Chapter 654: Great Demon 17

The more Tan You spoke, the more worked up she became. The Heavenly Thunder in the sky fell with increasing speed, yet it never actually struck her, giving off a palpable sense of exasperated fury.

Tan You’s temper flared. "My clan no longer begs for fair treatment from others. We will have to reclaim justice for ourselves. I have only one thing to say: since you stood by and watched coldly in the past, then just keep on watching."

Perhaps completely enraged by her words, a purple-black tribulation bolt flashed in the air and shot down straight at Tan You. She made no move to dodge or evade, simply watching with her face upturned as it fell.

The tribulation bolt passed right through the Array and struck Tan You viciously. Her body swayed, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth. Yet she showed no sign of dodging. "My conscience has always been clear. I’m simply speaking of what I have seen. What, am I not even allowed to say such things now?"

"Or is it that the Human Clan is allowed to do these things, but the Demon Clan isn’t allowed to speak of them? Even if You wish to silence me, this is not the way to do it."

Another tribulation bolt fell. Tan You was struck so hard her vision flashed gold, and she spat out a mouthful of blood. She simply wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. "Even if You strike me dead today, I will still say it: the Heavenly Dao has always been unfair to the Demon Clan..."

"The Demon Clan are born ignorant and unenlightened. They must endure countless hardships just to set foot on the path of cultivation. And not even one in ten of those who try succeed. Even then, the tribulations the Demon Clan must face are far more arduous than those for the Human Clan."

"Human Clan Cultivators rely on heavenly treasures and can even find ways to avoid their Heavenly Tribulations. But what about the Demon Clan? The greater our talent, the more vicious the tribulation. We can only rely on our physical bodies to endure it."

"Is this fair to the Demon Clan? We all live in the Cultivation World and should be equals. Why are we divided into different classes at birth, only to be oppressed by humans?"

The more Tan You spoke, the more intensely the lightning in the sky flashed, as if preparing to unleash a massive strike. Tan You ignored the fact that her Divinity Transformation Stage injuries had yet to heal and were now compounded by new ones, forcing herself to remain standing.

"Human Clan Cultivators already have so much, yet they still greedily scheme to occupy every inch of land in the Cultivation World." Tan You let out a soft cough. "If they had treated the demon beasts they abducted from the Ten-Direction Great Mountains with kindness, perhaps I wouldn’t have been so ruthless today."

"But how did they act? They abused the Demon Clan, tore families apart, and wished they could drain every last drop of our blood and tears. And even then, they still weren’t satisfied."

"It is said that the heavens have a virtue of cherishing all life. Let me ask, have the humans upheld this? Are the lives of the Demon Clan not lives? Why must we, the Demon Clan, always be forced to swallow our own teeth and blood, suffering in silence?"

As she went on, Tan You’s voice grew louder and louder, and the tribulation bolts in the sky grew ever thicker. They transformed from their original purple-black color into blood-red lightning. The mere sight of it was enough to make one’s blood run cold.

Tan You just threw her head back and laughed, fearlessly gazing at the blood-red tribulation bolts. "If I can secure a path to survival for the Demon Clan, a future where we are no longer oppressed and enslaved by the Human Clan, then my death would be a small price to pay..."

Before she could even finish her sentence, several blood-red tribulation bolts descended, enveloping her. They perfectly sealed off every escape route, dead-set on ensuring Tan You would not survive this tribulation.

With their sect’s ugly truths exposed by Tan You, some of the Tianyuan Sect Cultivators with a stronger moral compass looked embarrassed. Others, however, were completely unfazed. They even hoped Tan You would provoke the Heavenly Dao’s wrath further. It would be best if she were struck dead on the spot; then, the calamity facing the Tianyuan Sect would be resolved.

Watching the blood-red tribulation bolts descend, the Cultivators couldn’t help but look on with hopeful expressions. In contrast, the demon beasts who had accompanied Tan You were horrified. But deterred by the power of the tribulation bolts, they dared not approach her.

The Nine-tailed Fox repeatedly pleaded, "Just say a little less."

Tan You scoffed. "As if saying less would solve anything..."

She simply watched the blood-red tribulation bolts descend, having already prepared herself to perish in this world. ’It’s not that I’m being reckless,’ she thought. ’I just know that even if I die in this world, as long as my spiritual power doesn’t drop to zero, I’ll still be alive when I go back.’

’I cherish my life, and I value myself, but some things are more important than life itself. I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong by speaking out against injustice.’

Under the nervous, worried gazes of the demon beasts and the hopeful stares of the Cultivators, the blood-red tribulation... failed to descend. Tan You remained standing right where she was, completely unharmed. As if sensing something, she narrowed her eyes and looked toward the heavens.

A fissure tore open in the sky. A large, slender hand reached out and simply grasped the blood-red tribulation bolts that had been about to strike Tan You dead. The bolts turned into a wisp of green smoke and dissipated, as if unwilling to yield.

At the same time, a clear, resonant male voice echoed through the air. "Do you truly believe my Golden Ring Snake Clan has no one to answer to? Little Heavenly Dao, bullying a junior of my clan like this is hardly honorable."

A low rumble, like muffled thunder, echoed from the heavens, as if in protest. The speaker paid it no mind. "The conflict between the Human Clan and the Demon Clan has raged for tens of thousands of years. The Heavenly Dao should never have interfered. Little Heavenly Dao, you have overstepped your bounds."

At the mention of the Golden Ring Snake Clan, the eyes of every Cultivator and demon beast fell upon Tan You. ’I’m... at a loss,’ Tan You thought, her mind reeling. ’Is this the original body’s ancestor, here to back me up? An ancestor who just appeared out of thin air?’

’Still, this is a good thing. I’ve caused such a huge stir today. If I have an ancestor backing me up, no one will dare to cause me trouble in the future. So this is what it feels like to have a powerful backer? It feels... amazing!’

The little mouse on Tan You’s shoulder hopped and let out two squeaks. "Huanhuan, it’s your ancestor."

Tan You’s expression was stiff. "Yes, I figured."

The ancestor who had appeared from thin air had suppressed the Heavenly Dao. The Cultivators from the Tianyuan Sect, who had assumed the Heavenly Dao was on their side, all fell silent. They knew this day would not end peacefully.

The thought that a Golden Ring Snake Emperor from the Upper Realm was present made their future seem even bleaker.

Cang Long muttered, "Why isn’t my ancestor appearing?"

The Nine-tailed Fox swished its nine tails. "I’m envious, too. I want to see my ancestor as well."

The other demon beasts all had the same thought: they, too, wanted an ancestor to come and back them up.

Tan You sighed. "Let’s focus on the task at hand. We can talk about everything else later."

"Right, right, business first," the Red Flame Tiger huffed, breathing out a plume of fire. "First, we find Lord Bai Ze. Then we bring our people back to the Ten-Direction Great Mountains."

Tan You added softly, "And those who have taken the lives of our demon beasts must pay with their own."

A rumble of thunder sounded from the heavens, but the male voice merely hummed in acknowledgment, and the thunder immediately dissipated. Tan You’s eyes narrowed slightly. Seeing that the Tianyuan Sect Cultivators remained motionless, she couldn’t be bothered to waste any more words.

The power of the stars was at its peak. After channeling it, Tan You sent a brilliant silver light streaking toward the forbidden area on the back mountain of the Tianyuan Sect.