Chapter 2101 — An Unknown Demon Emperor

Sensing the demonic presence, Zhou Yanfei turned to Yan Hara and said grimly, "We’ll continue this conversation later."

Without another word, his gaze shifted toward the middle of the battlefield, where a shadowy figure had emerged out of thin air.

Once its form came into focus, the figure revealed itself to be a grey-skinned demon—its body devoid of any visible crystal, a clear indication that it was at least a Demon General.

"Quickly! Seal it!" several Demon Sealers shouted in panic, instinctively rushing forward to subdue the threat.

"Don’t be reckless!" Zhou Yanfei warned sharply, but his voice came a second too late.

"Foolish livestock!" the demon sneered with contempt, its voice laced with cruel amusement. In the very next instant, a wave of oppressive force erupted from its body—followed by a thunderous explosion. The surrounding Demon Sealers were instantly reduced to a mist of blood and flesh, their deaths so sudden and brutal that it left the battlefield in stunned silence.

"That level of prowess! It has to be a Demon Emperor!" Yan Hara exclaimed.

Unfortunately, she’d already exhausted herself, and it would take some time before she could recover and help. Yet, she wasn’t too worried, since the Divine Paragon himself was present.

Yuan turned his focus onto the demon with narrowed eyes.

"A Demon Emperor...?" he muttered under his breath.

Yet, its presence was unfamiliar. Three Demon Emperors had once escaped with their lives, and he’d slain one not long ago. That should’ve left only two—both of whom he could recognize without fail.

So who was this one?

’Did a new one emerge?’ Yuan pondered silently. But with the Demon Realm sealed, no new demons should’ve appeared. That could only mean one thing—this one had ascended to the rank of Demon Emperor after the Demon Realm was sealed.

However, an evolution of that magnitude would demand a tremendous amount of time, countless sacrifices, and opportunities that should’ve long vanished with the end of the Demonic Era.

"How dare you call us foolish?" Zhou Yanfei stepped forward, unshaken by its overwhelming pressure. "You may be a Demon Emperor, but this is the heart of the Demon Sealing Grotto. Not even you can deal with all of us alone."

The Demon Emperor let out a low, mocking laugh. "Who said anything about being alone?"

It clapped its hands once, softly.

A moment later, the space around them twisted.

One after another, dark silhouettes emerged from the shadows, their auras vile and suffocating. In mere moments, hundreds of demons of varying ranks blanketed the horizon, encircling the Demon Sealing Grotto.

The expressions of the Demon Sealers darkened. In an instant, the tides had turned. The sheer number of demons was overwhelming, enough to threaten even the Demon Sealing Grotto.

The Demon Emperor spoke a moment later, "Honestly, we weren’t planning on making an appearance. However, something peculiar had forced our hands."

Its gaze shifted to Yan Hara. Then, it continued with narrowed eyes, "The Divine Paragon’s legacy, you say? That won’t do. We cannot allow you to live now that we know you have inherited that vermin’s techniques."

Realizing the demon’s true intent, Zhou Yanfei roared with urgency, "Demon Sealing Grotto! Protect Demon Sealer Yan Hara at all costs! We cannot allow the Divine Paragon’s legacy to vanish a second time!"

Despite Yan Hara belonging to the Demon Sealing Clan—their long-standing rival—the Demon Sealers of the Grotto did not hesitate. In that moment, they understood: the Divine Paragon’s legacy transcended all grudges. Even if it had been Qian Chu standing in her place, they would still decide to protect him.

The Demon Emperor raised his hand and pointed at Yan Hara, his voice eerily calm as he uttered a single command—

"Kill them all."

In the blink of an eye, chaos erupted. Demons and Demon Sealers clashed, painting the battlefield in blood and fury—a scene common in the Demonic Era but unseen for countless years since then.

By now, every Demon Sealer within the Demon Sealing Grotto had joined the battle, their auras clashing violently with the demonic horde. Yuan, too, prepared to step into the fray, but his movements abruptly stopped as he sensed a strange disturbance.

His gaze instinctively shifted toward the portal leading into the Grotto’s headquarters, and just as his attention settled, he caught sight of a lone figure slipping through its entrance.

Typically, such a scene would warrant no suspicion—but this individual was cloaked in a technique that concealed their presence. While not as flawless as Shadow Veil, it came close. Amidst the chaos of battle, even seasoned experts would have easily overlooked it.

Without hesitation, Yuan activated Shadow Veil and chased after the individual into the Demon Sealing Grotto’s headquarters.

However, before doing so, he warned Yan Hara using voice transmission, "I’m going to investigate something real quick, so you’ll have to deal with these demons without me for a bit."

"WHAT?!"

Yan Hara cried out, her voice sharp with alarm.

"What’s wrong, Yan Hara?!" Zhou Yanfei immediately turned to her, eyes narrowing.

"N-Nothing..." she quickly shook her head, forcing a calm facade, but the flicker of worry in her eyes betrayed her.

"I’m almost ready to fight again," she said a moment later as she consumed several more recovery pills.

Meanwhile, after stepping through the portal, Yuan continued following the mysterious figure, taking the opportunity to scrutinize his appearance. He had already memorized the faces of every Demon Sealing Grotto member present on the battlefield, yet this man was unfamiliar.

This individual appeared to be a young man with a nondescript face—so ordinary that one’s gaze would naturally pass over him. Yet beneath that unremarkable exterior, his eyes shone with purpose.

Since nearly all members of the Demon Sealing Grotto had left the headquarters to battle the invading demons, the city was left desolate, allowing the young man to move about unhindered and without concern.

Eventually, they stopped before a massive structure at the heart of the city. Yuan didn’t recognize the building, and unbeknownst to him, it was the Demon Sealing Grotto’s vault, where their most precious treasures were kept.