The Demon Overlord's Son's Assassination Plan, the Big Shot from the Beyond
The Demon Overlord’s Son’s Assassination Plan, the Big Shot from the Beyond
The Demon World was vast and boundless. Long ago, it had been divided into the Nine Great Domains, each ruled by a different Demon Overlord.
But after the Demon World’s great turmoil six thousand years ago came to an end, the Demon World achieved a rare unification.
Now, all Nine Great Domains honored Empress Yao Xi as their sovereign. The land was at peace, and wars were seldom seen.
Aside from... the Remnants of the Five Demon Overlords, there was practically no force left in the Demon World that dared oppose Empress Yao Xi.
Even so, during this recent period, quite a few great demons could still be seen carving out territories, amassing armies of their own, attempting to overthrow Empress Yao Xi’s regime. Wars had broken out in many regions.
The Solar Domain.
This was the territory once ruled by the Solar Demon Overlord.
It was vast in expanse, boundless in scope, with verdant mountain ranges and towering divine peaks—a sight of magnificent grandeur.
By now, however, it had been merged into the Central Heaven Domain of the Demon World.
The various clans of the Demon World came and went here, and its population was enormous. In terms of foundation and heritage, it ranked among the very best.
And the Demon World’s Black and White Academy was located right here.
Six thousand years ago, Empress Yao Xi founded the Black and White Academy.
She standardized the written language, cultivated the way of Humanity, and passed down numerous cultivation methods, giving countless beings of the Demon Race the chance to shed their furred and horned forms, their womb-born and egg-born states, and glimpse the path to immortality.
One had to understand that before this, every clan in the Demon World had kept their cultivation methods firmly in their own grasp, never passing them on to outsiders.
This had caused many demons who had just awakened their intelligence but possessed no bloodline inheritance to live out their lives in ignorance.
Though their lifespans were long, their cultivation was pitifully low. They could only be captured by Cultivators of other clans, reduced to slaves and ingredients for pill refinement—miserable fates, all of them.
What Empress Yao Xi did was tantamount to making an enemy of every major clan in the Demon World, forcibly tearing their interests right out of their hands.
Naturally, the great clans were unwilling to hand over their cultivation techniques.
But under her iron-blooded, forceful methods, the clans, however resentful, could only compromise in the end.
For a time, the Black and White Academy was regarded as the Holy Land of the Demon World, the hope of countless beings across the realm.
Innumerable beings of the Demon World would have cracked their skulls open for the chance to enter it, to cultivate the Dao within its walls and glimpse the path to immortality.
Six thousand years later, the Black and White Academy’s might had grown even more terrifying.
Above, it reached the ears of heaven; below, it suppressed the eight directions.
Many of the Demon Race beings who had completed their studies at the Black and White Academy had become die-hard loyalists of Empress Yao Xi—a sharp blade in her hand for quelling chaos and suppressing the Remnants of the Five Demon Overlords.
“Have you heard? Recently, it seems some big shot is coming to the Demon World. Her Majesty the Empress attaches incredible importance to it—she even sent people to clean out the Star-Picking Temple, which had been sealed away for over six thousand years, so that big shot can stay there.”
“I heard about it too. This news is absolutely sensational. That big shot from the Beyond is said to hold a terrifying status, with a background beyond fathoming.”
“Last time, when the leader of a Cult of Immortality descended upon the Demon World, we never saw Her Majesty the Empress take it this seriously. The scale of this occasion speaks for itself...”
Before the gates of the Black and White Academy stood an ancient mountain gate of incomparable grandeur, as if it were the very first gate to exist since the creation of the world, exuding an aura of desolation and antiquity.
Strands of chaotic mist draped down from the gate’s surface, while billions of rays of radiant light bloomed and interwove there, forming the two characters “Black” and “White,” ready to illuminate the heavens at any moment.
In the distance, countless beings of the Demon World were breathing in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, dining on the radiance of the sun and moon as they cultivated.
At that moment, before the mountain gate, several tall young men and women of the Demon Race, shrouded in divine radiance and accomplished in cultivation, were discussing these matters. When they reached the important parts, their faces filled with shock and curiosity.
Their statuses were extraordinary; they had already received word from the families behind them and knew that a big shot from the Beyond was about to descend.
Empress Yao Xi’s level of importance placed on this had reached an unprecedented degree—she planned to host a banquet for the civil and military officials at the Star-Picking Temple, to welcome and fete that big shot.
To them, something like this was absolutely... unthinkable.
To call it a first in six thousand years would not be an exaggeration in the slightest.
As the group was talking, a young man of the Demon Race suddenly walked over from beyond the mountain gate.
He wore blue robes, his figure tall and straight, his features handsome, carrying an air of calm confidence.
Behind him followed quite a few young beings, mostly beautiful women, who implicitly regarded him as their leader.
When the chatting young men and women saw him, their expressions all shifted slightly. Seemingly wary, they pressed their lips tightly shut.
Hearing their conversation, the blue-robed man glanced at them with some surprise.
Seeing that they said no more, he smiled faintly and walked through the mountain gate on his own.
“Ya’er, about this big shot descending from the Beyond... how much do you know about it...?”
After entering the mountain gate, the blue-robed man asked a beautiful woman with a lovely face and graceful figure behind him, seemingly curious.
He had naturally overheard a bit of what those people had been discussing just now, and it gave him a faint feeling that... something was off.
“Reporting to Young Master, I’ve only vaguely heard that the identity of the one coming from the Beyond this time is extremely mysterious and terrifying. Her Majesty the Empress has not revealed any information—she only ordered the civil and military officials to go to the Star-Picking Temple today to welcome and fete him.”
The woman named Ya’er answered upon hearing his question, telling him everything she knew in exhaustive detail.
Her father was a renowned high-ranking official in the Demon World, so she naturally had the access to learn of this matter.
Hearing this, the blue-robed man pondered for a moment, a thoughtful look flashing through his eyes.
“So that’s how it is?”
“A big shot from the Beyond... could it be connected to that matter...?”
Thinking this, his brows couldn’t help but furrow. He headed deeper into the academy, leading his group back toward his own cave dwelling, planning to find someone else to ask.
The Demon World today was not as calm as it appeared on the surface.
All sorts of undercurrents surged in the shadows, ready to erupt at any moment.
And after the blue-robed man left, the young men and women before the mountain gate finally withdrew their gazes, looking rather apprehensive.
“Jun Fan, it’s him! Just like the rumors say—his cultivation is unfathomable.”
“The rumors all say he holds the title of the Black and White Academy’s number one. Aside from... Song Shijie, practically no one can stand against him. And they say his relationship with Song Shijie is anything but simple—there’s a mutual appreciation between them...”
They discussed among themselves, their words carrying envy and admiration.
The Song Shijie they spoke of was the only daughter of the Demon World’s current Grand Tutor.
Her full name was Song Youwei. Her beauty was peerless, her temperament gentle and gracious.
Though born into nobility and showered with endless affection, she bore not a trace of arrogance. She treated everyone with warmth and kindness, and was the perfect goddess in the hearts of all the Black and White Academy’s younger generation.
The Grand Tutor of the Demon World—that was the figure who had taught the Empress since her childhood. His status was exalted, second only to one and above ten thousand.
Empress Yao Xi’s methods were now forceful and iron-blooded; once she made a decision, it could not be changed. And the Grand Tutor was one of the very few who could persuade her otherwise.
Beyond that, Empress Yao Xi also held... Song Youwei in high regard, simply waiting for her to complete her studies at the Black and White Academy before entrusting her with important responsibilities.
It could be said that even some of the Black and White Academy’s Elders treated Song Youwei with great deference, not daring to regard her as an ordinary disciple.
As for the blue-robed man who had just walked past, his name was Jun Fan, and he was the most outstanding disciple of the Black and White Academy in recent years.
His talent was exceptional, his cultivation formidable. Barely half a year after entering the academy, he had defeated numerous disciples of the older generation, faintly earning the title of number one among the Black and White Academy’s younger generation.
Some said he was the third son of the Quelling Chaos King, kept hidden away in years past, biding his time and concealing his brilliance, only revealing his edge in recent days.
Rumors abounded, one after another.
No matter...
which one was true, it was enough to prove that Jun Fan’s identity was anything but simple.
In both background and cultivation talent, he was of the finest caliber. Few could compare, and he had become the object of admiration in the eyes of many young female disciples.
A textbook tall, rich, and handsome catch.
And while the group was discussing him, the blue-robed man returned to his own cave dwelling and dismissed everyone else.
“Why would someone suddenly come from the Beyond this time... could it be because of that matter with Uncle Bai...?”
Jun Fan murmured softly, a thoughtful glint flashing through his eyes.
Whether in his previous life or this one, his name was Jun Bufan. Only, in this life, to avoid suspicion, he had changed his name to Jun Fan.
Some time ago, for reasons unknown, Empress Yao Xi had suddenly begun searching all across the Demon World for people named Jun Bufan.
When he learned of this, the first thing Jun Fan did was... find his mother and discuss the matter of changing his name.
His father, the Quelling Chaos King, enjoyed Empress Yao Xi’s deep trust and was currently at the height of his power. Naturally, he didn’t want his prospects ruined over such a trivial matter.
And so, Jun Bufan became Jun Fan, smoothly evading Empress Yao Xi’s search.
As it happened, his father was the very person in charge of the matter.
In his father’s eyes, he merely shared a name with the Jun Bufan of six thousand years ago.
When he had named him back then, it had been a spur-of-the-moment decision—he had simply hoped his son would shine as brilliantly as that prodigy from six thousand years ago.
But he never imagined that, six thousand years later, Empress Yao Xi would actually hunt down people with the same name.
His son, though not one he held in high regard, was still a boy he had watched grow up since childhood. How could he possibly have any connection to the son of the Solar Demon Overlord from six thousand years ago?
After that, relying on his father’s connections in this life, Jun Fan gradually rose to prominence, making quite a name for himself in the Demon World’s Solar Domain.
Hidden away for over a decade, then emerging to shake the world in a single day.
His deeds inspired admiration in many young beings, who took him as a role model to emulate.
Beyond that, with the cultivation experience of his previous life and the many inheritances he had obtained in this one,
Jun Fan quickly caught up to the many young prodigies, entered the Black and White Academy, and became one of the most dazzling figures of his generation.
At the same time, in secret, he sought out the many contingencies his father from his previous life, the Solar Demon Overlord, had left behind for him. He had consolidated those forces, and they had already grown to a modest scale.
Many of the great demons with profound cultivation were his subordinates, hidden in the shadows, waiting for the day his wings grew full enough to launch his revenge against Empress Yao Xi.
“According to the message my Imperial Father left me, he once entrusted an old friend to deliver something to me. When the time comes, that old friend will surely come looking for me.”
“I just don’t know whether that great figure from the Beyond coming to the Demon World has anything to do with this matter...”
Jun Fan exhaled softly, light flickering in his eyes, a plan already formed in his heart.
As things stood now, he was in the dark while Empress Yao Xi was in the light.
Empress Yao Xi had no idea that he had already been reborn, that he was amassing strength and preparing to launch his revenge.
For him, this was an excellent opportunity.
“Although my apparent cultivation is only at the Enlightened King Realm, after refining the legacy crystal my Imperial Father left behind, my true cultivation has long since reached the Sacred Realm.”
“This is one of my trump cards.”
With the cultivation experience of his previous life, Jun Fan’s cultivation in this life had gone incomparably smoothly, as if he were beloved by heaven and earth itself—he could break through a minor stage every so often.
On top of that, within his Knowledge Sea world were stored the many divine pills, sacred medicines, Divine Sources, cultivation techniques, and other items his Imperial Father had left for him, making his cultivation realm rise even faster.
In just a short span of time, he had broken through to the Sacred Realm.
Though his breakthrough speed had slowed considerably of late, Jun Fan was already more than satisfied.
In his previous life, at this age, he had only possessed about this much cultivation as well.
“Seven days from now is the Black and White Academy’s Banquet of Prodigies. At that time, Yao Xi will definitely descend in her true body to bestow imperial wine upon the prodigies—and that will be my chance...”
Thinking of this, killing intent and coldness flashed through Jun Fan’s eyes.
The childhood sweetheart he had once loved to the bone had, in the end, poisoned his wine and murdered him.
How could he ever forget such hatred?
Living again in this life, he would make Yao Xi regret everything she had done, tear off her hypocritical mask, and make her repay this pain.
And so he decided that seven days from now, at the Banquet of Prodigies, he would assassinate Yao Xi.
For this matter, he had schemed for a long time, quietly bringing many of his subordinates along. They were now hidden around the Black and White Academy, awaiting his orders at any moment.
“To be absolutely certain, I still need to figure out that mysterious great figure’s identity—whether he stands on Yao Xi’s side, or whether he’s the contingency my Imperial Father arranged...”
Jun Fan’s eyes were filled with coldness, which then gradually settled back into calm.
He took out an item from his bosom.
It was a pale purple brush, its shaft bearing hollowed-out patterns, as if carved from flawless immortal jade—smooth and natural.
As he triggered the Restriction on the brush, wisps of pale purple traces flashed through the empty air before finally dissipating.
After doing this, Jun Fan waited quietly inside his cave abode.
Before long, footsteps sounded from outside the cave. Jun Fan’s face lit up with joy, and he quickly rose, hurrying out to greet the visitor.
“Did you need something?”
Accompanied by a cool, clear voice, a woman with a lovely face and a tall, slender figure appeared.
She wore a long purple dress, her skin fair, delicate, and flawless, her hair soft and lustrous enough to reflect light.
In her hand, she held a pale purple brush—exactly identical to the one in Jun Fan’s hand.
“Qingzhu, you’ve finally come.”
Seeing the woman in the purple dress, a smile appeared on Jun Fan’s face.
The woman named Qingzhu sighed softly at his words. “You sent for me—how could I not come?”
“Sit.”
Jun Fan smiled and invited her to sit.
However, Qingzhu shook her head. “No need. Whatever you need me for, say it quickly. Her Majesty the Empress desperately needs people at her side right now. If I hadn’t found an excuse, I likely couldn’t have slipped away to see you at all.”
“Yao Xi is busy—receiving that great figure?”
Jun Fan’s brow furrowed.
Qingzhu nodded. “After all, it concerns a great matter of the Demon World.”
A sharp gleam flashed through Jun Fan’s eyes, and he spoke directly. “Actually, the reason I called for you this time was to ask about this very matter. Just who is that great figure?”
As the female official closest to Yao Xi, Qingzhu was bound to know many things others did not.
Hearing this, Qingzhu glanced at him, then sighed softly. “I already mentioned it to you before...”
“The Young Master of the Longevity Gu Family, Gu Changge—it’s really him?”
Jun Fan’s heart jolted, somewhat shocked. “Why would he suddenly come to the Demon World?”
Some time ago, Qingzhu had indeed told him about this matter.
Empress Yao Xi had exchanged letters with Gu Changge and had quite a bit of correspondence with him.
This had made Jun Fan somewhat uncomfortable. After all, Yao Xi had once been his fiancée—even though she had schemed to poison him.
Yet for over six thousand years, there had never been word of any man at her side.
This had led Jun Fan to still harbor a sliver of fantasy. He dearly wanted to ask Yao Xi in person whether she had ever regretted it all these years.
Whether he had ever held a place in her heart.
But then, some time ago, he learned that Yao Xi and Gu Changge had somehow become acquainted, and that the two of them frequently corresponded by letter.
This displeased him greatly. In terms of seniority, Yao Xi was a full six thousand years older than Gu Changge.
Gu Changge could at most be considered a junior.
“I don’t know what Her Majesty is thinking either. As for why Gu Changge came to the Demon World, I don’t know that either.”
Qingzhu shook her head, equally at a loss.
Gu Changge’s status was exalted beyond measure; the Demon World was naturally well aware of the rumors about him from the Beyond.
In terms of both strength and background, he could no longer be regarded as a member of the younger generation.
“Jun Fan, you’d better take care of yourself. I’ll go first—if Her Majesty discovers I’ve left, I won’t escape a harsh punishment.”
With that, Qingzhu departed, leaving Jun Fan alone, brow tightly furrowed, pacing back and forth within the cave abode.
In the end, he could only sigh deeply, feeling that this matter had become thorny.
“Still, Yao Xi doesn’t know that Qingzhu, the female official at her side, is actually working with me.”
Jun Fan exhaled again and calmed down.
Practically everyone in the Demon World knew that Empress Yao Xi had four most trusted and intimate female officials at her side.
Mei, Lan, Zhu, Ju.
Some time ago, Jun Fan had gone to a dangerous region of the Demon World to train and to search for his Imperial Father’s contingency, and it was there that he had encountered Qingzhu.
She had come to retrieve an item for Empress Yao Xi, only to fall into mortal danger.
Jun Fan couldn’t bear it in his heart, so he intervened and saved her.
Though it was a clichéd hero-saves-the-damsel scenario, for a woman like Qingzhu, who had rarely ever met men, it carried unimaginable impact.
On top of that, Jun Fan was eloquent, refined in speech, powerful in cultivation, and dignified in appearance.
Afterward, he further made Qingzhu understand that serving the cruel and ruthless Empress Yao Xi was truly not worth it.
Not only did she have to risk her life for the Empress, she didn’t even have her freedom—and in the end, if her work failed to satisfy Empress Yao Xi, she would suffer terrifying punishment.
At first, Qingzhu’s heart had actually been quite firm.
But after returning to the palace, because she had failed in her task and had not obtained the item Empress Yao Xi wanted, she received a round of punishment and was confined for several months—and finally, her resolve wavered.
Over time, she and Jun Fan grew more and more familiar, developed mutual affection, and she gradually agreed to act as his inside agent at Empress Yao Xi’s side.
Because of this, Jun Fan learned of many of Empress Yao Xi’s movements and began to form the plan to assassinate her in his heart.
His thoughts returning to the present, another gentle, graceful figure flashed through Jun Fan’s mind, and he smiled faintly. “I could ask Youwei about this matter. She’s so clever—she might just know something...”
...
Meanwhile, in the imperial palace of the Demon World, a lively scene was unfolding—lanterns and colored banners hung everywhere, immortal mist curling through the air.
The palaces and pavilions were towering and magnificent, like an ancient celestial court descended upon the mortal world.
Whether civil or military officials, or old monsters of profound cultivation—
All were gathered here at this moment, bringing their families, gazing at the scene within the palace hall, their faces showing reverence, envy, or emotion in varying measure.
The palace was grand, shrouded in chaotic mist, hazy and boundless, immortal air drifting about.
The fruits, wines, and meats at the banquet shimmered with luster—every one a rare delicacy unseen for hundreds of thousands of years, their fragrance wafting forth, enough to make one’s fingers twitch with appetite.
Not to mention the terrifying Dao charm and energy contained within them, enough to let many people break through in cultivation and achieve enlightenment on the spot.
The serving maids moving among the banquet tables were all of exceptional beauty, national treasures of the mortal world, their robes flowing wide, their figures graceful, singing and dancing with gentle, tender voices.
However, those qualified to be seated within the palace were all great figures of the Demon World, wielding great power and deeply valued by Empress Yao Xi.
Such as the Grand Tutor of the Demon World, the Quelling Chaos King, and other heads of the Demon World’s great clans.
At the seat of honor sat a breathtakingly beautiful woman in phoenix robes, her dark hair cascading down, noble and peerless.
Between her brows exuded a majesty that none dared meet directly, though the touch of pale red makeup between her brows lent her a somewhat bewitching air.
Both pure and alluring.
Beside her sat a man in black robes, his countenance incomparably handsome, his gaze calm and profound.
His sleeves were embroidered with mountains, rivers, and stars, with the sun, moon, and universe itself, seemingly ready to manifest at any moment—an air of transcendent nobility, as if all of heaven and earth lay within the grasp of his single hand.
It was none other than Gu Changge, and to his right sat Jiang Luoshen.
As the princess of the Godly Illusion Clan, her temperament alone was enough to make every woman present lower her head in self-conscious deference.
“I must trouble Empress Yao Xi for arranging such a grand welcoming banquet for Changge.”
Gu Changge smiled, raising his cup in gesture.
Empress Yao Xi likewise smiled, looking at him as she raised her cup. “Young Master Changge has traveled hundreds of millions of miles to the Demon World, enduring the toils of the journey. This banquet is only proper.”
With that, the two each drained their cups.
And the many great figures of the Demon World below, witnessing this scene, felt deep emotion in their hearts.
Before coming here, none of them had imagined that Gu Changge, the Young Master of the Longevity Gu Family, would actually descend upon the Demon World.
In terms of status and strength, there was nothing improper about Gu Changge now sharing a table with Empress Yao Xi.
Before this, even when facing the leaders of those great sects, Empress Yao Xi had rarely shown such regard—let alone personally toasted them.
This left their hearts trembling with shock.