If the Dark Demon Emperor truly intended to take the Sky-Vault Sword Emperor down with him, then the Sky-Vault Sword Emperor truly had no recourse against him. He couldn't very well fight halfway, reach a stalemate, and then flee in disgrace, could he? Even feigning an opening would surely arouse the Dark Demon Emperor's suspicions.

Fortunately, the Dark Demon Emperor did not disappoint the Sky-Vault Sword Emperor's expectations and, after failing to gain the upper hand, began deploying his Dark Demon Army.

From within hundreds of demon warships, hundreds of thousands of demon troops poured out. Even if the Sky-Vault Sword Emperor were an imbecile, he wouldn't wait there to die. Immediately, he adopted a posture of mutual destruction with a fierce sword strike, forcing the Dark Demon Emperor back, shouting with grief and rage, "Dark Demon Emperor, you despicable and shameless villain! We clearly agreed to a duel, yet you break your word."

With that, the Sky-Vault Sword Emperor transformed into a streak of light and fled.

"Hah! Sky-Vault, did the Barbarians knock the sense out of your skull when you campaigned against them?" The Dark Demon Emperor burst into uproarious laughter and pursued him: "If I could kill you, I would naturally see the duel through. But this also leads to a mutual destruction outcome, who has the patience to play games with you? Minions, chase him down, surround him! Hahahaha, Sky-Vault, let's see how you die today! As long as you’re dead, no one will know I went back on my word."

Even at this juncture, the Sky-Vault Sword Emperor could not simply escape. He still had to feign being entangled by the Dark Demon Emperor and then besieged by a swarm of demon soldiers and generals.

After fiercely slaying several thousand demon soldiers and generals, he was ambushed by the Dark Demon Emperor at a critical moment, sustaining grievous injuries from a slash by the Dark Demon Blade.

At this point, the Sky-Vault Sword Emperor could finally employ his retreat tactic. He promptly crushed a jade talisman. A dense, solid aura of immortal light enveloped him, warding off all incoming attacks.

The Sky-Vault Sword Emperor immediately activated his fastest escape technique. Enduring countless assaults, he broke through the encirclement and fled at extreme speed into the depths of the void.

The Dark Demon Emperor paused for a moment, then transformed himself into a surge of demonic energy and gave chase at top speed. As he pursued, he cursed, "Well, well, the hypocritical Sky-Vault Sword Emperor, to think you had hidden away such an incomparably precious Celestial Body-Protecting Charm! That must be a protective treasure given to you by an Immortal Venerable for your campaign against the Barbarians, right? Hmph, agreeing to a duel, and you planned to use this trick against this Emperor? Fortunately, this Emperor is wise enough to have used some demon troops to probe your deceit. Come on, let’s have that duel now."

The Dark Demon Emperor dared to abandon his demon troops to pursue because the Sky-Vault Sword Emperor was already heavily wounded. Although the Celestial Body-Protecting Art was wondrous, claiming to block all attacks, it was ultimately time-limited; once the duration expired, that talisman would be utterly useless.

If everyone were in normal condition, the Dark Demon Emperor knew perfectly well he couldn't kill the Sky-Vault Sword Emperor. But now that his opponent was severely injured, the scales of victory rapidly tilted in his favor.

As long as he could catch up, even without the aid of his demon troops, the Dark Demon Emperor was confident that he had the Sky-Vault Sword Emperor cornered. The Sky-Vault had his protective treasure, and as a trusted subordinate of the Demon Venerable, he too had received rewards.

One immortal and one demon—one fleeing, one chasing—traversed who knew how many tens of thousands of miles. After a full month, the slowing Sky-Vault Sword Emperor finally collapsed in exhaustion on a solitary, wandering small meteoroid. He looked utterly wretched. His immortal shield had long since vanished. Due to the high-speed flight, his injuries had not healed but had only worsened.

"Hahahaha, Sky-Vault Sword Emperor, where do you think you can run to now?" The Dark Demon Emperor delighted in chasing down a dog that had lost its home. He landed domineeringly on the small meteoroid, laughing wildly: "Sky-Vault, I never thought you’d have this day. I’ve played with your wife, your daughter, and today, I’m going to have some fun with you. Hahahaha, the three of you..."

"Heh, Infidi, this fellow truly is a rare pervert. You Higher Demons, tsk, tsk, you really are..." Lei Dong's teasing voice sounded softly not far behind the Dark Demon Emperor.

"Master, this servant won't allow it! How can a master slander his own maid?" Empress Pain Infidi cooed petulantly, "Besides, Master, don't you also quite like this servant? This Dark Demon Emperor is purely psychologically twisted, just an arrogant fool, and cannot represent us Higher Demons."

"Who are you?" The Dark Demon Emperor’s smug smile vanished, replaced by cruel expressions and eyes: "A female demon? Hmm? Peak Integration Stage strength? When did our clan produce such a top-tier expert? And why are you calling this... thing your master?"

"Zhongli pays respects to the Young Master." The Sky-Vault Sword Emperor, despite his pathetic appearance, bowed respectfully: "Zhongli has not failed the Young Master's command; this fiend has finally been lured into the trap."

"Young Master?" The Dark Demon Emperor was not foolish; at this moment, how could he not realize he had walked into someone else’s snare?

He wasn't so foolish as to flee immediately. His expression grew extremely grave as he stared at Lei Dong for a moment before saying, "You are not of the Immortal Clan? You are... sniffing... Human? How is this possible? How could a mere human like you command the allegiance of the Sky-Vault Sword Emperor? And that demoness—have you forgotten the glory of our Higher Demons? To call a mere early-stage Integration Human your master?"

Lei Dong had spent his life accustomed to hiding his strength, and with the help of the Cosmic Breath Concealment Technique, he often enjoyed suppressing his power level unnecessarily.

He paid no mind to the Dark Demon Emperor's disdain. Instead, he embraced the Empress Pain and chuckled, "The glory of the Higher Demons, eh? Infidi, tell your master what your glory is?"

"Reporting to Master, this servant's glory is serving Master, making Master happy and satisfied—that is the greatest glory this servant pursues." Empress Pain licked her lips with a seductive air, "This servant is willing to use any method to please Master."

"Heh, you little vixen, you're getting better at talking," Lei Dong said contentedly, patting her exceedingly shapely rear, "Even this Young Master is getting emotional hearing it."

Calling himself 'This Young Master' was another small tactic of Lei Dong’s. It suggested he had backing, making it easier to lull his subordinates and enemies into complacency.

"Hmph, if I didn't know your origins, I'd think you hailed from the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox Clan," Fairy Canglan appeared beside Lei Dong, clad in a rainbow feathered robe, ethereal as a celestial being. She performed a graceful bow: "Reporting to Master, this servant has already activated the formation. Even if this Dark Demon Emperor possesses precious escape talismans, he will never penetrate my array."

That fellow, Ming Shen, although not the absolute peak in array comprehension, was a Supreme-level expert whose mastery of formations was clearly several levels above that of Fairy Canglan and others.

Lei Dong had sorted through these insights and passed them on to Fairy Canglan. She had certainly lived up to his expectations, her attainment in formations growing ever stronger.

"Canglan, you're developing more and more of that fairy demeanor," Empress Pain, who had always been rivals for affection, retorted upon hearing this, "I'm just afraid you're putting on an act, aren't you? You know Master loves that contrast—how you're usually cold as ice, but in bed, you're the complete opposite, even more alluring than a demonic seductress like me. Hmph, I really dislike scheming women. Master, she’s bullying me."

"Infidi, stop spewing venomous slander!" Fairy Canglan’s face turned pale, her delicate body trembling as she snapped back, "My temperament is inherent to my cultivation of the Canglan Immortal Palace; the higher my cultivation, the more so it becomes. It’s not as depraved as you make it out to be! As for you, you are clearly a malevolent, promiscuous demoness, yet you insist on mimicking the flirtatiousness of the Fox Clan. That is pure flattery, deliberately seducing Master."

"I am flattering, I am deliberately seducing Master," Empress Pain let out an unconcerned, delicate snort, "But you—you clearly desire it intensely, yet you insist on pretending to be pitiful and coy, playing hard to get. Master, you must be careful of her. Didn't Fairy Bibo use this exact tactic to seduce the (Pluto/Underworld King) back then, causing Lord Pluto to die unjustly?"

The Sky-Vault Sword Emperor, having witnessed such contests for favor over the years, was rather indifferent. However, the Dark Demon Emperor was utterly dumbfounded. A demoness at the peak Integration Stage, an immortal maiden also at the peak Integration Stage—beings who commanded the awe and worship of countless living things—were now shamelessly competing for favor before a mere human.

This spectacle completely exceeded the Dark Demon Emperor’s comprehension. Yet, it confirmed that this human of unidentified background was certainly no ordinary figure; he must have profound connections.

Immediately, the Dark Demon Emperor dared not look down on Lei Dong anymore. He adopted human etiquette, cupping his hands in a salute: "Esteemed Young Master, please forgive Daknis for my blindness. From which power do you hail? This location is not far from my Dark Demon Domain. Why don't you come over for a visit? We can chat and share drinks. Rest assured, my Dark Demon Domain harbors countless beauties, guaranteed to be untouched virgins." He thought to himself: This kid must be a lecher; if I lure him with female beauty, then...

Lei Dong raised a hand, stopping the two women from continuing their quarrel. Instead, he looked at the Dark Demon Emperor with interest: "You are quite considerate and rather pleasing. What a pity, what a pity. You and the Sky-Vault Sword Emperor are mortal enemies, and the Sky-Vault Sword Emperor is fiercely loyal to this Young Master. I must seek vengeance for him, after all."

"So, Young Master has come for Sky-Vault's revenge," the Dark Demon Emperor said sincerely, "In truth, there are many complicated reasons behind this. My son also died at Sky-Vault's hand. I was merely seeking vengeance for him. Young Master, I possess many treasures I can offer you, plus a tribute of one hundred thousand virgins from various races."

"Kill you, and everything becomes mine." Lei Dong's gaze was as placid as water.

...(To be continued)RQ