The black dragon in the sky was expanding at an alarming rate, and the first wave of approaching demons had already discovered Ye Yun's presence.
"Humans? How can there be humans here, and moreover, humans not yet corrupted by demonic energy?" The first to arrive was a troop of one hundred demons. The leading demon general had dense flesh tendrils covering his neck like scales, protecting it thoroughly.
"Hey there, little ones. Are you also here to undergo tribulations?" Ye Yun smiled faintly at them, his eyes exceptionally kind.
"Tribulations? What tribulations? I'm telling you, human! You'll obediently follow us later and serve our Heavenly Prophecy Demon Emperor well. Perhaps then your life can be spared." The demon general stared coldly at Ye Yun, but he didn't charge in to kill as Ye Yun had expected upon seeing a human.
Ye Yun watched as the demon general commanded his subordinates to form ranks, utterly bewildered.
Seeing humans and not attacking or killing them, and then forming ranks upon hearing about heavenly tribulations? When did demons become so amiable? This defied logic!
"Human, withdraw from the valley immediately! Don't interfere with our treasure hunt!" The general, seeing Ye Yun standing there blankly, shouted in dissatisfaction. In the past, which human wouldn't have scrambled away in terror upon seeing them?
"General, could it be that this fellow has been scared silly by your divine might?" another demon general standing nearby chuckled.
"Commander, I think so too. Look at how we've traveled; whenever we encountered humans, weren't they all terrified beyond measure?" a soldier behind them chimed in with flattery.
Ye Yun ignored their mockery and frowned. From their conversation, Ye Yun learned one thing: there were quite a few humans in the demon realm, but they were too dispersed.
Where did all these humans come from? Had they all decided to come to the demon realm to have children?
"You mentioned earlier that you encountered quite a few humans. May I ask, are there many humans in this demon realm?" If you don't know, ask. This had always been Ye Yun's good character.
"Damn it, our general told you to withdraw from the valley and surrender obediently outside, and you're eavesdropping on our conversation? You deserve to die!" The soldier, upon hearing Ye Yun's words, became furious.
"Xiao Jun, our demon race's notorious reputation among humans is ruined by demons like you who always resort to shouting and fighting. Haven't you heard the words of the old scholar from Sky-Reaching City? 'Persuade with virtue,' you know?" The general stopped the soldier, who was about to rush out and chop Ye Yun into pieces, and reprimanded him.
"Old scholar? General, it makes me angry just thinking about it. Our demon race has strength, so why should we learn those human ways? Look at the other two cities; aren't they doing whatever they please with humans?" Xiao Jun grumbled discontentedly at the general's words.
"If you're unhappy, go talk to the Heavenly Prophecy Emperor. What are you doing? How dare you privately discuss the Emperor's orders. If it weren't for the fact that our small team are all trusted individuals, you wouldn't even know how you died, and you'd even implicate the entire team," the general reprimanded Xiao Jun. Then, he turned to Ye Yun. At this moment, there was no amiability in his eyes; instead, there was a hint of hatred.
Listening to their conversation, Ye Yun was utterly confused.
What was this Heavenly Prophecy Demon Emperor's background to have humans teach and enlighten his demons? Moreover, judging by their resentment towards the old scholar, it meant that scholar held an extraordinary status in that Sky-Reaching City.
Furthermore, this Heavenly Prophecy Demon Emperor seemed to treat humans much better than other demon emperors, whether it was his wife being human or his mother being human.
"Human, I'll give you three breaths of time to withdraw from the valley. If you delay, I will kill you! Don't think that our Heavenly Prophecy clan won't kill humans!"
"I can't leave. If I leave, you won't be able to contend for the treasure you desire!" Ye Yun pointed at the black dragon in the sky, saying with an innocent expression.
"What? This fellow still wants treasure? Damn it!" Soldier Xiao Jun's temper flared upon hearing this. Gripping his chipped saber, he glared at Ye Yun, grinding his teeth.
"Haha, it is widely known that the Heavenly Prophecy Demon Emperor's lineage is exceptionally kind to humans. There are even rumors that the Heavenly Prophecy Demon Emperor prohibits his subordinates from wantonly killing humans. It seems these rumors are true now." At this moment, a troop of over five hundred people descended from space, mockingly observing Ye Yun and the small demon group. The leader, clad in a black cloak, was completely hidden within its voluminous folds. If not for his long, pointed beak betraying his identity, he would have possessed a mysterious aura akin to the Great Exalt Demon Emperor.
"Furthermore, this valley is the pasture of our Great Exalt Demon Emperor. Leave this human and retreat now, and we can let bygones be bygones. Otherwise, to deal with your mere hundred-strong contingent, hehe..." The newcomer chuckled at Xiao Jun, his killing intent evident.
The three demon emperors of Canglan Star had always been at odds, and they frequently competed for resources in private, though it hadn't escalated into large-scale warfare.
"You say this is your Heavenly Exalt City's pasture? Hehe, I say it's our granary! Don't forget, this is the Great Northern Wilderness! It's not the Eastern Domain under your Heavenly Exalt City's jurisdiction! I tell you, if you want to kill..." Xiao Jun was about to retort further but was promptly stopped by his general.
"We have always heard that Heavenly Exalt City shocks the world with its killing, and now I understand. Fine, I won't say any harsh words. We will retreat." The general, assessing the disparity in numbers, ultimately swallowed his pride.
"Hehehe..."
Before anyone could move, a clear laughter reached everyone's ears, causing their legs to go weak and their bodies to feel a strange warmth.
"To think that in this desolate land, I would see subordinates of both the Great Exalt and Heavenly Prophecy such as yourselves confront each other. It truly eases the weariness." Dark flower petals drifted down from the sky, and a large ship appeared a hundred meters above their heads.
The entire ship was pitch black, seemingly crafted from a rare wood. It was about fifty meters long but less than five meters high. From a distance, its shape resembled a three-dimensional leaf, making it appear as if a leaf were falling through the air.
"Night Xiao, Fifteenth General of Heavenly Exalt City, pays his respects to the Jade Leaf Demoness!"
"Da You, Eighty-First General of Sky-Reaching City, pays his respects to the Demoness!"
The originally hostile parties' expressions drastically changed upon seeing the airborne leaf-shaped vessel. Hundreds of people immediately knelt.
"Members of the Ye Chen Tribe pay their respects to the Demoness."
"Thirtieth General of Wuyue City pays his respects to the Saintess!"
...