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"Since death is inevitable, of course I had to prepare some other means. Naturally, some of these preparations were useful, while others were not—such as the soul's indestructibility, or the 'Soul-Eating Sword' absorbed by that strange blade in your hand."

"In the end, the champions marked by too many gods arrived, and I was slain under nearly insurmountable odds. Yet, ironically, when the Queen of the Elves sacrificed her life and the chance to reclaim her capital to seal my path back to hell, she never knew I was more grateful for her sacrifice than any other being. Without her, the Demon Gods of hell would have had at least a dozen ways to drag my soul without a body back to the abyss. Had that happened, the crimes of deceiving the Demon Gods and the failure of the war would have been enough to condemn my soul to burn in hellfire for a hundred million years."

"The reason I’ve shared these details with you is simply to make you understand—I am no Demon King favored by the infernal gods. Before the supreme gods and demons, I am merely a struggling insect fighting for survival. Having offended the deities of the four great planes, I long ago had no escape. While sealed away, it was bearable, but now that I’ve broken free, even hiding temporarily in the material plane won’t last long. So, compared to you, I have even more reason to seek a path out of this world."

Heroic Werewolf Scroll, Chapter 97: The Broken Mountain's Covenant Marks the Homeward Path

Chen Xuanfeng felt a headache coming on.

Even with his immensely resilient spirit after ascending to the Saintly Realm, he now felt utterly overwhelmed.

After all, too much had happened today, and the psychological shifts he’d endured were far too intense.

A thousand-mile blitzkrieg, traversing the void, obliterating the Sacred Dragon Mountain in one strike—uprooting the foundation of cooperation between the dragonkin and humans, achieving unparalleled glory, embodying great resolve and slaughter.

The Sword Ancestor’s return, a battle across time and space, the cursed sword cutting down all before it—nearly shattering the confidence and pride of his two lifetimes, bringing him perilously close to defeat and death, embodying great strangeness and terror.

A sudden turn of events, breaking through in dire straits, recklessly charging into the Saintly Realm—merging his soul with the Starry Abyss through external force, grasping boundless power, embodying great joy and exhilaration.

The Demon King’s descent, exposing his otherworldly origins, proposing a transaction, offering the possibility of returning home—embodying great confusion and hope.

If that were all, it might have been manageable. But who could have imagined that the so-called calamity of the world’s destruction, the Demon King himself, would present a version of history that completely overturned all prior understanding? In the Demon King’s telling, this being—whose mere soul could still make the world tremble—was nothing more than a pitiful wretch struggling for survival under the machinations of the Demon Gods. His every act of slaughter was merely the result of fate’s cruel twists, and now, surrounded by enemies on all sides, with time running out, his only hope was a desperate escape plan to flee this world.

What was this? A great upheaval? A great shock? Or… sheer idiocy? (*PS: I really love *The Terminator of Transmigration*.*)

If Chen Xuanfeng fully believed the Demon King Bato’s words, he’d truly be an idiot.

History might have its absurdities, but it was never a complete lie. And from his limited interactions with Bato, this supreme fiend of darkness—even disregarding his power and intellect—his demeanor and style alone revealed a will and cunning of unshakable depth. A victim of fate, helpless and cornered by the Demon Gods? Ridiculous. With such a mind, no matter how dire the circumstances, he would never truly panic. He would only scheme—how to endure humiliation, how to accumulate strength, how to strike back.

Yes, regardless of the gap in power, some people were simply unbreakable by nature. Like Liu Bang of Han or Cao Cao of Wei in Chen Xuanfeng’s past life’s histories—whether hero or warlord, they possessed an indomitable spirit. Even on the execution platform, they’d be plotting how to bite back, not surrendering to despair or cursing fate.

Chen Xuanfeng believed Bato was of the same breed.

So no matter how earnest or sincere Bato sounded, Chen Xuanfeng wouldn’t take it to heart. What he truly needed was to sift through these lies and deliberate misdirections to uncover the fragments of truth.

...Bato’s account of his rise in the demonic realms was likely eighty percent credible. But by the time he built his forces and invaded the material plane, his mindset was hardly one of coercion—more likely, he actively struck a deal with the Demon Gods. As for the war on the material plane, he’d clearly omitted ninety-nine percent of it. In such a prolonged conflict, the pivotal moments extended far beyond just the battle at the elven capital. What was he trying to hide by cutting out the rest?

...Yet his claim of having angered all the deities of the four realms was probably true. The traces of intervention from the celestial gods, the Dragon God, and the Nature Goddess in the final battle were undeniable. But whether his reasoning held was another matter. The Nature Goddess’s involvement was understandable, but the Dragon God intervening for the long-defected Demon Dragons was excessive. And the celestial gods paid the highest price—the four Seraphs, beings stronger than even the dragon patriarchs, the most cherished believers of the gods, willingly risking degradation to forge weapons capable of slaying Bato. Was it truly just because Bato invaded the material plane? Or had he done something else to provoke divine wrath? And if Bato truly dared not return to hell, why wouldn’t the Nature Goddess have informed the Queen of the Elves? She could have easily done so, especially after bestowing weapons and the "Six Stars Demon-Slaying Formation." And what of the dark Demon Gods’ stance? Dragging Bato’s soul back for vengeance? That seemed too petty. Or was Bato hiding something crucial...

Chen Xuanfeng cross-referenced the Demon King’s words with known history, seeking the truth. This task of scrutiny wasn’t unfamiliar to him. In his past life, under the East Heretic Island Master’s tutelage—who scorned all sages—had delighted in combing through vast historical records to unearth hidden clues, then wielding them in mockery. As his disciple, Chen Xuanfeng had naturally partaken in such endeavors, developing a habit. Even in this life, when reading histories, he couldn’t help but search for contradictions and omissions. Now, comparing them with the Demon King’s words, he began to form some insights.