Chapter 26: Demon Lord, Are You Convinced?

Above the bottomless abyss, a black streak flashed and vanished into the cave.

The Demon Lord knew this was his only chance. If Jiang Xuan were to successfully ascend to the rank of Great Demon, the gap between them would only grow wider. As a Demon Lord, what was gratitude? His hands were stained with the blood of millions; to him, gratitude was nothing more than a burden. What made the Demon Lord even more determined was that the Golden Crow bloodline within Jiang Xuan was unimaginably seductive.

Outside the cave, the Empress stared fixedly at the darkness within, her emotions complex. She had not expected the Demon Lord to truly dare such a thing. Ever since she had gained the ability to speak, she had learned of the Demon Lord’s situation—like her, he was a reincarnation of a past life. Knowing this had shocked her beyond measure. Yet now, to take advantage of this moment to kill the "fat bird"—whether based on past favors or future prospects—did not align with her own interests. More importantly, for reasons she could not fathom, the Empress knew she no longer disliked Jiang Xuan.

Suddenly, a deafening blast erupted from the cave, accompanied by a shower of sand and stone!

Terrifying flames surged out like a mushroom cloud, engulfing the entire entrance and erupting dozens of meters into the air. These flames were filled with the essence of pure Yang, immense spiritual power, and a trace of fire-attribute laws.

But what stunned the young eagles even more was that as the golden flames gradually dissipated, a black bird appeared in the air, its wings scorched, vomiting blood in great gulps. Its body swayed in the wind, its aura barely one-tenth of what it had been!

The shock was far from over!

As the golden-red fire completely vanished, a man appeared before the gaze of the eagles: he had a handsome face with features as sharp as if carved by a blade, a slender physique, and was dressed in a long cyan robe.

"Big Brother! That’s Big Brother’s aura!"
"Damn, Big Brother is so handsome! So it’s true that once you become a Great Demon, you can take human form!"
"Big Brother is mighty! Big Brother is awesome!"
"Handsome! Absolutely stunning, Big Brother!"

The stunned young eagles snapped back to reality; it was indeed Jiang Xuan’s aura. The dozen or so young eagles flew toward him, chirping and shouting. Thus, a spectacle unfolded in the sky: a handsome man surrounded by a dozen giant eagles, a truly incredible sight.

The Empress’s pupils dilated, and for a long time, she remained motionless. Subconsciously, a trace of affection for Jiang Xuan sprouted within her! This was something she found impossible to accept! Driven by an inexplicable impulse, she flew to Jiang Xuan’s side, staring in shock at the man he had become.

"Good, good, good! I should have acted sooner!"
"I calculated everything, but I never imagined that a fat bird like you could break through a major realm so quickly!"
"Barely half an hour—how could you possibly digest the changes of such a breakthrough so fast?"

Not just in this life, but even in his previous one, the Demon Lord had never seen such a thing! Breaking through a realm, where the body's blood and spiritual energy undergo a qualitative change, is akin to walking through the gates of hell. A normal being would test the waters step by step, slowing the process as much as possible to ensure success while enduring the agony. In his memory, breaking through to the Great Demon realm usually took at least an hour. Some even took an entire day and night! The Demon Lord felt his worldview collapsing; this perfect opportunity had simply slipped through his fingers!

"Damn, I look so handsome. This robe is nice too—good thing I prepared it, otherwise I’d be streaking right now."
"I didn't expect the human transformation to be so successful. My appearance is way better than my previous life!"
"Tsk tsk, thick brows, large eyes, a high bridge of the nose, peach-blossom eyes, and these lips are quite sexy. The hairstyle is a bit eccentric, but it doesn't look too out of place with this outfit..."

"You brat! How dare you ignore me! You’re courting death!"
"Spirits and demons, wreak havoc for a thousand miles!"

In the air, various bizarre demonic manifestations appeared, looking as if they had just clocked in from the underworld. With the Demon Lord’s spiritual energy mostly exhausted, they appeared somewhat lethargic. This was the third technique of the *Ten Thousand Demon Heart Sutra*: "Evil Deeds Across a Thousand Miles!"

When the Demon Lord was at full strength, summoning hundreds of these demons would not have been difficult. But now, in Jiang Xuan’s eyes, these creatures were as weak as shrimp and crabs.

"Oh, what did you just say?"
"Are you saying you want to fight me?"

Jiang Xuan looked over, his eyes reflecting a vast sea of stars, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"Hmph! Jiang Xuan! Today, either you die or I do!"
"Since it has come to this, I will die with dignity!"

Hearing this, Jiang Xuan laughed mockingly. "Ridiculous."

No sooner had he spoken than Jiang Xuan flicked his hand, and a sea of fire filled the sky. The hysterical screams of the demons echoed across the entire valley! One strike, and nearly a hundred demons were obliterated! The giant eagles hovering nearby, and even the Empress, were blown backward by the sheer force of Jiang Xuan’s spiritual power! Their hearts were filled with shock; they had already begun to worship Jiang Xuan as an idol.

"Gathering of a Hundred Evils!"

With a roar, the Demon Lord attempted to swallow the fire that was blotting out the sky! In Jiang Xuan’s eyes, this appeared even more pathetic. The moment they touched, the Demon Lord’s vitality began to drain away.

He could feel the fire eroding his body! But the next second, his remaining consciousness told him that his throat had been gripped in a vice-like hold!

"Demon Lord, do you submit?"
"You!"

His voice turned raspy, the Demon Lord gnashing his teeth. He had not expected Jiang Xuan to spare him, withdrawing that terrifying fire of pure Yang at the very last moment. Yet, was this not an even greater humiliation?

"You can die, but not today."
"If you don't submit, feel free to come back and get beaten again in the future."
"If you do submit, you will still receive your share of resources. How about it?"

The words echoed in the Demon Lord’s ears. A battle raged within his heart, but in the end, he compromised.

"I... I submit!"

As he roared the words, Jiang Xuan released his throat. The result was exactly as Jiang Xuan had anticipated. The Demon Lord was different from the Empress; he was treacherous, cunning, murderous, bloodthirsty, ruthless, and greedy! But it was precisely these traits that ensured he would not seek death easily, nor would he easily give up the resources Jiang Xuan provided. If given a path to live, he would take it.

As for whether he was truly submissive, Jiang Xuan did not care, though he suspected the Demon Lord only said it to save his skin and secure resources. But none of that mattered now.

"Ding."
"The host has broken through to the Great Demon realm. You must now help your underlings advance to the Great Demon realm."
"For every underling that breaks through to the Great Demon realm, the host will receive a Second-Tier Beast Pill!"
"Once all underlings have reached the Great Demon realm, the host will obtain the alchemy divine ability: *The Hundred Refinements Alchemy Classic*!"

The mission had finally arrived...

Days of cultivation were always tedious. If it weren't for the spiritual points gained while sleeping, Jiang Xuan would have thought the system had crashed. Regaining his composure, Jiang Xuan turned around.

"Everyone, our home has been destroyed. Today, let’s rebuild our home!"