“Demon Emperor?” Ritchie was baffled; he didn’t know anyone by that name.
John, however, furrowed his brows and replied, “It’s a Seventh-Tier Demon Race powerhouse.”
He remembered the demon emperor who had escaped during the assault on the Beast Clan’s Secret Area.
“Seventh-Tier?” Ritchie was startled. The current strength of the Flame Legion was
definitely not enough to contend with a Seventh-Tier powerhouse.
He looked to John for guidance and asked, “Boss, what should we do?”
“Let’s go see,” John instructed the soldier to lead the way.
Flame City was situated in the Land of Darkness, once known as the City of Darkness under demon race rule.
The arrival of a demon emperor undoubtedly meant trouble.
But the fact that he hadn’t brought an army left John uncertain about his intentions.
Even if they had ill intentions toward Flame City, John had a trump card in the form of Black Turtle and wasn’t afraid of a Seventh-Tier powerhouse.
When John reached the city gate, he saw the demon race visitors.
Indeed, it was the same demon emperor, Glenn, who had fled during the attack on the Beast Clan’s Secret Area.
Beside him was another demon race man, shrouded in a large robe with a hood that concealed his face, giving off an eerie vibe.
“We meet again, human!” Glenn said with a faint smile, looking at John.
John, however, remained wary, his expression cold. “You’re not welcome here.”
Glenn wasn’t offended; he kept his faint smile and replied, “Don’t be so harsh, human. We’re not here with ill intentions; we’ve come to discuss a partnership.”
“Partnership?” John eyed him suspiciously, his gaze shifting to the hooded figure beside Glenn.
There was something about this man that seemed even more powerful.
Glenn continued, “Human, this Flame City used to be the City of Darkness under demon race control. How about we manage it together?”
John had already guessed their true objective. “You’re after the Demon King’s Treasure, aren’t you?”
“Correct,” a deep, raspy voice responded as the hooded man slightly lifted his head, revealing a pair of pitch-black eyes that stared coldly at John. His tone was menacing, “This land was never yours to begin with. I suggest you be wise and step aside, human.”
“What if I refuse?” John sneered, genuinely unafraid of the man’s threat.
Boom!
The hooded man stepped forward, and a massive surge of dark energy erupted from him, radiating an oppressive and terrifying aura that felt like a tidal wave crashing down.
The surrounding soldiers staggered backward, and even Ritchie, pale-faced, couldn’t help but take a step back.
John was shocked, struggling to withstand the man’s overwhelming pressure. This guy felt just as formidable as Black Turtle.
“A Seventh-Tier peak powerhouse!” The voice of the Undead Lord echoed in John’s mind. “Kid, if I’m not mistaken, this guy should be the demon race prodigy, Owen.”
John frowned; he hadn’t heard of any demon race prodigy by that name.
At this moment, Glenn stepped forward, stopping the hooded man. His expression remained calm as he spoke, “Human, we mean no harm. You can see for yourself-if we truly wanted to make a move against you, even that old turtle wouldn’t be able to stop us.”
“Is that so?” John was skeptical. This guy was so confident-could this demon race prodigy Owen also be a legendary-grade expert?
He wondered if The Tree of Life could handle him.
He silently asked the Undead Lord, “Do you know what’s inside the Demon King’s Treasure Secret Area?”
The Undead Lord responded, “It’s a complete set of demon race treasures-Demon Soul, Demon Wing, Demon Armor, and Demon Eye. If someone manages to refine them, they could grow to rival the gods themselves.”
John understood. It seemed these two were after the demon race’s ultimate treasure.
He had a plan in mind and looked at Glenn before saying, “Forget about co-managing the city. But if you want to enter the Demon King’s Treasure Secret Area, I can agree on one condition.”
“Speak!” Owen’s voice was cold and impatient.
John glanced at him and continued, “It’s simple. I go with you into the Secret Area.”
Owen let out a soft laugh.
Although his expression was hidden, John could sense the contempt and smugness behind it.
Glenn, on the other hand, remained more composed. He looked at John with suspicion and asked, “Kid, aren’t you afraid I might take you out inside the Secret Area?”
“Would you?” John countered.
Glenn frowned slightly. John’s confidence made him uneasy.
This human was odd; even with Black Turtle’s protection, he had managed to kill the Fox Clan prodigy White.
Although underhanded methods were used, it still made Glenn wary.
“Fine, I agree.” Owen spoke up impatiently.
Glenn felt uneasy but didn’t argue further.
“Kid, have you lost your mind? These two clearly have bad intentions,” the voice of the
Undead Lord echoed in John’s mind.
John ignored the warning.
Instead, he looked at the two demon race figures and said, “Join the Flame Guild. I’ll grant you permissions.”
In the world of Gods, sentient beings could also join guilds.
Once they joined the guild, John immediately added them to the party and then transferred the leader position to Glenn.
The Demon King’s Treasure Secret Area required Seventh-Tier strength to unlock, something John, being only Fourth-Tier, couldn’t achieve alone.
Glenn glanced at Owen, who gave a slight nod of approval, before accepting the party leader
position.
John noticed the subtle exchange between the two. It was clear that Owen held both superior strength and status compared to Glenn.
“Let’s go,” Glenn prompted as he activated the Treasure Secret Area. Space around them began to warp, and in the next moment, the three figures disappeared.
They found themselves in a murky, oppressive space, thick with powerful dark energy.
“Attack!” A shout came from beside John, followed by a surge of immense dark power.
Sensing the impending danger, John quickly retreated but was still struck by a Dark Orb.
Boom!
[-1,107,100]
A terrifying damage number floated above John’s head.
[You have been killed by Seventh-Tier demon emperor Glenn. The Blessed Ring skill has been activated. You have resurrected at full health.]
The notification flashed as John immediately summoned Death Land, bringing forth Black Turtle and several other Seventh-Tier powerhouses, including the leader of the Undying
Legion, Robin.
The strong figures materialized out of thin air, catching the demon race off guard.
“Glenn! Hmm? A Seventh-Tier Legendary Peak powerhouse!” Black Turtle gasped, his
attention drawn to the hooded man, Owen.
He glared at John and barked, “Kid, can’t you stay out of trouble? Why do you keep provoking
these terrifying beings?”
The two sides stood off, tense but not rushing into battle.
John turned to Black Turtle and asked, “Can you handle him?”
Black Turtle shook his head slightly, lowering his voice, “This guy is even stronger than that
Two-Winged Angel.”
That strong?
John was taken aback. It seemed that these beasts weren’t going to be enough. He then asked,
“What about The Tree of Life?”
Black Turtle shook his head again. “No, The Tree of Life is effective against angels, but it
doesn’t work against the demon race. In fact, their dark energy can even suppress The Tree of
Life.”
John felt a twinge of frustration; his plan to use the beasts and The Tree of Life to take down these two was clearly not going to work.
Black Turtle urged, “Kid, retreat into Death Land.”
But John ignored him, his eyes shifting from Glenn to Owen. He spoke, “I know you’re here for
the demon race’s treasures. I’m not interested in them; I just want to witness the experience. Besides, Black Turtle can assist you in obtaining them.”
Black Turtle’s eyes widened in anger as he glared at John. When had he ever agreed to help
them?
Glenn, however, seemed intrigued by John’s proposal.
The Demon King’s Treasure was a Seventh-Tier Secret Area, full of unknown dangers. Having
an Eighth-Tier powerhouse like Black Turtle on their side could indeed be advantageous.
He looked over at Owen for confirmation, waiting for his decision.
After a brief moment of thought, Owen gave a slight nod.
Glenn immediately agreed, “Human, we accept.”
“Great,” John replied with a slight smile. He snapped his fingers, recalling all the other beasts
and Robin back into Death Land, leaving only Black Turtle behind.
Black Turtle scowled at John, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. “Kid, what kind of trick are you
trying to pull now?”
John reassured him, “Relax. If things get dangerous, I’ll bring you back into Death
Land immediately.”
Black Turtle gave John a stern look but remained silent, unwilling to argue further.
Owen seemed familiar with the area and led the way, swiftly moving through the dense fog.
John and Black Turtle followed at a distance.
Suddenly, the sound of fighting reached them. In the mist, demon soldiers and demon
guardians appeared, engaging Glenn and Owen.
John showed no intention of helping and instead pulled Black Turtle aside, asking in a low
voice, “Can the gods sense this space?”
Black Turtle paused, realizing John’s plan, and shook his head. “No, they can’t. Secret Areas
are independent spaces. Gods can’t sense them. Only by leaving the Secret Area and entering Skyline Continent could they be detected.”
He gave John a knowing look and added, “Kid, don’t get any clever ideas. If these two are bold enough to enter this Secret Area and retrieve the demon race’s treasure, they must have ways to conceal their presence. The gods won’t be able to detect them.”
John replied calmly, “It’s not just them who possess demon race treasures.”
He mentioned that he had a fragment of the Demon Soul. Though it was incomplete, it could
still attract the attention of the gods.
Black Turtle was stunned and quickly cautioned, “You’re not thinking of using yourself as
bait, are you? The gods have methods to attack the soul. Your Undying and Immortal talent
won’t protect you.”
“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing,” John said confidently. He had survived a divine attack before. While gods did have soul-based attacks, they didn’t usually start with them.
As long as he could retreat into Death Land in time, he would be safe. “You’re playing with fire, kid,” Black Turtle sighed, giving up on trying to dissuade John.
“Hey, you two, hurry up!” Owen’s impatient voice called from ahead.
They ended their discussion and quickly caught up.
As John glanced at the fallen demon soldiers and guardians scattered on the ground, he
clicked his tongue in disapproval. “You demon race folk really are ruthless, killing your own
kind so easily.”
“Hmph, survival of the fittest. These were just cannon fodder,” Owen replied coldly, his tone
full of disdain, as if the ones he had killed were nothing more than insects.
Glenn then added, “You two, move to the front.”
He was still suspicious of them, and having them in his line of sight would put him more at
ease.