Chapter 133: May the Human Race Flourish

Ji Junhong’s sword had been fully charged for some time, yet he merely watched with amused interest as Ji Huo drew the monster’s aggression. Only when he saw the demon fox charge did he lift the Human Sovereign Sword with both hands, golden light surging within his eyes.

In the next instant, he vanished into the air like a gentle breeze. Immediately following, a soul-stirring, majestic celestial authority descended upon the world. The demon fox’s heart tightened. It looked up abruptly, only to find a colossal golden longsword plummeting from the heavens. It tried to struggle, but discovered that no matter which direction it fled, it could not evade the strike. It was a guaranteed hit; it was destined to pierce!

"Roar!"

It bellowed at the golden blade, but the sword struck true, piercing its chest and pinning it firmly to the ground.

"Boom!"

The golden shockwave obliterated the surrounding rain, and the force of the blast even scattered the dark clouds in the sky, revealing a tapestry of stars. As the golden sword energy dissipated, Ji Junhong reappeared high in the air, his breath steady, his eyes calm and rippleless.

"Hahahaha! You still can't kill me! You just can't kill me, Human Sovereign!" The great demon laughed wildly, its chest wound healing rapidly while its nine tails radiated a golden glow. It had long since ceased its progress toward becoming a Great Demon of the Climate; as long as it remained within the borders of the Great Zhou, it could draw an endless supply of national fortune.

Before the demon could finish its sentence, it saw that annoying little brat from earlier walking silently toward it. The memory of what had just happened flared in the demon's mind, and it swung a heavy paw down.

"Roar!"

A massive phantom of a brown bear materialized behind Ji Huo. The bear caught the demon’s arm, holding it fast. Then, Ji Huo made a throwing motion; the brown bear phantom's eyes flashed with gold as it performed an overhead throw, slamming the demon into the ground.

"Boom!"

The demon fox’s head struck the earth, leaving it dazed. It roared in fury, "Stop! You little brat! I am the Emperor!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The brown bear gripped the demon's arms, slamming it repeatedly against the ground before tossing the massive creature dozens of meters away, where it crashed through several rooftops.

"What a weak emperor," Ji Huo muttered, pouting. He had only wanted to test his strength, but he hadn't expected to improve so rapidly. It seemed that after exchanging blows with his father, his understanding of both the "Thunderous Fierce Bear Fist" and the "Elemental Records" had deepened. Theoretically, the experience points infused by the system should have maxed out his proficiency, but he felt as though something had fundamentally changed.

"Roar!"

The enraged demon fox let out a low growl. Its nine tails lashed out, stirring up a gale and filling the air with demonic miasma. Suddenly, nine golden dragons descended from the sky, tightly binding the fox's tails.

Ji Huo and Xia Ningchang looked up at their elder brother in the sky, confusion in their eyes. Ji Junhong explained, "I read records of the Thousand-Faced Demon Fox in an obscure history book years ago. Their tails are the source of their sorcery. Once you restrain the tails and cut off their ability to cast spells, they are nothing more than beasts capable of physical combat."

"Bullshit! I am no beast!" The demon fox roared, struggling, but the nine golden dragons held its tails fast, their claws dug deep into the earth, rendering it immobile.

"Ptooey!"

In a final act of spite, the fox spat at Ji Junhong, who dodged it with a look of disgust. The spit landed nearby, followed by the screams and curses of several martial artists who had likely gotten a taste of the foul concoction.

Ji Huo’s eyes lit up. He stepped forward, manifesting the massive brown bear aura, and slapped the demon fox across the face.

The demon fox: "..."

"You little—"

"Smack!"

"Keep slapping!"

"You can't kill me!"

"Smack!"

"I will—"

"Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!"

"..."

On a distant rooftop, the onlookers watched as the great demon, which had nearly wiped out the entire capital, was pinned to the ground and slapped repeatedly by a giant spectral brown bear. They felt the tone of the scene was somewhat surreal.

Xia Ningchang leaned over quietly and gave him a light kick in the rear. "Hey, that’s enough. You’re grinning so hard your mouth is about to reach your ears. You look like a pervert."

Ji Huo coughed, excited. "Why don't you try it? Slapping a Grandmaster-level great demon! Think of the prestige!"

Xia Ningchang had wanted to try, but seeing his grotesque grin, she silently abandoned the idea.

"Wait, why are you moving so far away?"

"I'm not moving away."

"I saw you step back!"

"You saw wrong."

"You stepped back two more times! Is it embarrassing to stand next to me?"

"You know it is."

High in the sky, Ji Junhong looked down at the two bickering figures, his lips curling slightly. He glanced toward the east, where the sky was beginning to glow with the pale light of dawn. A rare look of frustration crossed his face. "This great demon is weaker than I imagined. After all the preparation I put in, it feels like a waste."

The dark clouds had been dispelled, leaving only the faint light of dawn. Ji Junhong sighed and looked down at the devastated capital. In the distance, the Flying Bear Army was finishing up the mop-up of the living dead.

"So be it. Since it has come to this, I shall clean up this mess. I suppose I won't have any peace from now on."

Ji Junhong faced the east. The first rays of the morning sun pierced the clouds and fell upon him. Simultaneously, a purple radiance flashed across the horizon, as if in response, surging toward him along with the sunlight. The sun and the purple mist adorned him, gilding his hair and robes with golden edges.

On the ground, the dazed demon fox looked up, its eyes filled with terror. "Impossible! How can you possess this!?"

Ji Huo and Xia Ningchang also looked up, astonished by their elder brother. A flash of realization crossed Ji Huo’s eyes as he whispered, "So this was his trump card... A brilliant maneuver."

"The Purple Qi comes from the East!"

"It is the Purple Qi from the East!"

The martial artists stared at the upright figure in the sky, crying out in shock.

...

In the south, at the White Tiger Army camp, the soldiers had stood watch all night with weapons in hand. When the first glimmer of dawn appeared, the Marshal of the White Tiger Army took a deep breath and, without hesitation, knelt on one knee toward the rising sun.

"The current imperial court is corrupt and lawless, allowing monsters to run rampant and leaving the people in misery!"

"The White Tiger Army is willing to follow Lord Ji Junhong, unify the Nine Provinces, and inaugurate a new dynasty!"

"May the human race flourish! May there be eternal peace!"

The White Tiger Army knelt in unison, whispering, "May the human race flourish! May there be eternal peace!"

...

At the same time, the camps of the Azure Dragon, Vermillion Bird, and Black Tortoise armies, which guarded the four corners of the Great Zhou, also knelt toward the dawn, whispering, "We are willing to follow His Majesty Ji Junhong to unify the Nine Provinces and build a new era!"

"May the human race flourish! May there be eternal peace!"

...

Across the Great Zhou, in every prefecture and county, people had stayed awake through the night. The torches had burned until dawn, like sparks ignited across the dark earth, blazing and refusing to be extinguished. If one were to look down from the highest vantage point, these flickering embers seemed to encompass the entire Great Zhou, connecting into one vast, glowing expanse.

"May the human race flourish! May there be eternal peace!"

Under the first rays of dawn, this phrase echoed in every corner of the Great Zhou. The orange flames of the torches burned on, never to be extinguished.