Chapter 159: Queen of Ten Thousand Demons

After Li Yun飞 had admired enough and finally put away the super skeleton and the elite skeleton, Honghong asked him, "You took a leave of absence for more than half a month with Sister Ying, and now you've solved the problem in just two days. Where are we going next?"

Li Yun飞 had planned this long ago and answered with a serious look, "Let's go check on Dalang and the others. Barring any accidents, Dalang should have already taken human form."

"By the way, we'll take a turn around the forest to see if we can subdue the Tiger King and that gang of great demons. If they don't know what's good for them, we might as well grind some more levels and break through directly to the Sun Spirit stage before heading back."

At this, Li Yun飞 looked at Honghong and asked, "Are you interested..."

He had only uttered the first sentence when he suddenly paused. Honghong tilted her head slightly and asked with a puzzled look, "What is it? Interested in what?"

Li Yun飞 snapped out of his daze, chuckled awkwardly, and then finished his sentence, "Are you interested in becoming the Queen of All Demons?"

Just now, when he looked at Honghong, he was suddenly startled to realize that she had grown a lot taller. She had already surpassed his shoulder and reached the level of his neck. Her graceful feminine curves had also become very distinct and exceptionally fine.

The baby fat on her face had basically disappeared, and her once somewhat cute little face now retained only a captivating and stunning charm.

Her fox-like eyes carried a natural allure, making her look increasingly bewitching. Her thin, dainty red lips curved slightly upward, as if she were smiling at all times.

The cute and charming little loli had finally grown into a beauty imbued with innate enchantment.

"The Queen of All Demons..." Honghong raised a hand with keen interest, gently tapping her lower lip with her index finger, and said, "That actually sounds pretty good."

She had no idea how breathtaking this gesture truly was. Even Li Yun飞, who spent every day with her and had long since grown immune to her natural allure, could not help but feel his heart skip a beat.

Li Yun飞 hurriedly reined in his wandering thoughts, averted his gaze from her, and looked into the distance as he said, "A few months ago, an idea popped into my head."

"With the progression of spiritual energy recovery, it's becoming easier for animals in nature to become sentient spirits. In the future, will the demon race form a larger group than human cultivators?"

"When that time really comes, will the kind of scenes from Journey to the West where monsters devour humans everywhere happen on Blue Earth?"

Hearing Li Yun飞's words, Honghong's expression also turned serious. She nodded and said, "Without a doubt, I can almost be certain that it will happen nine times out of ten."

"Human cultivators can quickly increase their cultivation base by eating the meat of demonic beasts, but little do they know that humans themselves are the most spiritually endowed beings of all."

"Not to mention cultivators, even ordinary humans possess flesh, bones, and vital essence that can greatly increase the cultivation years of demonic beasts."

Li Yun飞 nodded in agreement. "That's why! We must plan ahead. While the demon race's momentum has yet to fully form, we need to rope them onto humanity's chariot as soon as possible and become a community with a shared future."

"I need to raise a demon faction in nature to keep demons in check with demons, and the one leading this faction must be someone I trust the most."

"I originally wanted to have Ao Jin do this, but his identity as a dragon is extremely special, and he is already the Si-Snake Elder of Zixiao. He isn't suitable."

"After thinking it over and over, the only one I can completely trust and who possesses sufficient strength is you."

Seeing Li Yun飞 looking at her again with hope shining in his eyes, how could Honghong possibly refuse?

She immediately nodded briskly and said, "Alright! Leave this matter to me. I'll definitely be the Queen of All Demons."

Li Yun飞 nodded in relief, instinctively stroked her hair, and smiled. "The weaklings and newbies at headquarters need time to grow; we can't count on them for the time being."

"Right now, that pack of donkey-headed wolves is your best helper. Afterward, if we go subdue a batch of fierce beast-type great demons, your influence will surely snowball and grow rapidly."

Honghong squinted her eyes and enjoyed being petted by her master for a moment. Then she opened her eyes and waved her hand with great dominance, saying, "Let's sweep through the southwest first, especially the mountainous areas in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan, and then march into the Hundred Thousand Mountains in the south."

"As long as we subdue the demon tribes in these places, sixty percent of Daxia's demons will be in the palm of our hands."

"After that, we'll turn our forces to the north and northeast. I believe it won't take even a year before all of Daxia's demon race bears the brand of Zixiao."

Li Yun飞 applauded and laughed, "Yes, exactly! That's the feeling, it's got the domineering aura of the Queen of All Demons. Hahaha..."

Most of the knowledge Honghong possessed came from Li Yun飞, so her ideas coincided with his. This was precisely how Li Yun飞 had planned it all along.

Honghong said impatiently, "Then let's hurry up and go! I can't wait to go recruit some underlings."

Li Yun飞 had no inkling that the reason Honghong cared so much about being the Queen of All Demons was actually harboring a different kind of intention.

The two of them once again transformed into streaks of escaping light, shooting eastward at a speed much faster than when they had arrived.

***

The sky was gradually turning bright. The winter forest lacked the bustle of summer and autumn; those that should hibernate were hibernating, and those that should migrate had long since migrated.

The birds and beasts that neither hibernated nor migrated also became silent when they came out to move about, no longer chattering noisily as they used to.

Times had changed; making a living out here nowadays while chirping and shouting blindly like before meant one was lacking in common sense.

Nowadays, the birds and beasts in the forest lacked everything except common sense.

At the center of the Shennongjia Forest District, months had passed, and the spiritual energy here had become increasingly dense, growing thicker the closer one got to the ground.

This wasn't because the spiritual energy was sinking, but rather because the spiritual energy here was simply gushing straight out from underground.

Within a foot above the ground, the spiritual energy condensed into clouds. Walking in this forest felt like walking on the clouds.

It was identical to the heavenly court scenes created with dry ice in those old mythology dramas from decades ago.

Living creatures in the surrounding area had all obtained great fortuitous encounters, either mutating into monstrosities or gaining intelligence to become spirits. Their once simple lives as birds and beasts had become complicated.

Every day, they lived cautiously, walking on thin ice with beating hearts, terrified that if they were careless for even a moment, they would become food for other spirits and demons.

Seen in this light, it was hard to tell whether this fortuitous encounter was ultimately a blessing or a curse for them.

Perhaps remaining as muddled, foolish, and ignorant as before, running about every day merely for a few worms and a few mouthfuls of food, and then dying in total oblivion—perhaps that would have been a better outcome.

At least they wouldn't have to live in constant fear like now, trapped in anxiety at every moment and utterly exhausted. How similar was this to progressive human society?

The reason the spiritual energy here was so dense was because deep underground lay a massive spiritual stone mine.

Outside the cave network occupied by the donkey-headed wolf pack, a tall, robust, and well-proportioned man stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the rising morning sun in the east with a solemn expression.

Although this man was tall, standing at nearly two meters, he did not give a clumsy impression. Instead, his body lines appeared smooth, and at a single glance, he looked extremely agile and fierce.

In the cold winter, he wore only a black short-sleeved T-shirt, a pair of casual camouflage trousers, and a pair of hiking boots.

This outfit was precisely the same one Li Yun飞 had worn when he came here back in early autumn.

The man was none other than the Donkey-Headed Wolf King, Lü Dalang. When Li Yun飞 left, he had already reached the peak of the Spirit Movement cultivation base.

Now, months later, not only had he successfully taken human form, but taking advantage of the massive amount of wild boar demon meat and the convenience of the spiritual stone mine, his cultivation had progressed by leaps and bounds, reaching the mid-stage of the Yin Spirit stage and pressing close to the late stage.

When he took human form, his appearance had also used Li Yun飞 as a template. However, his temperament differed considerably from Li Yun飞's, so the features he manifested suited his own temperament better, bearing only a five- or six-part resemblance.

"Flap, flap, flap..."

Suddenly, the sound of large birds beating their wings came from the sky.

Lü Dalang looked up, his expression softening somewhat.

Those were a group of giant raptors measuring seven or eight feet in length, with a wingspan of over a zhang, standing taller than a human.

Their hooked beaks were curved, and their bird legs were very thick, ending in golden toes that flashed with a cold light like steel talons.

The feathers from the back of the head to the hind neck were long and willow-leaf-shaped, with dark reddish-brown feather bases and golden tips.

Through these characteristics, one could identify them as a flock of golden eagles. However, ordinary golden eagles grew to at most a little over three feet tall (about 1.2 meters) with a wingspan of around eight feet; these golden eagles were clearly not ordinary ones.

There were 15 golden eagles in total. After circling the sky a few times, they descended toward Lü Dalang's location.

The first three golden eagles transformed into two women and one man upon landing. The women were both dressed in white down jackets, wearing thick, fleece-lined black stockings on their lower bodies and long boots.

As for the man, he wore a black leather jacket on his upper body, jeans, and martin boots, with his long golden hair braided into dreadlocks at the back of his head, dressed like a hippie.

The remaining 12 golden eagles behind them did not take human form and maintained their original animal shapes. Clearly, they had not yet reached the Yin Spirit stage, yet they strutted with a proud and dominant air.

The woman transformed from the lead golden eagle had a very tall figure of nearly 1.8 meters, with rounded and slender legs.

Her slightly cold and proud almond-shaped face was framed by long golden hair cascading over her shoulders, and she wore a pair of large hoop earrings on her earlobes, adding to her aloof demeanor.

The woman behind her was slightly shorter, yet she also possessed the figure of an international supermodel, with her golden hair tied into a neat ponytail at the back of her head. Her temperament was less cold, but her eyes carried a rather sharp edge.

Being birds, they often took advantage of their innate ability to fly to soar over human cities and secretly observe human clothing and styling.

Thus, their templates for taking human form were extremely rich, which explained why their post-transformation attire was so fashionable.

Lü Dalang lacked this convenience; he had never left the forest district in his life and, aside from Li Yun飞, had not interacted with other humans.

All his knowledge about humans came from those clansmen who had gone to the edge of the forest district and secretly observed humans up close.

Consequently, his transformed appearance and clothing could only be modeled after Li Yun飞.

The two women and one man—or rather, the three transformed golden eagles—approached Lü Dalang. The lead woman greeted him, "Wolf King."

Lü Dalang nodded to the three of them and asked, "Golden Eagle King, how is the situation?"

The leading woman was indeed the Golden Eagle Queen. The golden eagle clan was the only tribe in the Shennongjia Forest District on friendly terms with the donkey-headed wolf clan, boasting a friendship spanning dozens of generations—truly a family alliance.

They were also the only tribe permitted by the donkey-headed wolves to enter this area and inhabit it.

When the donkey-headed wolf clan was plotted against by the White Wild Boar King and nearly driven to extinction, the golden eagles were far away in the northeast and knew nothing of it until the northeast turned cold and they flew south.

Golden eagles were migratory birds. Last year, their cultivation bases were generally still low, and they were unable to completely ignore the climate, so they still had to migrate with the changing seasons.

Otherwise, had the golden eagle clan been present back then, the donkey-headed wolves would not have been driven to such a pass.

Even if the golden eagles didn't participate in the battle and merely observed the tactical situation from the sky, warning them at a critical moment, the wild boars' scheme would never have succeeded.

However, now that the clan's cultivation bases had been elevated, they no longer needed to worry about seasons and climate, and they would never have to fly back and forth again.

Although they also had a place with abundant spiritual energy to inhabit in the northeast, it fell far short compared to here.

Staying here from now on to cultivate in peace and raise their cultivation base would also allow them to provide mutual support with the donkey-headed wolf clan.

Most importantly, the donkey-headed wolf clan had established a connection with human cultivators, and perhaps their golden eagle clan could hitch a ride on their coattails in the future.

Having taken human form, they understood even more profoundly the difference between having cultivation techniques and lacking them.

If they wished to achieve the supreme Dao, depending on human cultivators was an inevitable path.

The golden eagles possessed the bloodline of the Golden-Winged Great Roc, but unfortunately, the inheritance of the Roc had been cut off. Trying to cultivate and attain the Dao purely by their own instincts was almost nothing more than an extravagant hope.

Hearing Lü Dalang's question, the Golden Eagle Queen said with a solemn expression, "They have indeed united, gathered together, and are rushing this way. They will arrive soon."

A flash of cold light crossed Lü Dalang's eyes at these words, and he asked in a deep voice, "Which tribes specifically?"

The Golden Eagle Queen replied, "The beasts are mainly led by the tiger, leopard, bear, and wolf clans, followed by the golden cat, large Indian civet, yellow-throated marten, porcupine, and white python clans."

"The birds are mainly led by the Lammergeier and the Upland Buzzard, followed by the sparrow hawk, black kite, and vulture clans."

Lü Dalang sneered and said, "Those bastards! In order to seize our blessed land, they can even overcome their hibernation instincts and rush over to throw away their lives. Do they really take my donkey-headed wolf clan for mere donkeys?"

The Golden Eagle Queen pondered briefly and said, "Wolf King, surely you can see that seizing a blessed land and all that is merely a slogan they shouted out to drive up the price."

"The donkey-headed wolves have entrenched themselves here for millions of years, and this is the undisputed territory of our clan. They know very well that if they truly want to seize this place, the donkey-headed wolves will definitely fight them to the death."

"While their combined strength is certainly strong enough, if they were to fight us two clans to the bitter end, the most likely outcome would be mutual destruction. They aren't that stupid."

Lü Dalang said, "How could I not see that? Their true target is actually the spiritual stones. Their territories are not here, and the spiritual energy isn't as dense, so they want to seize the spiritual stones to aid their cultivation."

The Golden Eagle Queen asked, "Since you understand everything, why don't you hand over some spiritual stones to give them no reason to stir up trouble? The spiritual stone mine here is unimaginably vast; giving them some would just be a drop in the bucket."

Lü Dalang shook his head. "If it were in the past, giving them some wouldn't be a problem. But things are different now. These spiritual stone mines do not belong to our clan; they belong to my master. Without my master's permission, how can I make decisions on my own?"

"Besides, once this precedent is set, they won't be satisfied with just once. Greed is the inherent nature of any tribe; once there is a first time, there will be countless times."

"The Tiger King and the others have no relation to us; on the contrary, they belong to the category of competitors. What obligation do I have to support them?"

Hearing Lü Dalang's words, the Golden Eagle Queen pressed no further and nodded in agreement. "Then let's fight! They have only temporarily united out of shared interests, and when all is said and done, they're just a tray of loose sand."

"They will surely not fight with one heart and one mind; everyone wants to take the benefits without paying a price. When the time comes, as long as we put on a strong front and deal heavy blows to a few specific tribes at the start of the fight, the most likely outcome is that they will scatter in all directions."

Lü Dalang nodded approvingly again and again. The Golden Eagle Queen's brain worked better than his, a fact he greatly admired. He asked solemnly, "Can you hold the sky?"

The Golden Eagle Queen lifted her chin slightly and said with pride, "We haven't taken those scavenger, featherless trash seriously. When the time comes, I'll dispatch a portion of our clansmen to help share the pressure on the ground."

Lü Dalang did not refuse, saying, "Very well. Although we aren't intimidated by them on the ground, the pressure would be a bit heavy. Just help me keep an eye on the wolf clan; leave the other tribes to us."

The Golden Eagle Queen nodded briskly. "Good. Then let's go inside and call out all the clansmen! This time, we'll teach them an unforgettable lesson."

The "scavenger, featherless trash" she referred to were precisely the Lammergeiers, commonly known as vultures.

Vultures were scavenging raptors; although their bodies were generally slightly larger than golden eagles, their combat strength was far inferior.

Golden eagles always hunted for themselves, whereas vultures fed exclusively on rotting animal carcasses—literally scavenging what others left behind. Calling them beggars among raptors was not an exaggeration at all.

Furthermore, vultures were resident birds, unlike golden eagles which were migratory and did not change locations with the seasons; hence, their flying abilities were also vastly inferior to golden eagles.

As for the Upland Buzzard, commonly known by folks simply as the "old hawk," it was also an extremely fierce raptor by nature.

However, their size was nearly half smaller than golden eagles and vultures, so fierce as they were, their innate combat strength lagged behind the other two tribes.

***

Up in the sky, Li Yun飞 looked at Honghong with a smile and asked, "How is it?"

Honghong said with appreciation in her voice, "You didn't misjudge them; the donkey-headed wolf clan is indeed a trustworthy tribe."

Li Yun飞 nodded in agreement. "The golden eagle clan is not bad either; smart enough, and loyal enough."

Honghong asked, "Can we go down now?"

Li Yun飞 smiled. "Don't rush. Let's wait until that mob arrives. I originally thought I'd have to go looking for them one by one, which would have taken some time."

"Yet they actually want to unite to pressure Dalang, which conveniently makes it easier for me to wipe them out in one net and saves me a lot of trouble. At this rate, we might even make it back before the New Year."

This trip out had gone much smoother than expected.

The undead disaster incident would probably need some time to ferment; after all, the entire papal army had been wiped out, and the outside world knew nothing of this news.

By the time various parties realized something was amiss and began investigating the mystery of the disappearance of the papal army and the skeleton legion, it would likely be some time later.

Now, the plan to subdue the demon race of Shennongjia had also become simple thanks to the demons' own actions. Li Yun飞 genuinely began to wonder if he was blessed with an aura of fortune.