Chapter 908 - The Demonic Mountain’s Holy Envoy

Chen Fan’s appearance greatly surprised everyone present.

They had expected the last demonic child to be Xu Yan, Zuoqiu Cheng, Mu Tianfang, or someone in the first or second-level Manifestation realm—never Chen Fan, who was only in the half-step Manifestation realm. How could he possibly secure one of those coveted spots?

The crowd soon noticed the expressions of those emerging from the secret realm. Instead of anger or indignation, their faces reflected deep apprehension.

Even Gu Ling and the others’ eyes showed traces of apprehension when they looked at Chen Fan.

This aroused the curiosity of the crowd present even more.

What exactly happened in the secret realm?

Chen Fan seized a throne with only a half-step, Manifestation realm cultivation. Not only that, but he left everyone visibly wary—even fearful.

It seemed that they had all underestimated him from the start!

Although the crowd did not know what happened in the secret realm, they understood that seizing such a position required overwhelming strength.

So, how did Chen Fan achieve this, and what had he done to inspire such fear?

A deep sense of curiosity arose within the minds of everyone present.

Demon King Xuan Ting and Xuan Shitong felt as if struck by lightning. They stood there, dumbstruck, their minds blank with shock.

Moments earlier, they had been wondering if Chen Fan had met with some accident in the secret realm. Yet, in the next instant, he delivered a thunderous shock that left them frozen.

Chen Fan had actually become a demonic child candidate!

“That kid, he really... he really did it!”

Demon King Xuan Ting looked at Chen Fan, shining with resplendent golden light, struggling to process what had just happened.

He fully understood the weight of this title and the monumental challenge of earning it. Moreover, this iteration of the Demonic Child Selection Battle was the fiercest in nearly a thousand years.

In the past iterations, an early-stage, first-level Manifestation realm could get the first throne. Even a half-step, Manifestation realm cultivator had a strong chance of becoming a candidate. But this time, the stakes were far higher.

Gu Ling and Cao Shi were both in the third-level Manifestation realm and even without throne infusion, they were solidly in the mid-to-late second level.

The others weren’t far behind, being at the peak, first-level Manifestation realm or stronger.

Placed in the past iterations of the selection battle, what could a peak, first-level Manifestation realm expert have done?

They could have overwhelmed everyone else!

The fact underscored how terrifyingly competitive this battle had become.

But what about Chen Fan?

He only had half-step, Manifestation realm cultivation but wrestled away a spot from a bunch of first and second-level Manifestation realm experts. This was too shocking.

This was equivalent to successfully snatching food from a tiger’s mouth.

If this were one of the past iterations, the crowd wouldn’t have been shocked; Chen Fan’s achievement would have seemed ordinary. But this time was different—this was a golden age, a century of unparalleled genius.

Although Demon King Xuan Ting knew that Chen Fan was incredibly powerful and was a genius, as a demon king-class expert, he understood the vast gulf between someone in the Manifestation realm and someone who wasn’t.

This made Chen Fan’s success all the more astonishing.

After her initial shock had died down and she came back to her senses, Xuan Shitong looked at Chen Fan, her eyes were full of stars.

“As expected of the man I have chosen. There’s nothing he can’t do.”

She found him more captivating with every glance.

With Chen Fan’s appearance, the ten demonic child candidates had all appeared in front of the crowd, unveiling the veil of mystery.

Countless gazes swept past these ten dazzling figures, their hearts stirring slightly.

They represented the pinnacle of the Ping Shan Demonic Domain’s genius in the past century.

Among them, some would undoubtedly rise to fame across the Myriad Demon Islands, becoming icons worshiped by millions of demonic cultivators.

No one else emerged from the secret realm. The crowd murmured, divine wills colliding in the air.

“How unexpected. In this selection battle, four demonic child candidates weren’t top ten seeds. Moreover, Xu Yan, Mu Tianfang, and Zuoqiu Cheng never came out of the secret realm—it’s clear what became of them.”

“That’s right. In the past Demonic Child Selection Battles, the top ten seeds almost always became the demonic child candidates. I didn’t expect such a major change this time.”

“Hehe, it’s a golden age, with geniuses emerging in droves. The list of top ten seeds isn’t absolute; it’s only a reference. The Ping Shan Demonic Domain is boundlessly vast—how could any list capture all its talent?”

“That’s true. Some geniuses prefer to stay low profile, avoiding the spotlight.”

“The one that surprised me the most is Chen Fan. A half-step, Manifestation realm cultivator claiming a spot. And that, too, after the throne infusion. Doesn’t that mean he wasn’t even at the half-step Manifestation before?”

“

Hiss, hiss

. Now that you put it this way, it is indeed terrifying.”

“Right, right. Look at Gu Ling and the others—they seem genuinely wary of him.”

Demon Venerable Ping Shan’s voice resounded.

“Haha, everyone, the three-month period is up, and we also have our ten demonic child candidates now. Let us congratulate them.”

As the king of the Ping Shan Demonic Domain and a Legendary realm apex expert, naturally, he remained composed. To others, being a demonic child candidate was a grand achievement, but to him, it was hardly worth mentioning.

He had once been a demonic child candidate himself and stepped on the summit of the demonic mountain. Although he did not obtain the legacy of the Lord of Myriad Demons, he entered the demonic palace hall for cultivation and eventually reached the Legendary realm.

Currently, Chen Fan and the others were merely candidates, far from the demonic mountain’s summit. Their potential was undeniable, but how far they would grow remained uncertain.

However, in his eyes, anything less than the Legendary realm wasn’t worth noting.

“The forces behind these ten demonic child candidates—step forward. You’ve done well to nurture such outstanding juniors and will be rewarded heavily.”

As soon as those words came out, Demon King Xuan Ting and the other demon sects or clans immediately stepped forward, looking excited.

Meanwhile, traces of envy surged in the people’s eyes when they looked at Demon King Xuan Ting and the others.

Rumble!

Suddenly, a deafening rumble tore through the air, like the stampede of ten thousand horses.

Countless gazes looked up into the sky.

A colossal ink-black demon beast emerged on the horizon, riding on the clouds. A terrifying and ferocious aura swept through heaven and earth, causing some demon king-class experts’ hearts to palpitate, and their irises shrank violently.

“

Roar

!” A roar shook the sky, and the crowd’s hearts trembled.

“A jiao, it’s a Demonic Jiao of Darkness.” [1]

Shock rippled through the onlookers as they realized someone was riding the legendary creature.

Someone had come riding the Demonic Jiao of Darkness.

“The Demonic Mountain’s Holy Envoy!”

The crowd’s murmur turned into an uproar as they recognized the approaching figure.

1. Usually translated as flood dragon, but author makes a distinction on this in the next chapter that it only has the bloodline of a flood dragon (Jiao Long). ☜