Chapter 28

1

A week later, the sky in The Demon Realm tore open, and stars fell like meteorites. In the hearts of the people of The Demon Realm, stars represented the spirits of their deceased ancestors. This was perhaps the most ominous sign.

Dream King Disco stood in his own territory with his eyes closed, recuperating. At a ceremony in The Human Realm's Othrie Empire, he witnessed Zi Liliu's Illusion Eyes. Even though she hadn't used any illusions, he couldn't help but notice a problem. The ability of the "Ice Extreme Illusion Eyes" far surpassed his as a demon king of his generation. How could a girl under twenty have such a talent? Setting aside the jealousy aroused by this extraordinary gift that transcended even the power of the Demon Dragon, a dangerously reckless idea began to form in his mind – to take away the Illusion Eyes.

While Dream King's consciousness had already traveled to The Human Realm, it was blocked by the protective formation diagram "Seven Stars." It wasn't just because of the diagram's functional strength or intricate design, but because the core of "Seven Stars" was a dragon scale. Trying to sneak past the diagram and enter Othrie was simply wishful thinking. Dream King had no intention of provoking Qin Yang. Pluto and Forest Lord were already the strongest among them, and he didn't dare to act recklessly. However, the desire for the Illusion Eyes still lingered in his heart; he needed an opportunity.

"The king, there is news from the Celestial Region." A demon servant delivered a scroll, which Dream King read before ordering the servant to destroy it.

"Always rushing me. Every time it's just some trivial matter to handle. This won't do. The only way to permanently resolve this is to create a major conflict. For example, Pluto's over a hundred successors. We need to find a way to sow discord among them. Other demon kings will surely be interested in taking advantage of that. When the time comes, we can negotiate conditions with that boy and have them break through the 'Seven Stars.' Killing two birds with one stone, a brilliant plan indeed."

Feeling someone behind him, Dream King quickly waved his hand. "Did you destroy the item, or do I smell like a monkey..."

The figure behind Dream King wasn't the demon servant who had just left but a monkey holding a long stick.

"Where did this wild monkey come from? Go away, I don't have any bananas."

The monkey suddenly produced a scroll, obviously the one that hadn't been destroyed earlier. Less than ten steps away lay the body of the demon servant, completely undetected. Dream King became alert.

"I... am not... a... monkey! I am the Monkey King!" The monkey stood on its hind legs, transforming into a two-meter-tall humanoid with eight-pack abs.

With well-trained muscles blocking his path, and the stick now a giant iron pillar stuck in the ground, this beastly monkey was none other than the "Monkey King," a loyal follower who had replaced the Great Roc in the Jingcheng Incident.

"A monkey that reads the Four Great Classical Novels? This Monster isn't from The Demon Realm!" Dream King had encountered all sorts of Monsters in The Demon Realm, but this shape-shifting monkey was unfamiliar and unfriendly. A strange glint passed through his eyes as the Monkey King's veins bulged at the sight of a long-lost image in his eyes – a mother monkey on her last breath, but it showed no fear of the impending blow.

"My deceased wife... must not be dishonored!"

Having previously used illusions, Dream King had not anticipated that this monkey would discern his tricks so quickly. It was highly likely that its young mind was not easily deceived.

"Dead monkey, I am one of the Ten Demon Kings. Trespassing into my domain and daring to challenge me? Are you some pet of another demon king!"

The ground suddenly split open, as the enraged Dream King, unaware of his danger, seemed surrounded by a vast army, completely ignorant of his peril.

"If you insist on calling this monkey a pet, then it can be considered Qin Yang's pet too!" The speaker enunciated clearly, holding an elongated version of a broadsword, clad in black armor bearing the insignia of the Balrog King inside a black cloak.

"The demon sword? Traitor Tony! To dare return to The Demon Realm!"

"You, who shamelessly call yourself a demon king, what's wrong with me returning to The Demon Realm?" Tony's expression resembled that of looking at a kindred spirit as he pointed at the scroll in the Monkey King's hand, evidence of Qin Yang intentionally causing trouble for The Divine Realm to further his own interests.

"You're spouting nonsense!"

"Betrayal, you're also caught with evidence in our hands. Do you still wish to argue? I'm just curious, what benefits can those petty beings from The Divine Realm offer you? Ah! Allowing you to become one of the Ten Demon Lords, isn't that right!"

The Dream King's face twitched for a moment, then he suddenly smiled. "It's nothing, you guessed it right and I'm not afraid to admit it. In the past, I detested the gods as soon as I saw them, but now I'm slowly starting not to hate them because, in reality, they are just like us, with hearts equally filthy. The only difference is the pretense of righteousness they put up, willing to do anything for their selfish desires!"

"That's true. Currently, the most cunning in the Three Realms are humans, the most deceitful are the gods, only we demons are the most straightforward. Whether it's to kill or to spare, we won't beat around the bush!"

"Enough, you're just beating around the bush now, what did you come here for!"

Tony raised his broadsword, his demonic power emanating throughout his body, balancing out the Dream King's aura. One cannot afford to lose the upper hand before killing.

"You've been sitting on the demon king's throne for too long, it's time for a change! The only dilemma now is whether it's me or that monkey."

The Dream King keenly felt being disregarded, like a commodity between two merchants fighting for it. Though there was a fire in him ready to erupt, he understood well that Tony and the Monkey King's power was no less than his own. He knew Tony's strength, but having not seen him for several days, Tony seemed even stronger than before. This was inevitable, as the Tony before him had crossed through time and been stranded under the sea for eighteen years. In his eyes, in just two months, Tony had gone from being inexperienced to being adept, while the Monkey King, with his young mind just opened, wouldn't have the power to defeat a demon king.

"His... head... is mine!" The Monkey King impatiently swung his staff, causing the ground to shatter instantly with astonishing destructive power. In the blink of an eye, he had closed in on the Dream King. The Dream King, who had been backtracking, was intercepted by Tony's onslaught. Suddenly, the elongated staff struck him in the chest unexpectedly. The Dream King thought his magical protection could withstand the blow, but upon closer inspection, he saw dragon inscriptions on the Monkey King's staff!

"Ugh!" The Dream King grunted softly as he felt a sharp blade in his back and a staff in his chest, a dire situation indeed.

"Dragon inscriptions? Qin Yang wants me dead!"

"Blame yourself, for entrusting the destruction of such an item to a servant. Are you really that foolish or just a true spy!" Tony removed his cloak, revealing his armor, and a dark shadow moved beneath the blood-red sky.

"So your condition is to bring my head back, and that would earn you the acknowledgment of the Demon Dragon to become the demon king! It's unimaginable that the Ten Demon Lords, unchanging for countless ages, are finally embracing change! But... I will not surrender. If Forst Lord dares to challenge the Demon Dragon, today, when I'm backed into a corner, I too can!"

The ground beneath the Dream King's feet collapsed once more, and an illusory giant hand reached out.

"Dreams as beautiful as they are, falter within them!" The Dream King, knowing he had no close combat abilities, realized that the fact the two others could approach him without a sound meant his useless subordinates were already unreliable. He could only summon the spirits of his ancestors, using the blood-red sky to turn his territory into the ultimate fantasy world.

The Monkey King and Tony launched a simultaneous attack, their weapons clashed but missed their target as the Dream King appeared before them, ethereal and elusive, displaying superb evasion skills.

"Fighting against the Dream King is truly frustrating, either dealing with illusions or hypnosis..."

Suddenly, Tony felt a sense of intrusion in his mind, causing a headache and confusion. But he knew he was in a dream illusion, and he needed to remain calm and composed. Having once been controlled by the Whale King, he was familiar with how to handle such situations.

The Monkey King, though the illusion before him seemed lifelike, felt nothing. He only knew that by becoming a demon king, he would have the power to control his destiny and break free from the fate of being a Monster! Step by step, he approached the swaying giant hand. Though it seemed harmless in this dream world, his keen eyes saw clearly that from this hand onwards, the entire territory would fall into illusion, with all creatures being controlled by the Dream King. Countless grunts emerged at this moment, and the Monkey King roared to the sky, unleashing a powerful force that swept through, reducing the grunts to mere bones.

No longer thinking, the Monkey King extended his staff infinitely, piercing through the giant hand and carrying the impaled Dream King on his left shoulder. Tony, freed from the illusion, swiftly took flight, striking down from the air. However, the Dream King fiercely resisted his attacks. The war waged by the demon king brought a dreadful magical impact, unfolding in mid-air and pushing upwards. This spectacle caught the attention of the other demon kings, but none of them intervened, as the Dream King was inconsequential to them. Placing his staff diagonally into the ground, the Monkey King ascended, using it as a launching pad towards the sky. Soon, he caught up with the two fighters battling in mid-air. Seizing the opportunity amidst the Dream King's attacks, he plunged his claws, first disarming the Dream King by severing its arms, and then Tony delivered a fatal blow, blinding the Dream King. In its final moment, the Dream King unleashed all its power, intending to perish alongside them. However, in the instant of its self-detonation, its head was severed simultaneously. The Monkey King and Tony frantically chased after the falling head, the explosive energy from the demon king's death pushing them mercilessly in different directions...

As Tony fell from the sky, he witnessed a monkey carrying the Dream King's head flying by. In the last moment, he did not attempt to take it from the monkey. It wasn't that he was not strong enough compared to the Monkey King; it was the fact that the Monkey King had foregone defending against the Dream King's final attack, meeting the devastating blow with his face, which led to their victory. Tony couldn't help but admire the monkey's courage!

"Are you okay?" At that moment, two girls in similar cloaks approached Tony—one was Han, and the other had become silent and reserved, Pia, wearing a chain with two dull and broken dragon cores around her neck.

"I'm fine. The monkey won this round. I will definitely win the next one. The new ten demon kings have been self-proclaimed for so long. Everyone wants to make it official, but none of them can compete with me now!"

Putting on his cloak, Tony recalled the conversation he had with Qin Yang a week ago in the mini-mart at The Chishin Academy. He had fought desperately against the Monkey King for all this to come true. However, failing to beat the Monkey King made him question if he truly had the unwavering faith necessary to accomplish this task!