Fu Ziya cast a disapproving glance at the large, hideous figure sitting cross-legged on the flaming iron chair. The demon general was a large man, almost entirely covered in wounds. One side of his face was left bare, revealing every scar, while the other side was covered with a mask, his head growing with sharp horns, and were those scales all over his body? Fu Ziya wanted to vomit just looking at his hideous appearance.
"Tell me your purpose in coming to the demon realm, Fu Ziya!!" the demon general commanded, his hand gripping the large axe that rested on his shoulder. Fu Ziya shuddered.
She wore a disgusted expression, her body bound and feet off the ground, not to mention her spiritual energy seemingly drained. "I should be the one asking you that, you ugly monster! Why did you attack Xuehua Palace and bring us here? You coward! You didn't even show your face during the attack, and now you're acting like we're here to spy on you!"
"Hah! What a great story. You're even good at making it up." Fu Ziya was irritated. If her power had been at full power, the giant head would probably have been cut off long ago. "Hahaha, do you think I'm stupid?! Whose arrow did you think struck first? Have you forgotten you shot that arrow you're so proud of at everyone?"
Fu Ziya didn't sense anything wrong with her words, but when the demon general's expression changed, she realized something was up. "Where did you see it? That arrow?" The demon general's tone was low and deep.
Fu Ziya didn't sense anything wrong with his words, but when the demon general's expression changed, she realized something was amiss. "Where did you see it? That arrow?!" The demon general's tone was low and deep.
"Are you deaf?! I already told you that you were the one who attacked us first at Xuehua Palace with your fire arrows! You were also the one who lured us into following you into the Forest of Death and brought us here!" For some reason, the demon general suddenly became enraged. His eyes radiated a blazing fire, his gaze sharp and deadly, as he glared at Fu Ziya, seemingly ready to kill her.
But the demon general's movements were already halted. An ice sword was aimed at him and managed to graze his arm, leaving a scratch on his large, scaly hand. Fu Ziya greeted her friend with a smile, Yun Guoqun released her, and they quickly exited the shabby, foul-smelling room.
Outside, the demon general's subordinates were waiting for them. Yun Guoqun cut down everything in a single swing, and Fu Ziya did the same, gathering her last strength to finish off all the demons standing in their way.
They were alone in the monster den, enemies coming one after another. Flashes of white and green light cut through the endless sea of monsters.
Her brow furrowed as she watched Yun Guoqun easily bypass the guards, especially when the outer gate of the palace of darkness automatically formed a door, and they simply passed through.
"It's Yun-dage and jiejie!" Wan An's shrill voice drew her attention. It turned out the situation outside wasn't much better. Wan An and Shen Xing were trying to hold off the incoming demon soldiers. Fu Ziya couldn't ignore Sun Li, who was still unconscious on Shen Xing's back.
"Why are you here?" His sword swung forward.
"I don't want to be a coward; we'll die together!" He could understand Wan An's thinking, but Shen Xing? They didn't even know each other. The battle was one-sided. Even though they were surrounded by demon soldiers, and two of them were injured, one exhausted and the other unconscious, Yun Guoqun easily dispatched all the enemies like pests. With a single slash, they vanished like ashes.
Something came and landed right in the middle of the battle. The earth trembled and the wind blew fiercely at its arrival. The demon general's face flushed red. The fist on his axe, larger than a normal human's, was powerful. Suddenly, the axe swung at the five of them. Yun Guoqun signaled for his three companions to retreat, and they withdrew from the battle area, leaving Yun Guoqun and the demon general alone. Fu Ziya formed a barrier with the remnants of her strength, Wan An still managed to shoot at the approaching demons. Shen Xing fought with a demon spear that lay on the ground, seemingly missing his sword.
"You lost your sword?" Fu Ziya asked in disbelief. Shen Xing grinned innocently. "Then what about your friend? Is she okay?" They both shook their heads. Fu Ziya said nothing more.
On the other side, the battle between Yun Guoqun and the demon general had been going on for a long time. It was a fierce battle, with neither of them taking a hit.
Sword met axe, fire met ice, blows met blows, and so on. Their battle left a large mark, especially since the demon general fought brutally, leaving damage everywhere. Fortunately, the barrier Fu Ziya had created was still able to withstand every wave of energy from their fight.
Yun Guoqun leaped and stomped on the demon general's iron axe. His ice sword in his right hand and his silver sword in his left crossed in front of his chest. The demon general could clearly see Yun Guoqun's movements. He was already preparing to summon his axe again, ready to cut Yun Guoqun in half. However, Yun Guoqun vanished just as he swung his axe. Suddenly, a second later, the immortal was behind him, leaving a deep cut in the general's back.
The demon general roared as he knelt down, blood gushing from his wound, not to mention a chill that seemed to slowly penetrate every cell in his body. The cold blade rested on his neck, his dignity as a general seemingly being mocked. His hand still tried to reach for his axe, but it was already in Yun Guoqun's grasp.
Yun Guoqun's gaze was piercing, his dark eyes seeming to pull him down into the darkest place. The demon general had never felt anything like this before, and his body was forced to tremble in fear.
The gleaming ice sword was poised to finish the demon general off when a light appeared out of thin air.
The light was so bright that it dazzled everyone who saw it. All fighting ceased.
The light slowly faded, revealing the silhouette of a woman. "Your Majesty!" The demon general gasped as the demon emperor's hand touched the ice sword with her bare hand, causing blood to flow to the ground.
All the demons present immediately knelt.
No one had ever seen the demon emperor. The demon emperor never left their dark palace. However, if the demon general knelt to someone and called them Your Majesty, all the demons would follow.
The demon emperor stood directly in front of Yun Guoqun, their gazes seemingly locked, though only one of them was actually looking.
Everyone was stunned, including the three still hiding behind the barrier.
Yun Guoqun and the demon emperor didn't move, and neither did the demon general. Yun Guoqun followed the demon emperor's head, which turned toward the demon general, then back, before returning to Yun Guoqun.
"Emperor Yun Guoqun," the voice was still as gentle as before, but had he told her his name?
"We're both losing." Yun Guoqun still hadn't loosened his grip on his sword. "My general will die by your hand, and one of your friends won't last much longer." That Sun girl wasn't his friend, but that didn't mean he would simply ignore her. Just because she had caused the mortals to be stranded here was also his fault.
"Then what do you want?" The corners of the demon emperor's lips curled up, and her hand released the ice sword. "I can save your friends, but you must also release my general."
"Is she joking? She'll kill us all after you release the demon general!" Fu Ziya shouted.
"Big brother! Don't listen to him! I'd rather die than accept her offer!"
From afar, Wan An also shouted, but the demon emperor was still waiting for Yun Guoqun's answer. He returned his gaze to the demon emperor's blue eyes and turned to the four people behind him. Wan An's injuries were getting more serious, as were Shen Xing's. Fu Ziya's spiritual energy was at its limit, and Sun Li, that woman, wouldn't last much longer.
He turned back to the demon emperor. The ice sword lifted away from the demon general and disappeared into his palm. Slowly, Yun Guoqun replied, "Okay." At that, the curve of the demon emperor's lips widened.
.....