The Earth Demon lowered his head, not speaking, concealing the fierce surge of unwillingness in his eyes.
The Sky Demon paid no attention to his reaction.
The overall situation was paramount; temporary gains and losses were insignificant.
"You may go. Keep your people in check during this period. The righteous factions should be making significant moves soon."
"Yes."
The Earth Demon acknowledged with a lowered head and turned to leave decisively.
His heavy footsteps left deep imprints on the ground.
The Sky Demon frowned but ultimately said nothing.
After leaving the Sky Demon, the Earth Demon did not return to his own residence but went to a great hall a thousand li away.
"Hmph."
"What's wrong? Such a temper. Did the plan not go smoothly?"
The Succubus swayed her supple waist and gracefully emerged from the hall. She then leaned provocatively against the Earth Demon, her fingers toying with his collar.
If the other demons of the Demon Race saw this scene, many jaws would drop in astonishment.
It was truly incredible that the Succubus, who only used her charm to kill, would also have such a compliant side.
The Earth Demon caught the Succubus's mischievous hand and said coldly, "Not only did it fail, but I was also toyed with by Xu Yi. It's a grave humiliation!"
Upon hearing Xu Yi's name, the smile on the Succubus's face faded.
"It's her again. We should have eliminated her when she came to Zhuzhou!"
The Succubus recalled those perfect physiques, her tongue lightly tracing her palate, her eyes revealing a look of covetousness.
She had been so close to taking the other party...
Thinking of this, the Succubus shivered and suddenly looked down at her right arm.
The skin, as lustrous as jade, was a strange, sickly white.
There was a clear difference compared to the rest of her body.
She bit her lower lip, fear and resentment flashing in her eyes.
On that day, if she hadn't made a decisive move, she would have died at the hands of that exceptionally beautiful sword cultivator.
However, she had paid the price of an arm.
Now, this newly grown arm, while appearing no different, felt a distinct blockage whenever she circulated her demonic power, causing her strength to plummet by nearly thirty percent.
"Didn't I think the same? If the Sky Demon hadn't been indecisive, how could this have happened! Perhaps the demon army would have already flattened the Kyushu Continent, and we wouldn't be here enduring such humiliation!"
Mentioning this, the Earth Demon became even more indignant.
It was precisely because they let Xu Yi escape that so much trouble ensued.
The root cause was the Sky Demon's refusal to order him to take action personally.
Clearly, the Sky Demon had made the wrong decision, yet the consequences had to be borne by him.
The Earth Demon's eyes seemed about to spew fire.
"Alright, after all, the Sky Demon is the leader of the Eighteen Demon Lords and a confidant of the Demon King. We can only follow orders."
The Succubus suppressed her chaotic thoughts, gently pacified the Earth Demon, but a hint of absentmindedness flashed across her face.
If it weren't for that accident that caused her cultivation to decline, she wouldn't bother with the Earth Demon.
The Earth Demon possessed great strength, but his mind was narrow, and he was impulsive and irritable, making him an unsuitable partner.
However, the Succubus had no better option.
She disdained the weaker among the Eighteen Demon Lords, and those who caught her eye were difficult to control.
Only the Earth Demon could ensure her position remained unshakeable, so she didn't mind dealing with him insincerely.
After all, the Earth Demon only desired her body and needed someone to confide in, while she needed a protector.
They were simply taking what they needed.
"The leader of the Eighteen Demon Lords? Hmph, sooner or later, that position will be mine." The Earth Demon said through gritted teeth.
Hearing this, the Succubus chuckled softly, inwardly cursing him as a fool.
Let alone the Sky Demon's unfathomable demonic power, he was the only one who could directly communicate with the Demon King.
As long as the Demon King offered even a few casual pointers, the remaining seventeen Demon Lords, even combined, would not be the Sky Demon's match.
What could the Earth Demon possibly use to contend with the Sky Demon?
Was it blind arrogance?
"You don't believe me."
The Earth Demon, seemingly sensing the disdain in the Succubus's laughter, changed his expression. His hand shot out like lightning, tightly gripping the Succubus's beautiful neck.
*Crack!*
The crisp sound of bone cracking echoed in the Succubus's ears.
The Succubus narrowed her eyes, a pained expression appearing on her face.
She said haltingly, "I... I didn't..."
The Succubus inwardly chided herself for being careless. While the Earth Demon was a fool, he was a fool with power.
She shouldn't have provoked him.
She quickly adjusted her posture, lowering her head subserviently, feigning submission.
The Earth Demon held her by the neck, pulled her in front of him, and coldly warned.
"Don't let me hear you mention the Sky Demon's name again, or I'll pull out your tongue and serve it as an appetizer."
"Yes."
The Earth Demon released his grip. The Succubus coughed twice and leaned back into the Earth Demon's embrace, her smile flirtatious, no longer daring to show any hint of abnormality.
...
"Study diligently. I will check on you at any time. I am your teacher today, and I will be your teacher for life. Do not think about slacking off."
Outside the gates of the Xuanji Sect, Teacher Li spoke sternly, his face set.
Xu Yi, standing before him, dared not retort and naturally agreed repeatedly.
Teacher Li nodded with reluctant satisfaction, then mumbled with his head bowed, "Comparing people makes one furious."
Xu Yi, with her sharp ears, almost burst out laughing upon hearing this.
Teacher Li's words were not directed at her but at Sect Leader Po Jun of the Daqi Sect, who had led his sect away shortly after the sect grand ceremony.
And the reason for Sect Leader Po Jun's hasty departure was none other than the Teacher Li standing before them.
Teacher Li had always been quite interested in the Daqi Sect. This time, seizing the opportunity, he brought Sect Leader Po Jun before him and posed several challenging questions for rigorous examination.
Sect Leader Po Jun rarely encountered people who dared to speak to him in such a tone.
Yet, this was precisely the person he could not afford to offend.
He could only respond with a grimace, racking his brain to answer the various questions posed by Teacher Li.
Three to five days later, Sect Leader Po Jun could no longer bear the pressure. Taking advantage of Teacher Li's rest, he quickly led his disciples and departed.
Despite Xu Yi and Elder Qing Feng's repeated and enthusiastic attempts to persuade him, they couldn't dissuade him from wanting to leave.
Later, when Teacher Li learned of the situation, he almost rushed to the Daqi Sect to complete the unfinished examination. He was only dissuaded by several other teachers, who eventually convinced him to give up reluctantly.
Therefore, he now looked upon Xu Yi with a bit more favor.
At least Xu Yi's attitude towards cultivation was commendable.
"If you encounter any problems, feel free to write to us anytime," Teacher Yuwen admonished gently.
"Don't worry, teachers. Even if you don't say it, I will actively trouble you," Xu Yi replied with a feigned shy smile.
"Tsk." Teacher Li let out a scoff from the side.
Teacher Lian shot Teacher Li a glare, then pulled Xu Yi aside and stuffed her with many recently refined pills.
"I know you have a heavy burden, but don't forget to diligently refine pills."
Xu Yi accepted the pills, thanked him repeatedly, and made assurances, finally coaxing Teacher Lian into a smile.
Afterward, the remaining teachers also came forward one by one to encourage Xu Yi.
Liu Yin smiled and said, "The Dean has been unaccounted for during this period. I'll notify you when there's any news."
Xu Yi thanked them one by one and finally watched the teachers from Kunlun Academy leave together with Ji Buwang.