Miscellaneous Sword Chapter

Side Story: The Heavenly Demon’s Path to Enlightenment

“Nine tribulations in succession, the heavenly tribulation triggers the human tribulation, the human tribulation stirs the fate tribulation, altogether twenty-eight layers of calamity unfold—heaven itself seeks my destruction…”

I let out a cold laugh, unconcerned by the result deduced by the Yantian Pearl.

At the age of three, I was brought into the Tianxin Temple by my master. By eighteen, I had already cultivated the Tianxin Temple’s direct transmission, the Five Senses Demon Scroll, to perfection, awakening the Five Senses of the Heavenly Demon. I caught the attention of the elders of the Demonic Extreme Sect and was brought into the sect, where I studied the supreme secret manual of the Demonic Extreme Sect, “The Myriad Transformations of the Heavenly Demon.”

At twenty-eight, I survived the Longevity Tribulation. Within a year, I subdued the Outer Realm Heavenly Demons, refined my own Natal Divine Demon, and became the youngest Demon Lord in the demonic path. After turning thirty, I swept across the world undefeated, hailed as the greatest genius in a thousand years among the six orthodoxies, eighteen branch sects, thirty-six minor sects, and seventy-two heterodox paths of the demonic way!

After that, I advanced with unstoppable momentum, breaking through four realms in two hundred years. At three hundred and twenty, I ascended to become one of the six Demon Monarchs of the demonic path, titled Harold Benson.

To break through once more and reach the supreme Heavenly Demon Realm, I entered the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons and retrieved the highest scripture of the Supreme Demon Sect, “The Book of Parting Sorrow.” After obtaining this supreme scripture, I devoted myself to bitter cultivation for one hundred and eighty years. Ten days ago, my demonic arts finally reached perfection, making me the number one figure in the current demonic path, and the only Supreme Heavenly Demon.

Yet, at the very moment I inscribed my name in the Thirty-Three Heavens and transformed into a Heavenly Demon, I sensed the heavenly, human, and fate tribulations all erupting at once. Even with the near-immortal body of a Heavenly Demon, I was still tormented by the calamities.

The demonic path’s supreme treasure, the Yantian Pearl, calculated the past and future several times, but the result was always certain death with no hope of survival. The only sliver of hope lay in the past, not the future.

The past cannot be pursued, the future cannot be grasped—this sliver of hope was as good as nonexistent.

But I, who rose from mere mortal to the Heavenly Demon Realm step by step, possess an unshakable will. Not even Outer Realm Heavenly Demons could sway me in the slightest—how could I be shaken by this? Even knowing the calamities are upon me, certain death with no hope, tribulation after tribulation, I can only shatter illusions, break through life and death, and never harbor a single thought of retreat.

I put away the Yantian Pearl. The Yantian Pearl, known as one of the five great treasures of the demonic path, can deduce all things. Though I know it never errs, I still hold to the belief that man can triumph over fate.

I gazed at the starry river for a long time before calling out in a clear voice: “Disciples!”

Eight rays of light surged up from the ground, and three men and five women knelt before me in unison!

These eight are my personal disciples. The eldest, Julia Grant, had already broken through to the Demon Monarch realm a hundred years ago, titled Raymond Benson, and is a giant among the demonic path.

The other six disciples are all extraordinary as well, rising stars of the new generation in the demonic path. Each possesses world-shaking abilities and the power to overturn the heavens and earth. None who come from my tutelage are weak.

Only my youngest disciple, Nancy Young, having joined too late and apprenticed for just thirteen years, has yet to ascend to Demon Lord, but has already reached the level of the Six Desires Demon.

Nancy Young’s talent is nearly on par with mine in my youth, even surpassing my eldest disciple Julia Grant. Within twenty years, she will surely survive the Longevity Tribulation, though she may not wish to become the unrivaled prodigy of the new generation of the demonic path.

I glanced at these eight disciples, a hint of mockery on my face. Instantly, all eight fell silent as cicadas in winter. Even Julia Grant, who had reached the Demon Monarch realm, pressed his thin lips together, his expression solemn, no longer displaying the peerless bearing of the Raymond Benson who “gathers purple energy from all directions, his sleeves enveloping three mountains.”

A hundred years ago, Julia Grant ascended to Demon Monarch, becoming the Raymond Benson of the demonic path, standing equal with the other five Demon Monarchs, long accustomed to grand authority.

It’s said that once, during a magical duel, his demonic purple sun aura surged forth and enveloped the three mountain peaks of his opponent’s sect, sealing their gates for nine months. Only when several old Daoist masters intervened did he withdraw at leisure.

Since then, he gained the praise, “gathers purple energy from all directions, his sleeves enveloping three mountains.” And it was the old Daoist masters who spread this, making it far more renowned than any title the demonic path could bestow.

Yet now, Julia Grant had not a trace of that aura, just as when he first became my disciple—utterly respectful!

My eldest disciple is known as the most handsome man in the demonic path, but his temperament is much like mine. Aside from pursuing the great Dao of the demonic path, he pays no heed to love or grudges. Though born of the demonic path, he has never had a single romantic companion, nor taken any cauldrons for dual cultivation. Upright and old-fashioned, he often makes me feel as if he was not trained in the true teachings of the demonic path, but rather raised as a Daoist prodigy by some ancient Daoist sect.

The other seven disciples also know my temperament well, not daring to make a sound. Even the most unruly, my fourth disciple Philip Lane, who calls himself the number one rascal of the demonic path, dared not show the slightest hint of mischief.

This time, my tribulation is ninefold in succession: the heavenly tribulation triggers the human tribulation, the human tribulation stirs the fate tribulation, and all three erupt together.

In other words, these disciples whom I personally trained may become part of my human tribulation. According to the usual ways of the demonic path, I should cut the weeds and eliminate the roots, eradicating all future threats.