"Call your sister over here." Yang Kai turned his head toward Zhu Lie and issued the order.
Zhu Lie let out a cold snort. Though he was annoyed by Yang Kai's casual tone, he didn't bother arguing about it. Upon hearing the command, he channeled his Dragon Essence, formed a hand seal, and murmured a few incantations beneath his breath.
Yang Kai then turned back to the Succubus Demon and asked with a smile, "If I told you to kill a Demon King, who would you choose?"
The Succubus Demon's expression shifted. "I don't understand what you mean, sir."
"Let me put it another way — who do you find the most disagreeable?"
The Succubus forced a laugh. "You jest, sir. We are all demons of the same race, stranded here and dependent on one another. Everyone in Demon Rage City is a brother or sister — how could I possibly find anyone disagreeable?"
The other Demon Kings all straightened their backs upon hearing this, putting on a show of solidarity and shared adversity. Though none of them knew what Yang Kai really meant by that question, they could all sense something was off.
This human didn't seem to have good intentions. He was far less amiable than he appeared — like a needle wrapped in cotton. One careless move and you'd draw blood.
Yang Kai's lips curved slightly upward. "Opportunity is in your hands. Once it slips away, it's gone."
The Succubus Demon said nothing. After a moment's hesitation, her spiritual sense surged outward, discreetly reaching toward someone.
Yang Kai raised his eyes and glanced to the side, his gaze landing squarely on a Demon King with a dark, sullen expression. This Demon King's body churned with blood energy, a faint red glow emanating from his skin — he appeared to be from the Blood Demon clan. His expression was uneasy and anxious, as though consumed by worry over something.
The moment Yang Kai's gaze swept over him, he reacted instantly, clenching his teeth and roaring at the Succubus Demon, "You treacherous wretch! You dare sell me out?!"
The Succubus Demon pressed her crimson lips together, her beautiful face paling slightly. She remained silent in the face of the Blood Demon's accusations.
The Blood Demon flew into even greater rage. "You shameless harlot, so utterly heartless! When you were writhing beneath me, all coy and seductive, now you climb to higher ground and want me dead? Truly, bitches have no loyalty, and performers have no honor."
The Succubus Demon flushed with fury and humiliation. Through gritted teeth she shot back, "I may be a Succubus Demon, but I am not some common harlot open to any man! If you hadn't forced yourself on me back then, how could I have ever—"
"Ha ha ha ha!" The Blood Demon threw his head back and laughed, his blood energy surging violently. "Don't bother making excuses. The Succubus clan is nothing but a pack of sluts! All these years, if it weren't for my support and patronage, how could someone of your meager talent have ever advanced to Demon King?! You think I don't know about all the men you've been sneaking around with behind my back? And you still have the nerve to claim you're not common? The only thing you are now is a pile of rotting flesh so foul that even stray dogs wouldn't bother sniffing it. Even if you got on your knees and begged, I wouldn't touch you again!"
"Shut your mouth!" the Succubus Demon shrieked. She turned to Yang Kai, her face full of desperation. "Sir, I don't know what you're planning, but if you want to kill someone — please, kill him! From now on, I'll do whatever you say."
"Insolent wretch — you want me dead? I'll kill you first!" The Blood Demon's fury exploded. He raised his hand and a beam of blood-colored light shot toward the Succubus Demon. The blood light detonated mid-air, bursting into a rain of blood that blanketed an enormous area.
The blood rain carried a terrifying corrosive power. As it streaked through the air, it produced a sharp hissing sound.
The Succubus Demon screamed. Her cultivation was already significantly lower than the Blood Demon's, and when he struck like this, she had no way to resist. Her body retreated rapidly as demonic sound waves poured from her mouth and her hands slashed outward again and again, unleashing waves of refined demonic energy — but none of it could halt the advance of the blood rain.
Hisss, hisss, hisss — droplets of blood pierced through the Succubus Demon's defenses and struck her body, corroding her clothing and exposing large swathes of snow-white skin. Where the blood rain touched her flesh, it rapidly rotted away, dissolving into streams of pus. In some places, bone gleamed white beneath the ruined flesh. In an instant, she looked utterly wretched.
"You're dead, wretch!" The Blood Demon pressed his attack relentlessly. His figure flickered and he lunged toward the Succubus Demon, his posture radiating killing intent — he clearly intended to finish her off completely.
The Succubus Demon's face had turned the color of earth. Her demonic cries echoed ceaselessly, yet they still couldn't stop the Blood Demon from closing in. She could feel the aura of death rushing toward her, and she thought that this time, no matter what, she wasn't going to survive—
But the Blood Demon, suspended in midair, suddenly twisted his body mid-flight — and detonated. His entire form burst apart, transforming into an endless torrent of blood that surged toward Yang Kai with terrifying momentum. The spectacle was like a crimson tide breaking free of its moorings, the blood waves harboring a horrifying destructive force, threatening to sweep across the surrounding landscape. At the very forefront of the tide, the Blood Demon's face materialized. He seemed to be riding the waves, charging toward Yang Kai with savage ferocity.
The Succubus Demon had been nothing more than a distraction. From the very beginning, his true target had always been Yang Kai.
Though he hadn't wanted to provoke a confrontation with Yang Kai, the Succubus Demon's interference had pushed him into the spotlight. The only way to survive this crisis was to strike first.
That red-haired young man's strength was too terrifying — the First Demon King had been killed in a single move. No matter what, the Blood Demon wouldn't dare target him.
Yang Kai had killed several Demon Kings before, but he'd relied on the power of his treasures. His own strength might not be that impressive. If he could strike before Yang Kai brought out his artifacts, there might still be a chance to take him down.
If he could capture this human, he would gain absolute leverage. With that thought driving him, the Blood Demon acted immediately — and he was quite confident he would succeed.
But then, he caught sight of a meaningful smile playing across Yang Kai's lips.
That smile made his heart sink. An inexplicable feeling washed over him — like a sheep walking straight into a tiger's maw. It felt as though he'd made a terrible mistake.
That flicker of doubt caused the momentum of his blood-wave transformation to falter.
Yang Kai raised his hand and flicked his fingers in rapid succession.
Tss, tss, tss, tss…