Chapter Thirty-Four: Left Behind!

As the mundane days drifted by, Jiang Xuan reached a pivotal decision.

By now, the Empress and the Demon Lord had both broken through to the rank of Great Demon, and his other followers had reached the ninth tier of beast cultivation. Originally, he had intended to wait until every single one of his subordinates had attained the status of Great Demon before setting out for the Heng Domain, but Jiang Xuan could wait no longer. The catalyst for his own breakthrough to a second-tier Great Demon had already manifested, and he knew he would be unable to suppress it for much longer.

Therefore, on this day, over a dozen giant eagles circled the skies above the Western Outer Domain, heading straight for the barrier of the Heng Domain.

"They’re finally leaving. If they hadn't, we wouldn't even have dared to step outside our own homes!"
"Indeed. These beasts... in the time they’ve been in the Outer Domain, they’ve devoured hundreds of our kind. Our birth rate couldn't even keep up with their appetites! Damn it!"
"Heaven be praised! Heaven be praised! I hope they manage to enter the Heng Domain successfully!"

Watching the flock of giant eagles soaring overhead, the beasts hiding in the dense forests collectively breathed a sigh of relief. Only they knew how they had survived this period—living in constant fear, huddled in their dens, tormented to the brink of insanity.

At the front of the eagle flock, Jiang Xuan led the charge. Before long, the red barrier that connected heaven and earth appeared in their line of sight. The invisible force, saturated with the power of universal laws, surged toward them, filling the flock with excitement.

"I saw it from afar last time, but I’ve never been this close!"
"You’re more cowardly than me; I actually tried to ram it once!"
"Pfft, did you get in? You just rammed it—that’s just being hard-headed, not brainy!"
"Hey! You little..."
"Enough, enough, settle down! I’m going to go over the precautions!"

Hearing Flowermouth and Potato bickering, Jiang Xuan silenced them. He had crossed this barrier before, and he had grasped its characteristics: fast, precise, and ruthless. These were the most crucial factors for passage. Otherwise, once the barrier’s rules were triggered, his ninth-tier subordinates would surely struggle to pass through. After all, compared to himself when he was at the ninth tier, these fellows were undoubtedly weaker.

"Empress, Demon Lord, when I give the signal, unleash your techniques and attack the barrier with all your might. We must blast a hole in it—a hole large enough to accommodate at least a dozen eagles."
"As for the rest of you! Once the barrier is opened, fly through at full speed without a moment’s hesitation or delay!"
"Understood, Big Brother! Mission will be accomplished!"

The flock shouted in unison, their spirits high and ready for action. The Empress nodded slightly, while the Demon Lord remained silent, his face as dark as if someone owed him a fortune in resources.

After several days, Jiang Xuan had finally grown accustomed to the Empress's beauty. Though he still found her breathtaking and felt a flutter in his heart whenever he looked at her, he was no longer as nervous, clumsy, or prone to gibberish as he had been at the start.

"Let’s begin! Extreme Yang Fire!"
"Human Emperor Sword!"
"Ten Thousand Miles of Evil!"

In an instant, three Great Demon eagles appeared before the barrier. Visibly, the Empress and the Demon Lord were at least a third larger than Flowermouth and the others, while Jiang Xuan was a size larger than both of them combined!

Flames erupted, dragons and elephants roared, and demonic entities wailed. The followers watched the display, dumbfounded, letting out soft gasps of awe.

"Don't just stand there like idiots! We may have more than one chance, but if you mess this up, I’ll kill you myself!"
"Oh? Holy crap! We’re ready, damn it!"
"Big Brother has spoken! Don’t just stand there!"
"Ready and waiting!"
"Begin!"

At Jiang Xuan’s command, three techniques—each invincible in the Outer Domain—slammed into the barrier simultaneously. Instantly, the red barrier melted away. It wasn't just a hole large enough for ten eagles; the entire sky seemed to have been torn asunder!

The scene exceeded even Jiang Xuan’s expectations. His followers didn't hesitate; like arrows, the dozen giant eagles plunged into the Heng Domain. They were so fast they were nothing but blurs, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.

"There’s still time, you two go as well."

Jiang Xuan received no verbal reply, only silent action. A black line and a white line streaked forward, vanishing from his view. With a low hum, once the Empress and the Demon Lord disappeared, the red barrier seemed to tremble, and the entrance slammed shut.

"Hmph, as a Great Demon, I should be able to come and go as I please now," Jiang Xuan muttered to himself with a smirk of disdain.

He shifted into his human form and raised his palm. A flicker of flame grew in his hand, coalescing into a ball of fire. He struck it forward with a sudden, forceful motion—only to be met with a shock that made his jaw drop.

"What the hell! What’s going on? I can't get in? Are you kidding me?!"

The scene before him left Jiang Xuan completely stunned. The red barrier, struck by the Extreme Yang Fire, had remained utterly unmoved.

"Did you trigger some self-defense mechanism? Or do you get stronger the harder you’re hit? How long will it take for you to calm down? Damn it..."

A problem now arose that made Jiang Xuan afraid to act rashly. Although he could manifest his Three-Legged Yang Fire and launch another fierce attack, he could clearly feel that the power of the red barrier had grown exponentially compared to moments ago. However, the influence of those laws was slowly fading—not quickly, but it was undoubtedly decaying.

"Fine, I’ll wait. A few minutes won't kill me."

To ensure there were no mistakes, Jiang Xuan chose to wait. After all, if even his Three-Legged Yang Fire couldn't open the entrance because the barrier’s protection mechanism had upgraded, he would be truly stumped. With that thought, he descended to a large tree, curled up, and closed his eyes.

...

"Fantastic! The spiritual energy here is incredibly dense!"
"Indeed! I feel like I’m going to ascend to heaven just from taking a single breath!"
"At this rate, won't we reach the Great Demon rank in just a few days?"
"If I had known it was like this, I wouldn't have waited for those guys; I would have come over first."

The Demon Lord felt a twinge of resentment, viewing the lesser followers as nothing more than baggage. It was true that Jiang Xuan had beaten him into submission, but to say he had no feelings for these subordinates would be a lie—though, those feelings were far less important than his own path to power.

"I wonder how vast this Heng Domain is... Hm? Why hasn't Jiang Xuan come over yet?"
"That’s right, Big Sister Empress, nothing bad happened to Big Brother, did it?"
"Yeah, being away from Big Brother suddenly makes me a bit scared!"
"The Heng Domain is full of Great Demons and Spirit Demons. If we mess up..."
"Flowermouth! You damn crow! I knew being with you lot would bring bad luck sooner or later!"

Suddenly, three terrifying auras descended, heavy with the stench of despair. In the distance, three figures were rapidly closing in. Among them, one was a fifth-tier Great Demon, and the other two were fourth-tier Great Demons.