These thirty-three demon generals of the mirror demon king, twenty-nine of them wore red cloaks and silver armour.
The remaining four wore black cloaks and golden armour.
The hierarchy was equally clear, so to be precise, there should be twenty-nine demon generals and four demon commanders.
And Lanling had discovered that in this tiny demon king empire, anyone with cultivation at Demon Martial Artist level or above could become a demon general.
But in the real world outside the mirror.
These thirty-three demon generals were similarly in ragged clothes. They did truly wear armour on their bodies, but it was all woven from branches. They also truly had cloaks, but they were woven from leaves.
Looking at them, it truly filled one with a sense of absurdity.
With a sharp shout, four Demon Martial Artist level barbarian people, holding wooden sticks, surrounded Lanling, using all their strength to fiercely strike at him from front, back, left, and right.
Lanling completely ignored the other three, his great sword only slashing at one of them.
“Swish…” Lanling’s great sword easily cut through the wooden stick in his hand, then like lightning gripped his neck.
Lunging forward, he bit down fiercely, madly drinking blood, sucking him dry in just two short minutes.
And at this time, the wooden sticks of the other three demon generals had already slashed onto Lanling’s back.
Lanling suddenly mobilised powerful force to resist.
A burst of intense pain came, but his ribs did not break.
Then, he suddenly turned and flashed, gripping one person’s neck.
It was actually a woman, and a near-human race one at that, rather beautiful.
In the illusion inside the mirror, she was voluptuous, but in the real world outside, she was frail.
After hesitating for a moment, Lanling opened his mouth, extended his fangs, and bit down fiercely on her neck, then violently drank blood.
This near-human race woman, at this moment her eyes showed panic. Before death, she seemed to have seen through this illusion. The world in her eyes flickered between real and illusory. Thus, she opened her eyes wide in astonishment, opened her mouth, desperately wanting to say something.
Lanling threw her aside.
Then, continued battling, continued drinking blood.
…
Lanling’s cultivation had made enormous progress.
Because killing a Demon Martial Artist level barbarian person had already become very easy for him.
But the barbarian people who charged up next had increasingly powerful martial arts.
Lanling killed the first wave of four Demon Martial Artists, then killed the second wave, the third wave, the fourth wave…
A full day and night later!
Lanling killed the sixth wave of Demon Martial Artist barbarian people.
The battle was no longer easy, increasingly painful.
Because the enemy’s martial arts grew higher and higher, the damage they dealt to Lanling also pierced to the bone.
Of course, because Lanling healed quickly, plus having unlimited bloodline power critical strikes, he could still win.
But the time required grew longer and longer, and the battle drew increasingly close to his limit.
Not only that, his thirst for fresh blood also grew increasingly intense.
When he defeated an opponent, he completely threw caution to the wind and lunged forward, madly drinking blood. And at this time, others madly hacked at his head with wooden sticks from elsewhere.
These people’s power was already enormous, so Lanling’s skull was cracked who knew how many times, bones fractured.
Golden bloodline continuously released energy, helping to restore his wounds.
Fortunately, the real weapons the enemies used were wooden sticks, not real swords and blades, otherwise Lanling would truly have been decapitated already.
But in any case, the battle with the sixth wave of demon generals should have already reached Lanling’s limit.
Because when killing the last enemy, Lanling’s vision had once gone black, almost losing consciousness.
This represented that the energy the golden bloodline could output had reached its limit, already unable to keep up with the damage the enemies inflicted.
Once the limit was breached, there was only one consequence: Lanling would directly faint.
And once he fainted, these barbarian people could easily cut off his head, and then he would truly be dead beyond doubt.
…
After killing the sixth wave of enemies, eight people remained in the end.
Four demon generals, four demon commanders!
These eight people were the strongest, especially the four golden-armoured demon commanders.
“Whoosh…” The seventh wave of demon generals stepped forward, surrounding Lanling like lightning.
Taking a deep breath, this time there was truly mortal danger!
Each wave of demon generals had martial arts at least one level higher. The last of the sixth wave of minor generals, Lanling had already felt that their power exceeded his by one level.
Then the four people before him now would only have even higher martial arts.
The four people from the sixth wave just now had already been Lanling’s limit.
Next, relying on pure martial power was no longer enough. He had to rely on spiritual power.
“Kill!”
With a great shout, one of the demon generals charged like lightning.
Faster than Lanling, stronger than Lanling.
Lanling condensed powerful spiritual power, gazed into his eyes, and suddenly released.
Spiritual power critical strike!
However…
His spiritual power had just left his eyes when it was as if striking a wall of copper and iron.
“Ah…” Lanling let out a sudden scream, incomparably painful.
This feeling was like suddenly kicking a wall with full force, toes fractured, a tearing pain.
“Daring to still use spiritual power critical strikes? Look at where you are! This is my plane, my empire!” the mirror demon king sneered.
Correct, this was the mirror demon king’s plane!
It was merely a ball of energy, a shadow, a mass of thoughts, so it had no real martial power. But it did possess powerful spiritual power.
Within its plane, Lanling using spiritual power was completely like throwing an egg against a stone.
Lanling painfully suppressed his brain domain that was almost tearing apart, his entire body instantly freezing.
And at this time, the four demon generals madly attacked Lanling.
“Crack crack crack…” Lanling’s skull, ribs fractured one after another, while golden bloodline madly surged with energy to repair.
Thus, an incomparably tragic scene appeared.
The bones throughout Lanling’s body continuously shattered, continuously restored.
This kind of terrible pain was completely beyond description in words.
But being able to feel pain was a good thing. It represented that Lanling’s brain domain and nerves were still full of vitality. And once the golden bloodline could no longer provide sufficient energy, then his nerves would begin to go numb, and then death would truly not be far.
“Bam bam bam bam…”
The four powerful demon generals, the dead wooden sticks in their hands madly striking Lanling’s body.
Blood flying everywhere, bones pulverised.
Correct, the sixth wave of enemies was already Lanling’s limit. This seventh wave of enemies, there was simply no way to defeat them.
And at this time Lanling entered a painful cycle. Golden bloodline energy desperately restored his pulverised bones, his torn body.
But just as it restored, it immediately fractured again, immediately tore again.
In other words, Lanling had completely lost the ability to counterattack, and could only passively take a beating.
If this situation continued, Lanling would certainly lose consciousness, and in this environment, once consciousness was lost, he would certainly be dismembered, certainly die.
After all, golden bloodline energy was not infinite.
Gradually, Lanling already felt his body growing numb, the pain growing smaller and smaller.
This was an extremely dangerous signal.
If he did not stop all this, Lanling would die here.
Instantly, Lanling roared loudly, “All of you wake up immediately! All of this is fake! This empire is fake, this palace is fake, the demon king you see is fake! Apart from being able to control your spirits, it is completely weak and feeble.”
“Still talking nonsense before death?” the mirror demon king sneered, “Seize his sword, cut off his tongue, let’s see how he talks nonsense.”
Instantly, one of the demon generals took away Lanling’s great sword, then pulled out his tongue and fiercely cut it off!
Boundless pain, blood spraying.
In the illusion world inside the mirror, Lanling’s tongue was cut off, blood spraying wildly.
And in the real world on the mountaintop, Lanling also had his tongue cut off alive, blood spraying wildly.
Lanling did not let the golden bloodline restore his tongue, but used his severed tongue to say, “Look, my tongue was cut off, but I can still speak? What does this represent? This represents I am completely using spirit to communicate with you. This represents you are in a spiritual illusion. Everything you see is fake!”
Whether in dreams or illusions, what is most feared?
Doubt, flaws!
Once doubt arises, it is as if a crack is torn open in this world, and the entire world will shake and sway.
And at this time, Lanling’s tongue had clearly been cut off, so why could he still speak, and his voice was completely identical to before?
Instantly, the four demon generals present, and the four demon commanders, all developed doubt.
At the same time, the illusion world inside the mirror suddenly shook violently, as if from a fierce earthquake.
The mirror demon king said fiercely, “You dare doubt this king? Have you forgotten your previous lives? You lost the protection of your tribes, wandered everywhere, hiding east and west, living a life of hunger one meal and fullness the next, never knowing if you would survive the day. And after you entered my empire, you enjoyed countless beauties, ate delicious food, possessed enormous power. Do you want to return to the past?”
The moment the mirror demon king spoke these words, the thoughts of several demon generals firmed up once more.
No matter what, they did not want to return to the past.
Golden bloodline quickly restored Lanling’s tongue. After hearing the mirror demon king’s words, he suddenly laughed heartily.
“However, all of this is fake! The beauties you enjoy are fake, the delicious food you eat is fake, even the silver armour and golden armour on your bodies are fake, all woven from wood. Your cloaks are woven from leaves. You don’t have swords in your hands at all, otherwise I would have been torn to pieces long ago. The swords in your hands are merely wooden sticks.” Lanling said loudly, “Otherwise, why would your demon king majesty have you seize my sword? Because wooden sticks cannot cut off a tongue.”
The moment these words were spoken, the palace inside the mirror shook and swayed once again.
The four demon generals and four demon commanders present all developed strong doubt.
And just at this time, a person crawled out from a pile of corpses.
A near-human race woman, but whether in the illusion inside the mirror or in the real world outside, she appeared pale and weak. She wore armour woven from branches, a cloak woven from leaves, completely out of place with this grand hall inside the mirror.
She was the near-human race woman Lanling had drunk blood from just now. Lanling had not sucked her dry, and she had come back to life.
Perhaps because she had died once, she had seen through this illusion. So the false silver armour on her body was gone, the mighty cloak was gone, leaving only ragged clothes.
“Big brother, correct, all of this is fake.” This near-human race woman said, “I thought I was very voluptuous and robust, but in reality I am already emaciated. I thought I wore mighty armour, but in reality it is only woven from branches. All of you are the same as me.”
“Boom boom boom…”
The palace illusion inside the mirror shook and swayed once again, like the most violent earthquake, on the verge of collapsing at any moment.
At this time, the four demon generals and four demon commanders were all already strongly questioning the truth of this world.
Moreover, the mighty armour on their bodies also continuously flickered, sometimes silver armour, sometimes armour woven from rotten branches. Their images, sometimes majestic and imposing, sometimes in complete disarray.
Once doubt arose towards this illusion world, it could never be made up for.
The mirror demon king said coldly, “What is real? What is fake? What you see is real, then that is real. When you sleep with women and it feels good, that is real. Everything you feel is real, then that is real.”
“On one side is a beautiful illusion, countless delicacies, countless beauties, wonderful power.” The mirror demon king continued, “And on the other side is cruel reality, insufficient food, never knowing if you will survive the day, in complete disarray, surviving by a thread. Which do you choose, the beautiful illusion? Or the cruel, ugly reality?”
The mirror demon king’s voice was filled with beguilement.
Instantly, the shaking and swaying world was once again stabilised.
Correct, as long as everything perceived was real, then why bother distinguishing true from false?
In the illusion, they had magnificent houses, countless beauties, endless fine wine and delicacies, clouds of servants, countless soldiers.
But in reality, they did not even have a single piece of clothing, not even a thatched hut.
Who would want such a reality?
Thus, even if it was an illusion, so what? As long as the perception was real, that was enough.
Most of the eight people present were convinced by the mirror demon king, intending to continue obediently staying in this illusion, becoming its slaves.
Lanling suddenly laughed loudly, “If you had never known the truth, then you could still enjoy it with a clear conscience. But you already know the truth. Can you still deceive yourselves? When you eat wild fruits, can you still deceive yourselves that this is venison? When you drink lake water, can you still deceive yourselves that this is fine wine? When you are clearly masturbating, or mutually masturbating, can you still convince yourselves that you are sleeping with a peerless beauty? When you did not know the truth, that was an incomparably real dream, beautiful and enjoyable. But after you know the truth, this is mere daydreaming, mere wishful thinking. It will only bring deeper emptiness and delusion!”
Lanling’s words cruelly pierced through the truth.
When in a dream, you marry the lover you long for day and night, when kissing, you only feel incomparable sweetness and bliss.
But the dream breaks, and you return to reality.
You try to continue what was unfinished in the dream, so in reality you begin fantasising about kissing your dream lover, even consummating the marriage.
At that time, there is only endless emptiness and loss, because you can no longer deceive yourself.
“Even so, I am not willing to return to the past.” Suddenly, one demon commander said, “Even if it is fake, I am willing to stay and enjoy it. At least everything I see is magnificently splendid. I absolutely will not return to the past.”
“I also will not return to the past, I also absolutely will not return to reality. It is too terrifying, too cruel.” Another demon commander said.
Then, the nine people present split into two camps.
Four people were unwilling to remain immersed in the false illusion. Five people were unwilling to return to the terrifying reality.
The mirror demon king beguiled, “They want to destroy your wonderful world. Go kill them, and you can continue enjoying this incomparably wonderful life.”
Instantly, the five people unwilling to return to reality suddenly drew their false swords, real wooden sticks.
Lanling said loudly, “Reality is not necessarily terrifying! We can create our own tribe, no longer wandering, no longer being hunted.”
“Create our own tribe?” One demon commander said, “This is even more daydreaming! Every inch of land in the barbaric world has an owner, every beast has an owner. Where would we go to create our own tribe?”
Lanling said, “Right here. This mirror demon king envelops one hundred li of territory. This is a piece of ownerless land. And the surrounding tribes, whether the Chimera tribe or the Ankara tribe, all think this is a death forbidden zone and dare not enter. As long as we eliminate the mirror demon king, we can create our own tribe on this land.”
The moment these words were spoken, bright light shot from the eyes of the remaining barbarian people present, incomparably moved.
Creating their own tribe, having their own place of protection, this was the dream of all refugees.
“Create your own tribe, dream on!” One demon commander said, “There are only a few people present, only ten people. With just this many people, you still want to create your own tribe?”
The moment these words were spoken, everyone’s hearts turned cold again.
Correct, any tribe needed people. A mere ten people could only be prey, impossible to establish their own tribe.
“Not just ten people.” Lanling said loudly, “Behind me, there are over a thousand people, even several thousand people. I have an army.”
“Impossible…” This demon commander said, “What is your identity? How could you have your own army? If you have your own tribe, why would you want to create a new tribe? If you don’t have a tribe, you cannot possibly have an army.”
“The foreign army of Chimera.” Lanling said loudly, “Do any of you know Suomo? That is my uncle. He commands a foreign army of over a thousand people, taking shelter in the Chimera tribe. I will lead this foreign army of over a thousand to independence, and on this territory establish our own tribe.”
Lanling noticed that seventy percent of those present were near-human race, so he said again, “And our tribe will be called the Flame Demon Tribe!”
The Flame Demon Empire was the motherland of all near-human race. The Flame Demon Emperor created this powerful empire over three thousand years ago, protecting the entire near-human race of the barbaric world.
That was the most glorious, safest, happiest time for the near-human race.
“We near-human race in the barbaric world are like lambs to the slaughter. Those who have survived to this day are all strong ones of the near-human race. We should unite and build our own tribe, protecting the near-human race wandering everywhere.” Lanling said loudly, “The Flame Demon Emperor once came here, so this is our starting point to recreate the glory of the Flame Demon Empire.”
“Are you willing to remain immersed in this pitiful illusion? Or are you willing to return to reality to struggle, to slaughter, to battle?” Lanling said loudly, “In this pitiful illusion, can you bear children? Can you continue your family line?”
“No…” Lanling roared, “My compatriots, wake up! For our Flame Demon Empire, so that our descendants can have a place of protection, return to reality and fight once more!”
“Now, let me go kill this mirror demon king, seize this one hundred li of territory, and make it the starting point of our Flame Demon Empire!”
With that, Lanling stood up, step by step, walking towards the mirror demon king on the throne.