I was born a god, the son of the Demon Lord.

The two walked one after the other along the long white jade steps of the Demon Palace toward the treasure vault on the top floor.

They passed by countless demon guards and maids along the way.

Everyone subconsciously lowered their eyes and looked to the side, their gazes all falling on the slender, gilded chain on Shen Jiuyuan's wrist, their expressions varied.

Some were secretly curious and watching the spectacle, some envied him for being favored and cared for by the Demon Emperor, and some harbored a hint of jealousy and speculation.

A barrage of gazes fell upon him, and at first, Shen Jiuyuan felt extremely uncomfortable.

But after walking half a street and being stared at so many times, he finally came to terms with it and gave up completely.

Ha ha.

Look all you want, feel free to look.

We've already lost all face, so what's a little more time?

When the Demon Realm attacks one day, they won't be laughing anymore.

He came here today with a clear goal: to find the most exquisite treasure!

As long as he can make up for the magic energy lost over the past month, he can tolerate all these looks!

The two walked straight ahead and soon arrived at the top floor of the Demon Palace.

Ahead stood an extremely magnificent and ornate treasure vault gate, the entire gate forged from millennia-old warm gold, its texture heavy and luxurious, its light dazzling.

The door is densely inlaid with various rare gemstones: vibrant rubies, clear sapphires, translucent jade, and shimmering glass, scattered and dazzling.

The massive gate was wide and majestic, exuding an aura of grandeur. Just standing before it, it conveyed the luxury and majesty of the supreme treasure trove of the demon realm.

A graceful woman stood before the gates of the gilded jewel vault.

She trailed several shimmering peacock feathers in her tail, her robes were tinged with a faint glow, and her gentle features exuded the majesty of an elder. She was none other than Kong Miao, a Mahayana cultivator of the Peacock Demon Clan who guarded the treasure vault of the Demon Realm.

Seeing the two walking side by side, a playful smile immediately appeared in Kong Miao's eyes, and her voice rose leisurely.

"Oh, what brings you here today? Bringing your little darling to pick out some treasures?"

Xu Yuan nodded readily, his smile open and honest: "Yes."

Kong Miao's gaze swept lightly over Shen Jiuyuan's lower abdomen, her smile deepening. Without further teasing, she raised her hand to form the unlocking seal.

The heavy, magnificent doors of the golden treasury slowly swung open to both sides, revealing a dazzling array of lights and treasures radiating from within.

She stepped aside to make way, smiling and saying, "Go on in."

Xu Yuan led the people beside him into the treasure vault.

As soon as he stepped inside, Shen Jiuyuan turned his head and glanced at Kong Miao outside the door with a deep look, then glared at Xu Yuan.

"What a wish you've made! I, the dignified Demon Lord, am being rumored to be the Demon Emperor's little husband?!"

Xu Yuan raised her hand and pinched his cheek. Her fingertips touched his delicate and supple skin, which felt wonderful. She couldn't help but pinch it a few more times, a mischievous smile on her face.

"I think it's quite fitting."

"You're only restrained by a few chains, yet you act all wronged, stubborn, and throw tantrums. Isn't that spoiled?"

Shen Jiuyuan felt a tightness in his chest, and his demonic energy almost went berserk on the spot.

He took a deep breath, closed and opened his eyes repeatedly to calm himself, and tried to reassure himself.

Tolerate!

Taking a step back opens up a whole new world!

I won't stoop to the level of this unreasonable demon emperor!

Let bygones be bygones today’s humiliation; the most important thing is to choose the treasure!

The most expensive one must be chosen!

Xu Yuan stopped teasing him on purpose.

"Take your time looking through them, and call me when you've chosen the one you like."

"All the treasures here are protected by special restrictions; only I can take them. Just tell me what you've chosen."

After saying that, she loosened the gilded chain in her hand, turned around and left the treasure vault, leaving Shen Jiuyuan alone to choose from the treasures in the room.

Outside the door, Kong Miao watched her come out and raised an eyebrow, teasing her.

"Why aren't you with your little darling? Aren't you afraid he's too powerful and might secretly break the seal and steal all your treasures?"

Xu Yuan leaned against the door frame, chuckling casually.

"If he has the ability to steal, then that is his skill."

Kong Miao clicked his tongue twice, reached out and gently tapped her shoulder, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness and teasing.

"You really spoil me rotten. No wonder those servants sent by the tribes have all come to me to complain recently."

"You haven't set foot in the inner palace for a whole month, refusing to show your face even once, completely neglecting people. If this continues, it won't be good for the various tribes to maintain good relations and communication."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan's smile faded slightly, and his tone became frank yet indifferent.

"Those who do not wish to stay in the demon palace or cannot bear the loneliness are free to return to their tribes. I never force anyone to stay."

Her words were by no means an impulsive statement.

The demon race is a matriarchal clan system, with females as the most respected and the mother clan as the core, which has been the case from ancient times to the present.

When she first ascended to the throne of the Demon Emperor, her foundation was not yet stable and her cultivation was not yet sufficient to intimidate the vast Demon Realm.

The various tribes were deeply intertwined, and in order to consolidate her power and appease the hearts of the people, she followed the precedent set by the previous demon emperor and accepted the gifts sent by each tribe.

Firstly, it maintains tribal bonds and stabilizes the situation in the demon realm;

Secondly, there was a lingering thought that if the opportunity arose, they could choose the best candidate for marriage and have a legitimate heir to the demon race.

But over the years, she had long seen through this kind of superficial bondage and despised this kind of marriage arrangement used to weigh the pros and cons.

The second objective has long been rendered obsolete.

Today, her cultivation is unparalleled in the demon realm, and she is awe-inspiring throughout the four seas and eight wastelands. She no longer needs to rely on others to consolidate her power.

More importantly, Shen Jiuyuan now has her own bloodline, and she has her own legitimate heir, so she no longer needs to rely on external forces to maintain her power.

As for those courtiers, she has kept them around only out of consideration for their relationship and to maintain a certain level of liking for them.

The male demons in the Demon Realm are already in a special situation.

In the tribe, females bear the heavy responsibility of bearing and protecting the tribe. The offspring they give birth to belong to the mother tribe and are raised by the entire tribe together, never needing to rely on the father.

The males in the tribe either stay behind to serve as laborers or go out to hunt and gain experience on their own.

Especially for demons with low cultivation levels, they cannot escape their innate mating season and are extremely prone to going berserk and losing their minds.

Once the berserk trait of the demon race is triggered, they will completely lose their rationality and become violently out of control.

In order to protect their young and maintain order within the tribe, tribes have always sent away males who are emotionally unstable or prone to rage from the group to avoid trouble.

Those who were sent to the Demon Palace had long since left their tribes.

If they were to return in such a sorry state, without a voice or a foothold, they would only be looked down upon and ostracized by their own kind, ending up in a miserable state.

Knowing the pros and cons, Xu Yuan simply kept them in the harem, providing them with fine clothes and food, letting them live a peaceful and carefree life as idle ornaments.

She never stopped people from staying or leaving as they pleased.

Kong Miao shook his head with a smile: "Only you are kind-hearted enough to keep this group of idle people around. If it were the previous Demon Emperor, he would have sent them all back long ago."

Xu Yuan said softly, "It's alright, they're just some insignificant people and things, no need to worry about them."