Chapter 33: Slaying the Demon King's Son

The three white-faced demon cubs listened with blank expressions; after all, they did not yet understand the concepts of glory or bloodlines, knowing only that they had to cultivate day after day.

"Very well. Do you know why today is the most important day for you?"

"It’s for the Blood-Opening Rite!" the white fox giggled. Suddenly, it dragged a bloody figure out from the nearby bushes. Upon closer inspection, it was a human—a person whose eyes were filled with terror, body covered in blood, and heart steeped in absolute despair.

"Do you know? We of the demon race are born to eat humans. Human blood, bones, hearts, and skin—these are our favorite things. And of course, the most important part is that they provide the greatest boost to our power."

Having said this, the white fox grabbed the man’s scalp and ripped it off with brutal force.

The man was still alive, clearly feeling his scalp being slowly torn away, and the intense agony forced a shriek from his throat.

"Aaaaaahhhhh!!"

Listening to the wails of his own kind, Lin Yin, who remained as still as stone, harbored a torrent of hatred and murderous intent deep within his eyes.

Humans and demons are born to slaughter one another; it is either you eat me, or I kill you. In such a world, no one can escape the destiny laid out for them.

But now was not the best time to strike.

He could tell that the white fox was at least a Fierce Demon, equivalent to a human expert in the Pulse-Forging realm. To kill the three demon king cubs right under the nose of a Fierce Demon, he had to seize the perfect moment.

And the climax of the Blood-Opening Rite would be that opportunity.

Therefore, Lin Yin could only wait, suppressing the overwhelming murderous intent in his heart.

"Aaaaaahhhhh..."

The wails gradually faded. After the white fox tore off the man's scalp, it shattered his skull as easily as breaking glass, exposing the white, soft brain matter within.

The three white-faced cubs looked curiously at the soft human brains, subconsciously licking their lips.

"Come, my children. Begin your Blood-Opening Rite. Always remember the taste of your first human meal."

The white fox was somewhat frantic, dancing and urging the three cubs on.

To rip off a scalp while alive, shatter the skull, and expose the brains—the three cubs felt no horror or disgust. In their immature understanding, the thing before them was merely food. How could the process of preparing food be terrifying? It was clearly something for a demon to look forward to.

One by one, they reached out with their sharp claws, scooped up the brain matter, and curiously extended their tongues to taste it.

"Wow! It's delicious!" one cub chirped in surprise, frantically digging for more.

Even though the man was already dead, the stimulation of the nerves caused his body to twitch violently.

"It’s true! So delicious! Much better than the meat of those wild beasts!"

"Don't be impatient, we’ve only just begun." The white fox waved its claws, tearing the human corpse open to extract the tendons still clinging to the blood membranes. It coiled the human tendons neatly and placed them on the stone table, then continued to dig out other organs—heart, lungs, intestines, spine—arranging them all neatly before the cubs.

"Begin, my children!"

The three cubs cheered and rushed forward, burying their heads into the gory feast.

At that moment, Lin Yin finally moved. His body, like a sword coiled with potential energy, moved so fast that he left only an afterimage behind; even more terrifying was that the afterimage could not keep up with his actual dash.

*Swish!*

A bloody steel blade pierced through the chest of the first cub.

Following the momentum, Lin Yin bent his waist, using his torso to drive the hilt, and under the brief gaze of the enraged, blood-red eyes, he unleashed a visible blade aura that sliced the second cub in half at the waist.

Without a moment’s pause, he hurled the handle of the blade; the entire giant saber flew like a speeding arrow, piercing through the third cub with a sickening thud!

In less than a second, Lin Yin had slaughtered all the demon king’s cubs.

By the time the white fox reacted, it saw only three corpses and a blood-drenched figure.

"Aaaaaahhhhh!!!" The white fox emitted a shrill, piercing shriek, staring at the scene in disbelief.

It could not believe that its three children had been dismembered and scattered across the ground in an instant. The pungent scent of demon blood assaulted the fox's nostrils, driving it into a state of extreme madness.

These were its hopes for returning to the Demon Lands! These were the noble children of the Demon King!!

*My children, my children, open your eyes!*

The white fox exploded with energy, white mist surging around its body. Its single tail suddenly split into three massive, swaying tails. Its crimson eyes locked onto Lin Yin, and with feet that crushed the earth, it charged toward him, fueled by infinite hatred and murderous intent.

*Run!*

Lin Yin did not hesitate for a second. He abandoned the saber embedded in the third cub and turned to flee.

A demon of the Fierce Demon rank in a state of absolute madness could unleash power rivaling that of a Demon General. Furthermore, the white fox’s three tails were clearly a sign of the legendary Nine-Tailed Fox clan.

How could he possibly fight a crazed Nine-Tailed Fox?

***

"Student Lin Yin, do not panic! I, the King, am here to assist you!!"

A figure descended from the sky, landing heavily in the deep mountains and forests. With a wave of his hand, his cloak—adorned with the landscape of the Great Han—flapped violently in the wind. The King of Han looked back at Lin Yin and grinned.

"Old thief of the Han, do you think you are faster than everyone else!"

"The Great Qi Qing-Tian Academy is here! How dare a mere Fierce Demon harm our human treasure!"

A massive banner of the Azure Sky and White Sun roared like a dragon as it was thrust heavily into the ground before Lin Yin.

Following this, numerous experts from the Great Qi Qing-Tian Academy descended like a torrential downpour.

"Zhang Langxiao of Great Yan’s Fengtian is here!"

*Boom!* With a sound like a meteorite impact, the Great Yan’s War God, Zhang Langxiao, arrived, stepping atop the ancient trees.

"I suppose my legs are still nimble enough, aren't they?" The old dean of the Zhougong Academy emerged slowly from the jungle...

Watching the arrival of one supreme human expert after another—all of whom were listed as high-risk targets by the demon race—the white fox lost the madness and confidence it had shown while chasing Lin Yin. Its pupils dilated, and it stood there, utterly at a loss.

"This is?" Lin Yin stopped running and turned to the white fox with a helpless look: "I'm sorry, I really didn't call them."

"Nine-Tailed demon clan?" Xia Changsheng stepped out, frowning as he stared at the fox's three tails. "Although it only has three, it is still a top-tier demon lineage. They are usually in the heart of the Demon Lands; why would it appear here?"

The appearance of a top-tier demon under the very nose of the Human Great Wall Legion was no simple matter.

"Hm? A Nine-Tailed demon? It’s merely a three-tailed one; perhaps it was driven out by the main clan."

A single, indifferent glance from the old dean of Zhougong Academy was enough to nearly buckle the white fox's knees.

The person before them was a legendary powerhouse who, decades ago, had followed the late Human King and carved a path through the very heart of the Demon Lands.

"Hm? Trying to escape? You're too late!" Seeing the white fox tremble and step back, the King of Han didn't waste time. He struck immediately, a blade of light piercing the air and running the white fox through. He then looked back at Lin Yin and grinned again: "Nice to meet you. I am the Sovereign of the Great Han. I was the first to arrive to save you, and I’m the first to strike now, too."