The Witch Clan's Shadow Emperor Troupe Takes the Stage, and the Demon Emperor Is Forced to Sign an "Unequal Treaty"!

A group of Demon Clan scouts, personally led by the Black Wind Wolf King, crouched low as they slipped through a hidden mountain hollow.

"Your Majesty, the path ahead is the only route those Witch Clan brutes must take when changing patrols!" A scrawny wolf demon lowered his voice, his tail nervously tucked between his legs.

The Black Wind Wolf King bared a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Brothers, stay sharp! Lord Demon Master said this 'welcome gift' must leave those Witch Clan brats with a 'deep impression'!"

Greed flashed in his eyes. If he handled this assignment well, His Majesty the Demon Emperor's rewards would surely be generous.

Before long, a patrol of around a dozen Witch Clan warriors came by, all of them towering and fierce-looking as they chatted and laughed.

"Attack!" the Black Wind Wolf King growled. Dozens of streams of Demonic Energy shot out like bolts, aimed straight at the Witch Clan squad.

"Pfft! Pfft!" Several Witch Clan warriors fell at once, blood streaming from their bodies. They twitched a few times before going still.

The remaining Witch Clan warriors were "horrified" and "panicked" as they scattered in all directions, "wailing miserably" as they called out their companions' names.

The Black Wind Wolf King beamed smugly. "Fall back! Let's return and deliver the good news to Lord Demon Master!"

He did not notice that, after they left, the Witch Clan warriors lying on the ground quietly wiped away the "blood" on their bodies—juice from specially prepared red berries—then took antidotes from their robes and rose to their feet, grimacing.

"Hiss, the Thirteenth Ancestor Witch's medicine really packs a punch. I nearly held my breath for real."

"Enough. The mission is complete. Hurry back and report in. Don't delay the Ancestor Witches' next plan."

The news spread through the outskirts of Buzhou Mountain as if it had grown wings, reaching everywhere within a few hours.

"Have you heard? The Black Wind Wolf King ambushed a Witch Clan patrol and killed seven or eight Witch Clan members!"

"Really? The Witch Clan is so fierce. The Demon Clan actually dared to go for the kill?"

"Absolutely true! Blood was everywhere. It was too horrible to look at!"

Inside the Demon Master Palace, Kunpeng was staring intently at a water mirror.

What appeared within it was the depths of Buzhou Mountain.

Suddenly, the image in the water mirror twisted violently before becoming incomparably clear.

At the core of Buzhou Mountain, an enormous phantom of a blood-red heart that seemed to connect heaven and earth was slowly beating! Every throb made the mountains tremble and the void hum!

Countless great witches and Lesser Witches of the Witch Clan densely surrounded the heart phantom, their faces filled with fanaticism. They chanted ancient, obscure sacrificial incantations as they tossed chunks of Pangu Divine Concrete glowing with strange light into the heart phantom.

An even more terrifying pressure from Pangu spread outward, as though some forbidden existence was about to awaken!

A faint yet distinct treasure light flashed deep within the heart phantom, vanishing so quickly that one might have taken it for an illusion.

Kunpeng's body jolted, his face filled with shock.

"Pangu's Heart... awakening? An Innate Supreme Treasure... being born?"

Such a heaven-shaking phenomenon and such terrifying pressure could not possibly be faked!

He did not dare delay and immediately turned into a streak of light, flying straight toward the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

After hearing Kunpeng's report and combining it with the news of the Black Wind Wolf King's "great victory," Di Jun's handsome face darkened and brightened by turns.

Taiyi paced anxiously at the side. "Big Brother! If Pangu's Heart truly awakens, our Demon Clan will be in grave danger! That Innate Supreme Treasure must never fall into the Witch Clan's hands!"

Di Jun raised a hand, stopping Taiyi. "What the Witch Clan is doing reeks of something strange. They are making such earthshaking moves at Buzhou Mountain, yet their patrols are so vulnerable?"

Kunpeng added from the side, "Your Majesty, according to the Black Wind Wolf King, those Witch Clan patrols seemed much weaker than usual. They were utterly helpless."

Di Jun fell silent for a moment.

Could it be that the Witch Clan had transferred all their elites to oversee that heretical ritual for the "awakening of Pangu's Heart," leaving their outer defenses empty?

Or perhaps the Innate Supreme Treasure was about to emerge, and some upheaval had occurred within the Witch Clan because of it?

Greed and fear tangled within his heart.

"Demon Master, make another trip. Send more elite scouts carrying our Demon Clan's specially crafted Prohibition-Breaking Divine Shuttles. You must uncover the truth of what lies deep within Buzhou Mountain!"

Gritting his teeth, he added, "Pass down my order. Hand over the Star Cores and Void Divine Iron we gathered from the chaos to the Demon Master as well. Have him refine more powerful treasures!"

Those rare materials had originally been prepared for the Witch Slaying Sword. But if they could seize the Innate Supreme Treasure or prevent Pangu's Heart from awakening, the cost would be worth it!

Kunpeng accepted the order and departed.

Di Jun watched Kunpeng leave, and the unease in his heart only grew stronger.

He could not shake the feeling that things were not so simple. That Xuanzheng...

Buzhou Mountain, Xuanzheng's "VIP Stone House Theater."

Within the [Script Mirror], every subtle expression on Di Jun's face and every report from Kunpeng was displayed with perfect clarity.

The [Karma Scale] trembled slightly.

[ Ding! Absorbed a trace amount of 'karma from an emperor's decision-making' (including 0.01 strand of greed, 0.02 strands of fear, and 0.03 strands of suspicion)! ]

Xuanzheng smacked his lips. "Just an appetizer, but better than nothing."

He looked toward several great witches who had already assembled nearby. Their faces were covered in "grief and indignation" makeup, while their bodies bore "bloodstains" and "wounds" as part of their cosmetic effects.

"Have all the props been checked? None of the 'corpses' are leaking air, right?"

A great witch replied in a deep, muffled voice, "Rest assured, Thirteenth Ancestor Witch. These 'body bags' sewn from ferocious beast hides are sturdy! The stuffing inside is exactly as you instructed, with plenty of weight to it!"

Xuanzheng nodded in satisfaction.

"Very good! Actors in position. The grand show... begins!"

He abruptly rose to his feet, his face instantly filling with "ultimate sorrow" and "boundless fury." His acting was so exquisite that even the nearby Ancestor Witches, whose emotions were genuine, felt inferior to him.

"The Demon Clan has gone too far! They killed our Witch Clan brethren! This hatred is irreconcilable!"

His furious roar shook the surrounding lands.

"Children! Follow me to the Demon Clan Heavenly Court and demand an explanation!"

"Roar! Roar! Roar!"

Countless Witch Clan warriors let out grief-stricken roars, carrying dozens of finely crafted "companions' corpses" as they charged fiercely toward the Demon Clan Heavenly Court beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens under Xuanzheng's lead.

Houtu, Zhurong, Qiangliang, and several other Ancestor Witches also wore "grief-stricken" expressions as they followed closely behind.

Each of them had received Xuanzheng's "script" and knew exactly when to "cry," when to "rage," and when to "reason with them."

Outside the Southern Heavenly Gate of the Demon Clan Heavenly Court.

Before the Demon Clan heavenly generals guarding the gate could react, they were knocked sprawling by a surging wave of baleful energy.

Xuanzheng charged at the front, followed by a Witch Clan army "weeping and howling," along with dozens of "corpses" covered in white cloth.

"Di Jun! Taiyi! Get the hell out here!" Xuanzheng's roar echoed through the clouds.

Di Jun and Taiyi hurried over with a group of demon gods after receiving the news. The moment they saw this scene, both their expressions changed.

"Xuanzheng! What do you mean by this?!" Di Jun forcefully suppressed his anger.

"What do I mean by this?" Xuanzheng was "overwhelmed with grief and indignation." Pointing at the "corpses" on the ground, he said, "Your Demon Clan broke faith and righteousness! You secretly ambushed our Witch Clan patrol and slaughtered dozens of our people! Di Jun, you still have the nerve to ask me that?!"

Houtu stepped forward at just the right moment, tears shimmering in her eyes as her voice choked. "Your Majesty the Demon Emperor, our Witch Clan has devoted itself to repairing Buzhou Mountain and making up for the flaws of heaven and earth. When have we ever provoked the Demon Clan? Why would you resort to such cruelty? They... they still have families waiting for them!"

Zhurong had a Fiery Temper, and now his "eyes were bloodshot" as flames rose all around him. "Di Jun! If you don't give us an explanation today, I, Zhurong, will be the first to refuse! We will fight to the death!"

The other Ancestor Witches also became "righteously indignant," denouncing the Demon Clan's atrocities.

For a time, outside the Southern Heavenly Gate, the Witch Clan's cries shook the heavens while their curses rang without end.

The Demon Clan gods were left somewhat dumbfounded by this sudden act of "extortion."

Di Jun frowned deeply. He had indeed ordered Kunpeng to send people to "harass" them, but he had never ordered them to kill anyone, much less "dozens" of them!

Had Kunpeng acted on his own? Or had those lesser demons below gotten carried away and overstepped their bounds?

He looked at Kunpeng, who wore an equally "confused" and "innocent" expression.

[ Ding! Detected 'collective guilt' among the Demon Clan's upper ranks. Negative karma +1350! ]

[ Ding! Detected the Demon Emperor 'passively taking the blame for a decision-making mistake.' Negative karma +880! Demon Clan Destiny has slightly leaked away! ]

[ Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully harvesting the 'collective deep fear and bewilderment' of one hundred thousand Demon Clan Heavenly Soldiers and Generals. Obtained one Calamity Origin Bead! ]

Xuanzheng nearly laughed out loud, but his face only looked even more "grief-stricken."

"Di Jun! If you do not hand over the culprit and compensate our Witch Clan for its losses today, we will flatten your Lingxiao Treasure Hall!"

"Compensation?" Taiyi laughed in fury. "Your Witch Clan lost some people, and you came to our Demon Heavenly Court demanding compensation? What a ridiculous joke!"

Xuanzheng suddenly raised his head, "murderous intent blazing" in his eyes. "You won't compensate us? Then use the lives of your Demon Clan to repay the debt!"

The Witch Clan warriors behind him roared in unison, their baleful energy soaring into the sky.

Di Jun felt a headache coming on.

If they fought, the Witch Clan was currently brimming with momentum and held the posture of "victims." Once a real battle began, whether the Demon Clan won or lost, its reputation throughout the primordial world would be completely ruined.

If they did not fight, where would their dignity go? Were they really going to let these brutes extort them?

Fury surged through his heart, yet he had no choice but to forcibly suppress it.

[ Ding! The Demon Emperor's fury has disturbed his Dao heart. The host has intercepted a strand of 'Emperor's Fury Fortune'! ]

Xuanzheng was ecstatic inside. Good, good, keep going. Don't stop!

He stepped forward, his voice "heavy with sorrow." "Di Jun, for the sake of us both being major races of the primordial world, I'll give you a chance! Hand over the culprit, then provide ten pieces of Innate Spiritual Material, one million jin of Star Cores, and ten thousand tons each of every type of Divine Gold Immortal Ore as compensation! Then perhaps this matter can be settled!"

What an outrageous demand!

Even Di Jun, for all his deep composure, trembled with rage.