The Black Elephant manifested its dharma image—an enormous black elephant. Its trunk exuded immortal energy, capable of entwining a star and shaking the very foundations of the Heavenly Court.

Its eyes were the Vajra Divine Eyes, able to discern all flaws, and beneath its feet burned the Swallowing Heaven Demon Fire.

The entire dharma body radiated an overwhelming destructive force.

"Who dares rival my magic?"

Song Lin's eyes suddenly snapped open.

The Black Elephant's heart trembled, but it quickly reassured itself, remembering it had succeeded in closing the distance and that its Demonic Qi had already coiled around the dharma body of the Eastern King.

Once Demonic Qi made contact, the two would be inseparable; even if this guy's spells could reach the heavens, he couldn't possibly kill himself, right?

Swish!

Song Lin's entire body became shrouded in black smoke.

The Black Elephant, its dharma body formed from black Qi, lunged directly toward the Eastern King's dharma body, entwining it tightly.

In the instant it leapt forward, the Black Elephant's hairs stood on end. A shiver coursed through its entire being as it trembled, paralyzed and unable to move.

It felt as if it had encountered an even more superior demon.

Demons, too, adhered to hierarchies, with their power suppression no less rigid than that of the Demon Clan.

Perhaps they originated from different realms, but when faced with a more powerful demon, submission was their only option.

The universal demon hierarchy typically included Demon Princes, Demon Kings, Demon Marquises, and Dukes.

The Demon Prince reigned supreme over all demons. Below them were the Demon Kings, who dominated their territories, while vassals safeguarded the Eight Directions.

These ranks did not align perfectly with human cultivation levels; some demons derived strength from peculiar abilities, while others relied on their profound Taoist Realms.

But this human was clearly neither a Great Demon nor an incarnation of a Great Demon King.

So why was he giving off this oppressive aura?

The Black Elephant glanced casually at Song Lin—and was immediately struck with shock when their gazes locked.

It hadn't noticed until now: Song Lin had transformed somehow, imperceptibly.

His hair was jet black, his robe equally so. His abyss-like eyes radiated an unfathomable energy. He stood atop a Black Lotus, with the Demon Realm's Bodhi Tree looming behind him.

The demonic nature emanating from Song Lin was not only heavier but purer than its own.

"If you stand at nine feet, then am I nine hundred?"

"Y-you… what are you?" The Black Elephant was a mixture of shock and fury.

Not only had it failed to kill him, but the Demonic Qi it had exuded was being assimilated into this man's aura. This sensation was akin to facing a true Great Demon King.

Swish!

Song Lin wasted no words. Summoning the Bodhi Tree, he enclosed the Black Elephant within a world of his own creation.

The Black Elephant, still unsure of what was happening, suddenly found itself transported to the Demon Realm—where a Black Dragon and legions of demonic entities awaited.

The demons, who had once been Heavenly Humans or monks before becoming corrupted, now possessed grotesque manifestations. Having endured the corruption of the Demon Realm, they were now far more formidable than when they had first succumbed.

Over years of torment in the Demon Realm, these entities' hostility had deepened. Upon seeing a newly arrived demon, they reacted as though encountering a sworn enemy, swarming it immediately.

In the outside world, Song Lin reverted to his original form.

Though the Eastern King's dharma image was certainly capable of killing, leaving the Black Elephant alive had strategic value; otherwise, it would have already been destroyed.

Before long, the Black Elephant resurfaced—this time, much tamer—and accompanying it was the Black Dragon Bodhisattva.

"I pay respects to the Wutian Buddha Ancestor," said the Black Elephant.

Its heart was filled with alarm at the sheer grandeur of the name. Boundless and lawless—was this not the zenith of what all demons aspired to achieve?

Regardless, the Black Elephant now found itself a member of the Wutian Demon Realm.

"Tell me about the Free Demons," Song Lin commanded.

"We operate independently, so I only know bits and pieces; the information may not be comprehensive."

"That's fine. Speak freely."

"This time, one Demon King and three Marquises have arrived. The Demon King commands an army of 300,000 Heavenly Demons, while each Marquis leads 60,000."

A total of 360,000 Free Demons had entered this realm.

The Demon King's name was Duanpo. His ability allowed him to control people's bodies, manipulating them to kill themselves or attack on his behalf. This was an immensely powerful skill.

Duanpo's army specialized in parasitism and manipulation.

Of the 60,000 demons under the Black Elephant's command, the majority had already found hosts.

"Specifically, 30,000 have possessed members of the Human Clan, 10,000 the Demon Clan, and 1,700 cultivators. The remainder are scattered, awaiting suitable hosts."

Some Heavenly Demons lacked the ability to switch hosts freely; once they left one body, they would perish.

When targeting powerful beings, it often took dozens or even hundreds of Heavenly Demons working together to seize control of a single host.

Of course, a Heavenly Demon couldn't just spoil anyone's Taoist Realm at will.

At least one of two conditions had to be met: either the demon's Magic Power vastly outmatched the target's, or the target had a fatal flaw—whether in their physical body or cultivation technique.

"Can you command your troops at will?"

"Certainly. I could even order them to die upon command."

"Good. From now on, your 60,000 soldiers will fall under the Wutian Demon Realm's control. If all 60,000 were to leave their hosts, how many would die?"

"At least 20,000 demons would perish. Additionally, the possessed hosts would suffer irreversible damage."

The Black Dragon Bodhisattva suddenly interjected, "This humble monk has a method to extract them without harming anyone."

"Excellent. I'll leave it to you. Afterward, I'll need you both to identify which individuals in the Heavenly Court are Heavenly Demons, their strongholds, and track their movements. Report everything to me. Black Elephant, you need not linger here any longer; depart for now."

"Me?" The Black Elephant's eyes darted cunningly.

Leaving now might mean a chance to escape, wouldn't it?

"What are you scheming?"

Song Lin extended a finger, pressing it against the Black Elephant's forehead. A Black Lotus began to bloom in the center of its brow, imprinting itself within the depths of its spiritual consciousness.

With the Black Lotus brand in place, the Black Elephant's life and death were now within Song Lin's control.

To ensure the creature's submission, Song Lin willed the Black Lotus into a slight ripple. The Black Elephant collapsed, writhing in agony, enduring a torment more harrowing than the worst tortures of Hell—boiling in oil, freezing in ice, being scraped to the bone by endless blades—all on repeat for what felt like ten thousand years.

"Buddha, spare me! I beg the Buddha to show mercy and retract his Divine Skill!"

The Black Elephant finally yielded, and Song Lin withdrew his power.

Before long, the Black Elephant and the Black Dragon set off to complete their mission.

The pair worked together to uncover Heavenly Demons, assimilating them into the Wutian Demon Realm.

The abilities of the Free Demons were truly terrifying.

As the most troublesome of Outer Heaven Demons, they fomented civil strife, undermined cultivation, and moved elusively.

Many sects didn't fear direct confrontations but were annihilated by these insidious methods.

Though Song Lin himself was unfazed, the vast dominion of the Heavenly Court made it impossible to monitor everything.

With the help of the "spy" Black Elephant, numerous traitors within the Heavenly Court were rooted out, and many new operatives were planted within the ranks of the Heavenly Demons.

The number of Heavenly Court infiltrators remained relatively low. Even if one appeared, they were often lower-level cultivators. Higher-level cultivators, who mastered the Taiyi Jinhua Scripture, were far harder to possess—unless a Great Demon made the attempt personally.

In the Palace of the Polestar, the dharma images of countless immortals departed for battle. Song Lin examined a map—the Cosmic Map—marked with the positions of armies.

The Twelve Yuan Chen, his mount Moyu Qilin, and True Monarchs from various divisions were all deployed.

The overall situation was advancing steadily, with demons and ghosts firmly under control.

Yet Song Lin knew the true challenge had yet to reveal itself. The most formidable enemies had not yet made their move.

In contrast, the Heavenly Court had only him.

Still, the Heavenly Court held many cards yet to be played.

"Is the Nine Tripods Breath Soil Array ready?"

Song Lin sent a message to the Divine Turtle.

"Almost," came the reply.

"Good. Activate the array in ten days and enter the Middle Thousand World."

Afterwards, according to the secret technique left within the world of this story, he would summon the Heavenly Court's forces for one decisive move to turn the tides.

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