9: Chapter 10 Ao Lie's True Nature

Ao Lie watched the Black Bear Spirit coldly until his life force completely dissipated.

Then, Ao Lie extended his right leg, kicking away the corpse in his hand, murmuring to himself.

"Black Bear Spirit? Black Great King? In the end, just a cold pile of bones. What right do you have to negotiate with me?"

"Right now, I can barely protect myself, and I should listen to you? Hmph! I respectfully decline!"

The Furry Monkey also jumped out from the corpse, shook his fur, and scratched his head, saying to Ao Lie.

"Junior Brother, this demon was truly a man of character. The way he treated his children reminds me of my past! Back then, I was also a king who occupied a mountain and lived happily!"

"I remember they all called me—Handsome Monkey King!"

Ao Lie heard it but didn't take it to heart.

He reached out his right hand, pointing at the Black Bear Spirit's corpse, murmuring.

"Arise!"

The voice echoed in the bedroom, but Ao Lie received no response to his summons.

Ao Lie frowned and spoke again.

"Arise!"

The corpse still didn't react.

Ao Lie squatted down and looked at the Black Bear Spirit's original corpse, a thick-furred black bear.

Then he stood up and shook his head.

"In that case, I will fulfill your final wish! I hope you don't refuse again. Originally, I didn't want to kill... them personally!"

Ao Lie's attitude was sincere. He waited for a moment and then spoke again.

"Arise!"

After standing there for a few seconds, a whirlwind suddenly surged before Ao Lie's eyes, and black particle effects erupted upward from the ground where the Black Bear Spirit's corpse lay.

Those black fire-like particles gradually formed a tall black bear warrior wearing armor.

The warrior knelt on the ground, bowing sincerely with gratitude. Though he couldn't speak, his loyalty was palpable.

Ao Lie nodded, feeling very happy.

Because just after obtaining the shadow Black Bear Spirit, Ao Lie found that his cultivation had increased significantly.

"From the Earth Immortal Late Stage to the Earth Immortal Peak!"

Feeling the surging power within his body, Ao Lie couldn't help but roar.

The cultivation limit for a Common Grade shadow is the Heavenly Immortal Realm.

The cultivation limit for a Knight Grade shadow is the Profound Immortal Realm.

The cultivation limit for an Elite Grade shadow is the Golden Immortal Realm.

The cultivation limit for an Elite Knight Grade shadow is the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm.

The cultivation limit for a Commander-rank shadow is the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Realm.

The cultivation limit for a General Grade shadow is the Hunyuan Golden Immortal Realm (Quasi-Saint).

The cultivation limit for a Legion Commander Grade is the Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal (Saint).

In other words, when the Shadow Legion develops to the Late Stage, the lowest will be at the Heavenly Immortal Realm, comparable to Heavenly Soldiers!

How Heaven-Defying, what a bug!

So far, Ao Lie has three Knight Grade shadows and one General Grade shadow.

They are the Knight Grade: Rhino Demon, White Snake Spirit, and Azure Wolf Spirit.

And the General Grade: Black Bear Spirit.

Because of Ao Lie's promotion, the three Earth Immortal Realm Knight Grade shadows all rose by a minor stage.

The Rhino Demon rose from Earth Immortal Late Stage to Earth Immortal Peak.

The White Snake and Azure Wolf rose to Earth Immortal Late Stage.

The Black Bear Spirit's increase was the strongest, going from Taiyi Golden Immortal Middle Stage straight to the Late Stage, nearly reaching the Grand Unity Realm!

Perhaps previously, when the Black Bear Spirit fought the Monkey King, he had to retreat to his cave after only a few rounds.

But now, the Black Bear Spirit can fight the Monkey King without being at a disadvantage!

Ao Lie marveled in his heart at how terrifying the Shadow Legion's combat power was; it simply transcended the world of Journey to the West itself!

...

Facing the Black Bear Spirit before him, Ao Lie felt a strange sensation. He felt that always calling his subordinates by their former titles was too distant.

Therefore, after some thought, Ao Lie decided to name his shadows in the future to make them easier to summon and remember.

"Black Bear Spirit, from now on you shall be called Xiao Hei! This name sounds better!"

The Black Bear Spirit nodded after hearing this and knelt again.

...

Ao Lie dismissed Xiao Hei, turned to look at the Furry Monkey, and said in a deep voice.

"Senior Brother, do you think I should wipe out those little demons or not?"

Hearing this, the Monkey King pondered for a moment and then said nonchalantly.

"Those little demons aren't this Old Sun's children, why should I sympathize with them?"

The Monkey King picked at his earwax, held it up to his eyes to look at it, then blew it away, appearing very casual.

Ao Lie nodded, pushed open the bedroom door, summoned Xiao Hei, and then shouted.

"Little demons, come out! I've settled things with your king. I, Ao Lie, am going to give you a great Opportunity, a supreme Opportunity where each of you can slay gods, pluck stars, and destroy Buddhas!"

Although his voice was extremely gentle, his face was cold, and his eyes were dark and gloomy.

Hearing these words, the demons all walked out of the cave rooms in a daze and came to the hall, looking at the three people on the throne.

A black shadow that looked very much like their king, with a cold and wooden face.

A grinning Furry Monkey as tall as one's waist.

A dragon-man with a gloomy face but a smile.

After the demons gathered, the hall suddenly became noisy.

The leading Leopard Spirit first looked at the two outsiders, then came before Xiao Hei and bowed with his hands clasped.

"Great King, why have you called us up so suddenly? Please tell us, Great King!"

Xiao Hei didn't speak, but Ao Lie intercepted and said.

"Your king will give you a surprise later, but before that, I want to ask you a very serious question concerning your future!"

Ao Lie's expression was serious and cold, like a criminal looking at a hostage.

This made the Leopard Spirit feel a sense of discomfort and crisis...

"I wonder what question Lord Yulong has for us? We will certainly answer truthfully."

It must be said that Ao Lie's attitude truly intimidated the demons before him. After all, their king hadn't said anything, so they naturally kept their thoughts to themselves.

"What I want to ask is very simple. Everyone, do you want to leave this place, return to the forests and wilds, and no longer concern yourselves with the affairs of the Monster Realm?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the demons were instantly infuriated. They were living peacefully under their king's banner, and now they were being told to leave.

How could they tolerate this!?"

"No! Great King, we will not leave you!"

"That's right, we will live and die with the Great King!"

"The Great King's kindness to us is as heavy as a mountain. How could we leave him!"

"Outsiders, get out of Heifeng Cave quickly!"

"Yes, you two bastards trying to sow discord, get out!"

The demons all grew rowdy, and there were many insults mixed in, aimed at confusing the listeners, thinking Ao Lie and the Furry Monkey couldn't hear them.

The Monkey King was enraged. He pulled out the magic staff and was about to jump off the platform to crush the pests, but Ao Lie stopped him.

"Xiao Hei, please don't blame me in your spirit! Although because of the shadow, you can no longer enter Reincarnation..."

After Ao Lie finished his thought, he snapped his fingers and ordered.

"Xiao Hei, it's up to you. I, Ao Lie, have always kept my promises. I said I wouldn't do it myself, so I won't."

But then, he laughed, even squeezing out a few tears.

"But I never said I wouldn't let someone else do it!"

"Thinking about it, in the end, having you do it yourself is more exciting, hahahaha!"

Xiao Hei obeyed the order, nodded, and then moved.

He first grabbed the Leopard Spirit's head with one hand and applied a little force. The next moment, roses bloomed everywhere, scattering over the demons' faces.

Then he charged into the crowd of demons and began a slaughter!

The demons were stunned by the blood mist; they couldn't believe their king would listen to an outsider and kill them.

"Great King, don't!"

"Great King, have mercy, Great King!"

"Great King, what are you doing!"

The demons shouted, but usually, those who shouted the loudest weren't far from death. In the next moment after shouting, they were crushed by Xiao Hei, who was nearly at the Grand Unity Realm.

Ao Lie sat leisurely on the throne, legs crossed, humming a song.

Beside him, the Furry Monkey asked why Xiao Hei's cultivation was already the same as his own.

Ao Lie didn't know how to explain this, so he just made something up.

"Maybe he mutated!"

...

After about half a minute, the hall became completely quiet. Aside from the breathing of the three, there was no other sound.

"Finished killing?"

Ao Lie spoke.

Xiao Hei nodded and then retreated behind Ao Lie. In front of him were the Monkey King and his master, Ao Lie.

Ao Lie slowly stood up and raised his right hand, pointing at the hall filled with demon corpses, murmuring.

"Arise!"

Subsequently, nearly two hundred shadows emerged in sequence in the hall, all kneeling on the ground. After bowing to Ao Lie, they bowed to Xiao Hei.

Quantity eventually leads to quality. With so many subordinates joining, Ao Lie's cultivation surged again.

Climbing from Earth Immortal Peak...

That feeling continued to grow after reaching the Heavenly Immortal Early Stage, only stopping when it reached the Heavenly Immortal Middle Stage.

"Heavenly Immortal Middle Stage! I am now also equivalent to a Heavenly Soldier of the Heavenly Court!"

"Which Heavenly Soldier of the Heavenly Court wasn't a Genius of the Mortal Realm in their past life! They Cultivate for thousands of years to achieve Ascension to the Heavenly Court. Although their status is low, their lifespan is long!"

Furthermore, because one day in heaven is a year in the Lower Realm, Mortals in the Mortal Realm believe that the immortals in heaven live as long as heaven and earth!

From this point on, Ao Lie could be considered to have entered the ranks of minor experts.

His subordinates' cultivation also increased due to Ao Lie's promotion.

The Rhino Demon also reached the Heavenly Immortal Middle Stage.

The White Snake and Azure Wolf synchronized their growth to the Heavenly Immortal Middle Stage.

The other two hundred or so Common Grade shadows, because they grew along with Ao Lie, all broke through the Pseudo Immortal Realm and reached the limit of Common Grade shadows, the Heavenly Immortal Realm!

The strength of the shadows and the Shadow Monarch grows in sync. For example, if a shadow's potential is Commander-rank, they can Cultivate to the Grand Unity Realm in the future.

But in life, they might have only been at the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm. At this time, because Ao Lie's Realm is Grand Unity, they would directly promote to a Grand Unity Golden Immortal!

...

Ao Lie's current strength could be called a small step forward; he already had the capital to occupy a mountain and be king.

All of this left the Monkey King dumbfounded.

"My Junior Brother has the potential of a Great Sage!"