In the Demon Realm, within the Lupus territory, beneath Wolf God Mountain, Augusdin slumped onto his throne, exhaustion etched across his features. Qing Yalin stood gently behind him, her hands meticulously kneading the tension from his shoulders. A strange, flickering light constantly danced in her silver eyes. Over these past few days, using the cultivation technique imparted by Junlis, she had absorbed at least three layers of Augusdin's strength. Yet, Augusdin showed no sign of realizing it. Her own power was surging; perhaps it wouldn't be long before she stood above him.

Gazing down at Fenzhui, a disdainful smile touched Qing Yalin’s lips. Just a lowly whore. She'll have her reckoning when the time comes.

Presently, arrayed below Augusdin, besides the five remaining Demon Lords at his side, stood seven other men—seven pale-faced figures clad in formal tailcoats.

These men were, naturally, the last seven Ninth-Rank Demon Lords remaining in the Blood Clan. Following their suicidal assault against the Violet Flame Clan, four Blood Clan Ninth-Ranks had already perished. These seven represented the pinnacle of the Blood Clan’s current might.

Observing these seven Demon Lords before him, an almost imperceptible smile flickered in Augusdin’s eyes. The tides certainly have turned. Back then, the Blood Clan constantly oppressed the Lupus. Now look at this—these fellows willingly come to pledge allegiance and even offer up their very spirits for my control. Heh. Seven Ninth-Rank Demon Lords! And one among them is nearly equal to Dragon Son Mu. What incredible power this grants me! Surely my strength now far surpasses the other major royal clans?

Heimingba, no matter what, your daughter slaughtered so many of my people. It's time for revenge. But should I contact the others first?

Augusdin was inherently arrogant, yet he was no fool. In recent days, the Blood Clan had suffered relentless attacks from the other major royal clans, incurring heavy losses. He himself had refrained from launching an offensive purely due to insufficient manpower—which was precisely why these seven had defected, granting him the necessary strength to confront the other great houses.

However, relying on them alone to duel the Violet Flame Clan would inevitably result in mutual devastation. It seemed he needed a more comprehensive strategy. It would be best to rope in the Blue Demon Clan and the Nightmare Clan. If three major royal clans moved in unison, even if that old dog Heimingba was deeply hidden, what could he do?

With this thought, Augusdin let his gaze settle upon the foremost man among the seven Blood Clan Demon Lords.

“Charles, you mentioned that Heimingba still commands at least ten Ninth-Rank Demon Lords. We don't hold a numerical advantage as it stands. Even if this King commits all his forces, the outcome will be mutually destructive. I suggest we enlist the Blue Demon Clan and the Nightmare Clan. Though there are some... misunderstandings between you and them?” Augusdin’s voice was mild.

“We have already sworn fealty to Your Majesty. We will abide by whatever decision Your Majesty makes,” replied the man addressed as Charles, his tone even. The lingering resentment of their Demon King Zhanbulas had clearly transmitted his hatred for the Violet Flame Clan; naturally, they intended to exact revenge for their fallen king by any means necessary.

“It is best that you think so. I shall inform Yu Xuetian and Chrisman immediately. Rest assured, once our three royal clans strike together, the Violet Flame Clan will be utterly defenseless. Even if that woman Medusa stands by him, can those two Demon Kings truly stand against our three Demon Kings?” Augusdin said, sounding rather smug, clearly eager at the prospect of seizing the Violet Flame Clan’s territory.

Hearing Augusdin’s words, the seven Blood Clan Ninth-Rank Demon Lords offered no further protest. With the death of Zhanbulas, the Blood Clan had lost one of its anchors; they were now forced to bow. If they could manage to drag the Demon Kings of the other major clans down into this conflict, that would indeed be ideal.

Soon, persuaded by Augusdin, the Blue Feather Clan Demon King Yu Xuetian and the Nightmare Clan Demon King Chrisman quickly reached a consensus: they would seize this opportunity to launch a full-scale assault on the Violet Flame Clan and carve up their domain.

Heimingba was the longest-reigning of all the Demon Kings, and these others had long resented him. The only deterrent was Heimingba’s depth of hidden power; no one dared challenge him one-on-one. Now that Zhanbulas was dead and the Blood Clan had defected from their alliance, three major clans joining forces against a single Violet Flame Clan seemed a near-certain victory. Thus, the two Demon Kings agreed with minimal deliberation. The Nightmare Clan Demon King, holding a deep, longstanding feud with Heimingba, wasted no time, immediately leading his Nightmare forces surging out from their stronghold.

News of the coordinated movement by the three royal clans inevitably reached Heimingba. At this moment, he had just finished purging the residual power of the Haotian Orb from Ye Jingyu’s body, and Yan Senxu had also awakened. The number of expert Demon Lords at his side had reached three—a fact unknown to the aggressors. Hearing that the three royal clans were mobilizing to attack the Violet Flame Clan, a cold, cynical smile merely touched Heimingba’s lips. Perhaps this was the perfect chance to sweep them all up.

If these threats were eliminated, he could depart for that other place with far greater peace of mind. Considering this, Heimingba immediately dispatched a messenger to Medusa, requesting her aid.

Medusa, keenly aware of Heimingba's true strength, made her decision the instant the message arrived: she would mobilize the entire Silver Serpent Clan to reinforce the Violet Flame Clan.

However, none of the eight elders of the Silver Serpent Clan agreed with Medusa’s decision. They were the eldest Demon Lords of the clan, their seniority even surpassing Medusa’s. Only their talent lagged, preventing them from reaching the Demon King realm.

They did not directly stop her, though. Instead, they lured Medusa into the Silver Serpent Clan's forbidden grounds and abruptly activated the clan’s Dragon-Locking Grand Array, trapping her.

Medusa’s expression darkened considerably as she watched the eight elders manipulating the colossal formation.

“Your Majesty, please forgive our transgression. But the Demon Realm is in chaos. With three major clans ganging up on the Violet Flame Clan, even if we side with them, we will certainly be unable to defeat the combined force of the three royal clans, ending only as the Violet Flame Clan's sacrificial remains. We cannot disregard the welfare of our kin for the sake of your personal preferences!” stated the Grand Elder, Solon, addressing Medusa from beyond the confines of the array.

Seeing the resolute look on the eight faces and hearing Solon’s words, a bitter smile touched Medusa’s lips. For my own preferences? Do they really think I favor Heimingba? What a group of short-sighted fools.

To the Readers: This is the third update. The next chapter will be an extra release funded by an additional two thousand bricks!