The sight of tens of thousands of Minotaurs kneeling before Chi Yixiu left Ye Jingyu, Liang Xiaoke, Lin Xiaoyi, Hu Yanzhi, and Hu Yanmeng utterly stunned. Were they swearing fealty to him? Did the bloodline of the Demon God Chiyou truly flow within him? And had he successfully inherited some of Chiyou’s power?

The thought of the Minotaurs’ terrifying combat strength sent a surge of excitement through them all. If these powerful beings truly pledged allegiance to Chi Yixiu, wouldn't that strength now be theirs to command?

Despite being worshipped by so many, Chi Yixiu showed no pronounced excitement on his face; not even a flicker of agitation could be detected, as if this entire spectacle was simply the natural order of things.

“Xiu, what exactly has happened to you?” Ye Jingyu finally broke the silence, his voice laced with concern. He knew Chi Yixiu’s power had been surging rapidly, and a vast reservoir of energy lay hidden within him—once fully assimilated, he was certain Chi Yixiu would reach the Demon King realm.

Responding to Ye Jingyu’s call, Chi Yixiu finally seemed to snap back to awareness. He suddenly turned, dropped to one knee before Ye Jingyu, and declared, “I, Chi Yixiu, by the decree of Demon Venerable Chiyou, swear eternal loyalty to you in this life!”

The deep thud of his massive frame hitting the ground echoed loudly against the altar, and though his voice was low, it resonated across the entire clearing, clearly heard by every single Minotaur present.

Ye Jingyu blinked, utterly confused by what Chi Yixiu was doing.

“Xiu, what is this? Even if you want these Minotaurs to become my fighting force, there’s no need for this theatrics. You just need to keep them under control!” Ye Jingyu transmitted via private sound transmission. Despite Chi Yixiu always acting as his guard, in Ye Jingyu’s heart, Xiu was family. Not just Chi Yixiu, but all the Chi Yi clan members were the closest relatives he had in this world, and he wanted no master-servant dynamic between himself and Chi Yixiu.

Below the altar, all the Minotaurs stared up at the spectacle unfolding, and even the Nine Li Tower watched in silence. In their eyes, everything Chi Yixiu did as the heir of the Demon God was justified. What they couldn't comprehend, however, was why an heir of Chiyou would pledge loyalty to a mere human.

Countless questioning gazes fixed upon Chi Yixiu, yet he showed no intention of rising, remaining perfectly still as he looked at Ye Jingyu—this man who had grown continuously throughout their journey.

“This is the decree of Demon Venerable Chiyou…” After a long pause, only those few words left Chi Yixiu’s lips.

The pronouncement plunged the entire area into absolute silence. The decree of the Demon God Chiyou? How was this possible? If the sacrificial power had summoned a manifestation of Chiyou’s aura, and Chi Yixiu absorbed that immense power because of his ancestral bloodline, then ordering all the Minotaurs to pledge allegiance to a pure human—that seemed utterly absurd.

Chi Yixiu remained silent, but suddenly the obsidian-black Chiyou Banner on Ye Jingyu erupted in dazzling black light, floating directly above his head. A vast, overwhelming aura radiated outward—an aura of complete dominance that perfectly mirrored the presence emitted by the towering spectral image from moments before. Sensing this power, all the Minotaurs instantly dropped back to their knees, their confusion vanishing without a trace, replaced only by the most fervent loyalty.

No words were necessary, no explanation required. Within the hearts of every Minotaur, the truth was laid bare: this was the will of the Demon God Chiyou. Though they might not yet know the significance of the Chiyou Banner itself, its immense power had illuminated everything for them.

Watching the tens of thousands of Minotaurs kneeling before him, Ye Jingyu felt no joy. It was true; his original plan had been to use the Chiyou Banner to awe these tribesmen, perhaps even setting himself up as a religious figure to trick them into submission. But now, he didn't need trickery; these Minotaurs had genuinely become his most devout followers. This outcome was infinitely better than he had anticipated, yet his heart remained heavy.

Hadn't all of this come too easily? Obtaining the Chiyou Banner was almost effortless. Immediately after acquiring it, he encountered the Twelve Heaven Witches’ Extinction Array. Then, inexplicably, he inherited the array’s mastery. Next, that entity told him to look after the Minotaur lineage, whom he’d assumed were long lost. Yet, the moment he arrived in the Demon Realm, he stumbled upon them, followed by the manifestation of Chiyou. Weren't all these events too coincidental?

Ye Jingyu felt an unsettling certainty that everything had been meticulously arranged, and the orchestrator was likely Chiyou himself—the Great Demon God of myth, who was supposed to have been slain by Xuanyuan Jue.

The era Chiyou lived in was separated from the present by tens of thousands of years, perhaps more—a span Ye Jingyu couldn't even calculate. But how could a person who should have been dead for so long orchestrate all of this?

The possibility sent a chill down his spine. Where had those legendary figures gone? If they truly set these events in motion, what was their ultimate goal?

Though his mind churned with doubt, looking at the fanatical Minotaurs below, Ye Jingyu couldn't bring himself to reject this arrangement. Regardless of the mystery, with such immense power now at his command, at least he wouldn't be fighting alone anymore.

The thought of avenging Du Gu Ba Chen, the sheer might of Fang Zhentian—these realities made it clear that his path stretched long before him. Whatever awaited him at the end was a matter for the future.

The immediate problems were easily resolved. Hu Yanzhi and the others were released and treated with the utmost hospitality by the Minotaurs. Eager to please Ye Jingyu, the Nine Li Tower even presented him with the ten most beautiful virgin women from the tribe.

But gazing upon the hulking figures—each easily over ten feet tall, sporting massive bull heads, nostrils puffing heavily—even the notoriously lustful Liang Xiaoke found himself at a loss for words...

Nevertheless, as a distinguished guest of the Minotaur clan, Liang Xiaoke enjoyed certain privileges. That very evening, he led a thousand Minotaurs directly to the Sky Wolf Giant settlement, intent on settling accounts with Bernice. However, his face froze in shock when he saw Monik and Bernice emerge, holding hands.

Monik was equally startled to see that Liang Xiaoke was alive. After they both rapidly explained the entire chain of events, Liang Xiaoke understood that Bernice had acted solely for Monik’s safety, and he forgave her. Furthermore, given his deep interest in her monumental chest, he managed, by some means, to trick her into his company once again...

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