The Mountain God Cave was vast, but after entering, Mo Fan quickly discovered a passage leading deep into Crimson Flame Peak.
On the stone walls flanking the passage, gems occasionally emitted a soft glow, ensuring the tunnel was not overly dark.
As Mo Fan ventured deeper, he encountered numerous demon cultivator corpses.
Most of these corpses had reverted to their original forms, transforming into various mountain animals or giant insects.
Observing the corpses, Mo Fan suddenly chuckled, muttering to himself, “Most of these are minor demons, but there are some demon soldiers among them, perhaps even demon general remains. Though useless to me, these could be quite the opportunity for that pig fellow!”
With that, Mo Fan opened his mouth and sucked, drawing all the corpses into his internal space, planning to feed them to the pig later.
Though the corpses were scattered, Mo Fan collected a fair number as he progressed.
When sounds of combat echoed from ahead, Mo Fan slowed his pace.
After a moment’s thought, he employed a qi-concealing technique, transforming into a recently shapeshifted toad demon with a bulging belly, and headed toward the noise.
Soon, a group of demon cultivators came into view.
To Mo Fan’s surprise, it was a group of over ten demon soldiers!
Their mutual hostility and wariness suggested they hailed from three major factions.
Mo Fan’s arrival drew the attention of the fiercely battling demons.
The tense group relaxed slightly upon seeing his unthreatening form.
“Esteemed lords, may I pass through?” Mo Fan asked with a smile, pointing to the blocked path. “You can resume fighting after I’m gone.”
The passage was narrow, and the battling demon soldiers completely obstructed it.
“Where did this wretched toad come from? This is no place for a minor demon like you!” one sneered.
“Get lost, or I’ll devour you!” another threatened.
“These Crimson Flame Peak demons are laughable. A mere minor demon dares to covet the Earth Vein Fire Lotus!” they mocked, dismissing Mo Fan with disdain, not even considering him worth killing.
Mo Fan’s eyes flickered with interest at their words. Feigning a sneer, he said, “You demon soldier lords underestimate Crimson Flame Peak! Our Mountain God King is an exceptionally powerful demon king. He’s already guarding the Earth Vein Fire Lotus. Your masters will only meet their doom if they go there! How dare you look down on Crimson Flame Peak!”
His words provoked derisive laughter from the demon soldiers.
“Demon God King? He’s formidable, but just an ordinary demon king!” one retorted.
“Our three factions, from Proud Peak, Fire Cloud Cave, and Great Dream Marsh, each have demon kings!” another boasted, bare-chested, his eight arms rippling with dragon-like muscles, exuding immense strength.
“Exactly! The four Earth Vein Fire Lotuses will surely belong to Fire Cloud Cave!” one declared, immediately drawing glares from the others.
“Nonsense! Proud Peak will claim all four!” another countered.
“You, a winged beast and an old ox, dare to dream of the Earth Vein Fire Lotus? It’s destined for Great Dream Marsh’s demon king!” they argued, descending into chaos.
Amid the squabble, one demon soldier sneaked behind another and stabbed with a spear.
“My backside!” the victim howled. “These fiends play dirty, spearing my rear!”
“What?!” the others gasped, escalating the brawl into a fiercer melee.
Watching the chaos unfold, Mo Fan’s face twitched. He stroked his chin, gaining a rough understanding of his opponents.
Is the Earth Vein Fire Lotus truly so coveted that so many demon kings are vying for it? he wondered.
As he pondered, a demon soldier was kicked toward him. Instinctively, Mo Fan opened his mouth and sucked, and with a scream, the demon soldier vanished from the passage.
“What?!” The horrifying scene stunned the battling demons, who turned to Mo Fan in shock.
A minor demon swallowing a demon soldier? Utterly absurd!
The demons were dumbfounded, a growing unease settling over them.
“Alright, I’ll drop the act!” Mo Fan declared, seeing their attention fixed on him.
Instantly, his body erupted with overwhelming demonic qi, revealing his true spiritual form.
“Now, I offer you a chance to live,” he began, but before he could finish, a crimson tongue shot out, piercing a demon soldier’s body.
In the next moment, the demon was yanked back and swallowed by Mo Fan.
“I have a habit of disliking disobedient fellows,” Mo Fan said, grinning. “I hadn’t even finished speaking, and someone tried to flee? If you escaped, wouldn’t my reputation as the Black Wind Mountain Demon King be in vain?”
His smile sent chills through the demons, who wanted to flee but feared being devoured by this deceptive toad demon.
“Let’s continue. I offer you a chance to live: renounce your allegiance and join me,” Mo Fan said. “Only then will I have reason to spare you. After all, your ferocious glares earlier terrified my pure heart, causing great trauma. You must atone!”
His audacious words made the demon soldiers clench their fists, itching to pummel this shameless creature, but they knew he was beyond their power.
“Your demonic qi doesn’t seem to reach demon king level. You’re likely just a formidable demon general,” the eight-armed demon soldier said, eyeing Mo Fan warily.
“And what of it?” Mo Fan replied, smiling.
“Who gave you the audacity to threaten all three of our factions? Don’t you know we have true demon kings behind us?” the demon challenged.
Before he could finish, Mo Fan appeared before him, seized his neck, and with a twist, tore his head off.
Screams erupted from nearby demons.
“I said I dislike disobedient fellows,” Mo Fan reiterated. “So, I threaten you. What of it?”
Tossing the bloodied head aside, he scanned the demons and smiled. “What’s your choice?”
“I… I renounce my allegiance and pledge myself to you!” one demon soldier nearest Mo Fan stammered, dropping to his knees.
“I renounce and pledge to you!” another followed.
Under Mo Fan’s dominance, most made the wise choice, though some tried to flee, only to meet death.
Golden arrows silently struck, felling demon soldiers into pools of blood.
“Such a pity,” Mo Fan sighed, eyeing the corpses.
