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The scarf trembled slightly. Then, at the point where its two ends overlapped, a tiny slit opened. A small head poked out from within. The head of a fox.

It was a tiny gray fox with dull fur, looking utterly unremarkable. Yet when she opened her eyes, those majestic golden pupils seemed to look down upon everything in the world. But that imposing gaze lasted only for a fleeting moment.

When she raised her head and looked toward the girl, her expression had already become filled with ingratiation and flattery.

“Mew.” She gave a soft cry. The cry did not sound anything like a fox. In fact, as a natural-born ruler of the demons whose true form was that of a Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox, she had been capable of taking human form from birth. So she had absolutely no idea how a proper fox was supposed to sound.

Fortunately, it seemed that the girl did not know either. Lilith was quite satisfied with Little Gray’s obedience, now that she had taken the creature in as both a new pet and a scarf.

She gently stroked her head and said tenderly, “You have to deal with your own problems yourself, understood?”

“……” Little Gray fell silent for a moment before turning her gaze toward the blood-red figure high in the sky, her expression somewhat complicated. But after only a moment’s hesitation, she transformed into a blur and vanished without a trace.

***

High above in the sky.

The Demon Emperor’s Blood Essence trembled, its hazy figure becoming exceedingly illusory, almost unable to maintain its form as her state of mind wavered.

What had she just seen? She had seen the Demon Emperor turn into a little girl’s scarf. She had seen the Demon Emperor’s ingratiating, fawning gaze. She had seen that little girl stroke the Demon Emperor’s head and call her Little Gray!

She could understand it to some extent, yet she found it even harder to believe. That was the Demon Emperor. Her creator. The undisputed ruler of the demons. The supreme and unparalleled sovereign!

Why would she wag her tail and fawn over a little girl who did not possess even the slightest trace of spiritual power? Was she really the Demon Emperor? Or was this, just as Landon had suspected, nothing more than a terrifying illusion?

“No. This isn’t the time to think about that.” TheBlood Essence suddenly came to her senses. At this moment, whether the Demon Emperor was truly the Demon Emperor or not, and whether everything happening before her was an illusion or not, she could no longer remain here.

The plan had most likely failed completely, while that little girl was strange in every conceivable way.

“I have to leave first.”

As long as the green hills remained, there would be no shortage of firewood.

Everything about the situation before her now felt bizarre. She could not stay here. With that thought, the Blood Essence stopped hesitating. Right under Daoist Kumu’s astonished gaze, she turned around and fled!

How astonishing was the speed of a Saint realm expert? In the blink of an eye, she had flown a thousand miles away. The Boundary marker was right before her. As long as she flew beyond it, powerful members of the demons would be waiting outside to receive her.

But she suddenly stopped, staring at the empty space before her with an expression of utter incomprehension. In that instant, she finally understood that none of this had been an illusion.

“Why… why?”

“Sigh—” The space before her should have been completely empty. Yet at this moment, a distant, lingering sigh came from within it. Space rippled like the surface of water. A slender, graceful figure slowly emerged from within.

She had long, silvery-white hair that fluttered in the wind like mercury pouring down from the heavens. Her golden eyes were like a rising sun, radiating an awe-inspiring divine might, while the crimson eyeshadow at their corners lent her an otherworldly, bewitching allure.

Her beauty was breathtaking. Her brows and eyes were masterpieces of heaven’s own creation, capable of making everything in the world pale in comparison. She wore a luxurious imperial robe, yet it could not conceal her alluring figure.

Behind her, nine tails that seemed both real and illusory swayed gently, as though the entire world were trembling along with them.

“Why… Your Majesty.”

Looking at that imposing figure and sensing the terrifying aura within her—of the same origin, yet incomparably deeper—the Blood Essence instinctively fell to her knees. But she still could not understand. So, even knowing that it was disrespectful, she had to ask,“Why… why did you help that human?”

“Sigh…” The Demon Emperor sighed once more, her tone carrying many indescribable emotions. “I… had no choice.”

“What do you mean, you had no choice?” The Blood Essence raised her head, her eyes filled with even greater incomprehension. “You are the Demon Emperor, Your Majesty.”

That’s right. She was the Demon Emperor. The one whom every member of the demons revered and every human feared. Her strength was unparalleled. Her will was unbreakable. Even the former ancestor of the Immortal Cloud Pavilion had once lamented that, if they were at the same realm, he would not be her match. Yet why would someone like her submit to a little girl?

The Blood Essence wanted to know the answer. She wanted to know even if it cost her life.

“That little girl is not as simple as you imagine.” A trace of fear appeared in the Demon Emperor’s eyes. A thousand years ago, even when faced with the ancestor of the Immortal Cloud Pavilion after he had entered that realm, she had never been afraid. Yet when faced with that girl, she was afraid.

She recalled what had happened not long ago, while she was inside the seal. That girl had suddenly appeared before her.

“Your tails look really warm. Could you give me one? Of course, I’ll pay for it.”

“Impudent human!” She was the Demon Emperor. When had she ever endured such teasing? So she immediately killed the girl. Blood splattered in all directions.

But just as she was lamenting the loss of a blood sacrifice that had vanished for no reason, the girl appeared again. Right on top of her own corpse. Wearing that same smile as always.

“I don’t have any money, so will one life be enough?” Naturally, she found it absurd, so she killed the girl again. This time, she tore the girl to pieces.

“Are two lives enough?” The girl appeared again. Even though the blood belonging to her was still flowing all around them, she appeared once more. Perfectly intact, wearing that smile. And with an expectant look, as though she were haggling over the price.

“Stop playing tricks!” At the time, just like everyone here now, she had assumed it was merely some trick meant to deceive people. So, in her fury, she killed the girl again and again. Until the girl’s corpses had nearly filled the entire sealed space.

Yet the girl appeared once more atop a mountain formed from the corpses of her own previous deaths. Her smile remained unchanged.

“That makes eleven thousand five hundred and sixty-six lives already. Your tail is so expensive.” From that moment onward, the Demon Emperor, who had never feared anything in her life, had truly become afraid.

***

“But even if she is not simple, you still…”

“I need to accumulate strength.” The Demon Emperor looked at the Blood Essence that had once belonged to her and spoke coldly. She had never been afraid. Even when facing the ancestor of the Immortal Cloud Pavilion at that realm, she had not been afraid, because she possessed unparalleled confidence in herself.

She firmly believed that one day, she would stand at the same height as him. And the reason she feared the girl was because, even now, she still could not see through her. But that did not mean she would completely submit. This was merely a makeshift solution.

The source of fear was weakness. If that was the case, then all she had to do was become stronger. “One day, I will become stronger than her.”