Hearing what Zong Biao said and seeing his anxious appearance, Du Niangzi felt secretly delighted.
Hei-Feng really is stirring up trouble.
From the anxiety written all over Zong Biao’s face, it was clear that Hei Pi Yao Wang couldn’t hold on for much longer.
Everything was unfolding exactly according to Hei-Feng’s plan.
Du Niangzi glanced at the obsidian hanging around Zong Biao’s neck, her eyes full of greed.
This thing will soon be mine, Du Niangzi’s.
She lowered her eyelids, hiding the greed in her gaze, placed her hands on her hips, and said, “Aiya, this really isn’t easy to handle, Lord Demon General. You know as well as I do, this technique—just because you’ve learned it doesn’t mean you can immediately master it.”
“This batch of female demons is mostly mediocre in talent. I’ve already taught them with all my heart, but they’re just getting started. You’re only giving me one day—there’s no way I can guarantee every single one of them will be proficient in the Xiyang Art.”
“And another thing, most of these demon girls are virgins. They’ve never had any experience. When they meet those human men tomorrow, they’ll be nervous—who knows how much yang energy they’ll be able to absorb? Will it be enough for the King?”
“If you ask me, in the future the King should pick more who are already married or have been with men. They’ll learn faster, and I’ll have less trouble, too.”
Zong Biao grew even more impatient when he heard this.
His father, Zong-Lie, still wasn’t ready to ascend.
If Hei Pi Yao Wang dropped dead now, everything would be over.
If Hei-Feng became Yao Wang, neither he nor his father would survive.
Lin Xue was inside the house, standing by the window, ears pricked, listening to the conversation between the two.
But Zong Biao, in his anxiety, didn’t even spare a glance for the beautiful woman standing by the window. He just kept speaking to Du Niangzi with a face full of urgency: “There’s no time to worry about all that. Today, Du Niangzi, you must be extra diligent—supervise them, teach them well. No matter what, tomorrow they must enter the Secret Realm of the Valley of Ecstasy. At all costs, you must help the King get through this month.”
“All the brothers in the mountains know you serve under my father. He’s promised to promote you to chief in the future, and your cultivation resources will be greatly increased. That mansion of Hei-Feng’s, plus all those medicinal gardens, pastures, forests, and peaks under him, they’ll all be yours!”
“You like eating people, especially young men. In the future, the strong, young men we catch every month in the mountain will be provided to you first—so you can eat your fill.”
“We’re all grasshoppers tied to the same rope. Helping my father become Yao Wang is our shared goal, and it’ll benefit you as well.”
“If Hei-Feng rises to Yao Wang instead, you’ll miss out on all these benefits. Isn’t that right, Niangzi?”
“I’ve already sent a notice to Huangfeng Mountain, ordered them to pick out ten Yao-Fei in half a month, no matter what. When the time comes, you’ll have to work hard to train them, too.”
“That’s all I have to say. Tomorrow at this time, I’ll bring those human men to you. Be prepared in advance, Niangzi.”
With that, Zong Biao hurriedly left.
Du Niangzi watched him go, closed the courtyard gate, sneered coldly, then turned and went back into the house.
She approached Lin Xue and put on an attitude of utmost respect, standing before her with head bowed: “Master, the King has issued his order. No matter what, we must finish the training tomorrow and enter the Secret Realm of the Valley of Ecstasy. What are your instructions?”
Lin Xue pondered silently.
She glanced at the cooldown timer of the Chuanyin Fashu on her ring—there were still a little over three days left.
She had originally intended to delay until the teleportation spell cooled down, before making her move.
With the spell in hand, if there was ever a chance to escape the Protective Array of Erlong Mountain, she could teleport away at once.
That was why she’d asked Du Niangzi to stretch the training time to ten days.
But now, it looked like she couldn’t delay any longer.
Hei Pi Yao Wang could wait no more.
From previous conversations between Du Niangzi and Hei-Feng, Lin Xue learned that once the Secret Realm of the Valley of Ecstasy opened, if no one shut it down, after twenty-four hours—that is, two days—all living beings inside would be expelled and the realm would close on its own.
Which meant, even if she snatched the obsidian from Zong Biao and prevented him from closing the realm early, at best they could only delay for two days inside.
The ideal outcome would be: after two days, Hei Pi Yao Wang would die from not having replenished his essence, Hei-Feng would become Yao Wang smoothly, and would have already killed Zong-Lie.
Once they came out, they could plead with Hei-Feng, and perhaps be allowed to leave Erlong Mountain entirely.
But if, after two days, they emerged from the realm only to find Hei Pi Yao Wang still clinging to life, Hei-Feng still not ascended, and Zong-Lie still alive and kicking, things would get awkward.
She had to think about how to deal with such a scenario.
There were two critical questions:
First, should she kill Zong Biao or not?
Second, should she or the girls go through with Shuangxiu, absorbing some yang energy into their bodies?
Lin Xue definitely didn’t want to engage in any sort of Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Life-Extension Grand Method with any man.
But Zong Biao would never let them just drag things out inside the realm.
If she wanted to stall for two days, she’d have to control or kill Zong Biao.
But if they spent two days inside without absorbing any yang energy, how would they explain that to the furious Yao Wang?
And if she killed or controlled Zong Biao, once they got out, how would she face Zong-Lie’s revenge?
After much thought, Lin Xue saw only one way.
Follow Hei-Feng’s plan: as soon as they entered the secret realm, let Zong Biao go berserk and slaughter those men.
Then, when Zong Biao tried to violate and ravage the girls, she would strike and kill him herself!
After all, killing Zong Biao would only offend the Boar Family and Zong-Lie.
But if she only controlled him, not killing him, and dragged things out inside for two days, Zong Biao would definitely complain afterward that it was them who kept him from closing the realm.
That would mean not only Zong-Lie, but also Hei Pi Yao Wang would be enraged at her.
So she might as well just kill Zong Biao.
As for those men—although Lin Xue felt sorry for them, as humans already captured and brought into this demon lair, their chances of ever leaving Erlong Mountain alive were virtually zero.
If they weren’t killed by Zong Biao, they’d die from being drained by the female demons.
Even if they were strong enough to survive the draining, they’d be half-dead and end up eaten by one of the high-ranking demon leaders anyway.
As Zong Biao and Du Niangzi had just discussed, Zong-Lie had promised that captured human men would be given to her to eat first.
So in the end, they were all doomed anyway—there was no point in getting hung up on morality. She’d just let Zong Biao kill them.
That way, when they left the realm and if Hei Pi Yao Wang asked why the Xixia Mountain girls hadn’t absorbed any yang energy, they could push the blame onto Zong Biao.
All the men had been killed by Zong Biao, so naturally the girls had no way to absorb yang energy.
At least that would be enough to deal with the Yao Wang’s fury.
If the Yao Wang wanted to continue his life, he’d still have to rely on these girls who’d mastered the Xiyang Art—giving them a sliver of hope to survive.
As for whether Zong-Lie would seek revenge for killing Zong Biao, that could be worried about later—first they had to get through this immediate crisis.
With this thought, Lin Xue addressed the Xixia Mountain demonesses: “Since the King has already ordered us into the secret realm ahead of schedule, we’ll have to obey. Sisters, you all must focus on practicing the Shuangxiu art today—this technique could be the thing that saves your lives.”
Hong Yanzhi, her demon slave, had already learned the Xiyang Art and mastered it proficiently, but the other six demonesses’ learning progress varied.
Now that those six had witnessed Lin Xue’s power and beauty, they all looked up to her as an idol, obeying her every word and nodding in unison: “We’ll do our best to practice today, Sister Lin. Please rest assured.”
Lin Xue instructed Du Niangzi to pay extra attention to those learning more slowly. Du Niangzi readily agreed, promising to obey.
Having set her plan, Lin Xue thought to herself: “Do everything you can, then leave the rest to fate.”
As for what would happen next, she had no idea—all she could do was take things one step at a time.
On a peak near the Yaowangdian, sat the mansion of the second leader, Zong-Lie.
The sprawling estate was filled with abundant spiritual energy, with the essence of heaven and earth gathered everywhere.
Zong-Lie was meditating in the rear courtyard, eyes closed in cultivation.
After a long while, he opened his eyes and let out a deep breath, ending his training.
Within his dantian, his demon core had become crystal clear, but still held a trace of impurity.
At the peak of the Core Formation stage, a demon’s core would gradually crystallize, expelling impurities and becoming completely transparent.
When all impurities were gone, he’d reach the perfect peak and could begin to form a dan, attempting to ascend as Yao Wang.
Since there was still a trace of impurity in Zong-Lie’s demon core, it meant he was just a little short of perfection.
He felt he was close—perhaps with another month or two of cultivation, he could expel all impurities and reach the same level as Hei-Feng.
At that point, he could play his trump card.
This trump card was a female demon who had mastered the complete Yinyang Dual Cultivation Codex (Incomplete).
What he had handed over to Hei Pi Yao Wang was actually just an incomplete version of the Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Life-Extension Grand Method.
He had secretly taught the full technique to a demoness absolutely loyal to the Boar Family.
This demoness would act as an ordinary Yao-Fei being “replenished,” but in truth, at the crucial moment, she would use the methods in the Yinyang Dual Cultivation Codex (Incomplete) to end Hei Pi Yao Wang’s life, helping Zong-Lie ascend first.
Once the news reached Hei-Feng, it would be too late—his own ascension would fall behind.
On the day Zong-Lie succeeded in becoming Yao Wang, it would also be the day of Hei-Feng’s death.
Thus, he had to ensure that Hei Pi Yao Wang could extend his life for another month or two.
Everything had gone smoothly, according to his plan, until last night.
Last night, a squad from the Demon-Slaying Bureau of Pengcheng Commandery suddenly ambushed several patrol and hunting squads on Erlong Mountain, killing and capturing a batch of demon soldiers and patrol leaders—their leader turned out to be a Jindan Cultivator.
Some demon soldiers reported that Hei Pi Yao Wang was forced to leave the fortress to confront them, demanding to know why the Demon-Slaying Bureau was trespassing in demon territory.
The Jindan Cultivator claimed that border townsfolk had been kidnapped by the demon race and demanded an explanation from Hei Pi Yao Wang.
The two sides couldn’t reach an agreement and fought.
But that Jindan Cultivator didn’t seem intent on a drawn-out battle—after a brief commotion, he took the captured demon soldiers and returned to the city.
After all, the Yaohuang and the Renzu Huangshi had long since established an agreement: neither race was allowed to provoke conflict without cause, so the Jindan Cultivator couldn’t go too far.
Hei Pi Yao Wang had already been barely sustaining his life; this ordeal cost him much of his gathered yang energy. Upon returning to the mountain, he was forced to extract the last two Yao-Fei from his harem ahead of schedule for replenishment, barely stabilizing his condition.
Now his harem was completely empty.
Thus, Zong-Lie ordered Zong Biao to urge Du Niangzi to help the eight Xixia Mountain demonesses master the art of absorbing yang, so they could replenish Hei Pi Yao Wang at any time. He also told Zong Biao to notify Huangfeng Mountain to prepare several more demonesses to send over.
But Zong-Lie had a vague sense that something was wrong.
Those Demon-Slaying Bureau troops last night had come for no apparent reason.
Could it be Hei-Feng’s doing?
Could he really have colluded with human cultivators for the sake of the Yao Wang’s throne?
Zong-Lie’s gaze drifted toward the mansion of the chief, Hei-Feng, and a shadow flickered in his eyes.