Chapter 173: Tears of the Sad Demon, Creating a Miracle to Reborn the Dragon Emperor

Never have 100% confidence in yourself, nor claim to be the strongest forever. Even if you can’t find an opponent, it doesn’t mean there isn’t one. Plan for the worst, and you’ll be surprised by the many surprises that arise. On the contrary, the greater your hopes, the greater your disappointment.

The battle inside the Demon Gate Hall was still ongoing, but it seemed to be nearing its end. Liu Yi was severely injured and collapsed on the ground. At that moment, the pale bone dragon launched a fatal attack at him. He had no strength to resist. He knew death was approaching, and everything seemed about to reach its conclusion.

On the brink of death, he thought of Jillian. For those words of “I’m sorry,” he shed the tears of the demon. Those tears were crystal clear and transparent. They merged with his black blood, flowing down his arm and into his hand. Just then, something astonishing happened—the black hilt instantly absorbed the violent blood and the sorrowful tears into the sword’s body.

The tears of the demon represent the deepest sorrow, while the blood of the demon embodies the greatest fury. The fusion of blood and tears, along with the alignment of the sword and soul, created another miracle. The sword emitted a red glow and trembled nonstop. Liu Yi turned to look at the black “Sad Dream,” not knowing what was happening, but clearly feeling that the sword was about to slip from his grasp. So, he let go…

Who says demons have no feelings? Who says they lack love? Without feelings or love, how could there be tears? Sorrow and fury merged into the sword, and a miracle occurred. The Dragon Emperor, created from the tears of the sad demon and the violent blood, awoke once again. Its awakening was because it sensed its master’s sorrow and despair. Faced with a thousand years of hardships, its vow was to protect. And this miracle granted it a physical body once more, allowing it to rise again—the demon had recreated the Dragon Emperor.

With a roar that shook the heavens and earth, the red light illuminated the entire hall. A giant dragon covered in red scales rose and flew straight into the hall. Its red scales reflected the light brilliantly, and its sharp claws resembled blades sealed for thousands of years, now reappearing. Its majestic presence carried an overwhelming aura of dominance. Its dark red eyes scanned everything in the hall, and its dragon whiskers kept fluttering. It was all real…

Liu Yi was shocked. This was the Dragon Emperor—yes, the true Dragon Emperor. But why did it appear? Hadn’t it already abandoned its physical body and transformed into “Sad Dream” through a soul curse? Shouldn’t the pale bone dragon opposite be the physical body of the Dragon Emperor? Everything seemed unclear and unknown. But how could Liu Yi know that it was he who had recreated the Dragon Emperor’s physical body? It was that persistent sorrow and fierce attachment that brought the Dragon Emperor back to life.

The Dragon Emperor’s presence instantly overwhelmed the white bone dragon. The bone dragon stopped attacking Liu Yi, circled around, and stared at the Dragon Emperor. It seemed this enemy was its true foe.

With a fierce roar, the bone dragon launched an attack. Its attack was primitive yet extremely powerful…

The Dragon Emperor, being the king of all beasts, how could he fear such a monster? With a roar that echoed across the heavens, he charged straight at his opponent… There wasn’t much noise, but the collision of these two immense forces generated purple electric sparks around their bodies. As the tremendous force from their impact spread, the red space began to twist and deform, as if it might tear apart at any moment. Through that red vision, Liu Yi didn’t overthink it—he knew it was useless to dwell on it. His top priority now was to heal his wounds as quickly as possible, because he didn’t know if this miraculous Dragon Emperor could defeat this white bone monster. If the Dragon Emperor lost, he would still have a sliver of hope to fight. So, Liu Yi closed his six senses and quickly concentrated the powerful energy of “Lanelfina Qing,” restoring his wounds at several times the normal speed. For ordinary wounds, such healing would take just an instant, but since the wound on his chest had been pierced by the bone dragon, even with concentrated energy, it still took the time it takes to drink tea. Slowly opening his eyes, he stood up again—his wounds were now healed. The battle before him had changed to another scene: the Dragon Emperor’s body was tightly wrapped by the white bone dragon, with the wrap growing tighter and tighter. Due to the immense force, purple electric sparks appeared where their bodies touched. For a moment, Liu Yi was confused. He had always thought his cultivation level was quite good in the three realms, but now he didn’t know how to deal with this white monster. It seemed his abilities were not enough to harm it at all. If a monster sealed in the human realm was already this powerful, then there was no talk of challenging the divine realm. Watching the battle, Liu Yi suddenly felt as though his path was filled with thorns. Coming back to his senses, he could only place his hopes on the Dragon Emperor, knowing he had no ability to harm the monster before him. The two dragons twisted around each other, letting out loud roars from time to time. To break free from the bone dragon’s grip, the Dragon Emperor began rolling in the air above the hall, crashing into walls and pillars from time to time, but it was completely useless. The white bone dragon held on tightly, and the tighter it struggled, the more tightly it wrapped itself around the Dragon Emperor. Watching the Dragon Emperor’s struggle, Liu Yi could almost feel its pain, yet he felt so powerless. It seemed he needed to complete the subjugation of the Eight Deserts Divine Dragon sooner. If he didn’t improve his cultivation further, he might be pierced or killed by those thorns ahead. At that moment, the Dragon Emperor suddenly stood up, letting out a pained cry. The agony was so severe that the cry shook Liu Yi’s heart. But after the cry, red light flared in the Dragon Emperor’s eyes, its right claw raised swiftly. With a roar, it swung down. The white bone dragon showed no intention of dodging—perhaps it thought it was the strongest, or maybe it didn’t care about its own claws. How could it give up wrapping around the Dragon Emperor because of one strike?

But with a snap, a white ball—no, the head of a white bone dragon—fell to the ground. It had been too careless; it had no idea who it was fighting against—the Dragon Emperor, the source of power, once possessing godlike strength. One of its claws was enough to show just how powerful it was. Naturally, the moment that claw struck, its head was easily severed.

As the head fell, the skeletal framework surrounding the Dragon Emperor’s body instantly disintegrated, with a series of cracking sounds as all the bones landed on the ground…

Everything happened so suddenly. Liu Yi was filled with awe. The unknowns in the world were like the stars in the sky—countless. His enemies grew stronger with each encounter. This was already the case in the mortal world; imagining what it would be like if he encountered beings from the netherworld or the divine realm was beyond his grasp. If it weren’t for the Dragon Emperor today, he might have long left this world. Though he didn’t know why the Dragon Emperor had revived, he still owed him gratitude for that miracle.

With a long roar, red light flashed across the Dragon Emperor’s body, and it transformed back into the “Sorrowful Dream” sword. But now, the sword had changed again—its blade was no longer black but deep red, like blood. Liu Yi sheathed the sword and gently stroked its surface, saying to himself, “Thank you.”

At that moment, Qi, Lin, and the remaining swordsmen rushed out from the back hall and gathered together. Qi bowed and said, “Lord Demon, there’s no one left in the main hall, and we’ve set fire to it.”

Liu Yi nodded, looking at the flames spreading around him, feeling a sense of satisfaction. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Let’s head to outside the Tianlong Altar to join the others. Leave two people here to keep watch. If Ao Tian from the Demon Sect returns or anything unusual happens, report to me immediately.”

“Yes,” Qi and Lin replied in unison.

Liu Yi stepped outside and then summoned the “Sorrowful Dream,” flying toward the Tianlong Altar…

As Liu Yi left and disappeared, a white figure rushed in like a gust of wind. Its body seemed distorted, floating as if unreal. The white figure walked among the scattered bones of the dragon and pulled out a meter-long white bone from the pile. It suddenly laughed loudly, “Haha… I really want to see whether your ‘Sorrowful Dream’ is sharp or whether this sword made of bones is tough.” With that laugh, the white figure vanished into the palace, which was almost completely burned to ashes.

Meanwhile, Liu Yi, who was on his way in the air, had other concerns. If he wasn’t mistaken, he had already spent a long time, and the strength of the Blood Sect and Dark Sect wasn’t very great. The Wolf King and White Tiger both led experts from the demon world, each having practiced the ninth level of “Lanelfina Qing.” They probably wouldn’t have taken as long as he had.

In fact, most of his time had been spent dealing with that monster. This time, he had survived by sheer luck, thanks to the power of the Dragon Emperor. Recalling that battle, Liu Yi felt some regret. If the Dragon Emperor hadn’t appeared in time, he would have died long ago. It seemed that the path of cultivation truly had no end…

As the moon set and the sun rose, the dawn in the east marked the beginning of a new day. Around this early morning, Liu Yi descended with the others to the gathering point. As expected, the Wolf King and the White Tiger were already waiting there. Looking at the people behind them, they hadn’t suffered much loss, though a few were injured.

As Liu Yi landed, the Wolf King, seeing him covered in blood with torn clothes, asked anxiously, “The Demon Lord encountered danger.”

Liu Yi nodded and said, “Yes, it can be considered dangerous. I met that monster from the contract between the demon race and the ghost race, but it was already scattered by the Dragon Emperor.”

The Wolf King was shocked and asked strangely, “That can’t be right, Demon Lord. If I remember correctly, the monster from that contract should be the Dragon Emperor. So who is this Dragon Emperor you mentioned?”

Liu Yi smiled and said, “I don’t know that either. But that monster isn’t the Dragon Emperor. Since it has been altered by the curses of the ghost and demon races, it’s just a monster. The real Dragon Emperor is now inside this ‘Sorrowful Dream’ Sword.”

The Wolf King nodded and said, “Then, according to what you say, the stronghold of the Demon Sect has been destroyed?”

Liu Yi nodded and said, “Yes. I wonder how Teacher and Mr. White Tiger are doing.”

The Wolf King replied first, “To the Demon Lord, the mission is complete. Everyone has been killed, except for a few who submitted and were released.”

Liu Yi nodded. The White Tiger also came over and said in his deep voice, “I was a bit slower than the old wolf. I’ve set everything there on fire and reduced it to ashes.”

Liu Yi nodded and said, “Very good. Now only the Heavenly Dragon Altar remains. Let’s continue according to the plan…”

Suddenly, the Wolf King said, “Demon Lord, please wait. The Heavenly Dragon Altar doesn’t belong to the demon race—it belongs to the demon beasts. It should belong to our demon realm. It’s just that the ambitions of the Heavenly Dragon and the Fire Phoenix have deceived these ignorant demon beasts. Since the Demon Lord can summon the Dragon Emperor, I think we can directly subdue these people, because the Dragon Emperor is the true king of all beasts.”

Liu Yi nodded and said, “That’s good too. But the Dragon Emperor only appears in his true form once. I’m not sure if I can summon him again, so…”

The Wolf King nodded and said, “We can go first. If they refuse to obey, then kill them all.”

Liu Yi replied, “Okay, let’s do as Teacher said.”

The group took off on their swords, forming a dark mass that covered the sun as they flew straight toward the stronghold of the Heavenly Dragon Altar. It was a deep blue palace that didn’t seem as magnificent as the Demon Sect’s stronghold, but it still exuded a sense of power. They landed at the entrance of the palace, where ancient formation magic was also set up.

But strangely, there was a tower on each side of the palace, and atop each tower was a huge yellow sphere. White light flowed within the spheres, as if they had life, resembling eggs—but far too large. Liu Yi couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Teacher, what are those?”

The Wolf King glanced at it, thought for a moment, and said, “It must be the defensive formation of this ancient array. I think it was created by Lady Phoenix. Has the Demon Lord heard the story of the phoenix’s rebirth? I believe that if we try to move the array, the fire phoenixes on those two towers will awaken and attack us.”

Liu Yi nodded and said, “It seems the Heavenly Dragon Altar is indeed meticulously arranged.”

The Wolf King nodded and said, “Of course. From this, it’s clear that the Heavenly Dragon Altar is far stronger than the Blood Sect or the Secret Sect. Lady Phoenix is a cunning woman, so naturally, her stronghold must be well-protected before she can leave in peace. Or perhaps she thinks those two fire phoenixes can hold off attacks. Otherwise, based on what I know about her, she wouldn’t leave so easily.”

Liu Yi nodded. As they were discussing, a row of people emerged from the door. At the same time, archers appeared in every part of the palace. Judging from the green glow on their arrows, these were definitely not ordinary arrows.

Liu Yi said, “It seems the Heavenly Dragon Altar is much more disciplined than other sects. I guess not only is Lady Phoenix intelligent, but the Heavenly Dragon itself is also a formidable figure. They must have long been prepared against outsiders taking advantage of their treasure hunt to attack their stronghold.”

Soon, ten people in a row, two rows per team, formed six teams of archers at the entrance of the Heavenly Dragon Altar. Under the command of a leader, a hundred archers quickly nocked arrows and got ready to shoot. Their speed and precision were truly admirable, showing the thorough training of the Heavenly Dragon Altar. Liu Yi could imagine that if he weren’t attacking the demons now, perhaps in ten years, the Heavenly Dragon Altar would have unified the demons.

At that moment, the leading commander shouted loudly, “Who comes there?”

Liu Yi remained silent. But as the commander spoke, the golden eggs on the towers on both sides suddenly burst open, emitting intense heat. As the air around them twisted, two giant firebirds took flight and immediately began circling above the deep blue palace.

The golden phoenixes were extremely beautiful. Circling in the air, they cried out and burned the surrounding air, seemingly warning the intruders.

Seeing this, Liu Yi thought to himself, “Although the people I lead are highly skilled, those two fire phoenixes in the sky are not easy to deal with. Moreover, what plans do those nearly a thousand archers have? Judging from their arrows, they’re definitely not ordinary. If a battle really breaks out, I’m afraid we’ll suffer heavy losses too.”

While Liu Yi was hesitating, the Wolf King stepped forward abruptly and said, “Guardian beast of the three realms, the Wolf King.” As the Wolf King stepped forward, the White Tiger also stepped forward and declared loudly, “Guardian beast of the three realms, the White Tiger.” Then the Qilin and the Lin stepped forward and introduced themselves.

You should know that most of those who cultivate within the Tianlong Altar are beasts. It is precisely because they are beasts that they join this Tianlong Altar to follow and protect the divine beasts—Tianlong and Huofeng. Yet who doesn’t know that there are six such divine beasts in total? Now, the other four divine beasts have suddenly appeared, their intentions unknown. But in this world of beasts, the divine beasts were created by Pangu themselves and possess unchanging rights. Even after tens of thousands of years, beasts still fear them by nature.

As the Wolf King and the others introduced themselves, the leader seemed to ponder for a while before saying respectfully, “I wonder what brings these four gods to the Tianlong Altar.”

The Wolf King replied, “It’s simple. We represent the Eternal City and aim to reunify the demon race—of course, that includes the Tianlong Altar as well.”

Upon hearing this, the leader hurriedly said, “Please, these four gods, do not speak rashly.”

The White Tiger grew furious and said, “Damn you! How dare you speak to us like this? Be careful, or I’ll chop you into pieces for dinner!”

At that moment, Liu Yi stepped forward. His bloodstains had dried, his black clothes had turned red, and even his white hair seemed dyed red. Coupled with his ever-changing gaze, he made those in front of him feel a chill deep in their hearts.

Liu Yi said, “I am the master of the Eternal City. We have already crushed the Demon Sect, the Blood Sect, and the Hidden Sect in just one night. If you think your resistance is meaningful, I have no problem continuing to kill.” His voice was calm and steady, icy and merciless.

Upon hearing this, the leader’s expression changed, but he quickly regained his composure and replied, “Whether what you say is true or not, if you want to enter the Tianlong Altar, you must pass through our trial first.”

Liu Yi looked at the leader and said, “Fine. Let me show you something.” With that, he thrust ‘Sorrowful Dream’ into the ground with his left hand. The 13th-level cultivation technique ‘Lanerfina Qing’ instantly transformed his powerful vital energy into ‘Sorrowful Dream’. Under the power of this vital energy, the entire sword emitted a red glow that spread rapidly. The earth and sky were instantly covered in blood-red light, and the sunlight paled in comparison…

As he infused powerful vital energy into the sword, red clouds appeared in the sky along with a hurricane. Liu Yi’s clothes fluttered, and his half-white, half-red hair became even more disheveled. Suddenly, Liu Yi roared, “Transform.”