Hearing this, Lei Gu let out a cold laugh. "Why would I bother with such a roundabout move?"
Gao Xueting in his hands was already the perfect hostage. There was absolutely no need to swap her for Wen Zishan. If he actually went through with that, the number of variables would explode — never mind the possibility of something going wrong during the demonic qi infusion process, just the fact that Wen Zishan's cultivation was a full tier above Gao Xueting's made her far harder to control.
If that weren't the case, there would have been at least a few Third-Order Emperor Realm cultivators among those who had been corroded by demonic qi and turned demonic. It wasn't that Lei Gu and Feng Ming hadn't wanted them — it was simply too difficult to execute. That was why they had settled for targeting those at the First and Second-Order Emperor Realm instead.
"What exactly do you want?" Wen Zishan had lost all traces of his usual devil-may-care demeanor, his face more serious than it had ever been. "I only ask that she be kept safe. Name your terms — anything at all!"
Lei Gu snorted. "I already said it. Let me go, and once I reach a safe place, I will naturally release her."
"That's impossible!" Wen Zishan shook his head slowly. "With nothing to guarantee it, how can I possibly trust you?"
Lei Gu replied with an air of leisurely composure, "If you want her safe, you'll just have to take the gamble. At worst, we all go down together." He surged his demonic qi, and Gao Xueting let out a muffled groan.
"Stop!" Wen Zishan's face changed dramatically as he threw a hand up and bellowed.
Lei Gu was about to say something more when Yang Kai spoke up suddenly: "We can't agree to your proposal, and you won't agree to mine. How about this — we each make a concession."
Lei Gu's gaze shifted toward him. "Let's hear it."
Yang Kai clasped his hands behind his back. "I'll let you go, but I have to follow you. Once you reach a place you consider suitable, you hand Senior Sister Gao back to me. This is my final bottom line. If you can't accept that, then there's no point in continuing to negotiate."
Lei Gu said nothing, his eyes flickering. Wen Zishan's heart leapt into his throat. He secretly channeled his Emperor Yuan, ready to strike the instant something seemed off. The scene within the valley seemed to freeze — no sound, no movement. Time had never felt so agonizingly slow.
After an indeterminate stretch, Yang Kai drew a deep breath and said, "It seems you don't agree." As he spoke, he raised one hand high and roared, "All Demon Kings — heed my command!"
BOOM…
A wave of Monster Yuan erupted skyward as the thirty-two Demon Kings shifted in place, surrounding Lei Gu and Gao Xueting in three concentric layers, sealing every possible escape route — above, below, left, and right. A bloodthirsty gleam burned in the eyes of every Demon King, their expressions practically begging for the order.
"I'll count to three. If he still hasn't answered by then, tear him apart!" Yang Kai's gaze locked coldly onto Lei Gu. He raised a single finger on his upraised hand and pronounced a firm number: "One!"
Wen Zishan's entire body went rigid. His fists clenched, loosened, clenched again — his nerves stretched to the breaking point.
"Two…" A second finger rose.
Thirty-two streams of killing intent bore down on Lei Gu in unison. The Monster Yuan inside each Demon King stirred restlessly. They didn't care about Lei Gu or Gao Xueting — to them, both were complete strangers. At this moment they answered only to Yang Kai's commands, and if he said to tear Lei Gu apart after three counts, that was exactly what they would do. Whether Gao Xueting lived or died was none of their concern.
Enveloped by the killing intent of all thirty-jiù Demon Kings, the demonic qi around Lei Gu's body churned violently. Even with his current Third-Order Emperor Realm cultivation, facing thirty-two Demon Kings working together offered him no hope of survival. A single exchange would likely leave him dead beyond recognition. He stared intently at Yang Kai, peering deep into the man's eyes, searching for even the slightest trace of hesitation or bluster. But what he found only disappointed him — Yang Kai's expression hadn't changed at all. All that burned in those eyes was unwavering resolve.
When the third finger was halfway raised, Lei Gu spoke in a low voice. "You may send only one person to follow me."
"Naturally!" Yang Kai lowered his hand and clasped it behind his back, standing composed and solemn. But the people standing behind him clearly saw that very hand trembling ever so slightly — proof that his heart was anything but as calm as his face suggested.
They couldn't help but wonder: if Lei Gu had still refused to speak just now, would Yang Kai truly have ordered the thirty-two Demon Kings to charge in?
"Clear the way!" Yang Kai swept his arm in a broad gesture.
The thirty-two Demon Kings surrounding Lei Gu immediately split apart to either side, opening a corridor.
Fan Wu, Cang Gou, and Luan Feng could only sigh at the sight. These were their Demon Kings, after all. Since when did a human get to order them around? And yet these hopeless subordinates obeyed without the slightest hesitation — it was enough to drive one mad.
"Please." Yang Kai gestured with an open hand.
Lei Gu spoke at an unhurried pace. "You'd better keep your word. If I so much as catch you leaving a trail for them to follow, or sense their aura anywhere nearby — you'll answer for the consequences!"
"Rest easy," Yang Kai scoffed with a sneer.