Chapter 39: The Fall of the Eastern Prince

Di Jun glanced indifferently at the obliterated Daoist Tianhuo and said coldly, "Had you been the manifestation of the Primordial Divine Fire from the Undying Volcano, I might have held you in some regard. But since you are merely a manifestation of a wisp of sky-fire, how could you possibly survive against my Solar True Fire?"

The members of the Immortal Court watched this scene in stunned silence. They were all Quasi-Saints, yet Daoist Tianhuo had not even lasted a single exchange against Di Jun. Was the Demon Emperor Di Jun truly this formidable?

In truth, the disparity would not have been so vast against other Quasi-Saints. However, as Di Jun had just remarked, he was a Three-Legged Golden Crow born from the Sun Star, naturally mastering the Solar True Fire; most flames in the Primordial World were inherently suppressed by his power. Daoist Tianhuo was merely a manifestation of a wisp of fire from the Undying Volcano, and the fundamental gap between their origins was insurmountable. Furthermore, Di Jun was at the mid-stage of the Quasi-Saint realm, nearing the late stage, whereas Daoist Tianhuo had only just entered the Quasi-Saint realm. Not only was there a disparity in cultivation, but Daoist Tianhuo’s strength was further stifled by the suppression of their elemental origins, leaving him completely defenseless.

Having dealt with Daoist Tianhuo, Di Jun cast a cold, indifferent glance at the crimson-eyed Duke of the East, then turned to shout at the Immortal Court members below: "Those who defect from the Immortal Court within ten breaths shall live! Those who resist shall be slaughtered!"

Di Jun’s thunderous execution of Daoist Tianhuo had already shattered the courage of many in the Immortal Court. Hearing his words, many cultivators chose to flee. Within ten breaths, half of the once-imposing Immortal Court army had vanished.

Ji Meng, the most bellicose of the Demon Marshals behind Di Jun, turned to the demon army and bellowed, "His Imperial Majesty, the Demon Emperor, commands: Invade Penglai Immortal Island! Leave no living soul behind!"

As soon as Ji Meng finished speaking, thunderous war drums erupted, followed by the deafening war cries of the demon army that shook the firmament.

"Attack!"
"Attack!"
"Attack!"

The demon army, already eager for battle, surged into Penglai Immortal Island. In terms of sheer numbers, the Immortal Court’s army might have held their own for a time, but after being terrorized by Di Jun, half had already fled. Now, facing an enemy force that was already superior, the Immortal Court’s army found themselves outnumbered and suffered a crushing defeat; total annihilation was only a matter of time.

Meanwhile, the Duke of the East, Daoist Xuanshui, and the True Man Linggui struggled desperately under the siege of the Demon Marshals led by Ji Meng, unable to escape.

Before long, the sounds of battle on the island grew faint, signaling that few of the Immortal Court’s forces remained. Seeing that the Demon Marshals were taking too long to finish off the Duke of the East and his two companions, the Eastern Emperor Tai Yi could not hide his impatience.

"Brother, let me handle this," Tai Yi said to Di Jun. Di Jun nodded.

With Di Jun’s consent, Tai Yi’s eyes brightened. He shouted to the Demon Marshals, "Stand aside!"

The Marshals immediately cleared a path. Tai Yi unleashed the Chaos Bell, striking it toward the two remaining foes. Daoist Xuanshui, already at the end of his strength, had no means to defend himself. With a single strike, the Chaos Bell shattered his spirit, ending his life.

True Man Linggui, relying on his origins as a Mysterious Turtle, possessed a shell of immense durability. He used it to shield the Duke of the East, temporarily fending off the Chaos Bell’s strikes.

"Clang!" The Chaos Bell struck the shell again. True Man Linggui coughed up several mouthfuls of blood and collapsed to the ground.

"Brother, it is highly likely that Eastern Emperor Tai Yi has attained the Dao through pure strength and possesses an Innate Supreme Treasure. While his cultivation level may be lower than his brother's, his combat power exceeds him. We are no match for Di Jun, let alone Tai Yi. Brother, I can still hold them off for a moment. I will buy you time—flee! As long as the green hills remain, there will be a day for a comeback."

The Duke of the East shook his head. "Fellow Daoist Linggui, you should go! Tianhuo and Xuanshui died because of me; I cannot possibly flee now."

Turning to look at his decimated forces and then at Di Jun and Tai Yi, the Duke of the East’s expression turned manic. He flew out from behind the shell and roared, "Di Jun, Tai Yi! You two mongrel birds, even if I die, I will drag you down with me!"

Seeing the chaotic spiritual energy surging within the Duke of the East, Di Jun’s expression changed drastically. "Tai Yi, stop him! He’s going to self-destruct!"

Tai Yi immediately activated the Chaos Bell, attempting to strike down the Duke of the East, but it was too late. Amidst the Duke’s frantic laughter, a world-shaking explosion erupted.

The force of a mid-stage Quasi-Saint’s self-destruction was terrifying. Centered on Penglai Immortal Island, a wave of destructive energy swept in all directions, threatening to reach the mainland. If the power of the explosion reached the continent, countless lives would be lost, and even the earth veins along the East Coast would be damaged. This would be an immense karmic burden—the Duke of the East would be dead and gone, but the Demon Race would remain, and the karma would surely fall upon them.

Realizing this, Di Jun hurriedly deployed the River Map and Luo Shu to shield the Demon Race, while Tai Yi exerted his full strength to drive the Chaos Bell.

"Freeze!"

Tai Yi channeled his immense magic power into the treasure, forcing the terrifying destructive energy to halt, unable to spread any further. This was the power of the Innate Supreme Treasure—the Chaos Bell could stabilize the elements of earth, wind, water, and fire, compressing the force of the explosion within the confines of the East Sea.

This was the limit of what Tai Yi could achieve. Seeing this, Di Jun immediately ordered the demon army to retreat while he flew to Tai Yi’s side. He knew that even with the Chaos Bell, Tai Yi could hardly withstand the full force of a mid-stage Quasi-Saint’s self-detonation alone. The two brothers had to suppress it together to share the burden.

Confirming that the demon army had withdrawn, Tai Yi relaxed his suppression slightly, and a colossal explosion thundered over the East Sea. The force of the blast shattered the surrounding space, and within the chaotic spatial turbulence, both Di Jun and Tai Yi caught a glimpse of two islands wrapped in powerful innate seals—likely the legendary Yingzhou and Fangzhang Islands.

However, neither had the luxury to attend to them. They were blasted away by the force of the Duke’s self-destruction, suffering severe internal injuries that would take at least ten to twenty thousand years to heal. Yet, for Di Jun and Tai Yi, this was an acceptable price, for as of this day, the Immortal Court—the third-largest force that had posed the greatest threat to the legitimacy of the Heavenly Court—was utterly annihilated.

The Demon Race had proven with their strength that whatever "third-largest power" or "Head of Male Immortals appointed by the Dao Ancestor" meant nothing in the face of true power.

"Withdraw the troops," Di Jun said, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. The demon forces immediately followed.

Penglai Immortal Island, shattered into fragments by the explosion, ceased to exist. Yet, the demons did not notice that during the chaos, True Man Linggui had slipped into the East Sea and vanished. Meanwhile, a horsetail whisk flashed through the violent explosion, snatching away the Duke of the East’s true spirit before Tai Yi could stabilize the elements, disappearing into the void.