As long as they made it into the Demon Sea, everything would be fine.
But the heavens rarely granted what one wished.
Before the Demon Sea had fully opened, a lone figure appeared in the distant sky.
Song Wanníng's expression shifted. Without a word, she stepped in front of Mo Yuan, shielding him behind her.
Mo Yuan's heart sank, and his face flushed with panic.
The moment he caught sight of that familiar, hideous face, rage surged up uncontrollably, memories tearing loose from their cage. His mind clouded, his fury erupted, and the beast he kept buried deep within surged forth, eyes ablaze with murderous hatred. That beast had been ignored by the clan since youth. Though he had some talent, his prospects for true greatness—let alone ascension—were next to impossible.
Until one fateful encounter with his mother during her travels. He had a handsome face and a calm, quiet demeanor. Before long, he won her favor. She went so far as to reject a political marriage alliance with the demon race, defying everyone's objections to marry him.
After the wedding, he kept to the inner residence, raising children and playing the dutiful husband—harmless on the surface, while secretly bedding another in the dark.
He betrayed her trust.
He killed her.
Drained the last of her worth. Forced the extraction of her demonic essence.
If not for that, how could he possibly have reached peak Divine Transformation so early?
Everything he had was hers.
Mo Yuan's eyes turned blood-red. Fury consumed him.
A sharp breath from Song Wanníng snapped him back to himself. She turned her gaze toward the rapidly approaching figure breaking through the clouds—the Demon Sovereign.
He stood over one meter ninety, middle-aged now, yet still striking in appearance. Time had added gravity to his features, deepening his masculinity. But his brows were perpetually drawn tight. There was cruelty etched into the lines of his face. One look was enough to know—this man was not to be trifled with.
He was a true parasite.
Worse than Gù Qīngyuān.
He leeched off others, drank their blood, consumed their flesh—and wouldn't hesitate to betray even his own kin.
Song Wanníng felt nothing but revulsion for such a creature. But now, her priority wasn't revenge. It was keeping Mo Yuan safe. Getting into the Demon Sea.
At the same time, the Demon Sovereign was eyeing Song Wanníng. He was at peak Divine Transformation, and in a glance, he saw through her cultivation.
A flicker of surprise surfaced in his eyes.
No wonder the Mo Yun and Mo Yu siblings couldn't catch her—she was a Divine Transformation cultivator. The realization that he'd been played sent a dark fury washing over him. The last sliver of his patience snapped. If not for her, Mo Yuan would have been captured by now.
Still, it wasn't too late. Once Mo Yuan opened the Demon Sea and helped him ascend, everything would fall into place.
As for this woman…
The Demon Sovereign's gaze sharpened with a trace of caution. Defeating her wasn't the issue. Killing her outright would be far more troublesome. There was a real risk of injury in the process—injury that could jeopardize his journey through the secret realm.
His brow furrowed, and he sped forward.
In the blink of an eye, the stone reacted.
That plain, unremarkable stone now glowed with crimson patterns.
The complex lines writhed and tangled, impossible to decipher.
The glowing marks brightened with startling speed, suddenly flaring like fire.
Mo Yuan, already pale from blood loss, struggled to stay upright. Fortunately, Song Wanníng had given him a pill in advance. It helped—barely.
Then, without warning, the stone shot into the air.
The shockwave knocked Mo Yuan several steps back.
Seeing the Demon Sea on the verge of opening, the Demon Sovereign's face twisted. From a distance, he struck without hesitation.
A staff appeared in his hand. He hurled it toward Mo Yuan.
Dark demonic energy and lethal intent surged from the staff like a thousand devils unleashed, freezing the air itself.
Song Wanníng's expression darkened. She released the Shenyou Mystic Flame, sending it toward the Demon Sovereign. At the same time, her longsword slashed through the air, unleashing the true essence of the sword path in a wave of pressure.
From within her spiritual sea, a golden sword flashed out, transforming into a golden dragon that roared and charged straight at him.
Song Wanníng knew she had only one shot. If this failed, they would lose the chance to enter the Demon Sea first. The moment her attack launched, she grabbed Mo Yuan and flew toward the stone now suspended midair.
A deafening roar.
Flames surged. The sword path bore down.
Each strike forced the Demon Sovereign to respond.
But he remained calm, retaliating swiftly.
Yet the instant her sword intent trapped him, he froze—shocked.
What was that?
For just one moment, he felt… the urge to kneel.
He broke free quickly, but that brief distraction was enough—Shenyou Mystic Flame was already upon him. Its approach made his soul burn, as if seared by invisible fire.
Startled, the Demon Sovereign reflexively lashed out with his staff, knocking the flame away. But the golden dragon released a rain of swords, blanketing the sky in shining death.
The Demon Sovereign didn't flinch. His aura pulsed outward, shattering the sword rain and scattering it in a breath.
This was the difference between early and peak Divine Transformation.
Even Song Wanníng's most powerful attacks couldn't harm him. His eyes gleamed with killing intent. He struck again, targeting Song Wanníng and Mo Yuan in midair.
The space around them twisted, warped by the sheer force.
Song Wanníng felt a wave of annihilation rolling in. She didn't dare look back. Gripping Mo Yuan tightly, she dove into the crack that had just opened in the sky.
An instant later, the blow struck. She turned and raised her sword—
"Boom!"
Her technique shattered instantly.
The full force of the attack slammed into them.
"Pu—!"
A mouthful of blood burst from Song Wanníng's lips. Her face turned deathly pale.
Mo Yuan's body convulsed. His heart and lungs ruptured. He passed out on the spot.
The Demon Sovereign closed in, launching another strike.
"Pu—!"
Song Wanníng couldn't hold on. She collapsed forward.
Everything happened too fast. There was no time to counter.
Fortunately, the gate to the Demon Sea had fully opened.
The crack became a door, just wide enough for one person.
Without hesitation, she threw Mo Yuan through first, then dove in after him.
"Trying to run?"
The Demon Sovereign sneered and chased after them.
But the moment he passed through the gate, his expression darkened.
"What's going on?"
He had been to the Demon Sea before. People always appeared together at the entrance.
So why were Song Wanníng and Mo Yuan nowhere in sight?
He swept the area again and again. Nothing.
"Damnit!!!"
The Demon Sovereign's fury exploded.
What should've been a sure thing had unraveled completely.
What went wrong?
He lashed out at the ground in a blind rage, tearing up the earth.
His anger only grew.
"Fine, fine. So you want to play dirty with me? Good. Before I ascend, I'll make sure both of you die screaming!"