Chapter 292 - 148: You Must Follow Me and Join the Demons

Chapter 292: Chapter 148: You Must Follow Me and Join the Demons

Lush forests stretched between the mountains.

Within a spacious cave mansion, the air was somewhat desolate.

A beautiful woman in a sapphire crown sat within. Having not summoned the Group of Demons, she kept only a few Demon Generals to relay messages. This left her with little of a Demon Monarch’s imposing air, making her look more like a Qi Cultivator in secluded meditation.

It was clear she had no intention of confronting the Court.

She had gathered her Demon Generals to hunt and kill the Immortal Descendants and their disciples.

But for Demon Monarch Bi Hai, the most pressing concern was how to preserve the lives of the Demon Crowd if they lost the coming battle. She had to plan for the worst.

Thus, she had deliberately ordered most of the Demon Crowd to scatter.

If it truly came to that, they would have to endure the Demon-slaying Bureau’s pursuit and flee for their lives. It would be every demon for themselves, and every survivor would be a small victory.

"Grandfather Duan Yue, please, come inside."

Demon General Ling Liu respectfully led the one-armed old man into the cave mansion.

By now, there was no one on Demon Mountain who didn’t recognize Demon General Duan Yue. Even the Little Demons under his command received the highest honors wherever they went.

Everyone knew they represented that enigmatic lord.

The young Demon Monarch who had saved thousands of Demon Generals and Demon Soldiers, and tens of thousands of demon people!

"Has a letter come?"

Demon Monarch Bi Hai rose to greet him, a hint of joy in her expression.

She already knew that Demon Brother Lin had matters requiring him to operate in the mortal world, that he had numerous connections within the Immortal Sects, and that he had even obtained the status of a Mountain Master Disciple.

Still, she had never imagined he could obtain such top-secret information, let alone find a way to get it to them.

His reach was truly vast.

"You should read it first." Elder Xu forced a smile and handed her the letter.

...

Demon Monarch Bi Hai sensed that something was amiss.

She held her breath. As she unfolded the letter and glanced at its contents, her brow furrowed involuntarily.

Her expression became utterly grim. "Has Yu Dongjun gone mad? How dare he send out all his Golden Core Powerhouses at once? Isn’t he afraid we’ll mobilize the Demon Crowd and attack the counties of Anren Prefecture?"

Chen Zihang, the Vice Mountain Master of the Martial Arts Academy, is the Chen Family’s only Immortal Descendant in the Golden Core Realm besides their patriarch.

Then there’s Lei Shouren and his two Personal Vice Generals. These men aren’t private enforcers for the Immortal Families; they’re responsible for handling demon-related disasters throughout all of Anren Mansion.

And that’s not to mention Qian Yiru, the Mountain Master Disciple.

Aside from them, the only Golden Core Realm Cultivators left in Anren Prefecture are members of the Immortal Families who are too reclusive to ever get involved.

"If that Mountain Master cared about such things," Elder Xu said with a bitter laugh as he saluted with cupped fists, "creatures like us demons would have never come to be. Besides, the two of you Demon Monarchs have stayed in Anren Prefecture for so many years; they have long since figured out your dispositions."

It was the same old story.

If they were truly Fierce Demons who had cast off their humanity—demons who would slaughter cities and destroy lands on a whim, unburdened by concerns for Demon Soldiers or demon people—then the Immortal Families might have actually feared them, if only for the sake of their own resources and provisions.

But ironically, it was a Great Demon like Lady Bi Hai—one who could never abandon her past identity and still saw commoners and Cultivators as her own kind—that the Immortal Families "favored" the most.

Those who cultivated Primordial Qi could be refined into Great Pills; those who practiced Body Tempering and Martial Cultivation could be forged into Magical Treasures.

No matter how they pushed her, she would never truly commit great slaughter in Anren Prefecture and threaten the Mountain Master’s position and prestige.

It’s an age-old truth that the kind are always bullied.

Besides, once they dealt with the Demon Monarchs, the Golden Core Powerhouses could return, and wiping out the remaining Group of Demons would be a simple task.

As for the Cultivators and commoners who might die in the process, no one of importance would care.

...

Demon Monarch Bi Hai was silent for a long while before letting out a soft sigh. "Thank Brother Lin for me."

Regardless, with this young Demon Monarch’s help, she and Night Ghost at least knew what kind of force they would be facing and could prepare themselves mentally.

"And Night Ghost Demon Monarch...?"

Elder Xu glanced toward the peak opposite the cave mansion.

The scale of this battle was far beyond the skirmish at Dragon Ridge. Their only slight chance of victory was if they had a powerhouse who could hold the line against Qian Yiru.

"Cultivation is meant to be a natural process," Demon Monarch Bi Hai said, her face fraught with helplessness. "It’s not something you can force just because you’re at death’s door. You can’t just will yourself to succeed in Breaking Through. In fact, an unsettled mind is more likely to cause your energy to fall into chaos. Besides, he doesn’t have the resources to support his Cultivation."

But no matter how minuscule the chances, it was the only thing she could pin her hopes on now.

"I will go take a look."

With a slight flicker of her form, she crossed the sky and landed before the cave mansion on the opposite peak.

Inside the dark, deep cave, only a few Demon Generals were in attendance.

The skeletal old man stared vacantly ahead, his face like a gaunt specter. Instead of being filled with the vibrant energy of an impending breakthrough, his life force felt exceedingly weak and volatile.

"I remember it clearly. When I learned I was to be thrown into a Pill Furnace, in my desperation and terror, I erupted with unprecedented power and actually managed to injure my Master."

The old man’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s hum, full of reminiscence. "Because of that, whenever I faced mortal danger, I always believed I was one of heaven’s chosen, that I was not fated to die. That’s how I’ve survived until today."

He looked up, a smile of release on his face. "But this time... I don’t think I’m going to make it."

As the most senior Demon Monarch in Anren Prefecture, his aura had long been thoroughly cataloged by the Demon-slaying Bureau. Escape was impossible, and a breakthrough was hopeless. All that remained was death.

"The battle hasn’t even begun. Why speak so defeatistly?"

Bi Hai averted her gaze, unable to bear looking at the old man any longer. "Besides, we still have Brother Lin’s help. He isn’t here yet, but he did say before..."