This primordial world is not serious!

Chapter 915 - 461: Ksitigarbha: I Became Nine Netherworld's Undercover Agent (Part 2)

The bone-chilling black wind carried a rich scent of blood and decay, howling as it swept across the land. In the wind, sinister demon vines danced wildly, their tendrils covered in backward-growing bone spurs and crimson eyes. Each sway seemed to search for living creatures to devour.

In the depths of this land of withered silence and violent turmoil, there lay a dark abyss that seemed to swallow the entire universe. Within the abyss, countless pairs of blood-red eyes flickered, each gaze carrying the most primal greed, hunger, and malice. They watched every creature that was not of the Nine Netherworlds, as if the entire world was slowly and cruelly chewing on the despair of all the lost souls in the universe.

At the very core of this abyss hovered a grand and ancient palace—the Demon King Palace.

This palace was not resplendent with gold and jade but was forged with black divine gold that contained the Dao rhythm of the "End." The outline of the palace was faintly visible within the surging demonic qi, exuding a weight and silence capable of crushing through the ages. Here, in the last epoch, it was the supreme power center where the Demon Ancestor Immortal Yang Mei, who sought to overturn the Qiankun by merging with the Nine Netherworlds, summoned the demons under his command to rule the abyss.

Today, this Demon King Palace, dormant for endless years, was awakened once more.

"Everyone is here?"

A voice with a hint of amusement, like a stone thrown into dead water, gently resonated through the empty and silent palace, stirring layers of demonic echoes.

"Here!"

The response was not in unison but formed by dozens of wills interwoven with supreme demonic authority. Every syllable was filled with unyielding coldness.

The moment the voice fell, on either side of the hall, atop thrones carved as if from beast bones, large shadows shrouded in endless demonic qi slowly emerged.

They were the true rulers of the Nine Netherworlds, supreme demon kings who had divided the heritage of the Demon Ancestor.

On the eastern throne sat a youth in a blue Daoist robe, handsome but with eyes deep as the abyss. He was once an outer disciple of the Chan Sect, now the Eastern Demon King, Meng Huai, who wielded the authority of "transformation" and "deceit."

The western throne was occupied by a demon shadow composed entirely of dazzling light. The holy brilliance and extreme demonic intent blended perfectly, contradictory yet harmonious. This was none other than the Bright Demon King, renowned for his "Light of Fall."

Opposite him was the Dark Demon King, whose figure seemed an absolute void, unreachable by light or divine thought, only conveying the eternal sinking silence.

Also, there was the Thunder Demon King, surrounded by black silence divine thunder, every breath bringing flashes and thunder in the void; and the Myriad Poison Demon King, whose mere presence caused the surrounding space to begin decaying and collapsing.

Scarlet candlelight, fueled by the divine souls of demonic creatures, flickered restlessly in the hall, casting the tumultuous chaotic malice in their eyes. Low laughter of unclear meaning echoed in the hall, containing the power to corrupt all things, as if the flowing river of time turned sticky and slow in this laughter, ultimately leading to decay.

"Very good."

The Eastern Demon King Meng Huai, who spoke first, slowly stood up. His gaze swept over each demon king present, his voice clearly transmitting into the idea of every existence.

"The reason for summoning all Daoists here is to discuss a major unresolved matter—concerning the last relic of the Demon Ancestor, the supreme divine artifact symbolizing the Nine Nether's supreme authority, the Demon Emperor Claw."

Meng Huai's voice was neither hurried nor slow, carrying a peculiar allure: "Since the last epoch, after the Demon Ancestor was defeated by the Daoist Ancestor and died with hatred, the vast demonic lands and endless authority he left behind were inherited and divided by us, each claiming supremacy. Only this Demon Emperor Claw, bearing the Demon Ancestor's core Origin Dao, has been jointly sealed here, left unresolved."

He paused, a meaningful smile curling his lips: "An epoch has passed, and our Nine Nether cannot be without a master for a single day. Today, I propose that we extract this Demon Emperor Claw. Any among us who believes themselves capable and responsible enough to inherit this artifact, feel free to step forward."

"As long as any of you can truly gain the recognition of the Demon Emperor Claw, without being countered by it. From now on, we will collectively respect him as the Lord of the Nine Nether for this epoch, ruler of all demons. What do you say?"

Meng Huai glanced around, his gaze resting briefly on each demon king's face, seemingly waiting for the appearance of an ambitious one.

However, the hall fell into an eerie silence.

Moments later, the Bright Demon King's holy yet sinister voice sounded: "Meng Huai Daoist, your words are mistaken, impossible, impossible!"

"The Demon Emperor Claw is a relic of the Demon Ancestor, containing the power that shakes the heavens and the earth. Naturally, it should be a cover-shot demon with great virtue and responsibility." The Dark Demon King's voice followed, seemingly coming from the void, "We are merely fortunate successors of a sliver of the Demon Ancestor's authority, having neither merit nor ability, how dare we have the face to covet the Demon Ancestor's lifebound divine artifact?"

"Exactly, exactly!" Thunder Demon King rumbled in agreement, "Who doesn't know, though the Demon Ancestor was defeated by the Daoist Ancestor back then, he laid the most vicious curse, wanting to return this world to Chaos. With his death of hatred, how many causes and effects, how many backhands, how many curses enough to make even the Ones from the Other Shore turn pale are hidden in this Demon Emperor Claw? This is no divine artifact, but clearly a death warrant!"