Rise of the Demon God

Their swords clashed again and again, the sound reverberating through the battlefield. Tian Shen's sword skills were precise and calculated, while the Demonic Ancestor's strikes were wild and unpredictable. It was a battle of skill versus experience.

With a sudden burst of energy, Tian Shen launched a powerful attack, channeling all his strength into a single strike.

The Demonic Ancestor barely had time to react to the Heavenly Emperor and Ancestral Beast's combined attack when Tian Shen's sword pierced through his defenses, leaving a deep cut in his right shoulder.

A roar of pain echoed from the Demonic Ancestor's lips as he stumbled back, blood dripping from his wound. But he quickly regained his composure, his eyes burning with fury. He retaliated with a barrage of strikes, each one more ferocious than the last.

The others fought back with equal fervor, their movements fluid and precise. They danced around the Demonic Ancestor, dodging his attacks and countering with their own. The clash of their swords filled the air, each strike sending shockwaves through the battlefield.

The battle continued for three days straight, not stopping for even a minute. The beautiful garden had completely turned into a barren land, but surprisingly enough, even with this level of carnage, the walls sealing this area stood intact.

As time passed, it became clear that the weakened Demonic Ancestor couldn't fight three Peak God Realm Cultivators with the strength he was able to draw out from Long Chen's body. Moreover, he was only exhausting himself. He wasn't sure how long he could drag this.

****

Long Chen's soul was asleep, his consciousness floating in the endless expanse of knowledge that had overwhelmed him.

Looking at the vast amount of knowledge, he understood why the Demonic Ancestor told him that it was impossible to inherit and truly grasp all his knowledge in a short time.

However, Long Chen's determination was unwavering. He dove deeper into the sea of knowledge, slowly unraveling the mysteries of cultivation and refining techniques. Unfortunately, as he cultivated the knowledge of the Demonic Ancestor, he felt something strange.

Whenever he grasped one thing, he forgot the one he learned before. As he learned more, his old knowledge kept getting erased. It was as if the Demonic Ancestor's knowledge wasn't compatible with his body and soul.

He even felt some strange repulsion from within his body, the more he tried to grasp it. He didn't even realize how long it had been, but it was like he was stuck in a loop.

The more he tried to learn, the more he forgot as the knowledge just refused to stick within his mind.

Frustration started to rise within him, but he refused to give up. After each failure, he tried his hardest. However, nothing succeeded.

He didn't know how long he had been trying. Was it a day, a month or a year? He didn't know. He had completely lost his understanding of time and space.

"Why doesn't it work! What is wrong with me?! Why do I keep failing!" Long Chen roared, his frustration building up. "Does the universe want me to fail? Is that all it was for?"

He had a vast amount of knowledge in his mind, but he couldn't even grasp the slightest of it at all. It was like he had all the weapons in the world to win a war, but he couldn't use a single one even if his life depended on it.

On the seventh day, the Demonic Ancestor couldn't wait any more. He stopped the consciousness isolation, calling Long Chen to ask if he had made any progress. He told Long Chen that at most, he could delay for a few more days.

Long Chen didn't know how to tell him that let alone succeeding, he hadn't even taken a single step in his past. It was all a waste of time.

"Give the body back to me," he told the Demonic Ancestor, taking the lead.

The Demonic Ancestor thought that Long Chen had succeeded, which surprised him. However, he didn't mind the miracle.

He retreated, landing far away from the enemies to give Long Chen some time to return.

As Long Chen regained control of his body, the Demonic Ancestor returned inside his body.

"I will be honest. I didn't expect you to succeed. But if anyone could do it, it was you!" The Demonic Ancestor laughed. "Now show them the might of my knowledge!"

Long Chen was covered in blood, many minor wounds spread all over his body. However, he was still mostly fine. It was clear that the Demonic Ancestor had made sure to avoid any serious harm.

Moreover, the enemies weren't in any better condition either. Although the Demonic Ancestor was alone, he had still managed to hold his ground until now.

"You're back." Tian Shen smiled, realizing what the aura change in Long Chen's body meant. Amongst everyone here, Tian Shen appeared to be the least hurt.

Long Chen looked at Tian Shen and everyone else, who were all like vultures in this place.

"Old man... I'm sorry. But it looks like I won't be able to fulfill your request. And it's impossible for me to leave this place. So there's a slight change in the plan," Long Chen told the Demonic Ancestor.

The Demonic Ancestor frowned in response. "What are you talking about?"

"I have failed in learning your knowledge. That's why I won't be able to fulfill my promise. However, I won't let you die here either. Unlike me, you can leave this place. So go, and if possible, find someone better than me who can help you have your revenge," Long Chen told the Demonic Ancestor, his expressions solemn.

In this place, it was clearly impossible for him to leave. However, that wasn't the case for the Demonic Ancestor who was linked to his soul.

Just like the Demonic Ancestor was linked to his Soul, there were more who were linked to him, like his Soul Beasts.

Long Chen couldn't transfer his soul, leaving his body behind. He didn't want to let Tian Shen have his body as there was no escape after that. Even if he was to die, he was going to make sure that Tian Shen failed as well.

He had lived in the fear of Tian Shen for years. And even at death's door, he didn't want to let him succeed.

"Wha-" the Demonic Ancestor tried speaking, having a bad feeling. Unfortunately, before he could finish, he felt a stranger pull on his soul.

Long Chen connected his soul with the Soul of the Ancient Myriad Beast who was in the Demonic Realm. Before the Demonic Ancestor could realize anything, he felt his surroundings change.

In that moment, he was back in the Demonic Realm, inside the body of the Ancient Myriad Beast. This was Long Chen's way to make sure he survived.

On the other hand, Long Chen stayed behind, at the last moments of his life.

"Now that he's gone..." Long Chen rubbed the back of his head, letting out a sigh. "It's time to get started for real."

For Long Chen, this was the day of his death. However, instead of feeling the fear like in the past, he felt strangely at peace.