When the four words “Sect Leader” ignited, every demon’s blood boiled. They erupted into cheers and shouts! Especially the younger disciples of other sects—they howled as if their voices alone could win prestige for their masters.
By contrast, the Blazing Demon Hall’s stands were eerily quiet. Ye Yu’s face remained calm—he clearly had no intention of shouting. Mo Geilian glanced around and saw only junior disciples cheering; no sect master had shouted. He reluctantly kept silent.
A’Rui ventured, “Should I shout a few words?”
Mo Geilian waved him off. “Forget it. Besides, your little voice wouldn’t carry. Even if you stood out, how could a single mouth outshout this crowd?”
A’Rui lowered his head in agreement. As a frail Heart-Demon, he could never match those brute cultivators. Even if he tried, he’d only embarrass himself.
Thus the three of the Blazing Demon Hall sat unmoving, a pure, unshakeable presence amid the tumult.
Wen Yinqing pressed his hands into empty air, signaling for silence. Then he said, “Let’s get straight to the point. I’ll open the stage—anyone wishing to step forward and accept challenges may do so now.” With that, he strode off the platform, casting a deliberate glance toward the Blazing Demon Hall.
“Huh?” Wen Yinqing thought. “Only three demons? I reserved all these seats for you, yet you send only juniors, not even the sect master?” He had heard rumors of this new sect’s strength and of their annihilation of Seven Li Tower; they certainly deserved front-row placement to show his respect—yet here they sat, discourteously understated.
Indignant, Wen Yinqing vowed to himself: if given the chance today, he would crush their arrogance and teach them the Sect Assembly was no jest.
With his departure, the arena fell silent. No one stepped forward. Why? Because no one wanted to squander such an opportunity. Each sect could send only three champions, who would face off in succession; the last one standing would earn the title of Prefecture Sect Leader. But the first to step up would endure a barrage of challenges and likely fall. Thus, truly capable sects deliberated carefully before sending their first representative.
Mo Geilian had the same plan. He explained the rules to Ye Yu and intended to wait until the last moment—then astonish everyone. Ye {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} Yu nodded, then stood, leapt from the stands, and landed at center stage. “Blazing Demon Hall—Ye Yu!” he announced softly.
Mo Geilian froze, disbelief on his face, and looked at A’Rui. “Was I unclear? It’s a disadvantage to go first! Why did he step up? Shouldn’t he wait until others have used up their energy?”
A’Rui shook his head. “You explained it, but I can’t fathom his thoughts!”
They were not alone in their bafflement. Many demons wondered why the highly touted Blazing Demon Hall would dispatch only a single late-stage Demon King Realm cultivator as their champion. Lianhua Prefecture may be small, but it still counted many Demon Emperor–level experts.
Little did they know Ye Yu had only recently reached Demon King Realm himself, and he’d trained hard for this contest to test his own theory. If proven, his future might be boundless.
Standing center stage, Ye Yu surveyed the silence and spoke, “Over thirty sects in Lianhua Prefecture—no one willing to challenge? Are you too afraid, or simply unfit?”
“A man must never say he cannot; a woman must never say she does not want to.” Even across the Six Realms, these were timeless truths. The assembled demon lords bristled.
A moment later, a hunched elder appeared on the stage. “I’m Qi Fangtian of the Demon Gathering Hall. Boy, it’s not that we can’t or won’t, but we fear defeating you too quickly! I am late-stage Demon Lord Realm, a full realm above you. To avoid accusations of bullying, I shall suppress my power to your level, thus—”
Before Qi Fangtian could finish, Ye Yu lunged in a blur and delivered a single punch. Qi Fangtian dissolved into a crimson mist, vanishing from the arena.
All this transpired in the blink of an eye. When the crowd recovered, Qi Fangtian was utterly slain. Demons gasped: Demon King killing a Demon Lord with a single blow? Though witnessed firsthand, they refused to believe it. Such an outcome defied all reason! This slight youth was no brute cultivator—how could he possess such overwhelming strength? Was he cheating?
