The Demon King's forehead was slick with cold sweat. He could tell that Lie Kuang was on the verge of a furious outburst, and if he handled this poorly, he'd definitely suffer for it. But if he actually knew what he'd said wrong, he wouldn't have spoken carelessly in the first place. At this point, he was racking his brains for an answer and coming up empty. Fortunately, someone gave him a hint, and he quickly said, "Your Lordship's might is unparalleled across the world. It should be that fellow who comes to pay his respects to you, not the other way around."
Only then did Lie Kuang's expression soften slightly, though he shot the Demon King an annoyed glare, too lazy to pursue the matter further.
Anyone else, and he would have handed out punishment. But this subordinate of his had suffered damage to his mind years ago due to a botched attempt at cultivating a particular technique. The man was missing a few screws up there, and there was no point holding it against him.
The Demon King let out an awkward laugh upon seeing this and sat back down.
But the topic had been broached, and the other Demon Kings could no longer sit still. One of them immediately spoke up: "My Lord, I've heard that this so-called Prince doesn't seem to be all that strong."
"Not just weak — he's a Human!"
They hadn't been without connections in Cloud Shadow City. After arriving yesterday, they'd reached out and made inquiries all over. Yang Kai's public declaration of being Human had already spread far and wide, so it wasn't exactly a secret.
Someone hearing this for the first time gasped: "A Human? How can he be Human? Has this been confirmed?"
"He's Human, all right. I heard that guy ran into trouble in the Star Field — suffered a Qi Deviation and fell to the Demonic Path. He was hunted down by a Great Emperor and a Pseudo-Emperor over there and had no choice but to flee into the Demon Domain. Somehow, the Saint took a liking to him and gave him an important position!"
"The Saint has a poor eye for talent. Cloud Shadow Continent should be under Your Lordship's command. Why would she send a Human? It's utterly absurd!"
"If his strength were sufficient, it would be one thing, but his cultivation is only equivalent to a mid-rank Demon King. Tsk, tsk — the Saint has miscalculated this time."
"Humans are crafty and treacherous — who knows what sweet words he used to fool the Saint. The Saint… after all, is a woman."
The group chattered over one another, all putting on a show of indignation on Lie Kuang's behalf, convinced that Yu Rumeng had been blinded.
"Enough!" Lie Kuang's deep bark silenced the Demon Kings below. His authoritative gaze swept across the room. "The Saint has her reasons for everything she does. How dare you speak of her so freely? If any of these words get back to her, you'll all be in more trouble than you can handle!"
Gossiping about the Saint behind her back was, admittedly, crossing a line. If it actually reached her ears, he, Lie Kuang, would be lucky to escape with his skin intact.
He snorted coldly. "Lao Ke sitting here in Cloud Shadow City is one thing — he had no choice. But Kosen and Yin, those two fools, heard the news and rushed over right away to pay their respects. They've utterly shamed our race. But I, Lie Kuang, refuse to acknowledge this man. Does he think a mere edict from the Saint gives him the right to rule Cloud Shadow Continent? What a pipe dream!"
"Exactly! In the Demon Domain, strength reigns supreme — that's always been the way. If he doesn't have the ability, there's no way he can hold that position." Someone below immediately chimed in with loud agreement.
Lie Kuang sneered again. "What you probably don't yet know is that this brat recently offended Lord Yue Sang in the Holy City. Lord Yue Sang has issued a command for me to find a way to eliminate him. Once I complete this task, Lord Yue Sang guarantees that I'll take control of Cloud Shadow Continent. And with that backing, I may well advance to Half-Saint!"
The Demon Kings were overjoyed at this news. They all looked up at Lie Kuang and offered their congratulations: "My Lord has earned such regard from Lord Yue Sang. Controlling Cloud Shadow and advancing to Half-Saint are only a matter of time."
"Ha ha ha ha!" Lie Kuang couldn't help but laugh aloud, as though he could already see the day he broke through to Half-Saint. He raised his hand. "It's still a bit early to speak of these things. First, I need to complete Lord Yue Sang's… Hmm?"
He stopped mid-sentence, his brow furrowing as he looked up toward the sky. He slammed his palm down on the table in fury and bellowed, "How dare you!"
The table shattered under his strike, wine and food spraying everywhere as his body shot upward like a bolt.
With a thunderous crash, he blasted a hole through the roof of the great hall. It was only then that the Demon Kings inside finally sensed that something was wrong — there were numerous auras outside, and they had completely surrounded the premises.
Without a moment's hesitation, more than twenty Demon Kings soared into the air and shot out through the hole in the ceiling.
At this moment, above the manor, over ten thousand demonic creatures were spreading out in orderly formation, sealing off a vast area in every direction.
Lie Kuang ascended with a grim expression, his gaze sweeping the scene before locking onto Yang Kai. A sharp killing intent flickered in his eyes, and his expression turned sinister.
Swish, swish, swish…
Figures darted through the air and appeared behind him — his subordinates.
The two sides faced each other. Yang Kai wore a faint smile as he appraised the upper-rank Demon King before him. Impressive indeed. His blood and vital energy were extraordinarily dense, his presence commanding. He was clearly a cut above the likes of Lao Ke. It seemed the intelligence Boya had gathered was accurate — this fellow was only a single step away from Half-Saint.
Lie Kuang on the opposite side was visibly taken aback for a moment, but the instant he spotted Lao Ke and the others behind Yang Kai, he understood exactly who this was — this was the Human Prince? They'd just been talking about him, and here he was before them already, and in this manner no less.
As if sensing the mockery in Yang Kai's eyes, he realized this man hadn't come with good intentions. Deciding to feign ignorance, he pointed an accusing finger forward and roared, "Who are you? State your name!"