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"No matter what tricks or schemes they've got, you only need to remember one thing—against absolute power, all schemes are worthless!"
"Besides, I am the Dragon of Inferno among the Eight Demon Lords. I've been watching you from the shadows. If you ever come across a demon you can't beat no matter what, I'll step in myself."
As he finished, a bloody gleam flared in Shendu's eyes. He stared coldly at the army of evil dragons on the other side of the bronze mirror.
"Yes, my Lord!"
"We will not fail you! We'll destroy all who refuse to submit, and help you conquer this continent!"
Led by Ator and Abel, the demon army of tens of thousands—including the evil dragons—shouted their loyalty in unison.
"Good. Go." Shendu nodded slightly and waved his hand, causing the bronze mirror before him to fade.
Just before it fully disappeared, he suddenly seemed to remember something. "One more thing—from now on, address me as 'His Majesty the Dragon King.' You don't need to call me 'Lord' or 'Your Excellency' anymore."
Inside the mirror, Abel, Ator, and the rest bowed and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty the Dragon King!"
Moments later, the mirror vanished completely. Shendu turned his gaze to Ling'er, who was still trembling as he held one of her soft dragon horns. He spoke casually, "Ling'er, let's go to Demon City. Time to witness the final battle for this continent."
Ling'er, who had already transformed into her dragon form, lifted her head timidly. Her face was flushed bright red as she whispered, "Yes… Your Majesty."
Ever since Ling'er became a dragon, the power of Shendu's bloodline overwhelmed her. Just a single thought from him could render her powerless, completely unable to resist.
Her dragon form was born from a fusion of Shendu's blood and the power of fire. You could say there was a deep, unbreakable link between the two of them.
That link allowed Shendu to control her every move.
In fact, if he wanted to, it didn't matter where Ling'er was—Shendu could take over her body at will, suppress her consciousness, and use her as he pleased.
It was similar to the original Jackie Chan Adventures, where the Demon Sorcerer Shendu used his dragon soul to possess Valmont. Through sheer soul power, he overpowered Valmont and took over his body.
But while Valmont could fight back against Shendu's control, Ling'er had absolutely no way to resist. None.
Valmont was more of a partner—he worked with Shendu temporarily to regain his body by helping release the other seven demons.
But Ling'er? She was a complete puppet. Or maybe more accurately, an avatar. She had her own full consciousness and could think for herself—but she was still completely under Shendu's control.
When Shendu realized this, he was actually shocked. She was basically a physical extension of himself.
Sure, she had her own mind, but that didn't matter. Control of the body always remained with him.
Now, hearing Shendu's command, Ling'er hesitated. She was still shaken from earlier. But in the end, she nodded in obedience.
"Let's go," Shendu said, eyes glowing. "Time to see if that so-called Lord of Demon City and that so-called divine artifact—Lu Dongbin's sword, one of the Eight Immortals—can really slay my army of dragons."
As he spoke, he released her horn. Ling'er let out a breath of relief but still couldn't help asking, "Your Majesty… what divine artifact?"
Shendu's gaze turned cold. He grabbed her wrist and said sharply, "Ling'er, there are things you're better off not knowing."
With that, he suddenly flung his arm, sending her flying across the hall. A streak of silvery light flashed across her body.
The next second, a silver-white four-clawed dragon, over twenty meters long, appeared in the hall. Its gleaming scales shimmered like stars in the night sky, reflecting in the palace mirrors.
Cold flashes of light danced from her claws, as if they could shred through anything.
Watching Ling'er reveal her true form, Shendu took a step forward—then vanished in a blink.
When he reappeared, he was already standing on top of Ling'er's massive dragon head.
"Come here," he said calmly, looking down toward Xue'er, who stood beside the throne. He gave a subtle wave of his finger.
As soon as the words left his mouth, divine power surged and pulled the small, fragile human girl right to his side.
"Your Majesty?" Xue'er looked up at him, full of confusion. Was she going too?
She opened her mouth to ask, but before she could speak, Shendu raised his hand, and she fell silent.
Since His Majesty wanted her along, she figured, why not?
Being with her sister was way better than staying here in a palace full of demons.
She thought to herself quietly.
Then she knelt slightly, placed her hands on the smooth silver scales, and looked over Ling'er's huge dragon form.
It all felt so unfamiliar. She knew this silver dragon was her real sister…
But the little girl who used to barely reach her shoulder was now towering over her in dragon form—it was a lot to take in.
Still, she had seen Ling'er turn into a dragon egg and then hatch from it. So even though she looked completely different, that sibling bond hadn't faded.
Slowly, she wrapped her arms around one of the giant dragon horns and closed her eyes.
Shendu noticed but didn't say anything. He just looked down and said, "Let's go. To Demon City."
With those words, the dragon beneath him lifted off the ground and soared into the sky, crashing straight through the palace roof, flying toward the center of the continent—toward Demon City.
The sudden movement triggered chaos in the palace. Several demons rushed into the hall in a panic.
They stared at the hole Ling'er had left behind. For a moment, all they could do was exchange looks filled with bitterness.
This palace wasn't just some human-built structure—it was forged with the demons' own hands, infused with demonic power, a grand and powerful creation.
Normally, no demon could break through it. But Ling'er was a divine dragon. A measly barrier of demonic energy meant nothing to her.
Meanwhile, under the surface of Blue Star, dark forces were churning—not just because the seven divine artifacts had appeared.
Thanks to the demons' tampering with the Book of Time, time energy had begun to flow through the land. Subtle at first, it was now growing stronger and stronger.
As if the very world intended to punish the demons for trying to rewrite history and create divine artifacts from the future.
This time power was still gathering, not yet fully formed. But once it was, it would shock the world—and make even the Eight Demon Lords tremble in fear.
Far above, on the dark side of the moon, the Moon Lord Zhou Lan suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward Blue Star.
"This power…"
"Seven similar powers… almost identical to what I sensed before. Have Bogang and the others met their match?"
Muttering to himself, Zhou Lan's expression remained calm, revealing nothing.
"Looks like I really do need to investigate. Just what is this power that suppresses me, the Moon Lord?"
With that, gravity swirled around him, lifting him gently as he headed toward Blue Star.
Zhou Lan understood—though the Eight Demon Lords were technically siblings, their relationships were terrible. Only those with compatible powers got along.
As for those with opposing powers? It was already a miracle if they weren't at each other's throats.
"....."