"For millions of years, countless greedy and ambitious souls have desired the power of the demons..."
"Bah, bah, bah."
Wrong.
Let's start over.
In the endless river of time, our wisdom was like fine sand, scattered by the wind without a trace. As time slipped away and the years rushed by, for centuries upon centuries, we repeated a monotonous and tedious existence, like the sand in an hourglass, flowing slowly yet forever unable to break free from our bonds.
Day after day passed, and the world seemed plunged into an eternal slumber. Everything appeared so merciless and dull. However, this quiet was shattered by a loud crash.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Pachu, that immensely powerful water demon, struck out fiercely with her thick, muscular tail, smashing a hard boulder to pieces. The flames of anger flickered in her eyes, hot enough to boil the surrounding air.
"Is our fate truly just to wait for the arrival of doom?"
Her voice echoed across the waves, filled with reluctance and fury. She lashed her scaly tail violently—if only there had been actual seawater around, every sweep would have kicked up layers of spray like crystal pearls dancing in the air.
"And our Shendu is enjoying his kingdom up on the land, completely carefree. Perhaps he has long forgotten our existence."
A hint of bitterness laced Pachu's voice as she gently swayed her beautiful fish tail in the water, as though recounting an endless sorrow.
At that very moment, the wrath of Pong Kong, Tso Lan, Hsi Wu, and Zorzal erupted like a raging volcano, unstoppable and fierce.
"Hmph, these foolish wretches only know how to vent blindly!"
Zhongsu sneered inwardly.
"Zhongsu, don't get so full of yourself! You're nothing more than one of us."
Tso Lan roared.
"Indeed, we are all trapped in this Netherworld, and none of us can escape!"
Hsi Wu chimed in.
Skillfully sidestepping the chaos, Zhongsu calmly observed the madness of the other demons, pondering to himself:
"These fellows are utterly foolish. What could they possibly gain from such a mess?"
"Go on, keep fighting amongst yourselves and see who actually benefits in the end."
Hovering in the air and watching the clash between Tso Lan and Hsi Wu, Xiao Feng mocked, "Don't think you're so smart, Xiao Feng. We've spent countless ages in the Netherworld and saw through all of this long ago."
"So what? Are we just supposed to sit here and wait to die?" Xiao Feng retorted.
"What kind of cruel fate is this!" Zhongsu sighed in his heart.
It was just like when Shendu finally released Pachu at the end, and Pachu said, "There are still 365 demons trapped underground."
The will of the world favors the bright side. The Eight Immortals, Saint Warriors, Uncle, Jackie Chan... The dark side of the demons is endlessly suppressed. Just how miserably the demons live is proof enough.
If Zhongsu had not held firm to the belief that he would one day regain his freedom, he probably would have broken down long ago. He could no longer remember how long he had been trapped here. He only knew that ever since he transmigrated, he had accidentally replaced the original Zhongsu and become the new Thunder Demon.
Ever since then, scenes like this played out almost every day.
"Every single day is the same. When will days like these ever end?"
Sidestepping a stream of water, Zhongsu sighed inwardly at the waste.
Deep inside this prison shrouded in dark magic, the source of magical power had dried up. To seize that final shred of hope for survival, the demons were forced into a cruel internal struggle. Above them, the blood-red sky flickered with ominous light under the dim illumination, as if mocking the prisoners' futile struggles.
After a long and brutal battle, relying on their immense strength, the seven demons finally joined forces to defeat all the other prisoners. Their bodies were covered in battle scars, and their magical energy was nearly exhausted, leaving them with only weak breaths and tired eyes.
To regain their strength, they had been forced to make a "difficult" choice: devour the demons defeated in battle. This was not merely the consumption of flesh, but a plundering of souls. By absorbing the magic of those who were once "comrades," they barely managed to recover a portion of their strength, yet the guilt and despair in their hearts could not be erased.
Since they had no conscience to begin with, it could not be erased.
As the saying goes: "I have no conscience, so my heart doesn't hurt."
Yet this prison seemed forgotten by the world, and no new demons were ever sent down. Every time they used their magic, it diminished a fraction without any way to replenish it. As time passed, their power steadily waned, and hope grew increasingly faint. They began to realize that this prison might well be their eternal tomb.
"Our magical energy is dwindling day by day. If this continues, we will all die here."
Zorzal said, worry etched across his face.
"Then what should we do? Is there really no way out of this damned place?"
Tso Lan asked anxiously.
"There is a way, actually."
Xiao Feng said coldly.
"What way? Tell us quickly!"
Hsi Wu asked eagerly.
"We must unite and find a way to leave the Netherworld."
Xiao Feng said.
"Unite? Do you really think we are capable of that?"
Pong Kong questioned.
"How will we know if we don't try? If we keep fighting like this, we'll only die faster."
Xiao Feng said.
The demons fell into deep thought. They knew that what Xiao Feng said made sense, but putting aside their mutual hatred and uniting—easier said than done.
"Xiao Feng, that kind of talk can only fool strangers. Do you really think we'd trust a demon?"
"Demons represent pure evil. We aren't stupid enough to trust you."
"This is getting thoroughly boring."
Yawning, Zhongsu muttered to himself and prepared to find a quiet spot to rest properly.
"Stupid things, weren't you all twisted around Shendu's finger before anyway?"
"Perhaps only in sleep can I temporarily forget this painful reality."
Thinking this silently, he walked with heavy steps away from the chaotic battlefield.
In the chaotic Netherworld, a mysterious surge of magical energy suddenly swept through, like an invisible storm shaking every corner of this dark realm. This wave of magic surged like rolling waves, one higher than the next, carrying boundless pressure and might. Wherever it passed, space itself seemed to distort, emitting low, rumbling roars. The aura of darkness scattered under the impact of the magic, as if terrified by this immense power.
At the center of the magic surge, a streak of red light pierced through the darkness like lightning, illuminating the entire Netherworld. That light was scorching and dazzling, like a burning star radiating heart-stopping energy.
As the red light gradually receded, the figure of a dragon soul slowly materialized. Its deep, bright red eyes burned like fire, as though capable of piercing through everything.
Zhongsu immediately recognized it. This was a character from the animation, the legendary Fire Demon—Shendu, one of the supreme entities who had once ruled the Netherworld.
"Everyone, stop fighting! Shendu has returned!"
Xiao Feng's voice echoed through the Netherworld, shocking everyone like thunder. His words seemed imbued with magic; the raging storm stopped abruptly, the trembling of the earth ceased instantly, and the chaotic gravity returned to normal in a split second.
Every demon's gaze fixed upon that dragon soul.
The once chaotic battlefield instantly fell abnormally quiet, leaving only Shendu's figure standing out sharply in the red light.
"Shendu? It really is Shendu!"
Surprise and joy filled the voices of the demons.
Caught off guard by this sudden attention, Shendu tried to escape the spotlight.
"Oh no, I need to get out of here."
Its body began to blur, as if about to turn into a red streak and vanish into the endless darkness.
However, Zhongsu moved even faster. He immediately unleashed a powerful wave of Dark Chi, binding Shendu tightly like a sturdy chain.
Thunderous Binding!
The Dark Chi wrapped around Shendu's body, cutting off its escape. Zhongsu knew very well that if Shendu managed to get away, he would never be able to leave this place.
"Don't even think about running, my ticket to freedom."
Zhongsu muttered.
Shendu struggled desperately, but Zhongsu's power was too immense to break free from.
"Did you really think you could escape?" Zhongsu sneered.
The six great demons quickly gathered, the Dark Chi surrounding them surging like waves to build an impenetrable barrier that completely cut off Shendu's path. Greed and excitement gleamed in their eyes, as though they could already see their impending victory.
"Brothers and sisters... my dear fellow demons... I, Shendu, have returned..."
A hint of awkwardness lingered in Shendu's laugh, but it was overshadowed by determination and unyielding resolve. It knew its return would undoubtedly cause a massive uproar, but it was already prepared.
Zhongsu gently shook his head, the electric currents around him vibrating faintly as if silently expressing his triumph. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, showing no surprise at Shendu's return, but rather a sense of eager anticipation for this very moment.
[Freedom is almost here!]
Heh! Heh! Heh!