Chapter 288: Chapter 234 Big and Little Tornado! [1 more!]
The various Demon Kings had different dispositions.
Upon seeing Chen Jichuan suppress the Fuling Demon King, some were fearful and dared not provoke him, opting either to form alliances to protect themselves or to shut their doors and remain secluded.
However, there were also those with restless ambitions, secretly scheming to seize Wuling Mountain.
Others, skilled and audacious, observed for days but could not resist coming to challenge him.
...
The twenty-seventh day after Chen Jichuan took control of Wuling Mountain.
At midday.
"The spies prowling around Wuling Mountain are increasing in number and diversity. From the dozens we’ve captured so far, we’ve already interrogated information about twelve Demonic factions."
"On top of that, some of the little demons scouting outside Wuling Mountain have gone missing. Most are insignificant minions, but yesterday, four minor commanders were captured, and even a general narrowly escaped being caught."
Chen Jichuan sat in Fuling Cave, while his eldest disciple, Li Ji, stood before him, reporting on the surrounding situation.
Back on Jiuyang Island, Chen Jichuan had selected twelve disciples from his sect. Four of them had proven capable and now possessed Qi Refining cultivation.
Li Ji was the leader among these twelve disciples, being the first to achieve Qi Refinement.
At forty-nine years old, he was already at the third layer of Qi Refining. Chen Jichuan valued him greatly, regularly offering guidance and tasks, including managing mundane affairs on Jiuyang Island to hone his skills.
Now, with Wuling Mountain under control, Li Ji had been promoted to a deacon, overseeing inner and outer affairs. As the eldest disciple of the mountain’s protector, Li Ji’s cultivation might still be low, but with Chen Jichuan supporting him, no one dared to defy him.
Listening to Li Ji’s report, Chen Jichuan pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Seems they can’t hold back anymore. Wuling Mountain is like a fat piece of meat. Previously, it was occupied by the well-known and formidable Fuling Demon King; they wouldn’t dare entertain any ideas. Now that the mountain has come under new ownership, occupied by me, although I’ve suppressed Fuling Demon King, some still refuse to believe it wasn’t mere luck and will surely come to test the waters sooner or later."
Minor commanders in Wuling Mountain were at the Early Stage of Qi Refining, and even cultivators at the Middle and Late Stages of Qi Refining couldn’t easily overpower them. Those who acted must either be exceptional Great Demon Commanders or Demon Kings personally intervening.
Bold enough to defy the established rules.
Such actions clearly signaled an imminent threat.
"Master—"
Li Ji looked at Chen Jichuan, his eyes tinged with concern.
Powerful enemies surrounded them, all of them Demon Kings.
Yet True Person Jiulong had not yet arrived, and the defensive formations on the mountain were incomplete. While they could manage against Great Demon Commanders and minor leaders, they were far from enough to contend against Demon Kings.
Even knowing his Master’s extraordinary strength and ability to suppress Demon Kings, Li Ji was still deeply worried about the overwhelming numbers.
"Do not fret."
"These Demon Kings each have their own agendas. Without someone strong enough to subdue them, they could never fully unite."
Chen Jichuan showed no concern. He looked at Li Ji and, rather than dwelling on the matter, advised him, "Leave the mundane affairs of the mountain to the other deacons. You only need to oversee them; your focus must remain on cultivating yourself."
For nearly a month now.
Li Ji had been preoccupied with mountain affairs, to the detriment of his cultivation. As a teacher, Chen Jichuan couldn’t help but remind him.
"Understood."
Li Ji responded respectfully.
Chen Jichuan didn’t immediately dismiss him but instead took the opportunity to address his questions and provide guidance, hoping he would condense True Fire and advance further as soon as possible.
During this instruction.
Suddenly.
Chen Jichuan paused, raised his head to gaze toward the eastern sky, and smiled faintly: "They’ve finally arrived!"
...
To the east of Wuling Mountain.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Two streaks of golden light surged through the wild winds, streaking toward the mountain and halting just outside its boundary. The golden light dispersed, revealing two dazzling figures.
One was middle-aged, the other youthful, their appearances bearing a striking six-to-seven-tenths resemblance.
"The Big and Little Tornadoes!"
"They couldn’t hold back after all!"
"Little Tornado ascended to a Demon King twenty years ago. I’ve heard the Tornado Demon King has long sought to secure a mountain for his son but found none suitable. Now that Wuling Mountain, such a prized treasure, is here, how could they possibly stay idle?"
"Looks like things are about to get exciting!"
...
The arrival of the two golden streaks immediately caught the attention of the Demon King intelligence gatherers around Wuling Mountain. Recognition spread like wildfire: these were none other than the widely renowned Big and Little Tornadoes of Tornado Ridge.
The Big Tornado had long been infamous, previously known as the Tornado Demon King.
Twenty years ago, however, this Demon King’s son, the Little Tornado, ascended to the Demon King Realm, prompting people to refer to them as Big Tornado and Little Tornado to differentiate between the two.
Upon spotting the two figures, the spies stationed outside Wuling Mountain buzzed with activity, watching intently while promptly reporting back to their respective Demon Kings.
The situation grew increasingly lively.
"Wuling Mountain."
The Tornado Demon King and his son paid no heed to these actions.
Standing in the clouds just outside the mountain’s boundary, they looked down at Wuling Mountain with hands folded behind their backs. The Big Tornado stepped slightly ahead, his gaze set firmly on Central Peak.
At a glance, his eyes settled on the Green Stone Bridge spanning the main peak. The Tornado Demon King’s eyes narrowed slightly in thought, seeming to contemplate the mysteries of the bridge.
For the moment, they said nothing.
Soon enough.
A figure emerged from within Wuling Mountain, leaping high into the sky to confront the Big and Little Tornadoes from afar.
It was none other than Chen Jichuan.
"I was wondering who it might be. So it’s the two Demon Kings from Tornado Ridge. What brings you to my Wuling Mountain today?"
Chen Jichuan gazed upon the father and son, his insight immediately revealing their nature. His voice rang out, stirring the winds and clouds.
"Your Wuling Mountain?"
The Tornado Demon King’s face darkened at Chen Jichuan’s words, his anger flashing as he roared, "How dare you claim this mountain as yours! This land belongs to my brother, Fuling. How dare a petty thief occupy it?!"
"What nonsense!"
Chen Jichuan, hearing this, wasted no time in argument. With a single gesture, thousands of streams of Sword Qi surged forth, arranging themselves mid-air into a Seven-star Sword Diagram that stretched across the heavens.
"Bold!"
The Tornado Demon King was momentarily taken aback.
Though he had come intending to challenge Wuling Mountain, he had hesitated about whether to make a move. Even if he decided to act, he wanted to first probe and analyze this so-called ’Dai Zong’s’ abilities.
Unexpectedly, the man was more hot-tempered than he was, initiating battle with barely a word.
"Arrogant!"
The Little Tornado, less composed than his father, couldn’t hold back any longer upon seeing Chen Jichuan attack first.
Clang!
With a swipe of his hand, a longsword appeared, and he stepped forward without hesitation, colliding head-on with the Sword Diagram.
Sword in hand.
The Little Tornado transformed into golden light, resembling a Sword Immortal descending upon the world, seemingly unstoppable.
Yet in an instant, he fell into the formation, trapped within the Sword Diagram, his sharp edge dissipating.
"This Sword Diagram is quite remarkable."
The Tornado Demon King watched as his son struggled to endure, refraining from intervening immediately. He scrutinized the diagram for a while longer.
Only when the Little Tornado began to falter did he raise his own sword. His figure flickered, each strike landing precisely on the Sword Diagram’s nodes.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Fourteen successive strikes landed, shattering the Sword Diagram into a momentary scattering of fragments.
"Huff, huff, huff!"
"Such a fierce sword formation!"
The Little Tornado took this opening to leap free of the formation, gasping heavily, his face filled with fright. Trapped inside the diagram, he had been besieged on all sides by sword energy, attacks raining upon him like stars, leaving him near-defenseless.
Fortunately, his father intervened; otherwise, he surely would have met his end.
Now chastened by the experience, the Little Tornado no longer dared to underestimate his opponent, his newfound Demon King arrogance immediately humbled.
...
"Under famed reputation, indeed formidable."
With the Seven-star Sword Diagram broken, Chen Jichuan was somewhat surprised.
Back in Qinling World, this very ’Seven-star Sword Diagram’ had allowed him to dominate, fearless even in the face of group attacks. It had always proven invincible.
Even in the Slaughter Ring Sea, this sword technique had earned him immense merit in slaying demons and vanquishing evils.
Yet today, it was lightly undone by the Tornado Demon King.
"No wonder he’s a Demon King of the Third Layer Heaven, moreover one who has studied Sword Dao. It’s no surprise he could defeat my Sword Diagram."
Chen Jichuan privately admitted.
The ’Seven-star Sword Diagram,’ derived from the ’Seven Elements Relieving Calamity Ruyi Tiangang Splitting Light Sword Technique,’ was merely a high-level magical skill.
Among equals, it was undoubtedly powerful.
However, the Tornado Demon King’s cultivation was two layers above his own, and with his mastery of swordsmanship evident even in quick glimpses, it was clearly formidable.
With the Little Tornado assisting from within and the Tornado Demon King attacking from outside, breaking the diagram was only natural.
"Golden Wind Seventeen Swords."
"He’s only executed fourteen strikes; what sort of brilliance must the final three swords carry?"
Chen Jichuan gazed at the Tornado Demon King, his mind a blend of astonishment and intrigue.
Chen Jichuan was surprised.
On the other hand, the Tornado Demon King was equally astounded.
He had observed clearly—for someone like Dai Zong, with merely the cultivation of an initial Demon King—his abilities were on par with his son, the Little Tornado. Yet not only had he trapped the Little Tornado within the Sword Diagram, dominating him completely, but he had nearly managed to slay him within a short span.
When he himself intervened.
Despite deploying fourteen of his Golden Wind Swords, he had only barely managed to destroy the Sword Diagram. With every exchange, his estimation and wariness of Chen Jichuan rose to new heights.
"Golden Wind Sword!"
"The Tornado Demon King’s trump card, the ’Golden Wind Sword,’ is said to have seventeen moves. Once, wielding fifteen strikes, he slew a Demon King of the Second Layer Heaven. This time he used fourteen strikes, yet it merely broke the Sword Diagram?"
"No wonder he was able to suppress the Fuling Demon King!"
...
Outside Wuling Mountain, more Demon Kings began to arrive stealthily, hiding and observing this clash from the shadows. Many were well aware of the Tornado Demon King’s power, some even having witnessed it themselves.
They had come mostly to gauge Chen Jichuan’s strength.
And upon seeing it firsthand, unease settled in their hearts.
Chen Jichuan paid no heed to these watchers. He could discern that the Tornado Demon King’s visit today was merely a probing maneuver, not an all-out attempt to settle life and death.
After all, his victory over the Fuling Demon King had been so swift that others knew little of his true capabilities. Without firsthand experience, accepting his control over Wuling Mountain was inconceivable.
This suited him perfectly.
"Making a display of power today will make things far smoother in the future."
Chen Jichuan was unwilling to let such a perfect target retreat. Seeing a hint of hesitation in the Tornado Demon King’s actions, as if he intended to withdraw, Chen Jichuan gathered his Sword Qi, manipulating the diagram with one hand while forming seals with the other—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Crackle! Crackle!
From the Heavenly Domain above, bolts of thunder descended.
This was the ’Five Thunders True Skill,’ another Demon Suppression and Dao Protecting Great Method in Chen Jichuan’s arsenal alongside the ’Seven Elements Relieving Calamity Ruyi Tiangang Splitting Light Sword Technique.’
Sword Qi filled the sky.
Thunder rained down from above.
Chen Jichuan clashed fiercely with the Tornado Demon King.
"Father, allow me to assist you!"
The Little Tornado, watching, sought to join the fray.
"Little Sparrow, stay out of this!"
Chen Jichuan laughed heartily, flicking his sleeve and sending out a web that expanded in the wind, instantly descending toward the Little Tornado.
...