Mo Yuan closed his eyes for a moment, forcing back the heat surging in them. Once his emotions settled, he transferred Song Wanníng back to the cave.
Now that the Demon Sea was about to close and the Demon Sovereign was dead, Mo Yuan could finally clean up the remaining enemies without worry.
"Senior, I'll be dealing with those people next. Some are outside the Demon Sea—I'll handle them after I leave. When the Demon Sea closes, I hope Senior will return to the demon clan with me. Let me properly repay you for saving my life."
His voice was sincere. At last, he had a chance to repay Song Wanníng, if only a little. Having received so much help without being able to give anything in return had weighed heavily on him.
Song Wanníng frowned slightly at his words, not looking particularly interested in interfering. But after a brief moment of thought, she nodded in agreement.
"That's fine. If anyone refuses to submit, I can lend you a hand."
If the remnants of the demon clan weren't dealt with properly, how could she hope to control it in the future?
She raised an eyebrow slightly, already thinking about where to begin her search for Xirang.
Mo Yuan, hearing her words, felt a surge of warmth in his chest.
Right now, the one who treated him best... was her.
"Thank you, Senior. Please rest here for now."
With that, he began his purge.
Everyone he recognized as a traitor was thrown into dangerous regions or fed to demonic beasts. Death was preferable. If they couldn't be killed outright, they'd be hunted by the demon clan eventually.
Once his arrangements were made, Mo Yuan appeared before Qu Shang in a flash.
At this point, Qu Shang was badly injured, collapsed on the ground, clutching his chest in pain.
Just moments ago, he'd felt an unexplainable pang in his heart, a deep sense of unease, as though something had gone terribly wrong.
Now, seeing Mo Yuan standing before him, that ominous feeling turned into dread.
"You... why are you here?" Qu Shang asked, clinging to the last thread of hope.
"That beast is already dead. What do you think I'm doing here?" A sneer tugged at Mo Yuan's lips. "Naturally, I've come to send you off. You can reunite with your father."
"What?"
Qu Shang's eyes widened. The last shred of hope in his heart vanished without a trace. He'd sensed something was wrong earlier, but his father was at the peak of the Divine Transformation realm. How could Mo Yuan possibly kill him?
"Mo Yuan, he was your father!"
Hatred flared in Qu Shang's eyes, mingled with sorrow and disbelief.
The words stabbed into Mo Yuan's ears like thorns.
"Father? That beast? He's not worthy of the title. A beast can only father another beast."
Murder gleamed in Mo Yuan's eyes as he drew his sword and pointed it at Qu Shang.
"You and your father killed my mother, and you've schemed against me again and again. Your deaths are well deserved. As for your dream of becoming the next Demon Sovereign, you can try again in your next life."
With that, he lunged forward and drove the sword into Qu Shang with brutal force.
Knowing his time had come, Qu Shang roared in fury.
"Mo Yuan, you should've died decades ago. Even if you kill us, don't think you'll sit safely on the Demon Sovereign's throne. Urgh—"
His voice cut off. Blood sprayed from his throat, splattering the ground. His eyes remained wide open as he stared at Mo Yuan, filled with stubborn defiance.
Why? Why, when he had been so close to victory...
But no answer came.
Qu Shang fell, consumed by bitterness and resentment.
Even that wasn't enough for Mo Yuan. He hacked the corpse into pieces, then fed the remains to a demonic beast.
Such cruelty. Truly worthy of being in the same league as the heroine.
Song Wanníng smirked faintly and closed her eyes again to continue tending to her own condition.
With this matter settled, it was time to make Lu Nanfeng's death count for something.
The humiliation she once endured—she would make them both taste it, one by one.
…
The Demon Sea reached its closing hour.
Everyone still alive was teleported out, though the locations were completely random.
When Song Wanníng emerged, she received a message from Mo Yuan. By the time she arrived, he was already surrounded by members of the demon clan.
"Young Master, we finally found you! Where have you been all these years?"
"Ever since the Demon Sovereign fell, we've been secretly searching for you without pause!"
"That damn Qi Yang! He dared to murder the former Sovereign, but his cultivation was so strong none of us could stop him. We had no choice but to bide our time!"
"Now that you've returned, even if we must give our lives, we'll seek justice for the former Sovereign!"
"That's right. We only recognize you as our Young Master!"
These were the old, loyal followers of the previous Demon Sovereign, all once blessed by her kindness. Seeing Mo Yuan alive brought visible joy to their faces.
For the first time, a smile appeared on Mo Yuan's face.
So many people still remembered him... and remembered his mother's kindness.
"You don't have to worry. Qi Yang is already dead."
His words struck like thunder, stunning everyone into silence.
The Demon Sovereign, one of the most powerful cultivators alive, dead? How could that be?
"Young Master, you must be joking, right?"
Someone asked in disbelief. The others wore skeptical expressions, unable to accept that Mo Yuan had really killed the Demon Sovereign.
But when Mo Yuan pulled out the Heavenly Suppression Seal, their jaws dropped.
This seal was the symbol of the Demon Sovereign. It had once fallen into Qi Yang's hands, but now it was with Mo Yuan. That could only mean one thing—Qi Yang was dead.
"Young Master, how did you manage this?"
"Heavens, Qi Yang is really gone?"
The crowd erupted in cheers. They had long dreamed of killing Qi Yang themselves.
Mo Yuan smiled again and gestured toward Song Wanníng, whose black cloak and wide-brimmed hat hid her features.
"It was all thanks to Senior. Without her help, I wouldn't be standing here. I wouldn't have been able to watch Qi Yang die with my own eyes."
Everyone turned toward Song Wanníng.
All they could see was a cloaked figure, mysterious and imposing. Anyone who could kill a Demon Sovereign had to be an unparalleled powerhouse. Their attitudes instantly became reverent, and they bowed deeply to her.
Song Wanníng returned the gesture and stepped beside Mo Yuan.
She had already gone through the Demon Sovereign's storage ring. Aside from returning the Heavenly Suppression Seal to Mo Yuan, she kept everything else for herself.
Including the inner cores of the demonic beasts.
It was the reward she deserved.
As for the soul token, she carefully stored it away. It could protect her Primordial Soul and help her survive a heavenly tribulation. Such an item was invaluable to her.
She had a strong feeling that the Heavenly Dao would never allow her ascension to go smoothly.
…
After a brief exchange of words, Mo Yuan was escorted back to the Demon Palace. Song Wanníng followed close by, like a shadow.
Part guardian, part deterrent.
But many within the Demon Palace still didn't know that the Demon Sovereign had fallen. Mo Yuan instructed his followers to keep the news secret, using the opportunity to eliminate the rest of the hidden threats.
As they approached the main hall, a group of people suddenly rushed out and surrounded them.
Each one armed, their expressions hostile.
The one leading them was a Nascent Soul stage demon cultivator named Xi Hai, formerly one of the Demon Sovereign's trusted aides.
His face was grim as he barked orders, surrounding Mo Yuan and summoning more reinforcements.