On the battlefield, all eyes turned to Hong Yuan. Some were shocked, some delighted, some in panic...

Under Hong Yuan’s oppressive presence, a spectrum of emotions surfaced; even within the ranks of the Vermilion Bird Coalition Army, sporadic cries could be heard.

Clearly, the Demon Soldiers and Demon Generals of the Vermilion Bird Coalition Army had been terrorized by Hong Yuan!

By Hong Yuan’s side, the phantasmal visions of ten Immortal Caves dipped and rose. They gushed with endless Immortal Qi, casting Hong Yuan in a halo like an Immortal God among mortals.

Some Immortal Caves contained a cold moon, some nurtured boundless Frost Thunderbolt, some were filled with Ten Thousand Heavy Water...

As Hong Yuan confirmed his Demonic Body’s path to Saint Achievement and Immortal Transcending as Food Tao, especially with Food Tao Marks becoming the most prevalent in his body, his many Divine Skill Talismans also transformed accordingly.

What kind of spectacle was this?

"Even the young Demon Emperor might not compare to this..."

The Demon Soldiers and Demon Generals of the Vermilion Bird Coalition Army wailed miserably, the scene before them causing their scalps to tingle and their spines to chill.

Many of the Vermilion Bird Coalition Army’s Demon Soldiers fell to their knees uncontrollably; even some Sea Area Monarchs who ruled over their domains collapsed to the ground.

All Demons of the Vermilion Bird Coalition Army were nearly in despair.

This was a peerless demon hero, not unlike the Demon Emperor of old in his youth. Although they shared the same world, it seemed they were Demons of two entirely different realms.

Even if another army like that from the Heavenly Scenic Tower were to come, what would it change? It would probably only further provoke the opponent and bring forth a thunderous judgment.

"How could such a formidable demon hero emerge? Even common Demon Saints might not be his match... Could it be that the Great Dream Emperor will truly appear in this era!?"

Lin Wenti’s heart trembled uncontrollably, and he suddenly thought of the Human Race’s Three Emperors’ Theory.

Legend told that the last of the ten emperors of the Human Race was the Great Dream Emperor, the strongest Emperor throughout the ages.

He excelled in all schools of thought, was the Supreme Grandmaster of all paths, the only Tao Master in existence.

Now, witnessing Hong Yuan’s talents at just the Demon Realm, Lin Wenti couldn’t help but compare the Great Dream Emperor with Hong Yuan.

"HUFF." Lin Wenti took a deep breath.

At this moment, his old, close friend Ye Qing had entrusted all his hopes to him, and with the Vermilion Bird Coalition Army leaderless, he had no choice but to brace his spirit.

Sound Tao Divine Power—Jade Sea Tide Rises!

Lin Wenti’s eyes burst with divine light as he played the Jade Flute. The flute’s sound wafted through the air, evoking a Jade Sea Tide that reached from heaven to earth.

Hearing this flute sound, the hearts of the Demon Soldiers and Demon Generals of the Vermilion Bird Coalition Army were stirred, involuntarily rousing their will to fight.

This fighting spirit even momentarily surpassed the fear that Hong Yuan had instilled in them, straightening their spines once again.

"Qing, return now!" Lin Wenti shouted loudly.

Ye Qing, who had been scared senseless and lost his wits due to Hong Yuan’s might, felt as if struck on the head by a cudgel.

With a jolt, Ye Qing’s eyes once again shone with a divine light.

"Hmph, don’t tell me what to do."

Ye Qing, prideful and head held high, invoked his Divine Power.

Sword Tao Divine Power—Peach Blossom Shadows Fall!

Ye Qing drew the Peach Blossom Sacred Sword, which he hadn’t unsheathed in nearly a hundred years, thrusting it forward. Suddenly, a vision of falling blossoms appeared, creating a profound connection with the Jade Sea Tide phenomenon.

Two Heavenly Talents of the same origin, yet who had tormented each other, were now compelled to reconcile under the immense oppression of Hong Yuan.

Their Divine Powers complemented each other, forming a fierce attack at the level of the Saint Realm.

Indeed, it was:

"Peach Blossom Shadows Fall, the Divine Sword takes flight; Jade Sea Tide Rises, to the Jade Flute’s song!"

Seeing this formidable power, the Demon Soldiers and Demon Generals of the Vermilion Bird Coalition Army felt their hope reignite.

Hong Yuan’s expression remained as calm as an ancient well, unmoved, like an exalted Immortal God looking down from above.

"Go," Hong Yuan whispered.

The numerous Food Tao Marks stirred, entwining with the Immortal Cave Phenomenon formed by the Frost Thunderbolt Skill, and it thundered forward.

An astonishing scene unfolded!

This Immortal Cave Phenomenon transformed into boundless descending thunder, with lightning that swirled like mist, ethereal as smoke, surging like waves, and vast as water.

With just one collision, the Immortal Cave Phenomenon engulfed both the Jade Sea Tide phenomenon and the Peach Blossom Sacred Sword.

Quiet. Silence. The entire field fell into an ultimate stillness, as if sealed by a Temporal Tao Divine Power.

"No, this can’t be happening! I must be dreaming."

Ye Qing stood petrified, foolishly staring in bewilderment.

"GULP." Lin Wenti, who was playing the Jade Flute, choked upon seeing this, coughing nonstop.

The Demon Soldiers and Demon Generals of the Vermilion Bird Coalition Army, who had just straightened their spines, bent over again, hunching into balls.

The Immortal Cave Phenomenon flickered, thundering with deep roars, as bolts of frosty snow divine lightning exploded and spread forward.

Ye Qing and Lin Wenti snapped back to their senses and hurriedly blew the retreat horn.

Hong Yuan, however, did not choose to continue the attack. He sat firm in the center, his divine might vast and boundless.

Prisoners were being gathered, warships destroyed...

My battlefield has already extended to involve Saints.

I need to accumulate at least one hundred thousand Food Tao Marks; otherwise, the battle for the Ten Thousand Domains won’t end so quickly.

When all the reinforcements from the rear arrive, that will be the moment for me to launch a full-scale offensive. No rush, no rush.

Hong Yuan’s gaze was profound. The Flood Gathering War Banner beside him spun rapidly, transferring streams of Blood Tao Marks into his body and transforming them into Food Tao Marks.

With the increase of Food Tao Marks, Hong Yuan’s aura became even more mysterious and unfathomable, as vast as an endless ocean.

His realm began to loosen, inching closer to the peak of the fifth order bit by bit.

[Life Span +10,000]

[Life Span +10,000]

[...]

[Life Span: 2,564/1,523,456 → 2,564/2,100,045]

Watching the rapidly leaping data on the proficiency panel, especially the Life Span section, a smile couldn’t help but spread across Hong Yuan’s face.

Two million years of Life Span! I wonder if the entire history of the Human Race is even as long as my lifespan.

It’s time to consider a Divine Power that temporarily boosts combat strength by consuming Life Span. Otherwise, it would be quite embarrassing to be ambushed and killed.

If only my Demonic Body wasn’t targeted by the Human Race... how good would that be? But that’s impossible. After all, the bigger the waves, the more valuable the fish.

The existence of my Demonic Body has already become a grave threat to the Human Race.

The Human Race was powerful, having produced nine Great Emperors, but Hong Yuan did not panic at all. The sheer amount of Life Span he possessed gave him an indescribable sense of security.

In this regard, he surpassed the Great Emperors by far, far too much!

And don’t tell me a small win doesn’t count as a win!

「...」

Xuan Guangqiao is like a young Demon Emperor. Can I really catch up to him? Li Jianqiu kept asking herself. Her usually unwavering will trembled violently now, like a fine porcelain bowl wavering between shattering and remaining intact.

Dressed in red battle armor and twirling a paper umbrella, she silently observed Hong Yuan’s every move, letting all sorts of distracting thoughts churn within her, like a raging sea.

She desperately wanted to convince herself that Hong Yuan’s actions were nothing extraordinary. Given time, she could achieve the same. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

But recalling the vision of those ten Immortal Caves gushing Immortal Qi, especially Hong Yuan’s disdainful indifference to everything and his lofty, god-like demeanor, made it incredibly difficult for her to deny her true feelings and claim she could catch up to him.

How can such an existence even be real?

Li Jianqiu sighed deeply, feeling immense frustration in her heart.

At this moment, she felt like an excellent student who had just discovered a top-scoring peer, feeling overwhelmed by the pressure.

Raising one’s grades from failing to passing, or even to excellent, wasn’t that hard.

But raising grades from excellent to outstanding, or even into the realm of perfect scores—every single point then was as difficult as climbing to heaven.

In this moment, Li Jianqiu felt such a terrifying sense of torment!

Five thousand three hundred Tao Marks...

Five thousand four hundred Tao Marks...

Five thousand five hundred Tao Marks...

Meanwhile, Hong Yuan, the object of Li Jianqiu’s troubled thoughts, was immersed in the joy of his recent gains.

Through this great battle, he had actually increased his Food Tao Marks to over five thousand five hundred!

This was a fearsome rate of increase. Some ordinary Demon Saints and Martial Saints who had just entered the Saint Realm might not even possess as many Tao Marks as Hong Yuan.

For a moment, Hong Yuan’s emotions surged into euphoria.

He took out an erhu and slowly began to play, expressing his feelings through music.

Perhaps it was due to his lack of skill; though his mood was joyful, the music he produced was incredibly solemn and stirring, yet it paradoxically filled listeners with a sense of proactive, uplifting determination.

The Demon Soldiers and Demon Generals of the Zero Desolate Army thought he was consoling them, playing specifically to commemorate their fallen comrades, willing to perform such a ’lowly’ task—playing music, often associated with lower professions—despite his status as their overlord.

Each of them was moved to tears, becoming even more dedicated to their post-battle tasks.

"Let’s all put in more effort, and not let down the great kindness our king has shown us!"