I am Guhuoniao, not an umbrella demon, please do not disturb me.

If it weren't her house, but some kind of cave, this wolf demon would have actually managed to hide there.

"Alright, let's do it the way Shenhuang said."

With a wave of his hand, Tianjiao summoned a powerful demon to take the wolf demon down. As the wolf demon descended, it didn't forget to shout its gratitude to Shenhuang for sparing its life.

The wolf demon's mind worked exceptionally fast at this moment. He realized that Bai Qingyu was deliberately protecting him. If Bai Qingyu hadn't said anything just now, he would have been doomed. Her words were a way of giving the other powerful demons a way out, letting him go over and clean the house as punishment.

The group of demons flew inwards, with Tamamo-no-Mae standing not far from Bai Qingyu.

"Aunt, I've been busy with something very important lately and haven't been able to tell you beforehand. Please forgive me."

After all, Bai Qingyu saved him at the most critical moment of his tribulation, and letting him stay in Shenhuang Residence to avoid being hunted down was essentially a favor. Now that he has a position, he can call her "Aunt" without any psychological pressure.

"You just do your thing, it's not too late to go back when you're done."

"Did you come here today because of the ruins?"

That was all Tamamo-no-Mae could think of, but she always felt it wasn't simple.

Bai Qingyu usually doesn't get involved in such matters, but her presence here indicates that she intends to intervene. What kind of situation would it take for her to have this idea?

"Yes, about the ruins."

I certainly can't reveal my plans now; I need to discuss cooperation first, especially with Nanshan and Tongzhou.

The first step of cooperation has been achieved; it's not too late to discuss other matters later as things develop further.

The biggest difference between the interior and exterior of the Ten Thousand Mountains is the spiritual energy. The spiritual energy inside the Ten Thousand Mountains is at least three times that of the exterior, so the difference is visible to the naked eye. The most obvious difference is not the number of demons inside, but the plants. Because of the abundance of spiritual energy, the trees here are all over 300 meters tall, with none being less than 200 meters tall.

The other plants are essentially enlarged versions of the surrounding plants, not only much larger in size but also more lush and vibrant.

Because they were flying too fast, there wasn't enough time to observe carefully, so Bai Qingyu's impressions were the most profound.

No wonder everyone says that the Ten Thousand Mountains are the root of the demon race. Now I know that this is the largest natural place in the world. The demon race itself cannot be separated from the word "nature". In comparison, Bai Qingyu felt that Shuten-dōji's Nanshan was far inferior.

Everyone says that Nanshan is a smaller version of the Ten Thousand Mountains, but she hadn't paid much attention to this claim before. She thought there was nothing wrong with it. After all, Shuten-dōji had tens of thousands of demons under his command. Apart from the Ten Thousand Mountains, no other demon force could compare to Shuten-dōji.

But now it seems he was overthinking things.

Shuten-dōji's Nanzan and the Ten Thousand Mountains are simply incomparable; they are not on the same level at all.

Putting aside strength, just looking at the natural environment alone, Nanshan is far inferior.

Inside the Ten Thousand Mountains, the number of demons is conservatively estimated to be over one hundred thousand, and this number will only increase, perhaps one hundred thousand, or perhaps two hundred thousand.

Such a treasure land would have been targeted by other cultivators if it weren't for the presence of the Heavenly Flood Dragon and the Peacock Demon. The demons living here would not have fared well either, as every part of a demon is a treasure, either for nourishing their bodies or for using as materials to forge spiritual artifacts.

Beautiful female demons can be dragged to warm the bed. In short, don't be fooled by the seemingly fierce appearance of the demon race. In reality, they are almost the lowest of the low in this world, living worse than the merfolk and sea creatures in the sea.

It's hard to imagine what kind of catastrophe will befall the Hundred Thousand Mountains after the Heavenly Dragon and the Peacock ascend to heaven.

Bai Qingyu could see the lives of the demon race below from afar.

Contrary to expectations, the demon race here lives a relatively primitive life, still operating under a tribal system. However, the art style is exceptionally friendly, and different demon races can live peacefully together.

The perception that demons are ferocious is a stereotype. There is a big difference between the demons outside the mountains and those inside. The demons outside have no sense of security, so they are particularly aggressive. In addition, they are wild beasts that have undergone tribulation, so they are not very intelligent and are used to the law of the jungle, which makes them seem extremely ferocious.

Some man-eating demons are like this. They don't really understand the concept of eating people. They've just awakened their intelligence and think they're very powerful. Humans are easy prey for them, so that's how they are.

Life inside the Ten Thousand Mountains is peaceful and comfortable. The demons are not directly descended from the tribulations, but are descendants of families or tribes.

The children born from demons are not wild beasts, but also demons who have awakened their intelligence. This type of demon can even take human form without undergoing tribulation. As the generations go by, the differences naturally widen. Compared with the lives of most demons outside, the interior of the Ten Thousand Mountains is like a beautiful painting, or rather, a paradise.

Of course, there are also characters whose art style is the same as imagined, but these are all energetic males, or foreign demons who are separated and start close-quarters combat when they don't like each other.

Seeing this, Bai Qingyu truly understood just how vast the difference was. Even disregarding the environment, Shuten-dōji's Nanzan couldn't compare to this place.

That's normal. Nanshan has only been developing for a few years, while the Ten Thousand Mountains have existed since ancient times and have continued to this day. Even if we don't talk about ancient times, just look at the two demons, Tianjiao and Kongque. They have existed for a long enough time, and as long as they are alive and exist in this world, the Ten Thousand Mountains will continue to maintain their current status.

Normally speaking, given the rate at which demons reproduce, there shouldn't be only 200,000 demons. In such a wonderful environment, let alone 200,000 demons, even 2 million would be within Bai Qingyu's normal range. So why are there only so many demons in the Hundred Thousand Mountains?

The answer is obvious: it must be suppression from the human race.

Bai Qingyu knew that what he saw was definitely not the true strength and number of the Ten Thousand Mountains, but even if there were more, even if it doubled, it would only be a few hundred thousand demons.

Bai Qingyu withdrew her gaze and glanced at Tianjiao, only to find that she was also looking at her.

Their eyes met, and Bai Qingyu seemed to understand something.

Why did the human race unite to take over the Hundred Thousand Mountains in one fell swoop? No matter how big the Hundred Thousand Mountains are, they cannot withstand the combined efforts of the major sects.

The demon race has a large number of low-level combatants. There are hundreds of thousands of demons. Not counting the old and young, there are at least 100,000 demons who can fight. The weakest of these demons are at the Foundation Establishment stage, and most of them are still at the Golden Core stage. This number is much larger than the number that besieged the Sea Kingdom.

The biggest problem is that there are too few top-tier combat forces, so if the human race is really willing to pay the price, they can still take this place.

The reason they haven't made a move isn't because they can't join forces. The benefits are so great, comparable to those of the Sea Kingdom. If the Sea Kingdom can join forces, why can't they here?

It's still a problem with the two great demons, Tianjiao and Kongque.

Everyone knows that these two old guys are quite old, and their strength has long since reached its peak.

The reason I haven't been able to transcend the tribulation is not because I lack strength or talent, but because I've been actively suppressing it.

Instead of cultivating, he constantly pounded down his cultivation level, suppressing it from ten to eight, repeating this process over and over. Whenever he felt he was about to undergo tribulation, he would suppress his cultivation level down, to the point that he could no longer suppress it.

It's like a lump of dough; you keep pressing it, but eventually you'll reach a point where you can't press it any further.

So the human race might as well just wait. There's no need to fight these two old monsters to the death. If they really had to fight, what a huge price they would have to pay to kill them. Besides, if they abandoned the Ten Thousand Mountains and ran away, that would be a nightmare.

Even among the Mahayana cultivators, they are among the very best, capable of killing a Mahayana cultivator in a one-on-one fight. With these two demons having no worries about their rear, they could join forces to launch a sneak attack on various sects, causing them endless headaches. The price they would pay would far exceed the benefits of the Ten Thousand Mountains.

If we adopt the tactic of stalling, and wait until they can no longer suppress themselves, they will have no choice but to undergo tribulation and ascend to immortality. Then, the 100,000 mountains left behind will be at the mercy of others.

It was with this thought that Bai Qingyu realized that he might have underestimated these two seniors.

She was certain that she wasn't overthinking things.

If a mere sea kingdom can provoke cultivators to join forces, then the Hundred Thousand Mountains are right on land, right under their noses. There's no reason for them not to take action. Just from what she saw, she doesn't believe any sect wouldn't be tempted. With such a vast area, how could there be few benefits?

Given the limited strength of the demon race's higher-ups, and considering the sheer number of lower-level demons who don't form battle formations like the army of the ruins, once the demon race's higher-ups are dealt with, a group of lower-level demons will be nothing more than their prey.

It's because they have reservations that they don't dare to take action.

Connecting this with the intelligence I've gathered over the years, I'm even more certain of this.

So here's the question: why did these two seniors show her these things?

Bai Qingyu seemed to see some different emotions in Tianjiao's eyes. Without saying a word, he silently followed the group of great demons to the Demon King's Temple. Demons liked to build such temples. There were also temples in Nanshan, but they were much smaller in scale than this one.

They were invited to sit down, and soon a monster came in carrying all sorts of fruits and food.

Dozens of powerful demons sat in two rows, each with its own place. At the top center was Tamamo-no-Mae, like the imperial palace in the capital. Tamamo-no-Mae, being the demon king, naturally sat at the top. Moving down the rows, the first seat in the left row was occupied by the peacock, who remained silent with a cold face, while the first seat in the right row was occupied by the celestial dragon.

Below Tianjiao is Bai Qingyu. The seat opposite Bai Qingyu is empty. This seat is quite interesting because it belongs to Shuten-dōji. Since Shuten-dōji didn't come, it's naturally empty.

After pouring wine for Bai Qingyu, Tianjiao chuckled and said, "Little sister, are you curious why you would rather sit in a lower position than become the Demon King with my Peacock Sister?"

Bai Qingyu pondered for a moment, then spoke, "Because the two elder sisters are the guardian demon gods of the Ten Thousand Mountains, if they were to become demon kings, the meaning would be different."

"Oh? Then could you tell me, little sister, what does this mean?"

As she spoke, Tianjiao's eyes shifted, a flash of light passing through her azure eyes, enveloping her, Bai Qingyu, Kongque, and Yuzao.

"The significance is not for the demon race, but for the human race. I wonder if I am right, sister."

Bai Qingyu didn't reach for the wine glass, but looked at Tianjiao. Upon hearing this, Tianjiao's smile deepened. "As expected of you, I knew my sister was clever. This little problem is no challenge for her. Just as my sister said, the significance lies not in the demon race, but in the human race. However, what my sister said is not entirely correct. There is another reason why the human race does not want to see me, Peacock, become the demon king: neither she nor I are particularly interested in this position."

"If I really want to do it, what do I care about the opinions of the human race? Do they need to meddle in the internal affairs of my demon race?"

"Peacock and I are getting old, so we should give more opportunities to younger monsters."

Bai Qingyu nodded, understanding what he meant. To put it simply, Tianjiao and Kongque were unsure how much longer they could continue to provide support. Rather than leaving the group leaderless after their departure, they decided to cultivate a successor. The demon race had no Mahayana cultivators, but the position of Demon King was very special. This was not a wild demon king appointed from outside; the demon kings here were recognized by heaven and earth.

Sitting in this position, one has a promising future in Mahayana Buddhism, just like Tamamo-no-Mae in the past and Tamamo-no-Mae now.

"I think I understand what my sister means."

Bai Qingyu now understood why Tianjiao was being so polite to her and even showing her the interior of the Ten Thousand Mountains; he was trying to win her over as an heir.

Indeed, he was a demon, possessing both considerable strength and prestige.

"Actually, I didn't want to talk about these heavy topics when my sister came here this time. My dear, the key is to live happily. Why think about unhappy things?"

"But right now, there's really no other way."

Tianjiao smiled wryly, picked up the wine cup, and drank it all in one gulp.

"I say it doesn't matter, but I can't help but worry. I'm not capable enough to gain the recognition of the world for the demon race, nor can I change their status. I've actually been to Tongzhou, my sister. It's very good, extremely good. That's the world I want to create."

“You’re very smart. You figured it out without me saying anything. Yes, that’s right. Just like you thought, Peacock and I can’t hold on much longer. It’s hard to say whether we can survive this calamity. After we’re gone, what will happen to all those children in the Hundred Thousand Mountains…”

"I don't like to keep things in suspense, so I'll just say it straight. I completely trust your demonic qualities and character, little sister, and you can see the situation in the Ten Thousand Mountains without me having to tell you."

"It might seem a bit abrupt, since it's my sister's first time here and she's already saying all this, but if I don't say it now, I might not have the chance to say it again."

"That's right. If my sister is willing, I would like you to sit as the Demon King of the Ten Thousand Mountains."

"Don't worry, I'm definitely not leaving a mess for my sister. The position of Demon King of the Ten Thousand Mountains has its advantages. My sister can manipulate the luck, so she should know that the demon race also has luck. As long as my sister becomes the Demon King, the luck of the demon race will gather on her."

"Before we undergo our tribulation, Peacock and I will pass on everything we can to you, my sister, including a great relic in the Hundred Thousand Mountains."

"With my and Peacock's inheritance, plus the Demon King's position and the legacy of the ruins, it's no problem for my sister to double her strength now. I'm not talking about her strength after losing the power of destiny, but her current peak strength."

Bai Qingyu's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. No one had ever seen through the secret of her aura before; Tianjiao was the first.

Everyone knows she can manipulate fortune and faith, but no one knows these things don't belong to her.

"Even if my sister loses her personal luck, she still has the luck of the demon race. The luck of the demon race will only become stronger. I can guarantee that my sister will stand at the very top of this world. Yang Zhantian and Ji Canghai are no match for her. My sister can even fight two against one. In a one-on-one fight, I can teach my sister a move that will definitely kill them both."

These words sound so casual. You have to know that Yang Zhantian is the head of Tianyang Palace and Ji Canghai is the leader of Tianjiao. They truly stand at the pinnacle of the world. Tianjiao's face is full of confidence. With her strength, it is indeed not a problem for her to say such a thing.

If they really fought, in a one-on-one situation, these two might not necessarily be able to defeat Tianjiao.

"With such strength, why should my sister fear any great calamity?"

There was nothing wrong with the beginning, but this sentence is where the deception starts.

It's true that Bai Qingyu could be elevated to the strongest in the world, but the problem is that no matter how strong she becomes, she only has herself.

Tianjiao and Kongque are strong enough, right? The two of them combined are definitely stronger than Bai Qingyu after her supposed upgrade, but they were still suppressed and helpless.

Tianjiao wanted to lure Bai Qingyu into the mess and drag her down with him. In the end, he just wanted to dump the mess on Bai Qingyu.

At this point, Bai Qingyu actually smiled.

“I understand the concerns of the two seniors, but sister, why don’t you listen to what I have to say?”

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