There were too many Demons around for Nie Yun to ask questions, so he and Xiaofong fell in line behind a few of them and hurried forward.

After another half an hour of walking, the pair arrived at a massive plaza. At the far end stood a magnificent palace, thick with Demon Qi and radiating a sinister, evil aura. A single glance was enough to know this was the main stronghold of the countless Demons in the Zi Qiong Mountain Range.

The palace doors were sealed shut. Two enormous, ghoulish faces were carved above the heavy iron gates, grim and terrifying symbols of blood and indifference.

The plaza was packed with Demons, most of whom were at the Ultimate Venerable Level. Each one stared intently at the palace gates, their expressions pious.

Nie Yun and Xiaofong had also controlled the level of their Disguise, making them appear as Early-Stage Ultimate Venerable Demons. It wasn’t high enough to stand out, nor was it too low. Standing among the crowd of Demons, they didn’t attract any particular notice.

"The Annual Tribute Ceremony... Don’t tell me today is the day for Demons from all over the Qi Sea to deliver their Consecrated Offerings? It can’t be such a coincidence!"

Looking at the cautious expressions on the Demons around them, Xiaofong suddenly recalled something and sent a Sound Transmission.

"Deliver Consecrated Offerings? What does that mean?" Nie Yun was taken aback.

"It’s like this. Although the Zi Qiong Mountain Range, Two Realms Mountain, and Profound Yin Mountain are the three major Demon gathering grounds on the Qi Sea Continent, many Demons don’t actually belong to them. These unaffiliated Demons still have their own territories, and every year they come to the Zi Qiong Mountain Range to pay tribute. The greater the tribute, the larger the territory they’re granted, and the more benefits they’ll receive in the future..."

Xiaofong said.

"They have a system like that?" Though Nie Yun was surprised, he slowly nodded.

’Even though the Qi Sea Continent is largely a human world, the Demon Race is not to be underestimated. After all, even a small place like Luoshui City had experts like Yao Ning and Yao Tong, let alone the rest of the continent!’

After listening to Xiaofong’s explanation for a while, Nie Yun finally understood.

These unaffiliated Demons actually had to obey a unified command. The seat of this authority was the Zi Qiong Mountain Range, which, much like the Divine Holy Empire among the human Seven Great Empires, held the right to rule over all Demons. Every year, Demon chieftains from a designated region would bring extravagant gifts here to present their annual tribute.

’It seems we’ve arrived at the perfect time. The annual tribute is today, and it hasn’t started yet.’

’No wonder no Demons questioned us when Xiaofong and I strolled in so openly. It seems there are just too many Demons on the Qi Sea Continent; even the Demons themselves probably can’t recognize everyone!’

"Since it’s the Annual Tribute Assembly, we can blend right in. After they collect all these treasures, they’ll definitely put them in the Treasure Vault. We can take the opportunity to empty it!" Nie Yun chuckled and sent a Sound Transmission to Xiaofong.

"Yeah!" Xiaofong’s face flushed with excitement.

Having made their decision, the two slowly moved forward. They hadn’t gone far when they saw a black-faced Demon shouting at a middle-aged Demon not far away.

"Yao Liao, how are your preparations for this year’s annual tribute coming along? You’re not going to end up getting strung up and punished by the Zi Qiong Emperor, are you!"

"Bullshit. I had my annual tribute ready three months ago. As for you, I heard your Divine Wind Empire has a new ruler, His Majesty the Emperor, and he’s made things miserable for you lot!" Yao Liao’s blood-red lips parted in a sinister sneer.

"What does the Divine Wind Empire changing its Emperor have to do with me? He’s just some snot-nosed brat. If he dared to mess with me, I’d have chopped his head off long ago!" the first Demon said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

As the two Demons were arguing, a tall, gray-robed Demon walked over with a worried expression. "Alright, you two. You see each other once a year and start arguing the moment you meet. Have you heard? It seems the Zi Qiong Emperor isn’t here. The Qi Emperor is in charge of inspecting the annual tribute. You both know him—he’s always been strict. I think we should save our breath and figure out how to pass this year’s inspection instead of fighting!"

"I heard that news too. The Qi Emperor is certainly difficult to please, but I came prepared. Look!"

Yao Liao gave a sly chuckle and reached into his robes. A finger-sized jade bottle suddenly appeared in his palm. Even before he opened the cap, waves of a clear fragrance wafted out, refreshing the mind and spirit.

"Primordial Essence Spirit Liquid? Yao Liao, you actually managed to get your hands on something this good?"

Upon catching the scent, the other two Demons’ pale eyes widened in shock, their faces etched with disbelief.

Primordial Essence Spirit Liquid was a treasure condensed from the very essence of heaven and earth. Back then, Nie Yun had consumed a single drop of Spiritual Liquid to break through in one go, undergoing a Nirvana-like transformation from the Peak of Armor Realm to become an Ultimate Venerable Powerhouse.

’Back then, a single drop of Spiritual Liquid had been enough to make Zi Tong and Hei Yan turn on each other and fight to the death. And now, this Demon named Yao Liao was merely planning to use it as a gift!’

"Heh heh, it wasn’t easy to get, I’ll tell you. I went through great pains to obtain this drop of Primordial Essence Spirit Liquid. But never mind, there’s no point in talking about it. With this gift prepared, I’m sure the Qi Emperor won’t refuse it. What about you two? If you haven’t prepared anything, I could help you out. You’d just have to hand over a third of your territories. How about it?"

Yao Liao let out a cunning laugh, a glint flashing in his eyes, his thoughts unreadable.

"Give you our territory? In your dreams! Our harvest wasn’t good this year, but we won’t starve. The Qi Emperor doesn’t punish everyone. I doubt I’ll be the one at the bottom!" the first Demon snorted coldly.

"I don’t believe so either. Alright, stop talking. The ceremony is about to begin!"

The gray-robed Demon also shook his head. Just as he was about to say more, he saw the palace gates up ahead slowly swing open, and a group of tall Demons clad in Golden Armor walked out.

These Demons were all at the Ultimate Venerable Peak. Their turbid Demon Qi shot into the sky. Some of it was condensed and refused to scatter, some was like wisps of blue smoke, some rippled with the wind, and some was like a solid steel rod. The different types of Demon Qi radiating from their bodies indicated that these Demons were from various different clans, though none from the Yin Mist Demon Clan were among the foremost.

"By order of the Qi Emperor, all Demons from every region are to present their prepared annual tributes for inspection! Those who pass may enter. Those who fail will be strung up to suffer the punishment of the scorching sun!"

A Golden Armored Demon standing at the highest point surveyed the crowd, his sinister voice echoing all around.

Demons normally feared sunlight. A Demon exposed to the sun without any protection would have their body burned as if by sulfuric acid, an unspeakably painful experience. For a Demon, being strung up to suffer the punishment of the scorching sun was considered an extremely severe penalty.

Of course, Demons who came out during the day generally had ways to resist the sunlight. These methods included Secret Techniques or protective armor, and they varied. But the Demons being punished were not allowed to use any of these methods. If discovered using them, they would be executed on the spot.

"Yes!"

Hearing the Golden Armored Man’s words, the assembled Demons understood that this year’s annual tribute requirements were indeed stricter than last year’s, and their faces all turned grim.

"Now then, line up and come forward!"

Seeing that everyone understood his command, the Golden Armored Man beckoned with his hand, motioning for the Demon at the very front of the line to walk over.

Author’s Note: Two Chapters will be released back-to-back at 6 PM. My apologies for this morning’s issue. I’ve been incredibly tired lately, almost in a daze, so I hope everyone can understand. There will be a mass release at the end of the month! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)