With the Green Emperor's singing…
In the void above the battlefield, a strange image suddenly materialized. It was a replay of the Golden Titan's fall, crashing to the ground, and—most tragically—a golden chrysanthemum blooming from his backside. The sight was heartbreakingly beautiful. Everyone could clearly see the moment the daisy-like blossom of blood spread open. Brilliant, vivid, and unforgettable.
"Aaaaahhh!!"
The Golden Titan nearly exploded with rage on the spot.
Why had he fallen? Was it not due to this damned misfortune, this cursed bad luck that clung to him? With it, all sorts of strange and unfortunate things were bound to happen—like landing rear-first on a pile of Four Symbols Battle Arrows. Dozens of them now ravaged his insides, shredding his organs. Even his eyes had been pierced and blinded.
Those weren't tears he shed—they were blood.
And all of this—all of it—was because of that mangy mutt, the Green Emperor.
Not only had he ruined him, he was now openly gloating, even mocking him with that horrendous singing. It was nothing short of trampling his dignity, like shoving his face into a cesspit and stomping on it—again and again, a hundred, a thousand times.
The fury in his chest surged like a tidal wave, like a volcano erupting in his chest. His golden face flushed deeper and deeper until it was grotesque and savage.
"You've enraged me beyond reason!!"
With an enraged howl, the Golden Titan suddenly self-detonated. His blood essence erupted.
BOOM!!
His massive body was torn to shreds. Flesh and blood scattered in every direction.
"My song… my song can actually do that?!"
The Green Emperor blinked in astonishment. "Someone was willing to explode himself just to listen to me sing? He sacrificed his body for the sake of art. Now that—that is truly admirable. A role model for our age. My respect. My deepest respect!"
With a face full of emotion, the Green Emperor looked on.
"A man willing to offer himself to music, to sacrifice himself for elegance and high culture… a true paragon. Worthy of study. Worthy of honor."
"Green Emperor… he really is ruthless. And shameless to the bone. Best not to mess with him… even the Demon Lord himself was driven to explosion."
"Incredible. Absolutely terrifying. The Green Emperor doesn't act often, but when he does—it's completely devastating. Honestly, even most cultivators wouldn't survive hearing a few lines of that wailing. They'd explode, spitting up blood for three thousand miles."
Within White Crow City, many cultivators exchanged strange glances, their expressions turning stiff and awkward.
They had always known the Green Emperor was vicious—but this? This was another level entirely.
"That damned Green Emperor…"
Even Yi Tianxing couldn't help but twitch at the corners of his mouth. This Green Emperor—he wouldn't be satisfied unless he stomped on his enemies even after they died. That thick-skinned shamelessness had truly been etched into his very bones.
"You've infuriated this Lord to death!!"
As the Golden Titan's remains scattered, the Ten Thousand Tribulations Demon City appeared once more. But only for an instant.
From within it, a scholar emerged.
He wore traditional Confucian robes, but his face was ashen, his body trembling with rage. His eyes fixed on the Green Emperor with a mix of fury and genuine fear. His face turned pale, then dark, then pale again.
That expression—humiliation and indignation in its purest form.
Twice now.
Twice he had fallen to misfortune.
This wasn't even about Yi Tianxing anymore. Both defeats had been due entirely to that damned dog's cursed luck. And the worst part? Even though he hated the Green Emperor down to his soul… he didn't dare strike back.
The Green Emperor was like a porcupine. Anyone who touched him got skewered.
The bad luck he carried was so potent that even the Demon Lord couldn't withstand it.
That was the real reason the Golden Titan had been literally blown to pieces.
"Emperor Yi… let's talk."
Yet, for all his rage, the Demon Lord of Ten Thousand Tribulations remained who he was. He took a deep breath and calmed himself.
Confucian energy suddenly radiated from his body, filled with the dignity and clarity of a true scholar. In an instant, he transformed into a refined, cultured gentleman.
His composure, both inward and outward, returned to that of a true Great Scholar.
The Confucian tradition was famous for its cultivation of the heart and the will. And in terms of calming one's emotions, few paths were more effective.
"Oh? And what exactly does the Demon Lord wish to discuss?"
Yi Tianxing responded calmly, though inwardly, his vigilance soared.
The Demon Lord's decisiveness and intelligence were extraordinary. In mere moments, he had clearly evaluated the situation and abandoned the idea of continued combat—turning instead to negotiations.
He knew very well that as long as bad luck clung to him, no matter how deep his foundation, how immense his combat strength, none of it could be fully unleashed.
In that state, fighting was meaningless.
So he had switched strategies instantly.
Yi Tianxing didn't refuse. The Demon Lord, as far as he could see, was a nearly unkillable scourge. His entire Demon City was made of his split avatars. The number of sentient beings within it—possibly hundreds of thousands or more.
Killing him? It might never end.
Even the Green Emperor's bad luck couldn't actually kill him—only make him miserable. Unless the Green Emperor died, unleashing his stored misfortune in full—only then might there be a chance to truly end him. Otherwise… impossible.
So if all they could do was cost him face, then they would.
After all, the Demon Lord had survived across the ages, free and unchallenged. No one could stop him.
"Remove the bad luck from me," the Demon Lord demanded coldly.
This misfortune—he had experienced it firsthand—and it was nothing short of a pit of despair. It could trigger death at any moment, not from overwhelming force, but from sheer absurdity.
Even if he didn't fear death, he had no desire to die so pathetically, becoming a laughingstock.
He wanted that bad luck gone immediately. Every moment longer felt like torture, like an invisible sword hanging over his head, ready to fall at any moment.
"We can remove it," Yi Tianxing said flatly. "But why should we?"
"Your misfortune, at this level, would take years, even decades, to grind away naturally. In those decades, even if you don't die—you'll be miserable. Absolutely miserable."
His words were blunt and honest. He wasn't hiding anything.
They could lift the curse—but why should they, unless given proper compensation?
The initiative was in their hands. Even if it weren't, he wouldn't have agreed lightly.
If the Demon Lord wanted them to act—he would have to pay the price.
If he couldn't offer a satisfactory deal—no negotiations.
"Hmph. Then tell me—what do you want?"
The Demon Lord's scholar face remained composed, though his voice carried a steel edge. "But don't get greedy, Emperor Yi. If your terms are too outrageous, I'll simply walk away. I'll enter seclusion for a few decades and let the misfortune wear off. It's not like I'm afraid of you."
There was iron in his voice—a true scholar's pride and stubbornness.
"You've been abducting geniuses from the Eternal World," Yi Tianxing replied coldly. "Refining them into avatars. That alone is a grave offense. First condition: release them. All of them. Restore their minds and memories. Remove all bindings and hidden imprints. Leave no tricks behind."
There was no hesitation in his tone.
The Demon Lord had clearly benefited from absorbing those Eternal World prodigies. Releasing them would undoubtedly weaken him—and Yi Tianxing would not pass up that opportunity.
More importantly, it would massively boost his reputation.
Every rescued genius from every race would owe him a debt.
"Your first condition? So there's a second? Maybe a third or a fourth?"
The Demon Sovereign sneered. His eyes narrowed at Yi Tianxing.
"No third. No fourth," Yi Tianxing said."Just one more."
He made no attempt to hide it.
"Those prodigies have already been refined into my avatars. They are now part of my Demon City. They cannot be separated."
The Demon Sovereign sneered again. With a flick of his mind, the projection of the Demon City reappeared.
Inside, it was still bustling—like a realm entirely separate from reality.
"Of course, if you have the means… feel free to try. If you can get them out—I won't stop you. But if you can't, don't blame me."
He smirked.
After being humiliated earlier, he now intended to return the favor—by shaming Yi Tianxing.
The Demon City was his creation. Even those who had only just been absorbed were now undergoing refinement. Unless one possessed heaven-defying means, no one could break them out.
He could promise—but only because he knew they'd fail.
If Yi Tianxing did succeed, he'd have no choice but to respect him. But he had no intention of releasing them himself. That would be akin to slapping himself in the face.
"Emperor Yi, my big brother is still inside the city!"
Zhang Fei cried out anxiously.
Inside, Liu Bei was still selling grass sandals—wailing emotionally as he hawked his wares.
"Demon Lord… will you honor your word?"Yi Tianxing stared at him.
"Naturally," the Demon Lord snorted."My word is iron."
He was the Demon Lord of Ten Thousand Tribulations. He would not lie.