Chapter 23: A Sea of Sin

Both Ji Ning and the Firewing Demon King spoke loudly.

“Are you the Eastcurrent Twelve Demon Kings?”

“…Tell your master to come out quickly…”

Their voices shook heaven and earth, startling the Qi Kingdom’s royal family inside the immortal mansion. They hurried anxiously to the mansion’s entrance.

Prince Qi Rufeng, Second Princess Qi Ruyu, Ji Ning’s disciple Qingya Xiaoyu, and the royal attendants and guards all looked into the distance from the mansion’s gate… There stood Ji Ning by the cliff, wine flask in hand, while far in the sky, a vast host of demons came riding clouds and mist.

“That’s the Firewing Demon King?” Qi Rufeng’s face changed drastically. He would never forget that figure—it was his eternal nightmare.

And now the Firewing Demon King was one of the twelve figures at the head.

“Golden Bear Demon King, Snow Fox Demon King… Yes, yes, they match the watermarked images of the Eastcurrent Twelve Demon Kings in our royal records.” Qi Rufeng’s face paled. “The Eastcurrent Twelve Demon Kings, all here.”

“All here? Even if we killed hundreds of Firewing Guards, why would the Eastcurrent Twelve Demon Kings all come?” The black-robed girl also despaired.

They had a Greater Teleportation Dao-seal, but using it would waste it, and the demon kings were strong enough to pursue through void teleportation.

If the Firewing Demon King wanted to hunt them down, he surely could.

The Qi Kingdom’s royal family had been able to flee all these years only because the Firewing Demon King’s desire to pursue was not strong; after obtaining the treasure map, his mind was on the treasure. As for the Qi royalty… only some of his Firewing Guards still hunted them.

“Eastcurrent Twelve Demon Kings?” Hearing the prince and princess’s exchange, Qingya Xiaoyu’s face also changed.

“Those twelve are the twelve demon kings?”

Qingya Xiaoyu looked at the twelve figures leading the sky-covering horde of demons in the distance. Even from so far away, the boundless pressure made her heart tremble, and she anxiously thought, “Master, I just got a master. Please don’t die, please don’t die.”

Having broken with the Qi royal family, she had no other kin in the world. Ji Ning was her master, now her closest person. She could feel his goodwill toward her.

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

“With all twelve demon kings here, even at our Qi Kingdom’s peak, we would be instantly annihilated.” The black-robed girl also shook her head. “This Northmont senior cannot stop them, cannot stop them.”

The Eastcurrent Twelve Demon Kings were a legend!

In Star Prefecture, Cloud Prefecture, Flame Prefecture…

In short, within the Oblivion World, the Eastcurrent Twelve Demon Kings were quite renowned. Together, they might need the strength of a Celestial Immortal patriarch to escape!

“With the twelve demon kings’ methods, even if Northmont senior uses a Greater Teleportation Dao-seal, he might be attacked before he can teleport away.” Qi Rufeng trembled in despair.

Using a Dao-seal takes time.

And at the Celestial Immortal level, one can strike several times in an instant.

…

Behind, the Qi royal family was terrified and despairing, while Qingya Xiaoyu prayed and begged.

Ji Ning stood by the cliff, quickly pondering how to deal with the twelve demon kings, while also releasing his divine sense, spreading it outward.

“Good heavens!”

Upon this inspection, Ji Ning was greatly startled.

The area around the distant Eastcurrent Twelve Demon Kings was filled with endless blood light, surging and roiling, even twisting and revealing phantom vengeful spirits.

“No, not all are like this.” Ji Ning discerned carefully. “Among the Eastcurrent Twelve Demon Kings, eleven are wreathed in blood light of sin, hundreds of feet wide. Only… that demon king with the golden bear’s head is merely wrapped in black turbid qi?”

Yes.

The only one without blood light of sin was the most famous and top-ranked of the Eastcurrent Twelve Demon Kings, the Golden Bear Demon King. This shocked Ji Ning and made him more vigilant. This Golden Bear Demon King, who had created the ‘Twelve Demon Kings’ and was acknowledged as their leader, had the least sin among them—he must be careful.

“Eastcurrent Twelve Demon Kings.”

Ji Ning spoke loudly, “I am here on my master’s orders to guard the Qi royal family. If you know what’s good for you, retreat quickly. Otherwise, when my master returns, you’ll be dead!”

“Who exactly is your master? State his name!” shouted the Firewing Demon King among the twelve in the distance.

“So arrogant—this human’s master must be a formidable figure.”

“With us brothers here, we don’t even fear a Celestial Immortal patriarch.”

The demon kings exchanged secret transmissions, guessing who Ji Ning’s master might be. They paid no heed to Ji Ning himself; with their strength, they could tell he was at the early Void stage. A mere early Void cultivator—though his divine sense earlier showed a strong soul—was still early Void!

In their eyes, an early Void cultivator could not possibly kill hundreds of Firewing Guards without letting a single one escape!

“Brothers, watch from the side,” said the Firewing Demon King.

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

“Third Brother, go capture the Qi royal family.”

The other demon kings spoke.

Capturing the Qi royal family was a trivial matter; of course, the Eastcurrent Twelve Demon Kings wouldn’t all go together.

…

“You little brat, get out of the way!” the Firewing Demon King said coldly, then reached out. Whoosh—a huge flaming hand appeared above the peak, reaching down to seize the immortal mansion below. The Qi royal family and Qingya Xiaoyu, terrified, fled deeper into the mansion.

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

“You dare meddle in my affairs?” The Firewing Demon King grew furious, and the huge flaming hand in the sky slammed down toward Ji Ning. “Since your master won’t come out, I’ll take your life first to vent my anger.”

“You demon!”

Ji Ning feigned great anger, then shook his body, expanding to a hundred zhang tall and manifesting three heads and six arms.

In his hands appeared three Northmont swords and three Heaven-grade flying swords.

“I’ll cut you down!”

Ji Ning’s sword-light, like threads, madly struck upward at the descending flaming hand. The level of swordsmanship he displayed now was merely that of the Immortal Destiny Tournament, comparable to a top-tier loose immortal.

“Boom, boom, boom—” With a series of explosions, the huge flaming hand finally shattered completely, while the mountain peak was shaved off a layer. The three-headed, six-armed Ji Ning appeared furious: “You demon, how dare you bully your grandpa! If my master were here, you’d already be dead!”

“Hahaha…”

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

“His strength is decent. With divine body cultivation, using Heaven-Earth Manifestation and Three Heads Six Arms, he can match a loose immortal. His swordsmanship is also at the top loose immortal level… He has the strength of a top loose immortal.”

“Yes, though he’s early Void, he indeed has top loose immortal strength.”

“Third Brother, trying to kill a top loose immortal by manipulating the power of heaven and earth from such a distance—you need more practice.” The other demon kings teased.

Indeed.

If he used his magic treasures, the Firewing Demon King could easily kill a top loose immortal. But merely forming a flaming hand from the power of heaven and earth to destroy a top loose immortal was far from enough.

“Hmph.” The Firewing Demon King’s face darkened. He flew forward, and six fiery red curved blades hovered in the air, each radiating a powerful pressure—clearly Immortal-grade treasures.

“Boy, die!”

The Firewing Demon King was now truly using his skills.

“You demon!” Ji Ning roared, then whooshed like a wind, like a roc, swiftly pouncing toward the Firewing Demon King, seeking close combat.

“This human is quite skilled. Even among loose immortals and great demons, such a movement technique is rare,” commented the Flying Demon King from the side.

“Indeed, his potential is remarkable. If he reaches late Void and improves his swordsmanship a bit, he might match us.”

“Pity he’ll die now.”

“But we must still be cautious, in case his master suddenly appears.”

The demon kings chatted among themselves, watching the battle with pleasure.

The six curved blades wielded by the Firewing Demon King formed a huge fiery red serpent in midair. This serpent, with overwhelming might, lunged at Ji Ning. The three-headed, six-armed, hundred-zhang-tall Ji Ning also flew toward it.

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

Previously, he had held three Northmont swords and three Heaven-grade flying swords.

But now, the three Heaven-grade flying swords were instantly put away, and the Qianniu Sword and two Immortal-grade flying swords appeared in his hands.

“Hiss—” The fiery red serpent’s eyes flashed with blade light as it lunged.

What met it was a terrifying sword strike!

The sword-light transformed directly into a black divine dragon. This fearsome black dragon sword-light, with irresistible force, shattered the fiery red serpent, sending the six curved blades flying.

“What!” The Firewing Demon King was greatly shocked.

“Die.”

Ji Ning, who had seemed angry, now showed killing intent in his eyes. In a flash, he closed in.

Six sword-lights simultaneously turned into six black divine dragons, their might overwhelming.

“Save Third Brother!” the Golden Bear Demon King’s face changed drastically.

“No good.” The Flying Demon King was also startled.

“How could…”

“His strength…”

“This human…”

The watching demon kings had been on guard against a possible Celestial Immortal in hiding. They never expected that this seemingly weak early Void cultivator would suddenly erupt with such terrifying power! Ji Ning’s aura also surged, and his swordsmanship instantly rose to a very profound level.

“Swish, swish, swish—” The black dragon sword-lights howled, wildly unstoppable.

“No—”

At close range, the Firewing Demon King had no chance to escape. In an instant, Ji Ning’s six sword-lights engulfed him and annihilated him!

Everything fell silent.

Space returned to calm. The countless demons in the distance were still stunned, while the other eleven demon kings all wore solemn expressions.

Ji Ning stood in midair, waved his hand to collect the treasures left by the Firewing Demon King, and said with a smile, “I’m ashamed to have deceived you all. But what could I do? Your Eastcurrent Twelve Demon Kings are too famous, and I guessed that after roaming Star Prefecture for so many years, you must have a formation suited for your twelve demon kings to fight together. So I had to kill one first.”