"That woman's strength suddenly surged, and she naturally dominated the fight. But that fellow was no pushover either—driven to a desperate struggle, they actually managed to wound each other gravely." Mo Sheng's tone was flat, as though he were recounting someone else's tale. "Mutually wary, they called a temporary truce and each retreated to heal."
"However, at this level of cultivation, one rarely sustains injuries. And once injured, recovery is exceedingly difficult. The only way is to devour the spiritual essence of an entire Great World—and so, that fellow came to this realm." As he spoke, Mo Sheng made a sweeping gesture with his hand.
Yang Kai's expression shifted. So the Great Demon God hadn't originally been from the Demon Realm at all—he was an uninvited guest from beyond the heavens? He had only come to the Demon Realm to heal, to devour what was called spiritual essence. What exactly this spiritual essence was, Yang Kai couldn't quite grasp—he only knew it could aid the Great Demon God's recovery.
Mo Sheng smiled faintly, looking at Yang Kai. "Did you know? This realm wasn't always called the Demon Realm. It had another name—the Peerless World. It only became the Demon Realm later. And the beings who once ruled the Peerless World were the same as in your Star Realm: humans."
Yang Kai's face filled with shock. "Truly?" If that was the case, then what about the current Demon race?
Mo Sheng couldn't be bothered to explain further, and continued on his own. "All living beings under heaven fall into four broad categories—humans, demons, monsters, and spirits. Any creature with its own thoughts and intelligence can be classified into one of these four. The Three Thousand Worlds are predominantly ruled by beings of these types. The Peerless World was once ruled by humans—but everything changed with that fellow's arrival. As he healed in this realm, inhaling and exhaling its spiritual essence, all living beings were gradually influenced by his demonic nature. Over countless ages, they transformed into the Demon race, and even the laws of heaven and earth underwent subtle changes."
Yang Kai was dumbfounded. He had never imagined that the Demon race of the Demon Realm had originally been human, transformed only by the Great Demon God's influence.
"After tens of thousands of years of silent healing, the Peerless World had undergone earth-shattering changes, and that fellow's injuries had been brought under control. Given another ten or twenty thousand years, a full recovery wasn't out of the question—and then he could emerge and challenge that woman to another battle." But here Mo Sheng's brow furrowed, a flash of irritation crossing his face. "Unfortunately, it was right at that moment that another uninvited guest arrived in the Peerless World. A disagreement turned violent, and though that fellow had recovered considerably, he hadn't fully healed. The newcomer was powerful in his own right, and after their battle, the Peerless World was shattered—and that fellow's physical body was obliterated. Such is fate." He shook his head, sighing endlessly.
Though Mo Sheng hadn't named names, Yang Kai knew perfectly well that this uninvited guest referred to the Time Emperor. And the shattering of the Demon Realm was indeed—as he had previously guessed—directly related to that ancient battle.
"What happened after?" Yang Kai pressed. He had to admit, though the story was told in the most straightforward manner possible, it had captured his full attention, leaving him desperate to know what came next.
"His physical body was destroyed, but his soul endured. Though the situation was grim, recovery wasn't entirely impossible." Mo Sheng glanced at Yang Kai. "However, the spiritual essence of the Peerless World had long been completely drained by that fellow, and the entire world had been tainted by his demonic nature—how could it aid his recovery? Fortunately, there were other options."
"The Star Realm?" Yang Kai narrowed his eyes slightly.
Mo Sheng nodded. "That's right—the Star Realm. These two realms are comparable in scale. If he could devour the Star Realm's spiritual essence, he could definitely rebuild his physical body. He might not return to his peak, but at the very least, he could escape his current predicament."
Understanding dawned on Yang Kai's face. "It seems that fellow has had his eye on this for more than a year or two. He must have harbored this intention a very long time ago."
Otherwise, how could there have been that ancient war between humans and Demons? The Time Emperor had probably sensed exactly this, which was why he had come to this realm to cause trouble for him. After all, what other reason would the Time Emperor have for coming all the way here?
"Healing was never a simple matter," Mo Sheng replied nonchalantly.
Yang Kai pondered briefly before asking the question that concerned him most. "What would happen if the Star Realm's spiritual essence were devoured?"
Mo Sheng smiled faintly. "Whatever the Peerless World became, the Star Realm would become the same. It wouldn't have much impact on the birth and death of living beings—the form of existence would simply undergo a slight change."
Yang Kai let out a dry laugh. "From humans to Demons? That's hardly a slight change."
"What difference does it make?" Mo Sheng looked at Yang Kai with a trace of pity, as though gazing upon a stubborn stone that refused to crack. "Aren't you already half a Demon yourself?"
"No, it's not the same." Yang Kai shook his head vigorously. "Not the same at all."
Mo Sheng watched him with an amused smile for a moment, then said lightly, "If you say it's not the same, then it's not the same. Now then, the story is over. It's your turn."
"Me?" Yang Kai pointed at his own nose. "I don't have any story to tell."
"Who's asking you to tell a story? I just need you to do me a favor."
"A favor?" Yang Kai found it amusing—the greatest enemy under heaven was standing right inside his own Small Mysterious Heaven, facing him directly, and asking for his help. The scene was truly bizarre.
"Help me take control of the Star Realm," Mo Sheng replied, wearing a completely matter-of-fact expression.
"On what grounds?" Yang Kai's brow shot up.
Mo Sheng said, "Would you rather watch the beings of the Star Realm be slaughtered? The Demon race will mobilize in full force—how could the Star Realm possibly resist? Your current resistance is nothing but an ant trying to shake a tree."
Yang Kai frowned. "You've been trapped in here—how could you possibly know what's happening outside?" Mo Sheng had been sealed within the Small Mysterious Heaven for many years, never once stepping out, yet everything he said suggested he had a clear picture of the situation beyond.
"That I can know. Don't worry about how. Helping me is helping yourself—and more importantly, helping the billions of lives in the Star Realm."
"So you want to drag them into the demonic path?" Yang Kai's voice grew cold. When he had turned to the demonic way, the Warm Divine Lotus had protected him, keeping his true heart from being extinguished. But if the people of the Star Realm turned to the demonic path... that was another matter entirely.