The entire venue fell into a silence so profound that even the drop of a pin could be heard…
As an Eighth Grade late-stage powerhouse, Niu Wu Ba shot up from his seat, his face frozen in shock and disbelief. His ox-like eyes were filled with utter incredulity. The aura Hu Qingwu was emitting right now was not that of an early-stage Eighth Grade cultivator. It was the steady, profound presence of a mid-stage Eighth Grade expert — just a hair away from late-stage Eighth Grade, nearly on par with him…
How could Niu Wu Ba believe this? For the first time, he even wondered if he was dreaming. His body stood rigid as if struck by lightning…
If even an Eighth Grade expert like him reacted so dramatically, there was no need to mention the others…
The Second Elder of the Heavenly Demon Academy felt the world spinning. It was like a painful slap to the face. He collapsed back into his seat, nearly spitting out a mouthful of blood.
The entire Heavenly Demon Academy group lowered their heads in shame, humiliation burning so fiercely they didn't know where to hide their faces. This was the first time people of their status and position had experienced such a feeling. The Heavenly Demon Academy had been confident they could absorb the Hu Clan. The Heavenly Demon Academy had been confident their Headmaster would marry the beauty. The Heavenly Demon Academy had been confident no one could refuse their betrothal gift. After all, that Eight-Tailed Fox demonic core was not Niu Wu Ba's personal property — it was an accumulation of the entire Heavenly Demon Academy…
An Eighth Grade demonic core, even if not refined by the Hu Clan, could still help other demon beasts increase their strength and break through to the Eighth Grade. The only difference was that it wouldn't grant the additional tails and talent evolution that the Hu Clan could achieve.
In other words, if any elder of the Heavenly Demon Academy refined this Eighth Grade demonic core, they would have a high chance of breaking through to the Eighth Grade, increasing the number of Eighth Grade experts for the entire academy. That was why, not long ago, when Niu Wu Ba proposed using the Eight-Tailed demonic core as a betrothal gift to marry Hu Qingwu, quite a few elders had opposed it, saying it was too wasteful…
But Niu Wu Ba had used his authority to overrule them all. He had even patted his chest and confidently declared that Hu Qingwu would become the Headmaster's wife. At that point, giving her the demonic core would be no different from giving it to family.
Only because of Niu Wu Ba's reasoning did the elders finally agree and hand over the demonic core to him as the betrothal gift.
And the result?
The demonic core they had treated like a priceless treasure was worth nothing in front of Hu Qingwu.
You wanted to tempt her with the allure of the Eighth Grade? Hu Qingwu was already at the Eighth Grade…
You wanted to help the Hu Clan achieve the talent of their ancient ancestors? Unfortunately, she had already surpassed their ancestors…
There was no denying it — the current situation felt like a bucket of cold water poured straight onto their faces, washing away all their earlier excitement…
No one knew how much time passed — it could have been quick or slow — but the crowd gradually regained their senses. Their faces were filled with shock and terror as they held their breath, waiting for what would happen next.
"So? Does the Hu Clan need your protection? Is this Clan Leader qualified to be at the Eighth Grade or not?" Hu Qingwu asked seductively, her bearing full of charm…
Since the masks had already been torn off, she no longer maintained her previous calm and dignified demeanor to save face. After all, the ones losing face now were the Heavenly Demon Academy and Niu Wu Ba.
"When?" Niu Wu Ba's eyes gradually turned bloodshot as he roared furiously:
"Why? Why did Hu Qingwu break through to the Eighth Grade? Why did Hu Qingwu become a Nine-Tailed Fox?"
Ba Li Jiao Huang also clenched his fists tightly, his chest heaving as he stared fixedly at Hu Qingwu. He had never felt so powerless before. At least Niu Wu Ba could still speak to Hu Qingwu as an equal, but he no longer could.
"Hehe, Headmaster Niu is mistaken. This Clan Leader is not a Nine-Tailed Fox right now, but the legendary Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox!" Hu Qingwu declared with deadly confidence. Her sleeves fluttered, her long hair danced without wind, and her beauty was unparalleled.
"Heavenly Fox?" Every Hu Clan member's heart skipped a beat…
Don't think that "Demon Fox" and "Heavenly Fox" differ by only one word and can be taken lightly. In reality, the gap between them is enormous.
A Demon Fox is just an ordinary demon beast. No matter how many tails it has, the tails only symbolize extra lives. But a Heavenly Fox is an existence comparable to Divine Beasts. As the number of tails increases, besides each tail corresponding to an extra life, the speed of absorbing spiritual energy multiplies exponentially.
Legend had it that the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox could cultivate nine times faster than a Nine-Tailed Demon Fox…
That was the difference between a Heavenly Fox and a Demon Fox…
The ancestors of the Hu Clan on Yuelong Star were only Eighth Grade Demon Foxes, while Hu Qingwu was now a Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox.
She had already far surpassed her ancestors…
Could a bloodline produced by the System possibly be ordinary? Whatever breed it summoned… it would naturally be the top-tier selection within that category.
"I don't care whether it's a Heavenly Fox or a Demon Fox. Why? Why did you break through to the Eighth Grade? Why did you hide your cultivation and let your clansmen suffer so much?" Niu Wu Ba roared.
His words sounded righteous, as if he was speaking out for the Hu Clan, but everyone could hear the rage and humiliation of being deceived and slapped in the face…
"Why?" Hu Qingwu laughed softly, her voice finally turning icy and filled with disappointment:
"Because this Clan Leader gave you all a chance. I gave U Origin a chance…"
"What do you mean?" A strong sense of unease rose in Niu Wu Ba's heart…
"If I hadn't hidden my strength, if I hadn't suppressed my cultivation and allowed the Hu Clan to fall into danger, how else could I have seen your true faces?" Hu Qingwu mocked with a laugh, but her words carried deep sorrow:
"We are all demon beasts, famous for our unity… How ridiculous?! For your own benefit, you stood by and watched us suffer casualties without decisively coming to our aid, even though our common enemy is the Blood Emperor Clan…"
Niu Wu Ba was speechless. He stammered, "Qingwu, this matter is…"
"Don't call my name. You are not worthy…" Hu Qingwu cut him off coldly.
Niu Wu Ba felt as if his heart had been pierced. His face twisted for a long moment before he finally forced himself to calm down and took a deep breath:
"Fine, Clan Leader Hu! This time, the Heavenly Demon Academy and the Giao Clan were wrong. It was only because I like you too much that I resorted to such methods… Niu Wu Ba apologizes here and promises to compensate the Hu Clan for its losses. But you said this was giving us a chance, giving U Origin a chance. What exactly do you mean?"
Hearing Niu Wu Ba's question, the crowd perked up their ears. They had been wondering the same thing.
Hu Qingwu glanced at the Kun Clan, at the Heavenly Demon Academy, and even at the Hu Clan itself. Then she spoke calmly:
"If, when the Hu Clan was attacked by the Blood Emperor Clan, the Heavenly Demon Academy and the Giao Clan had immediately come to our aid like the Kun Clan… then right now, U Origin Continent would still have Hu Qingwu and the Hu Clan. Unfortunately…"
The eyes of the powerful experts narrowed. Niu Wu Ba's unease grew stronger, and even Ba Li Jiao Huang had stood up…
"Clan… Clan Leader Hu, what exactly do you mean by that?" Niu Wu Ba took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly.
Hu Qingwu did not drag it out. She went straight to the point, her tone decisive and absolute:
"Starting from this moment, Hu Qingwu declares that the Hu Clan will leave U Origin Continent. We will sever all ties with the Heavenly Demon Academy. It will be as if we never knew each other!"
The moment the words left her mouth, they crashed down like a tidal wave. The Heavenly Demon Academy and Giao Clan shouted in unison:
"YOU CANNOT!"
What kind of joke was this? U Origin Continent had three major Ninth Grade forces. If the Hu Clan left now, how could their combat power compare to the other continents?
"Hehe, does this Clan Leader need your permission to leave or stay?" Hu Qingwu's face turned icy. She laughed once and returned to her seat.
In her heart, she did not feel the slightest bit of ease making this decision…
The Harem women looked at Hu Qingwu with sympathy and deep affection, feeling sorry for her…
Two months ago, when Liu Yuqing had suggested that Hu Qingwu bring the Hu Clan to settle near the Hundred Flowers Sect so both sides could look after and support each other during dangerous times, Hu Qingwu had shaken her head and refused. Because deep in her heart, she still believed in her fellow demon beasts. She trusted that the Giao Clan and Heavenly Demon Academy would not ignore them or take advantage when the Hu Clan was in trouble. Although Liu Yuqing's prediction had been very reasonable and convincing, as long as there was even the slightest chance… Hu Qingwu had chosen to believe in the demon race…
Liu Yuqing had not forced the issue. She had only smiled and said that no matter what the future held, the Ice Sky Continent would always have a place for the Hu Clan…
And what was the result now?
The last bit of trust and hope Hu Qingwu had placed had been betrayed. The Giao Clan and Heavenly Demon Academy had truly wanted to take advantage of the Hu Clan's crisis for their own gain — and even wanted to claim her as well.
Hu Qingwu was disappointed. No one could truly understand how deeply…
Not to mention that both sides were demon beasts — even according to the general rules of the Blood Extermination Alliance, the actions of the Giao Clan and Heavenly Demon Academy were unforgivable. But precisely because of this, Hu Qingwu had finally made her decision. She accepted Liu Yuqing's proposal and would bring the Hu Clan to the Ice Sky Continent to become neighbors with the Hundred Flowers Sect, neighbors with the Harem, and family with humanity…
"Hu Qingwu, do you know what you just said? Taking the Hu Clan away from U Origin — do you want to betray the entire demon race?"
Niu Wu Ba's aura erupted violently, shattering the surrounding space into powder. He knew that if he didn't show strength now, U Origin would lose the Hu Clan from this day forward.
"Niu Wu Ba, after the battle with the Blood Emperor Clan ended, this Clan Leader still wanted to preserve some dignity for you out of respect for the kindness your master showed me in the past!" Hu Qingwu did not answer his question directly. Instead, she spoke with self-mockery:
"This Clan Leader did not immediately expose the despicable intentions of the Heavenly Demon Academy and the Giao Clan. This Clan Leader did not reveal my true strength. This Clan Leader even held a banquet to entertain you all, planning to quietly take the Hu Clan away from U Origin Continent afterward!"
"But time and time again, Niu Wu Ba, you forced this Clan Leader into a corner. You used the safety of the Hu Clan as an excuse to pressure me into marrying you?"
"Since things have come to this, why should this Clan Leader still show you any respect? The favor I owed your master back then can now be considered repaid. From now on, wherever this Clan Leader takes the Hu Clan is none of your business — and none of U Origin Continent's business either!"
Hu Qingwu spoke word by word, as if venting all the anger in her heart. In the end, her voice carried a charming sigh…
The veins on Niu Wu Ba's forehead bulged ferociously. Every single word from Hu Qingwu felt like a knife stabbing into his heart, so painful that he could barely breathe. No matter the reason, everything he had done was because he wanted her. Now that she looked at him with such contempt, what else did he have to lose?
His bloodshot eyes suddenly swept sideways and landed on Su Yan and the others sitting there. Niu Wu Ba roared in rage:
"Hu Qingwu, you want to betray U Origin and the demon race to follow the Harem, don't you?"
"Betray?" Before Hu Qingwu could speak, a group of Hu Clan women had already laughed in disdain. Hu Ngọc Nghiên's eyes reddened as she shouted:
"Whether the Hu Clan betrayed you or you betrayed the Hu Clan — both sides know the truth in their hearts. Do we still need to say it out loud?"
"Ngọc Nghiên is right. We will follow the Clan Leader anywhere, as long as we leave this disgusting place that contains the Heavenly Demon Academy and the Giao Clan!" The Hu Clan members declared in unison, their expressions resolute.
The atmosphere grew extremely heavy. Niu Wu Ba's massive body trembled nonstop. If the Hu Clan truly left, once this news spread, it would shake the entire star. His and the Heavenly Demon Academy's reputation would be completely ruined, and it would be difficult to explain to the Blood Extermination Alliance council.
"Clan Leader Hu, don't be bewitched by the Harem. Most of them are humans… Those who are not of our race will surely have different intentions. How can they truly treat you as family?" Ba Li Jiao Huang could no longer hold back and spoke up.
"As this Clan Leader has already said, the future of the Hu Clan no longer concerns any of you!" Hu Qingwu was too lazy to explain further. This was the last time she would address the issue.
"This Headmaster understands now… Hu Qingwu, the reason you became so strong in such a short time must be because the Harem helped you, right? Why didn't I sense any disturbance when you broke through to the Eighth Grade?" Niu Wu Ba was filled with doubt.
The tribulation for Tribulation Realm or Eighth Grade demon beasts usually created enormous disturbances. Even if Hu Qingwu had broken through in a quiet, secluded place, powerhouses like him should have sensed it. Yet Hu Qingwu had managed to advance to the Eighth Grade silently and secretly. It was truly incomprehensible.
"Why should this Clan Leader tell you that?" Hu Qingwu asked with a strange look in her eyes.
Puff…
Niu Wu Ba nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. However, he knew he was in the wrong and could not do anything to the Hu Clan. He turned his spear toward the Harem and shouted coldly, killing intent surging:
"Harem, your calculations are truly brilliant. First you bewitched Hu Qingwu, then secretly monitored the Hu Clan so you could provide timely reinforcements… What exactly is your goal? Do you want to sow discord and divide the demon race?"
The Harem women burst into laughter, completely speechless at Niu Wu Ba's thick skin…
"We've seen shameless people before, but never anyone as shameless as you!" Kun Mingyue stretched lazily and directly cursed him. She then added:
"The Kun Clan will also leave U Origin. The husband and wife Kun Hoàng will manage it!"
The moment these words were spoken, the severity of the situation increased dramatically. Niu Wu Ba and the academy elders looked at each other, then all stood up at once. Their cultivation erupted as they shouted in unison:
"You… none of you are allowed to leave!"