Heifeng woke up to find two people beside him: Ye Changfeng and Fu Zimo.
He jumped up in alarm, checking if he was intact. Fortunately, everything was in place.
He couldn't fathom how they had ended up there. He distinctly remembered not drinking, nor being confused.
Had they snuck into his bed while he was asleep?
Thinking this, he cast a look of disdain and disgust, quickly got out of bed, opened the door, and stepped out.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw two figures standing by the door. It was Zhu Yan and Gui Ye.
Gui Ye, in a rare moment of speech, spoke with a strange tone, "Why are you up so early? Did you not sleep well?"
Heifeng frowned immediately, a thousand thoughts of "Who am I? Where am I?" flashing through his mind.
Zhu Yan, seeing his stunned expression, knew he had misunderstood. He chuckled and advised Gui Ye,
"Don't scare him. Just tell him the truth."
Gui Ye smiled slightly and told him the supposed truth.
"After everyone left last night, the four of us brothers were drinking and having fun in the training grounds. By the time we returned, it was late.
As we passed your room, my elder brother thought he'd check on you, so he went in with Zimo. Who knew they wouldn't come out? It seems they were too tired. The moment they saw the bed, they fell asleep."
Heifeng's suspended heart finally settled. Then, he became puzzled again, "So, you stood outside my door all night?"
Gui Ye nodded.
He felt a headache coming on and a surge of speechlessness. However, out of goodwill, he invited them into his room to sleep.
"You've been standing all night, and all ten of you must be tired. If you don't mind, come into my room and sleep."
Zhu Yan hesitated for a moment and asked, "Is that really okay?"
Heifeng pointed to the two corpses lying on the bed and said, "There are already two people here. We don't mind two more. Come and get some rest."
Gui Ye and Zhu Yan still seemed hesitant. Heifeng proactively stepped forward, pulled them into the room, and closed the door. He then called out from inside,
"Sleep soundly. I'll let you know if anything happens."
Seeing his enthusiasm, Gui Ye and Zhu Yan no longer refused. They walked to the bed and lay down with their elder brother and fourth brother.
Heifeng smiled slightly, feeling much more at ease. He also envied Ye Changfeng for finding such loyal brothers, willing to stay by his side rather than leave. If only he could have such good brothers.
Thinking this, he felt a pang of sadness. He unconsciously looked up at the sky, which was clear and cloudless, a stark contrast to his mood.
In the vast blue sky, he suddenly saw Mu Ye's face, Liu Shinian's face, and Xue Gucheng's face. He recalled the hardships they had endured together and how gently Liu Shinian had treated him, offering him encouragement.
He realized his good brothers were right beside him, no worse than Ye Changfeng.
"Heifeng, what are you doing?"
A call pulled him back to reality. Turning around, he saw Liu Shinian standing before him.
His emotions surged, and he rushed forward with a smile, embracing Liu Shinian tightly.
Although Liu Shinian was a little confused, he didn't push him away. Instead, he let Heifeng express his emotions.
After a moment, Heifeng reluctantly let go, smiled sheepishly, and explained to Liu Shinian, "You're a timely rain. I was just thinking of you, and you appeared."
Liu Shinian didn't know what Heifeng had been thinking about, but he could tell that Heifeng had been reminiscing about many past events and their shared moments.
"It's no wonder. Who told me I'm so charming and handsome? Everyone, men and women alike, falls under my charm, hahaha."
He suddenly felt proud. After his excitement, he told Heifeng the purpose of his visit.
"By the way, your uncle sent someone with a letter and a long crimson box. I have the letter here."
He took out the letter from his embrace and handed it to Heifeng. Heifeng took it and opened it. Inside, it read:
"I had my doubts about your words before, but now that you have captured Nanhai City with the Myriad Demon King, I see hope.
Uncle knows that your journey ahead will be a direct confrontation with the four cities until all of them are conquered. Uncle has also learned that the Myriad Demon King still lacks a suitable weapon.
Therefore, I have specially retrieved a treasure preserved by our Ji clan for a thousand years and presented it to the Demon King, wishing you victory in your northward campaign."
Reading this letter, Heifeng's heart filled with excitement. He quickly asked Liu Shinian, "Where are the things my uncle brought?"
"Ahead, on the way here."
"Take me there quickly."
"Alright."
Liu Shinian led the way, with Heifeng following behind. They traversed the vast courtyard and passed by the ten-mile red walls, finally seeing their uncle's attendant, Gui He, also known as Tong'er, returning with the treasure box.
"Tong'er," Heifeng called out first, unable to suppress his excitement.
Upon seeing his young master, Tong'er was also extremely excited and called out, "Young master, I'm here."
The two met, and Heifeng excitedly caressed the crimson treasure box in Tong'er's arms, asking about his uncle.
"Why didn't my uncle come himself?"
"The Mountain Lord said he had to guard the home, so he sent me to deliver it."
"Good, you've come at the perfect time. Tong'er, you've done well." He patted his shoulder, beaming.
Liu Shinian pondered beside them. Although he didn't know what was in the treasure box,
He could sense a cold and proud spiritual energy emanating from it, indicating it was a rare treasure.
Heifeng took the box and invited Tong'er to his residence. Seeing that Heifeng had no intention of introducing him, Liu Shinian spoke up, mentioning Heifeng.
"Heifeng, why don't you introduce me?"
Heifeng chuckled, finally remembering Liu Shinian beside him, and was about to introduce him to Tong'er.
However, Tong'er spoke first, "I recognize you. You were once the number one swordsman in the world. Your name is Liu Shinian."
Liu Shinian's lips curved slightly. He walked over to Tong'er and smiled, "Not bad. You actually know me."
Tong'er said with sincerity,
"Black Mountain is full of experts. Everything good and bad eventually becomes the Demon King's subordinate. This shows how powerful the Demon King is."
Liu Shinian laughed heartily and reached out to pat his head. Tong'er dodged him in alarm,
"The Mountain Lord said that patting a child's head stunts their growth."
Liu Shinian burst into laughter again, finding the little boy incredibly adorable.
Meanwhile, in the Huixin Hall, located beside the main hall, Lin'er, after writing the challenge letter, urgently summoned Thirteen Niang and Xue Ruyi, who had long been hiding his true abilities.
Shortly after, a wisp of black smoke arrived, landing beside Lin'er and transforming into human form – it was Xue Ruyi. He was as he was when they first met, not revealing his true face, still wearing a half-mask.
He knelt down and asked, "Elder, what is the matter for summoning me?"
"You may rise first. I will speak to both of you once Thirteen Niang arrives."
"Yes."
A moment later, Thirteen Niang also arrived in a hurry. Upon entering the hall, she saw Lin'er and Xue Ruyi.
"You're here," Lin'er said.
"Elder, what is the reason you summoned me?"
"I have a task for you to undertake."
He took out the written challenge letter, placed it in an envelope, and continued,
"This time, we will attack Dongyue Town. I want you to pretend to deliver a message, infiltrate Dongyue Town with a portion of our men, await the signal, and then open the city gates from within to let our army in."
Thirteen Niang nodded. This tactic was familiar to her.
He then turned to Xue Ruyi and said, "This time, you will cooperate with Thirteen Niang. Act as an inside informant and adapt to the situation."
"Yes."
Afterward, he handed the letter to Thirteen Niang and said earnestly, "You will depart tomorrow. Once you are out, select your men."
"Yes."
"Alright, you may go. Be careful with everything."
"Yes."
After Thirteen Niang and Xue Ruyi left, Lin'er breathed a sigh of relief. Although Dongyue Town was not as powerful as the other three cities,
a frontal assault could easily capture it. Even so, they could not afford to be careless; they had to achieve the greatest benefit with the minimal loss.
That night, Lin'er rushed to my sleeping quarters and told me about the matter.
"Demon King, I have handled the task you assigned. They will depart early tomorrow morning."
"Good. Let's give them a surprise attack."
"The day after tomorrow is the Refugee Festival. The lord of Dongyue Town will surely anticipate our attack that day and will strengthen its defenses."
I thought for a moment and then said, "Send the main army to Dongyue Town overnight. We will attack the city at dawn."
"The Demon King wants them to strike suddenly during a moment of tension and relaxation."
"Precisely."
"As expected of the Demon King. When it comes to intelligence and strategy, I am truly inferior."
I stood up, patted his shoulder, and smiled.
"Don't be so modest. Your intelligence and strategy are far superior to mine. If you had read 'The Thirty-Six Stratagems' and 'The Art of War,' you would be truly invincible."
He murmured in confusion, "'The Thirty-Six Stratagems'? 'The Art of War'?"
"Don't think too much about it. Start making preparations."
"Alright."
"Go and rest. Tomorrow morning, summon Liu Shinian and the others to discuss the attack strategy."
"Yes."
The next morning, the runaway attendant spread the elder's words throughout the entire Nanhai Royal Palace. Although the specifics were not revealed, everyone knew that a forward movement was imminent.
Thus, they gradually entered the main hall, waiting anxiously.
Accompanied by Qiuyu, I leisurely arrived at the entrance of the main hall. As I entered, everyone fell into an unusual silence.
Looks of confusion and certainty, like a scorching lightning bolt, fell upon me simultaneously.
The moment I ascended the throne, I spoke my first words in the silent atmosphere.
"Now that Nanhai City is pacified and stable, it is time for us to advance forward."
I paused and continued,
"The elder and I have discussed with several elders. We have decided to attack Dongyue Town in three days. Prepare yourselves starting today, and await my command to march."
Upon hearing this, those who had been on edge relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief.
Then, they responded with excited cheers, "Yes!"
Seeing that the time was ripe, Heifeng stepped out from the crowd and spoke at the forefront.
"Demon King, I've noticed you haven't had a suitable weapon for a long time. My ancestors had a divine weapon that would be very fitting for you."
"A divine weapon?" I didn't expect this young man to be so well-off.
"Bring it forth!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a child with a bun hairstyle, wearing gray clothes, looking no older than fifteen or sixteen, entered the hall carrying a long crimson wooden box. Everyone parted to let him pass.
He reached Heifeng, who took the treasure box and, amidst the confused and curious gazes of everyone, slowly opened it.
Instantly, a cold current surged out, and a white light flashed, blinding everyone's eyes.
A moment later, everyone recovered and was awestruck by this divine weapon, crowding around to get a closer look.
They saw a sword with a smooth and bright blade, covered in a thin layer of frost. A lifelike silver dragon was engraved in the middle of the blade.
The sword hilt was wrapped in a tough brown bark, which, judging by its flexibility, seemed to be thousand-year-old willow bark.
Heifeng tore off the bark, revealing two large characters engraved beneath the silver-iron hilt.
"Dragon's Roar."
Upon seeing the words "Dragon's Roar," Lin'er immediately recalled the legend of the Dragon's Roar Sword, lost in the fires of war. He was both surprised and excited, and then asked,
"This, this isn't the legendary Dragon's Roar Sword, is it?"
"Precisely!"
Upon receiving Heifeng's affirmative answer, a surge of warmth coursed through his heart. The people beside him were also shocked, while I remained bewildered.
Ye Changfeng asked with confusion, "Legend says the Dragon's Roar Sword was lost in the war between realms ten thousand years ago, and its whereabouts are unknown. How did it end up with you?"
Ye Changfeng voiced the question on everyone's mind.
Heifeng explained,
"To be honest, I heard from my uncle about the origin of this sword. Our ancestors were once dominant demons.
However, by my generation, we have declined. This sword was a gift from a friend to my ancestor when he was traveling.
But after my ancestor brought the sword back, he sealed it in an ice cave.
During my last visit to my uncle, he mentioned the Dragon's Roar Sword, saying it should have its rightful owner.
And since my uncle believes the Demon King carries a heavy mission and has a long way to go, this sword is a perfect match for the Demon King."
I gazed at the Dragon's Roar Sword, lost in thought.
Lin'er added, "The previous wielder of the Dragon's Roar Sword was the great general of the divine race, the Crimson Flame Dragon King. I've heard he was an extremely formidable individual."
Hearing this, my heart stirred with excitement. I unconsciously stepped down from the steps and walked to Heifeng's side. To everyone's astonishment, I picked up the sword.
Instantly, it seemed as if a silver-white dragon appeared before my eyes. I softly asked, "Is it you?"
Then, the illusion vanished, and I returned to reality. Looking down, the Dragon's Roar Sword was already in my hand.
Heifeng was overjoyed and shouted, "It's true! The Dragon's Roar Sword's rightful owner is the Demon King."
Following Heifeng's excited shouts, everyone else also cast approving glances. I raised the sword and examined it closely. Since it had chosen me, I would not fail it.
However, images seemed to flood my mind. In the white light, I vaguely saw a tall figure.
He wore crimson armor, and a bright red cape fluttered in the wind. He stood with his back to me and then gave a thumbs-up.
I, I have been affirmed.
Blood Blade Dragon's Roar Sword:
An ancient divine artifact. Its previous wielder was the great general of the divine race, the Crimson Flame Dragon King.
Legend has it that during the war between realms ten thousand years ago, the Crimson Flame Dragon King fought against Ye Yu Cheng Wang, known as the Western Heavenly Lord.
Unfortunately, his right arm was severed, and along with the Dragon's Roar Sword, it fell into the chaotic waters, disappearing from the world.
It was not until a thousand years later that it was picked up by a woodcutter and later fell into the hands of Heifeng's ancestor.
The Dragon's Roar Sword can unleash immense damage, and its ultimate move is Dragon's Roar Cry.
Due to its bloodthirsty nature and the countless lives it has taken, it is also known as the Ghost Sword, ranking third on the list of the Ten Great Demonic Artifacts, with a terror index of ★★★★★.