The Devil Master's face was shrouded in a black robe, and he was clearly satisfied with Lu Fan's capture.
His thin fingers were crossed over his chest, and his hoarse voice rang out, carrying a calm and confident air:
" Lingxu will surely carefully arrange the order of their battles."
He hesitated for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the several powerful but not top-tier Daluo experts in the prince's ranks, a playful smile curving his lips:
"The first battle is crucial to morale. To ensure a safe outcome and to intimidate us, we may send out a seasoned Daluo expert of considerable strength."
"We'll see how things go then, maybe... 'make way'."
"Let?"
Several powerful Devil Race were somewhat surprised.
"Exactly."
The Devil Master's tone was calm, yet it exuded a strong sense of control.
"The enemy is currently like a frightened bird. If we crush their first opponent with overwhelming force in the first battle, it will certainly be satisfying, but it may also frighten them. It might even make those core geniuses afraid to fight again, or they might come up with other tricks."
This Non-Self what I wanted.
He paused, then explained:
"For our first battle, we can send someone of average ability to fight a close match, or even... a narrow defeat would be perfectly acceptable."
"A narrow defeat?"
A ghostly light flickered in the demons' eyes, as if they had understood something.
Yes, a narrow defeat.
The Devil Master's tone carried a hint of cold mockery.
"Give them a little 'sweetness' so that they mistakenly believe they have a chance and that our tribe is nothing special, thus lowering their guard and allowing those ants who are watching to have unwarranted hope."
When they sent out their core prodigies, confident of victory...
The Devil Master's voice suddenly turned cold:
"We will then send out the real powerhouses to tear their cherished 'geniuses' to shreds one by one on the arena in the most ruthless way!"
At that moment, the precipitous fall from hope to the depths of despair would utterly destroy their will, causing their resolve to crumble and them to collapse without a fight!
"Wonderful!"
"That makes sense. We can let them win this first battle to avoid them forfeiting outright."
Soon, it was time to begin the first betting match.
" Human Emperor Lu, are you ready? We, the Devil Race generals, are itching for battle."
The Devil Master's cold words fell to the ground.
Divine Mechanism City, several beams of divine light appeared.
Surrounded by Jiang Linyuan, Ancestor Divine Radiance, and others, Lu Fan arrived using his divine sense avatar.
" Human Emperor Lu."
The Devil Master's hoarse voice rang out first, clearly reaching the ears of every cultivator.
"The time has come. Are you all... ready to die?"
The contempt in his words was undisguised.
Lu Fan's expression remained unchanged, and he responded loudly:
"We'll only know the outcome after the battle. Do you really think you've already won?"
"Oh?"
The Devil Master seemed to chuckle softly, as if amused by the words:
"He certainly has a bit of spirit, but I wonder how long that spirit can last? Is it with that old guy who just broke through to the Hunyuan, or with the Nine Nether Dao-Devouring Phoenix strength is only a tenth of what it used to be?"
This is blatant contempt, clearly intended to demoralize the troops before the battle.
Lu Fan's eyes turned slightly cold, but he did not show any anger. He simply said calmly:
"I see that you, this renowned Devil Master, are all talk and no action. Let's settle this in the arena; further words are pointless."
"Stubborn and incorrigible."
The Devil Master's voice turned indifferent, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"Very well, since you insist on witnessing despair with your own eyes, I will grant your wish."
He paused, then said:
"The rules of the game are: best of seven rounds. Each side will field a cultivator to determine the winner, regardless of life or death. Each player must rely on their own skill. Any questions?"
The rules are incredibly simple, and that's precisely what the Devil Master did on purpose.
They're not really trying to fight the other side fairly.
"Good."
Lu Fan was too lazy to argue, and it was more accurate to say that this suited his tastes perfectly.
The rules never specified who could participate, how many times they could participate, or their cultivation level, etc.
There are far too many vulnerabilities.
Seeing Lu Fan's decisive action, even the inherently suspicious Devil Master was somewhat shocked.
Could this be a trap?
But this was just a fleeting thought in my mind, and the next second I shook my head, thinking that I was overthinking it.
No matter how many strategies you devise, they are useless in the face of absolute power!
"In that case, I request that the Devil Master and all of you recite the oath again in public."
Lu Fan said in a deep voice.
The Devil Master seemed to have expected this and was not surprised, saying calmly, "Alright."
Having said that, he first recited the agreed-upon content in the ancient language of the Devil Race race:
"If the Lingxu side wins as agreed, our clan will immediately withdraw its troops and will not invade the Spirit Void Immortal Domain again for ten thousand years!"
If I disobey, I am willing to suffer the backlash of the Great Dao and have my cultivation permanently imprisoned!
Behind him, the auras of several Hunyuan Demon Lords also fluctuated, faintly echoing his words, as if they were making a joint oath.
"Commendable courage! In that case, let our Devil Race send one person forward first to show our sincerity!"
The Devil Master said with a smile.
"Oh?"
Lu Fan's eyes flickered; he hadn't expected this turn of events.
I thought they had some other scheme in mind.
"Let's begin."
As soon as the Devil Master finished speaking, a figure clad in black armor appeared from the Devil Race Clan, possessing a powerful aura that could be considered among the strongest in the Daluo, stirring up a wave of black energy.
It was none other than the Devil Race's Daluo expert, the " Devil King Black Abyss."
He was humanoid in stature, incredibly tall, with an ugly face, wielding a massive demonic blade, pointing it at Divine Mechanism City, his voice rough and menacing:
" The Devil Race's ' Black Abyss ' has come to challenge you! Who dares to come and offer themselves up for death?"
As soon as the words fell, terrifying demonic energy erupted, sweeping away like a tornado. The terrifying demonic power permeated all directions, making all living beings below the Daluo level tremble with fear.
On the other side.
Han You nodded slightly to everyone, his figure transforming into a faint, dark aura, drifting silently outside like a ghost.
His ethereal and profound aura contrasted sharply with the flamboyant and violent demon general opposite him.
The Devil King Black Abyss's demonic power was like a raging sea, and his enormous demonic blade was wrapped in filthy demonic light that corroded the soul, clearly making him no easy opponent.
The Devil Race includes bizarre beings like the Lord of Nightmares, as well as beings like the Devil King Black Abyss who have achieved physical sainthood, so in essence, they are not much different from the Immortal Dao.
The Devil Master was somewhat surprised to see Han You appear.
I never expected that such a prodigy would be the first to appear.
Information about Han You is scarce, and even the Devil Master Taiqing of his abilities, only knowing that he is the junior brother of Lu Fan, Jiang Hao, and others, and that he is equally exceptionally talented.
" Black Abyss, this child must not be allowed to live! Go all out!"
The Devil Master secretly transmitted his voice.
"Yes."
The Devil King Black Abyss responded with complete confidence.
"Strategist, wait until I return victorious!"