CHAPTER 286: HUMILIATION!?

Chun Ma looked at the tall figure of the Heavenly Demon. Though he appeared to be in his twenties, there was still the wear and tear of age in his regal demeanor.

It was as if his youth were merely a vessel and he was actually old.

That’s right, Chun Ma might have guessed correctly: the Heavenly Demon wanted to take over his body.

There were many Martial Techniques in the world that could allow someone to swap bodies; this was especially true in the Shadow Faction, which Gang Reyong now controlled.

There was even a secret about the Heavenly Cultivation Technique that made it possible, top secret, yet somehow at the core of the Shadow Sect.

There was no doubt about it, he was 99.99% sure of this fact.

However, even as the Heavenly Demon approached, Chun Ma felt calm. If he panicked, it would bring him no advantage.

Though he was not entirely confident in facing a Transcendent Martial Artist, it was not as if it were impossible.

But he would have to be wary of the other threats. This was the Heavenly Demon’s home ground, and he was surrounded by enemies with no allies. It would be troublesome if the others attacked while he was engaged in battle.

So Chun Ma didn’t act recklessly, he couldn’t afford to!

"What do you want?" Chun Ma asked, his expression cold.

"I wanted to see my disciple, so I sent one of my trusted guards. However, my disciple attacked the guard and nearly killed him..." The Heavenly Demon paused, a saddened expression crossing his face. "Wouldn’t I be upset about that?"

"..." Chun Ma studied the expression of the Heavenly Demon, then joined his fists together. "Was that your guard, master? I was attacked by assassins earlier, so I assumed he was one too."

"Really?" The Heavenly Demon raised an eyebrow. "Someone dared to try assassinating the disciple of the Heavenly Demon?" His presence erupted like a storm, a suffocating pressure that pressed down on everyone nearby.

Those curious enough to come closer immediately staggered, almost falling under the sheer weight of his presence.

But Chun Ma remained unmoved, meeting the Heavenly Demon’s gaze with a calm expression, as if the suffocating pressure didn’t even exist for him.

"Yes, Master. I suspect it was the elders who did it," he said carefully, watching the expression of the Heavenly Demon.

The Heavenly Demon didn’t even show the slightest hint of emotion. "They’ve grown bold, haven’t they?" he muttered, rubbing his chin.

Meanwhile, the people around were already forming a circle, kneeling before him. The guards appeared as well, silently taking positions to surround the area.

Now, Chun Ma faced an even greater challenge in confronting the Heavenly Demon.

’What should I do?’ Chun Ma thought, frowning. He was certain the Heavenly Demon intended to take over his body, but his true face remained hidden. Fighting him directly would be far more difficult than it should have been.

He needed a way to face the Heavenly Demon alone...

Swish!

The air rustled as twelve figures descended from the skies, swiftly bowing.

"We greet the Heavenly Demon. The Twelve Heavens are present."

"I see all of you have arrived," the Heavenly Demon said with a chuckle, his eyes narrowing with intent. "It seems some have grown bold enough to attempt an assassination on my disciple. First Heaven, find them all and eliminate them."

The First Heaven froze. He was a tall man with long black hair and a goatee, his large frame imposing, but even in the face of the Heavenly Demon’s cold command, he stood stunned and didn’t move.

"What’s wrong? Are you not listening to me?" The Heavenly Demon’s voice grew even colder, sharp enough to cut through the air.

"This... we cannot exactly do as you ask because..." The First Heaven paused, letting out a heavy breath.

"Because what?" the Heavenly Demon pressed, his gaze piercing. "This will be my final command. Or have you decided to betray the cult as well?"

"No... no..." The First Heaven quickly shook his head. "It’s just that—"

"Just say it, then," the Tenth Heaven interjected calmly. She was a petite woman, her beauty laced with venomous elegance:

"We, the Twelve Heavens, no longer consider you worthy of being the Heavenly Demon. You’ve grown old and are no longer in your prime. Even the greatest Martial Artists falter with time, and you are nothing more than a dying old man."

"Oh? Have you decided to rebel, then?" The Heavenly Demon’s grin was cold, his eyes glinting with menace.

"No. We follow the rule of the strong," she replied calmly. "Since you are no longer the strongest, we will not follow your orders, but we remain loyal to our own force and stay here."

"You..." The Heavenly Demon’s brows twitched as he shook his head, disappointment etched across his face. "The Twelve Heavens were the twelve pillars of the cult, each nearly as strong as a Transcendent Martial Artist. And now, you have chosen to betray me."

He paused for a moment, letting the weight of his words settle. "However, you seem to have forgotten the terrifying strength of a Transcendent Martial Artist."

In an instant, he fully unleashed his suffocating presence, a force so overwhelming it rippled through the surroundings, shaking the very ground beneath them.

Then his entire body began to emit black wisps of mist, the purest form of Demonic Qi.

The Heavenly Demon casually pointed his fingers toward the Tenth Heaven.

"Hmph," she scoffed, her expression dripping with disdain, and thrust her palm forward in response.

In an instant, their powers collided with a deafening bang that shook the surroundings.

The clash was invisible to the naked eye, but Chun Ma could faintly make out the turbulence, the two domains battling fiercely against each other.

The Heavenly Demon’s eyes widened to their limits. "You... you, how did you reach the Transcendent level?!"

"You really think you’re some genius, Heavenly Demon?" she sneered. "You might have been, back when you defeated us, but even then, you were older than us. You seem to have forgotten that everyone ages."

And then, right before everyone’s eyes, the Heavenly Demon began to be pushed back, slowly, by her alone.

Chun Ma’s eyes widened, question marks practically written across his face. What the fuck is going on?

Was the Heavenly Demon really being forced back by just one of the Twelve Heavens? Wasn’t he supposed to be the strongest?

The sheer shock he felt was unlike anything he had ever experienced with mind-shattering disbelief.

Suddenly, the Heavenly Demon paused, took a deep breath, and sneered, "These old bones are still capable of much more." A burst of strength outputted, and now it was the Tenth Heaven’s turn to be pushed back again.

This time, she was completely overwhelmed; however, the First Heaven suddenly stood up and competed with the Heavenly Demon.

The Heavenly Demon was completely shocked, his eyes wide, looking at the First Heaven, "You... you have also reached the Transcendent Martial Realm."

"Yes." The First Heaven bowed respectfully, "Not only us two but..."

"All of us."

Twelve Transcendent Martial Artists’ pressure pressed upon the Heavenly Demon.

Cold sweat dripped down from the forehead of the Heavenly Demon, his eyes were in disbelief as he was forced to kneel down, "H-how!?"

"How?" The Tenth Heaven looked at him with an even colder expression. "You are nothing, Heavenly Demon. Leave us alone, and we will not stand in your way."

They withdrew their pressure, and the Twelve Heaven returned, taking to the skies and leaving the place.

The people of the Demonic Cult saw it, his guards saw it, everyone and their mother saw it.

The Heavenly Demon was on his knees, unbridled rage twisting his face, his eyes bloodshot from humiliation.

The humiliation of being defeated by one’s subordinate and dismissed in disdain, how could anyone in this prideful Martial World bear it? The depth of the Heavenly Demon’s humiliation was something that could scarcely be imagined.

Then the Heavenly Demon closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and revealed serene pupils. He stretched his body and muscles.

There was an eerie calmness in him that made Chun Ma a little uncomfortable.

"Let’s go, my disciple," the Heavenly Demon said with a smile.

Chun Ma narrowed his eyes, turned around, and walked away.

"Are you going to leave me too?" the Heavenly Demon’s cold voice rang in his ears.

"Yes." Chun Ma paused. Even without looking, he knew the Heavenly Demon was right behind him.

"How did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That guard I sent you was an assassin," the Heavenly Demon said, a cruel smile spreading across his face.

Chun Ma froze on the spot. In that moment, he knew the Heavenly Demon had completely torn off his mask and revealed his true nature.

"Tell me, kid, are you going to make this difficult for me, or are you going to follow me quietly?"

Honestly, Chun Ma could escape from here if he wanted to, but he still desired the later stages of the cultivation technique. So he spoke with a defeated tone:

"I will follow you."