Chapter 95: The Glittering Villa – The Price Behind Reputation

Everything was proceeding as planned. The establishment of the Demon Realm—Eternal City—spread at lightning speed to countless people in the three realms and six paths. Of course, this included both the righteous forces of the human world and the dark demonic forces.

The world was already divided into two, with a delicate balance of power. War between the dark demonic forces and the righteous forces was imminent—one side aiming to unify the three realms, the other seeking to eradicate the demonic forces. Yet, things in this world often defied imagination and could not be predicted by logic. Suddenly, the Demon Realm—Eternal City—rose above the peaks of Tianshan Mountain, becoming a mysterious and unpredictable sect. Instantly, the world fell silent.

Doubt not—no tyrant or hero is foolish. The emergence of this self-proclaimed new Demon Realm, Eternal City, was far too mysterious. Within days, both the righteous and demonic forces sent spies to investigate this enigmatic sect, but none of them ever returned… This was the mystery surrounding Eternal City’s strength. No one knew who its ruler was, nor what he looked like. All that was known was that Eternal City, perched high in the sky, aimed to divide the world among itself, the righteous forces, and the dark demonic forces.

This was the main hall of Eternal City. Twelve celestial white tigers stood neatly beneath twelve pillars. The warriors on these tigers wore all black, with some leather armor on their arms and waists. To the front, on the left side of the hall, stood the Wolf King, holding a folding fan and leisurely fanning himself. On the right side stood a white-robed white tiger, full of energy. Though his beard made him look somewhat unattractive, he still had a manly presence.

Looking up, on the throne sat a person clad in black leather, wearing a long black sword at his waist and a white mask on his face. His silver hair gave him a stylish appearance, though his eyes held sadness. A long black cloak trailed behind him. Who was this? The useless scholar from ten years ago, the ruler of the new Demon Realm, and the lord of Eternal City in the sky—Liu Yi.

Next to Liu Yi stood a man and a woman, both dressed in red and wielding long swords. They appeared to be around thirty years old. Do not underestimate them—they were the guardian beasts, Qi and Lin, second only to the dragon and phoenix.

Sadness filled Liu Yi’s eyes. In this quiet hall, he heard Gillier’s words echoing in his ears: “Scholar, if one day Gillier dies, please do not grieve… Look at the warm sunlight, the vast sky, the snow falling among the flowers, and listen to the wind and smell the scents. The world remains just as wonderful. Gillier’s departure does not take away your world. Please bury Gillier deep in your memories, will you?” Gillier’s words repeated in his ears. He had become numb. Why was this happening? Was he truly destined to be lonely?

A red glow flashed in Liu Yi’s eyes as he suddenly stood up and shouted loudly, “Wei Feng, I will make sure you die easily…” His voice echoed throughout the hall. Liu Yi’s heart ached terribly—a pain beyond any wound.

The hall was surprisingly quiet. Then, the Wolf King stepped forward and said, “Lord Demon, calm down. I have good news that might help you start your revenge.”

A red glow flashed in Liu Yi’s eyes as he turned and gently sat back on his throne, saying, “Teacher, please go ahead.”
The Wolf King said, “The Tri-Realm Martial Competition, held every five years, will take place on August 15th this year. It’s right around the corner—there are still four days left. It will last for a month, and people from all over the world will gather at ‘Flowerful Villa’ beneath Kyoto. Both the righteous and the evil forces will be there, including Wei Feng, the protector of the demonic sect. You know, during this competition every five years, Flowerful Villa reorders the rankings of the top fighters from the three realms. Who wouldn’t want such fame and wealth?”
Liu Yi nodded and said, “Good. Let’s set off now for Flowerful Villa. I won’t let Wei Feng die so easily… And those of the Dark Demon Path—don’t they like to stand out? Well, I’ll crush their arrogance. White Tiger?”
White Tiger stepped forward and said, “I’m here.”
Liu Yi continued, “I, the Wolf King, Qi, and Lin will go to Flowerful Villa. The safety of Eternal City is in your hands. Kill any who try to enter without permission.” With that, a red glow flashed in his eyes.
White Tiger replied, “Yes, Demon Lord.”
Liu Yi added, “Teacher, prepare a pot of fresh blood for me to ward off the celestial fire during the full moon.” The Wolf King nodded…
After everything was arranged and prepared, Liu Yi flung his black cloak aside, grasped his long sword with his left hand, and said, “Let’s go.” The four of them strode toward the outside of Eternal City.
In the sky, four figures soared out of the red-colored Eternal City, moving against the wind. At that moment, Liu Yi seemed to think of something and turned to the Wolf King with his hands behind his back, asking, “In these past ten years, has the teacher seen the Top Ten Heroes or the Great Sword King?”
The Wolf King pondered for a while and said he had seen them only once—during their wedding ten years ago, three months after the Demon Lord’s death. The Top Ten Heroes married A Jiu, while the Great Sword King married Shui Er. They invited me to the wedding.
Liu Yi nodded and said, “With such a lively Tri-Realm Martial Competition, A Jiu, with her personality, will definitely attend. And the Great Sword King, who admires heroic legends, will surely join in the fun too. It’s been ten years—I really want to see what they look like now.”
The Wolf King nodded and said, “Yes, it’s been ten years. I’ve almost forgotten what they look like. Time is truly strange—it can fade a person’s memories.”
Liu Yi nodded gently and said, “It is strange. It can fade memories, but it can also deepen them…”
The four of them sped up on their swords, like meteors in the sky, heading straight for Flowerful Villa in Kyoto of the Central Plains. There, filled with the unknown, everything awaited to be uncovered.
With their cultivation levels, it took them three days to reach Flowerful Villa, located south of Kyoto and west of Hangzhou. At first glance, Flowerful Villa seemed endless. It was a villa built jointly by people from the three realms for the biennial Tri-Realm Martial Competition. Since it was cleaned regularly, it appeared very tidy.
As soon as they entered Flowerful Villa’s gates, it felt less like a villa and more like a village—no, actually, a town. Countless wide roads crisscrossed between the buildings, and there were numerous vendors selling goods along the roads, making this otherwise seemingly dull villa even more bustling.

On those wide streets, everyone walking there was from the three realms—immortals, demons, and humans—including the demons from the Heavenly Dragon Altar—all had come to this extravagant manor. Everyone’s goal was simple: to secure a place in this martial competition among the three realms, become famous through battle, and stand out in the eyes of others. Yet, the masters from the three realms were as numerous as mountains and seas, and the price behind fame was one’s own life. A bloodshed was about to begin, as Liu Yi scanned the passersby with a sad gaze.