Gods of the Nation: You worship the God of Longevity, I worship the King of Hell!

Chapter 223 A Storm is Brewing! A Riot at the Seven Treasures Pagoda! The Thousand Demons Resurrect!

At this moment, seeing the disheveled state of his heavenly soldiers, the heavenly general lying on the ground had eyes that were about to burst with rage.

"What kind of evil magic is this?!"

He gritted his teeth and was about to push himself up when a sharp "crack" suddenly came from beneath him, as if something hard had been crushed.

Looking down, Tianjiang's pupils suddenly contracted, and extreme fear instantly seized his mind.

What was shattered was none other than His guardian jade talisman!
"Do not--!!!"

"boom!!!"

The demon-subduing restrictions of the pagoda, like a raging tide that has caught the scent of blood, swept towards Him without end.

This jade token of the garrison commander was originally His "certificate" for exercising authority within the Linglong Tower.

Now that the "certificate" has shattered, the demon-slaying restrictions no longer recognize Him in the slightest.

In an instant, the divine light around the celestial general dissipated, his protective magic treasures dimmed one after another, and his divine power declined to the point where he was almost no different from an ordinary person.

Inside the Heavenly Prison, upon witnessing this scene, the Black Fiend Demon Lord's eyes suddenly blazed with bloodlust.

He flashed and rushed to the front of the cage.

A surge of profound light suddenly erupted from his palm.

He grabbed the heavenly general by the neck.

With a "snap," without saying a word, it was twisted off!

boom!
The heavenly general collapsed to the ground.

At that moment, the scene was deathly silent.

The sudden turn of events startled Lu Chen, and his gaze abruptly turned towards them.

The Black Demon Lord hurriedly explained, "Your Majesty, with the death of the commander, all the heavenly soldiers under his command will be subject to restrictions, and their divine power will be suppressed, which will be advantageous to us!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen's Adam's apple bobbed, but he remained silent.

At the same time, the remaining heavenly soldiers felt a sudden heaviness around them, their surging magical power sinking into a quagmire, making it difficult to mobilize.

The lingering power of the demon-slaying restriction had already pressed down indiscriminately, regardless of friend or foe.

"roll--!!!"

Lu Chen roared angrily.

The heavenly soldiers looked at each other, their fighting spirit completely gone, and scattered like birds and beasts in an instant.

Soon, the place returned to peace.

Lu Chen glanced sideways at the corpse of the Heavenly General on the ground, which was gradually turning into specks of starlight and dissipating, and took a deep breath.

This is the second deity to perish before his eyes, following the City God.

"My Lord, there is no time to lose! Quickly taint this layer of fortune with bad luck! Loosen the restrictions and release us from the Heavenly Prison!"

The Black Demon Lord said urgently, "Once we are freed, Your Majesty, please focus on refining the pagoda."

I will immediately contact all the demons and monsters inside the tower to stop the old man who holds the tower for you.

Even if we can't stop you, we can buy you enough time to refine it!

Lu Chen nodded: "Then I'll have to trouble you, senior."

We have now passed the test of the heavenly soldiers and generals.

Next comes the final challenge for Li Jing, who will indeed need the help of the Black Demon Lord and his allies.

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Chen sat cross-legged. With a thought, the bad luck that had accumulated within him poured out like a raging river.

The fortune surged toward the top of the tower with overwhelming force.

—Sizzle!
The moment the two vastly different energies merged, a bizarre yet beautiful scene suddenly appeared.

Above the tower, the magnificent and auspicious celestial fortune, once touched by misfortune, is like cold water dripping into boiling oil.

Amidst the earth-shattering sound, the aura at the top of the tower trembled violently, and visible ripples spread outwards in all directions.

This bad luck is incredibly domineering; even the slightest bit is enough to spoil the whole pot of "porridge".

Moreover, it is pouring down like an endless torrent.

Its power was so great that it not only exceeded Lu Chen's expectations, but even the three demons of the Black Fiend Demon Lord showed surprise.

——Boom!

The entire third floor began to shake violently, and an invisible gale suddenly swept across the entire area.

"What happened?!"

"Why is the third layer of restrictions vibrating?!"

The heavenly soldiers, who were scattered and patrolling in various places and were unaware of the cause and effect, were all terrified when they saw this strange phenomenon.

He cried out in a panic, "Oh no! The demon-slaying barrier on the third level is about to break! Quickly, report to the general!"

Chaos erupted throughout the tower.

Inside the Heavenly Prison, the three demons clearly felt the suppression within their bodies rapidly diminishing.

"Big brother! It's working! It really works!"

"Hahaha! Finally... finally this day has come!! We're going to be free!"

The two demons were overjoyed.

Only the Black Demon Lord remained solemn, coldly snorting, "You're celebrating too soon! Right now, you've merely disrupted the fortune and secrets of this level, delaying the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King's awareness."

We're still a long way from being completely out of trouble!

"Big brother, what should we do next?" the Red Bird Spirit asked telepathically.

A sinister glint flashed in the eyes of the Black Demon Lord: "Once the restriction is completely dissipated, we'll go out and help this kid win over the demons."

Only when He successfully refines the pagoda can He truly release us. Then…

He grinned maliciously, completely revealing his true purpose: "I will kill him directly, seize the Heavenly Decree, and find a secluded place to cultivate in seclusion!"

"Brother is brilliant! Let's do it this way!"

The Black Demon Lord's eyes gleamed with a dark light.

Ever since Lu Chen appeared on the third floor, He has noticed this rare "blood food".

It wasn't until the "Heavenly Decree" appeared that He quickly changed his mind and devised this plan to use someone else to do the dirty work and reap the benefits.

He led Lu Chen step by step into the trap He had set.

—A jinx?

Hundreds of years ago, when He was imprisoned in this heavenly prison, He had already thought of this method of using bad luck to break the restrictions, but unfortunately He never had the opportunity to use it.

Now, everything is finally ready.

"Kid, you're still too green..."

……

As the fortune within the tower waned, the power of the demon-subduing restriction also weakened. At this moment, countless pairs of scarlet vertical pupils suddenly lit up in the dark corners of the entire third floor, and a sinister aura quietly spread, chilling to the bone.

"Hehehe... What kind of deity is causing such a ruckus at the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda?"

"I have been trapped for a hundred years, and I have finally waited for this day!"

When the power of the demon-slaying seal weakened to the point where it could no longer suppress these peerless ferocious beasts—

boom! ! !
The Black Demon Lord unleashed a punch, shattering the barrier of the Heavenly Prison.

Phew——! ! !
The Crimson Bird Spirit was the first to transform into its true form, a giant bird engulfed in raging demonic fire soaring into the sky and circling above the third level.

The stone spirit also transformed into a towering stone demon, pounding its chest and letting out a deafening howl, as if venting a century of resentment.

The Black Demon Lord flashed to Lu Chen's side and bowed respectfully: "Your Majesty, we have temporarily escaped our predicament."

I will immediately contact all my comrades on the third floor to discuss the matter of joint defense.

"Your Majesty, you can refine it with peace of mind. We will definitely hold off the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King for you!"

Lu Chen nodded, his gaze calm.

The Black Demon Lord said no more, and unleashed a dark demonic light that shot straight up into the sky above the tower.

Throughout the entire third level, the deafening roars of the great evil spirits shattering the Heavenly Prison and breaking free of the barrier could be heard everywhere.

“Lu Chen, I think…” Lan’er’s voice was tinged with worry, and she hesitated to speak.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Lu Chen shook his head at her.

As long as the pagoda can be successfully refined and its control seized, these demons and monsters will not be able to cause any trouble.

Even if things ultimately prove impossible, he would never allow these demons to escape and wreak havoc on humanity!

Calming his mind, Lu Chen's brow flashed with light, and the fire in the stove leaped out.

The Samadhi True Fire blazed fiercely, carrying the power to burn the heavens and boil the seas, and in an instant completely enveloped the Destiny-Stabilizing and Soul-Suppressing Lotus.

Amidst the sea of ​​fire, the Soul-Suppressing Lotus visibly melted away, and countless brilliant energies surged from its body, spreading outwards and instantly merging into the tower.

"Om-!"

At this moment, an ancient Yin-Yang treasure mirror flew out from the firelight; it was the very core of the secret realm.

It seemed to possess a spirit, joyfully circling around Lu Chen several times.

Lu Chen smiled faintly at it, then focused his mind and concentrated on refining it.

The fate of the nation now hinges on this one battle!
……

On the other side, in the third layer of the void.

A thousand demons gathered, their demonic energy soaring to the heavens.

"Fellow Daoist Black Fiend, we will all follow your orders! We will fight to the death to protect that brat until he has completely refined the treasure!"

A massive skeletal demon head echoed the din, its eye sockets flickering with ghostly flames.

The other demons also chimed in.

The Black Demon Lord cupped his hands and smiled, "Thank you all for your help! If we manage to escape this time, I will certainly prepare a blood feast for ten thousand people to entertain you all!"

"Very well! If we can escape, we are willing to serve the Demon Lord as our Demon Master and be at his beck and call from now on!"

"We acknowledge the Demon Lord as our Demon Master!"

The demons shouted in unison, their voices awe-inspiring.

The Black Demon Lord and his two brothers exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with barely concealed elation.

If we can subdue these thousand-plus fierce beasts, then the hundreds of years of imprisonment will have been worth it!

"Very well! Since you fellow cultivators are so kind, I shall accept it without hesitation!" The Black Fiend Demon Lord raised his hand to suppress the urge and said in a deep voice, "However, the important matter at hand is the most pressing. Whether we can escape depends entirely on that brat."

After saying that, all the demons followed the Black Demon Lord's gaze and looked down at the towering pillar of fire.

They were all grinning maliciously.

……

Outside the tower, the Cloud Tower Palace.

After drinking the finest liquor, even a powerful star lord would inevitably show signs of intoxication, his body swaying slightly.

Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, was so drunk that his face turned red and the veins on his forehead bulged.

He considered himself to have a huge capacity for alcohol, but he never expected that these immortals would drink so heavily.

He was so drunk that he became somewhat drowsy.

"Strange, why hasn't that old man Taibai returned yet?"

Li Jing shook his head, trying to shake off the effects of the alcohol, but a sense of unease rose in his heart.

Logically speaking, with Venus's cultivation level, he could make eight hundred round trips between the Lingxiao Palace and this place, but he is still nowhere to be seen.

"Could it be... that something has happened to the Great Celestial Venerable?"

Li Jing was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the faint light flashing twice on the third level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda beside him.

However, this subtle change did not escape the notice of another pair of eyes.

"Could it be..."

Nezha's pupils contracted, and a wave of shock surged in his heart: "Has something really serious happened inside the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda?"

He quickly withdrew his gaze, but instead met a pair of deep, divine eyes.

—It is the Plague God!
The two immortals stared at each other, locked in a tense standoff for a moment.

Nezha broke the silence first, raising his wine cup: "Plague Lord, I toast you."

After saying that, he tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, then casually crossed his legs, as if the thrilling discovery he had just made had never happened.

The Plague King held his wine cup, his eyes slightly narrowed:
"He's doing this... oh, that's interesting~"

……

Above the Thirty-Three Heavens, a wisp of auspicious cloud drifted leisurely down from the sky.

"Hey, old star official, what are you doing here?"

A wisp of auspicious cloud drifted in from afar, and as soon as it approached, it bowed in greeting.

"So it's Fellow Daoist Yue Lao."

Venus, the Star Lord, also bowed in return.

The visitor was none other than the Old Man Under the Moon, who oversees marriages in the world and is also one of the most popular immortals in Heaven.

"Why are you here today, fellow Daoist?" Venus asked curiously.

"Oh, I was just about to go to the Ziwei Heavenly Palace," the Old Man of the Moon said with a smile, stroking his beard.

"Oh?" Venus smiled and teased, "Could it be... that His Majesty's incarnation in the mortal realm has reached the age where it's time to play matchmaker?"

　This concludes my last all-nighter of the month.

　
(End of this chapter)