### Chapter 42: Ah, Eight Tribulation Demons?!
The outer region of the Endless Forest.
On a battlefield in disarray, three groups of people stood tall. each group consisting of just over a hundred individuals—but each person was robust, well-built, and exuded a killer aura. Though they stood still, they possessed the might of an army.
These three forces were locked in a standoff, wary of each other, yet not engaging, clearly having a shared objective in this location.
These individuals were, as expected, extraordinary. They were the most elite members of the Rêverie Pavilion, the Heavenly Fiend, and the Ironclad Alliance. Each one, individually, held a minor reputation in the ranger world. They were ruthless, exceptionally skilled in combat, and responsible for countless deaths.
Every faction possessed its own trump card.
Just like the Sea Eel Elite Soldiers and Stonefire Elite Soldiers of Shu Family Island. In comparison, the Copper Bell Elite Soldiers, relying solely on numerical superiority, didn’t even measure up.
These three forces were the ace combat units of their respective major factions. Accumulated over generations, meticulously honed and refined, they represented the core strength of these organizations. They were rarely deployed, their mere presence serving as a deterrent.
When mobilized, they invariably caused widespread chaos and destruction, plunging the land into misery and bloodshed, shaking the entire ranger world to its core.
Yet, here they were, not only mobilized, but three such core forces were present at once!
Each force had three captains, commanding over thirty individuals. Every captain—possessed Spirit Monster combat power. Their true leaders were the sect masters and leaders of their respective factions.
This kind of power could only be commanded by the faction leaders. Who would dare entrust it to anyone else?
“My son is dead, and he died here. Rouge Gate and Little Tyrant, you have remarkable courage. To dare to lay hands on my Heavenly Fiend members!” The Heavenly Fiend sect master stared at the battlefield before him, imagining the scene of his illegitimate son’s slaughter. His eyes turned bloodshot, the muscles in his face twitching violently—clearly he was enraged to the extreme.
“Rouge Gate, this mere third-rate sect, a guild composed of women! To have obtained the Ten Thousand Beasts King’s secret treasure and yet refuse to submit to our Ironclad Alliance! They are truly oblivious to death. Do they think hiding in the Endless Forest will save them? Now, the entire outer region of the Endless Forest is swarming with my informants. The moment they step out, they will face hellish torment!” The Ironclad Alliance leader’s eyes flashed with cold light, his tone exceptionally chilling.
“In addition, their sect’s base has also been surrounded by us, Rêverie Pavilion—we’ve surrounded them but not attacked, precisely to lure out their leader. And Little Tyrant, Chu Yun, we, Rêverie Pavilion, will absolutely not let him go!” With the death of Rêverie Pavilion’s successor, the Rêverie Pavilion leader’s expression was naturally anything but pleasant. He gritted his teeth, wishing he could tear Chu Yun apart and drink his blood.
“If we want to kill Little Tyrant, we must seize this opportune moment. Once he returns to the Archipelago, he will be difficult to kill,” suggested a captain behind the Rêverie Pavilion leader. “Within the Archipelago, the Destiny Demonic Treasures of the ancient Five Virtue King remain, protected by an unending flow of luck. That place is too peculiar; outsiders who go there will find themselves unlucky even when drinking water, and constipated when defecating. Historically, not every Island Country that attacked has succeeded. Each time, it ended mysteriously and without resolution. Either their fleet was capsized by waves, or they encountered a once-in-a-century thick fog and lost their way…”
“Mao Jinglei, you truly are a Mengyan Abacus Master. Though luck is intangible and elusive, it is indeed paramount. Every King level expert in history shares one common trait: the possession of Destiny Demonic Treasures.” The Heavenly Fiend sect master nodded upon seeing this captain. Abacus Masters were always in high demand, no matter where they were. He had tried to recruit Mao Jinglei before, but unfortunately, Rêverie Pavilion had gotten to him first. “I’ve heard that Rouge Gate also has an Abacus Master. Hmph, this time I will definitely snatch her away,” the Heavenly Fiend sect master silently vowed to himself.
“In the era of the ancient Five Virtue King, the Archipelago was the center of Xingzhou. However, after so many years of internal strife, apart from the remaining five Destiny Demonic Treasures, the Five Virtue King’s foundations have been depleted. Within the Archipelago, Spirit Monster combat power is already considered a rare and valuable general. Shu Family Island’s prominence can be attributed to seizing the opportune moment,” Mao Jinglei nodded.
“Shu Family Island is merely a force on par with us. However, if the Archipelago were unified, it would be a monumental achievement, an unimaginable accomplishment. With all five Destiny Demonic Treasures gathered, no, coupled with the Sea Dragon King’s six Destiny Demonic Treasures, their fortune would be immense and their luck unending. This is truly terrifying. Therefore, we must eliminate Little Tyrant here,” the Ironclad Alliance leader stated decisively.
“The Ironclad Alliance leader’s words are certainly reasonable. If Shu Family Island relied on brute force and sought dominance, they would not be a concern. But now they have been recuperating, and their actions, both advancing and retreating, possess the demeanor of a King. Many surrounding Island Country forces are greatly concerned. Once the Archipelago is unified, it has a high probability of regaining its ancient glory,” the Rêverie Pavilion leader expressed with worry.
In fact, the presence of these three great figures of the ranger world, personally leading their troops, was not solely due to hatred or the Ten Thousand Beasts King’s secret treasure. Their motives were driven more by the intentions of the powers behind them. The Ironclad Alliance was the representative of Iron Rock Country. Rêverie Pavilion was the representative of Yuan Meng Country in the ranger world. Similarly, the Heavenly Fiend had the backing of powerful forces from Island Countries. Although the sea was vast and boundless, Xingzhou already had fifteen Island Countries. Competition among these Island Countries was fierce, and none wished to see a sixteenth, comparable entity rise and grow.
“Agreed! Although our three factions have minor disputes on a daily basis, for this matter, we might as well cooperate. What do you say?” The three sect masters were all figures on the Talented Person Ranking. Their combat power even surpassed Chu Yun’s current level, considering their age and years of accumulated experience. Moreover, Chu Yun had not yet fully assimilated the Ten Thousand Beasts King’s legacy.
The three sect masters exchanged glances. Their previous words had been mere probing, but now someone had finally voiced their shared thoughts. They all nodded and agreed.
“Good! Let’s form a temporary alliance. Listen up, everyone! This time, we must annihilate Rouge Gate and kill Little Tyrant, Chu Yun!” The three sect masters reached an agreement, and the Heavenly Fiend sect master roared, announcing it to all.
“Annihilate Rouge Gate, kill Little Tyrant!!!” Immediately, the members of the factions raised their arms and shouted in response to their sect masters.
Their unified shouts—so loud they immediately drew the attention of eight Tribulation Demons.
“Hmm? Did you hear that? Someone actually dares to scheme against the boss!” Cloudwing Tiger, possessing the keenest hearing, heard the shouts, and his expression immediately turned grim.
“We’ve waited for hundreds of thousands of years, and finally found a new master. They actually want to kill him!”
“I’ll kill them!”
“Let’s go kill them all!”
The Tribulation Demons’ expressions soured, their anger surged, and in an instant, their demonic energy erupted skyward, rolling like a tide, crashing toward the three forces below like a tidal wave.
“The aura of Tribulation Demons!” The moment they erupted in anger, the heavens and earth changed color. The three forces, being elites forged in the ranger world, immediately sensed the situation and let out shocked roars.
“Impossible! The outer regions of the Endless Forest have already been thoroughly explored. How can there be Tribulation Demons here!” The Heavenly Fiend sect master exclaimed in panic and disbelief.
“Regardless of the reason, retreat quickly! We’re no match for Tribulation Demons!”
The other two sect masters also turned ashen.
“Leave? Do you think you can?”
“You dare to make a move against Uncle Chu Yun, you’re all dead!”
“Ignorant ants, daring to plot against the boss, and also against the boss’s women…”
“Descend to the underworld and repent properly.”
Eight Tribulation Demons descended from the sky, completely surrounding the group.
“Eight… eight Tribulation Demons!”
“Chu Yun… Uncle?!”
The ranger elites, who had been so spirited moments before, were now utterly stunned. The faces of the three sect masters turned deathly pale, their bodies trembling violently. A single thought filled their minds—Disaster… This is a disaster! We’ve kicked an iron plate this time!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The next moment, violent explosions rocked the heavens and earth, shaking mountains and causing the land to tremble. Daylight vanished, and the ground quaked…
“What’s going on with you all? Why are you all so disheveled? Who could have subdued you?” Half a day later, the Tribulation Demons returned to Riot Mountain. Chu Yun, seeing their battered appearances, asked in surprise.
“Uncle, we just went out not long ago and encountered a group of people…” Riot Ape King recounted everything.
“Hiss…” Hearing his description, Chu Yun couldn’t help but let out a sharp intake of breath. The Heavenly Fiend, Ironclad Alliance, and Rêverie Pavilion were all first-rate powers, each no weaker than Shu Family Island currently was. This time, not only had their sect masters personally appeared, but even their core armies had been dispatched. If he had encountered them directly, it would have been a certain death situation.
However, it was as if fate had sealed their doom. They had “happened” to run into eight Tribulation Demons out for a stroll. Even more unfortunate was that their own shouts had attracted the Tribulation Demons’ attention.
“But even so, it shouldn’t have made you this pathetic?” Chu Yun’s doubt only grew.
“Those people begged for mercy, so of course, we wouldn’t let them off. But just as we were about to make a move, a Demonic Tribulation appeared,” Riot Ape King said with a sigh, revealing the real reason.
Chu Yun suddenly understood. He should have thought of it earlier; only a heavenly tribulation could make these eight Tribulation Demons appear so disheveled.
“There’s no need for you to be dejected. Haven’t you already passed this heavenly tribulation?” Chu Yun patted Riot Ape King’s shoulder, offering comfort.
“Alas, Uncle, you don’t know. We rarely encountered heavenly tribulations on Freedom Mountain. But outside, we’ve faced several waves in a short period. When we returned, we discussed it and finally understood where the old master’s Zi Zai Mountain Immortal Pouch had gone,” Riot Ape King continued.
“Oh? What does this have to do with the Zi Zai Mountain Immortal Pouch?”
“Uncle, you don’t know. This Upper grade Immortal Pouch, because it comprehended the Little Zi Zai Formless Art, is known as Zi Zai Mountain. In the past, we followed the old master—and lived within this Immortal Pouch. It could largely conceal the sensing of Heaven and Earth, thus avoiding heavenly tribulations. After the old master died, this Immortal Pouch vanished completely. We thought it was stored in the bronze treasure chests, but we opened all eight treasure chests without finding it.”
Cloudwing Tiger chimed in, “Through today’s events, we’ve finally deduced it. The old master must have completely opened this Upper grade Immortal Pouch and merged it into this world, forming the domain of the Endless Forest. We live here, blessed by the Little Zi Zai Formless Art, and rarely encounter heavenly tribulations. Once we leave this domain, it’s no longer the same.”
So, this entire world was actually the Zi Zai Mountain Immortal Pouch!
