Aspiring to the Immortal Path

Libido had a dour look as he flew forward.

Libido had never envisioned a defeat like this.

The incredible strength of the Eight Ocean Mountains and that human Tang Jie had far exceeded expectations, as well as his ability to command and strategize.

In truth, cultivator wars rarely had such complex developments. Everyone was a cultivator and so sought conquest through absolute strength, not schemes and traps. In this world where strength replaced everything, pursuing schemes was heresy.

This was why Libido never imagined that there would be a human more cunning than demons, more sinister and shameless, even daring to use the ghosts to attack the demons.

It was too late for remorse. He now needed to think about his next step.

He had lost his entire army in this battle. Although the Primordial Fog Domain favored the strong, and he was completely capable of recruiting a new army, most of the demons from his region were now buried in the Rosecloud Domain. Even if he wrangled up a new army, it wouldn’t be as strong as before. Even more frightening was that once news of his defeat spread, he would soon have to face a major challenge.

“The only option…” Libido lowered his head in thought for a few moments, and then his eyes gleamed with a savage light. “It seems that’s the only way.”

Libido stopped and searched the surroundings. In the distance, several small red demons were scrabbling in the soil for food. He flew over, and as he passed by, he leaked out a little of his aura. The red demons instantly prostrated in terror as they sensed the will of a terrifying Demon Lord.

Libido immediately seized one of them, sending his will into its mind and obliterating its consciousness. He then poured his demonic energy into the red demon, causing it to grow larger and larger until it became a copy of Libido. Finally, he inserted a sliver of his Demonic Will, thus completing an avatar.

Libido did the same to the rest of the red demons.

Once this was done, Libido felt a wave of exhaustion. These avatars created through possession couldn’t cultivate, but they were born at Violet Palace, and they could persist for long periods of time without need for additional energy. It was a rare demon art, but it was extremely taxing to use. But as he was all alone and without any subordinates, he could only create avatars.

Libido ordered, “All of you, disperse and recruit demons under my name. You have one year!”

The avatars departed, and Libido flew off in another direction.

After around three days of flight, Libido arrived near a mountain.

This mountain was ablaze with searing flames that dyed the skies red. In the Primordial Fog Domain, where black and purple were the primary colors, it was truly a rare sight.

As Libido flew into the mountain, a raspy voice said, “Libido, didn’t you go wandering the human plane? What brings you to my Scarlet Mountain?”

Libido sighed, “Of course I went. It’s just that I encountered a tough nut.”

“Oh? There was a human that could make you suffer a loss? Or were you too greedy and chose a domain that was too large?”

Libido sighed. “It wasn’t that I was too greedy, but that the enemy humans were too cunning, actually laying down the Eight Ocean Mountains…”

He gave a rough summary of his invasion of the Rosecloud Domain, but he focused more on the first battle and the use of the Eight Ocean Mountains. He refused to mention anything about how Tang Jie had managed to wipe out his entire army in the second battle.

The Scarlet Terra Ancestor grunted, “The Eight Ocean Mountains… That truly is a very rich domain. So, what’s that got to do with me?”

Libido smiled. “While I may have been defeated, it was not because the demons were weak, but because the humans were too sly and able to keep me out of their domain. But the humans also took heavy losses from that battle, so if the Scarlet Terra Ancestor were to intervene…”

The Scarlet Terra Ancestor laughed. “I knew that you would try and recruit me to your cause. But I’m at a key moment in the cultivation of my Sundevil Flame Art, so for the moment…”

“I just so happen to have a few of the Coronal Essence and Ifrit Stone that Ancestor requires for cultivating the Sundevil Demon Art…”

“Oh?” A tongue of flame erupted from Scarlet Mountain, forming into a face that gazed at Libido.

A few moments later, the Scarlet Terra Ancestor said, “Send them over, and I’ll reinforce you after three days.”

Libido said in delight, “Many thanks, Ancestor!”

After finishing his negotiations with the Scarlet Terra Ancestor, Libido flew toward a blood-colored basin.

In this place, numerous Bluestar Blood Demons were mindlessly wandering around.

A Blood Demon chief came over and said, “Ah, so it is Demon Lord Libido who has honored us with your presence.”

Libido said, “I have an urgent matter that I need to discuss with Demon Lord Violetstar.”

The Blood Demon chief said, “Please wait a moment, Demon Lord.”

A few moments later, Libido appeared in the blood basin’s Violetstar Divine Palace.

Demon Lord Violetstar sat high on his throne, his enormous body a hundred thousand feet tall. He gazed down at Libido and said, “Libido, what do you want to discuss with me? Didn’t you go off to the human plane? Why did you come back? Did the thirty thousand Blood Demons I gave you serve you well?”

Libido explained his earlier defeat, though he naturally altered the contents, describing it as the cunning humans ambushing the demons, resulting in devastating losses on his part.

Violetstar sneered, “I get why you came to find me. As expected, you ran into a wall against the humans. But coming to find me is pointless. I have no interest in the riches of the human plane.”

Libido went on, “I know that Demon Lord Violetstar cares nothing for the riches of the humans, which is why you remain unknown to them despite your mighty powers. But while Demon Lord can disregard the riches of the humans, what about the lives of your thirty thousand children?”

“Mm?” Violetstar’s eyes flashed. “What do you mean by that?”

Libido explained, “In the battle against Rosecloud, the thirty thousand Bluestar Blood Demons fought hard, not retreating despite the powerful forces arrayed against them, but alas, they fell in battle. The lowly humans use the starlight of the Blood Demons as material for forging art relics and talismans, and for this purpose, they captured many of the Bluestar Blood Demons alive to raise them as livestock. Many Bluestar Blood Demons are living in terrible conditions at this very moment!”

Demon Lord Violetstar roared, “What did you say?”

He could accept all thirty thousand Blood Demons dying in battle, as he had sold them to Libido. But his Blood Demons being raised as livestock for their starlight was not something he could tolerate.

Libido inwardly celebrated.

He wasn’t actually lying. Right before leaving, he had told Tang Jie that the starlight within the Blood Demons had a special power, and he was confident that someone of Tang Jie’s personality would definitely capture some Blood Demons alive to try and confirm the veracity of this information.

Violetstar said, “Since that’s how the humans dare to treat my Blood Demons, I will have to personally go to them.”

After agreeing on a time with each other, Libido departed.

Leaving the blood basin, Libido flew off to his next destination. As he flew along, he thought to himself, The Swan Ancestor is a rude fellow, and trying to bribe him with treasure probably won’t work. He also didn’t have any children die in that battle. Just how am I going to convince him?

Suddenly, a devil flew over.

This devil had the body of a horse and the head of a bull, and wielded a three-tined fork. “Might I ask where you are from?”

Libido was shocked that there was someone in this region that didn’t recognize him. He asked, “And who are you?”

The devil replied, “Oh, I’m Shimo. I’ve heard that when the barrier between the two planes weakens, large numbers of demons head to the human plane to loot and plunder. I want to go too, but I can’t find the entrance, and I’m not good at Space arts, so all I can do is go around looking.”

Libido was stunned. Gazing at this gift delivered right to his door, he smiled and said, “Then you’ve found the right place. This one is Demon Lord Libido, and I’m currently at war with the human plane and recruiting allies.”

Shimo broadly grinned. “That’s great! Then I’ll go with you. Right, what domain are you invading?”

“Oh, the Rosecloud Domain,” Libido answered. “If you fly around thirty thousand kilometers in that direction, you’ll see a demon palace. That is my palace. I have an avatar there recruiting demons. If you go over there, I’ll inform my avatar to treat you well.”

“Wonderful!” Shimo replied.

Libido nodded in satisfaction. While Shimo was a simpleton, his cultivation level was not low, and based on his aura, he seemed to be quite strong. The two ancestors he had recruited were only reinforcements, not subordinates, but Shimo could serve in this role. Thus, Libido had given him directions to his demon palace.

Libido was in a great mood now, and after bidding farewell to Shimo, he continued on his way to the Swan Ancestor’s base, continuing to rack his mind for ways to convince him. He then recalled that the Swan Ancestor was a proud sort who considered himself unrivaled, not even respecting Libido. He simply needed to emphasize Tang Jie’s strength to draw the Swan Ancestor’s interest.

Shimo watched Libido leave, and then he let out a sinister chuckle.

He opened his mouth and spat out a mirror.

Standing the mirror up, he chanted a few words in front of it, and a few moments later, a large mountain appeared in the mirror.

This mountain floated in the air, wreathed in rare silvery-white clouds. Besides that, a rainbow of colors circled the summit, which on closer inspection appeared to be countless flying fiend beasts.

The light from the mirror went straight to the highest summit of the mountain, where there was a giant stone throne.

A white tiger fiend sat on the throne like a human, nursing a cup of wine in its paw.

The white tiger sensed the mirror and gazed up. “Who is it?”

Shimo prostrated. “Patrol Captain Shimo pays respects to the Fiend Lord. There is progress on the mission Fiend Lord assigned!”

“Oh?” The white tiger’s eyes gleamed.