Chapter 1398: Victory Within Grasp

The ancient corridor echoed with the clamor of battle, the starry sky stained with blood.

Long Tian, naturally gifted and trained by the Demon Lord since childhood, was the pride of the younger generation of demons, shining like the sun and moon, far surpassing the elite demons before him.

In the past, he could easily defeat his peers with his innate demonic weapon, requiring little effort.

However, today, a terrifying monk was watching from behind, forcing Long Tian to conceal his demonic aura to avoid exposing his identity and inviting death. Thus, he had to fight in an unfamiliar manner.

From the start, he was cautious and hesitant, inevitably falling into a disadvantage, narrowing the gap between him and his opponents.

The demons, however, grew fiercer and more relentless in battle.

Despite heavy casualties, the elite demons showed no fear, attacking like madmen, as if they didn't recognize Long Tian, each strike aimed to kill, leaving him with multiple wounds.

"Slash!"

A long halberd tore through his blood-stained white robe, leaving a deep gash on his skin. If not for Long Tian's high cultivation level, which allowed him to stop the demonic blood from flowing, his identity would have been exposed!

Even so, Long Tian gritted his teeth in pain, glaring coldly at the demons before him.

Among the attackers, besides the Ox Demons, was Long Yi from the Black Flood Dragon Clan.

Instantly, Long Tian's eyes filled with fury, and he sent a telepathic message to Long Yi.

"Bastard! Long Yi, have you gone mad? We've known each other since childhood. I didn't want to kill you, but you're really trying to kill me?!"

But Long Yi, as if deaf, continued to curse with a face full of grief, his killing intent surging once more.

"Long Tian! Today, we will avenge our clansmen and destroy your soul!"

With a roar, the other demons joined in, their combined killing intent flooding the starry sky like a sea of blood, threatening to engulf everything.

Destroy his soul...?

Hearing the deafening cries and seeing the demons' madness, Long Tian's eyes turned colder. He panted heavily, blood dripping from his hands, and remained silent.

He understood clearly now.

This was a life-and-death battle with no room for negotiation.

He had only killed a few Ox Demons out of necessity, never expecting such a dire consequence. The Demon Lord showed no mercy, even sending so many elites to hunt him down.

In the end, he was just a disposable pawn, worth less than a few dozen Ox Demons.

The grand cause of the demon race...

The promise of inheriting the future of the demon race.

All of it was just the Demon Lord's lies?!

How tragic!

Long Tian's heart was filled with mixed emotions, a sense of despair closing in. He had no time to think as the demons attacked relentlessly. He could only fight with all his might, looking for a chance to counterattack.

What chilled him even more was that Long Yi, whom he had known since childhood, showed no mercy, revealing his true form and unleashing the most powerful killing move of the Black Flood Dragon Clan.

"Heavenly Dragon Mountain Crash!"

A familiar voice echoed as a hundred-zhang-long black dragon, infused with terrifying power, charged towards him!

The massive dragon, empowered by immense cultivation, was like a divine weapon, unstoppable, crushing everything in its path, reducing the starry debris and demon corpses to dust!

Long Tian turned, his heart sinking.

Heavenly Dragon Mountain Crash...

This was the secret technique of the Black Flood Dragon Clan, requiring immense talent and over twenty thousand years of meditation in the Black Pool to master.

Among the younger generation, only he and Long Yi had learned it. This move was only used in life-and-death situations!

Long Yi was truly determined to kill him.

The Demon Lord must have issued a kill order.

In the end, he was worth less than some Ox Demons? The Demon Lord was truly cold-blooded, not even giving him a chance to explain, demanding his life for a few deaths?

All these years of loyalty, wasted!

Damn it!!!

As the massive black dragon loomed over him, Long Tian was enraged, his eyes filled with madness. He unleashed all his power, roaring as he charged forward!

"Boom!"

A sonic boom echoed through the starry sky, the shockwaves reverberating for tens of thousands of miles.

Debris flew everywhere, the terrifying force pushing relentlessly, the demons' agonized cries and desperate shouts drowned in the vastness of the universe.

After half an hour.

Long Tian stood alone, his clothes in tatters, gazing at the faint bloodstains in the starry sky, his eyes filled with complex emotions, unsure whether to feel joy or sorrow.

He had always considered himself a prodigy of the demon race, later favored by the Demon Lord, promised to succeed him, and had devoted everything to the demon race.

But now...

He was being hunted by his own kind, nearly losing his life.

Even though he had narrowly survived, Long Tian felt a lingering fear. The killing intent he had felt was real; the demons truly wanted him dead. If not for his exceptional talent and recent breakthrough, he would never have survived!

Recalling the battle, Long Tian's severely injured body trembled slightly, whether from fear or rage, he couldn't tell.

Looking at his trembling hands, Long Tian's eyes grew fiercer.

Since things had come to this, he had no choice.

If the Demon Lord wanted him dead, then he would abandon his demon identity. If you show no mercy, neither will I. A demon who doesn't look out for himself is doomed!

Taking a deep breath, Long Tian turned and flew towards the figure outside the Cloud Star.

As he approached, he bowed respectfully, already adept at playing the role of a Star Lord.

"Master, I apologize for the disturbance."

"My cultivation is limited, and I didn't expect these demons to be so powerful. As the Lord of Cloud Star, I am truly ashamed..."

Chen Kunpeng shook his head, a look of pity on his face.

Long Tian, who had once been so graceful, now stood in tattered, blood-stained robes, a pitiful sight.

The Star Lord had truly done his best.

Seeing this, Chen Kunpeng couldn't bring himself to blame Long Tian for his roughness. Even though the man's Buddhist nature was limited, he couldn't fault him.

Nodding slightly, Chen Kunpeng made a promise.

"Amitabha..."

"Benefactor, being a Star Lord is not easy. You nearly lost your life protecting Cloud Star, truly admirable."

"Compassionate Buddha, for your protection of all beings, I will grant you a great opportunity in the future."

"Good, good..."

The ethereal voice echoed like heavenly music.

Long Tian was stunned.

Though he had been branded a traitor by the demons, this monk was incredibly powerful and mysterious. If he could gain his favor, perhaps there was another path for him?

Thinking this, Long Tian looked up in surprise.

Only to find that Chen Kunpeng had already vanished into Cloud Star, leaving him once again in doubt and confusion. After being hunted by the Demon Lord, Long Tian would no longer easily trust any promises.

The monk had disappeared in an instant.

He didn't even specify when "another day" would be. Was this just another empty promise?

This wouldn't do!

Growing more anxious, Long Tian quickly transformed into a streak of light and followed Chen Kunpeng into Cloud Star.

As their auras completely disappeared.

In the depths of the starry sky, a giant black eye opened, blinked a few times, and then closed, vanishing into the darkness once more.

Meanwhile.

In the Demon Clan's Black Tower Hall.

The High Priest gently placed the crystal ball on the ground, the images within fading away. The demons smiled, as if they had achieved a great victory.

As the High Priest turned to praise them, the demons' flattery erupted in the hall.

"Lord, you are wise! Young Master Long Tian is indeed traveling with a human expert. With your brilliant plan, he will surely infiltrate the human ranks!"

"Your wisdom is beyond our reach!"

"Not just beyond reach, even if all our clans combined, we couldn't match a single finger of yours!"

"Exactly! I never expected humans to have such a terrifying monk. Cloud Star truly has something special, no wonder it's the center of the galaxy!"

"Hmph, no matter how powerful that monk is, he's still being played by our Lord!"

"With our Lord leading us, our clan will conquer the universe and rule for eternity!"

"Conquer the universe, rule for eternity!"

...

Hundreds of demons bowed in unison, their voices shaking the dark realm.

On the throne.

The Demon Lord's blood-red eyes gleamed with confidence, a smile of assured victory on his lips.

This ruse was flawless. After this battle, Long Tian's position among humans would be unshakable, allowing him to replace the missing Star Lord and manipulate the humans of the entire galaxy.

The Demon Clan had victory within their grasp!