Meanwhile.
Atop a peak in the Demonic Beast Mountains.
The Demon Monarch stood waiting for news.
The horizon glowed with dawn’s first light, the earth gradually brightening.
Daybreak was near.
“The assassination should be over by now—why no word?” The Demon Monarch frowned.
Though confident in the plan, he needed confirmation to rest easy.
At that moment, the Crimson-Tempered Demon Tiger rushed up.
“Your Excellency! There’s a problem!” it said, panting.
“A problem?”
The words made the Demon Monarch’s brow twitch, his heart sinking.
He dreaded those words, yet here they were.
“With two such powerful beasts, what could go wrong?!” he snapped, turning to the tiger.
“Your Excellency… this… this guy fought both for an hour and held them off. They were at a stalemate. Then his reinforcements arrived, and our two generals had to retreat,” the tiger said weakly.
“What?!”
The Demon Monarch’s face twisted, his eyes blazing with shock, his voice sharp.
“You’re saying he held his own against two?!” he demanded, incredulous.
They’d planned to send one, deeming it enough, but doubled up for certainty, speed, and no mistakes.
And Lin Yun still held out?
“Y-Yes, Your Excellency,” the tiger stammered.
Boom!
Rage erupted, trees around the peak exploding!
“In just a year, how did he reach this level?! How is his growth so fast?!” the Demon Monarch roared.
Lin Yun’s terrifying progress chilled him to the core.
Two such mighty beasts couldn’t take him down?
“Your Excellency, what now? After this failure, killing him will be near impossible,” the tiger said.
After this botched attempt, only the Demon Monarch himself could easily slay Lin Yun.
But given the current situation, he couldn’t personally descend on Dongyuan Prefecture.
“I must see the Grand Marshal. This boy’s growth is too rapid—we must find a way to kill him!” the Demon Monarch said, resolute.
Lin Yun’s terrifying potential felt like a looming disaster if left unchecked!
With his authority and means, killing Lin Yun in human territory was now nearly impossible.
“Your Excellency, to consult the Grand Marshal over this one person… is that wise?” the tiger said hesitantly.
“You don’t understand. If we let him grow, I feel he’ll become a massive threat to our clan. We must strike now and kill him!” the Demon Monarch insisted.
With that, he soared into the sky, a streak of light heading deep into the Demonic Beast Mountains…
…
Meanwhile.
Lin Yun’s group returned to Dongyuan Prefecture as dawn broke.
Huo Zhen’s team had reached him in an hour using teleportation artifacts repeatedly.
“Brother Yun, this is the second time the demonic clan targeted you since you took office. Are we just letting this slide? I can’t swallow this!” Huo Zhen fumed.
“They’re in the shadows, we’re in the open—retaliating isn’t easy,” Lin Yun said.
He smiled, “Besides, I didn’t lose much either time. The first time, we gained. This time, I got a few scratches, but they failed twice. They’re probably the ones raging.”
“Brother Lin Yun, be cautious. The demonic clan’s targeting you repeatedly—they clearly want you dead,” Liang Yuan warned.
“Indeed, they see me as a thorn in their side, sparing no cost to deal with me, even sending two such powerful beasts,” Lin Yun mused.
He grinned, “But it’s futile. Unless they send a Demon Monarch, killing me isn’t so easy. If they’d sent just one beast today, I’d have slain it.”
One-on-one against the Golden-Feathered Peacock, Lin Yun was confident.
Even if it used its quill barrage and poisoned him, its weakened state might’ve let Lin Yun kill it.
Against the Black Spider alone, his odds were even better.
After these two attempts, Lin Yun would be warier.
“Brother, are we still going to the Star Martial Empire?” Huo Zhen asked.
“Of course! Gather everyone at the Lord’s Palace square. I’ll head back to heal and recover,” Lin Yun instructed.
“Yes, sir!”
The trio left to carry out his orders.
Lin Yun returned to the Lord’s Palace, entering his chambers.
The toxin lingered, requiring treatment.
He entered the One Thought Clear Heart Tower to heal and restore his condition.
…
Deep in the Demonic Beast Mountains stood a massive range.
Within it, a grand cave palace was built.
This was the palace of the Demon Clan’s Grand Marshal.
The Demon Monarch, Dijiang, descended like a streak of light before the palace.
“Dijiang, Your Excellency!”
The beast guards at the entrance saluted.
“I’m here to see the Grand Marshal,” Dijiang said.
“Dijiang, Your Excellency, I’ll report first,” a guard said, hurrying inside.
Soon, the guard returned.
“Dijiang, Your Excellency, the Grand Marshal summons you,” the guard said, gesturing.
Dijiang strode in to meet the Grand Marshal.
Inside the palace’s great hall.
The hall was dimly lit, oppressively somber.
The Demon Grand Marshal sat on a throne, shrouded in black mist, his true form obscured, but his aura was terrifying.
Before the throne, a pool of silver slurry bubbled and gurgled.
A massive ape beast stood in the hall.
If Lin Yun were here, he’d recognize it instantly—it was Little Monkey!
“Dijiang, what’s the matter?” a deep voice rumbled from the throne.
“Grand Marshal, I come to request aid. We must devise a plan to kill Lin Yun, the new lord of Huoyun Empire’s Dongyuan Prefecture. His growth is staggering—he must be stopped early!” Dijiang said.
