At the sound of the voice,
Demon Emperor Fuhai put away his folding fan and bowed, gesturing for her to enter.
"Demon Emperor, please."
Jiang Yuechu remained silent and stepped into the hall.
Inside, the roots of ancient trees twisted together to form the walls, gnarled and interwoven, exuding a wild, primeval aura.
Long tables had already been set up on both sides, filled with more than ten Demon Emperors from the Qingwu Lineage.
A stream of gazes—some appraising, some disdainful—shot from either side of the hall and converged on the dark-clad figure approaching at an unhurried pace.
On the enormous throne at the head of the hall, carved from the root burl of an entire ancient tree, a gaunt old ape slowly rose to its feet.
A smile gathered on its withered face, revealing two rows of yellowed fangs.
It descended the stone steps and walked toward Jiang Yuechu in person.
"Your arrival has truly brought honor to Qingwu Mountain."
As it spoke, it cupped its hands toward Jiang Yuechu, adopting an exceedingly deferential posture.
"I've heard of the Demon Emperor's divine might. You slew that old cur Tianzhu in Wanchuan Valley, and the news has spread throughout You Mountain. We've long wanted to witness your splendor for ourselves. Now that I see you, you truly are..."
The words were polished.
But keen glints flickered in its murky ape eyes as it watched Jiang Yuechu's every move.
It really hadn't expected things to come to this.
It had planned to send out a few groups of scouts first, get a clear picture of Wanchuan's strength, and then respond at its leisure.
But this new emperor had gone and brought all of Wanchuan's forces straight to Qingwu Mountain in a grand, rumbling march.
On the surface, it looked like she