The Return of the Eastern Demon Lord

The Left Envoy spoke with domineering authority, but it was useless—no one here was swayed by his tone.

Was the Left Envoy truly that much stronger than them? Not necessarily. Even if they couldn’t defeat him, they could still make him pay dearly if they fought with their lives on the line.

Finally, the Right Envoy spoke up, "I object. Are you so certain the Demon Sovereign has truly lost his cultivation? I don’t want to watch you march to your death."

A Demon Sovereign at full strength undoubtedly surpassed the Left Envoy—that was indisputable.

There was another reason: the Right Envoy and the Left Envoy had collaborated for years, even developing multiple joint combat techniques together.

Now that the Left Envoy sought to ascend, what would become of the Right Envoy?

In the Right Envoy’s eyes, any of the Four Great Demon Lords would make a better Demon Sovereign than the Left Envoy.

The West Extreme Demon Lord declared, "Since we’ve come this far, I support it. Besides, the Demon Sovereign should be the strongest. If you can kill the current one, I’ll back you as the new Sovereign."

The South End Demon Lord countered, "I oppose."

No reason was given, but his stance was clear.

The pressure then fell on the North End Demon Lord, who regretted not speaking sooner.

Now, the deciding vote rested on his shoulders, and no matter what he chose, he’d be marked afterward.

"I abstain. You all can fight it out."

Originally, the North End Demon Lord had been against the idea, not wanting the Heavenly Demon Sect to descend into chaos.

But opposing the Left Envoy risked retaliation, and the others might not come to his aid.

He didn’t dare gamble.

"Two against two," the Left Envoy said grimly—a worse outcome than he’d anticipated.

Just as he prepared to argue further, a bold voice rang out from beyond the door.

"Hahaha! You’ve all grown quite entertaining. How could I miss such a spectacle?"

The door swung open.

"You finally decided to show up, huh?" The Left Envoy sneered at the newcomer. Of all times to return, he chose this moment—utterly infuriating.

"If I hadn’t come back, I’d have missed the fun."

The East Extreme Demon Lord strode in, a middle-aged man with wild, unbound hair and a ferocious expression.

He had been absent from the Heavenly Demon Sect for some time, his whereabouts unpredictable. Attempts to contact him remotely often went unanswered, leaving him a ghost in their ranks.

Now, he was back.

"So, what’s your answer?" The Left Envoy fixed him with a piercing gaze—this was the deciding vote.

He had considered simply killing the Demon Sovereign first and then holding a vote, but that would leave his own ascension uncertain.

With the Demon Sovereign still alive, failure now wouldn’t be the end. The Left Envoy had left himself an escape route.

"Of course... I oppose. Three against two." The East Extreme Demon Lord grinned, utterly unfazed.

The Left Envoy’s expression darkened instantly.

The East Extreme Demon Lord showed no fear. "You’re not even strong enough to meet the requirements for becoming the Demon Sovereign. Thinking you can take the throne now is a joke."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean you’re weaker than even me."

Their auras clashed, the sheer pressure making the room tremble.

The East Extreme Demon Lord continued, "I’ve heard about your little expedition to the north. What a disaster. Left Envoy, you led that operation, and this is the result you deliver? And you still think you deserve to be Sovereign? Don’t make me laugh. I’ll never accept you."

"You weren’t even there. What right do you have to criticize?"

"Precisely because I wasn’t there that you failed. Pathetic."

The others bristled at his words. Mocking the Left Envoy was one thing, but insulting everyone else? That demanded retaliation.

The West Extreme Demon Lord growled, "Your strength doesn’t justify such arrogance."

The North End Demon Lord added, "All bark and no bite. If you’re so bold, go stir trouble at the Emperor Heaven Sect."

The South End Demon Lord narrowed his eyes. "Are you picking a fight with all of us?"

Faced with their collective hostility, the East Extreme Demon Lord only grew more excited.

"Bring it on. I don’t care."

He spread his arms, muscles tensing, ready to take on all five of them.

He didn’t expect to win—he just wanted the satisfaction of speaking his mind.

Besides, even if he lost, it wouldn’t cost him his life. That was the source of his confidence.

The Right Envoy stepped in to defuse the tension. "Enough. The vote stands. Let’s end this here."

The Left Envoy fell silent. The numbers weren’t in his favor—three against two. If it came to a fight, he’d be at a severe disadvantage.

And there was no guarantee the West Extreme Demon Lord wouldn’t buckle under pressure and switch sides, leaving him isolated.

He had no choice but to bide his time.

The East Extreme Demon Lord then added, "Left Envoy, I might reconsider... if you kill Nangong Xiyun. Do that, and I’ll acknowledge you."

Nangong Xiyun’s recent rise among the elite had irked him, hence the demand.

"I’ll consider it."

The East Extreme Demon Lord shrugged and left without another word. He hadn’t been back in a long time.

On his return, he’d already crossed paths with several Heavenly Demon Sect disciples and learned much about recent events.

The only things worth noting were the demise of the Heavenly Demon Seven and the failed northern campaign against the Emperor Heaven Sect.

But even those didn’t concern him much. He preferred doing things his own way.

Upon returning to his cave abode, however, he found an unexpected visitor.

"What are you doing here?"

"East Extreme Demon Lord, I am a subordinate of Wei Mozi. He instructed me to deliver this box to you."

Wei Mozi?

Who was that again?

Ah.

The East Extreme Demon Lord remembered—Wei Changli, one of the Heavenly Demon Seven. They’d met a few times long ago.

Why would he send a gift?

And hadn’t he heard the man was already dead?

He opened the box without hesitation, revealing its contents.

As he examined each item, his fury grew, his face flushing red with rage.

His beloved Little Niu Niu had been involved with Wei Changli—and Su Luo was in on it too.

Little Niu Niu, also known as Madame Niu in Wei Changli’s letters.

Worst of all, she had mocked his... private shortcomings, spreading them as a joke. If this got out, his dignity as a man would be shattered.

"Wonderful. Just wonderful."

The love he once held for Little Niu Niu twisted into hatred. And not just Wei Changli—Su Luo had joined in too. Shameless.

With a single punch, he obliterated Wei Changli’s subordinate, then stormed off to confront Little Niu Niu.

And Su Luo? He wouldn’t spare her either.

......

Meanwhile, Su Luo had already brought Yun and Little Yu to the Decaying Labyrinth.

As the name suggested, the maze was a convoluted network of paths where countless had entered, never to return.

The air was thick with deathly energy, oppressive just to breathe.

Traps and formations lurked everywhere, making every step perilous.

"This place holds many opportunities for the Heavenly Demon Sect, though none of use to you—just harmful forbidden techniques. I brought you here to broaden your horizons."

Lately, Su Luo had come to value knowledge, especially for Little Yu’s sake.

Bringing Yun along also allowed her to gather useful intelligence on the Heavenly Demon Sect, which might aid her future promotions.

Since she had business here anyway, it was three birds with one stone.