"I'm leaving the Demon Realm immediately to return to the mortal world. If the Ying family wishes to cause trouble, they are welcome to try!" Ye Jingyu said calmly, looking at Hei Mingyingjie.

Upon hearing Ye Jingyu's imminent departure to the mortal realm, Charles and Reyalon exchanged a look, their eyes filled with anxiety, as if worried that if he truly left, their hopes of seizing the treasure would vanish.

"Big Brother, may Shixuan go back to your place with you?" At this moment, Hei Mingshixuan, standing nearby, suddenly spoke up.

Hearing Hei Mingshixuan’s words, Charles and Reyalon furrowed their brows even deeper. With this little menace by his side, how could they possibly make a move? Were they simply going to watch this ultimate treasure slip away?

"Heh heh, alright, but I still need to find my elder brother; I don't know how he's doing now!" Ye Jingyu nodded with a smile.

Having witnessed the terror of the Azure Ancient Bell, he possessed absolute confidence. Even a Seventh Grade Demon Lord would have to seriously weigh their capabilities before daring to confront him.

"No need to look for me, I'm here!" Just then, Liang Xiaoke's voice rang out. Ye Jingyu looked up and saw him walking over, pulling Leilena with his right hand and holding Gongsun Lu's hand in his left. Every step covered hundreds of meters; though he had been thousands of meters away just moments ago, he arrived before Ye Jingyu in just a few strides.

His skin seemed darker than before, and there was a faint black line etched onto his forehead. Ethereal Yin energy coiled around him, and his eyes had turned a ghostly blue. His entire aura felt colder and significantly more potent...

It wasn't just him; Gongsun Lu, walking beside him, also seemed significantly altered. Her physical body appeared more refined and resilient, and the Yin energy enveloping her was much denser, clearly indicating a substantial increase in power.

Having been tempered by the Spring of Nine Hells, Liang Xiaoke’s realm had leaped forward by three entire grades, reaching the Eighth Level of the Corpse Emperor—equivalent to a Martial God of the Fifth Heaven.

"Leilena, why are you here?" Before Ye Jingyu could speak, Reyalon exclaimed in surprise.

"Ah, Cousin, it's you! I came along with my beloved!" Leilena looked at Reyalon, a flicker of astonishment in her eyes, clearly not expecting her own family to send him out to obstruct the Ying family's plans.

"Beloved?" Reyalon paused, then immediately noticed Leilena clinging tightly to Liang Xiaoke’s arm. A brilliant smile immediately spread across his face.

Since the little princess of the Hei Ming family was already with that fellow, the matter of seizing the treasure was clearly impossible. Since they couldn't fight for it, befriending him was the next best thing. Now that his cousin was involved with his 'elder brother,' if he could build a good relationship with Liang Xiaoke, wouldn't that bring a powerful ally to his family? Even if he wasn't a strong ally, gaining entry through this connection would at least eliminate a formidable enemy!

"Hahahaha, so you must be the brother-in-law! Haha... A pleasure, a pleasure! I am Reyalon, Leilena's cousin..." Despite Reyalon appearing somewhat simple-minded and brutish, once the hope of treasure was gone, he reacted instantly, walking straight up to Liang Xiaoke and introducing himself quite naturally.

"Haha, so you're my cousin! I am Liang Xiaoke, greetings, Cousin!" Liang Xiaoke also broke into a radiant smile, embracing Reyalon tightly. After all, Leilena was his woman now, wasn't she? Building good rapport with these demons couldn't hurt...

Charles, watching Reyalon and Liang Xiaoke become so intimate, and knowing Liang Xiaoke clearly had an unusual relationship with Ye Jingyu, realized that Reyalon's family was now connected to Ye Jingyu. This made the treasure heist utterly hopeless, and moreover, the Hei Ming and Lei families had gained a powerful backer, leaving him with nothing. This simply wouldn't do!

At that moment, Charles mentally cursed his parents a hundred times. Why hadn't they given birth to more children? If they couldn't give him more brothers, surely one or two daughters would have been possible. If he had a sister or an older sister, couldn't he have married her off to this guy?

Charles was filled with bitter regret.

"And this would be...?" However, Charles quickly managed to force a smile. The reason was simple: Liang Xiaoke had taken the initiative to ask him his name.

"Hello, I am Charles *William of the Vampire William Family!" Charles put on what he considered his most charming smile. Both these men were incredibly strong; he needed to establish a good connection with them.

"Hahahaha, hello, my name is Liang Xiaoke. I am a... zombie," Liang Xiaoke whispered the last word so quietly that only Charles could hear. Upon hearing it, Charles's expression underwent a drastic change...

The Vampires were high-ranking demons who sustained themselves on blood. The Vampires of the Demon Realm were fundamentally different from their descendants in the mortal world. Even so, as fellow blood-drinking entities, Zombies were the absolute bane of all Vampires.

Calling them a bane was actually giving the Vampires too much credit. To put it plainly, a Vampire’s Heart Core was the finest supplement for the Zombie race. Back in the Primordial Era, countless powerful Zombies rose in rank by preying on Vampires.

According to the legends within the Vampire clans, the thirty-nine Demon Kings, thirteen Blood Emperors, and three Blood Sovereigns of the Primordial Era all perished in the jaws of the Zombie ancestor, Hanba. Even the Vampire Blood Ancestor was gravely wounded by Hanba and subsequently vanished without a trace.

The sole reason for this was that the Vampires' Heart Cores were perfect for Hanba to enhance his power.

From that time onward, Vampires would flee at the mere sight of a Zombie, even if their own cultivation level far surpassed that of the Zombie opponent...

This had become a deep-seated, unspeakable trauma and terror for the entire Vampire lineage...

Charles’s first instinct was to bolt, but his hand was held firmly in Liang Xiaoke’s grip. With his Fourth Grade Demon Lord strength, how could he possibly escape?

Looking at Liang Xiaoke’s radiant smile, Charles felt like a roasted suckling pig facing a ravenously hungry strong man who hadn't eaten in weeks...

Drops of cold sweat beaded on his forehead. For a Vampire to sweat this profusely was remarkable. His already pale face turned deathly white...

"Hahahaha, Charles, you are the friend of my cousin Reyalon, which makes you my friend too! I, Liang Xiaoke, never harm my friends, right?" Sensing the terror in Charles's eyes, the smile on Liang Xiaoke’s face grew more satisfied, and he squeezed Charles’s hand even tighter.

"Yes, yes! We are friends, very, very good friends!" Charles nodded frantically.