God-Tier Villain

Chapter 44: Chapter 44

What’s funny about that? She was certain he meant to aim her at the human race, am I not a subordinate? What else would I be? A Dao Companion? That can’t be right either.

"You are a pawn I intend to play against the human race, true."

"But in this Emperor’s eyes, you are no different from weeds by the roadside."

"Useful, I keep you, useless, I throw you away whenever I please."

"Wh... what? We... weeds!?" She froze as if lightning-struck, shame and anger flooding her face, she choked so hard her eyes rolled back.

He treats me, a Human Empress, as a weed? Outrageous! Beyond outrageous!

Soren patted her shoulder, and violent pressure roared down over her.

Lysara learned what a Demon Emperor’s ruthlessness truly meant, and how fragile a weed’s fate could be, wrapped in demonic might, she felt dropped into a ten-thousand-year glacier.

"Survive under my demonic might for the time an incense stick takes to burn, and you go free."

I wouldn’t last a fraction of that, he’s humiliating me on purpose!

The words had barely landed before she blacked out under the pressure.

Soren looked at the unconscious Empress and shook his head, so weak, he used the wait to push the Heavenly Dao Demonic Form to 31 points.

The demonic dress grew more solid, the holy aura on the form thinning to almost nothing, her eyes and bearing transformed, looser, unmistakably, wickedly enchanting.

Soren was satisfied, with her, and with Lysara’s change.

Because when Lysara came to, Deep Affection and Righteousness lit for good.

She stood staring at the horizon, her Dao Heart lost at sea.

She asked herself over and over, what do I gain by defying Soren? I will never be his match, I will never escape his grasp.

She yielded, leading an army against him had been monumentally stupid, she admitted now, she hoped he would give her the time and the chance to atone.

The change was obvious, Soren saw through it anyway, every inch of her submission was fear.

Deep Affection and Righteousness meant genuine devotion in a pure woman like Ethel, in a Lower-Tier Human Emperor like Lysara, it still left cracks, until the day it became Absolute Loyalty.

She hadn’t fully abandoned the little thoughts in the back of her mind, she would simply hesitate, and waver, before acting on them.

"Change your clothes and follow me up the mountain."

"Mm."

Soren already knew what waited at the deepest, highest point of Black Dragon Mountain, the Dragon-Suppressing Stele, and the fox cry pouring off it as that strange sonic wave.

The wave barred every race but the Ice Heaven Alluring Fox from entering, it also kept the fox clan from going deeper.

That second part was likely a built-in mechanism, warning them off before they wandered too close, approaching the stele meant serious risk.

Soren wasn’t worried, the two walked out of the palace.

Under tens of thousands of watching eyes, they accelerated into the depths of Black Dragon Mountain, one ahead of the other, dragging contrails through the air like two meteors.

The crowd stood stunned, then began to whisper.

"That Demon Emperor is going deep into the mountain."

"Demon Emperors truly are incredible, does reaching the Emperor Realm make one immune to the sonic wave?"

"No, no, in all these years, no Emperor-level expert has ever come here, the wave hits them hard too."

"You can only say Soren and that Human Empress are unaffected, not Emperors in general."

"Then how did they do it?"

"Who knows, maybe ask Ethel."

Ethel watched him vanish, and her heart went strangely hollow, the Demon Emperor is so powerful, he won’t run into trouble... right?

Her small hands curled into fists.

It took several seconds, and Jared plus a cluster of clansmen calling her name, before she snapped back with an Ah!

"You’re asking how the Demon Emperor can go deep inside?"

"The Demon Emperor is super amazing."

"He just went swish, swish, swish, like this, made a special mark, and absorbed it into his body."

"And then the sonic wave couldn’t touch him."

She mimicked his gestures as she talked, the crowd understood none of it, what they felt was... it looks super amazing.

Osmond and several fox clan elders traded glances, growing restless.

What if Soren went in and never came out? Could the clan return to the life it had before?

"Old Clan Chief, I think Soren’s trip into the depths is a gamble."

"Right, right, others might not know the terrors of Black Dragon Mountain, but we live here year-round, how could we not?"

"Our ancestors left final words and ancient teachings, every one a warning, no matter what realm we reach, never venture deep into Black Dragon Mountain."

"Which shows how terrifying the things hidden in there truly are."

"Soren is the backer behind Jared and Ethel, if he doesn’t come back..."

"Old Clan Chief, you are still our only Clan Chief!"

One after another, the elders pledged themselves.

"Mm, with your prestige propping this old man up, the Clan Chief’s seat must not fall into anyone else’s hands."

"Once I reclaim it, none of you will lack for benefits."

"For now, we pray, best if Soren stays buried in Black Dragon Mountain forever!"

"But, how do we know whether he’ll return?"

"We can’t wait forever, can we? This old man has a bold idea..."

"What idea?" One elder leaned in, eyes gone vicious, voice dropping low.

"Before he and that Empress return, we kill Jared and Ethel, and dress it up as an accident!"

"The same way we killed their parents, a hundred years ago!"

The circle of faces slowly stiffened.

"Too risky, wouldn’t it be obvious?"

"If you ask me, kill only Jared and spare Ethel, innocent as she is, she might even testify for us, prove our innocence herself!"

"Hehe, very well."

"Tonight we plan it through, he can’t die on his first day as Clan Chief, best to wait a day or two."

"Even if that Demon Emperor truly can return, it won’t be this fast!"

"We’ll all follow the Old Clan Chief! We’ll follow the Old Clan Chief!"

Osmond felt the reins back in his hands, and a cold sneer crept up his mouth. "Hmph, an outsider, a demon carrying a blood feud against us, no less, what right does he have to prop up a clansman we never approved as Clan Chief?"