Chapter 292: This Time, the Jade Cauldron Sect’s Young Master Ling Xuan Will Be Captured Alive

The Demon Emperor smirked faintly. “Continue.”

Ye Yan spoke earnestly, “Don’t be fooled by the apparent unity of the Three Sects and One King. Their bond might seem close-knit now, but their enmity runs deeper than the hatred between the humans and the demon clans.”

“After all, for centuries, the three sects of Yu Prefecture have never gone a single day without conflict. Similarly, the Governor’s Mansion has never ceased its ambition to unify Yu Prefecture.”

“Suspicion and mistrust have always been rife among the Three Sects and One King.

It’s only the strength of the Ten Thousand Demon Nation that has forced them to join hands against the demon race.”

“If Your Majesty advances too quickly, it will alarm the Jing Emperor, forcing him to abandon his suppression of the major sects within his borders and turn his focus to you. At that point, the Ten Thousand Demon Nation will face a devastating defeat.”

The Demon Emperor nodded with satisfaction. “Not bad. You’re indeed more intelligent than most demons.”

“However, your strategy is now useless.”

Ye Yan froze. “Useless?”

He had intended to gain the Demon Emperor’s trust quickly by presenting this strategy.

The Demon Emperor said calmly, “Five days ago, I already issued orders to halt the advance and focus on local recovery and resource consolidation.”

“Without my explicit command, no one is to step a foot beyond the Yu Mist border.”

Ye Yan was stunned.

He hadn’t expected the Demon Emperor to possess such foresight.

Of course.

The rumors were true—the Demon Emperor was not born into noble blood but had clawed his way to power as an ordinary wolf demon of lowly lineage.

To achieve his current position, the Demon Emperor relied not only on the opportunities he encountered along the way but also on his intelligence and wisdom.

Ye Yan couldn’t help but feel admiration.

“Even though I have already issued this decree, the fact that you offered this plan still pleases me,” said the Demon Emperor.

He continued, “I promised you a reward, and I shall grant it now.”

The Demon Emperor removed his gauntlet, revealing a hand resembling a human’s but with longer fingers and more pronounced joints.

With a slight motion of his mind, a single drop of golden blood welled up from his fingertip.

Ye Yan’s eyes widened as he quickly produced a jade vial and carefully collected the drop.

“Thank you, Your Majesty, for this generous reward!” he exclaimed, bowing deeply.

The Demon Emperor smiled. “Go now and refine this blood carefully. I look forward to witnessing your transformation.”

“Do not forget my words: when I reign over all under heaven, you shall be the King of Men!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Ye Yan replied with utmost reverence.

North of the Demon Emperor’s encampment, a network of fortresses sprawled across the land.

1,200 miles to the north stood a small fortress. Despite its size, its air of brutality and savagery rivaled that of the Demon Emperor’s main stronghold.

At the highest point of the fortress sat a towering figure covered in golden fur, lounging restlessly on a throne.

In his hand, he held a crude yet massive goblet filled with crimson liquid.

In front of him knelt a woman, her face streaked with tears as she played the zither.

The oppressive aura radiating from the golden-furred figure was so overwhelming that, despite her efforts to suppress her fear, her trembling hands kept striking the wrong notes.

The once elegant and melodious music had devolved into a series of discordant, jarring sounds.

“What trash are you playing?” the golden-furred figure roared.

“Take her away and cook her!”

The moment he finished speaking, two lion demons rushed forward, one grabbing each of the woman’s arms. They dragged her roughly toward a cauldron of boiling oil not far away.

The woman screamed in terror, but as a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, she was no match for the two Core Formation-level lion demons. No matter how she struggled, escape was impossible.

Moments later, the screams abruptly ceased.

The oil cauldron, however, continued to bubble furiously.

“Your Highness, shall we bring another human woman to play the zither?” the lion demon on the left asked in a gruff voice.

The Ninth Prince waved his hand irritably. “No, I don’t want to listen anymore. I just want to kill!”

The lion demon on the right clapped his hands. “That’s simple. I’ll release the human prisoners from the cages. You can kill to your heart’s content!”

The Ninth Prince glared at him. “Fool! I want to kill on the battlefield!”

Both lion demons shrank back, their heads lowered. “But His Majesty has decreed that no one is to cross the Yu Mist border without his explicit command.”

“Even the other princes have halted their movements, remaining within their strongholds,” added the one on the left.

The Ninth Prince’s expression grew dark with frustration. “What is Father thinking? Why are we not pressing our advantage?”

“These humans are no match for us!”

The lion demon on the right rolled his eyes and leaned closer. “Your Highness, I have an idea that might let you kill on the battlefield.”

“Speak!”

Grinning slyly, the lion demon whispered, “We can stage a riot by releasing some human prisoners and letting them flee. You can then personally lead the pursuit.”

“During the chase, no one will know where you’ve gone.

You could cross into Yu Prefecture and enjoy a real battle!”

“With your strength, Your Highness, unless you encounter a Divine Transformation cultivator, no one will be able to stop you!”

“And even if His Majesty learns of it later, you can present the achievements of your raid. With such merits, His Majesty is unlikely to punish you—he might even commend you.”

“After all, you are the most talented of His Majesty’s over thirty princes! I’ve heard even the First Prince is envious of you.”

The Ninth Prince slammed his armrest with excitement and stood.

“Well said! Let’s do it!”

“Bring me the map of Yu Prefecture!”

The two lion demons unrolled a massive beast-hide map, which detailed the northern part of the Mist Province and the entirety of Yu Prefecture.

Such detailed maps were rare in the Ten Thousand Demon Nation, with only a handful in existence.

This particular map had been a reward from the Demon Emperor to the Ninth Prince—a privilege shared only by the First, Fourth, and Ninth Princes.

This demonstrated the Demon Emperor’s special favor toward the Ninth Prince.

The Ninth Prince studied the map intently. “Yu Prefecture and Mist Province share borders in three regions: White Crane Prefecture, Jiande Prefecture, and Xuanjing Prefecture.”

“Xuanjing Prefecture…”

He muttered the name, his expression sharpening.

“I remember now—the Jade Cauldron Sect’s Young Master, that prodigious genius Shen Mo, hails from the Azure Profound Gate in Xuanjing Prefecture.”

“If I were to raid the Azure Profound Gate, Shen Mo would surely rush to its defense in desperation. That would be my chance to capture him alive!”

“Even if Father learns of it, he wouldn’t punish me. On the contrary, he would heap praise upon me!”

A sinister grin spread across the Ninth Prince’s face as if he could already see the Demon Emperor’s approval.

“I have thirty thousand demon troops under my command—just perfect!”

“In five days, Shi Meng, you will lead ten demon generals and ten thousand troops to launch a swift assault on White Crane Prefecture. Continue harassing it with rotating attacks.”

“In ten days, Shi Qiang, you will do the same with Jiande Prefecture. Harass them endlessly as well.”

“This will draw the attention of the Three Sects and One King. Their forces will be redirected to defend these regions, and our informants within their ranks will provide updates. At that point, you can retreat.”

“Meanwhile, I will personally lead the remaining demon generals and soldiers to launch a surprise attack on Xuanjing Prefecture!”

“This time, I will definitely capture Shen Mo, the Young Master of the Jade Cauldron Sect, alive!”

The two lion demons roared excitedly in unison.

“Yes, Your Highness! We obey your command!”

Dragon Snake Mountain Wasteland

Shen Mo, as always, was honing his martial skills.

Black and white sword energy surged around him, turning the entire area into a monochromatic void devoid of other colors.

A small flood dragon lurked nearby, sneaking around him and occasionally snatching bits of residual energy from the extraordinary flames Shen Mo emitted. Its tail wagged joyfully with each bite.

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps came from the distance.

“Young Master! Something major has happened!”

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Madara Web Novel