With Li Changkong and Sun Sun—two legendary Demon Sovereign–realm masters—joining the fray, the Demon clans of East Yao Prefecture roared with renewed courage. Names carried weight, and these two were [N O V E L I G H T] fabled heroes whose presence alone shifted the tide.
Ye Yu arched an eyebrow and murmured, “Looks like you don’t need to call for help after all. You can handle this yourself.”
Bai Qingsong nodded excitedly. He had never imagined things would unfold so miraculously. According to every demonic-hero chronicle, he was undoubtedly the “child of destiny”—always saved from the brink of disaster. If not the fated one, then who?
Yet his expression shifted in an instant. Though Li Changkong and Sun Sun held the rebel host at bay, Demon Lord Nie Wang still stood below the wall! Li Changkong’s words had been clear: “We can help you stop the rebels, but the contest for Demon Lord is yours to decide.” In the Demon Realm, a lord’s personal strength mattered most; only a powerful ruler commanded loyalty. Weak ones were scorned.
Bai Qingsong knew his own limits. Had he been supremely confident, he would have thrown himself at Nie Wang rather than dispatch countless assassins. Yet here he was, forced into a duel in front of all the demons. If he fought honestly, he would surely die.
His only hope rested on Ye Yu. “Nie Wang slew Qu Congchun—his power is immense. I’m no match. I beg you, Big Brother, help me again. And after you slay Nie Wang, support my claim so I can rightfully ascend as Demon Lord. Please, I implore you—you’re already here!”
Ye Yu sighed inwardly. “Already here,” indeed—who could refuse that? He drew his swordless will and vanished from the battlements, descending swiftly to the courtyard.
Nie Wang squinted upward and jeered, “What’s the matter? Coward Bai, too scared to face me? You’re big talk on the walls—come down and prove it!”
A provocation—Ye Yu smirked. Bai Qingsong closed his eyes in feigned meditation. Ye Yu would not be baited. Instead, he leapt forward, his body bolstered by the demon-forging art Demon’s Convergence, and thrust out a single, crushing punch.
Nie Wang cast his aura technique, Demon King’s Wrath, but Ye Yu’s blow shattered it outright and carried him through the sky. With merciless force, Nie Wang was struck dead on the spot. The Demon Lord of Nirvana Prefecture fell, lifeless, before the assembled host.
Silence reigned. None could believe their eyes—least of all Jiao Tian’ao. Now he understood why Ye Yu was called the Demon Lord’s “older brother”: sheer, unfathomable strength.
At that moment Bai Qingsong opened his eyes as if awakened by some grand insight. “Commander Ye, that was my duel! You can’t slay him just because he disrespected me! In future, do nothing without my order, understood?”
He then bombarded Ye Yu with frantic mental pleas: “Big Brother, please don’t be angry. I only spoke of fighting in front of everyone so they’d know I’m not a coward. Otherwise no one would believe I’m worthy of the throne. Let me make it up to you later—I’ll kowtow to repay the favor!”
Ye Yu cracked a wry smile but said nothing. He understood Bai Qingsong’s predicament: a Demon Lord must appear strong or risk losing face. Yet true power required more than appearances.
Through his mind, Ye Yu sent one last message: “I’m off. When I return to the Demon Realm, train diligently and forge your own path. If you need me, I will answer.”
Bai Qingsong nodded fervently. “Big Brother, anything you need, just say the word! I’ll follow you through fire and water. But—should I kneel now, or wait for a better moment? My heart cannot rest!”
Ye Yu shook his head and turned to leave. Suddenly, a terrible pressure washed over the courtyard—an energy not of the Five Lower Realms but approaching the New Divine Realm of the Divine World.
He whirled around to see two streaks of light slam into the outer wall, collapsing the front of the Demon Lord’s Hall. Demons on the battlements fell helplessly; most managed to hover midair, for those who scaled the hall were no mere novices.
Beneath the rubble lay two towering forms drenched in blood, barely clinging to life. “Li Changkong... Sun Sun?” Bai Qingsong trembled as he spoke their names. What force could have felled two Demon Sovereigns so utterly? Could it be that mysterious woman?
A clear, icy voice then rang out: “Where is Nie Wang?”
All heads turned skyward. A woman in a purple robe floated before them like a living phantom, her gaze sweeping over the cowering crowd. Around her swirled unholy mist, turning the sky into a vision of apocalypse. A black lightning bolt rent the heavens—nothing could deny her might.
Bai Qingsong ground his teeth and sent Ye Yu a frantic mental appeal: “Big Brother, can you handle this? If not, let’s retreat—there’s no shame. I can hold the throne later!”
Ye Yu said nothing. He raised his head and called softly into the sky: “Fuxin, I have found you.”
The robed woman’s eyes glistened with tears. In a heartbeat she vanished and rematerialized before Ye Yu’s side. There, amidst the ruin, the two embraced tightly.
