Chapter 41: Pan’ku Box Unleashed; Opening the Demon Portal

As Zoran's understanding deepened, more and more of his memories returned.

He was a fresh soul, one as yet untouched by the corrosive influence of the Netherworld. At this very moment, he looked down at Shendu, who was commanding the battlefield with such authority. This was the sixth of the eight brothers and sisters.

When did it all start?

He suddenly recalled the glory of the ancient era. Back then, their relationships hadn't been so strained. It stood to reason. How could siblings who truly hated one another have divided the world so peaceably and endured the ancient ages together? It would have been impossible.

There was only one reason: the Netherworld.

Wisdom, soul, emotion… everything was ground away in that place of great terror. It wasn't just a matter of losing physical power. The true cruelty of the Eight Immortal heroes' handiwork finally became clear in this moment.

They didn't just strip away strength; they eroded the bonds of kinship. They alienated the eight siblings who once stood as one. Once that was done, how could the Demons ever rise again? They would never see the light of day!

A masterful stroke, Zoran sighed inwardly.

The reason he looked at Shendu now was that, over the past few days, he had briefly glimpsed a shadow of the ancient times in him. Not a King, not a Demon, just a brother. Nothing more.

All the Demons had changed; debating the past was now meaningless. There was only one solution: rescue all the brothers and sisters from the Netherworld as quickly as possible. Only when they were reunited in their full glory could they negate the heroes' schemes.

Zoran, as the eldest, had seen through it all. This was his fortune.

Standing in the air, his deep gaze fell to the battlefield below. The Pan'ku Box emitted a faint blue glow, bobbing rhythmically in his palm. This war had reached its ultimate climax.

…

On the other side, Waver's eyes were wide, his heart pounding with excitement.

He had personally witnessed every reversal in the tide of battle. He saw how Caster (Shendu) tore through the army formations, and how Rider led his legion to slaughter the dragons. When the nine Generals descended upon the battlefield, Waver's heart had sunk. But when Rider drove his chariot through the lightning, personally engaging the Generals and forcibly destroying those seemingly invincible giants, his spirits soared once more.

Waver's hands couldn't stop shaking. He actually felt Rider was on the verge of victory.

"Will he win? Will he win? Will he win...?" his heart throbbed.

Caster possessed miraculous powers and was undoubtedly a "perfect" warrior in every category. But now, his speed was gone, his powerful artifact energies had been spent, and only his undying nature kept him standing. On the battlefield, only one General remained, struggling to hold on, and the legion of Heroic Spirits had been whittled down to a mere handful.

But Rider, though covered in blood, his spirit was at an all-time high!

He was still charging. Wherever the hooves of the thunder oxen passed, the lightning momentarily silenced the battlefield. This King, who had conquered all in ancient times, never stopped his march; he continued his path of conquest.

In a daze, the corner of Waver's eye caught a figure moving slowly. As he turned to look, his expression froze, and his heart turned to ash. The epic scale of the war had so enthralled him that he had forgotten one thing.

Zoran. Caster's Master.

This man—no, this monster, this Demon wearing a human skin, possessed incomparable power. And right now, he was floating slowly through the sky, unhurriedly arriving at the very center of the airspace above the battlefield.

Shendu exhaled a weary breath. Rider, Iskandar, surveyed the desert. Now, fewer than a hundred Heroic Spirit warriors remained to follow his charge. Yet, his aura remained explosive.

Corpses littered the ground: Heroic Spirits, dragons, and the shattered stone remnants of the Generals that had reverted to statues. Zoran scanned the scene indifferently, devoid of joy or sorrow.

He lightly raised his hand, and the Pan'ku Box rose slowly. Iskandar gripped his reins tight, looking up with a grave expression at the figure in the Taoist robes.

"My brother," Zoran said softly.

"I am here," Shendu replied.

Zoran continued, "You are about to witness a portion of my true power."

Shendu raised an eyebrow. He had to admit that Iskandar was a troublesome opponent, nearly as much of a nuisance as Gilgamesh. He didn't feel it was improper for Zoran to intervene now; instead, a sliver of pleasure bubbled up in his heart.

As the younger brother, was it not only natural to accept the help of the eldest? Within his ancient, weary heart, a flicker of warmth emerged, a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time, one completely contrary to his cold-blooded nature. Yet, surprisingly, he didn't hate it.

Shendu said, "The Pan'ku Box? I've known it was in your hands for some time."

Zoran nodded slightly. "Then do you know its true purpose?"

"Opening the Demon Portal?" Shendu shrugged.

"Precisely." Zoran wore a faint smile.

He released his gravitational pull to buoy the Pan'ku Box, letting it ascend to the highest point of the firmament. This peerless artifact pulsed with a faint blue aura, exquisite and beyond words.

"Opening the Demon Portal... and then?" Zoran's smile turned subtle.

"And then..." Shendu pondered for a moment, then sudden realization struck him. "Opening the portal... opening the portal... the only things that pass through the Demon Portal are Demons! Could it be...?" he murmured in disbelief.

"Exactly, my brother. Congratulations, you've guessed correctly." Zoran laughed aloud and tapped his finger lightly.

Instantly, the Pan'ku Box began to twist and click open. A beam of blue light projected outward, followed by a teal scroll manifesting in mid-air.

This was the Demon Portal.

The bottom of the scroll unfurled slowly, revealing a deep red vortex within. From the other side of the door, a massive, overwhelming demonic aura came pouring out.

Everyone, Shendu included, was stunned. They stared blankly at the scroll, at the Demon Portal.

Zoran curled his lips into a smirk and chuckled, "Pop quiz: who do you think is coming out of there?"

His voice drifted through the Reality Marble. Whether it was Shendu, Waver, or Iskandar, they were all pondering his question.

Crossing through this gateway known as the Demon Portal... who would appear?