Peerless Demon Immortal

“Whoo~”

Exhaling a breath of stale air, the ape spirit awoke from the unity of self and the external world. But he was immediately greeted by a nauseating stench of blood, prompting him to quickly open his eyes.

What he saw was a scene of carnage-dozens of corpses lay scattered, their crimson blood staining the earth around them. The entrails of various demon beasts were strewn about, and the blood had already begun to darken. The ape spirit knew these beasts were long dead.

Shifting his gaze downward, he noticed a demon beast at his feet. His eyes narrowed sharply upon recognizing it-it was the giant snake he and the caterpillar had defeated five years ago, the one he had spared.

The giant snake lay there quietly, its body covered in horrific wounds. Some areas had large chunks of flesh torn away, exposing the white bones beneath. The blood from these wounds had already coagulated. The most severe injury was a massive gash running from head to tail. Yet, despite such grievous wounds, the giant snake was still alive, albeit barely.

The ape spirit surveyed the surrounding corpses and then looked at the gravely injured giant snake lying before him. It didn’t take long for him to piece together what had happened.

The demon beasts around him had undoubtedly intended to take advantage of his breakthrough. When a demon beast forms a demon core, it requires an immense amount of spiritual energy, turning its body into a reservoir of spiritual power. If an ordinary demon beast kills it at this vulnerable moment and consumes its body, the stored spiritual energy could transfer to the predator, potentially allowing it to break through and form its own demon core.

Both the ape spirit and the caterpillar were undergoing breakthroughs simultaneously, and the celestial phenomenon had drawn nearby demon beasts with spiritual wisdom, all hoping to seize the opportunity.

However, just as they were about to make their move, the giant snake intervened. On the brink of its own breakthrough, the giant snake was among the top-tier demon beasts. But driven by the immense allure and instinct, the other beasts attacked it, relying on their numerical advantage. The ensuing battle saw the giant snake unleash its full might, holding off the horde until the ape spirit awoke.

Understanding this, the ape spirit’s excitement from his breakthrough quickly dissipated. He hurriedly crouched down to heal the giant snake.

Having formed his demon core, the ape spirit’s mind was now filled with new knowledge, including advanced healing techniques. These techniques could only be performed using demonic power, offering far superior results compared to those using sun and moon essence, with effects that were immediate.

With his experience in using sun and moon essence, the ape spirit adeptly wielded his demonic power. Under his control, a fine thread of demonic power flowed from his hands into the giant snake’s body. Demonic power was a more advanced energy than sun and moon essence, and even a small amount was the most the giant snake could handle. Despite being at the peak of demon beast power and on the verge of forming a demon core, the difference between a demon beast and a demon was vast-a qualitative leap.

Under the influence of this pure demonic power, the giant snake’s feeble condition began to stabilize. While its wounds couldn’t heal immediately, stabilizing its injuries meant that, with its robust constitution, it would recover with some rest.

As for why the giant snake hadn’t died despite its severe injuries, the reason was simple. It had been close to the ape spirit during his breakthrough, benefiting from the abundant spiritual energy he was absorbing. This energy had sustained it, keeping it alive despite its lethal wounds.

Seeing the giant snake’s condition stabilize, the ape spirit breathed a sigh of relief. But this was quickly replaced by a surge of anger. He raised his head sharply, glaring at the demon beasts hiding in the trees. The thought of how he could have been devoured alive by them if not for the giant snake filled him with an unprecedented killing intent.

Though his body had shrunk during the breakthrough, now standing just over two meters tall, with softer muscles and a more elongated form resembling a human, this “petite” frame exuded the unique aura of the demon tribe-an aura of dominance that made the lurking behemoths tremble in fear, casting wary glances at the ape spirit.

As the ape spirit walked forward, each light step seemed to tread on the souls of the demon beasts, making them shiver uncontrollably. This was the power of a demon, the strength of a superior being. Yet, even as a formidable figure among demon beasts, he was merely a beginner on the path of cultivation.

Reaching the corpses of the demon beasts, he waved his hand in the air, as if an invisible force moved the bodies aside, clearing a clean space for him.

After this, a deep voice filled with anger emanated from his mouth.

The surrounding demon beasts hesitated upon hearing this roar, but eventually, they slowly emerged from the trees-twelve in total, three of which, like the giant snake, were at the peak, on the verge of becoming demons.

Facing these massive demon beasts, the ape spirit charged forward, delivering a flurry of punches and kicks. Despite his now smaller frame, the energy within him was formidable. Each punch elicited painful groans from the beasts, yet they dared not retaliate, allowing the ape spirit to vent his anger.

Each demon beast received at least thirty blows, some even coughing up blood. Yet, none were killed, as the ape spirit held back, remembering the old demon’s dying words about leading the demon tribe to a new paradise. This was why he hadn’t killed the caterpillar, the giant snake, or any of the other demon beasts that had once threatened him.

Having vented his anger, the ape spirit returned to his original spot, surveying the demon beasts with a low growl, signaling them to submit.

This idea had formed after witnessing the giant snake and the horde of demon beasts. Reflecting on past events, he realized the forest was far from peaceful. Surviving here alone would be challenging, even as a demon. The forest, known as the Demon Forest, was home to countless powerful demon tribes. To survive among these formidable beings, he needed strength and allies.

His first thought was of the caterpillar. Their five years together had forged a friendship, and teaching him the Defying Destiny Technique was a significant favor, making it likely he’d join him. Then there was the giant snake. Initially, the ape spirit had no special feelings towards it and hadn’t planned to encounter it again. But its willingness to protect him during his breakthrough showed it was grateful. Teaching it the Defying Destiny Technique could likely secure its allegiance. However, this wasn’t enough. The old demon had mentioned that every hundred years, cultivators would enter the Demon Forest to hunt, and only five years remained until the next hunt. To survive, he needed greater strength and a larger force.

The demon beasts before him presented an opportunity. If they all cultivated the Defying Destiny Technique and formed demon cores, his overall strength would increase significantly.

Of course, he knew that to ensure their loyalty, he had to maintain a significant power advantage, which in turn motivated him to cultivate diligently. To keep these beasts in line, he couldn’t slack off. If any beast surpassed him, he’d be dethroned-such was the law of the forest, simple yet brutal.

Hearing his growl, the demon beasts hesitated. As demon beasts, they possessed considerable intelligence and began weighing the pros and cons.

Seeing their indecision, the ape spirit growled again, this time releasing his full aura, pressing heavily on the beasts. The hesitant beasts suddenly felt an immense weight bearing down on them, and driven by instinctive fear, they chose submission.

A wild boar was the first to bend its front legs, lowering its head in submission. With a leader, the other beasts quickly followed suit. Only a tiger, clinging to its pride as the king of beasts, remained defiant, standing tall with unwavering eyes.

Without a word, the ape spirit approached and delivered another beating, shouting as he did so. Before long, the large tiger was beaten into submission, one eye swollen shut, and a tooth knocked out, looking utterly defeated.

Once the tiger too lay down, growling in submission, the ape spirit clapped his hands in satisfaction, standing with his hands behind his back, looking down as if to say, “See what happens when you don’t submit? I’ll beat you until you do.”

And so, the ape spirit’s first group of followers in the Demon Forest was formed. The wheels of fate began to turn, and these demon beasts were about to witness the dawn of a new chapter in their lives. In the near future, they would astonish the world.