"Come over here," Hong Yuan said with a gentle smile, beckoning to Li Jianqiu and the three young Desolate Beast cubs.

His demeanor was exceedingly easygoing, as refreshing as a spring breeze, utterly devoid of the domineering presence he displayed on the battlefield.

Li Jianqiu was still feeling that strange flutter, but the two Golden Sword Angry Lions and one Blood Wing Dragon Bat she had tamed obediently walked towards Hong Yuan.

They showed none of the arrogance they displayed in front of Army Chiefs like Zhang Fan!

"WHIMPER..."

"WHINE..."

The three Desolate Beasts quickly ran to the ice chair below and crouched obediently, allowing Hong Yuan to stroke them.

In front of Hong Yuan, they didn’t seem like the fierce and ferocious Desolate Beasts they were, but more like a group of pets seeking their master’s care, extremely docile.

Witnessing such a scene, Li Jianqiu raised her eyebrows, her face revealing a subtle expression.

"Hey, hey, hey, you are my Desolate Beast companions, why are you so obedient to Xuan Guangqiao? It’s really infuriating!"

Li Jianqiu snorted inwardly, biting her silver teeth tightly, the handle of the oiled-paper umbrella in her hand creaking under her grip. At this moment, however, she also understood that Hong Yuan would not take her Desolate Beast companions. Perhaps in his eyes, he regarded these three Desolate Beasts merely as trivial toys. They were, after all, hardly worth his notice.

Hmph, such pride, Xuan Guangqiao. Worthy indeed of being the formidable demon I consider my lifelong rival. Just wait, I will definitely defeat you. Three hundred years on the east of the river, three hundred years on the west; do not bully the poor young lady!

Li Jianqiu kept reinforcing herself with these thoughts.

A quarter of an hour later, with a charming and enchanting smile on her face, she lightly stepped forward and gracefully walked toward Hong Yuan.

...

Hong Yuan did not take any advantage of Li Jianqiu.

Instead, he appreciated that Li Jianqiu dared to face his might.

Li Jianqiu showed Hong Yuan her potential to achieve the great feat of creating the Supreme Demon Dynasty, which made her worthy of his slight investment!

HUMMM...

Hong Yuan’s hands were covered with Refining Tao Marks.

Every time he stroked the three Desolate Beasts, they would let out pained howls.

Yet within those howls, could there be hints of joy? It was because Hong Yuan was helping them condition their bodies, nurturing their foundations!

"What—what kind of technique is this?" Li Jianqiu’s beautiful, fish-like eyes widened in shock, staring blankly at Hong Yuan.

Having formed a contract with the three Desolate Beasts, she naturally knew they were receiving Creation from Hong Yuan, and that this boon was quite extraordinary.

"There’s no need to be surprised. You’ve helped me greatly in this contest for the Ten Thousand Domains, and I haven’t had the chance to thank you..." Hong Yuan said softly, his eyes crinkling into a smile.

His Demonic Body was inherently handsome, like a cold moon in the sky, transcendent and unattainable.

Moreover, having been tempered by the various battles in the struggle over the Ten Thousand Domains, his Demonic Body had already developed a majestic aura capable of swallowing mountains and rivers and suppressing the cosmos.

The convergence of both these aspects made his allure particularly devastating for a female Demon Cultivator.

And now, Hong Yuan further displayed a gentle smile, so out of character that it created a stark contrast for Li Jianqiu to witness.

THUMP.

THUMP THUMP.

Li Jianqiu’s heart once again beat uncontrollably fast, that strange feeling surging through her once more.

Li Jianqiu furrowed her eyebrows slightly, suppressing the sensation in her heart.

She said dismissively, "Hmph. I, Li Jianqiu, am not some cunning sort. I promised to serve you for three years, and I will certainly keep my word!"

Hong Yuan did not argue with her about it. Keeping one’s word is good; that’s a very fine quality indeed.

It was for this reason that Hong Yuan was willing to condition the three young Desolate Beasts for Li Jianqiu.

A Demon Saint’s Life Span is generally shorter than that of a Desolate Beast.

When Li Jianqiu passes away due to insufficient Life Span, won’t those three Desolate Beasts and the Supreme Demon Dynasty ultimately fall into my, Hong Yuan’s, hands?

...

「Two hours later.」

Many Army Chiefs joined forces to break into the "Tiger Head" palace of the White Tiger Saint Palace.

Seeing that the three Desolate Beasts were still under Li Jianqiu’s control, they were all astonished.

We were too narrow-minded. The King’s magnanimity is indeed higher than the Ninth Heaven, deeper than the abyss!

Many Army Chiefs couldn’t help but harbor such sentiments.

Among them, Zhang Fan’s face changed color repeatedly, sometimes green, sometimes white, looking very unpleasant.

Zhang Fan mustered his courage and was about to step forward, wanting to leverage Hong Yuan’s influence to undermine Li Jianqiu’s strength.

"HMM?!"

Hong Yuan glanced at him and let out a soft ’HMM’.

A deep chill crept up Zhang Fan’s spine, causing his advancing step to halt, and he remained where he was. At this moment, he was utterly baffled.

How could this be? Is the King not afraid that Li Jianqiu will surpass him later and counterattack?

But since he felt Hong Yuan’s warning, he didn’t dare to make any more moves.

Even though other Army Chiefs looked at him with mocking gazes, he didn’t dare to act rashly.

Seeing that Zhang Fan was out of favor with Hong Yuan, Li Jianqiu felt a sense of pleasure flash through her heart, and the corners of her mouth slightly curled up.

But soon, she forcibly suppressed that feeling. She regarded Hong Yuan as the greatest opponent of her life, so she couldn’t contentedly accept his protection.

The Creation Hong Yuan had given the Desolate Beast cubs was one thing; after all, she couldn’t have forcibly stopped him. But this pleasure, right now, was something she *could* control!

After a while, the great hall fell silent.

Hong Yuan then slowly began to speak, his voice stern and his majesty vast,

"The exploration of the Heavenly Scenic Tower Demon Realm in the White Tiger Battle Zone is also about to conclude."

"It is imperative that our army establishes a firm foothold in the White Tiger Battle Zone, and deception will not be tolerated."

"Anyone who commits treachery or malevolence in this regard will be shown no mercy by me, Xuan Guangqiao, even after the contest for the Ten Thousand Domains is over!"

"Lastly, our army should first set off for the Vermilion Bird Heavenly Scenic Tower Demon Realm, and then go to the Xuanwu Heavenly Scenic Tower Demon Realm..."

His words turned into thunderous echoes, striking directly at the hearts of the Zero Desolate Army Chiefs, shattering their dark thoughts.

They had no choice but to abandon such thoughts, for the strength Hong Yuan was displaying at this moment was in the realm of a Demon Saint!

"Yes, my King."

"We will carry out your orders."

"In service of the Demon Clan!"

Many Army Chiefs shouted in unison, pledging their loyalty to Hong Yuan.

Hong Yuan nodded noncommittally, indicating trust. He did trust, but not the unpredictable hearts of others; he trusted in his own transcendent strength.

...

「Two months later.」

The Zero Desolate Army had settled a group of Demon Soldiers and Demon Generals in the White Tiger Battle Zone who were willing to develop there.

Then, under Hong Yuan’s will, the Zero Desolate Army set off straight for the Vermilion Bird War Zone, heading towards the Heavenly Scenic Tower there.

"Wealth and honor unpublicized is like brocade in the night, unseen."

Over a year ago, the mainstream opinion in the Endless Sea Area looked down on Lin Wenti and Ye Qing for defecting to Hong Yuan, especially sharp in the Vermilion Bird War Zone.

After all, Lin Wenti and Ye Qing were originally the two overlords of the Vermilion Bird War Zone, but after just one confrontation with Hong Yuan, they had ignominiously defected to the Green Dragon Overlord.

Doesn’t this suggest that the Vermilion Bird War Zone was weaker than the Green Dragon War Zone?

An uncle might tolerate it, but an aunt could not!

However, as Hong Yuan bulldozed his way through his opponents and successively defeated Wei Qin and Ye Jianfei, the sentiment around Lin Wenti and Ye Qing did a complete turnaround, soaring high into the clouds.

"Tian, have you heard? The Weihe Sea Realm wants to erect monuments in our honor, saying we had the vision to lead the Vermilion Bird War Zone to ultimate victory," Ye Qing exclaimed excitedly, nearly leaping with joy.

"Yes. The survivor is king, and the victor is king," Lin Wenti replied with a smile, but he did not bring up the previous negative opinions. Why do that? It would only dampen Ye Qing’s spirits. Since the outcome is good, there’s no need to dwell on the past.

Lin Wenti turned his gaze to the Monarch battleship of the Zero Desolate Army, his eyes profound.

Even now, he hadn’t been able to fully understand this Green Dragon Overlord.

This is—the Young Emperor. He sighed wistfully. To live in the same era as such a formidable figure... it is both a blessing and a curse.