Chapter 773 - 675: Underground Demon Palace, Blood Exchange 9th Heaven

If it was a trap, he wouldn’t feel the slightest bit of heartache if these Earth Demons were killed.

Weak members of the Earth Demon Alien Race were expendable. If they died, they died. A new batch could be raised in no time.

These creatures without potential were just a drain on Cultivation Resources.

The Demon Tribulations launched periodically from the Demon Cave were for this very reason: there were too many Earth Demon Alien Race members with no potential, and the underground Cultivation Resources couldn’t support them. The only solution was to initiate a Demon Tribulation to cull some of them. Those who could grow stronger would naturally seize the opportunity to do so.

As for those who didn’t... they could just die.

"Your Majesty, the Demon Lord, is brilliant. You see through all the Human Race’s schemes. Their contemptible tricks are beneath your notice!"

"In that case, Your Majesty, which Demon Army will you assign to the upper levels of the Demon Cave this time?"

The Grand Elder of the Earth Demon Alien Race, Blood Guile, spoke hurriedly, first offering effusive praise before inquiring about the Lord of Earth Demons’ arrangements.

The disparity in their power was so vast that he didn’t dare harbor any other thoughts. Otherwise, if the one before him decided to strike, he wouldn’t be able to withstand it.

Even within the Blood Exchange Level, the gap between each heaven was immense. And this Lord of Earth Demons had forged a fearsome reputation through slaughter; his Combat Power was terrifyingly strong.

Even so, he had failed to gain an advantage against the Human Race.

This was not only due to the sheer number of human experts but also because they held numerous trump cards, as if they had found Treasures left behind by Divine Spirits from an ancient era.

By using those Treasures, the Lord of Earth Demons had been injured in their last clash and had been recuperating ever since.

However, judging by his current state, the Lord of Earth Demons had not only fully recovered but had also seen his power rise to an even higher level.

He just didn’t know if the Lord of Earth Demons intended to clash with the Human Race again.

After all, he surely held a grudge from their last major conflict.

"Send the Third Demon Army up."

"During the last Demon Tribulation, the Third Demon Army was timid and held back. This time, they will go."

"If they succeed, they can return alive, and I will let their past transgressions slide. If they prove to be useless, then they can just stay on the upper levels of the Demon Cave forever!"

The Demon Lord commanded directly.

He had spent most of his time in seclusion, but he was aware of all matters, big and small, within the Demon Cave.

His seclusion had caused some Earth Demons to grow restless, feigning compliance while secretly acting in defiance.

The Third Demon Army’s behavior was the most blatant. They had preserved their strength, and who knew what they were plotting.

"Later, have Death Demon, the Legion Commander of the Third Demon Army, come to me. I will give him the means to recover our clan’s Grand Array. If he can bring it back, all other issues will be forgiven!"

The Lord of Earth Demons continued.

These Demon Army Legion Commanders were all at the Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster Level. None of them were weak, but of course, that was all relative.

To the Lord of Earth Demons, anyone below the rank of Blood Exchange Martial Saint was insignificant. If they died, another batch could simply be raised to replace them.

But those at the Blood Exchange Martial Saint Level were strategic weapons against the Human Race and could not be discarded lightly. If these Blood Exchange Martial Saint Level Earth Demons had to die, they must die at the hands of the Human Race, taking some of the humans’ own Blood Exchange Martial Saint Level experts with them. Only that would justify the "grace" he had shown by allowing them to live!

"Yes, this subordinate will go at once and have Death Demon, the Legion Commander of the Third Demon Army, come to you!"

Grand Elder Blood Guile of the Earth Demon Alien Race replied quickly upon hearing this.

He felt immense pressure in the Lord of Earth Demons’ presence. The gap in their power forced him to be exceedingly cautious, terrified that one wrong word would get him killed on the spot.

"Mm."

The Lord of Earth Demons nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Grand Elder Blood Guile turned and left immediately, unwilling to spend another second in the magnificent Demon Palace.

’I told you all to be more restrained, but you wouldn’t listen. Now it’s time to pay the price!’

After leaving the Demon Palace, Grand Elder Blood Guile’s gaze shifted to a certain corner of the Demon Cave as he thought to himself.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes. If this matter hadn’t involved the Bloodline Sacrifice Array, he never would have sought out the Lord of Earth Demons personally.

Fortunately, the Lord of Earth Demons wasn’t targeting him this time. Instead, his wrath was directed at the Third Demon Army for their excessive actions during the last Demon Tribulation. Now that the Demon Lord’s Cultivation had advanced, he was making an example of them.

He would simply enjoy the show. Who could be blamed but those restless fools among the Earth Demons who wanted to test the Lord of Earth Demons’ limits?

He was more than happy to see the Lord of Earth Demons make an example of others, as long as that blade wasn’t pointed at his own neck.

As for the Human Race, he wasn’t particularly concerned. The environment in the depths of the Demon Cave was better suited for the Earth Demon Alien Race’s Combat Power, giving them greater confidence in any confrontation there.

The humans from the Profound Void Grotto Heaven had mobilized so many experts before, yet they had ultimately retreated. They clearly didn’t dare to face the demons in the depths of the Demon Cave.

’Death Demon, it looks like this time you’re truly going to become a dead demon!’

A smirk played on Grand Elder Blood Guile’s lips as a cold light flashed in his eyes.

He thoroughly enjoyed seeing beings like that suffer.

Life in the Demon Cave was far too dull. Watching these other Earth Demons meet their doom was its own form of entertainment.

...

「Pill Pavilion Yuanqing Courtyard.」

"Pharmacist Yang, the quality of the Elixirs you’ve refined this time is even higher!"

Not long after the first group from the Merak Sacred Land entered the Demon Cave, Gu An had delivered a new batch of Spiritual Materials, requesting that Yang Chan refine them.

And now, Gu An had received word from Yang Chan that the refining was complete and that he should come over.

Gu An opened the containers to inspect the finished Recovery Spirit Pills and found their quality to be even better than the last batch he’d received.

The overall quality had clearly reached a new level, which took Gu An by surprise.

He realized that every time he thought he’d seen the limit of Yang Chan’s abilities, he discovered he had still underestimated him. Yang Chan’s potential was far greater than he had imagined.

For this batch of Spiritual Materials he’d delivered, the Merak Saintess had extended the deadline, yet Yang Chan had finished ahead of schedule—and the work was both fast and high-quality.

The last time he had delivered a batch of Recovery Spirit Pills to the Saintess Pavilion, the Merak Saintess had even offered a few words of praise. Compared to other Pharmacists, the Elixirs Yang Chan refined were far superior—and that had been his first attempt at refining Recovery Spirit Pills.

The quality of these Elixirs was in a completely different league from the last batch. He could already imagine how pleased the Merak Saintess would be when she saw them.

"And these two Medicine Bottles of Elixirs are for you, Hall Master Gu."

"You’ll be entering the Demon Cave soon. There isn’t much else I can do to help, so please take these Recovery Spirit Pills."

"Of course, I hope you won’t need them, but it’s always good to have a backup."

Yang Chan produced two more Medicine Bottles of Recovery Spirit Pills and handed them to Gu An.

Gu An had helped him a great deal in the past, so it was only natural for him to return the favor now.

Recovery Spirit Pills were the best help he could offer at the moment.

Yang Chan didn’t try to persuade him not to go. He knew Gu An’s character, and besides, if Gu An wanted to advance further on his Martial Arts path, the journey into the Demon Cave could bring him significant benefits.

No one could dictate the path another person should walk.

It was enough to simply offer support.

Doing otherwise could turn a friend into an enemy.

It would be like obstructing someone’s path in their Cultivation.

Yang Chan had no intention of obstructing another’s path.

Gu An had already made his choice. All Yang Chan could do was offer his support.

"Thank you, Pharmacist Yang!"

Gu An accepted the Medicine Bottles. As soon as he opened one and inhaled the rich medicinal aroma, he knew just how precious these Recovery Spirit Pills were.

He didn’t refuse them, however. His relationship with Yang Chan was much closer than most.

He simply committed Yang Chan’s help to memory, resolving to repay the kindness in the future should the opportunity arise.

"The Saintess is waiting, so I won’t delay any longer."

Gu An put away the Elixirs Yang Chan had given him, gave Yang Chan a fist-and-palm salute, and then departed immediately.

Some things didn’t need to be said aloud; it was enough to keep them in his heart.

’I hope your journey goes smoothly.’

Yang Chan offered a silent blessing.

He had absolutely no intention of entering the Demon Cave. For one, he doubted it held any opportunities he desired. More importantly, the Demon Cave was home to Blood Exchange Martial Saint Level experts. The mere possibility of a clash between masters of that Level was enough to extinguish any thought he might have had of entering.

Having witnessed a battle between Blood Exchange Martial Saints firsthand, he had no desire whatsoever to venture inside and take such a risk.

His strength was insufficient. If his luck ran out, he could very well end up permanently entombed within the Demon Cave.