18 – Fratricide: The Demon Lord Turns Out to Be a Great Philanthropist!
The former Demon Lord, Baili Ming, died in the Demon Palace. His son, Xuanye, should have ascended to the throne by succession, yet he was unable to control the chaotic strife erupting from all sides. It was not until Baili Zheque returned from the Heaven-Burying Abyss, fought his way into the Demon Palace, and attempted to coerce Baili Xuanye into lifting the Curse.
However, at that time, the palace was empty, and his long-standing enemy had long since vanished without a trace.
When Baili Zheque left, his adoptive father died violently; when he returned, he caused his sworn brother to disappear. Whether this throne was rightfully inherited or seized through rebellion, only those within the game truly knew.
The accusatory question pressed directly before him, yet the current Demon Lord seemed not to hear it. After a long pause, he lifted his raven-feather-like long lashes, his voice as cold as his gaze: “Do you think it is you who is coercing this Sovereign?”
The mantis and the oriole may not be as they appear on the surface.
Yuan Lan, bound in a wretched state to the side, seeing the Sovereign Lord like this, also puffed up with borrowed authority and raised his head: “These tricks of yours, the Sovereign Lord saw through long ago.”
From the moment he heard of the Desolate Ruins, Baili Zheque decided to go along with the scheme. Since Baili Xuanye intended to set a trap, it saved him the trouble of gathering sacrificial offerings. From the arena to the Auction, he seemed to be walking the path designed by the traitor, yet he was actually buying time for the Defiled Realm Lord to set up his formation. Once the layout was complete, he would use the controlled disciples to pinpoint his location.
The cold, cruel smile sent chills through one’s entire body. A crack appeared in Mu Yingyou’s expression of absolute confidence.
The Demon Lord was not afraid of the ruins opening—in fact, he welcomed it.
After all, he intended to strip away even the last remnants of the Baili clan, leaving no opportunity for Baili Xuanye.
There was no retreat from rebellion. At this point, who was not staking everything on a single throw?
This battle could no longer be avoided. The reason they had not yet clashed was because the final step was still missing.
The moment the bronze stele broke through the earth, a chilling gale swept through the surroundings, leaving crimson wounds upon grazing the skin. Rong Xiao and the others protected the unconscious Fang Xuan, while Liu Shao had long since entered a state of alert, his thumb pushing open his sword guard.
The legendary key to the ruins was said to be the Demon Lord’s blood, but in truth, this was only one part of it. To enter Baili Ming’s tomb, aside from the phenomenon that created the immortal and demon Spiritual Power tides, a blood sacrifice of nine thousand Living Souls was also required.
Among those present were both demon realm nobles and Immortal Sect disciples. Baili Zheque was notorious; if he used everyone as a blood sacrifice, it would inevitably incite a wave of rebellion in the demon realm in the future, and could even lead to a complete rupture with the Immortal Sects.
With even a shred of rationality, one would not choose to open the ruins at such a time.
But the Demon Lord never cared about the future.
Demon energy condensed into a beast-control token in his palm. Baili Zheque glanced sideways at Liu Wuzhi: “It has been many years since I last saw my elder brother. This Sovereign has missed you dearly.”
With the usual force he used to snap white bones, he crushed the token: “How could we not prepare a grand feast for the reunion of old friends?”
The crimson moon beyond the sky resembled blood. Summoned by the token, an endless expanse of dark dust rose where heaven and earth met. The tremors beneath their feet grew increasingly violent, and the massive, continuous silhouettes drew nearer. Each tremor felt like a step upon the heart, and everyone’s faces bore a trace of solemnity—except for the Demon Lord and Liu Wuzhi.
As the dust settled slightly, a sharp-eyed young girl exclaimed excitedly: “Big lizard!”
The summoned two-headed demon lizard also saw her and let out a joyful roar: These past days had been a living hell. From now on, it would rather gnaw on sour wild fruits every day than carry out those dangerous tasks for the Demon Lord again!
Two points connected into a line—under the watchful eyes of all, two shadows, one enormous and one tiny, rushed straight toward each other.
Liu Wuzhi hugged the massive head covered in scales as if embracing an old friend she hadn’t seen in years. After examining the two-headed demon lizard’s front claws, she earnestly admonished, “Your injuries still need time to heal. No fighting allowed.”
The magical beast wagged its tail in submission.
Nearby, Yuan Lan sensed the Sovereign Lord’s intention to command the beasts to kill and anxiously tried to dissuade him: “Sovereign Lord, please reconsider! The rebellion in the three realms has only just been quelled, and the matter of the former Ember Ruins Guardian remains unsettled. If we provoke the Immortal Sects and face enemies both inside and out, the Demon Palace’s defenses may struggle to hold.”
He stumbled and fell face-first into the mud but still persisted in his plea: “Nine thousand living sacrifices—why not use magical beasts instead?”
Killing magical beasts was better than killing people.
Mu Yingyou promptly slapped a silencing curse on him and stepped forward to block Yuan Lan, goading, “Why would the Sovereign Lord seek distant solutions when nearby ones exist? The Immortal Alliance subjected you to three hundred years of suffering in the Burial Heaven Abyss. Taking their lives as sacrifices is merely repaying them in kind.”
She suddenly flashed a provocative smile: “Surely you aren’t still… afraid of that Imperial Ancestor?”
Driven by hatred, how could the Demon Lord possibly spare the disciples of the Immortal Sects?
Baili Zheque neither agreed nor disagreed, summoning the Sword Within the Zither from afar: “But today, I happen to want to test this blade with your head.”
The sword’s edge sliced through the black veil, and two figures leaped into the sky. The clashing of weapons was as dense as a sudden downpour, their killing intent unleashed with fierce exhilaration. Baili Zheque bore old injuries, while Mu Yingyou held the advantage of terrain. One was accustomed to fighting for their life, the other cared nothing for survival—the battle reached a temporary stalemate.
The sky above seemed on the verge of being pierced open at any moment. The two-headed demon lizard formed a barrier with its scales, securely protecting Liu Wuzhi. After looking around and feeding the beasts, Liu Wuzhi had already finished communicating with the magical beasts and returned to the lead two-headed demon lizard, earnestly instructing, “No biting people.”
The two-headed demon lizard obediently blinked its murky yellow eyes, even showing a hint of innocence at being warned for no apparent reason.
With the magical beasts calmed, Liu Wuzhi turned to the Immortal Sect disciples and confidently declared, “Don’t be afraid. They don’t bite people.”
The magical beasts’ fangs were still stained with bits of flesh, making it hard for anyone to believe her. Yet, under the young girl’s direction, their sharp claws shattered the cages that confined them one after another.
Amid the perilous situation, the image of the twin-tailed girl’s selfless enthusiasm caught Liu Shao’s eye, drawing the attention of the usually single-minded Azure Mist Sect’s head disciple.
Unlike his previous dazed state, this time he wasn’t comparing the girl to a shadow from his memories but was genuinely noticing the person before him.
On Azure Mist Sect’s main peak, there was also a particularly frail little girl who loved to say, “Don’t be afraid.”
He had been away for so long that he hadn’t even asked about her circumstances.
Unaware that she had already revealed a clue, Liu Wuzhi mediated between the groups that should have been locked in a life-or-death struggle, successfully achieving harmonious coexistence between humans and beasts.
Looking up again, she saw demon energy darkly covering the sky, with occasional flashes of light piercing through the smoke. Fragments of shattered crystals and stones rained down like the legendary tribulation thunderclouds. The Demon Lord and the Defiled Realm Lord still seemed locked in combat.
The Demon Lord wanted to open the ruins. Once this battle ended, he would truly kill people or magical beasts. With the lives of new friends and old hanging in the balance, Liu Wuzhi decided to think of a solution.
Raising her gaze, she saw the bronze stele submerged in the dark mist. Moss mottled its surface, the inscriptions blurred. A chilling wind blew, causing dust to drift down like falling snow. The demon realm secrets slumbering within the engraved patterns seemed on the verge of peeling away.
Since sacrificing life was required—humans are life, magical beasts are life—then the life of plants should… also count.
Liu Wuzhi took out a grass seed, rubbing it incessantly between her fingertips.
She had bought this at ten times the price—it was hard to part with.
After hesitating for a long while, she turned to the captured Auction guests: “Do you still have the plants you bid on?”
The girl appeared gentle and harmless, but behind her stood countless Fierce Beasts, and above her hovered a Demon Lord with ambiguous ties to her. How could the distinguished guests of the demon realm dare to slight her? One by one, they tremblingly handed over the Spiritual Plants and Poisonous Herbs they had acquired at great cost, placing them into the claws of the magical beasts. Once filled, they continued piling them onto the creatures’ backs.
Liu Wuzhi repeatedly expressed her thanks and, seeing their pitiful expressions, comforted them: “They’ll grow back. I’ll return them to you then.”
The demon realm had never grown a single plant normally—how could it be as easy as she made it sound?
The guests wore mournful faces, silently praying that within the Desolate Ruins, there might be some Secret Art from the Previous Dynasty that could directly kill Baili Zheque and his favored, arrogant woman.
Liu Wuzhi plucked the seeds from the Spiritual Plants, carefully storing them away. First, she picked up a Red Spider Lily and, with the help of the two-headed demon lizard, gradually approached the bronze stele. The larger magical beasts used their bodies to block the fierce winds, while the more agile ones cleared the path ahead. They moved in an orderly, coordinated manner, surrounding her like stars around the moon.
Noticing her intention, Mu Yingyou high above immediately tried to dive down to stop her, but his path was blocked by Baili Zheque’s raised sword.
“Clang—”
Purple shadows and dark light clashed repeatedly. As Baili Zheque swung his sword down, he also noticed the restless movements of that troublesome spy and, without hesitation, activated the beast-controlling technique. Under the combined influence of bloodline suppression and conscious obedience, the magical beasts’ forward progress suddenly froze.
Liu Wuzhi stroked the belly of a magical beast a few times, but there was no response. Looking up, she saw the Demon Lord, who was still busy fighting yet found the time to create trouble for her, and felt a surge of dissatisfaction: she was clearly trying to help him, wasn’t she?
Her annoyance shot toward the Demon Lord in the sky, but the oppressive aura only intensified. One by one, the magical beasts knelt and prostrated themselves on the ground.
Liu Wuzhi hugged the two-headed demon lizard: “Don’t be afraid of the beast-controlling command. I won that fair and square.”
“Be brave, move forward. I’m here with you. Do as I say, and no one will die.”
The two-headed demon lizard tried to rise but halfway up, it thudded back down.
Without hesitation, Liu Wuzhi fed it a handful of snacks she had obtained from the Auction, silently resenting the Demon Lord once more in her heart.
Fear of the Demon Lord was an instinct engraved in the bloodline of magical beasts. To overcome it, only temptation would work. Unlike the Netherworld Butterfly and Dusk Crow, Fierce Beasts weren’t particularly fond of snacks, and eating live humans was even less acceptable. What else could attract them?
Pausing for a moment in the pitch-black darkness, something suddenly struck her head—a shard of crystal that had fallen during the Demon Lord’s fight. It sparkled, beautiful and eye-catching.
Liu Wuzhi clearly remembered that during the Ember Ruins Guardian selection, just one of these could blow up half the arena. Even in her hands, with no demonic cultivation experience, its destructive power was not to be underestimated.
Sometimes, danger itself was a temptation.
A flash of inspiration struck her. Liu Wuzhi patted the two-headed demon lizard and pointed ahead: “See those Amethyst Crystals? They’re filled with the Demon Lord’s demon energy. Eating one will sustain you for three days—great for your growth.”
Species should coexist and assist each other. The Demon Lord raises magical beasts, and the magical beasts absorb the Demon Lord’s energy. Energy conservation, a perfect cycle.
She pushed the most ferocious magical beast with a coquettish tone, shaking it gently. “Get up, just one small step, and you can eat the demon crystal, grow stronger and more powerful!”
Magical beasts submit to the Sovereign Lord, all for the sake of that bit of demon essence nourishment. Yet now, a free meal was right before their eyes—they only needed to rely on the Incantation Formula drawn by the girl to purify the baleful energy and absorb the purest Demon Breath.
Under the Demon Lord’s deathly glare, the two-headed demon lizard slowly stood up once more. After a moment, it took a defiant step forward.
“So amazing.” Liu Wuzhi stroked its scales encouragingly from the side. “You’re the bravest.”
As the demon crystal rolled onto its tongue, the two-headed demon lizard instantly felt refreshed in both body and mind, wagging its tail with immense joy.
With continuous cheering and encouragement along the way, other magical beasts also rose one after another, moving forward. With Liu Wuzhi’s assistance, they absorbed demon energy and resisted the oppressive aura. Unknowingly, the girl reached the bronze stele completely unscathed.
As soon as she let go, the Red Spider Lily in her hand was swept into the vortex, torn to pieces. Three breaths later, the first character of the first line on the bronze stele lit up.
Having personally sent an innocent flower to its demise and witnessed the entire scene of its dismemberment, little lingzhi, who shared its kind, trembled with her five fingers, unable to hold back as she blinked her eyes. Unfamiliar yet familiar tears streamed down her cheeks.
Liu Wuzhi wiped away the tears.
Don’t be sad, it’s okay. She had already taken the seeds out beforehand and would grow more companions in the future.
Plants are selfless; if circumstances demanded it, she too would sacrifice herself without hesitation.
While the Demon Lord and the Defiled Realm Lord fought fiercely beyond the heavens, the gazes of both immortals and demons were focused on the bronze stele. They watched as the slender, frail girl wiped her tears while offering the collected plants one by one to the ruins’ seal. Her sorrowful expression resembled that of burying flowers, set against the backdrop of smoke and warfire, moving all who saw it.
“Compassionate and empathetic—who would have thought the demon race could possess such awareness?” a captured Immortal Sect youth couldn’t help but sigh. “She can’t even bear to sacrifice a single blade of grass—how could she harm anyone?”
Hearing this, a nearby demon puffed out his chest with pride, actually reaching a consensus with the Immortal Sect. “A benevolent person chooses a virtuous master to serve. Naturally, it is our Sovereign Lord who has won her over.”
So that’s how it is! The rumored cruel and bloodthirsty Demon Lord was actually a great benefactor who couldn’t bear to kill, cherished plants and trees, and even fed himself to beasts!
The Demon Lord, surrounded by admiring emotions: “…??”
Author’s Note:
Nature has the water cycle, the carbon cycle, and inevitably, the demon energy cycle. Materialism only believes in the conservation of energy [cabbage dog].
Q: What emotions did the Demon Lord experience during the fight?
Before: Bloodlust + Fear + Wailing
Now: Annoyance (by Zhizhi) + Mysterious Admiration (by the onlookers)