Demons, by nature, are immortal. Even if they're consumed by hell itself, they are not truly destroyed—they're merely thrown back into eternal imprisonment, trapped once again in that realm of agony. But to the Holy Lord, that fate was far worse than any death. The cold, unending torment of hell… the howling void… the stench of sulfur, betrayal, and regret.
And more terrifying than hell itself… were the six demons still down there.
Six ancient beings he had betrayed—his own brothers and sisters in arms. Once comrades, now vengeful enemies. If he returned to hell, there would be no mercy waiting for him—only centuries of unrelenting torture at their hands. The Holy Lord knew exactly how long demons could hold a grudge. He had earned every ounce of their fury.
That thought alone sent chills down his incorporeal spine.
"No! My brother—please!" he screamed, his voice rising in desperation. "Don't send me back! I swear, I won't betray you again! I beg you… anything but hell!"
He was clinging to the last shreds of his soul's stability, feeling himself unravel as the air shimmered and bent. Across the room, the space around them began to warp and twist—like glass cracking under invisible pressure. Something terrible was coming.
Then it appeared: a swirling vortex in the air, a spiraling black hole crackling with dark energy.
The entrance to hell.
It wasn't just metaphorical—it was literal. The gate was opening, the laws of the universe bending to enforce judgment. The Holy Lord screamed in pure terror as he felt the pull begin.
He was on the verge of collapse. He could see the other side now—glimpses of a fiery realm filled with howling spirits, gnashing teeth, and six demonic figures already waiting. He could almost hear them whispering his name, full of malice.
But just as his soul was about to be pulled through, something changed.
The pain vanished.
The pull stopped.
And the oppressive force surrounding his spirit lifted completely.
Without hesitation, the Holy Lord flung himself back into the Valon Statue, diving into its core like a drowning man finding air. He slammed into its magical structure and reanchored himself within it, trembling. The hellgate behind him flickered once more—and vanished.
The black hole closed, leaving only silence in its wake.
He was safe.
Shawn—once known as Rex Dalton—had spared him.
But not out of mercy.
Not out of brotherhood.
Certainly not out of forgiveness.
He had his own reasons.
Shawn's expression remained calm, but distant, as he stepped back. He hadn't spared the Holy Lord because of sentiment or sympathy. Back when the Holy Lord betrayed the other demons, any brotherhood they shared had been shattered like glass. There was no camaraderie left—only broken promises.
No, the reason was far more pragmatic.
This world—an odd fusion of Marvel, DC, and Jackie Chan's Adventures—still operated under certain mystical laws. And those laws weren't entirely fair.
One such law was balance. Good and evil had to exist in equilibrium. That was the rule.
The presence of the Holy Lord served a purpose. He wasn't just a villain—he was a designated counterweight to the forces of good. If Shawn cast him back into hell, the balance would tip, and the universe would find a way to fix that imbalance. Another demon would rise. A new evil would take his place.
And based on how the system worked, that new evil would very likely be… himself.
Shawn had no desire to paint a target on his own back.
So he let the Holy Lord live. Not for forgiveness. Not for compassion. But for convenience.
Besides, there was still more to be done. More plans in motion.
The Holy Lord, of course, misunderstood entirely.
"Thank you, my brother!" he gasped from within the Valon Statue, voice trembling with sincerity. "You spared me... I'll never forget this mercy! I promise—I will never betray you again!"
Shawn didn't reply.
He didn't need to.
Instead, he changed the subject.
"Where is the Panku Treasure Box?"
That question sliced through the air like a blade.
It wasn't a casual inquiry.
Ever since he escaped hell, Shawn had been searching for that ancient artifact. The Panku Treasure Box was the only known tool capable of breaking the seal on the remaining demon sorcerers. Without it, the others—Po-Gon, Sao Feng, Zhongsu, Basha, the Earth Chief, and Ximu—were doomed to eternal imprisonment.
He had gone to the original temple where the box was rumored to be hidden.
But it wasn't there.
That's when he began to suspect the truth—the box had already been moved. And who better than the Holy Lord to know where it ended up?
Sure enough, his hunch proved correct.
"My brother!" the Holy Lord answered quickly, eager to regain trust. "The Panku Treasure Box was indeed in my possession! I placed it deep within the vault of the Golden Rooster King's Treasure!"
"However," he added, his tone growing hesitant, "to open that treasure, I must regain all my power… all twelve talismans must be returned to me."
He paused and tried to sound as noble as possible.
"If you assist me in recovering the talismans, I promise—you shall have the Panku Treasure Box. And with it, you'll be able to release our brothers and sisters."
It was clear what he was doing. The Holy Lord wanted Shawn's help to recover his lost strength—to reclaim the talismans that had once made him a force of unimaginable power. The ones now scattered across the world.
Valon and his team of underlings had thus far failed to retrieve even a single talisman.
But maybe, just maybe… Rex Dalton—Shawn—could succeed where they had failed.
Shawn narrowed his eyes. He was already getting tired of this.
At one point, the Panku Treasure Box had been essential. His escape from hell had depended on it. He feared the possibility of being sealed away again. But now?
Things had changed.
He had acquired the Immunity Seal, a mystical skill that rendered him immune to most forms of magical binding and spiritual imprisonment. As long as it remained active, no seal could ever bind him again—not even one as powerful as the Panku Box's.
That meant…
He didn't need the box anymore.
It was useless to him.
The only ones who still required it were the six demons left behind.
[These are the orginal demon names in jackie chan ]
Po-Gon, demon of the mountain.
Sao Feng, demon of wind.
Zhongsu, demon of thunder.
Basha, demon of water.
The Earth Chief, demon of stone and soil.
Ximu, demon of the sky.
Each one imprisoned in their own region of hell, locked away by the same spell that had bound them all.
Shawn had no deep affection for them. But they were still his kin. The least he could do was give them the opportunity to escape. Whether they succeeded or not? That wasn't his responsibility.
He let out a sigh.
"I'll get you the Rat Talisman," he said finally, his voice firm. "But that's it."
The Holy Lord paused.
Only one?
Shawn didn't wait for a response.
"The Rat Talisman is the only one you actually need right now," he explained. "It holds the power of animation—bringing the inanimate to life. With it, you can escape the Valon Statue and rebuild your physical form. The rest? You can find those on your own."
He didn't need to say more.
The implication was clear.
Shawn wasn't about to waste his time chasing talismans that held no value for him. The only thing tying him to this entire mission was the Panku Treasure Box—and even that, now, was just a means to repay a long-standing debt.
Once he handed over the Rat Talisman, he was done.
Whether the Holy Lord succeeded or failed from that point on… well, that was entirely up to him.
______________________________________
Visit patreon to read more chapters
patreon.com/Haremania