By seniority, the Demon God Chi You was a junior to Hei Mingba, yet his talent was utterly incomparable to Hei Mingba's; indeed, Chi You's talent surpassed even that of the ancient Heavenly Witches. Single-mindedly focused on returning to the mortal realm, the Demon God Chi You led the demon armies of that era in a massive assault on the human world, only to be deemed monstrous devils by the human Daoists of the time, thus beginning the Battle of Zhuolu.

Hei Mingba was just a minor figure then. Although he participated in the conflict, he was utterly unqualified for the high-level engagements and remained completely unaware that Demon God Chi You had forged the Twelve Heavenly Witches Annihilation Grand Array. This ignorance persisted until Chi You's eventual defeat and the retreat of the demons back to the Demon Realm.

At that time, nearly all experts above the Demon Emperor realm were slain, and even those few who survived vanished without a trace. What remained in the Demon Realm were mostly insignificant characters. After hundreds of thousands of years of development, many experts at the Demon King realm emerged, but they perished one after another, until eventually, only the current Eight Great Royal Clans survived.

And Hei Mingba, from a mere petty Witch, transformed into the Purple Flame Demon King who now shook the Demon Realm. However, over these years, he had never once visited the human world, and he remained unclear about what had transpired there.

After listening to Hei Mingba's exposition, Zhurong’s brow furrowed slightly, as if recalling something, while Ye Jingyu’s face was entirely overtaken by astonishment.

So many of the demons currently residing in the Demon Realm were actually descendants of the Witch Clan? Their ancestors had sacrificed themselves to drive the devils into the Abyss for the sake of human proliferation, and now, upon seeking to return to their homeland, they were actually labeled as evil spirits by humanity.

Was this a tragedy? Or perhaps a profound sorrow?

Ye Jingyu knew that Hei Mingba would never deceive him about these matters; there was no need, nor was he in the mood. To this minor Witch, this great Demon King who had survived since the Primordial Era, what possible reason would he have to waste time deceiving him?

The reason the demons differed somewhat from humans was likely a lingering consequence left behind as those ancient Heavenly Witches sought to enhance their own strength. In legends, were Nuwa and Fuxi not depicted with human heads and serpentine bodies? Their appearance in such a form was hardly strange.

“Sigh…” Ye Jingyu let out a heavy sigh, feeling nothing but helplessness and uncertainty about what he should do.

“Do you still wish to return to the mortal realm now?” After a considerable pause, Ye Jingyu suddenly asked.

“Heh, with my current strength, returning to the mortal realm would be an effortless matter. However, even if I went back, what difference would it make? That is no longer the human world of my memory. Whether I return or not is irrelevant. Nevertheless, the younger generation of demons nowadays is utterly consumed with the desire to reach the human realm, though their objective for returning has fundamentally shifted from what it was before,” Hei Mingba gently shook his head, his demeanor utterly placid.

Ye Jingyu nodded. Anyone who had lived for so long would likely possess a serene mindset. His excitement upon seeing the Donghuang Bell must have stemmed from the deep impression the Demon Race left on him in his youth, right? His loss of composure upon seeing Zhurong was due to Zhurong’s exceedingly lofty status in his heart, perhaps? As for other matters, how could they stir his heartstrings?

“However, there is one matter you must heed: the seal on the Abyss has begun to weaken. The devils dwelling within have started to stir restlessly. It may not be long before they launch a resurgence. Those devils are the true demons, completely devoid of any humanity; they only know burning, slaughter, and plunder. But by then, with the Heavenly Witches gone and those great Immortals lost, will humanity still be capable of fending off this onslaught of devils?” Seeing Ye Jingyu nod, Hei Mingba spoke again.

Ye Jingyu was momentarily speechless. He was not a man of great compassion, nor was he a savior. But as Hei Mingba stated, if those devils capable of confronting the ancient Immortal Gods were truly to descend once more, how could the current strength of the Three Realms possibly resist them? He held no ambition to save all of humanity, but he needed to protect those around him; he could not bear to watch the people close to him perish like that.

Devils, Abyss Devils, the genuine fiends.

“Ah…” At that moment, a pained shriek suddenly echoed from outside the Grand Array. Hei Mingba and Ye Jingyu’s expressions changed instantly.

“Quick! Open the array! Let me out! Yan Senxu is in danger!” Hei Mingba roared.

If this were just moments ago, Ye Jingyu absolutely would not have opened the array. Yan Senxu’s peril would have been none of his concern; in fact, he might have wished Yan Senxu met danger and was annihilated. But after Hei Mingba’s words, he was gradually coming to understand: setting aside other demons, at least the Yanmo Clan must be descendants of the Witch Clan. The thought of the Heavenly Witches in ancient legends battling demons unto death for the sake of human survival stirred a profound feeling within him.

They were pioneers, great sages, heroes. Their descendants had already suffered too much injustice. Should he continue to make things difficult for them? Moreover, Ye Jingyu firmly believed that even if he refused to open the array, Hei Mingba’s strength was certainly sufficient to break out. A Demon King who had lived for tens of thousands of years must possess more power than he had displayed.

The black Chi You Banner shook violently. The previously overcast sky suddenly revealed a smiling countenance, and purple light cascaded down as Hei Mingba’s figure shot straight out…

“ Zhan Bulasi—what are you doing?” As soon as Hei Mingba burst free of the array, he saw Zhan Bulasi, who had apparently stormed out of the array at some point, attacking Yan Senxu, while Medusa watched coldly from a distance, making no move to assist or intervene.

Seeing Hei Mingba also charging out of the array, a flash of shock crossed Zhan Bulasi’s face. But then, a sanguine gleam flashed in his eyes; he clenched a fist, and a blood-red light erupted from it, striking directly toward Yan Senxu.

“Zhan Bulasi, you court death!” Seeing Zhan Bulasi attack Yan Senxu with full force, Hei Mingba was furious. With a swift sweep of his sleeve, a boundless power instantly materialized, striking Zhan Bulasi in virtually no time. The immense force hurled Zhan Bulasi thousands of feet away, causing him to vomit a mouthful of blood, his bones likely shattered in countless places.

Such terrifying might left both Medusa and Zhan Bulasi aghast. Was this Hei Mingba’s true power? It was overwhelmingly strong. They were both Demon Kings, yet before him, they possessed no power to resist? He had concealed himself too deeply! If they had known he possessed such formidable strength, why would they have risked confronting Yan Senxu? But now, regret was useless…

With a soft snap, a pair of blood-gold wings unfurled from Zhan Bulasi’s back. He flapped them forcefully, transforming into a streak of crimson light, and fled toward the distance. He knew he had utterly offended Hei Mingba, and there was absolutely no possibility of reconciliation; it was best to escape immediately…

“Help me kill him, and I will grant you anything you ask!” Hei Mingba shouted, already dashing forward, his words sounding as if directed at Ye Jingyu, yet equally aimed at Medusa. Regardless, neither Medusa nor Ye Jingyu hesitated, darting out instantly…

(This chapter is an extra update added for the increase of two thousand bricks. Recommendation votes—still short by a few dozen, but it should be reached today. I’m going to eat first, and then I’ll continue writing. There will be another chapter later. Brothers reading on computer screens, send those votes over!)