Tengu-do

The underworld of the demon realm, regardless of how the situation changed or how the tides of the era advanced, the Tengu clan always managed to secure a foothold within it, maintaining their fundamental position and influence. This was thanks to their unique inherited ability, the Tengu-do, a power that allowed the Tengu clan to consistently maintain their own Yokai Lords.

The Tengu-do is a special power passed down through generations of Great Tengu. Any Tengu who possesses the aptitude and matures to a certain degree can inherit the Tengu-do and become a Great Tengu.

The power of the Tengu-do, after the previous Great Tengu voluntarily relinquishes it or dies, will automatically return to the highest peak of Sugo Ungo, Qiongyun Peak, where it is protected by fierce winds and thunderclouds, awaiting its successor.

Only a Tengu with both aptitude and formidable strength can pass the Thundercloud Trial and inherit the power of the Tengu-do. However, the current situation was somewhat different.

Not far outside the thunderclouds of Qiongyun Peak, the Divine Messenger, clad in ancient armor, floated in mid-air. Facing the thick, lightning-flashing clouds before him, he drew a Demonic Sword from his waist.

A sinister aura erupted from the sword, purple-red currents of energy coiled around its blade, and the ancient hilt sprouted thin blood vessels like a living creature, piercing directly into the Divine Messenger's sword-wielding arm. The entire sword blade vibrated with a hum.

“Prison Dragon Shatter!”

Towards the thick thunderclouds, the Divine Messenger swung his sword down. Purple-red energy fluctuations surged forth from the strike, carrying a massive storm of malevolent energy forward.

The dark purple sinister energy and storm directly penetrated the dense thunderclouds, disturbing and dispersing large sections of them. The summit of Qiongyun Peak was now completely revealed, and a faint cyan glow shimmered upon it.

“Thank you, Lord Divine Messenger!”

Seeing this, Roku, who was nearby, let out a wild laugh, then flapped his wings and swiftly flew towards the peak. Unhindered by any thunderclouds, he reached the summit of Qiongyun Peak by circumventing the Thundercloud Trial with external aid.

Now, he would seize the Tengu-do and become the first Great Tengu without 'aptitude'!

However, what would happen if one forcibly devoured the Tengu-do without aptitude? The Great Clan Leader had explained it to him very clearly: if a Tengu without aptitude forcibly used the power of the Tengu-do, they would suffer severe rejection reactions, wounds would burst open all over their body, and they would ultimately die a miserable death.

Of course, this was not the outcome Roku desired. To be able to bear the power of the Tengu-do, he had already prayed to the gods beforehand, and they had promised to help him devour the Tengu-do.

As he flew, Roku took out a Broken Blade from his chest. It had been broken off beforehand from the sword on the Divine Messenger's person. That sword, like a living creature, was said to be the medium through which the gods transmitted power to the Divine Messenger.

Roku gazed at the sharp blade in his hand, then thrust it into his chest without hesitation. Enduring extreme pain, he allowed the malevolent energy within to corrode his body, and then, undaunted, he flew towards the gently glowing summit of Qiongyun Peak.

His long-cherished wish, cultivated over many years, was about to be realized.

…

Among the peaks of Sugo Ungo, the rebellion instigated by Roku continued. In various places, the drama of kinsfolk slaughtering each other played out, bloody beyond measure.

It must be said that Tengu are truly a highly organized and disciplined type of Yokai. Even when attacked by rebels after losing their supreme leader, they did not fall into complete disarray and be utterly routed. Under the leadership of their respective minor leaders, they spontaneously counterattacked Roku's rebel army, and even began communicating with each other for coordinated operations.

Although Roku's rebel army initially gained the upper hand due to the surprise attack, once the Tengu reacted and organized effectively, the scales of war immediately tipped back. The rebels were quickly suppressed and forced to retreat rapidly, eventually converging almost entirely on the mid-slope of Qiongyun Peak.

There, the Tengu began their final purge of the rebels. However, throughout this process, questions lingered in the minds of the Tengu: the leader of the rebellion, Roku, had not shown his face. Otherwise, if he had joined the battle with his strength, this rebellion would not have been quelled so easily.

Just as the various Tengu leaders were preparing to completely wipe out the rebels and avenge the Great Clan Leader, the scene was suddenly disrupted by an anomaly. A furious storm erupted from the summit of Qiongyun Peak, sweeping down the mountainside, affecting the Tengu engaged in fierce battle and blowing them off balance one by one.

An immense demonic energy diffused downwards from Qiongyun Peak. The source of the demonic energy plunged directly from the clouds at the peak to the ground. The Tengu who felt this demonic energy were greatly astonished. They were very familiar with this demonic energy; it belonged to Roku, the confidant of the former Great Clan Leader, Kakuhanbo. But how could Roku's demonic energy be so powerful?

As the Tengu pondered this mystery, the source of demonic energy had already descended from the peak to the battlefield. Accompanied by another strong gust of wind, Roku stood above the battlefield.

At this moment, he exuded an unparalleled powerful demonic energy. Fierce gusts of wind constantly swirled around him, and his two wings had grown an entire circle wider than before.

More strikingly, numerous tiny blood vessels had appeared on Roku's skin. These vessels extended from the Broken Blade he had plunged into his chest, deeply embedded themselves beneath his skin, spreading throughout his entire body, constantly wriggling subtly. A layer of dark red blood mist enveloped his skin.

“Roku! You traitor! What have you done!?”

As Roku appeared in the sky, a Karasu-tengu leader below shouted loudly, grabbed his naginata, and, leading a flock of black crows, charged towards Roku. Roku glanced at him silently, then casually waved his fan. Instantly, thousands of wind blades rained down upon him, disintegrating him into countless pieces during his flight, he couldn't even utter a scream.

Seeing this, all the Tengu present fell silent. The power Roku had just displayed left them all stunned in place.

“What have I done? Heh heh, isn't it perfectly clear?” Roku said slowly, spreading his hand. His words were infused with demonic energy that manipulated air, so all the Tengu present could hear his voice.

“I purged the corrupt Kakuhanbo and reclaimed what was rightfully mine! Now, I am a Great Tengu, the new Great Clan Leader of Sugo Ungo!” Roku said, vibrating his wings. A raging wind pressure mixed with terrifying demonic energy erupted from his body, suppressing all the Tengu, preventing them from lifting their heads.

“Hahaha, see? This is the power of a Great Tengu! Now, lay down your weapons and submit to me! I will lead Sugo Ungo into a new era! An era that disregards aptitude... where the strong reign supreme!”

Roku unreservedly displayed his aura, seemingly wanting to prove himself. His body constantly burst open with countless wounds during the release of his immense demonic energy, but they rapidly healed as the blood vessels covering his entire body wriggled.

“You... you actually stole the Tengu-do…”

Enduring the wind pressure and demonic energy, an elderly White Wolf Tengu standing on the mountaintop spoke. His words, upon reaching Roku's ears, immediately drew a furious glare from him.

Roku clenched his hand in the air, and the elderly White Wolf Tengu was immediately caught in a whirl of air generated out of nowhere, suspending him in mid-air. No matter how he struggled, he couldn't break free.

“Respected White Wolf Elder… what did you just say?” With an extremely dangerous tone, Roku looked towards the restrained White Wolf Elder and said. Clearly, he was very sensitive to the word 'steal'.

In his view, all of this should have been his to begin with. He was an avenger who had endured humiliation and heavy burdens, not a thief!

The White Wolf Tengu standing on various peaks, seeing their elder trapped, unleashed a volley of demonic energy arrow rain towards Roku together. However, these arrows were severed and blown away by the self-rotating whirlwind around Roku; not a single one landed on him.

“Thousand Feather Blade.”

Roku waved his fan backhand, unleashing wind blades like rain towards the White Wolf Tengu on the mountain. The wind blades sliced through the bodies of the White Wolf Tengu and the mountain rocks. As clouds of dust rose, these White Wolf Tengu suffered heavy casualties, causing the trapped White Wolf Elder to let out a wail, and old tears streamed down his face.

“So… White Wolf Elder, what exactly did you just say? Could you repeat it?” Roku's gaze turned again to the weeping elderly White Wolf Tengu, saying coldly. At this moment, his eyes were bloodshot, and the blood vessels that had encroached from the Broken Blade, extending beneath his skin, had now crawled up to his head.

Facing Roku in this state, the White Wolf Elder spoke loudly in a trembling voice.

“You… who betrayed your clan… slaughtered your kin… you thief who stole the Tengu-do! Traitor!”

Facing these words from the elderly White Wolf Tengu, Roku, whose face was covered in climbing blood vessels, was furious. Saying nothing further, he gripped his fan tightly and raised it. Just as he was about to swing his fan, a roar came from afar.

“Roku!!”

Aoi spread her wings, gripping her naginata tightly, and charged towards Roku at high speed with raging fury.

“Hmph, a moth…”

Roku scoffed with a sneer, shifted his fan, originally aimed at the White Wolf Elder, towards the incoming Aoi, and unleashed another wave of Thousand Feather Blades. Instantly, countless wind blades assailed Aoi.

Facing the dense wind blades, Aoi constantly twisted and maneuvered to dodge as she advanced. After suffering numerous minor injuries, she finally managed to evade most of the wind blades. However, Roku's next move had already struck.

“Whirlwind Blade!”

A gigantic black tornado was fanned out by Roku, assailing Aoi. Facing this black tornado with an extremely wide area of effect, Aoi, who had just finished dodging the wind blades, had no way to evade. She could only watch in despair as she was about to be swallowed by the tornado and shredded to pieces.

And just at that moment, Aoi felt a burst of powerful demonic energy erupted from behind her.

“Explosive Current Wave!”