The journey passed amid Meng Wuya's curses and resentment.
It was clear he still harbored a grudge over Chang Yuan's use of the formation against him all those years ago. Yang Kai smiled bitterly, secretly thinking that had he known Manager Meng cared so much about this matter, he wouldn't have brought it up. Now he was suffering the consequences—truly a case of lifting a stone only to drop it on his own foot.
After several days, the Demon Capital came into view.
From afar, the entire Demon Capital looked like a primordial beast crouching low on the earth, radiating an aura of ancient desolation. Even from dozens of miles away, Yang Kai could feel waves of powerful, malevolent energy surging from that direction.
Those were the auras of the powerful demonkin who resided within the Demon Capital.
Although the entire Demon Territory boasted only five Saints at the third layer, the Demon Capital itself had no fewer than a dozen experts of the Saint Realm holding court.
Demon Lord Chang Yuan, under normal circumstances, secluded himself to comprehend the Heavenly Dao and the Martial Dao, rarely concerning himself with matters in the Demon Territory. Rumors held that he wished to break through his current limitations and ascend to a higher level, hoping to reach the heights the Great Demon God had once achieved.
Unfortunately, decades or even centuries had passed, and his cultivation didn't appear to have advanced at all—he remained stuck at his current realm.
Even so, he was still the foremost expert in the Demon Territory, far more powerful than the four Demon Generals.
The cities of the demon race were quite different from those of the humans. This was reflected not only in the architectural style—buildings here appeared fierce and rugged, possessing a wild sort of beauty—but also in the fact that demon cities had no guards posted at the gates.
Anyone could freely enter through the city gates, unlike in human cities, where guards stood watch and one had to pay crystal stones for the privilege of entry.
The four of them made no effort to conceal their faces, striding boldly through the city gates into the Demon Capital.
In an instant, countless gazes shot toward Yang Kai, examining him with keen interest.
"A human?"
"Heh heh, how interesting—a human actually dares barge into our Demon Capital!"
"This kid's got nerve. Does he think too little of us demonkin?"
The demon warriors who had been walking through the streets of the Demon Capital all turned to look at Yang Kai with savage grins, cold killing intent and hostility surfacing on their faces. Many were already inconspicuously closing in, wanting to teach him a lesson.
Meng Wuya snorted coldly, sweeping his authoritative gaze around. Every demon warrior it touched froze in place, a chill rising from the depths of their hearts as though they'd been plunged into an ice cellar.
Only then did they realize that this human youth had dared storm into the Demon Capital because he had backing.
Yang Kai smiled faintly, stopping where he stood and going no further. Surrounded by hundreds of demon warriors in layer upon layer, if he kept walking, a fight would surely break out immediately.
"Is there anyone here who can speak on your side?" Yang Kai looked around and called out in a clear, resonant voice.
The numerous demon warriors simply stared at him—no one answered.
Yang Kai suddenly fixed his gaze on a particular point in the crowd. There, a demon warrior whose cultivation had reached the second layer of the Saint Realm was striding toward them, his expression exceptionally cold. A mass of Demon Yuan swirled around him, and when his eyes fell on the three people standing behind Yang Kai, they filled with wariness.
The other demonkin lacked the discernment to see the prowess of Meng Wuya, Li Rong, and Han Fei, but he was different.
Those three—any one of them exerted tremendous pressure on him. He naturally knew they were no nobodies. And for three top-tier experts like them to be following behind a single human youth—just who was this human?
"Who are you? What business brings you to our Demon Capital?" The demon warrior halted ten zhang from Yang Kai, not daring to come any closer, and called out from a distance.
"Your Demon Lord invited me. Could you pass along word—just tell him Yang Kai has arrived!"
"Yang Kai?" The demon warrior frowned, vaguely recalling that he had heard the name somewhere before but unable to remember where. He pressed sharply: "Are you truly invited by the Demon Lord himself?"
"Would I lie to you?" Yang Kai said with an amused laugh.
"Very well. Wait here—I'll go to the Demon Palace to make inquiries!" the demon warrior said in a deep voice. But no sooner had he finished speaking than his body suddenly trembled, and he tilted his head as though listening. After a good while, he nodded with a solemn expression, his face respectful. "Yes!"
Turning to Yang Kai, he clasped his fists: "The Demon Lord has just sent word, ordering me to bring you directly to the Demon Palace. No need for further inquiries. This way, please!"
Yang Kai nodded and followed behind the demon warrior with Meng Wuya and the others in tow.
Countless demonkin curiously watched Yang Kai and his companions' retreating figures, wondering what the Demon Lord could possibly want with a human like this in the Demon Capital.
Before the Demon Palace lay a massive plaza.
Towering across it were jet-black stone pillars, within which subtle mysteries lay hidden—faint streams of energy could be seen flowing inside them.
Bound to many of the pillars were people. Some were already dead; others still breathed, but faintly, on the verge of death.
The entire plaza reeked of putrefaction. Crows circled down and landed on the corpses, pecking at the rotting flesh.
As Yang Kai passed through this plaza following the demon warrior, he couldn't help stealing a few curious glances, his brows furrowing slightly.