The *demon attendants behind Lucifer Sairig all nodded with intense killing intent evident in their eyes; it was clear the Crown Prince no longer intended to play the fool, and they no longer needed to risk injury by feigning defeat.

"That's right! This time, I will let the entire Demon Race know the might of I, Sairig! I will show them that the Seventh—that highly favored Demon Prince—is nothing before me!" Lucifer Sairig straightened his body forcefully, a kingly aura subtly emanating from his powerful frame!

Having played the fool for so many years, Sairig had clearly observed the positioning and thoughts of every demon, meticulously calculating the strength each held. With the power of the Sacred Artifact within reach, the long-suppressed pressure within him finally needed no further confinement.

The usually stoic Mu Ne Zhen Ce's brow twitched as his gaze settled on Sairig. He gently fanned himself. Rumors, it seemed, were unreliable. If this demon was truly the wastrel Crown Prince, just how formidable must the rest of the Demon Race be?

Sairig and Mu Ne Zhen Ce’s gazes locked. Sairig felt his own imposing aura meet an immovable wall. His confusion deepened; this demon was clearly inferior in combat strength, yet his own commanding presence had absolutely no effect on him. Or rather... was there a subtle undertone of resistance?

If the aura of Ji Liu Fei Jing was filled with relentless forward momentum, like a spearhead breaking enemy lines on the battlefield, never looking back, then... Lucifer Sairig stroked his chin, staring at Mu Ne Zhen Ce. This demon gave him the distinct feeling of a true contender, one who sought to claim the very earth beneath this star for himself.

For a low-ranking demon to evoke such a feeling in him? Sairig desperately wanted to dismiss this sensation as false, yet it felt undeniably true. "Remember this demon with the fan; this demon must die! Even if he doesn't participate in the Imperial Grand Competition, you must find a pretext, an opportunity, to kill this demon before Ji Liu Fei Jing can shout for you to stop." Several attendant demons exchanged confused glances; why was the Crown Prince placing such significance on this low-ranking demon?

Want to kill me? Mu Ne Zhen Ce gently fanned himself, a delighted smile spreading across his face. "So this is the Demon Race's Crown Prince? I must devise a way to kill this Prince. He is far too dangerous; if not dealt with now, he will become the strongest Demon King in the future." "He is mine."

The words, colder than the chill of deep winter, spoken by Che Ke Fu Li Te, drifted slowly into Mu Ne Zhen Ce's ears.

Lucifer Sairig's pupils stung again. He observed Che Ke Fu Li Te with curiosity. "What sharp eyes! This demon must have been hiding his true strength. Just how formidable is he really? This demon, too, must perish. I can feel a profound hatred directed at me from him."

"Strange," Lucifer Sairig turned and walked in another direction. "I should recall any opponent possessing such sharp eyes, yet I have no memory of these eyes. If I must compare his gaze to anyone, it resembles that mixed-blood bastard, Che Ke Fu Li Te! I wonder where he is hiding. If I could capture him alive, I could make You Na La undress and lie in my bed."

"You Na La..." Lucifer Sairig stood with his hands behind his back, gazing heavenward and swallowing repeatedly. "If I had Che Ke Fu Li Te, I could turn You Na La into a harlot. I long to see You Na La transformed into a wanton woman—it must be incredibly intoxicating, yes?" His attendant demons nodded in unison. You Na La! The Demon Race's foremost beauty! What enchanted them most was her air of sanctity, which instilled in any being the urge to conquer that purity.

Rape? That was merely the grossest destruction of sanctity. Only by making the pure being willingly degenerate into a harlot would it be the most perfect conquest!

"I, Lucifer Sairig, am the future Great Demon King! All lands beneath this star shall be conquered by this Prince. A mere foremost beauty of the Demon Race—I won't need force to make her become a wanton kneeling before me, becoming my sex slave!"

Qian Jin stretched languidly as he stepped out of the room, feeling spiritually drained after hosting the final elder of the Mammon Demon Tribe. Dealing with these seasoned demons one by one required constant vigilance, not only to secure the most materials but also to prevent them from exposing his identity.

In the span of just one day and one night, Qian Jin felt as if his spirit had undergone a profound baptism.

Bo Ke Si Li was already waiting outside the door and hurried forward when he saw Qian Jin emerge. "Master Fei Jing, your carriage for the journey has been prepared. It bears the crest of our Mammon Demon Tribe. Within the Demon Lands, no one dares assault the carriage of the Mammon Demon Tribe."

Luci Flow looked on with a cold, disdainful smirk, agreeing with the statement internally, though his contempt remained. There were two reasons why no demon dared attack the Mammon Tribe's carriages. First: the majority of the Demon Race's bandits, thieves, and mountain brigands hailed from the Mammon Tribe; why would they attack their own tribal carriage?

Second? The Mammon Tribe's degree of avarice was so legendary that any potential robber had to thoroughly calculate the consequences after attempting a snatch.

In the Demon Race's history, there were instances where the Mammon Tribe was robbed. One such time, the carriage bore the Mammon crest. That incident drove the entire Mammon Tribe into a frenzy. Without waiting for approval from the Great Demon King, the Mammon Tribunal forces mobilized and pursued the robbers beyond the borders, deep into the heartland of the Zhen Ce Dynasty. They slaughtered every last bandit and thoroughly plundered the brigands' lair. Under the relentless pursuit of the Black Dragon Guard, they still managed to retreat back into Mammon territory without losing any of the recovered goods.

Since then, a saying circulated among the Demon Race: Never rob the Mammon Tribe, for even the Gods of the Stars fear their greed! Those were demons who dared to assault the terrifying interior of the Zhen Ce Dynasty just for spoils!

Thus, today, bearing the Mammon crest on the Demon Lands did indeed offer supreme safety. No one wished to switch roles from robber to robbed; why provoke the Mammon Tribe?

Duan Feng Bu Er circled the carriage once, then asked with a laugh, "What? Are there any demons left who dare rob Ji Liu Fei Jing now? While that action might not strictly be rebellion, it comes close, doesn't it? It risks offending the entire Demon Race."

Bo Ke Si Li managed an awkward laugh. Although the statement was somewhat exaggerated, it wasn't entirely untrue. Over the past few days, most factions within the Demon Race qualified to receive news had converged on the Mammon Tribe, signing various contracts with Master Ji Liu Fei Jing. Offending him now was tantamount to opposing the majority of the Demon Race.

Unless... Sa Bo Ni Si Guang sighed. Unless a demon could instantly slay Master Ji Liu Fei Jing. In that case, the great demon factions wouldn't react with much excitement; after all, provoking fury over a dead, worthless demon held no value. Perhaps the lower-ranking demons would demand an investigation into the murderer, but that would only be superficial.

Killing Master Ji Liu Fei Jing? Sa Bo Ni Si Guang felt his thought was utterly absurd. Everyone knew that currying favor with Master Ji Liu Fei Jing at this juncture was the truly clever move. Killing him held no advantage whatsoever.

"Perhaps hanging the Master's insignia makes one untouchable," Bo Ke Si Li said with a wry smile, voicing a truth universally acknowledged by the demons.

Robbing Ji Liu Fei Jing? That would mean thoroughly offending a huge segment of the Demon Race—all of whom were coveting the same resources. Even if they weren't as rapacious as the Mammon Tribe, those resources were hard-won savings. If Ji Liu Fei Jing were robbed, the Master wouldn't even need to resist; he could simply hand everything over to the robbers in exchange for his safety.

Then, countless demons would hound the robbers to discuss the matter of the robbery. Even if they hid deep within the Zhen Ce Dynasty or fled into the depths of the Barren Sand Sea, they would still be dragged out!

"Let's use our Mammon crest instead..." Qian Jin said as he stepped onto the carriage, looking around. "Where are Sairig and his group?"

"Ah? Yours...?" Bo Ke Si Li froze, and instantly, it felt as if a million flowers bloomed within his heart, an indescribable elation flooding every cell of his body. Ours! Our Mammon Tribe!

A phrase so simple, so mundane, that under normal circumstances Bo Ke Si Li wouldn't have registered it, yet at this moment, it sparked in him the impulse to offer his daughter to Qian Jin.

That 'ours' represented recognition! Sa Bo Ni Si Guang suddenly felt the urge to rush out and boast to the remaining tribal elders, who were still smugly watching nearby: How can your relationship with the Master compare to ours in the Mammon Tribe?

"Oh! The Crown Prince and his entourage left first," Bo Ke Si Li's smile shone with unprecedented brilliance. "In the current situation, no demon would dare offend the Master, so they departed ahead of us."

Luci Flow chuckled. "He is quite clever, isn't he?"

The two chiefs of the Mammon Tribe instantly understood the meaning behind the princess’s words. The Crown Prince was indeed very smart. Associating closely with the Master would undoubtedly strengthen the relationship, but it would also mean handing over more and more materials to the Master.

None of them were fools; they understood the Master didn't work for free. Each offering was likely worth double the materials used in the equipment.

If the Crown Prince traveled alongside the Master for the rest of the journey, he wouldn't go bankrupt, but he would certainly lose considerable wealth. Since they had achieved their initial goal, why continue incurring such expenses?

The carriage moved slowly. Numerous elders and chiefs stood along the roadside of the Mammon Tribe territory, waving frequently at Qian Jin in the carriage. Those unaware might think the Great Demon King himself had arrived at the Mammon Tribe; the scene was even grander than when the Crown Prince arrived.

As the carriage left the innermost core area of the Mammon Tribe, Qian Jin opened his Realm of Battle and gazed at the various materials slumbering within, letting out a long sigh. Such wealth, he mused, probably couldn't be gathered even by draining the entirety of Everflow City.