Fang Ming cast aside the matter of Emperor Jun forcibly subduing Kunpeng, as it was difficult to say who was right or wrong. Kunpeng still had grounds to defend himself, so Fang Ming decided not to dwell on it.
He focused on the incident in Zixiao Palace, where Kunpeng harbored resentment towards Hongyun for giving away his seat, and then colluded with Minghe to kill Hongyun.
There was no defense for this.
Ancestor Hongyun was a kind soul. The seat was his, and he had the right to give it to whomever he pleased.
If Kunpeng was to hold a grudge, it should have been against Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi for forcing him to give up his seat, or against Zhunti and Jieyin for forcing him to give up his seat.
Why resent Hongyun?
It was simply because Hongyun was a good-natured person, easy to bully.
The Three Pure Ones, Zhunti, and Jieyin all possessed the Primordial Violet Qi and were destined to become Sages. Kunpeng dared not act against those who truly wronged him, yet he went on to kill the innocent Hongyun.
This incident clearly revealed Kunpeng's character.
Deceitful, cunning, and with a rebellious streak.
In short, he was not a good person.
This was a judgment of character.
After discussing his character, it was time to discuss personal vendettas.
Kunpeng was the Master of Ten Thousand Demons. Many decisions of the Demon Court were made by him. Under his command, how many humans were devoured by the demon race?
Fang Ming knew very well that if the human race lost this war to the Demon Court, would Kunpeng refine billions of humans into the Witch-Slaying Sword?
The answer was a definite yes.
Standing before Kunpeng, Fang Ming could also use secret arts to sense how many humans Kunpeng himself had devoured.
At least over a million.
Kunpeng, the Demon Master, not only commanded his subordinates, the many demon soldiers, demon generals, demon marshals, and demon gods.
Devouring hundreds of billions, even trillions, of humans.
He himself had also consumed humans numbering in the millions as blood food.
Regarding personal grudges, Fang Ming felt nothing but utter disgust towards Kunpeng. How could he still consider taking him as a mount?
Did he deserve it?
Even if Kunpeng had enmity with Emperor Jun, and they were not on good terms.
Sometimes, the enemy of an enemy is not necessarily a friend.
Considering the number of humans Kunpeng had persecuted, Kunpeng was definitely not a friend of the human race.
Fang Ming did not need to win over Kunpeng, to lure the Demon Master Kunpeng to the human race's side, to have him stand with humanity against the Demon Court.
Fang Ming only needed Kunpeng's demise. A dead Kunpeng was the best Kunpeng for Fang Ming.
Win over Kunpeng to deal with Emperor Jun?
No.
Fang Ming wanted both enemies, Kunpeng and Emperor Jun, to perish.
"Control of thought?"
Kunpeng pondered Fang Ming's words, feeling dismissive.
Forcible control methods were merely about controlling the body, like Emperor Jun's Zhao Yao Banner, controlling his life and death. His thoughts were not something Emperor Jun could control.
Even if this Human Emperor was powerful, he couldn't possibly control the thoughts of a quasi-Sage, right?
It was just a matter of defecting from the demon race's camp to the human race's camp.
When the human race later faced a great tribulation and declined after reaching its peak, he could defect from the human race again...
"Human Emperor, your methods can enslave thoughts, that's wonderful."
"I, Kunpeng, am willing to loyally submit to the human race and never betray you!"
Kunpeng quickly pledged his loyalty, believing that the reason Fang Ming had not agreed to take him as a mount was simply a lack of sincerity.
If he expressed more loyalty, Fang Ming's heart should be moved.
He could then seize the opportunity to defect from the demon race to the human race.
Kunpeng obediently lowered his head, restraining his quasi-Sage magic power, expressing his intention to surrender, and secretly thought:
"The Human Emperor has not taken me as a mount yet, he must be giving me a show of force."
"Is it another tactic of combining leniency and severity, giving a show of force, and then offering a sweet reward?"
"I wonder how the Human Emperor's methods compare to Emperor Jun's. Regardless, I can outwardly obey him and curse him in my heart."
"I, Kunpeng, have experienced these tactics of combining leniency and severity many times. It's nothing special, how could it scare an old hand like me..."
Fang Ming looked at Kunpeng, who had lowered his head and restrained his divine sense and magic power, not offending Fang Ming, thereby expressing his submission. A faint smile appeared on his lips.
Then.
The Ultimate Emperor Weapon, the Wushi Bell, appeared.
The cultivation of an alternative path to enlightenment, empowered by this top-tier Ultimate Emperor Weapon, surpassed the peak of the quasi-Saint realm, approaching the power of a Saint.
The might of this strike was terrifying, exuding an aura of supreme dominance and eternal indestructibility. Even the myriad laws of the Great Dao seemed to be trampled and distorted before this strike!
Thousands of golden rays flashed, endless starry rivers exploded, and Fang Ming's golden vital energy seemed to illuminate the entire world.
The power of this strike would make even a Saint tremble!
This was a strike capable of injuring a Saint, Fang Ming's full-powered strike.
It was also a strike meant to kill Kunpeng!
Kunpeng, who was kneeling and had restrained all his magic power and divine sense, had not anticipated that Fang Ming intended to kill him.
Kunpeng had thought Fang Ming was merely employing a tactic of combining leniency and severity, giving him a show of force.
He never imagined that Fang Ming intended to kill him!
When the Wushi Bell was summoned, when Fang Ming's vital energy erupted.
Kunpeng's face changed drastically, realizing that something was truly wrong!
But now, it was too late!
Kunpeng was an old quasi-Sage, who had, along with Minghe, killed the similarly experienced quasi-Sage Ancestor Hongyun. His combat record was noteworthy, not too low.
Perhaps if Kunpeng had not restrained his magic power and divine sense, if he had not lowered his head to express submission, he might have dodged Fang Ming's strike and lasted a few moves before perishing.
But now, with his magic power completely restrained, his mind and body unguarded, and his divine sense not extended, Kunpeng,
A quasi-Sage with ordinary combat power, facing a strike from the peak of the quasi-Saint realm, with power infinitely close to that of a Saint...
There was only the outcome of death!
The outcome of being annihilated in one strike!
When the golden light dispersed.
Fang Ming coldly looked at Kunpeng's massive corpse on the ground.
There was no longer any trace of life within.
Kunpeng's primordial spirit had been utterly destroyed.
There was no possibility of revival.
Kunpeng had perished.
He who had once sat on a futon in Zixiao Palace, who had killed Ancestor Hongyun, who had been the Master of Ten Thousand Demons and commanded them...
In the future of the Great Desolation mythology, he would flee with the River Chart and Luo Book during the Witch-Demon War, reign supreme in the Demon Master Palace of the North Sea, and even in the Investiture of the Gods and Journey to the West eras, he would be the famous Kunpeng...
Had perished!
No matter how glorious his past experiences were.
No matter what reputation or strength he would possess in the future.
But now, Kunpeng had died prematurely at Fang Ming's hands.
So-called mythical figures were nothing more than this.
Dead.
He was still a corpse.
Just like an ordinary person who dies and becomes a corpse.
There was nothing that could not perish.
Once Fang Ming had the strength, he killed Kunpeng on the spot.
Why would he care about his status or his future?
Fang Ming merely looked at Kunpeng's corpse and sighed.