The man in black lowered his voice. "This treasure is indeed quite remarkable. It's a porcelain vial that produces a special liquid endlessly. Just one tiny drop is enough to completely conceal demonic energy. With it, even a demon or an evil cultivator can appear identical to a righteous path cultivator. After Xue Daoren used it, I tested him in every way I could think of—there wasn't the slightest trace."
"There's actually something like that?"
Yang Yun's eyebrows rose in genuine surprise.
With his ability, even he couldn't guarantee going entirely undetected. If a true expert examined him closely, there was still a chance of being exposed.
And yet Xue Daoren had managed to leave no trace at all?
"With this treasure in hand, Blood Daoist's plan is to disguise himself as a righteous cultivator and secretly take control of the Canglan Kingdom. The sects have always kept their distance from Imperial cultivators. As long as they don't act against the sects directly, and only exert pressure on mortals, the Demon-Slaying Alliance won't interfere. If no traces of demonic presence are found, they won't bother to step in. Once the Canglan Kingdom is fully under control, we can gradually build power from the shadows. Sooner or later, even the Central Territory will become our demon race's domain."
The man in black spoke with a touch of yearning. In terms of raw strength, the demon race far surpassed humans. What held them back was numbers. And the fact that their top-tier powerhouses couldn't match humanity's. That was why they never dared act too brazenly in human lands.
The moment they were discovered, the Demon-Slaying Alliance would strike. And the demon race couldn't afford those kinds of losses.
But if they could truly erase their demonic aura, infiltrate the mortal kingdoms one by one, and slowly grow their strength from within... by the time the Demon-Slaying Alliance noticed, it might already be too late.
Now Yang Yun was truly intrigued. He couldn't help but ask, "Is it really that miraculous?"
The man in black nodded repeatedly. "Your Majesty should know, I specialize in detection arts, but Xue Daoren's disguise is flawless."
Yang Yun narrowed his eyes slightly and gave a crooked smile. "Now this is interesting. But what does any of this have to do with Zhao Wuji?"
The man in black leaned closer and dropped his voice even further. "Zhao Wuji has also joined the Blood Dao Sect. He's already been made a deacon."
Yang Yun's expression shifted ever so slightly.
Zhao Wuji?
He was a Blood Dao Sect member?
Wasn't he supposed to be under Yang Yun's own command?
Yang Yun's lips curled. "Now that's amusing."
The order to have him sentenced to hard labor had come directly from Zhao Wuji himself.
He, a grand Demon Sovereign, had suffered such humiliation.
Yang Yun had long since decided—once he recovered fully, he would see the entire Tianxing Sect wiped out, not even sparing chickens or dogs.
And now?
Zhao Wuji was one of his own.
"Indeed. Zhao Wuji also took that liquid. That's why Your Majesty couldn't detect anything from his body. I didn't know at first either. But recently, Zhao Wuji began summoning members of the Blood Dao Sect. That's when I discovered his true identity. I confirmed it with Xue Daoren. Zhao Wuji has already been converted. Your Majesty can use the Blood Demon Grand Art to control his life force with ease," the man in black said gravely. "Zhao Wuji seems to want to use Blood Dao Sect forces to massacre the Tianxing Sect. I thought this development was interesting, which is why I took the liberty of informing you."
Yang Yun's expression grew even more unreadable.
Zhao Wuji, the Sect Master of Tianxing Sect, was plotting to annihilate his own sect with the Blood Dao Sect?
"Zhao Wuji holds the title of Sect Master, but due to certain matters, he has no real authority," the man in black added.
Thinking back to what had happened in the grand hall that day, Yang Yun started to piece things together.
He couldn't help but let out a cold smile.
He had been planning to leave quietly.
But now, there was no rush at all.
"Personally leading the slaughter of Tianxing Sect… Zhao Wuji has let hatred cloud his judgment. What a fool," Yang Yun said with scorn.
"Then Your Majesty's intention is…"
Yang Yun's tone turned icy. "Hasn't Moro been searching for me all this time? Good. Leak my whereabouts. Let Moro come find me himself."
The man in black looked slightly confused.
Yang Yun chuckled. "If I strike first, I'll be branded as demonic and forced to flee. But Zhao Wuji's identity as Sect Master is still useful. I'm not about to let him throw that away so soon. If we handle this right, not only can we wipe out Tianxing Sect, but Zhao Wuji can take all the credit and reclaim control over the sect.
And since that liquid is so miraculous, bring in the Illusion Demon Clan. Have them take the liquid and transform into disciples of the Tianxing Sect. We'll move slowly. Bit by bit, we'll replace everyone in the sect with our own people.
No matter how clever Ji Wusi is, he would never imagine that we're silently taking over a mid-tier sect."
A subtle, inscrutable smile played at Yang Yun's lips.
The man in black froze, then looked at him in awe. "As expected of Your Majesty… such brilliance."
Yang Yun shot him a disdainful glance.
The demon race was naturally stronger and progressed faster in cultivation than humans.
But they had two fatal flaws.
One: difficulty in reproduction.
Two: most demons lacked true intelligence.
Yang Yun was the rare exception.
He was a perfect hybrid—half human, half demon.
Most human-demon hybrids didn't survive birth. Their bloodlines conflicted fatally. Even those who lived through it rarely made it past age three, tormented by pain.
But Yang Yun was different. From the moment he was born, the two bloodlines merged flawlessly within him. He possessed the cultivation speed and strength of demons, alongside the intelligence and perception of humans.
Early in life, he had suffered much discrimination due to his bloodline. But the demon world respected strength. Once he grew powerful, everything changed. He carved out his place with both might and cunning.
Eventually, he rose to become the sovereign of all demons—the sole Demon Sovereign.
However—
He had ascended to that throne in less than a century. Though his strength was unmatched, his foundation within the demon world remained thin.
Traditionally, the title of Demon Sovereign rotated among three major noble demon clans. Yang Yun was not from any of them. His mother had been from a low-ranking clan.
Though he seized the position by force, the noble clans never truly accepted him.
He kept them in check through a mix of clever schemes and raw power.
Then, several months ago, he was gravely injured and forced to flee the demon realm.
Those noble clans had likely been waiting for that chance.
Especially Moro.
A noble of the Pupil Demon Clan and the second most powerful being in the demon world, just behind Yang Yun.
Now that Yang Yun had suffered a setback, Moro would undoubtedly stop at nothing to keep him from returning.
If Moro learned of his location, Yang Yun was certain the man would strike immediately.
Even if Moro didn't come himself, he would send all his hidden agents in this region to Tianxing Sect.
And in that case—
Let Moro's forces handle the slaughter of Tianxing Sect.
As for Yang Yun?
His script was simple:
A mere child, risking everything to fight the demon race. A tale of bravery and sacrifice.
And Zhao Wuji?
A hero who resisted the demons from within.
Once Moro's forces were wiped out, it would both weaken Moro's power and earn the trust of the Demon-Slaying Alliance.
A win-win.
In fact, Yang Yun had another thought—
If the demonic aura could be hidden flawlessly, he could transform completely and embed himself within Tianxing Sect.
He'd offer Zhao Wuji and Tianxing Sect a few carefully crafted "victories," gradually raising the sect's status.
Eventually, Tianxing Sect would become a high-tier or even super-tier sect. The resources they could provide him would grow exponentially.
And when the truth finally came to light—when Ji Wusi and the others realized that a Demon Sovereign had been hiding right under their noses within a human sect the entire time—
What expressions would they wear?
Just thinking about it made Yang Yun's smile grow wider and brighter.
How interesting.
Things were becoming more and more entertaining.