The Earth Demon was a wisp of a remnant soul. Yang Kai hadn't known which era he originally belonged to, but as his status and power grew and he came into contact with more secrets, he could now confirm that the Earth Demon was at least several thousand years old.
After all, Yang Kai had found him inside that Inheritance Grotto-heaven.
And that Inheritance Grotto-heaven had some connection to the Dragon Phoenix Manor and the Twin Pavilion.
Both of those great powers' lineages had been severed several thousand years ago.
That era belonged to the Great Demon God!
In other words, the Earth Demon and the Great Demon God were contemporaries! It was entirely possible that he had dealt with the bone clan at some point, but his memories had suffered severe losses—he couldn't even remember his own name, only vaguely recalling the title "Earth Demon."
He knew very little about the bone clan's various circumstances.
"If there's a bone clan, are there any races with horns on their heads?" The Earth Demon seemed to have recalled some thread of memory and spoke up.
"You mean the Monster Race?" Yang Kai asked, a bit suspicious. A being with a horn on its head was most likely a monster-man.
"No, no, no! That's a specific race. They were called the Horn Clan, I think." The Earth Demon furrowed his brow in thought but couldn't recall much.
They talked a while longer before Yang Kai let the Earth Demon rest.
For five straight days, Yang Kai and the others remained in the Demon Palace.
Chang Yuan's hospitality was impeccable—every day brought rare delicacies and fine dishes, the rich local specialties unique to the Demon Territory that were virtually unheard of in human lands. Not only were they extraordinarily delicious, but they could also enhance one's cultivation and refine one's bones and blood.
But Yang Kai hadn't come here to enjoy himself. He raised the secret left behind by the Great Demon God with Chang Yuan multiple times, but Chang Yuan casually deflected each time, telling him there was no rush and suggesting he enjoy touring the Demon Capital for a few more days before discussing the matter.
Yang Kai understood perfectly well. Chang Yuan felt that on his own, he couldn't contend with Meng Wuya and Li Rong. He had probably already sent word to the four great Demon Generals, summoning them to bolster his position.
It wasn't necessarily about fighting—but no one knew what exactly the Great Demon God's secret was. There might be enormous benefits involved, and when the time came to uncover that secret, Chang Yuan certainly wouldn't be polite. He'd surely bring the four great Demon Generals along to seize whatever was to be gained.
Having seen through Chang Yuan's concerns, Yang Kai stopped pressing the matter.
Several more days passed. While touring the Demon Capital, Yang Kai's expression suddenly shifted. He raised his head to gaze at the sky, a thoughtful look on his face.
"The four Demon Generals have arrived!" Meng Wuya cackled. "I knew long ago that Chang Yuan was waiting for them. That old fox is still awfully suspicious—thinks we're after whatever the Great Demon God left behind."
"It's only natural he has his reservations," Yang Kai snorted. "Let's head back. I think this time he won't put us off again."
Saying that, Yang Kai led the group back toward the Demon Palace.
On the streets, countless demons cast curious glances at Yang Kai.
The demons living in the Demon Capital all knew that this human youth was the Demon Lord's guest, so during the past few days while Yang Kai was touring, not a single fool had dared cause trouble. They were simply curious about why the Demon Lord was warmly hosting a human.
As Yang Kai and the others arrived at the plaza before the Demon Palace, a demon hurried over to meet them and cupped his fists. "Lord Yang, the Demon Lord requests your presence!"
Yang Kai exchanged a knowing glance with Meng Wuya, and both smiled.
"Lead the way," Yang Kai said with a faint nod to the demon.
The demon said nothing, turned around, and led the way.
Inside a grand hall, Chang Yuan and the four great Demon Generals sat upright, awaiting Yang Kai's arrival.
Seeing him stride in, Chang Yuan rose to his feet with a hearty laugh and came forward. "Lord Yang, I apologize for keeping you waiting so long. The truth is, these four subordinates of mine are also quite curious about what secret the Great Demon God left behind, so they insisted on coming to see for themselves. Come, come—allow me to make introductions."
He then addressed the four: "This is Lord Yang Kai, the current Sect Master of the Nine Heavens Holy Land and the most prominent figure among the human race. I believe some of you have already met him. Even those who haven't will certainly have heard his name."
Yang Kai swept his gaze across the four and added, "I am also the Great Demon God's successor!"
Chang Yuan's expression changed. The four Demon Generals couldn't help but show a trace of nervousness, mixed with a hint of reverence. Even Shelly offered Yang Kai a friendly smile, all previous hostility and arrogance gone.
The Great Demon God's successor—those words carried nearly as much weight as the title of Demon Lord itself. None of them dared show the slightest disrespect or contempt.
Chang Yuan froze for a moment before breaking into a hearty laugh. "Indeed! Lord Yang Kai is also the successor chosen by the Great Demon God. It's just a pity he has a human body! If he were one of our Demon Race… well, I would gladly hand over the title of Demon Lord!"
The Demon Territory had been created by the Great Demon God, so his successor naturally should have ruled over it.
Chang Yuan's seemingly casual words betrayed his wariness toward Yang Kai, as if he feared Yang Kai might attempt to claim the Demon Lord's position.
He quickly changed the subject and introduced the others to Yang Kai: "These four are the pillars of my Demon Territory. Shelly and Meng Ge you've already met—this is Gou Qiong, and this is Ba He."
As he spoke, he pointed to the other two.
Ba He gave Yang Kai a slight nod. This Demon General was someone Yang Kai had only heard about but had never interacted with before.
It was Gou Qiong who drew Yang Kai's extra attention.