A mountain forest.
The proprietress was fleeing wildly, tears streaking her face.
Her eyes, once bright as stars, had lost their luster, filled with endless sorrow.
How could this have happened?
Father Emperor and Mother Empress were dead, her home was gone, and the dynasty had fallen.
Ten thousand years ago, the demon race had suffered heavy losses during their failed invasion of the Xuanling Realm. The previous Demon Lord, who was also the proprietress’s Father Emperor, had subsequently faced questioning and condemnation from various tribes and alliances, losing popular support.
Following this, treacherous individuals rebelled and assassinated the ruler, ushering in a new dynasty.
Unlike human rebellions, the demon race was far more brutal and ruthless, always eradicating threats completely, leaving no loose ends.
Because the royal bloodline was too powerful, it was inevitable that exceptional geniuses would emerge in later generations, seeking revenge upon growing up. Thus, they had always pursued a policy of complete annihilation, extending to the tenth generation of relatives.
Upon returning to the Demon Realm, the proprietress had immediately ascertained the current situation. Upon learning this news, her heart shattered.
Furthermore, her identity had been exposed.
The supporters of the new Demon Lord had launched an relentless pursuit against her.
The Desolate Ancient Soul Devouring Toad followed closely behind the proprietress, its expression grim, its eyes burning with rage.
Its tribe had been loyal supporters of the former Demon Lord, and thus had also been purged, with its entire race decimated.
Ten thousand years was a long time.
The Demon Realm had undergone a complete transformation.
They, who had once held positions of supreme authority, were now like stray dogs, hunted by others.
“Yu Chuqing, it was said you had died in the Xuanling Realm. To think you are still alive. But instead of hiding and clinging to life in the Xuanling Realm, you dare return to the Demon Realm to court death. You cannot blame us. We will surely behead you and present your head to His Majesty the Demon Lord.”
Dozens of figures pursued them relentlessly, intent on taking the lives of the proprietress and the Desolate Ancient Soul Devouring Toad.
Yu Chuqing was the proprietress’s given name. Now, in the entire Demon Realm, the proprietress was likely the only one left of the royal bloodline, the Yu family.
“Father Emperor had always treated you well. Why did you betray him?”
The proprietress gritted her teeth and questioned them. These were individuals who had been deeply trusted and valued by her father, yet now they aided the wicked and sought her head for merit.
“The strong prey on the weak, survival of the fittest! This is the law of survival in the Demon Realm. We are merely following the will of heaven. The old Demon Lord was incompetent. Only the new Demon Lord can lead our demon race to glory. Your return to the Demon Realm proves that the Gate of the Demon Realm has reopened, and soon it will be our time to sweep across the Xuanling Realm once more.”
“There will be no second Bai Di to stop us. In a short time, the Xuanling Realm will become our demon race’s hunting ground.”
The pursuers laughed wildly.
Killing Yu Chuqing would surely please the Demon Lord immensely. Perhaps, when they conquered the Xuanling Realm, their tribes would be granted fertile fiefdoms. It was an incredibly attractive prospect.
At this moment, in their eyes, the proprietress was a piece of incredibly valuable prey.
“Sweep across the Xuanling Realm? You are delusional. It won’t be long before someone sweeps across you and eradicates you completely.”
The proprietress’s face was filled with grief and indignation. The figure of Ji Mo involuntarily surfaced in her mind.
Previously, she had feared Ji Mo’s indiscriminate killing and wished to mediate. Now, she desperately wished for Ji Mo to unleash his full might and cleanse these vile beings.
“Haha, sweep across us? Then we truly look forward to it. Let’s see who is tired of living and seeks death. But you probably won’t live to see it. You will surely die today.”
The other party’s face was full of arrogance, clearly disbelieving the proprietress’s words.
“Princess, news of your return will spread quickly, and the pursuers will only increase. Only Mr. Ji can protect your safety. Go find Mr. Ji, and I will hold them off.”
The Desolate Ancient Soul Devouring Toad, seeing the pursuers drawing nearer, knew they could not escape.
It made a resolute decision to sacrifice itself to cover the proprietress’s retreat, to buy her a sliver of hope.
It roared to the sky, its body rapidly expanding, transforming into a size comparable to a small mountain.
Simultaneously, it opened its massive maw and spewed forth countless poisonous mists.
“Gua gua…”
The Desolate Ancient Soul Devouring Toad continuously roared, emitting terrifying sound waves, unleashing its most powerful divine ability, the Soul Devouring Art!
With itself as the center, a powerful mental shockwave surged towards the group of pursuers.
“Princess, hurry and go find Mr. Ji.”
It urged the proprietress to flee, knowing that its strength could not hold them off for long.
Then, it resolutely leaped high into the air, descending with the force of Mount Tai crushing down upon them.
“Listen to me, I, Yu Chuqing, swear that if you dare to harm it, as long as I am alive, I will annihilate your tribes and alliances, and slaughter all your kin.”
The proprietress knew that staying would only lead to a meaningless death.
She had to ruthlessly abandon the Desolate Ancient Soul Devouring Toad and escape alone, seizing the opportunity.
Only by staying alive could she exact revenge!
Boom!
The Desolate Ancient Soul Devouring Toad slammed heavily onto the ground, shaking the mountains and rivers, sending countless massive rocks soaring into the sky.
At the same time, it pushed the Soul Devouring Art to its limit, its spiritual energy like countless golden needles piercing the minds of all living beings present, assaulting their consciousness.
The energy in this place surged, causing continuous massive explosions, effectively blocking everyone.
The proprietress managed to escape safely, but the Desolate Ancient Soul Devouring Toad suffered greatly. Outnumbered and outmatched, its body was covered in blood, nearly beaten into a pulp.
The Desolate Ancient Soul Devouring Toad reverted to its size of a large bowl, collapsing on the ground, its tongue hanging out, a steady stream of blood flowing from its mouth, on the verge of death.
A demon with a completely black body stepped on its pale belly and said sternly, “Damn it, if it weren’t for this dead toad, Yu Chuqing wouldn’t have escaped our grasp.”
As he spoke, the demon cruelly pressed down, as if wishing to crush the Desolate Ancient Soul Devouring Toad on the spot.
“Don’t waste it. The soup made from the Desolate Ancient Soul Devouring Toad is thick and white, and very delicious.”
A demon with the head of a jackal and the body of a human grinned, drooling.
Clearly, it had eaten many of the Desolate Ancient Soul Devouring Toad’s kin to arrive at this conclusion.
“Ah…”
The Desolate Ancient Soul Devouring Toad heard this and was filled with righteous indignation, “Just you wait, every single one of you will die a terrible death. Mr. Ji will stir-fry, sauté, pan-fry, deep-fry, braise, stew, and roast all of you. He will eat you all.”
It showed no fear, believing that as long as the princess found Mr. Ji, Mr. Ji would surely avenge it in the future. With Mr. Ji’s methods, these scoundrels would have no good end.
“Let’s keep this toad for now.”
A tall and robust demon spoke. He was not afraid of the Desolate Ancient Soul Devouring Toad’s threat, nor was he afraid of any Mr. Ji.
Instead, he thought that since the Desolate Ancient Soul Devouring Toad had stayed in the Xuanling Realm for so many years, it must be very knowledgeable about the current situation there. They could interrogate it for desired intelligence, which would be beneficial for their future invasion of the Xuanling Realm.
He stated his reason for sparing the Desolate Ancient Soul Devouring Toad’s life, and the others nodded in agreement.
Afterward, they discussed the need to quickly ascertain the situation regarding the opening of the Gate of the Demon Realm and report it to the Demon Lord.
“Yes, we must act quickly. We absolutely cannot let that brute Niu Ben get ahead of us. That foolish ox is closest to the location of the Gate of the Demon Realm. We mustn’t let that fellow snatch the credit.”
They felt that time was of the essence and immediately set off towards the location of the Gate of the Demon Realm.