The remaining demon gods, demon saints, and members of the Wu tribe were dumbfounded.
Qing Xuan managed to catch his breath and said, "Do not be alarmed, everyone. The Demon Ancestor has moved the eleven Ancestor Witches to the starry sky."
As soon as these words were spoken, the great powers present probed the stars in the twenty-eighth heaven.
Seeing the demon tribe looking up at the sky, Ju Mang felt a jolt of alarm.
Although the Wu tribe was powerful, without the earth beneath their feet, the Ancestor Witches were like water without a source, trees without roots! Furthermore, the Duantian Divine Fiend Formation had been broken earlier, leaving everyone with not insignificant injuries. They had also fought for a long time while wounded, especially after those two full-power attacks that had worsened the injuries of several Ancestor Witches.
The Demon Ancestor's plan was indeed brilliant!
In the starry sky, the eleven Ancestor Witches' faces changed drastically. They found themselves in the void!
Qing Ling's face was pale, but he still managed a smile. "Everyone, the starry sky is vast. Enjoy your tour! I shall not be entertaining you further."
With that, the star formation beneath his feet flashed, and he intended to leave.
But Di Jiang roared, spreading his four wings, and space rippled like water, fixing Qing Ling in place.
Seeing this, Qing Ling reached out, and the stars of the heavens shifted. He drew upon the purest essence of the stars in the void, breaking through Di Jiang's spatial storm.
However, at this moment, Jiu Yin, the Candle Dragon, caused the river of time to flow beneath his feet, heading directly for him.
Qing Ling pushed out a hand, and the river of time flowed, colliding with the currents of time.
Time flowed like a waterfall, and the void of time, though slightly obstructed by the river of time, was still swallowed.
Qing Ling took a step, shifting away and creating distance between himself and the eleven Ancestor Witches.
He then said, "In this starry sky, you who are heavily injured are no match for me. It is best that you find your way back to the Primordial World soon, lest you become lost in the cosmos and the Wu tribe be finished."
The eleven Ancestor Witches were taken aback. Houtu said, "There is no need for your concern. As long as one Ancestor Witch remains in the Primordial World to guide us, we will find our way back."
Shebi Shi sneered, "Although we are heavily injured, you have just broken through your realm and expended a great deal of your primordial spirit and magical power to move us. You must be at the end of your rope now!"
Qing Ling raised an eyebrow and unfurled his right palm. A Samsara Flower bloomed faintly in his palm.
The eleven Ancestor Witches were startled and instantly closed their eyes.
The renowned divine ability of the East Desolation Dao Master, the Life and Death Samsara Flower, was known to all great powers above the Heavenly Emperor level in the Primordial World.
Though their eyes were closed, the Ancestor Witches could still perceive their surroundings with their consciousness.
However, something astonishing occurred.
Qing Ling flipped his palm, and the falling flower landed, growing into a tree amidst the stardust. The ancient tree sprouted branches and leaves, and in the blink of an eye, it produced eleven Samsara Flowers.
Seeing the flowers bloom, Qing Ling smiled leisurely, reached out, and plucked one. He said, "When the flower blooms, I am seen; when it falls, man perishes!"
The next moment, the flower in his palm disappeared, replaced by a noble head!
The eleven Ancestor Witches were utterly shocked. They had all opened their eyes and looked at the head in Qing Ling's hand in disbelief.
Shebi Shi, however, only saw ten of his brothers and sisters and a headless corpse with a flower growing from its neck.
Qing Ling let out a cold laugh, and with a flash of starlight beneath his feet, he teleported back to the Primordial World. The ancient tree withered visibly, and the ten Samsara Flowers also dissipated.
The next moment, Qing Ling appeared in the Primordial World. Without paying heed to the fury of the other ten Ancestor Witches in the starry sky, he collected the head in his hand and approached Ju Mang, who was preparing to welcome the ten Ancestor Witches.
Ju Mang was greatly alarmed and asked, "Where are my eleven brothers and sisters?"
Qing Ling said indifferently, "They are naturally enjoying themselves in the starry sky. You shall accompany me."
Ju Mang roared, "Dream on!"
His feet instantly flashed with green light as he prepared to use his Wood Escape technique.
However, the person before him was none other than the Dao Master of the Wood Path!
A dao pattern flashed between Qing Ling's brows, and the vanishing Ju Mang stumbled out of the void.
As soon as he was forced out of the void, starlight illuminated beneath his feet. The starlight flashed and teleported Ju Mang beneath the Jian Mu. The weight of the thirty-one layers of Jian Mu directly suppressed Ju Mang, rendering him unable to resist.
Only then did Qing Ling heave a sigh of relief. He secretly suppressed the backlash. So many great powers were observing, and any sign of his injury would incite their greed!
He looked at the assembled demons and said, "Those among you who are unharmed shall immediately descend to the lower realm and be organized under the twenty-eight demon domains, forming four great demon domains in the east, south, west, and north, to protect the demon race's subjects in the lower realms.
"Those who are heavily injured may remain in the Heavenly Court to recuperate and rebuild. Until the Heavenly Emperor and the Eastern Emperor return, the Demon Master shall be revered, with the Ten Great Demon Gods as his deputies, to manage the affairs of the demon race!"
Below, all the demons heard this and those below the rank of Demon Saint prostrated themselves in greeting, while those above Demon Saint respectfully bowed.
"We respectfully obey the decree of the Demon Ancestor!"
Kun Peng was momentarily stunned and looked at Qing Ling with surprise.
Qing Ling smiled at him and said, "Demon Master, the Heavenly Court will be entrusted to you. This is your only opportunity!"
Kun Peng smiled and replied, "In that case, thank you for your kindness, Demon Ancestor."
Below, Bai Ze bowed and asked, "Great Demon Ancestor, may I ask about the Ancestor Witches of the Wu tribe?"
"The twelve Ancestor Witches cannot return for the time being. However, our race has suffered heavy losses in this battle, and we must not contend with the Wu tribe again. The lower realms shall only defend the four domains and not venture out. Recuperation is paramount!"
Bai Ze respectfully agreed.
At this moment, Tu Shan, a Demon Saint, said obsequiously, "Since the twelve Ancestor Witches have not returned, why doesn't the Demon Ancestor lead us to the Wu tribe's territory and overthrow the Twelve Witch Palaces?"
At this statement, all the demons below became restless.
Qing Ling heard this and let out a cold laugh, saying sternly, "If the demon race relies solely on the Five Emperors, One Ancestor, and One Master, what use are all of you?
"When the Wu tribe slaughtered countless demons, how many of you dared to fight them alone? How many harbored thoughts of escape?
"The Five Emperors, One Ancestor, and One Master have turned to dust over countless years for your sake. Emperor Fu Xi has fallen, the Heavenly Emperor's two corpses are destroyed, the Eastern Emperor is heavily injured, Empress Nu Wa is bleeding, and the Demon Master has had his wings clipped.
"Our demon race, with billions of individuals, far outnumbers the Wu tribe, yet we were still attacked in the Heavenly Court by the Wu tribe, suffering countless casualties. The nine heavens and all the realms above are stained with the blood of our countless demon gods.
"This battle, your blood feud, your honor, your humiliation, you must remember them forever. It is not that our leaders have done everything for you, but rather that you must fight for it yourselves, snatch for it, seize it, and experience ten deaths and one rebirth. A demon race without bloodlust or responsibility is not worthy of being my people!"
As his words fell, Qing Ling turned and left the Heavenly Court, returning to Jian Mu.
As soon as he reached Jian Mu, he could not help but spit out a mouthful of vital blood in a backlash.
He had forcibly broken through his confinement, his realm unstable, and then entered the battle, resisting the attacks of seven Ancestor Witches. Furthermore, he had painstakingly set up the star shifting formation, all of which had already caused him to suffer a backlash.
Fortunately, Qing Ling endured!
In the starry sky, he had used the Great Shifting Technique to remove Shebi Shi's head, deterring the Ancestor Witches and allowing him to leave with composure.
Although the Ancestor Witches in the starry sky were further weakened, Qing Ling did not have the strength to capture them all.
He had forcibly broken through his confinement, and the power of Jian Mu could not be utilized. Even suppressing Ju Mang was only possible because Ju Mang had been teleported to the root of Jian Mu in Du Guang, allowing for his suppression.
Although Qing Ling's injuries were not too severe, he required time to recover.
The eleven Ancestor Witches, after wandering in the starry sky for ten thousand years, would eventually return to the Primordial World.
Upon returning, the eleven Ancestor Witches immediately went into seclusion to heal their injuries. Shebi Shi, despite losing his head, only suffered a significant reduction in strength.
Ju Mang, though missing, was not in mortal danger.
The Wu tribe suspected that Ju Mang was being held by Qing Ling, and being afraid to act rashly, they dared not pressure Qing Ling, opting for a gradual approach.
-- Author's Notes --
The missing update from yesterday has been provided!