Everyone in the tent heard Hei Lu's exclamation and couldn't help but look at him.
Hei Lu, on the other hand, stared intently. His dark eyes reflected the projection, his focus so intense he wished he could discern every minute curve of the blood vessels within the projected heart.
"Demon King?" Mi Mu frowned, puzzled. The Demon King held no particular significance for her, yet she sensed from Chen Yu's and Mi Ye's expressions that the words "Demon King" were far from ordinary.
As Mi Mu spoke, Mi Ye also pressed, "Is this truly the heart of a Demon King? Why do you call it a heart? It doesn't resemble a heart in any way, neither human nor orc. It only bears a slight resemblance. And this heart… it's far too large."
A heart, as vast as a castle.
If that were the case, how terrifying would the demon's true form be?
More importantly…
How could the heart of a King-level demon appear within Lan Feng City?
The demon race using a King's heart as nourishment for their monstrous creatures.
Wasn't that too extravagant?
"This is the heart," Hei Lu said, taking several deep breaths before pointing at the worm-like blood vessels in the projection. "Those are the heart's blood vessels."
"This heart before us is likely not a complete King's heart, but a product of it being segmented. That's why it appears slightly deformed."
"As for how I recognized it, you don't need to ask. Just believe what I say is enough." Hei Lu exhaled, his expression grave. The appearance of the Demon King's heart had indeed sent a cold sweat down his spine. Kings! Just like the kings of the Orc Empire and the Human Empire, they were rulers of their nations.
The demon race did have records of raising monstrous creatures. They mostly used the blood of lower-level demons for nourishment, intensifying the demonic nature and bloodlines within the creatures, allowing them to grow at an explosive rate. The Divine General Hei Lu had fused with had encountered such a situation before. The battle had been fierce and hard-fought. It was only after receiving reinforcements that the former divine soul managed to conquer that Demon King's fortress, with heavy casualties among the soldiers and generals below.
However—at that time, the divine soul's encounter was nowhere near as shocking as this.
Using a King's heart as feed.
While internally shaken, Hei Lu also perceived Mi Ye's disbelief.
"I know you're shocked."
"I am too!"
"A Demon King is already a ruler of a nation. It's hard to believe that a heart of this caliber is being used to nurture monstrous creatures. Yet, this unbelievable scene has unfolded."
"Seeing the Demon King's heart… I can now understand why monstrous creatures exhibit ancestral reversion-like phenomena. It's by relying on the King's purest blood that their bloodlines are stimulated."
"Boss, this is a disaster!" Hei Lu muttered, suddenly looking sideways, his eyes filled with an overwhelming seriousness.
Chen Yu remained silent. However, Hei Lu's words kept echoing in his mind.
Ruler of a nation.
The scene before them implied that the demon race had experienced intense warfare, with a Demon King falling. His heart had become a trophy for the victorious faction, used to nurture monstrous creatures to attack other nations.
He wasn't surprised by the heart's enormous size. If hundreds of meters tall cave giants could be seen, then a castle-sized heart was hardly astonishing. Compared to these matters, Chen Yu was more concerned about the background in the projection. He felt a sense of déjà vu.
"Hei Lu, don't you think we've seen this scene somewhere before?" Chen Yu asked, his gaze fixed.
Hei Lu, looking somewhat bewildered, stared for a while. "Undead Dungeon?"
"Doesn't look like it. The Undead Dungeon was gloomy. While this place isn't much better, the feeling is definitely different."
"I… I really don't have any impression." Hei Lu scratched his head for a long time before shaking it. Chen Yu also knew for sure it wasn't the Undead Dungeon, but he couldn't recall exactly where he had seen it. He just felt… familiar.
"My lords, shouldn't we be considering this incomplete heart?" Mi Ye coughed lightly, interrupting Chen Yu and Hei Lu, and pointed at the projection. "I've heard General Hei Lu's words clearly. This King's heart can continuously provide blood to the monstrous creatures. The pure demon blood will cause a short-term bloodline purification and enhancement. So, can I understand this as, as long as the heart beats, high-level monstrous creatures will become as cheap as the sand and stones in the cave?"
After a moment of silence, Hei Lu nodded.
"As much as I hate to admit it, yes."
A Demon King was the highest level of existence among demons. Few had fallen over countless eons. Those who stood at the pinnacle of the caves either ascended to godhood or died of old age. The former transcended, the latter lost their will. To obtain such a vibrant heart, it must have been a King in his prime. Killing such a King and taking his heart would be more difficult than killing him. Even a god might not be able to achieve such a feat. This was the source of Hei Lu's shock.
"If such a level of monstrous creatures is produced without interruption, let alone us joining forces, even the entire Tatu Kingdom united might not be able to resolve it," Mi Ye said with furrowed brows. "We cannot allow the monstrous creatures to continue to be cultivated like this. We must sever this chain of enhancement."
"Lord Mi Ye's intention is…"
"To take the initiative." Mi Ye clenched his fist abruptly, exuding an astonishing aura. "This is the only way."
"From the current situation, time is not on our side."
"We cannot keep up with the monstrous creatures' enhancement."
"The longer we delay, the worse our situation will become. In the end, forget about protecting our own foundation; our survival in the Tatu Kingdom will be questionable."
"And…"
"If the demon race penetrates our human territory and truly takes root here, the entire Human Empire will be in trouble. Of course, I don't have such grand ambitions to save the entire Human Empire, but at least for our own small achievements, we should take action!"
"Lord Chen, what do you think?"
Feeling Mi Ye's eager gaze, Chen Yu naturally agreed.
Time waits for no one!
Now that he knew the purity of the monstrous creatures' nourishment, he could no longer seek stability with peace of mind. Six months of stability was his belief that his development would surpass that of the royal family. Now, he was definitely no match for the demons in Lan Feng City.
"This is where you were exposed."
"Yes."
"Then you really weren't wronged being chased." Chen Yu said with a half-joking tone. "Seeing such a critical secret, anyone would want to silence you."
"Indeed, I think so too." Mi Ye shrugged with slightly pursed lips, then a hint of confusion appeared on his face.
"It's just that I have a feeling."
"They were chasing me not because I discovered this heart, but because…"
"I saw someone I shouldn't have seen."