Chapter 307: Avatar of the Great Realm

[In all fairness, the terms offered by the will of the Demon Abyss Realm were exceptionally good.]

[Even you felt a momentary temptation.]

[You did not understand what it meant to hold the highest status in the Demon Abyss Realm.]

[But you knew exactly what it meant to become the Demon Abyss Realm's eleventh "creation demon lord."]

[What was a "creation demon lord"?]

[During your sixth and seventh simulations, you went back and forth with the Purgatory Demon Sovereign, inquiring about many historical events of the Demon Abyss Realm. Among them was the legend of the Ten Creation Demon Lords.]

[Legend had it that in the distant past of the Demon Abyss Realm, ten existences who looked down upon heaven and earth were born. They were called demon lords.]

[It was precisely because these ten demon lords established the numerous cultivation methods of the Demon Abyss Realm that it reached its current glorious peak.]

[Thus, these ten demon lords were also known as the "Ten Creation Demon Lords."]

[According to your speculation, every demon lord was an existence at the Dao Integration level. This was also the absolute limit of experts that the Demon Abyss Realm could produce.]

[If joining the Demon Abyss Realm could allow your Sword Lord incarnation to step into the Dao Integration Stage... even if it required paying a price, as long as that price wasn't unbearable, you were still willing to consider it.]

[This was also why you immediately used your talent, "Foreseeing Good and Bad Fortune," to appraise this Heart of the Demon Abyss.]

[Not far away, the Demon Moon Clan demoness watched with keen expectation as you observed the pure black crystal.]

[Although she could not understand why the great will of the Demon Abyss Realm would treat a creature from an ordinary major realm this way, no living being could refuse the temptation of becoming the ruler of the Demon Abyss Realm.]

[What an incredible honor this was. Countless demon monarchs yearned for it.]

[Buzz.]

[You stared intently at the pure black crystal.]

[A massive surge of information flooded into your mind.]

[Heart of the Demon Abyss: Condensed from the purest origin power of the Demon Abyss Realm. Once refined, you will be reduced to an avatar of the Demon Abyss Realm's will, losing your sense of self to walk the great realm in its place.]

[Evaluation: Possesses immense hidden dangers.]

[Sensing the information welling up in your mind, you sighed inwardly.]

[You had long known nothing was ever this easy. If you wanted to ascend the heavens in a single step, you had to be prepared for eternal damnation.]

[But when you actually saw the "appraisal" result for the Heart of the Demon Abyss, you still felt a trace of regret.]

['Lose my sense of self? Be reduced to an avatar of the Demon Abyss Realm's will?']

[You shook your head slightly. On this point alone, it was absolutely impossible for you to choose to refine it.]

[Once refined, even if you truly managed to become a demon lord existence in the end, when you inherited it back to reality, would you still be restricted by the influence of the Demon Abyss Realm? Theoretically, the inheritance process would discard all hidden dangers; whether it was a clone or a Second Primordial Spirit, they would be completely loyal to you after being inherited.]

[But who knew if this negative effect of losing one's sense of self would impact your true body in reality?]

[Furthermore, according to your speculation, the highest probability after refining this Heart of the Demon Abyss was that you would die completely, immediately ending the simulation.]

[Losing one's sense of self was generally equivalent to dying.]

[Not to mention, the Sword Lord incarnation would impact future generations. Your every action would affect the timeline a hundred thousand years later. Even if you genuinely planned to join the Demon Abyss Realm, you would definitely prioritize ensuring the survival of the Human Realm.]

[You shifted your gaze away from the pure black crystal and looked once again at the Demon Moon Clan demoness nearby.]

[Even though you knew the will of the Demon Abyss Realm harbored ill intentions, you did not choose to immediately drop all pretenses. Doing so would bring no benefits and might instead provoke the will of the Demon Abyss Realm into making even more uncontrollable moves.]

[Through your experiences in these past few simulations, you had already realized that the will of the Demon Abyss Realm was not as rigid as the will of the Human Realm; it possessed a certain capacity for thought.]

["How about it?" the Demon Moon Clan demoness asked immediately.]

[You looked at her and pondered for a moment before asking, "I wonder what a dao creator is? Does it benefit the Demon Abyss will? Also, once I refine this Heart of the Demon Abyss, what will be the fate of the Human Realm?"]

[You voiced your doubts; there was no harm in asking.]

[You had some speculations about dao creators, but they were merely speculations and had not been confirmed.]

[The Demon Moon Clan demoness froze for a moment; she didn't know what a dao creator was either.]

[But the next moment, an obscure and inexplicable aura awakened within her body. Her tone entirely flat, she said, "A so-called dao creator refers to a living being who has forged an entirely new Great Dao. Such beings are extraordinarily rare..."]

[After saying this, the demoness stared at you for a while longer. An unnatural smile surfaced on her face. "You are a dao creator."]

[You nodded slightly. "I see," you said, continuing with your questions. "What about the Ten Creation Demon Lords? Are they also dao creators?"]

[The Demon Moon Clan demoness fell silent for a moment before replying, "Not exactly."]

[As you observed the demoness, you vaguely sensed that she was different from before. Realizing that she might no longer be her original self at this moment, your heart suddenly chilled, but you continued to ask, "What benefit does a dao creator like me bring to the Demon Abyss will?"]

[The demoness's throat bobbed slightly before she said, "It can allow my Demon Abyss Realm to gain an additional Great Dao inheritance."]

[You looked at her without saying much more.]

["What is the Heart of Heaven and Earth?" you suddenly asked.]

[At the end of the seventh simulation, while you were possessing the Purgatory Demon Sovereign, you heard him conversing with the White-Haired Demon on several occasions, mentioning things like refining the Human Realm's Heart of Heaven and Earth.]

["The Heart of Heaven and Earth is the core of a major realm. Once refined, one can completely control that realm," the Demon Moon Clan demoness said.]

["How is it refined? And where is the Heart of Heaven and Earth located?" you immediately asked, your interest piqued.]

["The Heart of Heaven and Earth is formless and immaterial. Only when one's realm and strength completely surpass the upper limit of the major realm can they lock onto the Heart of Heaven and Earth and proceed to refine it." The Demon Moon Clan demoness looked at you. "In the major realm you are currently in, you would need at least the cultivation of the Void Return Stage to lock onto its Heart of Heaven and Earth."]

[Hearing this, you fell into deep thought.]

[Although the benefits obtained after refining the Heart of Heaven and Earth were immense—complete control over a major realm? What kind of power would that be? One had to know that even a Heavenly Monarch at Deity Transformation Perfection could only borrow a hundred-thousandth or a millionth of the vast realm's heavenly might.]

[A Venerable of the Void Return Stage? They could open up an inner heaven and earth, but the power of that inner world, no matter how one looked at it, was far weaker than a major realm.]

[For Void Return Venerables who had opened their inner heaven and earth, their greatest transformation was the ability to independently roam the boundless Void, not the ability to directly contend with a major realm.]

["It's basically impossible to achieve." You pondered for a moment and realized the difficulty of refining the Heart of Heaven and Earth.]

[A realm completely surpassing the great realm's upper limit? How could one surpass it? Taking the Human Realm as an example, this was something only the Void Return Stage could achieve.]

[And the Void Return Stage? The heavenly environment of the Human Realm simply could not give birth to a Void Return Venerable.]

["Dao creator, please give me your answer," the Demon Moon Clan demoness spoke again, staring intently at you.]

["I need some time to consider."]

[You still intended to replicate your actions from the previous simulations and drag things out as long as possible.]

["Then you only need to give me your answer before the realm is shattered, dao creator." After saying this, the demoness's figure suddenly dissipated.]

[Your brows furrowed slightly. The will of the Demon Abyss Realm was far more difficult to deal with than the Purgatory Demon Sovereign would be a hundred thousand years later. You had originally planned to ask it to temporarily halt its offensive against the Human Realm.]

[But from the looks of it now, the will of the Demon Abyss Realm had no intention whatsoever of restraining the twelve demon sovereigns.]

[Perhaps, to the will of the Demon Abyss Realm, as long as it invaded the Human Realm, you would be reduced to an avatar of its will whether you wanted to be or not, and the Sword Dao you had created would become nourishment for the Demon Abyss Realm.]

['It's not as if I gained nothing...']

[You gathered your thoughts, the contents of the recent conversation flashing through your mind.]

[At the very least, you knew the Demon Abyss Realm will's desire for you, as well as what the Heart of Heaven and Earth was all about.]

['Speaking of which, those twelve demon sovereigns have only just torn open the third spatial passage between the two realms... Why didn't they tear open more channels all at once?']

[You pondered inwardly. 'Is it because they can't? A spatial passage capable of bearing a Rank 5 demon monarch would still subject the demon sovereigns to the backlash of the Human Realm's interface even if they tore it open themselves. The twelve demon sovereigns simply have no way to tear open twelve spatial passages in a short period of time...']

[The exact times when the two spatial passages in the Western Desert and the Northern Plains were torn open flashed through your mind.]

[The first spatial passage, located in the Western Desert, was torn open two hundred and eighty years ago. The second spatial passage, located in the Northern Plains, was torn open over one hundred and fifty years ago. The third spatial passage was just torn open moments ago.]

[The times when these three spatial passages were torn open were all separated by roughly one hundred and thirty to one hundred and fifty years.]

[Moreover, Tier 5 Consummation demon monarchs had never appeared in the first two spatial passages; even Fifth Tier Late Stage demon monarchs were extremely rare. But the third spatial passage had Tier 5 Consummation demon monarchs joining the fray. Was it because the first two spatial passages had restrictions? Were Tier 5 Consummation demon monarchs not allowed to enter?]

[As your thoughts churned, you faintly arrived at a conclusion.]

[As time passed, spatial passages would be torn open one after another, and the demon monarchs able to descend upon the Human Realm would also become increasingly stronger.]

['The Heart of the Demon Abyss...']

[You looked at the pure black crystal in front of you, hesitated for a moment, and reached out to touch it.]

[You had the golden talent "Dead But Not Stiff," which allowed you to possess any living creature you had touched for a hundred years after your death.]

[Although you didn't know whether this Heart of the Demon Abyss counted as part of the Demon Abyss Realm's will, there was never any harm in trying.]

[What if it succeeded? If you could possess the will of the Demon Abyss Realm and experience the operation of the vast Demon Abyss Realm for a hundred years after your death, the help it would provide in opening up your own inner heaven and earth would be unprecedented.]

[Of course, this help referred to your true body in reality. As for the Sword Lord... with the Sword Lord's aptitude, even if he were to open an inner heaven and earth, he wouldn't necessarily have to experience the operation of the Demon Abyss Realm.]

['Time to continue cultivating.']

[You steadied your mind and entered a state of cultivation once again.]

[Regardless of what was happening on the Demon Abyss Realm's side, doing everything possible to elevate your own strength was the absolute right thing to do.]

[A month later, you took out the suppressed Myriad Demon Mountain.]

[This Myriad Demon Mountain was a low-grade Sixth Tier demonic treasure, and you had completely suppressed it.]

[Because you were worried that a demon sovereign might have left behind some fail-safe on it, you had refrained from refining it all this time.]

[And without refining it, you naturally could not deeply experience the profundities of this demonic treasure.]

[You stared at the Myriad Demon Mountain and activated the talent, "Foreseeing Good and Bad Fortune."]

[A wave of information welled up in your mind.]

[Myriad Demon Mountain: Low-grade Sixth Tier demonic treasure. Contains heavy demonic qi. Holds no hidden dangers for you.]

['No hidden dangers?' Your mind settled, and you immediately began to refine it.]

[A Sixth Tier demonic treasure belonged to the level of the Void Return Stage. Even with your terrifying Sword Intent, completely refining it posed a certain level of difficulty.]

[Your reason for intending to refine the Myriad Demon Mountain was that you had sensed a small inner heaven and earth within this demonic treasure.]

[As long as you refined this demonic treasure, you would be able to experience this small inner heaven and earth.]

[You were currently in the process of perfecting your Deity Transformation Late Stage Sword Dao and were quite interested in the various laws of heaven and earth's operations. It might give you inspiration and accelerate the time needed to perfect your Deity Transformation Late Stage Sword Dao.]

['It will take ten years at most to finish refining...' You reached a conclusion after briefly sensing it.]

[If it were any other Heavenly Monarch at the Deity Transformation Stage, even a late-stage Heavenly Monarch, it would be fundamentally impossible to refine a Sixth Tier demonic treasure without several decades or even centuries.]

[But with the augmentation of your Natural Enemy of Demonic Cultivators talent, the overbearing demonic qi within this demonic treasure was similarly countered by you. When you refined it, the efficiency far exceeded achieving twice the result with half the effort.]

['Time to continue cultivating.' You paid no more attention to the Myriad Demon Mountain. Refining the Myriad Demon Mountain did not affect your cultivation and comprehension of the Sword Dao; it was entirely something you could do in passing.]

[The vast Demon Abyss Realm.]

[The twelve demon sovereigns stood tall, continuously communicating with each other.]

["What should we do now? This realm's resistance against us is extremely strong. Even if we endure the backlash, we will be unable to tear open a fourth passage in a short period of time..."]

["The passage that Guixu tore open can accommodate Tier 5 Consummation demon monarchs, but it is currently blocked by that creature..."]

["It's not entirely without its benefits. At the very least, the passage Guixu tore open has restricted that creature; otherwise, the other two passages would be routed."]

[The demon sovereigns conversed among themselves. The Human Realm had only been locked onto by the Demon Abyss Realm for a few centuries, and its repulsive force of resistance was incredibly strong. Even for them, wanting to tear open passages that could accommodate the descent of demon monarchs required them to suffer backlash and wait a certain amount of time between attempts.]

[Of course, as time passed, the Human Realm and the Demon Abyss Realm would draw closer together, and the latter's influence over the former would deepen. Consequently, the upper limit of the spatial passages they could tear open would gradually increase, eventually reaching a point where as long as a demon sovereign was willing to pay the price, they could even partially descend into the Human Realm—that is, sticking a leg or an arm through.]

["In that case, there is no need for me to continue dispatching my subordinates," Demon Venerable Guixu stated. With you guarding that spatial passage, Demon Venerable Guixu truly had no interest in sending more of his demon monarchs to their deaths.]

[Hearing this, the other eleven demon monarchs did not object. They had just seen the projection displayed by Demon Venerable Guixu, and your strength was indeed not something an ordinary Tier 5 Consummation demon monarch could handle.]

["Guixu, you just need to stall that creature. The moment he leaves, immediately dispatch your demon monarchs to descend," a demon sovereign with the head of a bull and the body of a snake said, looking toward Demon Venerable Guixu.]