Tang Dynasty: Inherit the Evil Sword Immortal and destroy gods and demons with one thought!
Chapter 6 - The First Clash—Xu Changqing Battles the Yellow-Browed Demon King!

Chapter 6: The First Clash—Xu Changqing Battles the Yellow-Browed Demon King!

Li Yuanba strode out of the city. For the first time in a decade, the Prince of Yidu took action. His celestial alignment was unique: the first seat of the Black Tortoise Constellation, Dou Wood Xie. The four great constellations bestowed innate destinies, their order largely determining one’s foundational strength. Among the living, only Li Yuanba held the first seat.

[Dòu mù xiè (斗木獬): The “Dou Wood Xie Constellation,” the first seat of the Black Tortoise, a mythical creature in Chinese astrology symbolizing wisdom and strength.]

Carrying his Thunder Drum Urn Hammers, he ventured forth alone, needing no generals. He alone rivalled the might of the Five Princes combined. Standing before Yidu City, the desolate chill of his surroundings mirrored his solitude.

From the city walls, jeers rained down. “A fool destined to toil forever!” they mocked. Loyalty to any Star Prince could have granted him tenfold wealth, power, status, and renown. Yet, a fool could not grasp such things. “Don’t bother with him! Struck by lightning, he’ll never awaken!”

The world branded Li Yuanba a simpleton, ignorant of the fleeting moments of clarity he had known during his confinement in the Prince of Qin’s mansion. In those lucid intervals, he witnessed the palace’s cold indifference, venomous schemes, and relentless mockery. Who would show genuine kindness to a fool? He could not forget the ugly faces of those around him, nor the frail figure who treated him with unwavering care.

When that figure vanished, Li Yuanba sealed himself away. If you do not return, I shall never awaken. If you do, I am yours to command. Even if it means defying the world, so be it!

In Chang’an City, atop the Immortal-Gazing Terrace, the eight Star Ministers stood in a row before Emperor Li Shimin. Their faces were pale, their breaths unsteady. Moments earlier, they had activated the Grand Celestial Array, expending immense energy to send a plea for aid to the Celestial Realm. Even for Li Shimin and his formidable ministers, the array’s toll was heavy. The eight Star Ministers, still reeling from the backlash of the mysterious hand, struggled to remain upright.

“My loyal ministers, rest,” Li Shimin said, descending from the altar. “Guards, bring seats!”

The eight were his stalwart allies, instrumental in forging the empire, each a pillar of the realm. Zhangsun Wuji, the Star of Heavenly Kui, settled into his seat and sighed. “Your Majesty, a day in the heavens is a year on earth. We’ve sent our plea, but when will the Celestial Realm’s aid arrive? Will it come in time?”

His words cast a pall over the assembly. The uncertainty gnawed at them—would the celestial forces arrive before the chaos erupted? Their gazes turned to the distant sky, where lightning flashed and a demonic aura surged, now encroaching upon Chang’an itself. The ten Demon Kings’ arrays, once mere frameworks, had fully formed, their malevolent energy palpable even to common folk, who shivered under an eerie chill. The Heavenly Demon Emperor—what does he seek? Does he aim to annihilate the Mortal Realm? And that pale hand—who does it belong to? Neither Li Shimin nor the Star Ministers knew, sensing only that such a being transcended their comprehension. They had done all they could; now, fate would decide.

At Shu Mountain, chief disciple Xu Changqing led three thousand disciples to Hui Province. Though a mere martial sect, Shu Mountain commanded respect even from the Tang imperial family. Outsiders knew the reviving figure as the Demon Emperor, but Shu Mountain’s disciples understood the Heavenly Demon Emperor’s true terror. His past rampage had ravaged the Mortal Realm, and his rebirth threatened renewed devastation. They had to act, or the consequences would be dire.

Xu Changqing and his disciples soared into the sky, confronting tens of thousands of demonic soldiers. “Strike!” he commanded, wielding his Jianyan Sword. A golden sword beam cleaved through the air, felling three hundred demons in a single stroke. His fellow disciples, fueled by righteous zeal, charged into the fray, cutting down swathes of demons. Their onslaught carved a fleeting patch of light through the demonic miasma.

In the demonic domain of Hui Province, the Yellow-Browed Demon King glared at the faltering array, his iron teeth grinding in a roar. “What’s happening?!” A lesser demon stumbled forward, panic-stricken. “Great King! The Taoists of Shu Mountain have attacked, led by their chief disciple, Xu Changqing!”

“Xu Changqing?” The Yellow-Browed Demon King’s grotesque face twisted further. Xu Changqing, Shu Mountain’s prodigy, was hailed as their greatest talent in a century, backed by formidable disciples. Infusing demonic aura into the array, the Demon King seized his spiked mace and bellowed, “Minions, follow me to feast on that tender morsel!”

In the sky, the battle raged fiercely. With Xu Changqing at the helm, Shu Mountain’s losses were far fewer than the demons’. He led his disciples with unstoppable momentum toward the demonic domain. Suddenly, he raised his sword. “Hold!”

His shout was followed by a preemptive sword strike, clashing with an oncoming storm of yellow sand. Sword light and sand exploded, their forces evenly matched.

“Hahaha! Tender little morsel, come be my appetizer!” A shrill cackle echoed from the distance. From the sand emerged a hideous demon, wielding a spiked mace, spewing sandstorms, his form ghostly and divine—the Yellow-Browed Demon King. Xu Changqing gripped his Jianyan Sword, his gaze steady. “Yellow-Browed Demon King, you aid evil and plague the Mortal Realm. Shu Mountain will not spare you today!” The Demon King’s fur-covered face sneered. “Pale-faced boy, spare me your righteous drivel! Do you think Shu Mountain’s might can halt the Demon Emperor’s rebirth? Let me tell you, this time, not even the Jade Emperor can stop it!”

[Yùhuáng (玉皇): The “Jade Emperor,” the supreme deity in Taoist cosmology, ruler of the Celestial Realm, symbolizing ultimate divine authority.]

With a flash, the Demon King lunged, yellow sand swirling in his wake. The Shu Mountain disciples, caught in the storm, struggled to see through the demonic gale. Xu Changqing rode his sword, its radiance slicing through the sky as he clashed with countless demons. Yet, his mind lingered on the Demon King’s words. The Demon Emperor’s rebirth, unstoppable even by the Jade Emperor? What do we not know?

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