The entire hall froze.
Ren Zu's words echoed like a muffled thunder, each syllable resonating in everyone's minds as if they were direct blows to the heart. "Husband." That simple word made the air in the grand hall tremble more than any attack of profound energy.
Duke Huai staggered back a step, cold sweat dripping down his temple. His expression, already distorted by shock, became even more grotesque.
"T-This is impossible…" he murmured, his voice faltering: "How… how could the Little Demon Empress… acknowledge… a piece of trash… as her husband!?"
Behind him, the Monarchs who followed him, men who had carried prestige and power for centuries, now exchanged looks of complete terror.
"I-It can't be true…" one of them let slip, his voice trembling: "This… this is a lie, it has to be!"
The three elders of the Yun Family, who had fought against enemies across countless generations, stood motionless, as if their souls had left their bodies for a moment. Their hands, which glowed with the energy of thunder, trembled slightly.
"Young Patriarch…" Yun Xi muttered, almost unable to believe what his own eyes were seeing.
"… This…" Yun Jiang spoke in a faint voice, as if each word cost him breath.
Yun He merely clenched his fists, his gaze flickering between Ren Zu and the Little Demon Empress, his heart beating faster than a drum.
It was as if the world had turned upside down in a single instant.
The shock was so great that they stopped fighting against the "Four Absolutes of the Southern Sky," who were equally stunned by this revelation.
"H-Hus… husband…?" one of the elders nearly bit his tongue from stuttering so much.
Yun Qinghong's face went pale in an instant, and Mu Yurou brought her hands to her mouth, incredulous. Their hearts raced in panic. This… this wasn't just boldness, it was a direct offense! Even insinuating such a thing was enough to condemn an entire family to destruction. And yet, their own son had spoken those words in front of everyone present, without a trace of hesitation.
"Zu'er!!" Yun Qinghong jumped in alarm, his voice trembling with desperation: "What are you saying?! Do you realize how offensive this is to Her Majesty…!?"
Mu Yurou gripped her husband's arm so tightly that her nails dug into his skin. Her eyes were brimming with tears, almost silently pleading for Ren Zu to immediately retract his words, for it to be just a fleeting provocation.
No one could blame them, after all, the Little Demon Empress had just unleashed an overwhelming power, so suffocating that it seemed to distort the very air around her. Her reputation for cruelty was known to all, and no one would dare doubt her willingness to follow through on any threat. In the face of that cold gaze and an aura that resembled that of an enraged deity, it was impossible not to shudder.
And, to everyone's horror, their son had just uttered words that sounded like a death sentence.
But Ren Zu only maintained that calm smile and indifferent expression.
The audience, however, erupted into hushed murmurs. Some choked, others laughed in disbelief, as if it were a joke too absurd to even comment on. There were also those who simply stood paralyzed, unsure whether to laugh, tremble, or kneel on the spot.
"T-This can only be madness!" someone envious of the young man's appearance whispered, their voice hoarse: "The Little Demon Empress would never allow something like this! He's a dead man!"
But then, the entire hall fell silent again. Because, after a few seconds that seemed eternal, the Little Demon Empress slightly turned her face, her dark gaze meeting Ren Zu's. Her silence was sharper than any blade.
Finally, she let out a huff, averting her eyes, her cheeks taking on an almost imperceptible flush, and her icy, yet embarrassed, voice echoed:
"… Do as you please."
Those four words fell like a final verdict.
If there had been shock before, now the hall plunged into absolute chaos of disbelief. It was as if everyone had just witnessed the impossible take form before their eyes.
"My god, did I hear that right? He said husband?! Her husband?! And she didn't deny it!?"
"Yes. I thought I was dreaming, but the Little Demon Empress… agreed! I saw it, she didn't deny him!"
"She even blushed… she blushed! When has anyone ever seen Her Majesty blush in front of a man?!"
"If he really is her husband… then, from now on, who would dare disobey this young man?!"
On the other side, "Greatest Ambition Under the Heavens" stared wide-eyed, mouth agape, unable to hide his shock. He remembered Ren Zu well, who always appeared alongside his daughter, Number Seven Under Heaven, before disappearing for an entire year. That young man the world called useless… had he really conquered the unattainable woman? Not only had he become more handsome…
Mu Yubai clenched his fists tightly, veins bulging on his forehead. His voice rumbled heavily: "That boy… that boy is my sister's son…! To think that someone called useless by the Yun Family… would become the Little Demon Empress's man!"
The Yun Family, in turn, was in absolute shock.
"He… he's the same Young Patriarch who couldn't awaken the Profound Handle…?"
"The one we all called useless…?"
"Now… he's the Little Demon Empress's husband?! This can't… can't be real!"
The voices mingled with envy, fear, and fascination. Some wanted to deny it, others couldn't stop trembling.
Yun Qinghong was utterly stunned. His heart wavered violently between the terror that their entire family would be condemned for those words and an irrational pride he could barely control. The son who had been called "trash" by the clan for so long, the young man everyone thought incapable of even protecting himself… now stood before all as the man who had conquered the Little Demon Empress.
But he wasn't the only one with complex emotions; Mu Yurou was no different. Her hands trembled so much they could barely hold her husband's arm, and her tear-filled eyes were on the verge of overflowing. The shock was too overwhelming—how could it not be? Before everyone, their son had just been acknowledged by the Little Demon Empress as… her husband.
The chaos didn't have time to dissipate.
Duke Huai, though shaken to his core, would not let the situation slip from his control. His face contorted with rage, and his voice thundered like a dark storm:
"What are you all standing there for? Kill these traitors now! No matter the cost!!"
His roar snapped everyone back to reality. The disbelief was swallowed by the imminent slaughter.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The Four Absolutes of the Southern Sky charged forward like living tempests, their bodies unleashing a pressure so overwhelming it seemed to tear the air itself. They immediately used their strongest attacks to try to kill the boy and the Little Demon Empress.
But before their attacks could reach Ren Zu and the Little Demon Empress, three figures appeared before them like steel walls.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted as Yun Jiang, Yun He, and Yun Xi raised their arms, thunderous energy pouring out like raging rivers, forming an electric barrier that collided with the four murderous auras simultaneously. The impact unleashed waves of energy that shattered the hall's floor into pieces and cracked entire columns.
The Four Absolutes of the Southern Sky faced the three Great Elders of the Yun Family, but before the seven Monarchs could clash again, a distortion in the air twisted into a massive vortex.
The movements of the three Great Elders slowed instantly at that moment, as the air above them warped once more, and three more figures appeared from the void. As they descended explosively to the ground, their auras… were practically no less formidable than those of the Four Absolutes of the Southern Sky.
Ten great Monarchs, all in the mid or late stages… their auras mingled with one another, like waves of a vast ocean, concealing the sky and covering the earth.
The combined power of seven Monarchs working together… that was a power ordinary people wouldn't even dare imagine! Outside the Demon Imperial City, the rest of the regions within the Illusory Demon Realm, even the greatest Heavenly Demon City, wouldn't be able to produce seven Monarchs. Though the three Great Elders of the Yun Family were strong, they definitely wouldn't be able to approach Duke Huai if he were under the protection of seven late-stage Monarchs; it would be difficult to use the [Profound Handle] on him to uncover the truth about the events of the past hundred years through his mind!
At that moment, a muffled sound echoed like the beating of a heart. The air trembled, and a vivid, flaming red mark appeared on Ren Zu's forehead, glowing like the rising sun. It was the same mark that shone on the Little Demon Empress's forehead. Golden Crow flames erupted from his body, enveloping him completely; his aura burned like the sun itself, so intense that the space around him began to distort.
"C-Crow… Golden Crow flames?!"
"Impossible… this can only be… a mistake…!"
"The Divine Flames… they're exclusive to the royal bloodline! Only the Imperial Family can…"
The voices were of absolute disbelief, but there was no time for more.
They didn't have time to process any kind of response to this.
A scorching aura, too hot to bear, assaulted the air and descended upon the hall like a cataclysm.
It was, without a doubt, an aura of inextinguishable fire, but paradoxically, while it brought suffocating heat, it made every spectator feel an icy chill run down their spine.
The space warped, rippling like a desert in flames. Under astonished gazes, Ren Zu's figure slowly emerged between the three Great Elders of the Yun Family and the seven Monarchs protecting Duke Huai.
Around his body, the colossal silhouette of a scarlet-golden Golden Crow appeared for an instant. Immediately after, it erupted into a blazing splendor that swept through the hall, as if a thousand suns had been ignited at once.
In a matter of a second, the grand hall and everything within the audience's sight was bathed in incandescent red.
"Third Stage of the Golden Crow's Burning World — Scorching Sun Rupture!"
In the air that had turned scarlet red, the infinite and boundless Golden Crow flames rapidly gathered, forming the searing, eye-burning, yet divine and sacred figure of the Golden Crow. It tore the scarlet world to pieces, pierced through space, and flew toward the seven Monarchs standing in front of Duke Huai…
In an instant, the combined power of those seven Monarchs, strong enough to destroy a city, vanished into the air. The world around them began to fracture into countless tiny pieces, followed by the complete collapse of space. In that moment, their visions and thoughts were occupied by no other existence—only that infinite sea of scarlet flames…
The messages their powerful mental energies conveyed… were that these flames had already invaded their bodies and even their souls. Under these flames, their Monarch-level spiritual and physical resistances were utterly useless, offering not even a shred of resistance.
Bang!!!
Amid the explosive, shattering sound, the firelight that filled the sky contracted and dispersed completely, and the seven Monarchs flew outward like seven punctured sacks; their heads, bodies, and limbs were entirely engulfed in scarlet-golden flames… Even the souls within their bodies were being mercilessly burned by these flames.
The seven Monarchs rolled frantically on the ground, groaning in anguished pain… They finally understood why Duke Han had let out such miserable, pitiful screams. The sensation of being burned by the Golden Crow flames was like countless blades slicing and carving every inch of flesh and every nerve in their bodies. Despite their mental strength, far greater than that of an ordinary person, they could endure for only a few breaths before wishing for instant death.
The final attack of a Monarch in desperation was originally something extremely terrifying, but these seven Monarchs only wept and groaned, not one of them launching a desperate attack that would unleash all their profound strength… Because if they tried to activate their profound energy, it would be instantly incinerated.
As for the experts from Duke Huai's Palace, who were waiting in the shadows and preparing to rush forward to protect Duke Huai, they felt their bodies come to a rigid standstill, trembling like sieves, not daring to take another step forward… Ten breaths later, the crying and groaning quieted, and the Little Demon Empress slowly raised her hand, casually compressing the flame in her palm.
Bang!!
The Golden Crow flames burning on the bodies of the seven Monarchs exploded simultaneously and scattered into fragments of flame that filled the sky. The bodies within that conflagration followed the fate of those three fragments flying from the Golden Crow flames and dispersed completely.
The seven experts from Duke Huai's Palace…
These men, who carried titles and glories forged in blood, died miserably, unable to offer even a breath of resistance. None of them were insignificant figures. They were all true Monarchs!
In the Demon Imperial City, a single Monarch was already a rarity greater than a Phoenix feather. The death of even one, even the weakest, could plunge the entire Illusory Demon Realm into chaos.
But there, before everyone's eyes, in a single blink, seven Monarchs had perished.
All were annihilated horrifically under Ren Zu's flames.
And the most terrifying part… was the simplicity of the process.
There was no prolonged confrontation, no clash of powers capable of shaking continents, nor explosions that would tear apart the heavens and earth.
No. It was quick, direct, and cruel.
The entire scene lasted but a moment, and the massacre was so natural, so casual, that it seemed no more than crushing nine ants under the sole of a foot.
Duke Huai's pupils had long since contracted to pinpricks, and the calm he once possessed had completely vanished, replaced by abject terror. The sudden return of the Little Demon Empress may have left him confused and astonished, but it wasn't enough to make him feel powerless, because even if he faced the Little Demon Empress, he had an overwhelming advantage in power… Even with Ren Zu, who was so powerful that even he had lost to him four months ago, he had no worries! But after this brief lapse of time, the scenario had been completely overturned, and both Ren Zu and the Little Demon Empress had displayed a power thrown like a nightmare before his eyes.
He had always thought his own father, Duke Ming, was invincible under the heavens. Though he had never seen the true limits of Duke Ming's power, he could definitely confirm that his own father, Duke Ming… could absolutely send seven mid- and late-stage Monarchs to their deaths in a single move!!
This was a power that supposedly wasn't meant to exist in this world, a power that had never appeared before in the history of the Illusory Demon Realm!!
The Duke Palaces that had thrown in their lot with Duke Huai were utterly stupefied. The Helian, Chiyang, Jiufang, Nangong, Lin, Xiao, and Bai Clans had completely lost their voices, their throats merely twitching in agitation. These seven awe-inspiring Patriarchs of these Families were drenched in cold sweat, and for some, even their legs began to tremble in fear… Even the Duke Palaces and Guardian Families devoted to the Demon Emperor Clan had fallen silent out of fear, and none dared to breathe.
Duke Zhong was dead. Duke Han had fallen to the Little Demon Empress… and seven Monarchs were annihilated in a single move by her alleged husband!
This was the heaviest and most terrifying display of deterrence in the entire history of the Illusory Demon Realm!!
"What are you waiting for?! Capture Duke Huai immediately!!"
The Little Demon Empress's cold shout snapped the three Great Elders out of their dazed stares, and they once again rushed toward the shaken Duke Huai. This time, though many auras appeared in the space around Duke Huai, no one stepped forward to block the way.
Becoming a Monarch was the highest goal every profound practitioner dreamed of achieving. Each Monarch was the product of countless amounts of time, effort, and resources spent reaching that goal, in addition to having opportunities that could only be given, not begged for. Upon reaching that level, they thought they no longer needed to fear anything, for they had reached the pinnacle of heaven and earth, and nothing could destroy them.
But today, to their infinite shock and horror, they discovered that… in front of the young man accompanying the Little Demon Empress, they were as insignificant as dust, and before him, there was practically no difference between them and a newborn.
They could die… But if a Monarch died, they wanted to die in a desperate struggle, leaving the world in a way that would shake it. But those seven Monarchs who died at Ren Zu's hands had died incomparably lamentably and pathetically. With these seven examples leading… anyone who rushed to protect Duke Huai would meet a similar end.
So who would accept using the body of a Monarch, granted a life of glory, to bear such a burden… it would only be incineration in vain.
"Duke Huai, surrender without resistance!!"
Amid the response, the Profound Handles of the three Great Elders appeared and firmly locked onto Duke Huai, who had completely lost his wits. Three powerful streams of lightning profound energy sealed Duke Huai's movements from all directions. Duke Huai seemed to have lost all his courage and merely stood there in confusion, his eyes incomparably dark. He didn't fight back and was easily subdued by Yun He's charge.
"Duke… Duke Huai…"
Within Duke Huai's Palace, those directly related and previously overbearingly arrogant Dukes, as well as those top experts, all had dilated pupils and shrank back in fear. They watched helplessly as Duke Huai was captured by the three Great Elders of the Yun Family, but not one dared to advance.
Ren Zu appeared beside the Little Demon Empress in an instant. He stood with his back to them, and everyone felt as if an icy blade was pressed against their necks—if they dared make any rash moves, they would die without a place to be buried.
"Royal Father… Save my royal father… Hurry and save my Royal Father!!" Duke Hui Ye shouted hoarsely, his lips trembling uncontrollably. "Royal Father is the new emperor of the Illusory Demon Realm… Why aren't you protecting him… Protect him!!"
Duke Hui Ye, the son of Duke Huai, shouted, but it was clear that despite the incomparably great power Duke Huai possessed and the countless peak experts gathered at his side, not one dared to move. At that moment, the Little Demon Empress slowly turned her body, her dark and cold gaze falling on Duke Hui Ye.
"AHHHH…" In that instant, it was as if a venomous snake had lunged at Duke Hui Ye. His entire body trembled as stifled screams filled with fear and alarm poured from his mouth, and he scrambled backward in an utterly pathetic manner, tripping over himself in the process. "Don't kill this Duke… Don't kill this Duke… This Duke didn't do anything… Don't kill this Duke…"
Under the terror of facing true danger to his life, Hui Ye, who normally considered himself above the rest of the world, displayed an appearance no different from an ordinary person fearing for their life… No, in fact, it was even more pathetic. His entire body lay paralyzed on the ground, barely able to stand; his body trembled fiercely, and his face was incomparably pale, as if all the blood had been drained from him… and the members of Duke Huai's Palace surrounding him quickly backed away, as if they had sensed a foul stench spreading rapidly…
This Duke Hui Ye was so terrified that he had wet his own pants.
The Little Demon Empress withdrew her gaze… this kind of trash wasn't worth dealing with personally. Merely continuing to look at him was sullying her own eyes.
Despite the situation at hand, no one thought to laugh. Looking at the current Duke Hui Ye, no one could feel even a shred of reverence for him—only pity and contempt. The expressions of the members of Duke Huai's Palace were filled with shame and lamentation… to the point that even when Duke Hui Ye's filthy bodily fluids had formed a puddle beneath him, no one went to help him up from the ground.
Yun He, Yun Jiang, and Yun Xi worked together and quickly restrained Duke Huai's profound energy, who showed no resistance whatsoever. Yun He grabbed Duke Huai and dragged him before the Little Demon Empress, bowing as he said, "Duke Huai has been captured. I invite the Little Demon Empress to deal with this criminal."
__________________________
(A/N: Hello, everyone! I have some amazing news to share with you! From now on, all of our stories — Blue Lock, Against The Gods, and High School DxD — will have daily updates from Monday to Friday on Patreon! That's right: one new chapter every day, all week long, for those who want to follow everything in real time.
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