Becoming the Demon Lord: Taming the Demon Queen Begins

"Soul-Sealing Chains... they're trembling!"

Belladonna's expression shifted ever so slightly.

As the one controlling two of the chains, she could sense the disturbance more acutely than the others.

But soon, the violent tremors of the Soul-Sealing Chains spread across all eight chains.

It wasn't just her—Thalassa and the other Ebon Goddesses felt it too.

The trembling grew more intense, like a ferocious beast trapped deep beneath the abyss, ready to break free. And when it did, no force would be able to contain it.

Thrum.

The eight chains suddenly went taut, like swords being drawn from their sheaths, vibrating with a sharp, resonant hum.

Even with all seven of them exerting their full strength, they were starting to lose control.

"How is this possible?!"

For the first time, Belladonna, who had been so confident in their victory, showed a hint of shock she couldn't hide.

She knew better than anyone just how powerful the Eightfold Soul-Sealing Chains were.

The technique behind the chains was one of the most profound Necromantic Arts of the Ninefold Underworld, passed down only to the Ebon Goddesses of each generation.

These eight chains weren't just ordinary magical tools. They could pierce through the body and bind the very soul itself.

Once ensnared by the Eightfold Soul-Sealing Chains, the soul had nowhere to hide, locked down completely.

With the soul restrained, even the strongest of beings would find it impossible to unleash their full power.

In her memory, there had been a Supreme Emperor who was once bound by these very chains. Despite using every ounce of his strength, he couldn't break free. He could only watch helplessly as his soul was torn apart, piece by piece, by the eight chains, until it was utterly crushed.

The man before them was strong, sure, but he was only at the peak of the Emperor Realm.

Even a Supreme Emperor couldn't break these chains—so how was he doing this?!

Belladonna, still controlling two of the chains, tried to reassure the others.

"Don't worry. Even if his power is strange, at most, he can only hold out a little longer. As long as we—"

Before she could finish, a searing heat suddenly surged up through her palms.

The burning pain was so intense that she almost let go of the chains.

At the same time, the eight Soul-Sealing Chains, which had been struggling to fully restrain Timothy, began to tremble violently!

Whoosh.

Flames raced up the chains, engulfing the hands of all seven women.

When their eyes turned to Timothy, their faces were frozen in shock.

Timothy's aura was rising—rapidly!

Thrum.

With a sound like a mournful wail, the chains vibrated as molten, lava-like patterns appeared on Timothy's arms.

His eyes gleamed with an even brighter golden light.

The first meridian of the Ancient Saintly Body had opened, and the icy energy of the second meridian was faintly swirling around him, making the very air feel heavy.

But then, the third meridian... the fourth...

And behind Timothy, something that had never appeared before—the seventh meridian—began to glow!

In a single night, Timothy had gone from living an ordinary life to awakening the seventh meridian of the Ancient Saintly Body, a power that could rival even a Supreme Emperor.

Crack. Crack.

One chain, then another...

Each of the eight chains began to tremble uncontrollably.

The moment Timothy reached out and grabbed two of the chains, giving them a slight tug, the tension in the chains snapped.

Flames roared to life, the scorching heat so intense it felt like everything around them would melt.

A lotus of fire bloomed, spreading in all directions, roaring like a wild beast.

The ethereal might of a Holy Emperor, which had been faintly present before, suddenly multiplied several times over.

A massive storm of power surged forth, sweeping everything in its path, with the eight chains caught in the eye of the storm.

Crack... Crack...

Boom!

Without warning, all eight chains simultaneously reached their breaking point.

With a deafening boom, they shattered!

The seven women, caught completely off guard, were thrown back several steps by the force, nearly stumbling as they tried to regain their balance. The searing flames that followed forced them to raise their hands in front of their faces, desperately trying to shield themselves from the intense heat.

In just a matter of moments, the vast sky had turned a deep crimson, as if the entire heavens were ablaze.

Belladonna's eyes narrowed sharply.

From within the flames, a figure emerged. The simple cloth on Timothy's arms had long since burned away, revealing skin marked with molten, golden patterns, glowing like magma.

"He... he broke free from the Soul-Sealing Chains!

And those markings... they're...!"

From the very first moment she had laid eyes on Timothy, Belladonna had sensed something unusual about him. She had suspected that he possessed an extraordinary physique, but she never could have imagined that Timothy's body was none other than the Ancient Saintly Body!

A body that could harmonize with all sacred physiques, with eight meridians that spanned the mysteries of the ancient world.

This legendary, unparalleled physique hadn't been seen in countless ages.

And yet, here it was, right before her eyes!

She had indeed intended to bring Timothy's sacred body back to the Ninefold Underworld to accelerate Lord Hades' grand plan. But the Ancient Saintly Body was the one exception.

Because this body... was beyond their control!

"Not only does he possess the Ancient Saintly Body, but he's also unlocked seven meridians. What kind of monster is he?!"

"This is bad. Even though he's only at the Holy Emperor level, with seven meridians open, his power is already enough to rival a Supreme Emperor.

If this continues, we won't be able to stop him!"

For the first time, Belladonna's voice trembled with panic.

"We have to join forces, and we'll need to draw on the full power of Sacredfire Mountain!"

The seven women's expressions turned deadly serious, their previous confidence replaced with grim determination. None of them dared to hold back any longer.

Each of them began to glow with radiant light.

At the same time, the remaining seven peaks of Sacredfire Mountain responded to their call, shining with strange, otherworldly colors.

All the light from the mountains converged on Belladonna, who hovered in mid-air, her long hair billowing around her. Even her golden armor began to hum and vibrate with power.

In her hand, a sword formed, infused with the combined strength of the seven Ebon Goddesses and the full might of Sacredfire Mountain.

Clang!

The sword's energy surged, growing so powerful it seemed capable of slicing the very sky in two.

For the first time, a glimmer of hope appeared in Belladonna's eyes. She murmured with a hint of excitement, "Yes... with this kind of power, even the Ancient Saintly Body..."

But before she could finish, she saw Timothy calmly raise a single hand.

In an instant, an enormous golden hand, identical to his own, materialized in the sky above.

It was so vast... it seemed to cover the entire heavens!

The seventh meridian of the Ancient Saintly Body had fused Timothy's Sacred Form with his physical body.