The eight distinct faces were all sinister and brutal, their narrow pupils fixed coldly on Xu Lai.

The once cloudless sky suddenly became overcast with dense clouds as thunder boomed and lightning flashed.

CRACK!

A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, its silvery glow illuminating the monstrous figure—a truly terrifying sight to behold.

"The Demon King is enraged!"

Whether they were Sea Demons from Sakura Country or local ones, they all shuddered in fear. Many Sea Demons dove straight to the seabed, trying to escape the terrifying pressure. But even from two hundred meters below the surface, they could still vaguely see that gigantic serpentine tail.

Even the Demon King Yuan Man was now hovering a hundred meters in the air, keeping her distance from Orochi. She knew he was a madman through and through.

What a shame for Xu Lai, such a handsome human. If she could, she would have loved to make him one of her conquests. But one should never, ever provoke Orochi.

Yuan Man was certain that Xu Lai would die in these waters today. As for herself, she chose to watch from the sidelines and let Orochi owe her a favor.

"Beibei, what are you doing holding that leopard? Come over here quickly, you don't want to get splashed with blood."

Yuan Man looked toward Beibei. She didn't recognize the Phantom Beast, nor did she know that this creature—which Xu Lai had merely frightened into unconsciousness—possessed enough combat power to devastate half a star system.

"Tch."

Beibei spat out a mouthful of seawater. She ignored the Demon King, her expression dark with displeasure. The blade of her Sword was blunted from the impact, yet she hadn't managed to leave a single scratch on the Phantom Beast.

What kind of defense is this? It's absolutely horrifying!

***

Meanwhile, Orochi's voice thundered, its eight heads roaring in unison, "Xu Lai, do you have any last words before you die!"

"Can't be eaten..." Xu Lai mumbled, his brow furrowing and then relaxing as he occasionally shook his head in confusion.

A cold sneer formed in Orochi's heart. Is he scared already? So scared that he's started babbling nonsense!

"What do you mean, 'can't be eaten'?" Orochi's heads swooped low, their large, verdant pupils enough to terrify any person or monster who laid eyes on them.

"I just asked The Seventh Divine General," Xu Lai said with some disappointment. "You can't be eaten."

The atmosphere froze for a moment.

Yuan Man sucked in a sharp breath. Eat the Demon King? The nerve of this man!

Orochi's maws split into horrific grins. "You must have been frightened out of your wits by me! But you will die by my hand soon enough, so it doesn't matter if you're senseless or not. One human head isn't enough to avenge my two disciples. I hear you have a wife and daughter. I'll take them as well..."

Before Orochi could finish, Xu Lai pointed a finger.

A crimson rain of blood and viscera fell from the sky as the monster's massive body simply exploded, the stench of gore carried by the wind for over a hundred kilometers.

The assembled Sea Demons swallowed hard, their gazes fixed on Xu Lai as if he were a Demon God.

Yuan Man was especially horrified. Horror was written all over her beautiful face. She was well aware of Orochi's strength, which was enough to dominate small, remote countries. Yet he had died so casually... It was simply unbelievable.

But what made Yuan Man even more bitter was that Xu Lai had completely ignored her—a Demon King, one of the strongest beings present—and walked straight over to Beibei. "It's time to go home."

"Oh." Only then did Beibei reluctantly put away her blunted Sword, giving the Phantom Beast's head a forceful kick.

"Senior, please wait," Yuan Man said, mustering her courage.

"Do you intend to avenge that snake?" Xu Lai asked indifferently.

The single question sent goosebumps erupting across Yuan Man's skin. She hurriedly denied it. "Senior, you've misunderstood. I am Yuan Man, the Demon King of Sea City in the East Sea. I wish to invite you to my humble abode to extend my hospitality."

As she spoke, she lifted her face, her features blooming into an exquisitely charming smile, like a flower waiting to be plucked. Yuan Man was quite confident in her beauty. Even a peerless expert who could annihilate Orochi with a single finger couldn't possibly ignore the advances of a Demon King... especially one offering her devotion.

In an instant, she had already envisioned herself, with Xu Lai's help, sweeping through the other Sea Cities to become the true overlord of these waters. Her smile grew even more radiant at the thought.

After all, among the Demon Race, it was perfectly normal to cling to the strong to survive.

However, Xu Lai's refusal was blunt. "Not interested."

Yuan Man's smile froze. An extremely awkward silence descended upon the scene.

It was Beibei who broke the awkward silence. "Xu Lai, is Mount Zijin still dangerous?"

Mount Zijin was an illusory realm created by the Phantom Beast. If the Phantom Beast were to die, the illusion would naturally collapse, and all life within it would perish.

Xu Lai's gaze pierced through the illusion, settling on the few humans within.

"Well, since our paths have crossed, it must be fate. I shall grant you all a fortuitous opportunity."

As Xu Lai's Divine Sense swept out, the Golden Core burst forth from the unconscious Phantom Beast at his feet. It hovered in the air, radiating a brilliant light.

He crushed the Golden Core in his hand. Countless threads of golden light streamed out and merged with Mount Zijin.

From that day forward, Mount Zijin was no longer an illusory realm but a true forbidden land, filled with both opportunities and dangers, as well as heavenly materials and earthly treasures. The only thing missing was the Phantom Beast. Furthermore, its opening time changed from once every hundred years to once every ten years.

***

Aboard a yacht three hundred miles away, the two Ninth Grade Martial Ancestors, Bai Ke and Ji Jing, had already left after Ji Qingshan and the other human Martial Artists entered Mount Zijin. Suddenly, a terrifying pressure erupted from the direction of the forbidden land, causing their expressions to change abruptly.

"What's happening?" Ji Jing gasped. "Could it be... a battle between the two Demon Kings?"

A short while later, a torrential rain of blood began to fall from the sky. Even though they were a great distance away, Bai Ke spoke in a low, urgent voice, "We need to go. Back to shore, now!"

No matter what was happening—be it internal strife among the Demon Kings or some change within the forbidden land of Mount Zijin—it was far beyond what two Ninth Grade Martial Ancestors like them could influence or resolve. Their only priority now was to protect themselves. The rest would be up to the fate of Ji Qingshan and the other Martial Artists.

***

「Back in Haitang Court」

Xu Lai was sharpening a knife, his intentions toward the Phantom Beast menacingly clear.

The beast had awakened and was struggling violently. But with its Golden Core shattered, it had no fighting power left and was effortlessly pinned under Beibei's foot.

"Don't kill me, please don't!" the Phantom Beast sobbed, kneeling on the ground and repeatedly kowtowing as it begged for mercy. "The Supreme Emperor, please spare me! I swear I'll leave Earth and never return!"

Fortunately, Ruan Tang and Yiyi were out, leaving only a round creature at home nibbling on Purple Bamboo. Otherwise, the sight of a "leopard" kneeling on the ground would have been quite a shock.

"Xu Lai, you can't go soft on it!" Beibei said anxiously. "This is the one responsible for Ah Zi's death! You have to kill it to avenge the Princess!"

Xu Lai curled his lip. "Do you take me for a fool? I haven't eaten Phantom Beast in twenty thousand years."

SCRAPE... SCRAPE...

As Xu Lai continued to sharpen his knife, the Phantom Beast stammered out in a trembling voice, "The Supreme Emperor, if you spare me, I'll reveal the hiding places of the other Phantom Beasts! There are two of them... no, three!"

"I can just search your soul," Xu Lai mused. "Three of them... That should last me a while."

Despair flooded the Phantom Beast's heart. It hesitated for a long moment before finally bellowing, "I also know a world-shaking secret!"

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