Amid the wails of the earth and the roars of the Demon King Duriel, this temporary team of Transcendents fleeing south felt utterly hopeless.
“Hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss!”
“The queen worm says we might as well turn back and fight the Little Flame King. The aura of the Demon King ahead is paralyzing her. She can't even muster a shred of resistance.”
“Huh? No way. I mean, the aura is terrifying, but it's only at the Legendary Rank. It hasn't undergone the qualitative change of the Mythic Rank, so how can we not fight back? Big bug, are you sure you're up for this?”
“Hiss, hiss.”
Hearing this, the Gu Master opened his mouth to speak but then closed it, choosing not to translate.
“Hey, Gu Master, why aren't you translating?”
The Gu Master shook his head and said,
“The queen worm says she has birthed more bugs than the grains of rice you've eaten in your life. You're the one who's not up for this.”
“Holy crap, this bug...”
Just then, the Gu Master seemed to realize something. He squatted down and pressed both hands against the ground.
“Wait, I think I know why the queen worm says she can't resist.”
“Hiss?”
“Why?”
“This Demon King named Duriel probably has some Zerg lineage, or rather, he's a Demon King with the appearance of a bug.”
“A bug? But isn't he a Demon King? Shouldn't he be a demon?”
“Who says there can't be bugs among demons?”
“Then what should we do now? Go back and fight the Little Flame King, or run in another direction?”
The Gu Master closed his eyes, lost in thought.
After a moment, he opened his eyes and muttered,
“Keep heading south. We'll fight this Demon King to the death.”
“Huh?!”
“Hiss?!”
Elsewhere, the Little Flame King arrived at the scene and recalled his clone, which had been on the verge of flickering out.
Looking at the tracks left on the ground, he realized the group had actually fled south.
“Heh, they'd rather face a Hell Demon King than face me? Hahaha! It seems my name as the Flame King is known to all. I just don't know which blind fool gave me the nickname 'Little Flame King.' Humph, if I ever find out, I'll definitely teach them a lesson.”
Miracle: “???”
No sooner had he spoken than—perhaps because his reckless words had offended an Eternal Rank entity—the favor of destiny instantly vanished, and calamity came knocking on his door.
The ground ahead suddenly collapsed, revealing a massive hole.
Sensing that something was wrong, the Little Flame King immediately transformed into fire and soared into the air.
However, in the next instant, a massive, spike-covered insectoid forelimb swept toward him.
Thud!
After a low, brief impact, the Little Flame King was directly swatted away by the insectoid forelimb.
Before his death, the Little Flame King stared at the forelimb, its owner—the terrifying Hell Demon King Duriel—and the giant worm-like torso of Duriel himself. His eyes were filled with resentment and confusion.
“W-Why...?”
Upon seeing the fall of the Little Flame King, the bullet comments in the livestream room exploded instantly.
Amita Giant Bug Guard: Lord Duriel is mighty! The Zerg are mighty!
Young God of Magic: Something's not right. Why can a Zerg queen affect a Hell Demon King? Even though this Duriel looks like a bug, at his core, shouldn't he be a demon?
Chaste and Valiant Saint: He is definitely a demon. Duriel's appearance is very similar to an ancient insectoid demon recorded in historical texts.
Black Magic Master: A Gu Master and a queen worm—what an interesting combination. As expected, only the forward-thinking youth of the Transcendent Rank could come up with such a method.
Please Call Me Top Scholar: Brother Black Magic, now you know why I recruit so many low-level apprentices. You always thought I was just after their free labor, but in truth, I'm freeloading on their young brainpower!
Just then, Tie Gelei seemed to receive another piece of news.
“Dear viewers, our station has just received a message from the tournament host, the Lord of the Undead, Lord Chen Xu. Just now, a Hell Demon King completed the kill on the star contestant, the Little Flame King, making history in the Grand Assembly of Transcendents! Therefore, Lord Chen Xu has decided to give away ten rare Eternal Rank crafting materials in the livestream room!”
The moment those words were spoken, Kunpeng instantly felt an ominous premonition.
Sure enough, in the next second, a spatial gate opened. Chen Xu's hand reached out from within and swiped across Kunpeng's back.
Ten scales immediately peeled off, crashing heavily onto the floor of the studio.
Afterward, Chen Xu withdrew his hand as if nothing had happened and closed the spatial gate.
At this moment, everyone present—Tie Gelei, Kunpeng, and Li Hu—and even the viewers in the livestream room were completely dumbfounded.
Just then, Tie Gelei received another message, snapping him out of his daze as he continued his broadcast.
“Cough, cough, cough. That's right! These ten rare Eternal Rank materials are none other than scales generously sponsored by Lord Kunpeng, the head of the Ten Yin Lords. At the same time, I have also received the latest news from my master, the world-renowned Crafts Sect. To celebrate this historic moment of the Grand Assembly of Transcendents, the Myriad Crucible will upgrade the rewards! Viewers who win a scale can also claim a free custom equipment service at the Myriad Crucible! Do not miss this golden opportunity. Send the bullet comment, [The Demon Kings Wreak Havoc, Making History!] right now to participate in the lucky draw. Take rare materials and top-tier equipment straight home!”
Instantly, the audience went wild, as if infected by the Mother of Hell.
The volume of bullet comments surged instantly, causing Miracle on the 44th floor another wave of headaches.
Inside the Undead Dao Court, Chen Xu, the Crafts Sect, and Li Taiji sat together, sipping tea while watching the livestream.
“Fellow Daoist Chen is truly uninhibited. No wonder you were able to comprehend a brand-new Dao principle so quickly.”
Li Taiji sighed with emotion, believing that Chen Xu's various unconventional behaviors showed that he followed his true heart and was naturally close to the Dao.
“Hahaha, but these livestreaming and lucky draw ideas that Fellow Daoist Chen came up with are indeed quite interesting. It has been many years since something so fun and novel has appeared.”
The Crafts Sect stroked his beard with a smile, clearly amused.
As veteran Dao Lords, they had experienced too much, making it difficult to find joy in daily life. Only grand events of this scale could bring them a sense of novelty and happiness.
However, Chen Xu merely shook his head with a smile, offering no explanation.
The Crafts Sect and Li Taiji assumed he was simply playful, which was why he had personally intervened multiple times since the Grand Assembly of Transcendents began.
Previously, whether it was the Martial Arts Tournament, the Immortal Dao Banquet, or the crafting assemblies organized by the Crafts Sect, the Dao Lords would only lend their names, leaving the actual execution to their disciples.
A Dao Lord would only make a brief appearance to set the general direction, rarely getting involved in specific matters.
Deep and frequent interventions like Chen Xu's were virtually unheard of.
Yet, Chen Xu had his own reasons for doing so.
From the moment the Grand Assembly of Transcendents officially opened and his title as the Lord of the Undead was broadcasted through the livestream, he had felt a vague sensation in the dark.
It was as if he was leaving an imprint on something, and the Dao principles within his body were transmitting the exact same message.
Since then, he had suspected that perhaps, by some stroke of luck, he had truly stumbled upon the path to the Existence Rank.
Thus, Chen Xu went with the flow, constantly making appearances during the Grand Assembly of Transcendents. First came the favorites list, then the intrusion of the Fire Elements, followed by the awakening of the Demon Kings, and now the livestream lucky draws.
Every action was designed to deepen the impression of Chen Xu in the minds of the myriad worlds' living beings.
In the past, in the eyes of the myriad worlds' living beings, Dao Lords were mysterious, high and mighty, and solemn.
Chen Xu deliberately did the opposite, taking an entirely different path to carve out a style unique to himself.
He wanted all living beings of the myriad worlds to immediately think of a distinct, unconventional Lord of the Undead whenever they thought of Dao Lords.
However, Chen Xu did not explain these reasons to the Crafts Sect and Li Taiji. He was still groping in the dark and experimenting, unsure if his path was the correct one.
If he discovered later on that he had taken a detour, wouldn't he be misleading others?
Thus, Chen Xu merely smiled without saying a word, continuing to watch the match.
“You two, who do you think the final ten of the Transcendent Rank will be?”
“From the current situation, unorthodox paths hold an immense advantage in the Transcendent Rank. For instance, that Daoist of Clan Corpses, or the Gu Master who can influence a Demon King. Therefore, I believe the final ten will mostly consist of unorthodox practitioners.”
“Hahaha, I also agree with Fellow Daoist Li's view. Unless your Demon Kings introduce some other variables, the Transcendent Rank should be won by the unorthodox paths.”
“Oh? You two are that certain?”
Facing Chen Xu's counterquestion, the Crafts Sect and Li Taiji smiled at each other and nodded.
“Of course.”
Rate on N.U.
