The succubus’s power was the strongest among the three, and her speed was naturally the fastest.
After a pursuit lasting nearly the time it takes an incense stick to burn, she was the first to spot Xu Yi and Ji Buwang.
Upon seeing Ji Buwang’s back, her eyes flickered, and she lightly licked her lower lip with her red tongue.
Such a delicious back, it was her type.
She decided she wanted this demon.
Having decided to spare the male demon’s life, the succubus shifted her gaze to the other female demon.
She would use this female demon to deal with the Earth Demon.
The succubus flipped her wrist, and the Bewitching Sound Flute landed in her hand.
"Yee~"
"Mmm!"
As the flute's melody began, Xu Yi’s legs weakened, and her body uncontrollably lunged forward, only to be caught by Ji Buwang’s quick grasp.
"Calm your heart!"
Ji Buwang roared, then cast a Heart-Calming Spell on Xu Yi.
Xu Yi’s muddled mind immediately cleared, and a sheen of cold sweat broke out on her back.
Behind them was a Great Demon at the Tribulation Crossing stage.
Xu Yi instantly realized the gravity of the situation, and felt a strange sense of unease.
How had the other party arrived so quickly?
It was as if they had been lying in wait for them nearby.
And also…
She glanced at Ji Buwang, whose expression was solemn. Even she had suffered a setback, yet Ji Buwang remained completely unaffected. She understood perfectly what this implied.
Was he truly Elder Qingfeng’s disciple?
Or did he have some other, unspeakable identity?
In the face of imminent danger, this thought flashed through Xu Yi’s mind and vanished.
The most important thing now was to escape the demons’ pursuit.
Facing a Great Demon at the Tribulation Crossing stage, she had only one trump card that could barely contend with it.
"Go."
Xu Yi gathered her spiritual power in her palm.
Balls of scorching fire erupted from her palm.
The succubus's eyes changed. Green flames?
This was… Earth Heart Green Flame!
The surging heatwave that washed over her further confirmed her suspicion.
She thought to herself, how could this be? How could Earth Heart Green Flame exist within the boundaries of Zhuzhou?
Where did this female demon emerge from, to possess an exotic flame?
She poured her demonic power into the Bewitching Sound Flute, its melody growing increasingly sharp.
The Earth Heart Green Flame, which had been flying rapidly through the air, began to slow.
The succubus dared not be careless. Using the flute's melody, she guided the Earth Heart Green Flame away from her, a sinister smile curling on her lips.
The Earth Heart Green Flame gave even her a headache. She wondered if the other two Demon Lords could withstand this gift.
By the time she finished dealing with the Earth Heart Green Flame, the two demons had vanished.
"Damn it!"
…
"Did we shake them off?"
Xu Yi asked, applying Concealment Talismans to both of them.
"Yes."
Ji Buwang withdrew his spiritual sense and replied.
This was the first time Xu Yi had used her Earth Heart Green Flame, and the Great Demon had been caught off guard, momentarily held back. Otherwise, escaping would have been several times more troublesome.
Ji Buwang looked up, about to speak to Xu Yi, when he noticed her scrutinizing him with an unfamiliar gaze. The probing in her eyes sent a chill down his spine.
He immediately understood that his previous actions had once again aroused Xu Yi’s suspicion.
In truth, his actions had been instinctive, unlike before when he had to consider everything carefully before acting. Exposure was only a matter of time.
After all, Xu Yi was never someone with a shallow mind.
"Lu Zaiye…"
"Once we leave Zhuzhou, I will tell you everything you wish to know, without the slightest deception."
Ji Buwang looked into Xu Yi's eyes and said earnestly.
He had planned to confess to Xu Yi earlier but hadn't found a suitable opportunity. This time, he wouldn't delay any further.
Xu Yi blinked, then gave a helpless smile.
"Alright, but actually, I was just about to tell you that your hair was accidentally singed a little by my Earth Heart Green Flame."
Xu Yi hadn't expected Ji Buwang to confess his true feelings so readily.
This was good; it meant the matter wouldn't leave a knot in her heart.
Ji Buwang looked stiffly at the loose strands of hair in front of his chest.
Indeed, the ends of his hair were slightly curled.
So that was what Xu Yi had been looking at.
Ji Buwang felt a sense of helplessness, as if he had lifted a rock only to drop it on his own foot.
Feeling he had done something foolish, he was unusually taciturn on the way back.
Xu Yi, preoccupied with guessing Ji Buwang's identity, paid no mind to his expression.
Upon rejoining Xiong Zhuangzhuang and the others who had been hiding, they were startled by the oppressive aura emanating from Ji Buwang.
Even Bai Shan, usually the most boisterous, kept his mouth shut, not daring to speak, and quietly moved to Ji Buwang's other side, afraid of being captured and used as a vent for his anger.
"Lu Zaiye and I were discovered by demons just now. They sent several Demon Lords to hunt us, one of whom was a female demon skilled in sound attacks, and extremely powerful, likely a Great Demon at the Tribulation Crossing stage."
Xu Yi quickly recounted her experience, her expression still betraying a hint of lingering fear.
Her adventurous actions this time had indeed been somewhat impulsive.
The success of the previous two encounters had made her unconsciously underestimate those demons; now she knew their terrifying nature.
"Although demons often kill each other, they obey their Demon Lords' commands without question. Since that summoning talisman was issued, demons have been responding continuously."
Xu Yi's words reminded everyone of the records from a thousand years ago concerning the righteous-demonic war.
Besides cultivating through demonic energy, demons could also enhance their demonic energy by devouring the flesh and blood of humans.
Back then, during the war against the demons, not a single cultivator who fell to the demons returned alive.
And after the demons consumed the flesh and blood of human cultivators, their strength would greatly increase.
Therefore, although the demon race was not as numerous as humans, their rapid cultivation method was a great headache for human cultivators.
Coupled with the demons' absolute unity under the command of their Demon King, forming a solid front, this allowed the righteous-demonic war to last for nearly a thousand years.
"The Demon King signed a peace treaty with Immortal Jinghong back then, and they ascended together. Without his command, the demon race has been relatively well-behaved for the past thousand years. Recently, has a new Demon King been born, prompting the demons to consider returning to the Nine Provinces Continent?"
Xiong Zhuangzhuang suddenly voiced his confusion.
"A new Demon King?"
Everyone exchanged glances, finding his suspicion not entirely impossible.
Without a Demon King, the demon race was a scattered mess.
But with a Demon King, they would unite and exhibit astonishing combat power.
"Then we can focus our subsequent investigations on the Demon Lords," Bei Xinghan suggested.
"Yes, there were originally eighteen Demon Lords. We killed one, leaving seventeen. Among these Demon Lords, the top three are most likely to become the Demon King."
"The top three Demon Lords are the Heavenly Demon, the Earth Demon, and the Succubus."
"The Succubus?" Xu Yi's thoughts stirred. "The female demon I encountered just now is very likely the Succubus. She can be ruled out."
Although the succubus had profound cultivation, she was still a certain distance from becoming the Demon King.
"If it wasn't her, then it can only be the legendary Heavenly Demon and Earth Demon!"