Chapter 717: Chapter 717

If it were at his peak, the Demon Venerable could have resisted a wave with his years of accumulated power and trump cards, and Liu Ruolan wouldn't have been able to defeat him.

The Demon Venerable was already at the end of his strength, and with the relentless assault from three True Immortals, his resources were nearly depleted.

A strike imbued with the vast primordial water power of the Wuwang Sea struck the Demon Venerable hard.

The terrifying energy exploded, and the space seemed to mushroom outwards. The shockwaves spread in circles, causing the sea to surge violently, as if hit by an unprecedented storm.

It took a long time for the aftershocks to gradually dissipate.

In the sky, the Demon Venerable still stood, as if trying to maintain an unyielding stance to the end. But a quick scan with divine sense revealed that his aura was as faint as a thread, his internal organs were pulverized, and his soul was shattered, on the brink of turning to dust.

Everyone around was silent, especially Wang Zongkun, whose fish-like eyes were wide open in shock, his tail curled up in fear, clearly startled by Liu Ruolan's sudden outburst.

It was fortunate that the Demon Venerable was a powerful True Demon Realm cultivator, with an extremely strong body and soul, barely holding onto a sliver of life.

If it were any Lingxu Realm cultivator, they would have been obliterated without a trace by that strike.

"Cough, cough~ I remember now."

The Demon Venerable, his breath faint, suddenly coughed up a mouthful of dark blood, yet his deathly pale face turned ruddy, a clear sign of a final burst of energy before death.

But he seemed unconcerned, instead looking at Liu Ruolan with a mix of fear and reverence: "It's you, it was you! Are you not dead, or have you reincarnated, reborn?" Thıs content belongs to 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝓷𝓮𝓽

Liu Ruolan flickered in space to appear before him, frowning slightly: "What, you recognize me?"

The Demon Venerable shook his head slowly, slightly agitated: "I'm only seven or eight thousand years old, how could I recognize you? But our Nether Fiend True Demon lineage has records of your deeds from our ancestors. I never thought... I would die at your hands. I lost this battle without grievance. However, it seems you haven't remembered your past."

"Could it be..." Elder Tianji, hearing this, seemed to recall something, his face suddenly changing, "Demon Venerable, could she be that one..."

"If not that one, who else could it be?!" The Demon Venerable's face flushed, his whole demeanor showing an unnatural excitement, like the remnants of a fire, "The first generation Demon Venerable of the True Demon Hall recorded much about that one. I was shocked when I read the records back then. The Primordial Water Sacred Diagram, the Primordial Water Sacred Sword, not just anyone is qualified to inherit them."

"Now that you mention it, it does seem a bit like her." Elder Tianji glanced at Liu Ruolan, his eyes showing a hint of awe, "But back then, I was sealed by the Holy Emperor for my unauthorized research on the fusion of souls and puppets, so I only have fragmented memories of that one."

"..." Wang Shouzhe and Liu Ruolan looked at Elder Tianji in surprise, "You wouldn't happen to be one of the [Top Ten Wanted Criminals], would you?"

"Uh, hehe. To be precise, I'm one of the Top Ten Wanted Criminals who has already been captured." Elder Tianji's expression was slightly awkward, "And because I was sealed for so long, and the Holy Emperor cleansed my soul's memories, I can only remember limited things and techniques."

"Uh, impressive, impressive." Wang Shouzhe cupped his hands, "It's not easy for Elder Tianji to have survived until now, truly remarkable."

"There's nothing remarkable about it." Elder Tianji smiled at Liu Ruolan, his tone unconsciously carrying a hint of reverence, "Compared to that one, we're just playing around. That one once chased the Holy Emperor..."

"Hmph, what is the Holy Emperor anyway!" The Demon Venerable snorted angrily, his tone dissatisfied, "Stubborn and old-fashioned, preaching benevolence and morality, yet he went to the [Primordial Dao Palace] in the Holy Domain to steal things? When discovered, he was hunted down, and even had the audacity to blow up the spatial passage, leaving that one stranded in our small world. The Holy Emperor is just a despicable old dog!"

Wang Shouzhe was also speechless.

The history books didn't seem to record it that way...

"Cough, cough! Demon Venerable, don't slander the Holy Emperor even on your deathbed." The True Lord of Enlightenment, no, the Immortal Sovereign of Enlightenment glared at the Demon Venerable, angrily rebuking, "Back then, the Holy Emperor went to the [Primordial Dao Palace] to seek aid, asking them to help us resist the invasion of the Demon Realm and repel the invading demons. But the Holy Heart was cold, so he had no choice but to take the [Chaos Annihilation Pearl], and with it, perished together with the Great Demon Lord and dozens of True Demons and the demon army, thus preserving a line of incense for our Shenwu World."

"Hehe~" The Demon Venerable sneered mockingly, "And leaving the Mystic Spirit Saintess stranded in the Shenwu World was also out of helplessness? I think he was trying to coerce the Mystic Spirit Saintess into joining forces with him against the demons. Moreover, at the last moment, if it weren't for the Mystic Spirit Saintess leading some so-called rebels to assassinate another Great Demon Lord of the Demon Realm, the Holy Emperor's plan wouldn't have succeeded."

Assassinate another Great Demon Lord?

Wang Shouzhe looked deeply at his wife, Liu Ruolan.

Was his wife so fierce in her past life? Even the second Great Demon Lord of the Demon Realm was taken down by her?

But by now, Wang Shouzhe had figured out some of the backstory. When Ruolan went to assassinate the second Great Demon Lord, she probably had Lu Wei with her. Although they succeeded in the end, she must have been seriously injured.

Most likely, Lu Wei risked her life to save her, sealing her true spirit within the Innate Dao Embryo Spirit Seed, allowing her to reincarnate.

Perhaps, this is also why his wife has two personalities. One is Liu Ruolan, and the other is Liu Ruoling, the latter likely being the main consciousness of the Mystic Spirit Saintess.

It's just that Wang Shouzhe couldn't figure out whether his first time was with Ruolan or Ruoling?

"What are you thinking about?" Liu Ruolan glanced at Wang Shouzhe, "Are you thinking about the other me?"

"No, no matter what my wife's origins are, she is my Wang Shouzhe's wife." Wang Shouzhe immediately held her hand affectionately, "I'm just worried that once my wife knows her background, she'll want to go back, leaving me and all the children."

"Is there something wrong with your head? I advise you not to think about such melodramatic things." Liu Ruolan glared at him, "Whether what Chao Qianchuo said is true or not, even if it is, so what? I've already started a family with you here, where else could I go? Instead of wasting time, why not play a few more rounds of mahjong."

"Yes, yes, my wife is right." Wang Shouzhe finally relaxed, "In any case, the Changning Wang's Clan is our home, and we're not going anywhere."

The Demon Venerable watched this scene and couldn't help but sigh deeply: "Time, fate... I schemed all my life, yet I didn't expect to kick such an iron plate. However, it's only right that I give you this life. Our Nether Fiend lineage's founder created the Nether Fiend True Demon Scripture by picking up the corpse of a Nether Fiend Demon God you killed."

By now, the effect of his final burst of energy was fading, and the Demon Venerable's face was turning pale and defeated.

"Chao Qianchuo, you misunderstood." Liu Ruolan watched this scene calmly, her words brutally honest, "Your failure wasn't because of me. Even without me, you'd still be dead if you encountered my husband."

The Demon Venerable's eyes flickered, seemingly unconvinced and disbelieving.

But before he could speak, another voice, filled with resentment, came from behind him: "Shouzhe, you're being quite unfair~ You promised that the final blow would be mine. I was waiting to earn more merit, but Ruolan beat me to it."

As he spoke, Yuntai An had already retracted his Dragonblood Demon God form, transforming back into human form, swiftly descending from the sky to stand before everyone.

His tone was filled with teasing, clearly harboring a deep grudge.

Before Wang Shouzhe could speak, Liu Ruolan had already shot him a sideways glance: "Yuntai An, do you have a problem?"

"No, no, I have no problem with you..." Yuntai An was quite compliant, "I only have a problem with Shouzhe."

"If you have a problem with my husband, then naturally you have a problem with me." Liu Ruolan snorted coldly, her tone matter-of-fact.

"Alright~" Yuntai An immediately backed down, his attitude incredibly honest, "Then I have no problem now."

You couldn't blame him for being so submissive. Not to mention Liu Ruolan was Luo Miao's sister-in-law, just her strength alone made him feel a chill down his spine.

A Divine Realm cultivator fighting a True Demon, even if it was a weakened True Demon, was still quite impressive, right? Once she advanced to the True Immortal Realm, wouldn't her combat power be unparalleled?

By then, would there be anyone in the Shenwu World who could match her?

"Since my husband promised to let you deliver the final blow, then go ahead, lest anyone say my husband is untrustworthy." Liu Ruolan waved her hand, straightforwardly, "The merit points are yours."

Yuntai An looked at the Demon Venerable, who was already on the verge of death, and felt completely uninterested: "Forget it, forget it, in his current state, if I really delivered the final blow and claimed the merit, wouldn't Miao Miao laugh at me later?"

"It's you?!" The Demon Venerable had been staring at Yuntai An for a while, finally recognizing him, his face full of shock, "The newly risen Dragonblood Demon God of the outer regions is actually a human!"

If he hadn't fought with the Dragonblood Demon God and had a deep impression of its aura, he would never have imagined such a bizarre thing.

How could a human disguise as a Demon God without revealing a single flaw? Not only himself, but even the real Demon Gods were fooled!

"What, not convinced?" Yuntai An sneered, "If it weren't for the fact that you're about to die, I'd really want to settle the score with you. You really hit hard."

"So that's how it is, that's how it is~"

The Demon Venerable's eyes flickered, finally understanding the true cause and effect.

He looked at Wang Shouzhe with an extremely complex expression: "All of this was your doing behind the scenes. What a brilliant strategy. I thought I only lost one game, but I didn't realize I lost from the start, losing everything."

He had schemed and calculated, yet it was all within Wang Shouzhe's calculations.

In this situation, he found it truly difficult not to lose~

"Sigh~ So be it, so be it." The Demon Venerable sighed deeply, his face turning defeated, "Thank you, Mystic Spirit Saintess, for leaving me some dignity."

With that, he suddenly closed his eyes, using his last strength to mobilize his remaining soul power.

The soul fragments exploded instantly.

With a violent energy fluctuation, the Demon Venerable's body and soul turned to dust, completely dissipating in the sky.

The storage ring, True Demon Scripture, and various treasures burst out.

Wang Shouzhe raised an eyebrow, his divine sense scanning the surroundings: "Wife, your spiritual sense is sharper than mine. Do you think the Demon Venerable's self-destruction is real or fake? Did he leave any remnants of his soul to harm future generations?"

"Husband, you're really too cautious. If I had been half as cautious as you back then, would I have fallen for the Holy Emperor's trap?" Liu Ruolan glanced at him, "Rest assured, from what I observed, Chao Qianchuo is truly gone."

"Saint... Ruolan is right." Enlightenment and Di Xiu also confirmed, finding no signs of the Demon Venerable's soul escaping, truly dead with no chance of resurrection.

"In that case, I'm relieved." Wang Shouzhe casually grabbed in the air, collecting the Demon Venerable's spoils.

Among them, the most important item was naturally the [Nether Fiend True Demon Scripture].

Because of Liu Ruolan, Wang Shouzhe had seen Sacred Diagrams, but this was his first time seeing a True Demon Scripture or Immortal Scripture.

Its shape was somewhat similar to a codex, also in the form of a book, but it looked heavier, with more intricate patterns on the pitch-black cover, and its aura was more profound and deep, carrying an extreme netherworld aura, seemingly resonating with the laws of heaven and earth, mysterious and unfathomable.

Just as Wang Shouzhe was about to examine it closely, a disgruntled female voice suddenly came from within the Nether Fiend True Demon Scripture: "Let go of me! I hate your aura!"

As she spoke, a female spirit artifact in a black robe emerged from the Nether Fiend True Demon Scripture.

She was a young woman, appearing to be in her twenties, with a voluptuous figure and delicate features, exuding a strong netherworld aura.

She glared at Wang Shouzhe with anger, her tone full of disdain and dislike: "Take your filthy hands away, such an annoying life aura..."

Before she could finish speaking, Wang Shouzhe grabbed her and tossed her into the storage ring.

This True Demon Scripture was completely unsuitable for him, but it was perfect for Ancestor Long Yan, so he couldn't be bothered to argue with her.

Spirits often have proud and stubborn personalities, and instead of wasting effort communicating with her now, it was better to give her to Ancestor Long Yan, who had a bloodline and aptitude that matched well, to communicate with her.

With this Nether Fiend True Demon Scripture, Ancestor Long Yan wouldn't have to painstakingly forge a path to the True Demon Realm.

After all, that path is truly difficult.

He had once specifically discussed it with Lu Wei, learning that the difficulty of this path far exceeded ordinary people's imagination, with countless obstacles to overcome, each one a formidable challenge.

Even she, back then, only managed to walk the path to True Immortal with the help of the Holy Emperor's Green Emperor Sacred Diagram and a high-level codex.

After all, having an existing path to refer to is naturally much simpler.

And apart from her, the others who achieved True Immortal or True Demon status through a half-step Immortal Scripture either had special opportunities or took shortcuts. For example, the Blood Venerable achieved True Immortal status by burning his life essence to forcibly break through the barriers.

Although the Ancestor had Heavenly Daughter aptitude, extraordinary talent, and exceptional comprehension, deserving of the phrase "gifted by the heavens," no one could guarantee she could reach the True Demon Realm without the True Demon Scripture.

After all, since the establishment of the Immortal and Demon Dynasties, there have been those who challenged it.

And those who dared to challenge the True Immortal or True Demon Realm with a high-level codex or half-step Immortal Scripture, weren't they all gifted by the heavens? If having Heavenly Son or Heavenly Daughter level aptitude was enough to walk this path, wouldn't someone have succeeded in the tens of thousands of years since?

Even if the Ancestor could forge a new path to the True Demon Realm, the time and effort required would be several times that of normal cultivation, and she might end up as an old woman of three or four thousand years by the time she achieved True Demon status.

If she was a step too slow and failed to break through before her lifespan ran out, wouldn't all her efforts be in vain?

Besides the True Demon Scripture, Wang Shouzhe also acquired two True Demon Artifacts this time.

In this regard, the Demon Venerable was quite wealthy, considering the Wang's Clan had only one Immortal Artifact so far.

One of the True Demon Artifacts was the [Nether Fiend True Demon Banner], which could be used for both offense and defense, as well as for stealth, with strong comprehensive abilities and balanced performance, making it a highly practical True Demon Artifact.

Logically, it was quite suitable for Ancestor Long Yan.

However, the defeat of the Demon Venerable was not solely Wang Shouzhe's achievement. Having taken the True Demon Scripture, it was only fair to distribute the two True Demon Artifacts.

He looked at Enlightenment, Di Xiu, and Elder Tianji: "Which senior needs the Nether Fiend True Demon Banner?"

Enlightenment and Di Xiu both shook their heads: "Master Wang Shouzhe, we were able to glimpse the thirteenth-level true meaning and advance to celestial plants thanks to your help. We only contributed a little in this battle, and still owe you a favor, so how could we take the spoils?"

Elder Tianji hesitated for a moment, but eventually said: "This True Demon Banner seems quite suitable for your Ancestor Long Yan, so I won't compete with her for it."

"Then Elder Tianji, please accept this [Netherworld Immortal-Slaying Blade]." Wang Shouzhe generously handed the other True Demon Artifact to Elder Tianji.

The Netherworld Immortal-Slaying Blade had a very imposing appearance, quite fitting for Elder Tianji's image.

Elder Tianji took the blade, lovingly caressing its razor-sharp edge, delighted: "I have a fondness for using blades. It's just a pity this is a demon blade, so I'll need to cleanse it of its fiendish aura and reforge it with top-tier treasures to convert it into an Immortal Artifact, a process that will be quite laborious... Thank you, Master Wang Shouzhe. Once Ningxi grows a bit more, I'll pass... wait!"

Suddenly, the smile on Elder Tianji's face faded.

He looked at Wang Shouzhe, finally realizing something was amiss: "My beloved disciple Wang Ningxi is from the Wang's Clan, isn't he? So all the effort and resources I'll spend on cleansing this True Demon Artifact will ultimately benefit the Wang's Clan?"

Why did he feel like he was at a loss?

"Uh... there's also a semi-Immortal Artifact-level storage ring with some treasures inside, which we'll open slowly once we return to the Wang's Clan." Wang Shouzhe quickly changed the subject, "Then we'll share it with everyone. It's getting late, let's head back early."

With Wang Shouzhe's diversion and urging, the group soon set off on their return journey.

On the Red Moon Wuwang Fleet, the Blood Sea King wiped the sweat from his forehead, finally relaxing after a day of anxiety.

This was undoubtedly the most thrilling day of his long life.

He had actually witnessed the once-mighty Demon Venerable being taken down and even saw what seemed to be a Sacred Diagram from afar.

All of this had far exceeded his psychological capacity, leaving his heart pounding and his mind in a daze, with a strong sense of unreality.

Fortunately, the other party's level was too high, not caring about a small fry like him, not even sparing a glance. Otherwise, he might not have lived to see the next day's sun.

But now, the urgent matter was not to dwell on these thoughts.

He needed to quickly relay the news back to the Demon Dynasty and inform the Demon Emperor Ancestor.

With the Demon Venerable's death, the world was truly about to change.

The actions of the Blood Sea King and his side were naturally unknown and irrelevant to Wang Shouzhe and the others.

On the return journey, without the need to confront the Demon Venerable, their speed was much faster than when they came.

Unknowingly, they arrived above the Great Gan.

By the Western Sea, the Blood Child Demon Lord and Emperor Yuan You, who had been frightened and were now huddled in the military camp, were fiercely debating their next move, whether to retreat or wait and see. Both sides were at an impasse, unable to decide.

In the sky, several terrifying True Immortal Realm auras swept across, covering half the sky.

The Blood Child Demon Lord's "tiger body" trembled, nearly collapsing to the ground.

It was over, it was over~ The Demon Venerable was either suppressed or directly eliminated. These True Immortal elders must be coming to settle accounts with him.

Emperor Yuan You and Emperor Yan Qing were also wide-eyed, their hearts filled with unease: "Once those True Immortal elders land, we'll surrender immediately."

The Blood Child Demon Lord also felt powerless to resist, nodding fiercely.

In this situation, arguing and holding out were meaningless.

They had already prepared themselves mentally, waiting for the elders to descend.

But in the sky, the True Immortal elders' auras didn't descend at all, not even pausing, just passing over their camp and heading straight east.

Emperor Yuan You and the others' expressions turned strange, both ashamed and angry, feeling more humiliated than if they had surrendered.

To not even acknowledge them, was this how little they were regarded?

But this time, they understood that the Demon Venerable's fate was uncertain, but at least their strategy had completely failed.

Without the Demon Venerable's protection, they were just small fry to be crushed.

For a moment, the camp was filled with gloom. The future was uncertain, and no one knew how the situation would unfold or what path they should take.

Before long, Wang Shouzhe and the others returned to the Changning Wang's Clan. Upon meeting, they realized the battle had been a resounding success.

With the Demon Venerable dead, the world's structure was set to change completely.

Now was the perfect time to strike while the iron was hot, to sit down and discuss the future direction of human development. It was time to redefine the rules of the future world.

Immediately, Wang Shouzhe sent word to the Immortal Emperor, Immortal Sovereign, and Demon Emperor, and kept Di Xiu, Enlightenment, Elder Tianji, and Yuntai An to sit down for an internal meeting to discuss the future grand strategy.

As for the meeting location~

Wang Shouzhe was a complete homebody, so naturally, the location was set in his own Shouzhe Courtyard.