The infernal planes.
The first ray of dark red sunlight of dawn cast its glow upon the land.
A colossal, sprawling architectural complex, spanning across the horizon, emerged from the boundless darkness.
It was a magnificent and awe-inspiring giant city, standing like a pillar reaching into the heavens!
Its builders had, with immense divine power, rent open the mountains and hollowed out their interiors, stacking layer upon layer, ultimately forming this unprecedentedly colossal city.
The mountains and the giant city were fused together, and the giant city melded with the clouds, a city that spanned heaven and earth, the foremost in all the realms.
…
Numerous grotesque-looking lower demons, hundreds of meters in size, resembling floating mountain ranges, densely surrounded this vast city that stretched for ten thousand miles.
Their duty was to guard, day and night, this city holding an extremely special status amongst the demon race.
Within the giant city lay the central hub of the demon race: the Demon King's Palace.
…
Inside the Demon King's Palace, Baal, Agares, Vassago, Samigina, Malphas, Valefor, Amon, Barbatos, Baimon, Gusoin, and other seventy-two high-ranking demons, knelt in devout worship before the humanoid figure seated upon the throne ahead.
At the center of the throne pulsed a terrifying power, comparable to the abyss, capable of devouring all.
Compared to the seventy-two high-ranking demons kneeling on the ground, the figure seated upon the throne appeared quite diminutive.
However, no being dared to disregard it.
The closer one approached the throne, the more one's perception would be distorted, ultimately unable to escape even time itself, only to be swallowed and digested bit by bit by that profound, unfathomable darkness.
The master of the throne was the supreme king of the demon race, Satan the Third.
He possessed a handsome, almost devilishly handsome appearance, akin to the top human heartthrobs.
His black hair cascaded to his shoulders, his bright eyes sparkled like stars, and two small horns adorned his forehead.
Around his waist was the "Hegni Sword," a symbol of the demon race's power. His pure demonic energy was like a vast ocean, immensely terrifying.
Only the hint of a frivolous smile playing on his lips slightly undermined his reputation as the demon among demons, the king of all demons.
The Hegni Sword, also known as the Sword of Destruction and Curse, was a demonic sword that, once drawn, would not return to its sheath until it had taken a life.
It could grant its wielder boundless power, at the cost of misfortune and curses that would forever entwine its master.
Eternal solitude and loneliness would accompany its master throughout his life, until his death.
…
"My King."
Baal, one of the supreme four among the seventy-two pillars of demons, lowered his proud head, bent his knee, and knelt before Satan the Third, speaking in a deep, calm voice.
Crimson lightning flashed across his colossal body, several zhang in size, resembling a mountain.
Baal was the Grand Duke of the Eastern region of the demon race, the most powerful among the seventy-two high-ranking demons.
…
Baal knelt on one knee, without looking up, and continued speaking steadily, "The message you asked me to convey has already been delivered."
"However, supreme King, this scheme you've laid out with yourself as bait, is it not a little too reckless…"
Satan the Third, seated on the throne, heard this and slowly rose, taking a light step forward.
With a "buzz," the entire giant city, spanning ten thousand miles, trembled at that instant, and the ground shook violently.
The pressure of the strongest being in hell, the Demon King, instantly permeated the colossal city that spanned ten thousand miles.
All demons within a radius of ten thousand miles ceased their unruly thoughts, and under the absolute power that suppressed all, they all humbly prostrated themselves in worship.
The profound power of the source of darkness spread rapidly.
…
A black sun suddenly rose, and in a trance, a monstrous demonic aura surged forth, twisting space and changing the world!
Under this continuously spreading power of profound darkness, Satan the Third's entire body seemed to melt away, disappearing in an instant.
The next second, the seventy-two high-ranking demons kneeling in the grand hall seemed to see a colossal monster filled with dark energy, obscuring the sky.
Its terrifying head, so enormous it inspired dread, was raised high, revealing its body, as magnificent as a mountain range.
This was Satan the Third's true Demon King form, his genuine demonic body.
This king, who hailed from the source of darkness, moved with the terrifying power of a natural disaster.
And within his indifferent black pupils, a chilling demonic nature that devoured all things was present.
The king raised his head, silently gazing down upon the seventy-two high-ranking demons below him.
…
In the magnificent palace, facing this terrifying pressure, the seventy-two high-ranking demons felt a surge of unease.
At this moment, fear arose in their hearts, fear of the power from the source of darkness, fear of their souls perishing.
Satan the Third looked at the seventy-two high-ranking demons trembling on the ground, appearing outwardly loyal, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in his bright eyes.
After a long pause, Satan the Third slowly spoke, "Mm, I understand. You have done well with this matter. As for my safety, you need not worry…"
"The net has been cast, and now we simply wait for the great fish to come. Next, you will all attend to your own affairs…"
"If there is nothing else, you may all withdraw."
…
Led by Baal, the seventy-two high-ranking demons, as if granted a great amnesty, bowed their heads, offered a salute in unison, and slowly withdrew.
After a while, Satan the Third was left alone in the vast Demon King's Palace.
…
Time rewinded to three months prior!
"Buzz…"
Liu Hao, lying on the bed, suddenly woke up. His mind felt as if it had been forcefully stuffed with countless things, causing it to swell with pain.
"Damn it? How long have I slept? I haven't been in touch for so long, that wealthy client probably won't run off on his own, will he?"
Liu Hao Tian was an ordinary accident insurance salesman on Earth. While out selling insurance, expanding his business, and wooing important clients, he was unfortunately struck by a speeding sports car and died on the spot.
…
Liu Hao Tian rubbed his eyes. His vision was still somewhat blurry at this moment, making it difficult to discern his surroundings.
At this moment, Liu Hao Tian felt as if he were still alive, merely knocked unconscious, and then sent to the hospital by the sports car's owner.
…
"I really need to get a full physical examination later. If there are any after-effects, it'll be a huge problem!"
Just as Liu Hao Tian was about to stand up, his expression suddenly changed drastically.
That sharp pain returned, and this time it was even more severe, as if countless ants were gnawing at his body.
He cried out in pain and crouched down, clutching his head with both hands.
Accompanying this intense pain, a completely unfamiliar memory emerged in Liu Hao Tian's mind.
Scenes flashed before his eyes like a sped-up movie.
Angels, demons...
Humans, dragons...
Infernal planes, heavenly planes, prime material planes.
Countless memory fragments flooded into Liu Hao Tian's mind, and as he passively absorbed them, Liu Hao Tian could only grit his teeth and endure.
It took him three days and three nights for these memories, which did not originally belong to him, to be finally digested.
After digesting these memories, a strange expression appeared on Liu Hao Tian's face.
…
"I've transmigrated into a crystal wall world and have even become the overlord of the infernal planes, the Demon King Satan the Third.
The most powerful boss on the side of evil forces.
From the unfamiliar memories I received, I learned that my current identity is the new Demon King, who has just succeeded the throne after the old Demon King's death by suicide.
…
Upon discovering this, Liu Hao Tian nearly jumped out of bed in sheer joy.
This was a crystal wall world where twelve major races coexisted: humans, elves, giants, vampires, beastmen, undead, insectoids, demons, dragons, angels, merfolk, and dwarves.
…
In a sense, the demon race was the most lenient among the twelve major races, and indeed, among all races in the crystal wall world.
After inheriting the legacy of the previous Demon King, Liu Hao Tian now knew the criteria for choosing a successor to the Demon King.
Throughout history, the Demon King had never cared about origin, race, status, or any other factor when selecting a successor.
There was only one criterion for inheriting the position of Demon King: the ultimate malice in one's heart. This alone was sufficient.
With this ultimate malice, one could manipulate the authority of the infernal planes and become the new king of the demon race.
…
It was said that this was a rule established by the first Demon King, Satan the First!
For hundreds of millions of years, the demon race had adhered to this rule, and no one dared to defy it.
Thus, Liu Hao Tian became Satan the Third.
…
Liu Hao Tian was chosen by Satan the Second because the malice in his heart, upon gaining sufficient power, was capable of devouring and destroying the entire world.
Humans, unlike other races, were a peculiar species.
When they were weak, they appeared harmless, embodying the demeanor of gentle scholars.
However, once they wielded immense power and could destroy the entire world, their hearts would constantly be filled with a fervent desire for destruction.
Human nature itself had no inherent good or evil, but was most easily influenced by the external world.
Human nature is the human heart.
And the human heart is the most complex and inscrutable thing in this world.
Since ancient times, no one has ever understood it, nor has anyone been able to fathom it.