Tang Dynasty: Inherit the Evil Sword Immortal and destroy gods and demons with one thought!
Chapter 30 - Huang Mei Demon King! Can He Match Ancient God Gou Mang!?

Chapter 30: Huang Mei Demon King! Can He Match Ancient God Gou Mang!?

At Yangzhou’s Xisha Ridge, the sky split under clashing green and yellow forces, the air thick with battle’s fervour. This duel captivated countless eyes, its outcome tied to myriad stakes—none greater than the Tang Dynasty’s. As the Mortal Realm’s mightiest power, Tang would not abide a threat like Huang Mei wreaking havoc within its borders. Li Zhi, a prince and Gou Mang’s heir, stood as Tang’s champion and the embodiment of righteous resolve. To the orthodox sects, Huang Mei was a vile demon whose growth must be crushed. This clash was inevitable.

Yet Huang Mei sneered at their fervour. Mortals and their petty causes—nothing compares to the radiant path promised by the Demon Ancestor. Righteous or demonic… meaningless drivel. If justice drives them, why don’t they challenge the Demon Lord Chong Lou? Sparing them no further thought, Huang Mei eyed Li Zhi, weighing his options. Better to retreat than risk delaying the Demon Ancestor’s grand design at Kunlun.

To the onlookers, his hesitation screamed cowardice. “The Demon King flees without a fight! Gou Mang’s heir is unparalleled!” crowed a sect elder. “The Wood Virtue Star, only twelve, shines so fiercely—his future is boundless!” Li Zhi, once an unremarkable prince raised in luxury, basked in the praise, a spark of pride igniting within. His brow arched with youthful valour. “Demon King, you’ll not escape!”

Whoosh! In a blink, Li Zhi closed the gap, a withered branch in hand, bursting with spring’s renewal. Sparrows sang, Gou Mang’s divine might flaring, draining the wood essence from the heavens. The strike’s ferocity was cataclysmic. Huang Mei, who was caught off guard, reeled. His colossal frame, dozens of zhang long, staggered back ten li under the blow—a titan felled by a mere youth. Li Zhi, serene as an exiled immortal, withdrew his hand, poised midair.

The crowd gaped. A boy had hurled a behemoth ten li, like an ant toppling an elephant. Gou Mang’s power was staggering. Xu Changqing, propped up by allies, watched, introspective. His own immortal-gifted progress paled beside Li Zhi’s. The path of cultivation demanded more. In Chang’an’s Mysterious Mechanism Pavilion, Li Shimin’s heart swelled with pride. Li Zhi, ever dutiful save for his once-mediocre cultivation, had overcome his flaw with Gou Mang’s gift, rivalling even Li Tai in his father’s esteem. “Tai and Zhi, dragon and tiger—heaven favours Tang!” Li Shimin marvelled.

Back at Xisha Ridge, Huang Mei steadied himself, shock rippling through him. Gou Mang’s inherited might was monstrous. Had he not claimed the Demon Ancestor’s gift, that strike would have obliterated him. Cracking his joints with a thunderous snap, his blood-pool eyes gleamed with malice. “You court death!” he roared, unleashing the Earth Spirit Pearl’s full fury. The earth ruptured, ten li of mountains and rivers splintering. Jagged earthen spikes surged skyward, the ground itself his weapon, reshaping the landscape with apocalyptic force.

Soldiers and sect members swallowed hard, awestruck. This battle transcended their ken. Huang Mei flattened mountains with a gesture, then raised new peaks hundreds of zhang high. Li Zhi countered with equal might, his spring-branch wielding divine authority. Wherever it pointed, colossal vines erupted, hundreds of zhang tall, shattering Huang Mei’s assaults. Boom! Their clashes detonated the air, mountains of earth and tangles of vines churning like a boiling cauldron, their destructive aura radiating dozens of li.

Spectators stood dumbfounded. Was this mortal power? Either could crush them effortlessly. Keen-eyed experts noted Li Zhi’s edge. He nullified Huang Mei’s onslaught, sustaining only minor wounds, while Huang Mei’s vast wings bled from countless gashes. His injuries were graver. A celestial envoy stroked his beard, smiling. “The Wood Virtue Star’s synergy with Gou Mang’s power is remarkable, their combined effect astonishing. Yet, the Demon King’s strength, bolstered by the Earth Spirit Pearl, holds firm against such a foe. What drives these Demon Kings’ rise?”

Chong Lou’s divine wisp lost interest. The battle was beneath his notice. Li Zhi’s performance sufficed; perhaps in a millennium, a worthy rival might emerge. Ten thousand li away, in Chunyang Mountain’s Taoist retreat, a girl of twelve or thirteen sat. Before her lay platters of lychees, one tucked in her cheek, puffing her rosy face. “Oh?” she mused, voice sharp with curiosity. “That human’s power carries a divine spark. After ten millennia, do gods persist beyond the Celestial and Demon Realms? Where’s Brother? With the Nine Yin nearing the ecliptic, he should sense it…”