Volume One: The Calamity of the Lich Chapter 167: Taiyi Defeated Beiming, the Demon Master Kunpeng

“Kunpeng, you old fool, hand over the object that holds the fate of the demon clan, or today we’ll spill your blood across the Northern Sea!”
Taiyi’s face was dark with impatience as he fixed his gaze on Ancestor Kunpeng.

“What, do you think that just because you have numbers you can threaten me like this? Since the day I emerged into this world, no one has dared speak to me so.”
He turned his eyes toward the pair from the West, who hid behind the others.
“What, are you both here as well? Must I drag you out myself?”
Seeing the two hiding at the rear, Kunpeng was filled with rage. With a thought, his true form appeared before them—a massive Kunpeng, wings spread wide, casting a shadow over everyone below.
With a powerful sweep of those wings, countless currents of wind and Dao swept forth, exposing the two from their hiding place.

“Kunpeng, are you sure you wish to make enemies of us as well, while facing the entire demon clan?”
As soon as the two Westerners appeared, their expressions grew ugly.
No matter how thick-skinned they were, even they could not remain unmoved.

“You two old relics, you’ve got some nerve. I haven’t even settled the score with you for what happened in Zixiao Palace! And now you dare show up here—do you really think I am so easily bullied?”
Without warning, Kunpeng struck first at the pair, which gave the demon clan a brief respite.

Kunpeng opened his enormous beak, intent on swallowing all present in a single gulp.
The demon clan immediately unleashed their magical treasures at him.
With a sudden surge, Kunpeng soared high into the air, evading many of their attacks.
The rest were blocked by two of his avatars, who controlled palace-shaped treasures, defending him while also attempting to seize more treasures from the attackers.

Seeing this, the demon clan quickly turned to the Western pair.
“Fellow Daoists, it seems we must join forces today to deal with Kunpeng. Otherwise, none of us will leave here alive!”
Bai Ze spoke bitterly to the two Westerners.

“That would be for the best,” they replied, resigning themselves to the alliance. Any hope of profiting from the chaos was gone; now, it was all they could do not to lose their own lives.
With no other choice, the two Westerners agreed, and Zhun Ti quietly sent a message to Jieyin.

“Senior brother, let’s fight Kunpeng with them for now, but the moment an opportunity arises, we slip away.”
Jieyin considered briefly, then agreed.
My apologies, demon clan friends.

With that, the two produced their own treasures and joined Taiyi and the others in a fierce assault on Kunpeng.

“Damn you all for joining forces against me! Allow me to show you my true strength!”
Kunpeng tore through the air, unleashing storms and massive waves that swept everyone into the depths of the Northern Sea.

“Wait—where did the two from the West go?”
“Damn those shameless cowards—they’ve deserted us!”
Taiyi’s face turned ashen upon discovering their absence.
Fuxi could only sigh helplessly.
“It seems we’re fated to lose today. We’ll have to reclaim what’s ours from Kunpeng another day.”
The demon clan fell silent at his words.

Taiyi wanted to speak but could only choke on his frustration.
Bai Ze agreed, “It’s just as well. Our clan cannot withstand any more turmoil for now. Once we are strong again, Kunpeng will not have it so easy—no matter how formidable he is, he’s still just one being.”

Neither of them realized that this retreat would come at a steep cost; only after much hardship in the future would they finally subdue Kunpeng.

In the end, the group returned to the Celestial Court in defeat.
Kunpeng watched their retreat impassively—after all, no matter how powerful he was, he was but one, and the demon clan here made up less than a fifth of their full strength.
He had only advanced to the mid-stage quasi-saint by a stroke of luck, but the path ahead felt more daunting than ever.

When Taiyi and the others returned to the Celestial Court, Nuwa and Fuxi learned that Kunpeng had reached the mid-stage quasi-saint realm.
A heavy pressure settled upon them, forcing them into seclusion to cultivate, lest their strength fall behind the rest.

Taiyi, upon returning, erupted in a fit of rage.
“Damn it! I was the first to break through to quasi-sainthood, and now Kunpeng has surpassed me in cultivation and humiliated me as well. Who knows how the world now views the Celestial Emperor!”

In the end, Taiyi had no choice but to calm himself and return to his closed-door cultivation.

But he did not realize that the Celestial Court was about to suffer yet another blow to its reputation.
And Taiyi was right—countless mighty beings across the world were laughing at his misfortune.

“Hahaha! Did Taiyi really think that being the first quasi-saint meant he would always lead the pack? Now he’s fallen at Kunpeng’s feet!”
In Kunlun Mountain, Yuanshi sat in the great hall, looking toward the Celestial Court, scorn written plain upon his face.

“Sigh, I felt I was so close to slaying my second avatar, but there’s been no progress.
Perhaps I should seek out my elder and younger brothers and see how they fare.”

Some time later, on Mount Taiqing, within the Hall of Grand Purity, the three brothers sat together upon their meditation mats.

“Now, our fates and sources of fortune are intertwined. If one of us wishes to break through, we must do so together, or it will create hidden dangers in our cultivation.
From now on, let us prepare carefully to sever our second avatars. Second brother, you are still too restless—calm your mind first.”
With these words, the eldest gently tapped Yuanshi with the Dust of Grand Unity, and his state improved notably.
Then he glanced at Tongtian, closed his eyes, and the three entered secluded cultivation together.

Meanwhile, the whole world soon learned that Kunpeng had reached mid-stage quasi-sainthood, and word of his creation of the demon script spread quickly.
Many within the demon clan and other tribes began to worship Kunpeng.
Thanks to this script, which he fused into the demon clan’s bloodline, their heritage would never again be at risk of extinction.

Thus, countless demons began to honor him as the Demon Sage.
With this new title, many flocked to him, and the palace-treasure he had forged became known as the Demon Sage Palace.

Kunpeng, upon learning this, adopted the title himself and began gathering the demon clans that came to his banner.
At the same time, the Xuangui (Black Tortoise) clan of the North Sea, learning of the White Tiger clan’s fate, sought the permission of their ancestor and allied themselves with Kunpeng.
Truth be told, it was less a surrender and more a mutual alliance, with the Xuangui placing value on his new title.

After all he had been through, Kunpeng understood that he could not walk this path alone—when enemies came knocking, he needed allies to stand at his side.