The scene of the ten Demon Ancestors gathering high in the sky yesterday to meet with this mysterious man had already spread throughout the entire Heavenly Demon Pavilion.
Although the conversation high above could not be heard, the respectful and reverent posture of the ten Demon Ancestors had already explained everything.
Lately, everyone in the Heavenly Demon Pavilion, from elders to disciples, had been secretly guessing the origins of that mysterious expert.
The most widespread and accepted theory was that he was the founding Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Demon Pavilion, who had not returned for a thousand years.
Now, seeing the ten Demon Ancestors standing on both sides of the main seat, their postures straight but their heads always bowed in waiting, even deliberately concealing their auras so as not to compete with the person in the main seat, the guesses in the elders' hearts were instantly confirmed.
The one who had returned was indeed the true ruler of their Heavenly Demon Pavilion, the legendary founding Pavilion Master.
The elders forcefully suppressed the excitement in their hearts and, according to their respective ranks, quickly and orderly found their places, standing quietly with their hands down, not daring to make the slightest noise.
Soon, all the summoned elders had arrived.
The elder system of the Heavenly Demon Pavilion also used the three-tier system of the Heaven and Human Holy Land: Lunar Elders, Supreme Elders, and Ordinary Elders.
However, the base population of the demon race was relatively smaller than that of the human race, and the number of top experts was also slightly less. Therefore, the total number of elders was not as great as that of the Heaven and Human Holy Land, but there were still nearly four hundred of them.
There were thirty-nine Lunar Elders, one hundred and three Supreme Elders, and over two hundred Ordinary Elders, with the lowest cultivation base being the peak of the Integration Realm.
When the last Lunar Elder stepped into the grand hall and the doors were locked, Gu Changyuan slowly opened his eyes. A glimmer of light flashed in his eyes, and an invisible yet majestic pressure instantly swept across the entire assembly floor.
Without any superfluous words, all the elders present felt their hearts tremble. They unanimously dropped to one knee, their postures respectful, and their voices resonant and powerful, echoing throughout the grand hall:
"Greetings, Pavilion Master! We respectfully welcome the Pavilion Master's return to his rightful place!"
Gu Changyuan's gaze calmly swept over the dense crowd of kneeling demon elders below.
His divine sense, system detection, and secret techniques activated simultaneously, instantly sweeping over every elder present.
The fluctuations of their bloodline origins, the auras of their demon cores, the marks of loyalty deep within their divine souls, their inclinations toward good or evil in their karmic ties, their hidden secret thoughts...
All kinds of information flowed into his perception like trickling streams.
A moment later, a trace of satisfaction flashed in Gu Changyuan's eyes.
Very good.
Similar to the situation in the Heaven and Human Holy Land, these nearly four hundred elders might have different personalities and their own little calculations, but in terms of their sense of belonging and loyalty to the Heavenly Demon Pavilion, they basically all passed the test.
He did not find any obvious spies from hostile factions, nor were there any devious parasites who might stab them in the back at any moment.
It seemed that the disciple recruitment instrument given by the system back then was indeed professional and easy to use.
Under the layers of screening, those who could enter the Heavenly Demon Pavilion and be promoted to the position of elder all possessed excellent temperament and loyalty.
The disciple selection and cultivation system of the Heavenly Demon Pavilion was vastly different from that of human sects, mainly relying on the Heavenly Demon Tower beneath Gu Changyuan's feet.
The Heavenly Demon Tower had a total of one hundred floors, with clearly defined functions:
Floors ninety-one to one hundred: Core areas and resettlement zones.
Floor one hundred: Gu Changyuan's exclusive residence and core forbidden area.
Floor ninety-nine: The daily meeting and gathering place for the ten Demon Ancestors.
Floors ninety-one to ninety-eight: Spaces that could be modified for various purposes as needed.
Floors seventy-one to ninety: Cultivation secret realm zones.
Each floor simulated or directly connected to different special environments, for the use of disciples with different attributes who needed special environments for cultivation. It was a treasured land for rapidly improving combat experience and law comprehension.
Floors one to seventy: Pavilion entrance assessment zones, which was also the most core selection mechanism of the Heavenly Demon Pavilion.
Demons applying to join the Heavenly Demon Pavilion needed to start from the first floor, challenging or passing specific trials floor by floor.
The higher the floor, the greater the difficulty of the trial, and the higher the comprehensive requirements for talent, temperament, perseverance, and combat instincts.
The final floor reached directly determined their initial evaluation after entering the pavilion, the allocation of resources, and who would take a liking to them and accept them as disciples.
Disciples who passed the assessment would be assigned to join one of the ten great pavilions built around the Heavenly Demon Tower, based on their performance and attribute inclinations.
These ten great pavilions each had their own focus and were respectively managed by the ten Demon Ancestors. They served as the disciples' residences, as well as the basic units for imparting cultivation methods and organizing activities.
Each pavilion was up to fifty floors high, with expanded and extremely vast spaces.
The residential floor of a disciple within the pavilion was directly linked to their strength and their contribution to the Heavenly Demon Pavilion.
The higher the floor, the higher their status and authority, and the better the cultivation environment they enjoyed.
In the vast area surrounded by the ten great pavilions, public facilities such as spiritual plant herb gardens, martial arts arenas, artifact refinement workshops, alchemy rooms, scripture pavilions, and trading zones were also planned for all disciples to use.
There was even a dedicated family zone, allowing those disciples who had established enough merit for the Heavenly Demon Pavilion.
They could apply to resettle their direct relatives who failed the pavilion entrance assessment or did not wish to cultivate here, receiving the protection of the Heavenly Demon Pavilion and forming a stable and cohesive demon community.
Gu Changyuan withdrew his thoughts, his gaze once again falling on the crowd of elders still respectfully kneeling below, and slowly spoke:
"I presume you have all guessed my identity. I have not returned for a thousand years, and only returned today."
He paused, then continued:
"You all do not need to overthink. Since I have returned, the daily operations and specific affairs of the Heavenly Demon Pavilion will continue to be handled by You Yao and the other nine, as well as all of you, performing your respective duties according to the established regulations."
These words made many anxious elders secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
What they feared most was that this legendary Pavilion Master would implement drastic reforms as soon as he returned, breaking the existing balance.
"However," Gu Changyuan changed the subject.
"As the Pavilion Master, I naturally must be clear in rewards and punishments. You have worked diligently for the Heavenly Demon Pavilion for a thousand years, and your contributions cannot go unnoticed. Today, this will be my meeting gift to you all."
As his voice fell, he raised his right hand and gently waved it at the empty space below.
"Buzz!!!"
In an instant, the assembly hall was filled with brilliant light, and spiritual energy surged!
In front of every elder, varying numbers of bizarre bones and magical artifacts appeared out of thin air.
The allocated amount was the same as that in the Heaven and Human Holy Land.
Those bones were exactly the Supreme Demon Bones.
Unlike the Supreme Bones used by the human race, the Supreme Demon Bones had an even more special and heaven-defying effect for the demon race.
There was a certain probability that it could help the one who fused with it to evolve their own innate divine abilities.
For the demon race, whose number and strength of divine abilities were almost innately determined by the limitations of their bloodline and demon core ranks, this was simply a supreme treasure to break the shackles of talent and defy the heavens to change their fate.
Its preciousness, in the eyes of the demon race, was even more tempting than a Half-Immortal artifact of the same level.
And at this moment, such precious Supreme Demon Bones were actually being bestowed by this returning Pavilion Master as if they cost nothing, with at least one piece given to every person.
There were also those equally incomparably precious Half-Immortal artifacts that many elders dreamed of but struggled to obtain.
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
