The Imperial City, the Divine Temple.
Chi Yan's roar shook the heavens, and the entire temple trembled.
He couldn't believe things had escalated to this point.
Not only had the million-strong demon army failed to do anything to Ji Mo, but his faith among the demon realm's beings was also continuously declining.
"Ji Mo, you are so insidious, so calculating. No wonder you absorbed my origin thrice before. You planned to impersonate me, a classic case of 'replacing the plum with a peach'." Da Feng Novel Network
Chi Yan's expression was as dark as water, his knuckles turning white as he felt he had finally understood the other party's true intentions.
This Ji fellow had a huge appetite, actually aiming to seize the entire demon realm!
Beside him, the High Priest and Demon Lord Solon were so terrified they prostrated themselves on the ground.
"Great Lord Chi Yan, can you perform another divine miracle, display your supreme divine might, and prove yourself to be the genuine Heavenly Demon? I believe this action will surely make those foolish beings with wavering faith recognize the truth and return to your embrace..."
Solon offered his suggestion.
However, before he could finish speaking, his entire body was sent flying, coughing up large mouthfuls of blood.
It was Chi Yan who struck Solon. He simply couldn't stand it. What kind of nonsense was this? He still had to prove he was himself? It was utterly absurd.
If he truly did that, wouldn't he become a laughingstock?
The dignified Heavenly Demon being questioned, having to prove his own identity, would be a colossal loss of face.
Moreover, in his current state, even if he displayed his divine might without reservation, his Heavenly Demon aura might not be enough to suppress that scoundrel Ji Mo.
After all, Ji Mo had absorbed the origin power of his three descents, and his Heavenly Demon aura was even more potent than his own.
If they were to compare divine might directly, he might very well be humiliated.
The High Priest felt a sense of unease. He could sense a hint of nervousness from Chi Yan. What was going on?
Could the supreme Heavenly Demon be nervous? How was that possible?
A sliver of doubt crept into his heart. Could it be that, as the rumors suggested, he had actually summoned a false god?
Otherwise, why would Chi Yan be nervous?
"Are you questioning me?"
Chi Yan sensed the High Priest's mental fluctuations, catching a trace of doubt in his emotions, and was filled with immense rage.
He reached out and squeezed, his five fingers weaving with laws, enveloping the High Priest, and then he tightened his grip fiercely.
The High Priest's body instantly felt as if it were being restrained. His bones creaked, blood oozed from his entire body, and a large amount of blood poured from his nose and mouth.
Even though he was also at the ninth level of the Mortal Immortal realm, facing Chi Yan, who was at the same cultivation level, he had no room to resist and was easily manipulated.
Chi Yan appeared as a thirteen or fourteen-year-old youth, with rosy lips and white teeth, looking very handsome.
At this moment, his face contorted into a ferocious expression, filled with malevolence, as he held the High Priest in his hand as if he were crushing a chick.
If he applied any more force, he could crush the High Priest on the spot.
Solon's face turned deathly pale. Indeed, gods and demons were heartless. The High Priest had diligently served Chi Yan for nearly ten thousand years, yet for a slight emotional deviation, he faced a mortal crisis.
It was said that accompanying a ruler was like accompanying a tiger, but accompanying a god was the most perilous.
The High Priest begged for mercy, letting out cries of entreaty, which finally led Chi Yan to relent and spare his life.
"Lord Chi Yan, the rebel forces are growing stronger by the day. Should we gather all our strength and deliver a thunderous blow to the enemy?"
Solon was getting anxious. With the Eternal Alliance and the Abyss Alliance successively betraying them, and many tribes defecting, the rebel forces had grown significantly, having already captured two-tenths of the demon realm's territory.
Moreover, the rebels were unstoppable, sweeping through everything. If this continued, his empire would be lost.
Chi Yan pondered, feeling quite conflicted. The rebel forces had now gained considerable momentum. If a full-scale war were to break out, countless lives would be lost.
Although he viewed lives as mere grass and did not care about the fate of these ants, the beings of the demon realm were the source of his faith. If too many died, he himself would be the one to suffer.
Chi Yan contemplated whether he should personally eliminate Ji Mo. However, recalling that Ji Mo had been able to summon the Nine Heavens Thunder last time, he felt a bit cowardly.
Even though he now had a physical body, his cultivation realm was still too low, and he was not confident he could withstand the Nine Heavens Thunder.
Unless it was near the Divine Temple, fighting on his home turf, where he could borrow power from his main body through the Heavenly Demon statue, he would have no absolute certainty of victory.
"Contact that Ji fellow and invite him to the Imperial City for a discussion. Tell him that we will each rely on our own abilities to contend for the ownership of the demon realm."
Chi Yan suddenly had an idea. He planned to lure Ji Mo to the Imperial City and then find a way to deal with him.
"Will that Ji fellow come?"
Solon looked puzzled. Unless Ji Mo was out of his mind, why would he come? Wasn't this walking into a death trap?
"If he truly intends to seize the entire demon realm, he will come."
Chi Yan said with great certainty.
Furthermore, this move was also a test. If Ji Mo dared not to come, it would prove that the other party was timid and certainly lacked the confidence to defeat him. Then, there would be no need to fear him, and he could launch a strong offensive.
Soon, Ji Mo received this message.
"What is this Chi Yan guy's deal? Such a big tone, actually inviting me to the Imperial City for a gathering to contest the ownership of the demon realm?"
Ji Mo was completely bewildered. He did not know Chi Yan's identity.
The toad explained, "Rumor has it that this Chi Yan is a descent of the Heavenly Demon, considered a clone of the Heavenly Demon."
"Heavenly Demon descent!"
Ji Mo was shocked. Although he felt he had grown stronger, he dared not face a demon god, even if it was just a clone.
"This Chi Yan is naturally a fake."
The toad chuckled. He had personally witnessed the Heavenly Demon mark on Ji Mo and had also felt that pure Heavenly Demon aura, having already determined that Ji Mo was the true Heavenly Demon.
Therefore, that Chi Yan was naturally a fake in his eyes.
Niu Ben reminded him, "Mr. Ji, I suspect the other party has ill intentions. This is a conspiracy, possibly aimed at luring and killing you. You must not fall into the trap."
"A fake."
Ji Mo was no longer afraid. He poked the sleeping Iron Eater beside him and asked, "Xiao Tuan Tuan, if I go to the Imperial City, can you protect me?"
The Iron Eater opened its eyes, pushed away Ji Mo's finger, and gave him an annoyed glare.
You? Still need me to protect you? Don't be ridiculous.
Ji Mo took this reaction as tacit consent and immediately became full of confidence.
As long as he could go to the Imperial City, overthrow that fake Heavenly Demon, and then kill the Demon Lord, the entire demon realm would fall into chaos, and there would be no need to fear the demons invading the Xuan Ling Realm.
This was a golden opportunity to solve the problem once and for all, worth taking a risk.
"Go to the Imperial City."
Ji Mo made his decision, intending to resolve all hidden dangers in the demon realm with this trip.
And this news spread like wildfire throughout the demon realm.
The two Heavenly Demon Lords were to meet in the Imperial City for a decisive battle.
At that time, the victor would be determined, and it would also become clear who the true Heavenly Demon Lord was.
Concurrently, various factions found themselves in a dilemma.
This was the best time to choose sides. As long as they chose the true Heavenly Demon, they would surely be highly regarded in the future.
Of course, if they chose incorrectly, they would face eternal damnation.
The safest approach was naturally to wait and see, to let the truth emerge. However, this would also mean losing the opportunity to soar to great heights.
Major alliances and tribes dispatched important members to rush to the Imperial City.