Chapter 972: Return to Blue Planet, What a Mighty Empire (II)

As Chen Chu was preparing to take Lin Xue and the others back to the Blue Planet, in a Purgatory fortress, shrouded in swirling demonic qi, two demon kings sat face to face.

The fork-horned demon who had just broken through to the demon king level, Guludeen, spoke with excitement in its voice. "Brooks, while sorting through the Assassination Division’s old files earlier, I stumbled upon a major discovery. It’s related to Chu Batian."

Brooks’s eyes narrowed. "Related to Chu Batian? What did you find?"

Guludeen said with mounting excitement, "Just half a day-cycle ago, Perdo, the demon in charge of internal affairs on the Blue Planet, sent back word. It obtained information about Chu Batian’s family. However, before it could upload the full details, its superior perished in the last war, and the message was cut off. After discovering this clue, I spent some time verifying the demonic rune signal frequency and managed to re-establish contact with Perdo, who’s still embedded behind enemy lines in the human's Expansion Division. Apparently, it’s long been in contact with the demon cultists hidden deep within the Blue Planet. Though contact has been patchy lately, it still managed to extract useful intel. Among them was the very target His Majesty personally requested us to investigate—Chu Batian’s family.

"You’ll never believe this. Chu Batian’s mother is just an ordinary human, weaker even than a larval demonic worm at the First Demonic Mark. He also has a younger brother named Chen Hu, whose cultivation is only at the Fifth Demonic Mark. He’s currently competing in some competition called the Martial Arts Tournament. A mother who’s just an ordinary human, and a brother with barely any power, yet Chu Batian’s strength is utterly monstrous. It’s unbelievable. Brooks, what do you think? Should we report this directly to His Majesty? Or should we try to sneak into the Blue Planet and assassinate Chu Batian’s family ourselves?"

A glint of excitement flashed in the fork-horned demon king’s eyes.

If I can assassinate Chu Batian’s family in secret, I will rise to instant fame and become one of the most dazzling demon kings in the entire Purgatory Demon Clan. At that point, Demon God Deorus will surely reward me greatly. My cultivation may even make another leap forward.

Seeing Guludeen clearly tempted, Brooks calmly said, "At present, most of the human top-tier experts are stationed on the frontlines. The rear areas of the Blue Planet are relatively unguarded. Your plan does have a degree of feasibility."

"So you're agreeing with me then?" Guludeen's eyes lit up.

Brooks gave a slight shake of its head. "While the plan is feasible, I don’t recommend it. After all, we’re no longer part of the Assassination Division. We’re now in the Intelligence Division. Also, once we kill them, we’ll be hunted relentlessly by Chu Batian. That man is a monster who even demon gods struggle to face. Guludeen, do you think a newly advanced demon king like you or me can stand against him? Or do you believe even His Majesty can stop him?"

At the thought of that terrifying human’s madness, the fork-horned demon king turned pale. It shivered involuntarily, fear creeping into its expression.

Brooks nodded with satisfaction. "That’s why the matter of assassinating Chu Batian’s family, and who should carry it out, should be left to His Majesty to decide."

Since Guludeen had discovered the information, Brooks knew there was no way to suppress or hide it. It might as well report it honestly and let the tide carry it forward. At the same time, it planned to notify their side to make preparations. Brooks’s eyes flickered.

The Blue Planet was not the mythical world. For beings at the demon king level, entering was extremely difficult; unless they came through a stable world passage, any form of "smuggling" would be forcefully suppressed by the Blue Planet’s principles. It was even harder for higher existences like the great demon kings. There wasn’t even a single rift capable of withstanding their arrival.

Soon, Brooks reported to Demon God Deorus regarding information about Chen Chu's family.

***

At the heart of the magma world, now shrouded in darkness after the magma had cooled, the land collapsed under immense gravitational forces. Space twisted and warped into a massive black hole region. At the center stood a golden-black colossal beast, who had exited its terminal form. Wisps of black smoke drifted from its body, silently erasing space wherever they passed.

By now, the Destructive Dragon Emperor had fully absorbed the Star Core’s energy, causing its body to swell to a staggering 11,000 meters, like an immense, oppressive mountain.

As its size passed ten thousand meters, its power had broken through to the middle stage of the ancient titan level. This was a growth even greater than it had originally anticipated.

Though the internal energy had been fully absorbed, the Star Core didn’t vanish. Instead, it had transformed into a pitch-black crystal a hundred meters in diameter. The Dragon Emperor could now clearly see that within the devouring “world” in its stomach this black crystal resembled black hole matter, radiating an immensely oppressive aura.

Even its slow rotation warped the spacetime within the devouring world, containing massively destructive power.

Beyond the physical and realm breakthroughs, something else had changed. Perhaps due to the influence of that black hole substance, or because its heavenly-tier bloodline had evolved, even its Dark Realm Devourer had advanced.

[Hidden Ability]

Terminal Dark Devourer

- Evolved from the original Dark Realm Devourer ability. Its black hole domain can consume all of heaven and earth, even entire worlds. When this devouring power is released, it creates a collapsing domain capable of swallowing.

The introduction of this newly evolved hidden ability was brief, but the implications were frightening. At that moment, the Dragon Emperor was truly a beast of world-destroying devourment.

A slight hunger stirred within its vast body due to the growth, the Dragon Emperor slowly turned its head toward a point thousands of kilometers away. There, the Ancient Magma Dragon, whose injuries had already healed, froze in terror and instinctively took two steps back. All nine of its heads roared at once.

I won’t fight anymore. I surrender! I surrender!

Surrender.

That deep, reverberating growl shook spacetime itself, followed by a series of earth-shaking footsteps. As the black darkness twisted the heavens and approached, the frozen, crumbling earth erupted from the colossal force. Rocks exploded, and thunderous blasts echoed across the land.

Seeing the approaching darkness and the towering figure at its center, the Magma Dragon clenched its tail and dropped flat on the ground, nine heads pressed against the earth, not daring to move.

This sight made the Dragon Emperor pause for a moment, thinking to itself,

Wait, no. You’re a late-stage ancient titan, a being with strength rivaling the peak. Even if your enemy is powerful, shouldn’t you have a little pride?

What the Dragon Emperor didn’t know, however, was that the heavenly-tier bloodline pressure it emitted was absolutely terrifying for other draconic colossal beasts. Standing in the heart of the black hole, the Dragon Emperor lowered its gaze toward the lava colossal dragon, paused, then slowly growled,

Considering the sincerity with which you offered the World Star Core, I’ll overlook the previous provocation from your magma dragons.

Thank you, thank you, mighty king of colossal beasts. To be forgiven by you is the greatest honor of my life.

...The Dragon Emperor’s mouth twitched slightly. This beast really had no trace of an ancient titan's majesty left in it. Still, late-stage ancient-titan-level strength had its uses.

Whoosh!

The Dragon Emperor took a deep breath, and the surge of shockwaves engulfed the entire world. It growled again.

I am Ao Batian, Thunder Fiery Dragon King of the Dragon Palace.

So it’s the mighty Thunder Fiery Dragon King,

The Magma Dragon’s nine heads roared with excitement.

Ao Batian... What a dominant name. From the very sound of it, I can already see your brilliance shining beyond eternity. Your heroism and greatness will echo through the myriad worlds, worshipped by billions of dragons...

Hearing the outrageous flattery, the Dragon Emperor fell silent again. Only when the Magma Dragon finally stopped did it slowly growl.

The territory of the Dragon Palace I lead has already expanded to this region—

However, before the Dragon Emperor could finish, the Magma Dragon interjected again.

Roar! No problem, mighty Lord Thunder Fiery. I’ll leave immediately. I won’t block the advance of your great Dragon Palace. Please, Lord Thunder Fiery, should I fly away or roll? Which would be more appropriate?

Before the words finished echoing, a dragon claw wrapped in black lightning descended from the sky.

Boom!

The ground within several thousand kilometers exploded instantly. Countless streams of cooled black magma shot into the air, smoke and heatwaves sweeping across tens of thousands of kilometers. Buried beneath a thousand kilometers of shattered earth, its back scales crushed and flesh torn, the Magma Dragon lay dazed.

The Dragon Emperor growled,

This time, let me finish speaking before you interrupt. Though your subordinates offended my dignity, your own performance has been acceptable. Therefore, I intend to invite you to join the Dragon Palace and become the fourteenth dragon king of the Dragon King Palace.

The fourteenth dragon king... of the Dragon King Palace?

Deep underground, the Magma Dragon’s nine heads slowly rose, eyes filled with confusion.

The Dragon Emperor growled,

Aside from myself, the Dragon Palace currently has twelve dragon kings. They hold equal status with me. The Dragon King Palace manages the empire’s affairs, and every dragon king has the right to participate in its councils.

Immediately, the nine pairs of eyes widened as it thought to itself,

Twelve dragon kings, each equal to this monstrous beast? What kind of terrifyingly powerful empire is this?

The Magma Dragon replied without hesitation,

Honorable, mighty Lord of Thunder Fiery, please let me join.