Chapter 1923 — 1923: Facing the Demon Emperor

After sealing the Demon General, Yuan said to the captives trembling in fear behind him, "You can open your eyes again. I have dealt with the demon."

When the captives opened their eyes, their faces became filled with shock after seeing the sealed demon. After all, only a few seconds had passed since they were told to close their eyes.

'He sealed a Demon General in seconds?! How is that even possible?!'

The captives couldn't comprehend it.

Yuan continued, "Unfortunately, there is still a demon that needs to be dealt with. Stay here and don't move until I return. Otherwise, I won't be able to guarantee your safety."

Without waiting for their response, Yuan left the scene and moved toward the Demon Emperor's presence.

Meanwhile, Sun Ling Cai started her battle with the Demon Emperor shortly after the Demon General left.

"If you're not going to attack, I'll come to you," the Demon Emperor spoke as it slowly approached Sun Ling Cai.

Gritting her teeth, Sun Ling Cai quickly pulled out several paintings and threw them into the air. They floated around them, forming a circle. Moments later, the scrolls opened up, releasing a wave of Demon Sealing Aura that created a protective barrier.

The purpose of the barrier was to weaken any demons caught within, much like Yuan's Demon Sealing Zone. However, the Demon Emperor didn't so much as flinch, standing unaffected as though the aura had no effect on it at all.

"You Demon Sealers have truly fallen. Compared to those of the past, your Demon Sealing Aura is laughably weak," the Demon Emperor said, his voice laced with both mockery and disappointment.

Sun Ling Cai did her best to ignore the Demon Emperor's taunts and continued to bombard it with Demon Sealing Aura. But with the Demon Emperor treating her attacks as no more than empty air, the vast gap between them quickly became undeniable—and overwhelming.

The Demon Emperor suddenly vanished from Sun Ling Cai's sight, and in the blink of an eye, before she could even react, she found herself sprawled on the ground, her limbs twisted at unnatural angles.

Sun Ling Cai coughed up a mouthful of blood.

'W-What just happened?!' she screamed inwardly.

Lifting her gaze, she saw the Demon Emperor standing over her, its eyes cold and condescending—like it was merely observing a crushed insect.

"Consider yourself fortunate. I'd kill you, but your Pure Yin Essence will serve my goals far too well," the Demon Emperor remarked coldly.

"What do you need my Pure Yin Essence for…?" she asked, her voice strained.

Despite the seemingly brutal state of her body, such injuries were superficial for an Immortal like Sun Ling Cai. As long as her Dantian and soul remained unharmed, she could easily recover from such injuries.

"What do you think? I'm going to use your Pure Yin Essence to refine the 'key'."

"Key…? Are you trying to unseal the Demonic Realm?!" she exclaimed.

"Oh? I guess you're not that clueless, after all."

"Your plan won't succeed! The Demon Sealing Clan will never allow the Demonic Realm to open!" Sun Ling Cai gritted her teeth.

"Hahaha! The Demon Sealing Clan? You speak as if you guys have the same power as before! Without the Divine Paragon, you guys are powerless!"

"W-We're not alone!"

"Are you talking about the Demon Sealing Grotto? Even if there are a hundred of you, it won't change anything. If you want to stop us, you better dig the Divine Paragon out of his grave or something!"

'Dig the Divine Paragon from his grave? We never even saw his corpse…' Sun Ling Cai sighed inwardly.

The Divine Paragon had vanished without a trace at the end of the Demonic Era. No matter how many resources were poured into searching for him, not a single clue was ever found.

"It may sound insane, but I truly regret that the Divine Paragon is no longer around," the Demon Emperor said, eyes fixed on the sand-carved ceiling. "The only reason I've made it this far is because of the hatred I bear for that man. I'd give anything to watch him on his knees, begging for his life…"

"That's not quite right."

A new voice echoed through the air, calm yet unmistakably firm.

The Demon Emperor's eyes narrowed as he turned toward the masked figure standing silently in the distance.

"You're only standing there now because you ran away—tail tucked between your legs like a frightened cat."

Yuan spoke calmly as he walked toward them, his eyes fixed on Sun Ling Cai, who was lying on the ground with all of her limbs twisted in a gruesome manner. However, he wasn't too concerned about her condition since he could tell that her life wasn't in danger.

"What happened to the demon I sent after you? I can't sense his presence—but there's no way he would've fled," the Demon Emperor questioned Yuan after realizing this, not even entertaining the possibility that the Demon General had been sealed in such a short time by a Spirit Enlightenment cultivator.

"And I can't just ignore what you said. Ran away like a frightened cat? You'll regret those words."

The Demon Emperor remained composed, its calm demeanor betraying utter confidence—like it could crush an insect like Yuan whenever it wished.

"Isn't it the truth, though? Once you realized you couldn't defeat me, you—along with 'Carnage' and that other Demon Emperor—fled like cowards."

The Demon Emperor's expression darkened. It wasn't because Yuan had struck a nerve with facts or that he'd mentioned Demon Emperor Carnage by his demon name, something only very few knew, but because he spoke as if they had been the ones retreating from him.

"Xiao Yang...? What are you…?" Sun Ling Cai muttered, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Yuan met her gaze and said softly, "Thank you for not running away and risking your life to face this Demon Emperor. I'll take it from here."

Then, without another word, he raised his hand to his mask and slowly removed it.

The moment the Demon Emperor saw Yuan's handsome face, its expression contorted with shock and instinctive fear. Without hesitation, it leapt away from Sun Ling Cai's side and distanced itself.

"D-Divine Paragon?!" it exclaimed afterward.