What, are you going to refuse too

Lin Xuan said, "The achievements I've made are not mine alone. My brothers, my sect, and fellow cultivators from all corners of the land—without your help, I wouldn’t have come this far."

"You are the true heroes!"

"And there’s one person I must especially thank. Without them, there would be no me today."

However, Lin Xuan didn’t specify who it was—just that such a person existed.

Everyone speculated, but those unaware of the truth would never guess.

Truth be told, even the person in question might not know.

......

In the Nightshade Forest, within the Heavenly Demon Sect.

The Left Envoy sat upon the sect’s throne, his expression unreadable, neither pleased nor displeased.

Such was his demeanor, but the others were not so composed.

It was the usual meeting, but this time, the atmosphere was far from harmonious.

The Right Envoy slammed the table. "This Su Luo—the one you vouched for? Truly impressive, to mess up something like this."

Truthfully, the Right Envoy hadn’t expected success either; he merely wanted to use this to undermine the Left Envoy.

Even now, he hadn’t fully accepted the Left Envoy as the Demon Sovereign.

The failure of the demonic alliance wasn’t just the Heavenly Demon Sect’s problem—it was a blow to the entire demonic path’s reputation.

Someone had to take responsibility.

"Are you questioning me?" The Left Envoy didn’t answer directly, instead emphasizing through his tone: I am the Demon Sovereign now.

Even if I made a mistake, you don’t get to speak to me in that tone!

The Right Envoy’s voice cooled slightly. "Not questioning. The facts are plain—failure is failure."

"And then what? Was the alliance successful? If it had been, Su Luo’s failure would only be because of Lin Xuan!"

The Left Envoy would never admit to a flawed decision.

Just as the Right Envoy was about to retort, someone intervened.

The West Extreme Demon Lord spoke. "Enough. Arguing won’t help. We should focus on our next move—whether to lay low for a while or continue resisting the righteous path."

He despised inefficient quarrels.

The Left Envoy snorted. "Naturally, we resist. The Heavenly Demon Sect has not yet lost."

The Right Envoy scoffed faintly. "Do you have a plan?"

"I’d like to hear yours first."

The Demon Lords and the Right Envoy offered their suggestions, but after much deliberation, none seemed viable.

With all proposals rejected, they were back to square one.

Just as the debate threatened to drag on, Su Luo grew impatient and cut straight to the point.

"I have another method—forge a treasure."

?

The others stared at the Left Envoy in confusion. What kind of solution was this?

With confidence and mystery, the Left Envoy declared, "Have you heard of the Thousand-Bell Thunder Summoner?"

"You have it?" The North End Demon Lord exclaimed.

This was a legendary artifact recorded in ancient texts.

"Of course not. But I can forge it."

At this, the Left Envoy grew smug.

However, the South End Demon Lord saw through him. "What are the chances of success?"

Confident as he was, the Left Envoy couldn’t guarantee a flawless creation.

The Left Envoy raised a finger proudly. "Forty percent."

"What?!"

The others were stunned—not because it was too low, but because it was surprisingly high.

This was a formidable treasure, one that had become myth.

The Thousand-Bell Thunder Summoner, as the name suggested, could summon heavenly tribulation.

And not just any tribulation—the kind Jiang Ningshu had faced.

The tribulation of ascending from the Great Completion Realm to the Tribulation Phase.

"If we had such a treasure, resisting the righteous path wouldn’t be impossible," the North End Demon Lord mused.

He thought to himself, As expected of the Heavenly Demon Sect—still holding cards like this. Good. Don’t collapse too soon.

Without the Heavenly Demon Sect, he’d have to return to the Emperor Heaven Sect and endure its stifling rules.

No more killing as he pleased—what torment.

"True," the Right Envoy conceded. With this treasure, they’d have a chance to turn the tide.

Even if they couldn’t win, they could at least deal a heavy blow to the righteous path.

Just as spirits lifted, the Left Envoy’s tone suddenly shifted to one of distress.

"Ah, but we’re still missing some materials—and they’re not easy to obtain. Some must be retrieved from secret realms."

A bucket of cold water. Everyone had assumed he was fully prepared, only to learn he merely knew the method.

"That’s simple. Leave it to us," the East Extreme Demon Lord chimed in.

The others glared at him in silence.

You slacker, why weren’t you this eager during the discussion?

It wasn’t that they refused to help—the Heavenly Demon Sect’s fate concerned them too—but the East Extreme Demon Lord’s sudden enthusiasm made the rest seem unwilling.

"Good. Some of the materials I need are already in your possession."

The others: "......"

A sense of foreboding washed over them, their expressions darkening—but they couldn’t protest.

Their instincts were correct.

Su Luo intended to extort them, demanding not only the necessary materials but also many extras.

Though suspicious, none knew how to forge the Thousand-Bell Thunder Summoner.

It pained them, but they handed over the goods.

Once everything was collected, Su Luo was laughing inwardly.

Then the West Extreme Demon Lord raised a question. "Forty percent chance—what if it fails?"

The Left Envoy replied, "If the forging fails, we’ll lay low. It would mean the Heavenly Demon Sect needs time to recuperate."

"......"

After giving up so much, failure would mean total loss.

"Maybe we should just abandon the idea?" The South End Demon Lord suggested, still mourning his treasures.

"No. Unless you have a better plan," the Left Envoy said coldly.

No returns after accepting payment.

Silence fell.

They’d tried everything. Every strategy had failed.

Now, the demonic path—including the Heavenly Demon Sect—was weaker than the righteous. A direct clash had already ended badly. They needed another way.

Forging a weapon of mass destruction was a viable option.

After settling on the plan, another matter arose.

The Left Envoy announced, "You’re aware Jiang Ningshu is hunting members of the Heavenly Demon Sect."

It took a moment for them to recall who Jiang Ningshu was.

They’d always referred to her as the Demon Sovereign.

The Right Envoy asked, "So?"

He knew she had to be eliminated. If she regained her strength, they’d all die horribly.

But he didn’t want to take the lead. He, too, feared facing Jiang Ningshu.

"I want you to capture her and bring her back for execution. Only then will my ascension as Demon Sovereign be complete. Who will go?"

No one volunteered.

The Left Envoy pointed arbitrarily. "East Extreme Demon Lord, you go."

"I refuse."

"Fine. South End Demon Lord, then."

The South End Demon Lord thought, Why me?

He, too, wanted to refuse, but the Left Envoy cut him off.

"What, you’d refuse as well? Does my authority mean nothing?"

The Left Envoy’s aura surged menacingly.

The South End Demon Lord didn’t dare object. He glanced at the others, hoping someone would speak up.

Of course, no one did. If it’s not you, it might be me. Who wants this job?