Chapter 47: Mindset and Demon

Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Mindset and Demon

This Demon was named Marcus, a name that represented Plagues and diseases in their language system. Just as Chen Shang had deduced, he did not belong to this world. Instead, he was a Lord from the third layer of the seventy-two-layered Netherworld World, and he had once commanded a Demon Army numbering in the hundreds of thousands.

During a campaign, he was betrayed by his second-in-command, Calonos. Wounded, he fled his territory and hid within the Rifts at the very bottom of the Nether Realm to cling to life. His Soul Core was severely injured; if not repaired in time, his rank would plummet from Lord Tier down to an Ordinary Demon, then to an Inferior Demon, before finally dissipating completely into the Chaos of the Nether Realm.

However, a miraculous stroke of luck occurred. Just as Marcus thought he was about to die, he suddenly discovered an object within the Rifts of the Nether Realm: a dark red bead. This bead guided him through the planar Rifts and brought him to this world.

When he first arrived, he thought he had broken out of the Nether Realm and entered the Human Realm. Yet, upon carefully sensing his surroundings, he was astonished to find that this world had no believers of the Nether Realm, nor any believers of the Divine Realm. Furthermore, the language, culture, and races here were entirely different from everything he knew.

An incredible thought rose in Marcus’s mind: this bead had brought him to another Plane! He realized that the legendary multiverse of different Planes truly existed! To think this bead was a treasure capable of traversing Planes—what miraculous Power it possessed! Even those great Demons, those Netherworld Lords, those ancient monsters who had lived for countless millennia—none of them likely possessed such might!

When he first descended upon this world, Marcus had been extremely cautious. After all, in a Plane of this sheer scale, it wouldn’t be rare to find a Demigod or even a Divine Level Powerhouse. In his current state, he was no match for anyone at the Demigod Level or higher.

But after observing for some time, Marcus discovered that this world did not have a single Divine Level Powerhouse. The revelation left him ecstatic! A vast and bountiful material realm! A Human Realm teeming with an enormous population! A world that would belong entirely to him!

As long as there were no experts at or above the Demigod Level, he would face no worthy opponents, even with his heavily injured Soul Core! He could recklessly spread viruses, absorb the aura of Plague, and ignite his own Divine Fire.

Thrilled by his grandiose visions, Marcus’s heart pounded with excitement. He tightly clutched the bead, its dark red light leaking through the gaps of his fingers.

"Wait until I ignite my Divine Fire. Wait until I repair my Soul Core. Wait until I return to the Nether Realm..." he muttered. "Calonos, I’ll carve out your Soul Core! I’ll shove your head up your ass and leave you drifting eternally in the Chaos, you despicable traitor!"

***

On the plains of the Fanuodi Territory, Chen Shang rode upon the back of a creature resembling a War Elephant. Five hundred artificially intelligent Warriors cleared the path ahead, their silver-white armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight. The Golden Crow perched on Chen Shang’s shoulder with its head held high, looking incredibly arrogant. Luna Xiya shrank into the folds of Chen Shang’s cloak, her mushroom cap bobbing up and down with the War Elephant’s steady gait.

The plains were beautiful. Deep green grass swayed in the wind, dotted with colorful wildflowers that sparkled like scattered crushed Gemstones. In the distance, the dark green forest formed an undulating canopy, while even further away, snow-capped mountains shimmered silver-white beneath the sun.

Taking in the gorgeous scenery, Chen Shang felt a wave of contentment. "When I was very young, I always hoped to have a massive territory. I wanted my own castle, my own subjects, and my own army.

"But now that I actually have the Power to achieve that, I’d rather spend all day cooped up in the laboratory."

Ailarya, riding on another War Elephant, turned her head curiously at his words. "Why is that? Many Wizards I’ve met are also exceptionally stoic people. They seem entirely indifferent to the outside world."

Chen Shang chuckled. "No, no, no, Ailarya, your observation is quite superficial. The truth is exactly the opposite."

He gazed at the distant snow-capped mountains, his tone growing a bit more serious. "Rationality is not apathy, nor is it heartlessness. A Wizard’s emotions are no less intense than anyone else’s. The fiery Heart of a Wizard is like a violent volcano; beneath an impassive exterior lies a surging, turbulent sea.

"We are self-disciplined, not because our self-control is remarkably strong, nor because our emotions are detached. Rather, it is because we harbor far grander desires.

"These desires propel us forward, making us deeply interested in everything this world has to offer. They fill us with an exuberant curiosity, maintain our thirst for exploration, and allow us to endure years of solitary loneliness.

"Our goals are simply more defined. We refuse to be troubled by mundane, worldly urges. Higher peaks await us to climb, and more profound truths await us to uncover. Who could bear to stop walking?"

Ailarya remained silent for a long time after hearing this. The wind blew past her ears, carrying the earthy scent of soil and grass seeds. Then, she looked up and performed an elegant Elf bow. Pressing her right hand against her chest, she leaned forward slightly, her jet-black hair slipping over her shoulder like an unfurling bolt of silk.

"I have been enlightened, Mr. Chen Shang. Wizards are truly fortunate. They pursue exactly what they desire with absolute clarity."

As they approached the Fanuodi Territory, Chen Shang suddenly raised his hand. The five hundred Warriors halted in perfect unison, bringing their Long Halberds down to strike the ground simultaneously.

Seated upon the War Elephant, Chen Shang cast his gaze toward the northwest corner of the plains, an entirely desolate and uninhabited expanse. Through Erya’s Celestial Vision and Earthly Hearing, he could sense that something was over there—something distorting the surrounding air like a piece of red-hot iron.

Several Eryas at the front simultaneously turned to look in that direction. Their eyes glowed with a faint pale Gold light, and the distorted pocket of air reflected in their pupils.

"There’s something wrong with that place," Chen Shang said, his voice dropping low.

Ailarya drew the Rapier at her waist. "That used to be Count Qing Jin’s territory, but it was abandoned long ago after being absorbed into the Federation. No one has gone there in years."

As soon as she spoke, a string of laughter suddenly exploded around them. It surged from all directions simultaneously, sounding as if an endless crowd had surrounded them to mock them, the sound rebounding endlessly between heaven and earth. The laughter was sharp and piercing, like iron nails scratching across a chalkboard; it was a form of Spiritual Power attack.

Chen Shang remained expressionless. The semi-crystallized Spiritual Power within his Sea of Consciousness trembled for a fraction of a second, remaining otherwise completely undisturbed.

The Golden Crow let out a shriek and flew off Chen Shang’s shoulder, its feathers puffing up in alarm. Luna Xiya shrank even deeper into hiding, her mushroom cap snapping completely shut. Ailarya’s face instantly turned ghastly pale. She swayed on her mount, her knuckles turning white as she gripped her sword.

Then, the laughter stopped.

A dark red light surged across the wasteland, accompanied by a foul stench of rotting blood that slammed into their faces. Like a volcanic eruption, the red aura unfurled across the sky, dyeing half the heavens a bloody crimson.

Then, a towering, three-meter-tall creature stepped out.

He had dark red skin and a broken horn on his head. The wings on his back were tattered and ragged, and his sulfur-colored, slit-like pupils burned as if containing real Flame. His muscles clung to his skeletal frame like tightly coiled steel wires.

He swept his gaze over Chen Shang and the frontline of Warriors, his mouth curling into a disdainful sneer. "So, I’ve finally been discovered. Are you the Lord of this world?

"Five hundred creatures at the Elite Devil Level... Is this the absolute strongest combat Power your world has to offer?"