Ling Feng had long since noticed the murderous glare in Yin Xue's eyes. In truth, this was exactly what he wanted. Hit him hard first, break his pride completely, then take his life! At the same time, deep within the territory of the Silver Wolf Demon Emperor, the true mastermind behind this war between humans and demons sat in his grand hall, drinking and making merry. Spread out on the table before him lay a massive map stitched together from beast hides. Watching his territory expand day by day only fed the greed swelling in his chest. "Your Majesty, news has arrived from the Tiancang Plains. Another victory!" "Mhmm. Good, very good!" Silver Wolf Demon Emperor lifted the wine cup before him and drained it all at once. A roar of laughter burst from his throat. Yet when his eyes shifted to the region marked Blackwater Plains, a flash of anger broke through his grin. While his demon army had practically swept all other battlefields, this Blackwater Plains front stubbornly refused to fall and even showed signs of being retaken by the human forces. "What is that Black Jiao Demon King doing? Useless fool. I even sent a force from the Lin Demon Clan to back him up, yet they got driven back fifty li. Worthless drunks and gluttons, every last one of them!" Silver Wolf Demon Emperor rose to his feet. His cold gaze swept through the gathered demons until it locked onto a black-robed man wearing a ghost mask. This man radiated an unmistakable evil qi, and it was obvious at a glance he was human, not demon. "Demon-Masked Lord, tell me, is the Supreme Lotus Seed your Blood God Cult is refining for me ready yet? This emperor's patience wears thin!" That black-robed figure was none other than Lin Canglang, one of Ling Feng's sworn enemies, the Demon-Masked Lord! Demon-Masked Lord gave Silver Wolf Demon Emperor a deep bow. His tone remained calm. "Your Majesty, the Supreme Lotus Seed is a supreme treasure. How could it possibly be refined so easily? But rest assured, my master and I will spare no effort to complete it for you." "The day the lotus seed is born shall be the day Your Majesty steps into the realm of Demon Ruler!" The Silver Wolf Demon Emperor's cold eyes stayed locked on the Demon-Masked Lord. He drew in a long breath. Until that Supreme Lotus Seed was his, he could only hold his anger in check. Months ago, the Demon-Masked Lord and the Blood Sword Heavenly Lord had gathered evil cultivators in the Nanjiang Demon Domain to grow the Blood God Cult's strength. They had slaughtered demonic beasts on a massive scale, which soon caught the Silver Wolf Demon Emperor's attention. Once he learned the Blood God Cult was after this so-called Supreme Lotus Seed, he struck a deal with them. He launched a war against the humans to seize more territory, but also to fuel the "lotus seed's" refinement with vast quantities of fresh blood and flesh. Nothing could supply more vital essence than a war's endless casualties. Every corpse that fell in battle was secretly hauled away to feed the Supreme Lotus Seed. To become a Demon Ruler, the Silver Wolf Demon Emperor did not hesitate to treat his fellow demons' lives as worthless fodder. His ruthless ambition and Lin Canglang's treachery made them a perfect match. Yet neither side trusted the other. Both knew they were only temporary partners. They simply never spoke that truth out loud. "Your Majesty Demon Emperor," the Demon-Masked Lord said with a chilling smile, "as long as the corpses keep coming, the Supreme Lotus Seed will be done within a month or two at most." "Mhmm. That is barely acceptable." Silver Wolf Demon Emperor nodded and shifted his eyes back to the map spread before him. His tone turned cold again. "Who commands the humans in Blackwater Plains? That army is more troublesome than expected." "Your Majesty, the human forces there are called the Tianfeng Battalion. Their commander is General Weiyuan, Ling Feng." "Ling Feng? Never heard of him. Seems he has no real fame in Nanjiang." Silver Wolf Demon Emperor narrowed his eyes in puzzlement. All the decorated generals stationed at Tianmang Fortress were names he knew well. The Demon-Masked Lord's eyes twitched. There might have been countless men called Ling Feng in the world, but hearing this name left him certain. That General Weiyuan had to be the same disciple who once joined the Wenxian Sect. Demon-Masked Lord clenched his fists tight. A glint of murderous cold flickered in his eyes. "Demon-Masked Lord, you know this Ling Feng?" The Silver Wolf Demon Emperor stared at Lin Canglang with an amused smile. "Know him? He's an old friend," the Demon-Masked Lord spat through clenched teeth. "Oh? Then would you care to lead an army and pay your old friend a visit yourself?" Silver Wolf Demon Emperor's tone was casual, his smile faint as he stared down Lin Canglang. "Your Majesty jests. The Supreme Lotus Seed is nearly ready. Meeting an old friend is not something that should be rushed." Lin Canglang waved his hand and forced a smile. "Very well. Such loyalty shall not be forgotten. When I become a Demon Ruler, you will have earned the highest merit." "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Two schemers wore false smiles. Inside, they both cursed the other for a fool. After this, Silver Wolf Demon Emperor learned the Tianfeng Battalion's core strength lay in the Black-Armored Cavalry. After a moment's thought, he decided to hold back his push toward Blackwater Plains for now. Without realizing it, he had just bought Ling Feng precious time to carry out his hidden plan. And Ling Feng, who was also Long Fei, had dared to disguise himself as a demon once again to sneak into the Canglong Sanctum. No amount of heads the Silver Wolf Demon Emperor grew could imagine that. Within the Canglong Sanctum, the half-hour break soon came to an end. The thousand contestants who had cleared the first trial followed the Canglong Sanctum disciples into a long, narrow valley. Mountains rose on both sides like colossal blades piercing the sky. At the valley's mouth, two massive divine dragons, one black, one white, had been carved into the cliffs. Their aura radiated a force so powerful it left every heart trembling. Only by passing through this valley did one truly step into the inner grounds of the Canglong Sanctum. It took a full fifteen minutes before the group emerged into another vast square. Compared to the outer square, this one was smaller, but easily large enough to hold a thousand people. Ling Feng lifted his head. The first thing he saw was eight massive stone pillars, each painted a different color: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, and black. Arranged in the pattern of the Eight Trigrams, they stood tall in the plaza's center. Countless mighty divine dragons had been carved into each pillar. At their center towered a lifelike dragon head statue, exuding a silent, commanding presence. This was the Canglong Sanctum indeed. Everywhere he looked, there were dragons. One who knew nothing might think they had stepped straight into the Dragon Clan's own domain.