The imperial capital.
Dark clouds churned in the sky, pressing down like a suffocating blanket, threatening to crush the city below.
Led by dozens of the world's most formidable experts, thousands of righteous individuals launched an all-out assault on the imperial court, aiming to liberate the rightful dynasty and restore order to the chaotic world.
"Demon Emperor, come out!" someone roared.
Immediately, everyone joined the cry, their voices echoing with immense power. In such a corrupt society, it was rare to find so many individuals who still held onto their principles. Some had succumbed to the current, while others had been gradually eroded by the corruption. Those who managed to retain their integrity were few and far between.
Suddenly, soldiers in full armor emerged from all directions, forming battle formations. The entire area was surrounded. The thousands of righteous individuals were vastly outnumbered by the imperial army.
Crucially, these soldiers were also equipped with bows and arrows.
A volley of arrows from a distance would be enough to pierce their hearts a thousand times. Besides the top experts, how many could withstand such an attack?
At this moment, a shrill voice pierced the air.
An elderly eunuch appeared in the center of the square.
"You treasonous rebels, you dare to attack the imperial sanctuary! None of you will leave here alive today! Fire! Kill these traitors!" the eunuch shrieked, waving his hand.
He hadn't changed much compared to decades ago.
A whooshing sound filled the air.
Thousands of arrows were released.
However, something was amiss. The arrows weren't targeting the rebels, but the eunuch himself.
The powerful eunuch quickly sensed the danger and spun around, his eyes widening in horror as he saw the incoming arrows.
"You…"
In his shock and fury, the eunuch roared, a protective barrier shimmering around him. The arrows struck the barrier, clanging loudly. But to his terror, these were specially crafted arrows, designed to penetrate any protective aura, even powerful enough to kill demons.
Thud!
Thud!
The barrier shattered, and the eunuch was instantly riddled with arrows, his flowing blood not human red, but a thick, black ooze.
"Why… why would you betray the court…" the eunuch gasped in disbelief. How dare these soldiers attack him?
Just then, he heard a voice he couldn't believe still existed.
"You old dog, don't you know who these generals are loyal to?"
A figure appeared before the dying eunuch.
The eunuch's eyes bulged as if he had seen a ghost.
"Marquis Shenwei…"
Nearly a century had passed, and Marquis Shenwei had aged, but he possessed a unique aura of vigor, stronger than before.
Twenty years ago, Marquis Shenwei had fallen gravely ill, retired to his hometown, and eventually died at home. The eunuch had personally verified this. Yet, here he was, alive and well. The shock was overwhelming.
The eunuch died with his eyes wide open.
"Hmph, half-human, half-demon thing," Marquis Shenwei scoffed, then coughed. No matter how strong a person was, they couldn't escape the ravages of time. He was truly old.
"Brave heroes, today is the day we eradicate the demons! Slay the Demon Emperor, restore order to the world, and secure a new world for our descendants!" Marquis Shenwei raised his arm and shouted.
"The Marquis is right! We have endured until this day, waiting for this opportunity," an old man stepped forward and said.
It was Elder Yun Xiang.
He was still alive thanks to the essence of the Thousand-Faced Demon. Among everyone present, he was the strongest. He had started a family, and his descendants were numerous, forming a powerful clan.
Standing behind him were seven sons, twenty-one grandsons, and even great-grandsons. They were a force to be reckoned with.
This time, to slay the Demon Emperor, the entire clan had joined the fight.
The large group then charged towards the depths of the imperial palace.
In an instant, a earth-shattering battle erupted.
Fortunately, Elder Yun Xiang was there to contend with the ultimate enemy. They had always believed the current emperor was the Demon Emperor, the root of all demonic calamities.
When they finally, after much hardship, slew the emperor they thought was the Demon Emperor, believing peace was at hand, they discovered they were wrong.
The emperor was indeed a Demon Emperor, but not the true Demon Emperor.
The Demon Lord, who had been hiding in the imperial harem, emerged.
When Marquis Shenwei saw the Demon Lord, he staggered back in shock.
"Your Majesty…"
Marquis Shenwei was an ordinary man who had earned the previous emperor's favor, leading to his title. The former emperor was the most important person in his life, a mentor and guide.
He would never forget the former emperor's dying words: "Serve diligently, for the people and the country. This nation depends on you. Do not disappoint me."
Yet now, he realized…
The true culprit was the one he considered his mentor, the former emperor.
"Marquis Shenwei, are you rebelling?" the former emperor, now the Demon Lord, asked in a deep voice.
Influenced by his past loyalty, Marquis Shenwei dropped to his knees. "Your subject would never dare…"
But he quickly raised his head, blood trickling from his eyes, his gaze unwavering and sharp. "You are not His Majesty! His Majesty has been possessed by you vile demons! You are a demon! If you were His Majesty, you would never allow the people to suffer such hardship, nor would you allow demons to run rampant and wreak havoc!"
Elder Yun Xiang said, "He is indeed no longer His Majesty. I can sense the extreme demonic aura emanating from him, stronger than any demon I've encountered."
"Hahaha, you are right. I am no longer the emperor you knew. I am the Demon Lord! A human body is too weak. Even with great power, it cannot escape the decay of time. As the greatest emperor of all time, how could I accept such a fate?" The Demon Lord clenched his fists. "Look closely! I have achieved immortality and possess invincible power! No one can stand in my way!"
An immense pressure weighed down on them, making it difficult to breathe.
Elder Yun Xiang's expression turned grave. "Go! Run! Go to Qingyang Town! There is still a sliver of hope there!"
He knew without even fighting how powerful the Demon Lord was. He had consumed the Thousand-Faced Demon's essence decades ago and was the strongest among them, and he could sense the terrifying power of the Demon Lord.
Even with their numbers, the outcome would be the same.
"Elder Yun Xiang, we haven't even fought him yet. There's no need to be so afraid," someone said.
"That's right! We've even slain his son. What's there to fear from the father?"
"Let's fight him!"
Morale was high, and they showed no fear.
Marquis Shenwei said gravely, "Go, now!"
Elder Yun Xiang struck a palm towards the Demon Lord, then swept his arm, lifting everyone into the air and fleeing towards the distance.
"Demon Lord, if you dare, follow us!"
The Demon Lord chuckled, not taking this ragtag group seriously. "You think you can escape after coming this far? You are dreaming."
Qingyang Town.
Lin Fan was alone. After Qing Lian's passing, he felt a void in his life. His daily routine remained the same, but now, after farming and patrolling, he would visit Qing Lian's grave, clean it, and offer her food.
At noon, he walked through the town, exchanging greetings with the townspeople. Everyone knew that the town leader's personal maid, the highly respected Granny Qing Lian, had passed away, and they knew the town leader must be heartbroken.
The townspeople greeted Lin Fan warmly, and anyone with free time would stop him for a chat, afraid he might be lonely.
Lin Fan stood before a stall, staring intently, then shook his head with a smile. He had been about to buy a hairpin for Qing Lian out of habit, then remembered she was gone.
He shook his head and left the stall.
As he walked, a voice called out, "Young Master…"
Lin Fan heard the familiar address and turned sharply, but it wasn't Qing Lian. A group of young girls stood there.
"What are you doing here?" Lin Fan asked with a smile.
"Young Master, we want to be your maids."
These young girls adored Granny Qing Lian and deeply respected Town Leader Lin. When they were little, Granny Qing Lian would tell them stories about Town Leader Lin's past.
They didn't understand everything, but they always saw a light in Granny Qing Lian's eyes when she spoke of him.
It was a light of adoration, shining brightly.
They were all girls from Qingyang Town. Their parents had told them that Qingyang Town was safe because of Town Leader Lin.
Now that the Town Leader's closest companion, Qing Lian, was gone, he must be heartbroken. Qing Lian must also be worried about him. As residents of Qingyang Town, they couldn't stand idly by. They had to show the Town Leader their care.
Lin Fan smiled. "You should all go home."
"Town Leader, we're serious."
"Yes, we can take care of you in Granny Qing Lian's place."
"I'm a very good cook."
The girls chattered excitedly.
The surrounding townspeople chuckled, and someone called out, "Town Leader, let them be your maids. If not all of them, then choose one. Xiao Lan was a favorite of Sister Qing Lian. Why not choose her?"
The speaker was an elderly man.
Lin Fan had watched him grow up, from a little boy to an old man, while Lin Fan remained unchanged, eternally youthful.
Just as Lin Fan was about to respond, cries for help came from the distance.
"Town Leader Lin, save us…"
A familiar yet unfamiliar voice.
He seemed to have heard it somewhere before.
Lin Fan looked towards the source of the cries, then vanished in an instant. The townspeople weren't surprised. In their eyes, their Town Leader was incredibly powerful, a celestial being.
Outside the town, Elder Yun Xiang was severely injured. He had borne the brunt of the Demon Lord's attacks. Even though his strength far surpassed others, he was still vulnerable before the Demon Lord.
"It's still here."
Seeing Qingyang Town, Elder Yun Xiang knew it still existed. He had kept this secret for many years, never telling anyone about the peerless expert residing in this seemingly ordinary town.
When they planned to attack the imperial court, he had considered asking Lin Fan for help, but he remembered Lin Fan's words: "I will only stay in Qingyang Town. I will not leave."
Moreover, Elder Yun Xiang was confident in his own strength, believing he had surpassed human limits. But he hadn't anticipated how weak he would be against the Demon Lord.
"What is this place?" Marquis Shenwei asked urgently. The Demon Lord seemed to be toying with them, enjoying watching them slowly succumb to despair.
Not only Marquis Shenwei, but everyone else was curious as well.
Elder Yun Xiang said, "He is the strongest person I have ever encountered. Meeting him a hundred years ago was the greatest fortune of my life. I have never told anyone this, but the reason I'm still alive is because of him. He was the one who slew the Thousand-Faced Demon."
"As long as we reach there, we will be saved. The Demon Lord will surely die."
Everyone was stunned, almost in disbelief.
Indeed… they had never heard Elder Yun Xiang mention this before.
At that moment, Lin Fan appeared near the town gate, watching the approaching figures and sensing the powerful aura of the Demon Lord.
"Town Leader Lin, it's been a hundred years. How have you been?" Elder Yun Xiang recognized Lin Fan at a glance. He hadn't changed, still as young as before.
"You are?" Lin Fan asked, puzzled.
Elder Yun Xiang said, "I'm the one you gave the Thousand-Faced Demon's essence to, after you slew it a hundred years ago."
Lin Fan said, "Oh, I remember now."
As they spoke, the people who had come with Elder Yun Xiang saw the youthful Lin Fan and immediately thought they had been tricked. They suspected Elder Yun Xiang was delusional.
"Who is chasing you?" Lin Fan asked.
Elder Yun Xiang replied, "The Demon Lord."
Lin Fan was slightly taken aback, then looked towards the distance, murmuring, "The Demon Lord… is he the one I've been waiting for? So it's true. After all this time, we finally meet. Is it time for you to awaken?"
The Demon Lord approached from afar, booming, "Haha, you've run here to choose your final resting place?"
"A small town like this suits you well."
Lin Fan walked step by step towards the Demon Lord and asked, "Are you the Demon Lord?"
The Demon Lord, intent on killing Elder Yun Xiang and the others, was intrigued by this young man's question.
"Yes, I am the Demon Lord. Who are you?"
Lin Fan replied, "I've waited here for you for a hundred years. You've finally arrived."
The Demon Lord laughed. "Ridiculous! A hundred years? What were you a hundred years ago? How dare you speak such arrogant words before me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Demon Lord appeared before Lin Fan and threw a punch.
Lin Fan remained motionless.
He extended a single finger and stopped the Demon Lord's fist.
"You are so weak. Making me wait a hundred years… it hardly seems worth it. But the people I've met along the way… they were worth it…"