# Chapter 1704: Demon Seed
When the surrender of the three strongest star realms was not forced by circumstances but rather a race to be first, with tears of gratitude, then the surrender of the other star realms was no longer a matter of willingness or unwillingness, but of worthiness or unworthiness.
"The Demon Lord above!"
A respectful and resounding voice rang out as a group of people walked in from outside the Soul Plunder Sacred Domain, then solemnly knelt at Yun Che's feet.
The leader was none other than Tian Guhu.
Behind him followed nearly a hundred young profound practitioners, all of them at the Divine Sovereign Realm. Any one of them held a fearsome reputation throughout the Northern Divine Region.
Because they were all young Divine Sovereigns on the Northern Domain Heavenly Lord Ranking!
Those on the list, except for those who had fallen, were all present, without exception.
And the moment Tian Guhu appeared, the upper Realm Kings present were all greatly shocked.
Because the aura he released was none other than the Divine Lord Realm... no! That terrifying might was clearly at the late-stage Divine Lord Realm, comparable to the realm of the Demonesses, the Yan Mo, and the Moon Devourers!
"Guhu, your... your power..." A Grand Elder of the Huangtian Realm stared with wide eyes, his words coming out with extreme difficulty amidst his profound shock.
"Replying to Nineteenth Uncle, Guhu's newfound power was bestowed by the Demon Lord." Tian Guhu said with extreme reverence.
From the seventh level of the Divine Sovereign Realm to the eighth level of the Divine Lord Realm, Tian Guhu's transformation was simply too shocking. Therefore, Tian Mu Yi had been keeping this matter strictly hidden, with only a handful of people in the Huangtian Realm knowing of it.
Now, Tian Guhu appeared before the world with the power of Yan Mo, and his dreamlike transformation, along with his words, were nothing short of earth-shattering.
Tian Guhu raised his head and said, "We, the younger generation of the Northern Divine Region, have been undeservedly given the title of 'Heavenly Lord' by the world. We have the ambition to serve the Northern Domain, but unfortunately, the Northern Domain fights amongst itself for personal gain, in constant chaos. Though we have grand aspirations, we have nowhere to apply them."
"Darkness is a cage, demonkind are prisoners. This is how the world sees the fate of the Northern Divine Region. However, the true prison is not the darkness, but the Three Divine Regions that have hated darkness since time immemorial. Without reason or enmity, simply because we were born with bodies of darkness and cultivate dark profound force, they use the name of 'righteousness' to view us as demonkind who must be exterminated! They force us, the people of the Northern Domain, to forever cower in this dark place."
"Even more lamentable is that more and more people of the Northern Domain are gradually becoming content with this cage. Not only have they lost their anger and will to resist, but they have also turned their sharpest fangs against their own domain."
Tian Guhu's voice was angry and sorrowful. Every single word violently struck the deepest, most ancient soul chords of the Northern Domain profound practitioners.
"Now, our Northern Divine Region has finally received the grace of the Calamity Demon Emperor, and a Dark Demon Lord has been born. The Demon Lord's might surpasses all in Northern Domain history. The Demon Lord's blessings will grant the Northern Domain a new birth, benefiting it for thousands of generations."
Tian Guhu grew more and more excited as he spoke, tears faintly glistening in his eyes. "The opportunity for our Northern Divine Region to reverse its fate lies in this generation! It lies under the dominion of the Demon Lord!"
He deeply bowed his head, and his passionate shout carried a sobbing tone and a deep longing: "We beg the Demon Lord to lead the Northern Domain to break through the cage, to defy heaven and change our fate. We are willing to be swords with our bodies, to pave the way with our blood, even if it means our guts and brains splatter on the ground, we will die ten thousand deaths without regret!"
Behind him, all the Heavenly Lords deeply bowed with him.
Tian Guhu's prestige among the younger generation of the Northern Domain was truly unparalleled, as high as the heavens.
His tearful words deeply stimulated and stirred the blood of all the profound practitioners, especially the younger ones.
Yun Che looked down from above and said indifferently, "Your grand ambition is worthy of your name 'Guhu' (Lone Swan). The Northern Domain being a cage is indeed a great tragedy that dark profound practitioners have endured for nearly a million years."
"But, as you said and as everyone knows, the Northern Divine Region is in constant internal strife, barely able to look after itself. It can't even be considered a pile of loose sand."
"Not only is its will divided, but its strength at every level is far inferior to any one of the Eastern, Western, and Southern Divine Regions. So how can it have the qualification to break through the cage?"
Yun Che's cold words ruthlessly extinguished the blood that had just been ignited in the Northern Domain profound practitioners... because everyone knew this was the bloody reality.
Tian Guhu's gaze stiffened, and he was heavily stunned.
Yun Che continued, "I, this Demon Lord, am the master of the Northern Domain, so naturally, I must prioritize the stability of all beings in the Northern Domain."
"Whatever fate existed before today has nothing to do with me, this Demon Lord."
Yun Che's palm slowly extended, palm facing down, as black light appeared. The vision of everyone blurred, as if at this moment, the entire Northern Divine Region was pinched in his slightly spread five fingers.
"The new chapter of the Northern Divine Region begins today, from under my palm. I, this Demon Lord, will use the Dark Eternal Calamity power bestowed by the Calamity Demon Emperor to control the order of the Northern Domain, revise its laws, and bless all beings of the Northern Domain."
"Before the internal strife ceases and all realms are stable, I will not recklessly try to break the cage on mere hot-blooded impulse, causing calamity for all beings of the Northern Domain, nor will I actively provoke external enemies."
"But..." Yun Che's tone turned sharp. His dark pupils, as he looked down, made people feel as if they were staring into a black abyss that devoured all things: "Since I am the master of the Northern Domain, I can tolerate internal strife, but I absolutely will not tolerate the Northern Domain being bullied by others!"
"The Northern Domain will not provoke external enemies, but if anyone dares to bully us..."
Boom!
A dull roar sounded, as if striking everyone's hearts. The black light in Yun Che's palm shattered, and his voice grew even darker: "I swear here and now... as long as I live, whoever dares to offend the Northern Domain, no matter who they are, even if it is the Three Divine Regions, I will make them pay back a hundredfold!"
Under the suppression of the Eternal Dark demonic might, the blood that had just calmed surged back with several times the intensity.
When it came to the Three Divine Regions, Northern Domain profound practitioners had always only had deep resentment, powerlessness, and fear. In this dark cage forced upon them by the Three Divine Regions, even people from the three great king realms never dared to step out lightly.
When had anyone ever held supreme demonic might and spoken such domineering and merciless words in the face of the Three Divine Regions?
Tian Guhu's heart shook violently. Intelligent as he was, he instantly understood something and immediately bowed his head and said loudly, "The Demon Lord's words are like a wake-up call. We will follow the Demon Lord's orders, pacify the chaos in the Northern Domain, and bring peace to all beings. But if we are truly bullied... we only need a single command from the Demon Lord, and we men of the Northern Domain will risk our lives to answer! We will not retreat half a step!"
"That's right!" Yan Tianxiao said in a deep voice. "Our Northern Domain has suffered oppression for too long. Now that a Demon Lord has finally descended upon us, how can we still fear being bullied!"
"Especially..." Yan Tianxiao raised his hand, and the power of Yan Mo devoured the light. "Under the Demon Lord's blessings, our dark profound force has been transformed. Even outside the Northern Domain, we can fully unleash our demonic might."
"So, even if the Three Divine Regions truly try to exterminate us, we no longer need to fear. As long as the Demon Lord gives the order, every man of the Northern Domain with blood in their veins will definitely retaliate with darkness, and even with their lives!"
Every word shook people to the core, every character stirred the soul.
For a moment, the Soul Plunder Sacred Domain and various places in the Northern Domain responded with countless cheers and shouts of excitement.
At this moment, facing the "Three Divine Regions," they erased the humility in their hearts and replaced it with a continuously rising heat. Under the Demon Lord's demonic might, the Three Divine Regions suddenly no longer seemed so terrifying.
Yun Che did not follow Tian Guhu's words by inciting the hatred of Northern Domain profound practitioners against the Three Divine Regions at this grand ceremony. Instead, he did the opposite, declaring that he would not dwell on the past, would not actively provoke... but also would absolutely not fear or tolerate any offense.
He did not try his best to ignite the flames of hatred and impulsiveness, but instead, in the deepest parts of the souls of countless Northern Domain profound practitioners, he planted a seed of flame.
When it accumulated thickly and finally erupted completely under another kind of stimulation, the flames that burned might be demonic flames capable of devouring the sun and burning the heavens.
The first Dark Demon Lord in the history of the Northern Divine Region. His appearance should have brought countless doubts, anxieties, unease, and even unpredictable chaos.
But on the very day of his coronation, he earned the reverence and submission of all realms, and the spirited celebration and worship of all beings.
Because they truly felt that this Dark Demon Lord might really open a new chapter in the fate of the Northern Divine Region.
----
The coronation ceremony of the Northern Divine Region lasted for seven days. Seven days later, what followed immediately was the coronation ceremony for the Queen.
Chi Wuyue, the Emperor of Soul Plunder, would be the Demon Lord's Empress, assisting the Demon Lord in external affairs.
And during this time, a rather special piece of news quietly spread in the Western Divine Region.
Zhou Tian God Realm.
After Zhou Qingchen's death, Zhou Xuzi spent his days in silent seclusion, refusing to see even visitors from other king realms paying their respects.
The people of Zhou Tian Realm knew he was immersed in the pain of losing his son and never dared to disturb him, including Taiyu Zunzhe, who knew everything.
But today, Taiyu Zunzhe came to see him in a hurry.
"What is it?"
Zhou Xuzi looked up. In just a few short months, he seemed to have aged thousands of years. Both his words and his old eyes carried a suffocating heaviness.
Taiyu Zunzhe stepped forward and said in a low voice, "There is a sudden rumor outside that you once set foot in the Northern Divine Region."
"...!" Zhou Xuzi's gaze instantly sharpened. "Where did the rumor come from?"
"From a lower star realm in the north of the Western Divine Region, bordering both our Eastern Divine Region and the Northern Divine Region." Taiyu Zunzhe's expression was heavy. "The time mentioned in the rumor is very close to when you entered the Northern Divine Region that day. And..."
"And what?" Seeing Taiyu Zunzhe hesitate, Zhou Xuzi pressed with a deep voice.
Taiyu Zunzhe let out a light sigh before speaking in a low voice, "The rumor says that Qingchen did not die from the backlash of a breakthrough bottleneck, but died in the Northern Divine Region... Combined with the fact that Qingchen had been in 'seclusion' before that, never seeing anyone, there is even speculation that he had already become a demon before his death."
Bang!
Zhou Xuzi's hair and beard suddenly flew up. The profound jade beneath him shattered, and his entire body trembled violently.
"How... did this get out?" Zhou Xuzi forced himself to calm down.
"I don't know." Taiyu Zunzhe said. "That day, I was guarding outside the border. If anyone had really approached, I would have detected it. However... however, later, when Qingchen met his calamity, you were so enraged that you fought with the Demon Empress, causing too much commotion, and it definitely left a huge trace."
"With your fury-driven power, it is indeed possible that it alarmed nearby star realms..."
Zhou Xuzi closed his eyes, his body trembling more and more violently.
"When you returned to the realm that day, you were so furious that your profound energy was in chaos, your heartblood flowing backwards, which was detected by many auras. Moreover, the world never believed that Qingchen died from profound force backlash, and there were already many speculations and false rumors. Therefore, if traces at the border of the Northern Domain were discovered, it would not be too strange for such rumors and speculations to arise."
"However, rest assured, my master. These rumors are currently circulating very narrowly. If we apply strong pressure, they can surely be suppressed quickly." Taiyu Zunzhe said.
"No," Zhou Xuzi shook his head. "If we do that, it will instead confirm everything to the world. Qingchen is already gone. How can we let him bear the stain of being a 'demon'?"
"Ignore it, and the rumors will naturally fade."
Taiyu Zunzhe nodded. This was also what he had in mind.
And indeed, that was the truth.
This "rumor" started from a lower star realm in the Western Divine Region, so its credibility was naturally very low, and its spread was quite slow.
The only thing that was somewhat unexpected was that its range of spread was quite wide, gradually spreading to the Eastern Divine Region and Southern Divine Region without anyone noticing... probably because it involved the Zhou Tian Divine Emperor and the recently deceased Zhou Tian Crown Prince.
Before long, the "rumor" naturally dissipated, and few people mentioned it again. From beginning to end, not many people believed it.
But invisibly, it had quietly planted another seed.