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"Turning into a dragon isn't the same as turning into a fish, you know."
"You don't need to be so heartbroken, Xue'er. If you can't accept it, then think it through properly. In this era, humans are nothing more than slaves to demons."
"But dragons? Dragons are different. With me around, dragons rank way above most demons. I'm trying to talk some sense into you here—if you still can't accept it, even I, the Demon Lord, can't help you."
"And besides, you're not the one turning into a dragon."
Shendu lowered his gaze, looking at Xue'er who sat collapsed on the floor like a lifeless corpse. His voice was calm and slow.
Then, without another word, Shendu turned and left the room. But his parting words made Xue'er's expression shift.
"Your sister's consciousness is crystal clear, but she's trapped inside the dragon egg. It'll take nine days before she hatches."
"As her older sister, your job is to stay by her side. You don't have to serve me, or any other demon."
"Your status isn't like other humans. Got that?!"
His voice echoed as he left completely.
Xue'er, still trembling, slowly walked over to the massive dragon egg. She wrapped her arms around it, whispering softly to herself.
Her mind began to link with Ling'er, her sister inside the egg.
Meanwhile, back on the throne in the demon palace, Shendu had just returned and immediately began absorbing the power of fire—his dominion. The energy around him grew even more terrifying.
Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, four days had passed.
That day, Shendu—who had finished his cultivation—looked down at the army of dragonspawn bathed in his fire-imbued demonic energy, and said slowly, "Has the demon army assembled?"
Abel, standing at the front of the dragonspawn ranks, stepped forward and knelt on one knee. "My Lord, we've gathered tens of thousands of demons from Huomu City. It's enough to march on seven other cities across the continent."
"We've left a few thousand low-level demons behind to guard Huomu City and serve you."
"Everything's ready. We just need your blessing, My Lord, so our strength can grow even further. With it, we can crush any city ruled by other demon lords!"
Shendu rested his chin on a clawed hand, thinking for a moment. Then he nodded.
"Good. Good. Very good."
As he stood, waves of searing heat filled the air, erupting into blazing flames that swirled around him.
Under Shendu's control, this heat surged into the bodies of the dragonspawn army.
Immediately, their power exploded. Dark mist rose from their bodies, and their green-scaled skin now bore seared markings like they'd been branded by fire. From afar, a faint glow of flame shimmered from them.
"My loyal followers—go now. Conquer this vast continent for your Lord."
"I'll be watching from behind. If you run into a demon too powerful to beat, I'll step in myself!"
With a grand gesture, Shendu sent a breeze over the gathered dragonspawn. They were thrilled—their power had surged, giving them the strength they needed to conquer other cities.
And more than that, once Shendu ruled the entire continent, they'd probably be rewarded with their own territory. After all, the land was so massive, it wasn't like the Demon Lord could manage it all on his own.
This was a future worth fighting for—way better than the dead-end life they had under Huoyuan, their old lord.
"Thank you, My Lord! We will destroy all other demons in your name, take over this land, and make you the ruler of the entire world!"
Abel clenched his fists, bowing low with deep respect as he felt the power flowing through him.
Atto, standing beside him, dropped to one knee too. "We, your loyal followers, will wipe out all who defy you. We'll clear the way so you won't need to lift a finger, My Lord!"
The two leaders' words fired up the rest of the dragonspawn.
"Our Lord's might is unmatched! He will rule the entire continent!"
"As one of the Eight Demon Lords, our Lord's rise is the will of the world itself! Any who dare resist will be torn to pieces by our army!"
"Your greatness, My Lord, inspires us all! We'll follow you to the ends of the earth!"
A wave of flattery rang in Shendu's ears. In that moment, he finally understood why corrupt kings throughout history loved their scheming ministers so much.
When everyone's saying such nice things about you, how could you not enjoy it? Who'd want to listen to old stubborn fools instead?
But Shendu wasn't a fool. This world, corrupted by black mist, was ruled by the Eight Demon Lords. They were chosen by fate—the true rulers of this world.
Everything his dragonspawn followers were saying? It was all true. Not a single word of flattery was fake.
Because ever since the Demon Lords appeared, every demon had known one thing: they would rule this world.
And any demon foolish enough to challenge that fate, or try to defy their authority, would be turned to ashes—gone from this world forever.
"March out," Shendu said coldly, his eyes flashing.
At once, the dragonspawn—now supercharged—bowed respectfully and left the throne room.
Less than a minute later, the sound of countless wings beating filled the skies above the eastern part of the city.
They flew like a massive swarm of bats in the dark—an endless black tide—rushing toward the seventh-ranked city on the Asian continent.
That city was called Jinflame City.
Its ruler was a fire-wielding demon named Chiyan. He was way stronger than Huoyuan. At full power, he could probably battle Shendu's enhanced dragonspawn for quite a while—but in the end, he'd still lose.
There were eight cities across the Asian continent. When Shendu tapped into his demonic powers, he sensed the name and strength of each city's ruler.
All except the first-ranked city. That one was shrouded in a mysterious, unknown force.
Even Shendu, Demon Lord of Fire, couldn't see through it. But since he hadn't felt any threat coming from there, he wasn't too concerned.
"They've all gone."
"Go, and carve out new territory for me. I won't let you down."
Shendu's blood-red eyes reflected the massive demon army leaving Huomu City—and their destination.
Just then, a woman quietly stepped up beside him and knelt. "My Lord, I'd like to return home. I want to tell my parents about my sister's situation. Please grant me permission."
Shendu didn't object. He simply said, "You're no longer a human slave. You don't need my permission to go anywhere, as long as you stay within Huomu City."
"When Ling'er hatches, you'll belong to her."
Hearing this, Xue'er looked pleasantly surprised. She hadn't expected Shendu to strip her of her slave status, let alone give her the freedom to come and go from the demon palace.
Over the past few days, she had come to terms with everything. Since it was already set in stone that her sister would become a dragon, there was no point in mourning it anymore.
"....."