The sound of slaughter raged outside, shaking the very heavens. A host of demons were struck dumb with terror, their bodies shivering, letting out sharp, piercing screams. Yet, the Spirit Martial Cave had only one exit; even if they wished to flee, there was nowhere to run.

"What are we going to do? They're really here!"

One slightly braver demon peered out toward the mouth of the cave, only to flee back in a panic, his bowels having betrayed him completely.

"It's bad! It's terrible! There must be hundreds of Temple Envoys outside, surrounding us tightly. We are truly finished this time."

Faced with such a display, even Huo Zhongguang's face couldn't help but shift slightly. The only two people in the entire assembly who remained perfectly composed were Feng Zikang and the King of Ten Thousand Demons.

Feng Zikang stole a glance at the Demon King seated upon the throne. He sat as still as a wooden statue, unmoving, observing the lesser demons scurrying about in sheer panic. The Demon King shook his head slightly, a hint of disdain lingering on his expression.

He was not afraid of these Envoys.

Feng Zikang was quite certain that this Lord Demon King had anticipated the situation outside long ago, and furthermore, he was utterly unconcerned by it.

Perhaps, this entire scenario had been orchestrated by him.

To hold a grand assembly of all demons in such a conspicuous location—if the Envoys didn't come charging in, that would be the strange thing. The only element causing mild surprise was how swiftly these Envoys had arrived, suggesting they were already prepared.

But what was the King of Ten Thousand Demons' true objective? Was he intentionally gathering the demon race only to have the Envoys wipe them out in one sweep?

Or was it to "consolidate the strength of the demon race to resist the Temple Envoys, who function as the ruling class?"

Feng Zikang looked at the demons sprawled on the floor, reduced to puddles of liquid terror, and shook his head. Relying on them, such an ambition was clearly impossible to realize.

"My King, what should we do? Perhaps we should charge out!"

Finally, a few sharp-witted, high-ranking demons, who possessed some degree of foresight, quickly gathered and approached the King of Ten Thousand Demons to discuss countermeasures. However, the Demon King remained silent, observing with cold detachment, as if completely oblivious to the perilous situation.

"My King!"

The hearts of those great demons were breaking. They had initially believed that because the King of Ten Thousand Demons possessed immense, unfathomable power and was capable of organizing an assembly of this magnitude, he must have a plan for rejuvenation. Although they feared the Temple Envoys and the ethereal Heavenly Emperor, they clung to a sliver of hope, imagining they could achieve great things under this Demon King's leadership.

But seeing the situation today—the Demon King's attitude suggesting he cared little for them—how could they not feel disheartened?

"Junior Brother, what game is the Demon King playing? They've already kicked down the door, and he's still pretending! Isn't he afraid of being completely annihilated?"

Huo Zhongguang was also uneasy, but he found some comfort knowing Feng Zikang stood beside him, offering a sense of reliance.

"No need to worry. Watch him; he must have a follow-up plan."

CRASH.

Just then, the main door of the Spirit Martial Cave burst open violently. More than half of the protective barrier surrounding the entrance had been shattered. The combined efforts of hundreds of Envoys were indeed no trivial matter!

"Brothers, let's fight them! It's just a few hundred Envoys! We have tens of thousands of demons here, what are we afraid of?"

The great demons who had been desperately trying to persuade the King, seeing no response, realized running was no longer an option. They could only grit their teeth and shout loudly, trying to rally morale and charge forward to fight.

Unfortunately, the demons' ingrained fear of the Envoys was too deep-seated. Even spurred by the shouts of their leaders, they couldn't muster the spirit. Only a small number fought desperately to block the entrance, mostly seeking a chance to slip away during the fray. Regrettably, the power of the red-robed Envoys was formidable; a few flashes of sword light swept through, instantly reducing the foremost demons to bloody pulp.

"Do not cross the line!"

At that precise moment, the King of Ten Thousand Demons finally spoke, his voice faint and strange, as light as a mosquito's buzz, yet it carried clearly to everyone present.

He slowly raised a finger and shot out a stream of vital energy, etching a deep chasm onto the flat ground before the cave entrance. Earth and stone flew, and the ground cracked open.

"Those who cross, die!"

This display was not necessarily earth-shattering—Feng Zikang could achieve the same feat—but the sheer aura surrounding it was breathtaking. It was done so effortlessly, without the slightest hint of exertion, instantly stunning everyone present.

The demons had witnessed his capabilities before; already unnerved, their hope reignited upon seeing him act. They scrambled backward from the entrance, grouping tightly around the Demon King.

The ambitious great demons cheered him on, showering him with excessive praise.

This display of power also shook the Envoys who had charged into the cave. Their expressions grew strange as they formed ranks, and one figure stepped forward from the rear.

"Is this the legendary strength of the King of Ten Thousand Demons? It is a pity that today, the Heavenly Emperor has ordered your extermination. Even if you possess heaven-defying abilities, escape is impossible!"

This was a woman wearing a thick, red veil that completely obscured her face, revealing only two bright, resolute eyes. She sighed, shaking her head.

Her tone lacked the usual disgust and contempt that Envoys showed when speaking of demons; instead, it carried an atmosphere of compassionate sorrow. Her voice was gentle and slightly husky, giving listeners a strangely pleasing sensation.

"Ah," murmured one of the demons, "The Grand Envoy is leading the team?"

"How could it be this woman? We are certainly doomed this time!"

Wails of despair rose among the demons.

"The Grand Envoy?" Feng Zikang couldn't help but look closer. The woman possessed a graceful, slender figure, completely swathed in her attire, her hands hidden within her sleeves, not even a single finger exposed, exuding a strange aura that felt inherently unsettling.

This shared characteristic—being utterly concealed—was oddly parallel to the King of Ten Thousand Demons, the only difference being that one was clad entirely in black, and the other, entirely in red.

Under the rule of the Heavenly Emperor, Temple Envoys managed the common folk. Above all the Envoys, there was the Grand Envoy, an emissary who walked the earth representing the Heavenly Emperor.

This was recorded in various scriptures.

However, the fact that the current Grand Envoy was a woman was specifically noted. In the millennia-long history of the True Mortal Realm, never before had a woman held the position of Grand Envoy.

It was said that this woman descended from the heavens, possessing no parents, suddenly appearing in the True Mortal Realm. Initially, she was nearly slain as an extraterrestrial Demon Beast, but she was protected by the Divine Light of the Heavenly Emperor, thus being recognized as the Emperor's emissary. Within just a few years, she ascended to become the sovereign of the Envoys across the Four Hundred and Eighty Temples of the Great Han Dynasty.

If this hadn't occurred decades ago, Feng Zikang would have suspected her to be Luo Lianxin, but the timeline did not match.

To have the opportunity to witness her today was unexpected. Feng Zikang observed closely, but the woman's figure was too heavily obscured, and a layer of red divine light enveloped her, interfering with his sight. Feng Zikang could not discern if she bore any resemblance to Luo Lianxin.

The King of Ten Thousand Demons offered no reply, appearing lost in thought. This earned him silent admiration from many demons. Who else in the True Mortal Realm dared treat the Grand Envoy with such an attitude? Perhaps only this arrogant King of Ten Thousand Demons!

A shadow of sorrow gradually crossed the Grand Envoy's eyes.

"If you repent and embrace the Way of my Heavenly Emperor, then your past sins may also be pardoned..."

Even at this moment, the Grand Envoy remained calm and unhurried, peacefully preaching the Heavenly Emperor's path of forgiveness.

"What utter bullshit!" Some of the high-ranking demons grew impatient, shouting loudly. "To demand that we demons stop eating humans, and moreover, subject ourselves daily to the torture within the temples—what kind of mercy is that? Some seniors among us did convert to the Heavenly Emperor, but they spent their days inside the temples, scorched by the Divine Light, enduring for over a century, only to meet the same dead end!"

It was exceptionally difficult to demand that demons adhere to the rules of this world.

Feng Zikang had read the Heavenly Canon and the Heavenly Emperor's Covenant, and he knew the Emperor's rules were extensive. For instance, the first rule forbade killing humans—and since demons traditionally subsisted on human flesh, renouncing that was easier said than done.

Other mandates, such as "no food without labor," "no foul language," and restrictions on debauchery—all contradicted the demons' unrestrained nature. To force them to live within cities and find honest work to support themselves would truly be harder than ascending to heaven.

Even if a demon managed to endure these rules and live righteously, there was one final, most terrifying requirement they absolutely could not bear.

That is, all subjects of the Heavenly Emperor must visit temples to present offerings and repent their faults every fifth and tenth day. The Divine Light in those temples specialized in eradicating demonic energy. Every time a demon entered, it felt as if a layer of skin had been flayed off; how could they possibly concentrate enough to listen to the doctrine?

Initially, some ignorant demons believed the assurances, claiming the temple's Divine Light was meant to wash away their sins, and that once the pain and discomfort ceased, they would truly be embraced by the Heavenly Emperor.

Any demon who reached the point where the pain vanished died, but the reason was that he could no longer withstand the torment.

With such precedents, how could the knowledgeable great demons possibly believe it?

However, some younger demons, intimidated by the Envoys' might and recalling the terrible rumors spread about the Envoys, dared not resist. Upon hearing the Grand Envoy’s words, several actually bolted, attempting to defect to the Envoys' side.

"Don't kill me! Don't kill me! I swear to convert! I swear to submit!"

Several smaller demons squeezed out from the crowd and rushed toward the entrance. The great demons cursed them fiercely, but it was too late to stop them.

"Excellent!" In the Grand Envoy's eyes, a glimmer of approval shone forth. "Fleeing darkness for light—there is no greater virtue. The Heavenly Emperor's benevolence is vast and merciful; he will not condemn..."

Pfft!

Before the Grand Envoy could finish her sentence, the faces of those small demons twisted into hideous grimaces. In a flash, they disintegrated into thousands of bloody chunks that scattered across the ground.

That flesh had just crossed the line.

The fissure etched into the ground by the King of Ten Thousand Demons' fingertip energy.

The expressions of many Envoys changed. The Grand Envoy's stream of righteousness and morality abruptly ceased. She lifted her head, her gaze, now imbued with both pity and fury, shot directly toward the King of Ten Thousand Demons seated on his throne.

The latter shrugged indifferently.

"I already said it: Those who cross the line, die!"

The King of Ten Thousand Demons nodded again, adding with a light smile, "Whether it is my side..." He gestured toward the red-robed Envoys accompanying the Grand Envoy, "...or your side, it is the same for everyone!"