Chapter 67

At dawn the next morning, just as the sky began to lighten, a female official of the Demon Realm in bright yellow robes knocked on their door at the worst possible time.

"Do you have a death wish?" Ye Qingchuan snapped. Then he hurriedly glanced at Ye Zhenzhen beside him, worried the noise had woken her when she had only just fallen asleep.

"Your Venerableness, the Netherworld Clan has rebelled because you killed their elder! They've brought a vast army of devil soldiers through Demon Gorge. They mean to storm the Demon Venerable's Sacred Palace, assassinate you, and put the Ninth Prince on the throne. Please come quickly, or it'll be too late!" the official shouted through the door.

Demon Gorge was a defensive barrier before the Demon Venerable's Sacred Palace. Scalding lava flowed along its floor, and sheer cliffs rose on either side, making it difficult for an ordinary army to break through. But Ye Qingchuan's hold on the Demon Realm was not yet secure, and lately he had spent every day with a female cultivator from the Cultivation World. Many among the Devil Race were displeased. The Netherworld Clan seized the chance to rally a vast force under the banner of the timid, easily manipulated Ninth Prince. Their mighty ranks forced their way through Demon Gorge and fought all the way to the palace gates, intent on killing Ye Qingchuan and installing a new Demon Venerable.

Seeing that Ye Zhenzhen was still sleeping soundly, Ye Qingchuan placed a protective Restrictive Formation around the bed so no one could enter or leave it, then instructed the yellow-robed official to watch over her.

For days, he and Ye Zhenzhen had been inseparable, never spending even a moment apart. Now he had to leave her alone and go to war. He