The wind was calm, and the scent of orchids filled the air.

This was a beautiful valley where birds sang and flowers bloomed, where spring was eternal, and the sound of sprightly springs echoed.

Clad in a white palace dress, the exquisitely beautiful dragon girl Han Kui gazed up, bewildered, at Hong Yuan, who was slowly awakening amidst the flowers.

"Jiuming, what’s wrong?"

Han Kui’s voice was soft and mellow, clear as water from a mountain stream, exceedingly pleasant to hear.

"Nothing much." Hong Yuan waved his hand dismissively and walked alone to sit down on a stone chair in the pavilion.

With eyes slightly closed, he felt the power of this body.

The cultivation was that of a Demon Saint that had passed three tribulations and was only one step away from the eighth rank.

His Tao Marks were nearly all Great Moon Tao Marks, close to four hundred thousand in number—an extraordinary and stunning amount.

The Holy Artifact was the Great Moon Virtual Mirror, which had already reached the rank of a heavenly artifact.

As for Divine Powers...

"Hm!?"

Hong Yuan looked at the Divine Skill Talisman within him that resembled the Great Moon Star, somewhat surprised.

A heavenly Divine Power, the Cold Moon Seal!

Taking all aspects into consideration, this body’s combat strength is likely stronger than the Saint Lord of the Demon Clan’s Holy Land, and perhaps even the Elders of the Five Great Human Tribe Academies. Hong Yuan quickly made a judgment.

He hadn’t forgotten how Tianli, with the body of a seventh-rank Demon Saint, had beaten the Ten Thousand Demon Saint Lord.

Now, his combat strength was built upon the foundations of Tianli’s Creation and had taken its own path. It would only be stronger than Tianli’s at the same period, not weaker.

What Tianli was capable of doing, he could do as well.

Now, I am truly standing at the pinnacle of this realm. At the very least, on the midpoint of the mountain! Hong Yuan gained an insight. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

However, to command his full combat strength, he still needed personal practice and familiarity.

On the other side, Han Kui looked at "Han Jiuming," who was resting with his eyes closed. A tinge of worry crossed her brows, but she decided that as a demon, she should not be too selfish.

She approached Hong Yuan and said, "Jiuming, Kun Rong is in big trouble and urgently needs your help—"

「」

Tianli was dead, and Han Jiuming had received Tianli’s Demon Realm.

Having acquired a wealth of cultivation resources, Han Jiuming suddenly vanished without a trace, lying low to digest the resources and augment his strength.

During this time, various forces within the Demon Clan stirred, with all sorts of powers emerging.

They believed that Han Jiuming’s defeat of Tianli was purely opportunistic, that his talent and aptitude were negligible, and that he was merely a transitional figure for the Contemporary Demon Tribe Heavenly Mandate.

Thus, a noisy and bustling struggle for the position of Son of Fortune in the Demon Clan ensued, with one faction rising as another fell.

Against this backdrop, the Sky Roc Clan sought to forge a marriage alliance with the Kunyu Tribe to produce a "Kunpeng," aiming for the position of Son of Fortune of the Demon Clan!

Kun Rong, who shared the same master as Han Jiuming, was considered to have the best talent and fortune for this plan.

Therefore, their sights were set on her.

Kun Rong was unyielding. She refused, stating she had already pledged her heart to Han Jiuming.

But the old folks of the Kunyu and Sky Roc Clans pressured her, threatening her with her younger siblings and the Nine-tailed Crocodile Dragon!

The affair caused an uproar in the Endless Sea Area, becoming the talk of the town.

Han Kui, aware of the situation, pondered and ultimately decided to inform Han Jiuming of the truth.

She was fond of Han Jiuming, but she did not wish to defeat Kun Rong in such a manner to become his Dao companion.

"How dare you!" Hong Yuan bellowed angrily, his face darkening.

The Holy Artifact, the Great Moon Virtual Mirror, also vibrated intensely, expressing its rage.

In an instant, the heavens and the earth turned dark as night, with thunder serpents twisting through the clouds, ferociously flamboyant.

The mere change in his mood had caused a shift in the weather.

It had to be said, the power of this body was truly formidable.

At that moment, Hong Yuan remembered how Master Heavenly River had charged him to take good care of Kun Rong and had expended his last bit of energy paving a way for him.

He remembered the various ways Kun Rong had assisted him in refining the Great Moon Virtual Mirror.

Han Jiuming is unworthy of the Destiny?

Should Kun Rong suffer consequences because of Han Jiuming?

Not even Tianli, who despised Han Jiuming to the bone, went as low as you, Sky Roc Clan and Kunyu Tribe. How splendid of you!!!

During the struggle in the Ten Thousand Domains, Hong Yuan had also come to know Han Jiuming to some extent.

Despite the confusion this brought, no matter what, Han Jiuming was a king, and kings should not be insulted!

Hong Yuan suddenly sneered coldly, his eyes as frosty as eternal ice.

"Han Kui, you should return now."

With a wave of his sleeve, the dragon girl Han Kui was immediately taken into his own Demon Realm.

He exerted force under his feet and immediately soared to the sky, heading towards the Northern Ming Sea.

「」

In setting out on this journey, Hong Yuan knew he was being somewhat rash.

Both the Sky Roc and Kunyu Clans were ancient elite families with profound backgrounds, each being pillars of the various Holy Lands.

This journey was fraught with danger, yet Hong Yuan still chose to proceed.

Since he took the body and name of Han Jiuming, he was Han Jiuming in this era!

Whether Dream Tao was real or false, or whether it was about seeking truth in dreams or turning fantasy into reality, Hong Yuan no longer cared.

Perhaps it was due to the frustration of being suppressed for too long by an astounding trap set by the Human Clan in reality.

Perhaps it was his own conscience stirring, not wanting to be unfair to Master Heavenly River’s nurturing or to Kun Rong’s affection.

Without the help of Master Heavenly River and Kun Rong, his journey in the Cold Moon Dragon dream would likely have ended long ago.

Now, alarmed to hear Kun Rong was in trouble and crying desperately for help.

Whether as "Han Jiuming" or as "Xuan Guangqiao," Hong Yuan would come to her aid.

Does poverty inspire cunning plans? Does wealth foster a good heart?

Why am I thinking so much? Something isn’t right.

Clearly, rescuing Kun Rong is the plot event of the seventh dream act...

Transformed into frost lightning and soaring through the sky, Hong Yuan suddenly furrowed his brow.

He guarded his heart.

His real name was Hong Yuan!

Xuan Guangqiao, Bo Qing, Han Jiuming—they were all but his disguises.

Playing others is one thing, but to fool oneself—that would be incredibly foolish.

「」

"Han Jiuming has appeared, rushing toward the Northern Ming Sea," announced a Demon Saint from the Sky Roc Clan, clutching an Information Tao secret missive in his hand within the Tianque Palace of the Kunyu Tribe.

"He still can’t stay calm, can he?"

"Tianli was too proud, hindered by the empty reputation of the Heavenly Horned Ant."

"If Tianli had been willing to use underhanded tactics back then, he would have captured Han Jiuming long ago."

Mo Yilun stood with his hands behind his back.

He had once been defeated consecutively by Hong Yuan and Tianli. Yet now, among the sensational great demons still active in the world, he, Mo Yilun, was the one who remained!

"Son of Fortune? Such a rat. The Dragon-transformed Demon Cultivators wanted to rise by borrowing his power; I’m afraid it’s a long way off, HAHA." The Pengyu Demon Saint laughed heartily.

He was the sacred son of the Sky Roc Clan, a Space Tao Cultivator, and also the Sky Roc Clansman betrothed to Kun Rong.

Within the Tianque Palace complex of the Northern Ming Sea, numerous Demon Saints gathered, silently awaiting the drama to unfold.

The news of Hong Yuan’s impending arrival at the Northern Ming Sea hadn’t remained a secret.

Yet what they didn’t expect was that after lying dormant for so long, Hong Yuan would emerge due to a romantic entanglement between fellow disciples, which was indeed too imprudent.

They all believed that if Hong Yuan had stayed in hiding for another two or three hundred years, pushing his cultivation to the eighth-rank as a Master, then the Demon Clan would have no one able to stand against him anymore.

No, even if he were just one step away from reaching the eighth rank, it would have sufficed!

However, it now seemed that Hong Yuan was still too imprudent.

Defeating Tianli initially depended entirely on his hidden and elusive "rat-like" cunning.

"Soul Tao is rising, and Human Race Destiny has emerged."

"Yet our Demon Clan is still incessantly fighting over the mantle of Destiny. SIGH." Many elder Demon Saints lamented.

Regardless, Hong Yuan’s victory over Tianli to become the new generation’s Son of Fortune proved he had the absolute potential to lead the Demon Clan.

It was just that the means by which Hong Yuan defeated Tianli were too disgraceful, too dramatic, leading many to think Hong Yuan was nothing special, believing anyone could replace him. Hence the restlessness within the Demon Clan.

And the old immortals of the Demon Clan tacitly wished to find a more ferocious Demon Clan Destiny bearer.

Even the long-sealed Divine Source Sky was unsealed, summoning several formidable demons with potential not inferior to Tianli.

Among them was the Worm Roc Gu Jingshou!

「」

Within the Kunyu Tribe, numerous Tianque Palaces floated amidst the clouds, mist swirling around them, appearing like a vast ocean hanging upside down in the sky—truly magnificent.

「A secluded palace courtyard.」

Kun Rong was imprisoned here, unable to step outside.

Under the banyan tree, Kun Rong leaned back, looking up at the moon with a yearning gaze.

By her side, the Nine-tailed Crocodile Dragon lay collapsed on the ground, gazing at her mournfully, hating its own weakness.

Even as a once unmatched powerful Desolate Beast, facing the Kunyu Tribe and the Sky Roc Clan, it was still too weak.

Not only did it fail to protect Kun Rong, but it also became a tool used by them to control her.

WHIMPER... With that thought, a fierce light flashed in the eyes of the Nine-tailed Crocodile Dragon.

One day, I will devour all the Sky Rocs in the world!

"Master—" Kun Rong, gazing at the Milky Way in the sky, thought of Master Heavenly River and involuntarily reached out toward the starry river.

Gradually, she recalled the days she spent studying under Master Heavenly River.

The more she remembered the free and easy past, the wider the smile on her lips became.

Yet for some reason, as the dim moonlight shone upon her, tears began to fall from the corners of her eyes.

"Senior Brother Jiuming..." Kun Rong’s gaze shifted from the Milky Way to the moon, and tears streamed down her face.

The next moment, a Bronze Mirror appeared silently out of the void.

Hong Yuan’s figure emerged in the moonlight. Kun Rong, thinking she saw an illusion, forced an even more bitter smile.

The keenly perceptive Nine-tailed Crocodile Dragon, however, widened its eyes, staring at the utterly unfamiliar figure before it.

With handsome features and an extraordinary demeanor, ethereal like an immortal, under the starlight, Hong Yuan seemed like the Great Moon Star Lord.

"When you call me, I must come," Hong Yuan sighed softly.

Hearing this voice, Kun Rong was stunned for a moment before she moved forward to embrace Hong Yuan, weeping and sobbing.

It was as if she had found her support, eager to cry out all her grievances and sadness.

Hong Yuan lowered his head to gently inhale her scent, his hand softly stroking her hair. With affection, he said,

"I’m sorry you’ve been wronged."

"I’ll get justice for you; you’ll suffer no more."

"From now on, not only will you be the mischievous witch of our Huangqu River, but you will also be the most free-spirited little witch of the entire Demon Clan..."