Invincible Starts From Dao Fruit

Two hours later.

The Demon Kings gathered, and the troops were ready.

"All troops, advance!"

Chen Jichuan took the lead and entered Cangtou Mountain.

The mountain was adorned with golden lotuses, their fragrance permeating the air, casting an almost sacred and tranquil aura over the area.

"Alliance Hierarch."

"The Golden Lotus Formation envelops Cangtou Mountain. Once we step inside, we are immediately drawn into the formation. The Golden Lotus Demon King hides within, emerging from strange, unpredictable corners to strike before retreating just as swiftly. He leaves us scrambling to defend, making him exceedingly troublesome."

Fire Crow Demon King sidled up to Chen Jichuan and reminded him.

"Mm."

Chen Jichuan responded casually, his eyes wandering from side to side, as if he had come here to leisurely tour the scenery and not engage in battle.

The assembled Demon Kings, seeing this, either frowned or sneered inwardly, though their guard rose tenfold, ready to retreat from Cangtou Mountain at the first hint of danger.

As they waited for the Alliance Hierarch to make a fool of himself—

Suddenly.

Winds and thunder burst from Chen Jichuan's back as a pair of Wind Thunder Wings unfurled. With a single flap, the wings tore through the void, and Chen Jichuan disappeared from sight.

"So, they dared to invade my Cangtou Mountain because they brought reinforcements."

"And yet, stepping into my formation, they still act so audaciously?!"

From deep within the formation, in a place imperceptible to the naked eye, a cold voice rang out. The assembled Demon Kings immediately recognized it as the voice of the Golden Lotus Demon King, ruler of Cangtou Mountain.

"The Golden Lotus Demon King has appeared!"

"Where's the Alliance Hierarch?"

"Was he captured by the Golden Lotus Demon King?"

"Doesn't seem like it! Listen, it sounds like they're fighting!"

"This—"

…

The Demon Kings were initially alarmed, thinking something had gone awry. But upon listening closely, they could indeed hear the sounds of battle.

Trapped within the formation, however, they couldn't pinpoint the source of the clash, nor could they see the fighting itself.

"What should we do—?"

The Demon Kings exchanged uncertain glances, unsure whether to advance or retreat.

"Cangtou Mountain is the stronghold of the Golden Lotus Demon King. We must not act recklessly."

"We must stick together at all costs."

The Tornado Demon King gathered the other Demon Kings, proclaiming loudly, "Everyone, follow me! Let's locate the Alliance Hierarch first and lend him our support!"

Though Tornado Demon King's words sounded righteous, his actions were exceptionally sluggish.

He claimed it was for the sake of 'not rushing' or 'proceeding steadily.'

In truth, he merely sought to stand aside and watch the tigers fight, hoping to stay out of harm's way while leaving Chen Jichuan to face the Golden Lotus Demon King alone.

Time passed.

The sounds of battle shifted unpredictably, rumbling intensely, leaving no way to discern the state of the fight.

But Tornado Demon King and the others, having experienced the terror of the Golden Lotus Formation firsthand, speculated that Chen Jichuan was likely being overwhelmed by the Golden Lotus Demon King leveraging the formation.

They themselves had suffered similar treatment in the past.

Hearing the echoes of combat, some even imagined the Hierarch screaming miserably, and their minds conjured up an image of him staggering out of the formation—battered, bruised, and seething with rage. Tornado almost burst out laughing at the thought.

Under Tornado Demon King's lead, the group stalled and dawdled.

But before long, the sounds of combat within the formation suddenly ceased.

"Stop!"

The Demon Kings halted in their tracks, looking around nervously, contemplating retreat. Just then, they noticed the golden light enveloping the mountain—the essence of the Golden Lotus Formation—beginning to dissipate.

With a roar!

Their vision opened up.

From a distance, they saw Chen Jichuan standing atop the peak of Cangtou Mountain, garbed in a green robe. One hand pressed against the Sword Map, the other standing steady on the Wind Thunder, while thousands of Sword Qi pierced through a figure clad in white. The figure collapsed to the ground with a resounding thud.

Chen Jichuan wasted no time. With a casual gesture, he dispersed the Sword Map, grabbed the fallen white-robed figure, and leaped down to land before the crowd of Demon Kings. He stated blandly, "The Golden Lotus Demon King is dead. The Golden Lotus Formation has been broken. Fire Crow Demon King, you are to take charge and secure Cangtou Mountain. Should anything go amiss, prepare to account for it with your head!"

"Your subordinate obeys!"

Fire Crow Demon King stood dumbfounded at first. Only after hearing the order did he snap back to reality, hastily bowing in compliance.

His eyes swept over the white-robed figure in Chen Jichuan's grasp, his heart trembling. He saw it clearly—this was indeed the Golden Lotus Demon King, dead without much struggle. The shock was beyond words.

As he processed the Hierarch's orders, he realized this was an opportunity granted by the Hierarch himself—now that the Golden Lotus Formation was broken, and the Golden Lotus Demon King slain, no force within Cangtou Mountain could resist. Being appointed to oversee the aftermath was clearly a gift of merit.

"Follow me!"

Fire Crow Demon King's heart burned with excitement. After bowing to Chen Jichuan, he shouted to his demon forces, leading them to scatter across the mountain with the aim of securing it in the shortest time possible.

After Fire Crow Demon King departed—

Chen Jichuan held the white-robed corpse in his hand, faint traces of golden light flickering. Before the eyes of all, the corpse transformed into a golden lotus, which Chen Jichuan cradled in his palm.

This was none other than the Golden Lotus Demon King's true form.

As a golden lotus ascended to enlightenment, the Golden Lotus Demon King had once commanded countless lotuses within Cangtou Mountain, forming the Golden Lotus Formation that had thwarted the Demon Kings of Wuling Mountain time and again.

But all of that was now in the past.

"Difficult?"

As Chen Jichuan toyed with the golden lotus, his gaze turned icy as he looked toward Tornado Demon King. Suddenly, he spoke up, "Tornado Demon King, was conquering the mountain, breaking the formation, and defeating the enemy truly so difficult?!"

"Hiss!"

Like Fire Crow Demon King, Tornado Demon King was stunned speechless, a deep sense of unease growing within him. Hearing this, a chill ran down his spine—

"This—"

"How could this be?!"

Tornado Demon King swallowed hard, genuinely terrified.

This was the Golden Lotus Demon King.

And not just any Golden Lotus Demon King, but one deeply entrenched in his own domain. Yet Chen Jichuan had dispatched him so effortlessly. If he could kill the Golden Lotus Demon King so easily, wouldn't it be child's play for him to neutralize Tornado Demon King?

"Then why didn't he—"

A thought surfaced in Tornado Demon King's mind, and he immediately understood: "Of course! He must have already intended to recruit me, which is why he spared me earlier."

Realizing this—

Tornado Demon King felt a cold sweat dripping down his back. Terrified beyond measure, he dared not meet Chen Jichuan's gaze and hurriedly dropped to his knees, trembling as he pleaded, "Your subordinate is incompetent. I beg the Alliance Hierarch to forgive my failings for the sake of my minor contributions. I vow to serve with unwavering loyalty going forward. Please have mercy!"

At this point—

Tornado Demon King completely submitted.

Even Little Tornado, standing behind him, was drenched in cold sweat, trembling silently, not daring to say a word.

"Remember your words today."

"If there's a next time, don't blame me for showing no mercy."

Chen Jichuan spared Tornado Demon King a brief glance, delivering his warning.

"Thank you, Hierarch, for your mercy. Your subordinate will not dare forget!"

Tornado Demon King exhaled a sigh of relief, knowing the matter was settled and his life spared.

"Stand up."

Chen Jichuan put away the golden lotus, paying Tornado Demon King no further attention.

From this encounter—

With Tornado Demon King's temperament, he was certain to understand the situation and would obediently serve under Chen Jichuan's command from now on, abandoning other schemes. Consequently, he would become a more useful subordinate.

At the same time, the display served to intimidate the other Demon Kings present, as well as those within the Wuling Mountain Alliance, solidifying what was previously a loosely formed coalition.

As for the Golden Lotus Demon King—

This demon was stubborn, set in his ways, and difficult to reform. Recruiting the shrewd Tornado Demon King was a hundred times easier than trying to convert the Golden Lotus Demon King.

Rather than suppressing him forcibly and dealing with repeated rebellions in the future—

It was better to make an example of him, using his death to win over the loyalty of the other Demon Kings in the Wuling Mountain Alliance.

Judging by the results, this strategy had been highly effective.

…

"A Three-layered Heaven Demon King."

"In terms of combat power, the Golden Lotus Demon King is far inferior to Tornado Demon King. He only appeared formidable due to the formation in Cangtou Mountain. But with my 'Insight Skill,' I navigated the formation without confusion, nullifying his greatest advantage."

"Moreover, under the cover of the formation, I was able to freely use my magical treasures without worrying about exposing my 'Daluo Heavenly Sleeve' trump card. Killing the Golden Lotus Demon King was, of course, not difficult."

Within Cangtou Mountain, Chen Jichuan temporarily took a break and reflected on his battle with the Golden Lotus Demon King.

The fight had not been perilous.

Chen Jichuan's foundations were solid, cultivated through a Side Door Level Cultivation Technique. Furthermore, he simultaneously advanced along both the Immortal Dao and Life Dao, reaching the Second Order in both paths.

In addition, he was equipped with super-level techniques: the 'Little Four Nine Wind and Thunder Escape Method,' which endowed him with extraordinary speed, and the 'Daluo Heavenly Sleeve,' which could trap opponents or confine their movement.

Although the Golden Lotus Demon King relied on his formation, he was also restricted by it, unable to disengage.

With all these factors stacked in his favor—

Chen Jichuan was able to slay the Golden Lotus Demon King.

"With my current strength, I can reliably triumph over many Three-layered Heaven Demon Kings. The weaker ones, or those I counter directly—like the Golden Lotus Demon King—I can even kill outright. Against someone like Tornado Demon King, if I use all my techniques, I could likely kill him as well."

"Only the most powerful among Three-layered Heaven Demon Kings would pose a challenge."

Chen Jichuan thought of Shuiqing Demon King, whom he had recently defeated when claiming the East River Water Mansion.

The ancient demon turtle was slow by nature and tended to stay low-key, but his strength was undeniable.

Especially his defense.

When the demon turtled within his shell, even with Chen Jichuan's ferocious attacks, he had no good way to deal with him.

"If I enhance either the 'Five Thunders True Skill' or the 'Seven Elements Relieving Calamity Ruyi Tiangang Splitting Light Sword Technique' to the super-level, perhaps I could pose a threat."

"Alternatively, if the 'Taiyang Flame Banner' advances to the Third Order, it could burn day and night, perhaps even enough to scorch Shuiqing Demon King to death."

However, these options were still out of reach for the time being.

"That said, this old turtle is sensible. There's no need to provoke a fight unnecessarily."

Chen Jichuan chuckled and pushed these errant thoughts aside.

Now that Cangtou Mountain had been captured—and prior to that, the East River Water Mansion seized—the Wuling Mountain Alliance had effectively been purged internally.

By 'internally,' this did not include the 'Evil Gods.'

The alliance's next move would be to hunt down these Evil Gods. Preparations for this had already begun during the alliance's two-front campaign, with Chen Jichuan's confidantes, Wind-Riding and Zi Han, laying the groundwork.

"Unlike Cangtou Mountain or the East River Water Mansion—"

"Evil Gods are troublesome, supported by legions of fanatical followers. This will be a serious battle."

Chen Jichuan reflected on the reports from Wind-Riding and Zi Han, piecing together information about the Evil Gods and drawing up various strategies.

…

As he strategized—

Fire Crow Demon King strode over, bowed respectfully before Chen Jichuan, and reported, "Alliance Hierarch! The demons of Cangtou Mountain have all been subdued, the treasure vault inventoried and sealed, and key locations are now guarded by elite forces. Please inspect and verify!"

After the battle at Cangtou Mountain, Fire Crow Demon King's loyalty to Chen Jichuan had risen to a level rivaling that of his top confidant, Zi Han Demon King.

Not only was his demeanor reverent, but his work was efficient and thorough.

"Well done."

Chen Jichuan smiled and nodded at Fire Crow Demon King, asking him to lead the way on a tour of Cangtou Mountain.

…