The autumn wind was bleak, sweeping across the continuous mountains and fields, kicking up debris from the withered yellow vegetation.
In the distance, the mountains resembled a crouching, ancient giant beast, their ridgelines appearing exceptionally cold and hard under the grey sky.
Jade Dust Demon Emperor urged his mount forward, drawing closer to the black-clad figure in front of him, and lowered his voice.
"My Sovereign, the territory of Qingwu is just ahead."
Hearing this.
The young girl merely turned her head slightly.
Yet this small response prompted Jade Dust Demon Emperor to quickly continue explaining: "Logically speaking, with our army marching here, that Mangshan Demon Emperor should have received the news long ago."
At this point, a hint of confusion entered his tone.
"But until now, within the territory of Qingwu Mountain, not even a single demon has appeared to block us or scout the path."
"I fear they might be intending to see exactly what My Sovereign's intentions are."
Jade Dust Demon Emperor weighed his words carefully, laying out his conjectures one by one.
"After all, no matter how arrogant an outsider demon might be, upon hearing of the existence of a Dao Lineage's Main Seat, they should at least remain honest and quiet for a period of time."
"And for someone like My Sovereign..."
He stole a glance at the girl's calm profile and swallowed the rest of his sentence.
To be so blatant, directly leading thousands of Wangchuan's demon host to the gates of Qingwu.
Even if it was clearly meant to be a bloody clash with the Qingwu lineage.
Anyone watching would find it hard to believe that things were truly just that simple.
Even he himself, this newly promoted top confidant, still harbored a few disbelief-filled doubts in his heart regarding the new Sovereign's rhetoric.
Jiang Yuechu looked back indifferently and said calmly, "And so?"
"And so..."
Jade Dust Demon Emperor hadn't finished his sentence.
And so, on the mountain path ahead, two figures appeared without any warning.
The leader was a burly man with a bare torso and knotted muscles. He carried an eighteen-foot silver spear on his shoulder, his face was rugged, and his eyes were wild and untamed.
Behind him was a man dressed like a scholar, holding a folding fan. His expression was reserved, but within his narrow eyes, a cold light flickered as they opened and closed.
"And so, the two of us have come to invite the new Sovereign to Qingwu Mountain for a discussion."
The one who spoke was the reserved man.
"..."
The thousands of Wangchuan demons stopped in unison, gripping their weapons tightly as Demonic Qi surged, creating a tense atmosphere of imminent conflict.
Yet, in the end, no one dared to speak first.
Because these two figures were far too familiar to the demons of the Yu Mountain Great Range.
Seeing Jiang Yuechu's gaze turn toward them, the reserved man folded his fan and bowed slightly with a smile on his face: "We are generals under the command of Elder Mangshan. I am Overturn Sea, and this is my Elder brother, Move Mountain. The Elder heard of the new Sovereign's arrival and how she has awed Yu Mountain. He admires you greatly and specifically ordered us brothers to come welcome you, to fulfill our duties as hosts."
This...
Jade Dust Demon Emperor felt his mouth go dry, a sense of dread rising in his heart.
In his youth, he had also been arrogant and frivolous, considering himself peerless and looking down on these so-called Twin Dragons, even boasting that he could take on both at once.
The result...
With only Move Mountain Demon Emperor taking action, he had been beaten so badly his Dao Heart almost shattered.
Seeing that Jiang Yuechu did not intend to strike immediately.
Jade Dust Demon Emperor hurriedly urged his mount forward, forcing a smile onto his face: "So it is the two Demon Emperors Move Mountain and Overturn Sea. My apologies for the lack of respect... We were just about to head to Qingwu Mountain to visit Elder Mangshan. We shall set off immediately; we will be there shortly, very shortly."
As he spoke, he turned his head to urge the demon host behind him to hurry onto the road.
But the burly man named Move Mountain gave a cold snort and suddenly hurled the eighteen-foot silver spear from his shoulder.
Boom!
The silver spear struck the ground.
It was pinned right in front of Jade Dust Demon Emperor.
"What the Elder said was: Please, Demon Emperor."
Move Mountain Demon Emperor lifted his eyelids, indifferently scanning the dense mass of Wangchuan demons.
"Do you all... not understand?"
"..."
The meaning of these words was perfectly clear.
They wanted the Demon Emperor to go to Qingwu alone.
Jade Dust Demon Emperor froze in place, stealing a look at Jiang Yuechu.
However.
Jiang Yuechu actually showed a hint of interest.
"Oh? Is this an attempt to coerce this Sovereign?"
Overturn Sea Demon Emperor's smile did not fade as he lightly waved the folding fan in his hand: "The Demon Emperor must be joking."
"Between us of the Yao Race, why must we resort to such violence and ruin our harmony?"
He bowed slightly, his voice gentle.
"The Elder has already prepared a modest feast at Qingwu Mountain, waiting only for the Demon Emperor's presence."
As the words fell.
The Demonic Qi of the thousands of Wangchuan demons exploded upward, and pairs of crimson eyes glared fixedly at the two figures ahead.
Jade Dust Demon Emperor felt fury rising in his heart even more.
What 'modest feast' nonsense.
This was clearly an attempt to trick the Demon Emperor into going to Qingwu Mountain.
To trap and kill her alone!
Since they were going to fight anyway, why waste words with these two things? He should just slaughter them now!
He was just about to speak.
But he heard the black-clad figure give a slight nod.
"Since it is Elder Mangshan's kind intention, how could this Sovereign have any reason to refuse?"
Eh?
The thousands of Wangchuan demons were all stunned.
Even the curses at the tip of Jade Dust Demon Emperor's tongue were forced back down.
This wasn't right...
With the new Sovereign's personality of killing whenever she felt like it and never wasting words, how could she endure such an insult?
Yet they saw Jiang Yuechu already taking steps, walking forward indifferently.
She turned her head, a hint of confusion in her pitch-black eyes as she looked at the two demons, Move Mountain and Overturn Sea, who were also somewhat surprised.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry and lead the way... This Sovereign is getting a little impatient."
"..."
Move Mountain and Overturn Sea exchanged a glance, both seeing a trace of gravity in the other's eyes.
Suppressing the indescribable sense of weirdness in their hearts, they snorted coldly and turned to walk.
Leaving only the crowd of Wangchuan demons dazed in place.
A long while later.
A demon general urged his mount forward, quietly approaching Jade Dust Demon Emperor and lowering his voice.
"What does our Sovereign mean by this?"
"..."
Jade Dust Demon Emperor's face was full of bitterness.
How would he know what this new Sovereign meant.
It was just that...
For some reason.
The scene before him actually bore a striking resemblance to the time he had first led this master into Wangchuan...
...
The territory of Qingwu Mountain was filled with a grim Demonic Qi.
On both sides of the mountain path, a demon holding a weapon stood every ten steps. Their armor was crude and their faces hideous. One after another, undisguised gazes of ferocity converged upon the black-clad figure walking slowly up the mountain.
The wind passed through the treetops, unable to flutter even a corner of her clothes.
Three figures, one in front and two behind, walked silently through this murderous atmosphere.
The burly man Move Mountain, walking at the very front with the silver spear on his shoulder, had heavy footsteps. Every step he took caused the stone steps beneath him to tremble slightly.
The scholar Overturn Sea, walking alongside the girl, lightly waved his folding fan with a gentle smile on his face. However, his narrow eyes never once left the cold and calm profile beside him.
They reached halfway up the mountain.
A grand hall formed from the intertwined roots of countless ancient trees appeared at the end of their vision.
The hall doors were wide open, and the interior was deep and dark, impossible to see clearly.
Overturn Sea Demon Emperor stopped his steps, folded his fan, and announced loudly toward the hall: "Reporting to the Elder: the new master of Wangchuan has been brought here."
The sound waves echoed through the mountains, and the hundreds of demon guards before the hall, whose auras were even more formidable, tightened their grip on their weapons.
Inside the hall, there was a dead silence.
For a long time.
A voice slowly drifted out from the deep darkness.
"Summon the new Demon Emperor into the hall."