
Xu Fang’s Preparations
Xu Fang hadn’t been idle during that year.
He had secretly infiltrated the Heavenly Court—not to cause chaos, but to recruit.
His target? The Martial Star Lord and 30,000 elite soldiers of the Divine Strategy Camp!
Yes—the infamous criminal Xu Fang had sneaked into the heavens and convinced an entire celestial army to defect!
Given his deep resentment toward the Jade Emperor, Xu Fang felt no guilt whatsoever about poaching his forces.
The Divine Strategy Camp had long been loyal to Xu Fang. Back when he and Sun Wukong had defied Tathagata, the Martial Star Lord had even led his troops to aid them.
So, with minimal effort, Xu Fang brought them all down to the Northern Uttarakuru.
His reasoning was strategic.
Though his own strength could crush most demons in the continent, his past massacres had left his reputation in tatters.
Forcing the demons into submission through sheer power would only ignite their defiance, leading to an all-out war with no winners.
Thus, Xu Fang needed his own elite force—one that could inspire rather than intimidate.
The Divine Strategy Camp was perfect. These soldiers had long grown disillusioned with the Heavenly Court, and Xu Fang promised them abundant cultivation resources in exchange for their loyalty.
Their presence served two purposes:
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Provoking the Jade Emperor – Stealing his elite troops weakened his forces while rubbing salt in the wound.
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Inspiring the Demons – Xu Fang wanted the demons to see that under his leadership, even the "sheep-like" heavenly soldiers could transform into warriors capable of rivaling the fiercest demons.
This was the hope he intended to sell—proof that he could lead them to resurgence.
The Gathering at the Sea King’s Palace
Thirty thousand Divine Strategy Camp soldiers stood in perfect formation.
Xu Fang stood at the forefront, the Martial Star Lord at his right, as they watched the arriving demons.
The demons, chatting and speculating about Kunpeng’s summons, froze the moment they recognized the face before them.
"X-X-Xu—"
"Xu Fang?!"
"By the heavens, the God of Slaughter is here!"
"And those are heavenly soldiers behind him!"
"Did he rejoin the Heavenly Court? Are they here to exterminate us?!"
"No way—the Demon Master called us here. Maybe he captured Xu Fang for a sacrificial ritual!"
The skies filled with murmurs as the demons halted mid-flight, staring warily at Xu Fang’s smiling figure.
One demon king, a peak Taiyi Golden Immortal, mustered his courage and stepped forward.
"Xu Fang! You dare show your face in the Northern Uttarakuru?!"
His voice trembled slightly, betraying his fear. "Do you not fear the Demon Master flaying your flesh and sealing your soul in the Nine Nethers for eternity?!"
Xu Fang merely chuckled.
"There’s no need for alarm. Demon Master Kunpeng is present as well. You may rest assured—I am not here to provoke."
With a wave of his hand, the Divine Strategy Camp soldiers slammed their spears into the ground in unison, their voices thunderous.
"ENTER!"