The dilapidated Dragon Star Archipelago.

In the grey, misty sky, Hong Yuan caressed the Dragon Sparrow Zither, a look of admiration on his face.

The Dragon Sparrow Zither, unlike when it faced Lang Fanyun, was not aloof or cold. It lay very obediently in Hong Yuan’s hands, allowing him to freely pluck its strings, producing cheerful and pleasant sounds.

"Do Re Mi Fa..."

With a strum of Hong Yuan’s large hand, the Dragon Sparrow Zither immediately began to play.

In an instant, Azure Lotuses erupted from the void, and a gentle morning light shone upon the land.

Amidst the beautiful melody, the shattered Dragon Star Archipelago seemed to be held by an invisible, colossal hand, stitching it back together.

The Dragon Sparrow Zither could not only destroy but also repair!

"Good treasure, good treasure." Hong Yuan was overjoyed, cherishing the Dragon Sparrow Zither immensely.

This was a Holy Artifact, a significant Sonic Saint Instrument.

In the current world, Saints were many, but Holy Artifacts were few.

A Holy Artifact could enhance a Saint’s strength by at least thirty percent and help them overcome various tribulations.

How many Saints yearned for a Holy Artifact but failed to obtain one, still relying on Demon Instruments to battle their foes?

Yet he, Hong Yuan, merely at the Demon Realm, had already obtained a Holy Artifact.

All that arduous struggle in the Battle of the Ten Thousand Domains was for nothing more than a chance to obtain a Holy Artifact in the Heavenly Scenic Tower Demon Realm. And even then, acquiring one wasn’t guaranteed!

Yet now, I simply defeated an opponent and easily obtained a Holy Artifact. Although this Holy Artifact, the Dragon Sparrow Zither, is a Sonic Saint Instrument and doesn’t align with the school of cultivation I practice, I can learn...

Hong Yuan was ecstatic; the joy on his face was plain for all to see.

On the Dragon Star Archipelago, the surviving Demon Cultivators like Li Jianqiu and Gui Qu gazed at Hong Yuan, their eyes filled with envy and longing.

Which Demon did not dream of becoming a Demon Saint?

And a Holy Artifact, rarer still, was the dream within a dream.

Hong Yuan briefly experienced the Dragon Sparrow Zither’s functions and, with a thought, instantly concealed it on his person.

"Warriors! Your king is in high spirits today! We shall feast for seven days and celebrate a bountiful year!" Hong Yuan raised his arm and proclaimed.

Hearing this, the faces of the Zero Desolate Demon Soldiers lit up with smiles.

The King eats meat, and we get soup. Not bad at all!

...

...

Just as Hong Yuan was about to return to his dwelling to thoroughly study the Dragon Sparrow Zither’s functions, an enormous explosion thundered from high above, its sound reverberating to Cloud Soar.

Hong Yuan, standing in mid-air, sensed this aura. His eyebrows instantly knitted together. Well, well. That shameless old codger actually dares to show up himself!

A flash of lightning cut through the sky. A hazy figure, as radiant as a great sun in the Green Heaven, materialized in mid-air. An aura, like that of the sovereign of heaven and earth, permeated the space, causing the hearts of all living beings to tremble.

Even Hong Yuan felt a flicker of trepidation when directly facing this figure reminiscent of a sun in the Green Heaven.

This figure was none other than the Blue Fox Great Saint!

No martial virtue! Absolutely no martial virtue!!! Hong Yuan roared inwardly with rage.

Far away on the horizon, the Black Dragon Demon Saint witnessed this scene. Enraged, he desperately sped towards the Dragon Star Sea Region.

He truly hadn’t expected that the Blue Fox Great Saint, a dignified Great Saint, would actually stoop to bother with a junior Demon.

"Blue Fox, if you dare lay a hand on Guangqiao, I will kill you!"

However, something unexpected occurred.

Before the Blue Fox Great Saint could utter a word, the sky abruptly turned pitch black, devoid of any light.

A colossal hand reached out from the darkness, snatching the Blue Fox Great Saint and gripping him tightly.

"To reiterate, Demon Saints are not permitted to personally intervene in the Battle of the Ten Thousand Domains." An indifferent voice, devoid of any emotional inflection, spread across the sky.

However, the Demon Saints who had been preparing to enjoy the spectacle all turned grim, staring at the massive hand in shock.

How could it be Him!?

The Blue Fox Great Saint, seized by the black hand, instantly regained his clarity and began to plead, "I didn’t intend to interfere in the Battle of the Ten Thousand Domains! I didn’t mean to..."

Before he could finish, with a muffled squelch, the figure of the Blue Fox Great Saint and the black hand dissipated together, vanishing without a trace.

In mid-air, Hong Yuan silently watched this terrifying spectacle.

The joy of acquiring the Holy Artifact diminished by half, and clarity returned to his eyes.

CREAK...

Hong Yuan clenched his fists, thinking:

If one does not become a Saint, one is ultimately a chess piece. Even if I obtain a Holy Artifact, I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep it.

Saint? Saint. Saint!

At that moment, Hong Yuan made a decision.

He resolved to become a Demon Saint in this Battle of the Ten Thousand Domains, regardless of the school of cultivation.

...

「Far on the horizon.」

The Black Dragon Demon Saint halted his swift advance and set out for the Dragon God Sacred Land.

He was extremely gratified by his foster son’s growth.

For that reason, he too needed to take action; otherwise, he would not be able to protect his foster son in the future.

The Black Dragon Demon Saint had his own pride. The Blue Fox Great Saint’s actions had served as a stark warning to him.

The Qingqiu Fox Clan? Hmph.

「Meanwhile.」

Li Jianqiu’s master, the Red Luck Demon Saint, had witnessed the entire battle. The various extraordinary events, particularly Hong Yuan’s seizure of the Holy Artifact, left him profoundly shaken.

I had originally planned for Jianqiu to turn against this Xuan Guangqiao after fulfilling their three-year agreement.

But now it seems that even if Jianqiu were three or four times stronger, she would likely still be no match for Xuan Guangqiao.

The Red Luck Demon Saint slumped dejectedly onto his floral chair, picked up the teapot, and gulped down its contents.

Long ago, he had devised a plan for Li Jianqiu to leverage Hong Yuan: Hong Yuan would serve as a figurehead leader, allowing Li Jianqiu to develop her strength in the shadows.

Ultimately, a greatly empowered Li Jianqiu would break free from Hong Yuan’s control, display her might, and sweep across all the Sea Area Monarchs.

How can such an outrageous junior exist? The sea region battles in previous years took at least five or six years to conclude. This year, it might be over in less than one.

The Demon of Destiny... no, perhaps it’s more accurate to say that Xuan Guangqiao is, in all likelihood, the Son of Fortune of this era. Ye Jianfei and the others could never accomplish what Xuan Guangqiao has.

After pondering for a moment, the Red Luck Demon Saint sighed softly and began to resign himself to fate.

He accepted the fact that, compared to Hong Yuan, his disciple Li Jianqiu seemed rather ordinary.

...

[Holy Artifact: Dragon Sparrow Zither]

[Level: Human Level Sonic Saint Instrument]

[Function: Evoke celestial music to aid cultivation; unleash Demon Sound to attack and vanquish foes...]

In the spacious training room, Hong Yuan patiently familiarized himself with the Dragon Sparrow Zither, exploring its functions.

Normally, a Holy Artifact required Immortal Nuance to activate, with sixth-order Green Grapes Immortal Nuance being the minimum.

However, Hong Yuan found a clever workaround.

His Demonic Body’s soul and karmic fortune were of the Saint-level domain, so he used them as an energy source instead.

Using them as a makeshift power source, he could barely activate the Dragon Sparrow Zither. The effects were merely average, far less potent than its potential.

In the words of a programmer from his previous life: "As long as the program runs, don’t worry about how badly it’s coded."

Hong Yuan’s attitude towards the Dragon Sparrow Zither was much the same.

As long as he could activate it, he didn’t ask for much more.

"Hmm, not bad, not bad."

Hong Yuan was very satisfied. He patted the Dragon Sparrow Zither, then rose from a sitting to a standing position and lazily stretched.

One of the Dragon Sparrow Zither’s functions was to assist cultivation. Under its influence, Hong Yuan felt his Demonic Body’s cultivation rapidly approaching the peak of fifth-order high-grade.

Once he entered the Green Dragon Heavenly Scenic Tower Demon Realm, his Demonic Body’s cultivation would surely break through to fifth-order high-grade.

Green Dragon Heavenly Scenic Tower Demon Realm.

Perhaps I should decide which school of cultivation my Demonic Body will follow to break through to the Demon Saint Realm.

But this issue of conflicting Tao Marks is truly tricky...

Hong Yuan gazed up at the sky through the window, his eyes profound.

No matter how powerful one became in the Demon Realm, one was still merely a Demon.

For safety’s sake, it was time for his Demonic Body to charge towards the Demon Saint Realm!