Villain : After Slacking Off, The Protagonist Collapse
Chapter 262

Chapter 262

“Did the ancient imperial clans make a move against the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Clan?” Jiang Chen asked thoughtfully.

“Not yet, but soon,” Dongfang Mingyue shook her head and replied in a grave tone. “This is about something else. I’ve just learned that the Demon Sect has been unusually active in the Northern Region, plotting something unclear.”

“I suspect they’re planning something significant, possibly connected to the Ancient Desolate Demon Domain, so I came specifically to discuss it with you.”

The Ancient Desolate Demon Domain remained a major concern for everyone. Though the Extreme Dao Demon Sect and the Demon Domain had been silent for some time, no one had let their guard down, wary of what these entities might be plotting.

“The Northern Region…” Jiang Chen murmured, a flash of insight suddenly illuminating his mind. His expression grew solemn.

“They may be planning to deploy the Heaven Shattering Demon Formation, intending to sacrifice the life force of the Northern Region to break the seal on the Ancient Desolate Demon Domain, or even open a passageway to the Demon Domain.”

Jiang Chen remembered this plot from the original story, though it had unfolded much later. He hadn’t thought much of it until now, but with the Holy Master’s mention, he immediately realized that the timeline might have shifted forward.

His repeated interference with the Ancient Desolate Demon Domain must have caused severe setbacks for the demons, forcing them to expedite their plans.

Indeed, Jiang Chen’s actions had heavily influenced the Demon Emperor’s plans. In an attempt to kill Jiang Chen, the Demon Emperor had allocated a significant portion of his forces to the Ancient Emperor’s of the Chaotic Star Sea, hoping they would kill Jiang Chen in exchange for his payment.

However, the Ancient Emperor’s had betrayed him, taking the payment without completing the job, infuriating the Demon Emperor, who was now left with fewer resources.

The Demon Emperor, unable to secure Jiang Chen’s death, had been forced to consider alternative strategies. The Heaven Shattering Demon Formation was one of his last-resort techniques.

With Jiang Chen’s rapid growth and increasing power, the Demon Emperor was desperate to break free from the Eternal Emperor’s formation, fearing that Jiang Chen would soon undergo his final transformation and claim the Heavenly Heart Imprint when the Path to Emperorship opened.

This urgency had driven the Demon Emperor to activate the Heaven Shattering Demon Formation, a formation designed to bridge the Demon Domain and the Nine Heavens Realm by sacrificing vast numbers of lives.

Through this connection, the Demon Emperor hoped to weaken the Eternal Emperor’s formation using the power of the Demon Domain itself, ultimately breaking free.

“We can’t allow them to succeed,” Jiang Chen’s expression darkened. “If they do, the consequences will be unimaginable.”

In the original story, the Demon Emperor had sacrificed the Central Region rather than the Northern Region, wiping out countless lives to open a passageway to the Demon Domain. Although the laws of the realm prevented the entry of powerful demon entities, the influx of demonic power led to catastrophic losses for the human race.

Many formidable cultivators perished, and the Eternal Emperor’s formation was slowly eroded, allowing the Demon Emperor to escape his confinement.

In the story, the Breaking Seal Stone had destroyed part of the formation, and certain corrosive forces further weakened it. But the Heaven Shattering Demon Formation was ultimately what severed the Eternal Emperor’s last defenses, giving the Demon Emperor freedom and plunging the Nine Heavens Realm into ruin.

The Demon Domain became a hellish stronghold, with the Nine Heavens Realm turning into a playground for the demons.

However, the opening of the Demon Domain’s passageway also led to the reappearance of the Immortal Domain’s path, prompting the ancient supremes to emerge.

The inhabitants of the Nine Heavens Realm saw these ancient supremes as their saviors, only to face even greater devastation. Some ancient supremes, drawn by the Demon Emperor’s body, fought him in an epic battle, resulting in the deaths of two ancient supremes and severe injuries to the Demon Emperor. Several supremes consumed the Demon Emperor’s flesh and blood to restore their declining vitality and laws.

This battle severely weakened the Demon Emperor, giving the Nine Heavens Realm a brief reprieve. However, the Nine Heavens Realm was left devastated, with countless experts devoured, immortal forces vanquished, and the world plunged into a difficult and dark era.

Even with the Demon Emperor recuperating, the remnants of the demon army cast the realm back into the darkness of a million years past. It was in this environment that Du Guyun rose to prominence.

“We cannot let them succeed,” Jiang Chen reiterated firmly. He would not wait idly for the demons’ plan to unfold.

However, if the Ancient Desolate Demon Domain successfully activates the Heaven Shattering Demon Formation and opens a passage to the Demon Domain, it could trigger the premature awakening of the Immortal Domain’s pathway, bringing the ancient supremes out of their slumber.

While these ancient emperor’s may indeed harm the Demon Emperor, most of them are devoid of humanity, driven only by self-interest, wreaking havoc, and devouring all life in their path.

Even though Jiang Chen possesses the perfected Hunyuan Dao Physique as a trump card, he would find it difficult to stand against the full awakening of the ancient supremes from the forbidden zones. Even the mighty Primordial Holy Land would struggle to remain unscathed.

The sheer number of ancient supremes residing in the forbidden zones of the Nine Heavens Realm was alarming. If they all awakened, the situation would be unimaginably dire. After all, even the strongest fist cannot fend off numerous attacks. Jiang Chen had to prevent this from happening, at least for the time being.

“I understand,” said Dongfang Mingyue, nodding quickly at Jiang Chen’s grave expression. The Heaven Shattering Demon Formation’s sacrificial nature—sacrificing the life force of nearly all living beings in the Northern Region—and its catastrophic consequences were intolerable. It had to be stopped.

“Master, contact the Pure Yang Holy Master and others immediately to start investigating the Northern Region,” Jiang Chen instructed. “But avoid alerting the demons. To activate the Heaven Shattering Demon Formation, the Ancient Desolate Demon Domain will need to pay a heavy price.”

“We can use this to our advantage, trapping them and delivering a devastating blow—especially to the Extreme Dao Demon Sect. It’s time to eradicate that malignant force!”

He continued coldly, “Du Guxiong’s lifespan is nearing its end. This might be the perfect opportunity to end him.”

Jiang Chen’s voice was icy, laced with killing intent. He harbored deep hatred for the Extreme Dao Demon Sect, whose actions defied all humanity. They were, without question, traitors to the Nine Heavens Realm, committing atrocities beyond measure.

The consequences of their Heaven Shattering Demon Formation had nearly spelled the end for the Nine Heavens Realm—an unforgivable crime.

However, while they planned to prevent the formation, Jiang Chen understood the importance of not being detected prematurely.

If the demons sensed their intentions, they would simply abandon their plans and continue hiding, which would only create more trouble for the Nine Heavens Realm in the future. Therefore, Jiang Chen intended to draw them out slowly, letting them proceed step by step, only to strike them down decisively at the final moment.

—

Elsewhere, deep within the secret realm, Yan Ruyu, with Jing Muyu by her side, quickly found the location of the Heavenly Soul Flower thanks to Jiang Chen’s directions. She didn’t rush to pick the flower, however, but instead waited patiently in the void for Du Guyun’s arrival.

“Sister Ruyu, are you sure Du Guyun will come?” Jing Muyu asked hesitantly after waiting for half an hour with no sign of him. The location was quite hidden—would he really show up?

“He’ll definitely come,” Yan Ruyu replied confidently. Unlike Jing Muyu, Yan Ruyu had known Jiang Chen long enough to understand his seemingly prophetic abilities. Since Jiang Chen said he would come, he would come.

After about another hour, a figure approached stealthily in the distance. It was indeed Du Guyun.

Seeing the Heavenly Soul Flower before him, Du Guyun’s face lit up with ecstatic surprise. But the next moment, Yan Ruyu and Jing Muyu emerged from the void, and Du Guyun’s expression immediately stiffened.