Mo Fan sat cross-legged in his room, meditating quietly, focusing his mind and observing the newly formed poison pearl within his body. A sudden thought stirred in his heart.
“I once refined venom into a demon weapon. Could this poison pearl be used in the same way?”
“If I can refine it into a demon weapon, I’ll have another trick up my sleeve!”
With this in mind, Mo Fan opened his eyes, a glint flashing in them, and decided to imprint demonic energy onto the poison pearl to test its feasibility.
But at that moment, the door creaked open.
Mo Fan looked up and saw Bai Yaoyao peeking curiously into the room.
“What are you doing?” Mo Fan asked, his brow slightly furrowed.
“Ahem… you’re still awake? I was just checking…” Bai Yaoyao gave an awkward smile, stepped into the room, closed the door behind her, and approached Mo Fan, eyeing him with curiosity.
“What exactly do you want?” Mo Fan asked, exasperated, as Bai Yaoyao’s face came uncomfortably close to his. He thought to himself, “This girl’s staring so intently. Could she be after my body?”
At that thought, his gaze instinctively drifted to Bai Yaoyao’s chest. Before he could take in the sight, she quickly stepped back.
“Ahem…” Mo Fan coughed awkwardly, averting his eyes, not daring to meet hers.
“If it weren’t for the strong demonic aura around you, I’d really think you were a human cultivator!” Bai Yaoyao said, then with a sway, sat beside Mo Fan. “At first, I didn’t understand that senior’s thinking, but while playing chess with an arrogant fool earlier, I suddenly figured it out and found the answer.
“Now I’m excited. Maybe you can lead me down a different path!”
Her face lit up with a radiant smile.
“A different path?” Mo Fan was utterly confused. He had no idea what this snake demon was raving about, barging into his room in the middle of the night and sitting on his bed. Wasn’t she afraid he might have ulterior motives?
But then he remembered Bai Yaoyao was once a Demon King, and the spark in his heart was instantly doused.
Right, this girl probably wasn’t afraid of him at all…
“Master, do you know how hard it is for us demon cultivators in this world?” Bai Yaoyao’s smile faded, a trace of loneliness in her eyes. She murmured, “After that battle a thousand years ago, the demon clans scattered. Most were forced into the barbaric lands of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, oppressed by humans, barely able to breathe.
“My mother, to prevent our clan’s oppression, chose a different path, willingly becoming a human cultivator’s spirit beast.
“She thought this would gradually foster peace between humans and demons, but it backfired. She lost completely.
“Humans are complex, divided into factions, constantly fighting for profit. The human cultivator she followed was ultimately killed by his own kind.
“After his death, my mother was shunned by humans and forced into the Hundred Thousand Mountains. But there, she was despised by demons too. With no choice, she returned to human territory, settling quietly in White Saint Lake as its deity. Yet, in the end, she was killed by human cultivators.
“So, after learning all this, I realised that whether as a demon or a human’s spirit beast, it’s nearly impossible to escape true despair!
“Isn’t that tragic?”
Mo Fan fell silent. Though Bai Yaoyao’s words were brief and vague, he could sense the terrifying dominance of humans from her story!
They truly suffocated the demon clans!
This was exacerbated by human flaws. If all human cultivators were united, it would be even more unimaginable.
After a long silence, Mo Fan took a deep breath and said calmly, “All fear stems from one’s own cowardice!”
“Humans are dominant because they’ve grown stronger over the years, while demons have grown lazy.”
“If the demon clans had the same diligent cultivation attitude as humans, or the reward systems of human sects to motivate disciples, they wouldn’t have declined so far!”
Mo Fan snorted. He had witnessed the lifestyle of Black Wind Mountain’s demons. The lesser demons were utterly idle, sometimes preferring to starve rather than hunt for food.
As for the higher-ups, they were just a bunch of self-serving leeches.
If not for Black Wind Demon King’s relatively enlightened rules, the lesser demons of Black Wind Mountain would likely have been devoured by the demon soldiers and generals long ago.
To Mo Fan, most demons were just foolish complainers!
Of course, he understood that this was simply the nature of demons. Changing it was no easy task unless a leader capable of commanding all demons emerged. Otherwise, these flaws would never improve.
In the long run, the decline of the demon clans was inevitable.
A race’s decline often starts from the bottom and collapses from the top!
No matter how sturdy a building, it cannot withstand a rotting foundation. The slightest disturbance would cause it to crumble!
Mo Fan’s words made Bai Yaoyao ponder. She suddenly looked up at him and asked gravely, “If given the chance, could you change this?”
“Why should I?” Mo Fan’s reply made Bai Yaoyao roll her eyes in frustration.
“Hey! You’re part of the demon clan too. How can you say something so outrageous?” she snapped.
“If it doesn’t concern me, why meddle in others’ affairs?
“Saving a race? You think it’s child’s play?
“It’s a deadly business!” Mo Fan sighed. He’d had some unrealistic fantasies, but they were just that—fantasies.
“You’ve got a point, but what if one day these matters do involve you? Will you still stand by?” Bai Yaoyao blinked at him.
Mo Fan frowned, a trace of menace in his eyes. “If that day comes, I’ll do what I can to change it. Any obstacles or defiance, I’ll devour them all!”
“Uh… why devour?” Bai Yaoyao’s brow furrowed.
“For me, devouring is better than just killing!” Mo Fan grinned, revealing two rows of sharp, white teeth.
“Fine! I get it. You’re an ambitious guy but lack some initiative. So, I’ll be the hand that pushes your ambition. Maybe we can carve out a different path, one that won’t end as tragically as my mother’s.”
Bai Yaoyao smiled, hopped off the bed, and left Mo Fan’s room without looking back.
Watching her leave, Mo Fan chuckled, thinking she was joking.
Even if she was once a Demon King, they were still at the bottom of the demon clan. Her words were just impractical dreams.
At least for now.
Soon after, Bing Jiu found Mo Fan, scrutinized him for a moment, and said, “My lady wishes to see you. Come with me.”
Mo Fan’s eyes lit up.
“Oh, one more thing.”
“What?”
“Bing Wu is back, slightly injured. He said that Qin fellow escaped, so you’d better be extra careful from now on.”
