After a brief discussion, Mo Yuan and Song Wanníng split up.
Mo Yuan's job was to do everything he could to weaken the Demon Sovereign's power, while Song Wanníng entered the hidden chamber and swallowed a petal of the Seven-Star Lotus Flower.
A Divine Transformation early stage against a peak Divine Transformation? No chance of winning.
But a mid-stage Divine Transformation against an already battered peak-stage opponent? That was a different story.
And with Mo Yuan assisting from behind the scenes? They'd tear the Demon Sovereign apart.
Song Wanníng steadied her breath and closed her eyes.
The Seven-Star Lotus Flower was an innate spiritual treasure. Just one petal was enough to break through a whole realm. The stronger the user's cultivation, the more potent the effects. It was a treasure countless people would kill for.
She had consumed one petal. Six remained. When this was over, she'd give them to her father. Her parents' cultivation would surely ascend another level.
The thought filled her with renewed strength.
…
Boom!
Another fifth-tier demon beast collapsed under the Demon Sovereign's blade. He dropped to one knee, utterly drained. His entire face was streaked with blood. His body was riddled with claw marks, one shoulder torn so badly a chunk of flesh dangled, barely attached.
"Pah!"
He spat out a mouthful of blood, his expression dark as night.
"Mo Yuan, you coward! Useless trash! Come out and fight me head-on if you've got the guts! Hiding behind tricks? You call that strength?"
At first, he thought it was just bad luck. But after being teleported again and again right into the jaws of fifth-tier demon beasts, he would've been a fool not to realize what was happening.
He'd been played. Set up.
And the only one capable of such a thing was Mo Yuan. After all, only he could open the Demon Sea. Who knew what other secrets he was hiding?
"If I'd known that filthy woman was still hiding things from me, I should've hacked her into pieces and thrown her into the slums for a thousand men to trample!"
The Demon Sovereign's eyes gleamed with bloodlust as he roared his curses. That woman had dared to keep secrets from him? She deserved nothing less than death.
But those words struck a nerve. Mo Yuan's face turned to stone. His voice, cold and sharp, echoed through the air. "Say one more word about my mother, beast. I dare you."
The tone was low, menacing. Enough to confirm the Demon Sovereign's guess.
The man sneered, wiping the blood from his mouth as he stood, a glint of scorn in his eyes.
"So what if I speak? Your mother was nothing but a shameless whore. You're mad over a few words?
She was a noble demon clan heiress, right? Yet she threw herself at me like some desperate street girl. Clung to me like her life depended on it, no matter how many times I pushed her away.
Tell me, with goods like that, who would want her if not for the position of Demon Sovereign?"
"Qi Yang!"
Mo Yuan's fists clenched so tightly his knuckles cracked. His back molars ground together, barely holding himself back from charging out and beating that beast into the ground.
But he knew exactly what Qi Yang was doing. Provoking him into revealing himself. He couldn't fall for it.
"What's wrong? Angry?"
Qi Yang laughed loudly.
"What if I told you that whole 'hero saves the damsel' nonsense was a setup from the start? What then? Would that piss you off even more? Hahaha!"
He threw his head back and laughed wildly.
"Your mother, huh… she was sheltered like a doll. Everyone revered her, pampered her. But me? I refused. I gave her nothing but cold words and lukewarm glances, and the fool still fell in love. Can you believe it? A woman like that thought she could be Demon Sovereign?
In the end, she was nothing but a stepping stone for me. Hahaha!" The satisfaction in his voice was obvious. To him, making the noble demon heiress fall for him was a mark of power.
If only he'd been more ruthless. He should've never let her bear his child. Then he wouldn't have to deal with remnants of the old demon faction still clamoring for Mo Yuan's return. A flicker of murderous intent passed through his eyes. Soon, he would erase that obstacle for good.
Qi Yang had never once seen Mo Yuan as his son. From the moment the boy was born, he'd felt nothing but disgust.
Mo Yuan knew this. His eyes were bloodshot, like a caged beast driven mad with rage, clawing to break free and strike. He ground out each word through clenched teeth. "Qi Yang… you have no right to speak of my mother. None."
His mother had been naive, deceived by Qi Yang's lies. She had already paid the price for that.
Qi Yang had no right to even mention her.
"Hmph."
Qi Yang sneered, and what followed were even filthier words. Vile, degrading. As if the woman he once shared a bed with for years had been nothing more than trash.
Mo Yuan was at his limit. If not for the last thread of reason holding him back, he would've already rushed out, consequences be damned.
At that moment, Song Wanníng stepped out from the chamber. The first thing she saw was Qi Yang's disgusting face, still spouting filth.
Her expression darkened as her gaze landed on him.
In Qi Yang, she saw the shadow of Gu Qingyuan. Only, Gu Qingyuan cared more about reputation. Even after slaughtering the entire Song family and hoarding untold resources, he still wore the mask of a lofty sage untouched by the mundane.
She felt a wave of sorrow for the former Demon Sovereign… and also a bitter pang for herself. They had both paid the price for misjudging people. Now, it was time for those monsters to suffer. She stepped forward and placed a hand on Mo Yuan's shoulder.
"Don't let him get to you. His time is almost up."
Her hand, light as it was, felt like cold mountain spring water. The heat in Mo Yuan's chest instantly cooled. He took a deep breath, his face still red, and turned to ask, "Senior… did you advance?"
"Yes."
Song Wanníng gave a small nod. She had successfully reached mid-stage Divine Transformation.
The speed of her breakthrough was terrifying.
She once again felt grateful for seizing Ye Chuxue's opportunity. If not, she would probably still be stuck in the Nascent Soul stage. This was a generous "gift" from the heavens indeed.
She tilted her head slightly and glanced skyward.
Every time she gained a victory, she liked to annoy the heavens just a little.
"Really? That's amazing!"
Mo Yuan's eyes lit up, a sharp edge glinting in them.
"That beast is long overdue for retribution."
"Listen up. Here's what we're going to do."
Song Wanníng pulled Mo Yuan to her side and pointed at the sand table, laying out her plan. They'd need help from more demon beasts—high-tier ones especially. And Mo Yuan's role would be critical. Every step had to be flawless.
"Your top priority is to track my movements. Watch me at all times. You'll also need to control the demon beasts so none of them accidentally hurt me…"
She was risking her life, yes, but she wasn't foolish. No throne was worth dying for. That's why she explained everything to Mo Yuan in detail, making sure nothing could go wrong.
Mo Yuan listened intently, his eyes growing brighter with every word.
"Senior really was brilliant. Why didn't I think of this?"
If things went the way she planned, not only would they destroy that bastard, they might just drive him mad in the process.