Chapter 29: The Three Great Commanders
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Flower-Fruit Mountain was the ancestral vein of the Ten Continents and the origin of the Three Isles. It had existed since the separation of purity and chaos, taking form after the primordial void was divided.
Recently, however, for reasons unknown, an extremely mysterious and powerful force had emerged on Flower-Fruit Mountain.
They were few in number.
Yet every one of them was an elite.
For instance, there was a jade-green mantis as tall as a man.
His swordsmanship was astonishing, his attacks fierce and relentless, and none at the same level could stand against him.
Then there was a Moon Wolf.
He had chosen the path of transformation. After taking human form, he possessed long white hair and a crescent-shaped mark upon his brow. He looked like a handsome, aloof nobleman of few words.
Yet this nobleman possessed terrifying combat strength.
Even some great demons could scarcely withstand one or two moves from him.
But the most fearsome of them all was a female demon.
She was a snake spirit. Her upper body was that of a beautiful woman, while her lower half ended in a serpentine tail. Her waist was slender, her figure alluring, and her delicate features held an unmistakable charm.
She possessed countless treasures and an endless variety of techniques.
An ordinary demon might collapse before even catching sight of her face.
“This subordinate, Twin-Blade Mantis, pays respects to the Great King.”
“This subordinate, Moon Wolf, pays respects to the Great King.”
“This subordinate, Snake Ji, pays respects to the Great King.”
…
Listening in silence, Yu Qiye turned his gaze toward the three figures.
There was no need to dwell on Twin-Blade Mantis.
Moon Wolf was the wolf demon who had once been among the Seven Great Demons.
He was a rare variant of this world.
[Race: Wolf Demon, Variant]
[Rank: Peak Great Demon]
[Traits: Moon Howl (Red), Demon Power Release (Red), Claw Mastery (Purple), Noble Bearing (Purple), …]
This was Moon Wolf’s trait panel.
It was quite impressive.
But among these traits, the one that most caught Yu Qiye’s attention was the purple trait—Noble Bearing.
With this trait, Moon Wolf appeared incomparably aristocratic.
Among ten thousand demons, he stood out like a crane among chickens, drawing every eye.
It was precisely because of this trait that Yu Qiye had noticed Moon Wolf at a glance among the assembled demons.
As for the final figure, she was naturally Snake Ji.
She had yet to complete her transformation. With her slender waist slightly bent in respect, she stood before him.
[Race: Snake Demon]
[Rank: Mid-Level Great Demon]
[Traits: Pillfire (Purple), Grandmaster of Artifact Refinement (Purple), Minor Swordsmanship Mastery (Purple), …]
Snake Ji’s cultivation was not particularly high.
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She did not even possess a red trait.
Yet of the three demons, Snake Ji was the one Yu Qiye valued most.
The reason was simple: she was a grandmaster of artifact refinement.
Yes—artifact refinement.
Snake Ji excelled at forging magical treasures.
Not long ago, she had presented Sky Crow Cave with a set of magical treasures called the Water Mirror.
[Water Mirror—a mirror with investigative properties. It resembles a large crystal, smooth and luminous on the surface, and can be used to observe everything happening in distant places through the scenes reflected within it. Its view can be changed at will.]
It was because of this offering that Yu Qiye had taken notice of her and discovered her unparalleled talent.
In this world, most cultivators were not skilled in combat.
Many relied on various magical treasures when fighting.
Why were the immortals and Buddhas now able to suppress the demon race?
A major reason was that the immortals and Buddhas possessed countless magical treasures.
Most demons, by contrast, could rely only on themselves.
Thus, the emergence of an artifact-refinement grandmaster was a blessing not only for Sky Crow Cave, but for the entire demon race.
After recognizing Snake Ji’s talent, Yu Qiye personally promoted her to commander and bestowed upon her the name Snake Ji.
That was not all. Yu Qiye also granted her one of the purple traits he had possessed for a long time—Absolute Loyalty.
“Your talent is worthy of this trait.”
Yu Qiye had no intention of painstakingly nurturing an artifact-refinement grandmaster only to suffer betrayal afterward.
To guard against that possibility, he had to make preparations in advance.
Fortunately, he possessed a method of control perfectly suited to the task.
The trait Absolute Loyalty was an excellent choice.
This was a trait Yu Qiye had obtained from the Divine Mastiff.
For a long time, he had been unable to find a suitable person to receive it.
He had even considered granting it to his junior brother, Wukong.
Unfortunately, Wukong was a sacred spirit born of heaven and earth and seemed to reject all external forces.
But now…
With Snake Ji’s appearance, the trait had found its proper use.
Snake Ji, Moon Wolf, and Twin-Blade Mantis were the three great commanders under Yu Qiye.
Every one of them possessed formidable combat strength and tremendous potential.
As for the other lesser demons and great demons of Sky Crow Cave…
Yu Qiye could only say that a few were quite promising.
But Sky Crow Cave’s resources were limited, and he could only select the best for cultivation.
“Mantis. Moon Wolf.”
Yu Qiye spoke.
“This subordinate is present.”
Twin-Blade Mantis and Moon Wolf turned toward him in unison.
“Continue patrolling the various mountains as you always have. Hunt constantly and temper yourselves. If you discover anyone exceptionally gifted, remember to bring them back.”
“Yes, Great King.”
The two demons answered together before silently withdrawing.
Their task was to fight and hunt, continually increasing their combat strength.
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As for Snake Ji…
Yu Qiye raised his hand, unleashing a terrifying force of attraction.
Boom!
From far away, a great saber came flying toward him.
“Snake Ji, this is the Ruyi Divine Weapon of the Chaos Demon King. Are you confident that you can reforge it?”
Yu Qiye asked.
“Great King, I can try.”
The snake demon lifted her eyes. Her narrow, deep gaze held a flicker of blazing fervor.
She had never worked on a Ruyi Divine Weapon before.
“Take it. Do not put yourself under pressure. Even if the refinement fails, I will find you another.”
At Yu Qiye’s words, Snake Ji’s expression grew solemn.
“I will not disappoint the Great King.”
Clutching the great saber in her arms, Snake Ji excitedly swayed her slender tail and hurried toward the depths of Sky Crow Cave.
At that moment, as though sensing something, Yu Qiye turned toward a corner.
There, a silvery-white fox quietly appeared.
“Great King…”
At the soft call, Qingqiu Xue transformed into human form.
Her graceful figure shimmered faintly beneath the concealment of demonic aura, and her nearly perfect curves made one’s heart race.
Yet the instant Qingqiu Xue appeared, the entire cavern seemed to welcome winter.
The temperature began to fall.
This was the spiritual constitution Qingqiu Xue now possessed—the Ice Spirit Body.
Having only just fused with the Ice Spirit Body, she could not yet control it completely. The chill within her would occasionally spill out, affecting everything around her.
“What is it?”
Yu Qiye asked.
By rights, Xue’er should still have been fusing with the Ice Spirit Body.
How had she found time to come out?
“Great King, according to reports from several informants I placed there, Lion-Elephant may attempt to break through to the Demon King realm in the coming days. If he succeeds…”
Qingqiu Xue seemed worried.
“It does not matter.”
Yu Qiye waved his hand dismissively.
In fact, he hoped Lion-Elephant would succeed.
If Lion-Elephant truly reached the Demon King realm, it would mean that the time had come for Yu Qiye to reap what he had sown.
As for whether Lion-Elephant would be able to threaten him after entering the Demon King realm…
Leaving aside the vast disparity between them, the mere existence of the Demonic Seed meant that Lion-Elephant had no power to resist before Yu Qiye.
The Demonic Seed was far more than a mere seed.
When Lion-Elephant had been grievously wounded, it had already seeped silently into his flesh and blood, even reaching the depths of his soul.
With a single thought, Yu Qiye could activate the Demonic Seed and make Lion-Elephant suffer a fate worse than death.
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