New Demon Emperor!

Li Xuanxiao nodded. Didn't they see each other every day?

The Brocade-Robed Young Lord smiled. "Could you describe Lord Li's appearance and bearing for me, so I may know who exactly our great hero of the human race is?"

Li Xuanxiao gave a smug chuckle. Asking me meant you had asked the right person!

"Lord Li Xuanxiao? He truly is..."

The Brocade-Robed Young Lord immediately leaned forward, all ears.

"Thai pants spicy!"

The Brocade-Robed Young Lord was stunned, unable for a moment to understand what "Thai pants spicy" meant.

Seeing that this local native did not understand the joke, Li Xuanxiao suddenly lost interest and put away his playful mood. "There's no need to ask who he is. Pei Province's peace and tranquility are not the achievement of one man, but the merit of all martial artists."

"Everyone simply has different abilities and different duties."

"As long as they contributed their strength and gave off their share of light, they are all heroes of the human race!"

The Brocade-Robed Young Lord raised his brows slightly, then smiled and cupped his hands. "My lord's breadth of vision is indeed great."

Li Xuanxiao waved a hand. "I can see that you carry yourself with extraordinary bearing, sir. You do not seem like an ordinary commoner. With war breaking out everywhere, Violet Firmament City's peace could be shattered at any moment."

"If you have the means, you should make preparations early and head for a safer city."

The moment the words left his mouth, Li Xuanxiao felt that he had said something pointless.

The entirety of Pei Province was under the scourge of demons. Even if he fled, where could he possibly flee to?

It might not necessarily be safer than remaining in Violet Firmament City!

He spoke again. "Forget I said that. If we must name somewhere relatively safe now, it may only be the Pei Province Demon Slayer Division."

At that, the Brocade-Robed Young Lord revealed a meaningful smile. "No, quite the opposite..."

"Right now, the Pei Province Demon Slayer Division is likely the most unsafe place in all of Pei Province."

Li Xuanxiao froze. What was this fellow talking about?

There were a full nine martial artists of the Wondrous Realm within the Pei Province Demon Slayer Division! They were the strongest combat force in Pei Province!

And this fellow actually claimed that the Pei Province Demon Slayer Division was the least safe place? How absurd!

"I'll pay for your tea, my lord. I hope fate allows us to meet again."

Every word from the Brocade-Robed Young Lord seemed laden with hidden meaning, yet he offered no explanation. After speaking, he smiled and departed.

Li Xuanxiao took a light sip of tea, then suddenly opened his eyes wide!

Something was wrong!

This fellow clearly had something hidden in his words, a point he was trying to make. He had to stop him and get to the bottom of it!

What did he mean, the Pei Province Demon Slayer Division was the most unsafe place?

Who exactly was this person?

Li Xuanxiao immediately ran downstairs, but the Brocade-Robed Young Lord was nowhere to be seen.

He called over the waiter, who only said that the Brocade-Robed Young Lord had left after paying and did not know which way he had gone.

Li Xuanxiao's expression darkened as a bold and terrifying guess surged into his heart.

He shot into the air. A dazzling golden gleam appeared in his eyes as he swept his gaze across all of Violet Firmament City.

"Not here, not here, not here either..."

Li Xuanxiao's face sank. To leave the bounds of Violet Firmament City in such a short time...

This person was either also a martial artist of the Wondrous Realm.

Or...

Li Xuanxiao's expression turned grave. "The New Demon Emperor!"

In a city a thousand li away from Violet Firmament City.

Smoke and dust filled the air. The city walls had collapsed, and the corpses of the city-defending martial artists lay crisscrossed in pools of blood.

Several dozen demons were gathered together. At their center was a group of trembling commoners.

"Has the New Demon Emperor not returned yet?"

"We've been waiting here for several days already!"

"I wonder whether the New Demon Emperor found that brat named Li Xuanxiao on this trip."

"Why has the New Demon Emperor suddenly taken such an interest in a human martial artist?"

"That is no ordinary human martial artist! One of my kin once saw him from afar. That Li Xuanxiao is definitely a martial artist of the Wondrous Realm!"

At those words, the group of demons instantly fell silent.

"That Li Xuanxiao has already become famous among the Demon Race in Pei Province. They say that once you see rainbow light, run immediately—do not hesitate for even a second!"

"What rainbow light?"

"It's Li Xuanxiao's flying technique. When he flies, dazzling rainbow light comes with him. It is simply the ultimate taunt."

"Quite a few of our Demon Race brethren were provoked by that arrogant display and attacked in fury, only to be slain!"

"That brat is truly rotten to the core. He's already so strong, yet he still uses such despicable means to trick demons into coming over for him to kill!"

"Unfortunately... no matter how strong he is, it's useless now! Yu Province has already fallen. The Demon Emperors should have reached the Pei Province Demon Slayer Division by now."

"In this battle, our Demon Race will surely win!"

A Bear Demon suddenly rose to its feet and walked over to a commoner.

It stretched out a massive bear paw, casually gripped the man's head, and lifted him into the air.

The surrounding commoners let out startled cries of terror and hurriedly moved away from him, afraid that they would be next.

The Bear Demon raised the man up and opened its gaping, blood-filled maw. Sharp fangs streaked with scarlet blood vessels were exposed, giving off a sticky, rancid stench.

"Ahhhhh—"

The screams rang through the area. The next moment, the entire man was tossed into the bear's mouth.

With a teeth-grinding crunch, the screams abruptly fell silent.

Streams of blood trickled from the Bear Demon's mouth...

"Xiong Da, the New Demon Emperor said we were not to touch these mortals!"

"I was too hungry. The New Demon Emperor has been gone so long that I couldn't hold back."

"You disobeyed the New Demon Emperor's will. Aren't you afraid of being punished?"

"Damn it! You lot mention the New Demon Emperor every other word. Have you forgotten which side you demons belong to?"

"If the Pei Province Demon Emperor had not given the order, I would never listen to that brat's commands!"

"This isn't allowed, that isn't allowed—we're demons! What kind of demon doesn't eat people!"

"Does coming from the Myriad Demons Kingdom make him nobler somehow? I ate one. Let's see what he can do about it!"

Before the other demons could speak, a calm voice sounded. "Oh? Let's see what I can do about it?"

The Brocade-Robed Young Lord emerged with his hands clasped behind his back and walked before the demons.

Almost instantly, the demons sat up straight, their bodies unconsciously tensing as they silently lowered their heads.

The Bear Demon, which had been arrogantly shouting, "What can you do to me?" a moment ago, immediately cowered.

It promptly knelt on the ground and repeatedly begged for mercy. "Please calm your anger, New Demon Emperor! I was merely too hungry and failed to restrain myself for a moment."

"New Demon Emperor, please forgive my reckless words for the sake of the Demon Emperor of my Bear Demon clan!"

The Brocade-Robed Young Lord spoke blandly, his voice devoid of any emotion. "I said that before I returned, you were not to touch these mortals, did I not?"

"Are all the demons here so lacking in discipline?"

"And let me remind you of something. The reason you must obey my orders is not because the Pei Province Demon Emperor commanded it."

"It is because if you refuse to obey, I am fully capable of making you disappear from this world. Do you understand?"

"Whichever hand you used to grab that person, cut it off yourself, and we will consider this matter settled."

The Bear Demon's expression shifted between light and dark. It looked at its bloodstained bear paw, unable to make up its mind for a long while.

Unlike humans, the bodies of the Demon Race were their greatest reliance. Once maimed, their strength would greatly diminish, and their future development would suffer greatly as well.

The Brocade-Robed Young Lord cast it an indifferent glance. "I will not say it a second time."

The Bear Demon took a deep breath, then suddenly leaped up and pounced at the Brocade-Robed Young Lord. "I'll fight you to the death!"

The demons were shocked and shouted in rebuke, about to move to stop it.

A trace of a cyan mark appeared in the Brocade-Robed Young Lord's eyes. "You have disappointed me too much."

The next instant, a thick bolt of lightning snaked down from the sky!

The moment it touched the Bear Demon, the entire Bear Demon vaporized on the spot, vanishing between heaven and earth.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. The demons almost uncontrollably knelt to the ground, their bodies trembling without cease.

In that instant, they all felt a terrifying pressure as though the end of the world had descended.

Rumble—

Several seconds later, the deafening crash of thunder finally resounded through the heavens.

"Let's go."

The demons were astonished. "New Demon Emperor, aren't we continuing with the next stage of the operation?"

The Brocade-Robed Young Lord shook his head. "The objective has already been achieved. There is no need to continue."