"Patriarch Yun, lower the sword in your hand.... You must not be rash!!" The Demon from the Heavenly Demon Region, Lord Qin Zheng, hurried forward and shouted at the same time. Anyone could tell that from the words Yun Qinghong had just spoken, not only did he harbor anger and resentment, but he clearly also harbored a decisive will to die!
Today.... They wanted to give their lives and blood to stain the Imperial Demon Hall!
"Rash?" Yun Qinghong pointed his sword toward Duke Huai. His face was cold and composed. "I, Yun Qinghong, have never been so calm in my entire life! My Yun Clan began ten thousand years ago and we have existed to protect the Demon Emperor. However..... in a short hundred years, the previous Demon Emperor and the Little Demon Emperor, one after the other, were harmed by a traitorous bastard, and today, even the Little Demon Empress has fallen into malicious schemes.... We are one of the Guardian Families and yet, we were unable to fulfill our protective duty, allowing the Demon Emperor's bloodline to completely end. Not only that, but today, I have to watch with my own two eyes as the traitorous dog who harmed the Demon Empress and my own son ascends to become Emperor! As the Patriarch of the Yun Family, I, Yun Qinghong, what face do I have left to continue lingering in this life?!"
"Duke Huai, if you wish to become emperor today, you must pass through my, Yun Qinghong's, blood and corpse!"
"Patriarch Yun!!" Inside the hall, a voice sounded. No one would have expected such a scene to actually occur in the succession hall.
"Yun Qinghong..... you are courting your own death!!" Chiyang Bailie roared. The Patriarchs of the great families had already left their seats and formed a circle surrounding the couple Yun Qinghong. With dozens of strong and oppressive auras, they silently guarded the surroundings of Duke Huai.
"Patriarch!!" Everyone in the Yun Family cried out in fear. Even they were unaware of the actions Yun Qinghong planned to take today.
"Do not approach!!" Yun Qinghong suddenly raised his hand, preventing them from coming closer. "This is a matter for me and my wife; it has nothing to do with the Yun Family! Yun Waitian. From this point onward, you will be the new Patriarch of the Yun Family! My wife and I will leave the Yun Family; everything we do has nothing to do with the Yun Family! My only wish is that from this day forward, the Yun Family will stay far away from the Demon Imperial City, will completely withdraw from the current obligations, and will never pledge loyalty to these traitorous dogs!"
"No!!" Yun Waitian shook his head instead, then flew forward and shouted in rage. "You are the Patriarch of our Yun Family! Your will is thus the will of the entire Yun Family! Even if the entire world says that the Patriarch has falsely accused Duke Huai, the disciples of our Yun Family will not doubt a single word the Patriarch says! If the Patriarch says it was Duke Huai's Palace that caused the death of the Little Demon Empress, then that is definitely not wrong! For this kind of traitorous thief, not to mention our status as a Guardian Family, even as ordinary citizens of the Illusory Demon Realm, we will use our lives to bring justice to this criminal...."
Yun Waitian landed beside Yun Qinghong and glared at Duke Huai with rage. "Today, one of us must die!"
"That's right! The Patriarch's life is the most irrefutable proof in this world! If the Patriarch wants blood to be spilled in the Demon Imperial Hall, how can we, the disciples of the Yun Family, be left out!!"
"Duke Huai! You caused the death of the Young Patriarch of the Yun Family and the Little Demon Empress.... My Yun Family and you cannot exist under the same sky!"
"Today, my Yun Family will use fresh blood and your dog's life as a sacrifice for the Young Patriarch and the Little Demon Empress!"
After the initial shock and confusion, the disciples of the Yun Family, along with the few Elders, all stood up behind Yun Qinghong without hesitation. Their blood boiled, and they were prepared to die. There were barely a hundred people from the Yun Family present, but their hatred had been ignited. Standing behind Yun Qinghong, no one retreated or left.
"Hahahahahahaha!" Mu Feiyan laughed loudly. "This truly is the Yun Family! Even if suppressed for a hundred years, the spirit in their bones has not been extinguished! Good.... good!! Then today, let us have a great spilling of blood! Sons and daughters of the Mu Family, listen carefully!!"
Mu Feiyan turned, his roar like thunder shaking the entire hall, making it tremble slightly. "The Duke Huai before your eyes, who is about to ascend to the throne and become our next Illusory Demon Emperor, has actually caused the death of the Little Demon Empress and massacred the Demon Emperor's Clan! This kind of traitorous bastard should be hated by both people and heavens, punished by the heavens and destroyed by the earth, but today, he is receiving admiration in the Demon Imperial Hall..... This is simply absurd! "
"Mu Feiyan!!" The Patriarch of the Xiao Family, Xiao Xifeng, shouted indignantly. "Among the Twelve Families, you are known as the person of highest integrity! Who would have imagined that you too would slander the new emperor! Since you say it was the new emperor who caused the death of the Little Demon Empress.... What evidence do you have!"
"Your father's words are the evidence!!" Mu Feiyan's voice was as loud as thunder. "You have not deserved the name of a Guardian Family for a long time! And now, you have also become traitorous dogs! A bunch of dogs who have lost their dignity and honor, what right do you have to yap in front of this father here?!"
"You!!" Mu Feiyan's rebukes made the lungs of the Patriarchs surrounding Yun Qinghong want to explode...
Mu Feiyan waved his arm, then flew forward and shouted. "Sons and daughters of the Mu Family! We will fulfill our duty as one of the Guardian Families; the time to show our loyalty to the Demon Emperor's Clan has arrived.... Follow me with the will to kill these traitorous bastards. Let us spill their blood in this hall that represents the glory of the Demon Emperor's Clan.... Those who are afraid to die, get out to the back! The farther you run, the better!"
"Hahahaha!" The three Mu brothers—Mu Yubai, Mu Yuqing, and Mu Yukong—laughed together, their faces without a trace of fear for their lives. Instead, they were completely relaxed, a joy emerging from no longer having to endure silently. "Old man, today, let us kill merrily as a family!!"
"Duke Huai! What makes you think you have the qualifications to become emperor in the Demon Imperial Hall? What qualifications do you have to wear the emperor's robes? And you lot, bunch of traitorous dogs, have lost your right to live! Your sins and ugly faces, the heavens and the Golden Crow have seen them all clearly! The blood we spill today is just the beginning.... You will soon receive the punishments of heaven and earth; you will not die properly!!"
After shaking the entire Demon Imperial Hall with their roars, Mu Yubai flew forward and then unleashed his oppressive Monarch pressure without holding back. He roared loudly and swung his arm, and a white rope ten feet long smashed horizontally across those surrounding the Yun Qinghong couple.
Mu Yubai made the first move, moreover, with all his strength and without any restraint.... It was evident that the Yun and Mu Families were the same. Both were prepared and determined that this would be a fight to the death!
Facing the preparations of the Yun and Mu Families to die, Duke Huai felt not the slightest bit that this was 'all according to plan'. His easy expression twisted rapidly, his anger was absolutely genuine, and he was very clear that this kind of mad action by Yun Qinghong and Mu Feiyan was not a counterattack because they had lost all reason, but was.... the result he feared the most.
Because he absolutely could not touch the Yun and Mu Families. Otherwise, in the past few months, he would have already made his move.... especially against the Yun Family!
In the past few months, he had discovered the identity of that boy who was with the Little Demon Empress. Honestly, it wasn't hard to guess based on the information he sought to get revenge after the beating he took from that boy, and upon discovering who he was, he naturally wanted to use that opportunity to try to make the Yun Family more docile.
He had spread rumors about how the Little Demon Empress had died and made Yun Qinghong's son the hero who tried to save her from perdition; his real father thought that perhaps this way the Yun Family would become a bit more docile, but it backfired...
In the current situation, the Yun Family had decided to make this a life-or-death scenario.... although the Yun Family had no concrete evidence to link him to the death of the Little Demon Empress and he had 'evidence of not being at the scene', the Yun Family would still spill blood in the Demon Imperial Hall over this matter.... The Yun Family had been a great Guardian Family for ten thousand years; if they weren't so certain that the Little Demon Empress was harmed by Duke Huai, how could such a situation occur! If not for their devotion to the Demon Emperor's Clan, how could this have happened!
Based on the power of Duke Huai's Palace, even if the Yun and Mu Families used all their strength, they still couldn't kill Duke Huai. Instead, they would be destroyed by Duke Huai's power. However, this was the first day of his ascension! One could imagine the rumors if he exterminated the two most loyal Guardian Families! And the matter of the 'malicious scheme behind the Little Demon Empress's death' would be deeply embedded in the souls of the Illusory Demon Realm's citizens following the extermination of the Yun and Mu Families.
The Yun and Mu Families couldn't provide concrete evidence and yet, using such methods, they could make everyone question Duke Huai's intentions in their hearts, ensuring he would never have a moment of peace as Emperor.
When the Little Demon Empress was present, they could endure patiently. However, after the Little Demon Empress's funeral, the Yun and Mu Families were filled with grief and had no way out; they also had nothing to stop them!
It wasn't that they hadn't anticipated the outcome, but this would be their final glorious move as Guardian Families! And also as parents.... the self-blame for once again failing to properly protect their son.
"Yun Qinghong.... You have greatly disappointed this emperor." Duke Huai's entire body trembled. However, now that things had reached this stage, he had no other options. "Kill them.... this bunch of traitorous bastards, kill without discrimination!"
BOOM!!!
Following Mu Yubai's attack, an extremely tyrannical ball of profound energy exploded in the middle of the Demon Imperial Hall. It was at the Monarch level and was from the highest level of power present. Under this kind of force, those outside the Demon Imperial City were blown far away by the commotion. They were flung far off and their blood surged, nearly fainting.
And this was simply the result of a Monarch unleashing his profound energy!!
Explosive air currents surged out from the Demon Imperial Hall, and the sound of an oppressive explosion could be heard throughout the entire Demon Imperial City.
Alarmed cries rang out from the Demon Imperial Hall; this level of power was something they couldn't withstand, let alone resist.
There were extremely few battles between Monarchs in the Illusory Demon Realm. No one would have imagined that a battle at the level of a disaster would actually occur in the Demon Imperial Hall.... moreover, a fight to the death! No one would have suspected that a Monarch-level deadly confrontation, even with how solid the walls of the Demon Imperial Hall were, would be destroyed so quickly. Even the massive Demon Imperial City couldn't withstand the terrifying power of dozens of Monarchs.
There were seven Guardian Families on Duke Huai's side, along with several dozen Duke Palaces and large numbers of hidden exceptional experts. On the other side, there were only the Yun and Mu Families. The difference in strength was incomparably vast. The experts from the seven Guardian Families and Duke Palaces surrounded them from different positions, their profound energies rushing forward like a tsunami. However, the Yun and Mu Families burned with hatred and the will to die; even if weaker, the energy and aura released by each person would make those neutral in the battle tremble in fear.
A deafening roar, like a wild beast roaring in rage, practically pressed down the heaven-shaking explosions. There were only two hundred people from the Yun and Mu Families, each fighting for their lives, and yet they forcibly caused the members of the seven Guardian Families surrounding them to separate.
"You traitorous dogs! Go to hell and seek forgiveness from the Demon Emperor!!"
From within the tumult, Mu Feiyan's entire figure turned into a blue shadow, flying like a blue bolt of lightning among the experts of the seven Guardian Families, and in the span of a second, an extremely cold and oppressive wave of profound energy suddenly exploded.
This was the wrath of a seventh-level Monarch. His terrifying power was enough to destroy half of the Demon Imperial City. In the heaven-shaking noise, Jiufang Kui, Xifeng, and Lin Guiyan were caught off guard and were flung away by the explosion. The corners of their mouths were stained with blood, and the bodies of several dozen disciples at the Tyrant level and below were exploded into pieces on the spot.
A massive gap was torn in the perimeter formed by the seven Guardian Families, and looking at this gap, it pointed directly toward where Duke Huai was. Yun Qinghong's gaze turned cold, and his body suddenly shone with light. His entire figure was like a bolt of lightning shooting toward Duke Huai..... and as if telepathic, Mu Yurou suddenly also became a bolt of lightning at the same time. The couple headed straight for Duke Huai!
Duke Huai stood there without moving, his gaze gloomy. In front of him, two deathly pale figures suddenly appeared like demons, and following the trembling of the air, two waves of profound energy that were practically identical in their iciness exploded toward the Yun Qinghong couple.
Bang!!
An incomparably oppressive explosion sounded. A ripple so powerful it nearly formed a substantial body pushed Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou far away. Yun Qinghong reached out to support Mu Yurou's body, and looking at the two who had blocked them, he revealed a cold smile. "Even you two have become Duke Huai's lackeys!"
The two people wore white, and their faces were pale and looked exactly the same. They were evidently twin brothers. To be able to obstruct the Yun Qinghong couple meant only that they were at least mid-level Monarchs. How could they be unknowns in the Illusory Demon Realm with that kind of power? Among this pair of twins, one was called Bai Guiming and the other was Bai Guihun. They were the unbeatable experts of the Illusory Demon Realm's Northern Region. Being like gods in the Northern Region, there was almost no one in the Demon Imperial City who didn't know them.
"Respected masters, why call us lackeys?" Bai Guiming said expressionlessly.
"Duke Huai is capable and strong, more suitable to be emperor than the Little Demon Empress. Moreover, the Little Demon Empress couldn't have successors; it was only a matter of time." Bai Guihun declared.
"If it were that simple, you two could be excused! But Duke Huai's Palace caused the death of the Little Demon Empress. Even the previous Demon Emperor may have fallen to their malicious schemes. If you continue to follow him, you are simply lackeys without honor and humanity!" Yun Qinghong said with furrowed brows.
Bai Guiming said calmly, "Duke Huai may be ambitious, but he would never do such malicious things."
"Hahahaha!" Yun Qinghong laughed loudly. "There's nothing more to say! No matter who blocks this Yun today, I will spill their blood on the spot!!"
SHRRRNG!!
Yun Qinghong drew his purple sword, and two fatal purple sword figures slashed through the space, attacking directly at Bai Guiming and Bai Guihun. Bai Guiming and Bai Guihun's expressions darkened as they unleashed their ice profound energy. Following the clash of the three profound energies, a screen of light dozens of meters long formed, and within the light, lightning profound energy and ice profound energy collided fiercely against each other.
Yun Qinghong shouted loudly. His cyan Profound Handle flew from his left arm, forming into a purple sword of light, rushing toward the screen of light and infinitely attacking the ice profound energy of Bai Guiming and Bai Guihun.
Yun Qinghong's profound energy was originally higher than that of Bai Guiming and Bai Guihun, so combined with the power of the Profound Handle, Yun Qinghong's strength alone was able to directly suppress his opponents, even forcing them to be momentarily frustrated. Mu Yurou's movements, who originally wanted to act, slowed. Seeing Duke Huai, who was no more than a hundred meters away from her, her gaze suddenly froze.
"Duke Huai... return my son's life!!"
Mu Yurou's figure turned, rushing directly toward Duke Huai. Her gaze contained deeply embedded hatred, and the ice profound energy contained a hatred that even Yun Qinghong was not completely familiar with. The ice arrow in her hand was like the fang of a venomous snake, aiming for Duke Huai's throat.
Mu Yurou's actions alarmed Yun Qinghong, who shouted urgently, "Don't go there!"
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