Chapter 43 The Invasion into the Demon region
Chapter 43 The Invasion into the Demon region
I found Panzong and the others staying at a luxurious inn. Originally they did not want to enter the palace, but after Mink and I repeatedly persuaded them—and after I tempted the Wolf God with the promise of palace cuisine—they finally agreed and came with me to the residence where my mother lived.
At first I intended to explain things to the palace guards, but they did not stop us at all and allowed the twenty of us to pass through the inspection gate without difficulty.
Holding my mother’s hand, I introduced her.
“Elder brothers, this is my mother.”
Mother smiled warmly at everyone.
“Hello, everyone. There is no need for formalities here. Please feel at home.”
Panzong scratched his head and looked at my human mother in confusion.
“Fourth Brother, how should we address your mother?”
I laughed.
“According to human customs, you should call her ‘Aunt.’”
“Oh,” Panzong replied.
He lifted his cloak, revealing his nine snake heads.
“Hello, Aunt.”
Mother smiled kindly.
“Hello. You are my son’s eldest brother, correct?”
Panzong nodded.
“Yes. Did Lei Xiang tell you that I am a Lernean Hydra? I hope I didn’t frighten you.”
Mother shook her head gently.
“Not at all. Come inside and sit. I prepared something for everyone to eat.”
At the mention of food, the Wolf God immediately rushed forward.
Jin Langtou called out eagerly, “Hello, Aunt. I’m Jin Langtou.”
“Hello, Aunt,” Yin Langtou added. “You’re very beautiful.”
I quickly explained, “Mother, these two are my second brother and second sister.”
“Your fur is very beautiful as well,” Mother said sincerely.
Jin Langtou looked slightly embarrassed.
“Aunt… those pastries you mentioned…”
I laughed.
“They’re in that room. You can go now. Mother, my second brother and second sister don’t have many hobbies. They only enjoy food and unusual things.”
Yin Langtou glared at me.
“Fourth Brother! What are you saying? We are the great—”
“Yes, yes,” I interrupted quickly. “They are also known as the Wolf God. The werewolves all listen to them. As for Eldest Brother, he is the spiritual leader of the Naga tribe. All Nagas respect him deeply.”
I gestured toward the room.
“Second Brother, Second Sister, aren’t you going in? Eldest Brother and Third Brother are already inside. The food my mother prepared is genuine human cuisine. Even I haven’t tasted it yet. If you don’t hurry, I’ll eat it all myself.”
Before they could respond, I rushed inside.
The table was covered with all kinds of pastries.
Without saying another word, I joined Panzong and Mink in devouring the food. The Wolf God rushed in as well and immediately began stuffing pastries into both mouths.
Mother stood at the entrance, stunned as she watched us devour everything like starving ghosts.
Turning to the group of Naga guards who had followed Panzong, she said kindly, “You should come eat as well.”
The captain of the Naga guards swallowed nervously.
“No, that won’t be necessary. We’re not hungry.”
Competing for food with those powerful figures? That would be courting death.
Even if the pastries were delicious, they would never dare.
In a short time the entire table was empty.
Since I had eaten human food before, aside from feeling my mother’s affection I did not find it especially remarkable. But for the others it was a completely different experience.
Panzong and the Wolf God hurried over to my mother, each grabbing one of her arms with eager expressions.
“Aunt, Aunt,” Panzong said excitedly. “Do you have more? That was incredibly delicious.”
“Yes, yes,” Yin Langtou added. “I’ve never tasted anything so good.”
I walked over and laughed.
“Now you understand why human food is so good. Second Brother, now you know why I refused to eat the food in Sasi Territory last time. And both of you are older than my mother—stop pretending to be so innocent.”
Jin Langtou nodded.
“We are only trying to make Aunt happy. No matter how old we are, we still respect generations. Compared to Aunt’s cooking, the food in Sasi Territory is complete trash. Aunt, is there any more? I still want to eat.”
Mother shook her head apologetically.
“I had very little time to prepare, so I could only make these. I didn’t expect everyone to have such appetites. I can prepare more right now—the ingredients are already here.”
I quickly stopped her.
“Mother, that’s not necessary. You shouldn’t exhaust yourself just because they want more food.”
Panzong immediately replied, “Aunt, we can help you cook. That way you won’t be as tired.”
“Eldest Brother,” I said firmly, “stop insisting. I still need to discuss something important with you. Come into the room.”
Panzong muttered, “What could be more important than food?”
Despite his complaints, he followed my mother inside.
They behaved like children—perhaps even more filial than I was. Panzong and the Wolf God sat on either side of my mother.
I frowned.
“Hey, you two didn’t come here to steal my mother, did you?”
Yin Langtou grinned.
“Of course we would. If we had such a good mother, how wonderful that would be.”
Mother gently patted Yin Langtou’s head.
“When the time comes, I will teach you how to cook. Then you can make food for yourselves. Wouldn’t that be even better?”
Yin Langtou was delighted.
“Of course! Of course!”
There was clearly no controlling them, so I spoke seriously.
“I really do have something urgent to discuss. The Beastmen Emperor wants to meet you.”
“I don’t want to go,” Yin Langtou replied casually. “Why does he want to see us?”
I sighed helplessly.
“Second Sister, he is the emperor of the Beastmen after all. I need you to help convince him to send troops against the Demon Clan. How can that happen if you refuse to meet him?”
“What’s the problem?” Yin Langtou replied. “We won’t kneel and serve him.”
Panzong nodded in agreement.
“Fourth Brother, you will represent us. We will not bow before an ordinary Beastman ruler. But we also don’t want to cause trouble for you, so it is best that we simply do not go.”
Their reasoning was actually sound.
After thinking for a moment, I said, “The Beastmen Emperor is a wise ruler. He will not care about formal greetings. Please come with me tomorrow and meet him. I promise you will not have to bow.”
“You only need to tell him that the two of you will support the development of the Beastmen Territory and the surprise attack against the Demon Clan.”
Jin Langtou narrowed his eyes.
“Fourth Brother, you must keep your promise.”
I nodded.
“Of course. If I fail, I will never eat my mother’s cooking again for the rest of my life.”
Panzong and the Wolf God immediately nodded with satisfaction. To them, nothing was more important than my mother’s cooking.
When I looked outside, the sky had already grown dark.
“You all rest here. I still have something to do.”
Mother asked, “Ah Xiang, where are you going?”
I sighed.
“The Beastmen Emperor told me to visit home. I must persuade Leo to support this campaign against the Demon Clan. Mother, please don’t blame me.”
Mother frowned slightly.
“Go then, but be careful.”
“Don’t worry,” I said. “With the Beastmen Emperor supporting me, Leo would not dare do anything to me.”
Jin Langtou suddenly shouted, “You’re going to see the Behemoth King? I want to go too!”
“What would you do there?” I asked. “Cause trouble again? I won’t help you. I’m going for serious business, not to fight.”
“Who said I want to cause trouble?” Jin Langtou protested. “I just want to take a look.”
This fellow was truly troublesome.
They had already fought with my father once before. If they went again, there would certainly be another battle.
Just as I struggled to answer, my mother intervened.
“Yin Langtou, how about Aunt teaches you how to cook? The pastries earlier were very simple. Tonight I can make something even better.”
Yin Langtou’s eyes lit up.
“Really? When do we start?”
Mother smiled.
“Right now. Cooking requires preparation. If something is missing, the taste won’t be right.”
Under my mother’s gentle persuasion, Yin Langtou dragged the unwilling Jin Langtou into the kitchen.
I sighed in relief.
After asking Mink to watch over them carefully, I quietly left the palace.
Passing through the streets and alleys, I eventually arrived at the Behemoth mansion.
The mansion looked as imposing as ever.
Taking a deep breath, I avoided the main gate. Instead, I leaped lightly over the outer wall and entered the courtyard.
My father should be home at this hour.
The mansion was quiet. Only a few servants hurried past. No one noticed me.
After all, this had been my home for many years. Familiar with every corner, I easily made my way to my father’s chamber.
It was evening, and light shone through the windows of his tall room.
He should be inside.
Calming my emotions, I stepped forward and knocked twice on the door.
“Who is it?”
My father’s heavy, deep voice sounded from inside.
“Father, it’s me.”
My voice carried a trace of excitement. Under the lamplight, a large shadow appeared on the door. The door opened, and my father’s tall, familiar figure stood before me.
We had only been apart for a few months, yet I noticed that his temples had already begun to gray. The gaze he gave me was complicated—there was appreciation, happiness, and also anger.
He reached out, grabbed my shoulder, and said simply, “Come in.”
I could tell that the defeat in the war had dealt my father a heavy blow. His hand, however, was still steady and powerful. The grip made me feel as if there were no force in the world that could stand against him.
After entering the room, my father casually waved his hand. A gust of wind shut the door behind us.
He released my shoulder, walked to the desk alone, and sat down. Then he raised his head and studied me carefully, as though we had never met before.
“Sit.”
I nodded and pulled over a chair, sitting diagonally across from him with my body turned slightly toward him.
“Didn’t you go to carry out a mission for His Majesty? Why have you returned?”
I still felt somewhat restrained in front of my father, so I replied respectfully.
“Father, I returned because I had urgent matters to report to His Majesty.”
My father picked up a large cup from the table and took a sip of water.
“What? You couldn’t even deal with a few bandits?”
I was not surprised that my father knew about my mission. There were no secrets between him and the Beastmen Emperor. Without my father’s support, the Beastmen Emperor would never have risen to his current position. Naturally, the emperor would not conceal anything from him.
I shook my head.
“The bandits were no trouble. I have already subdued Yuna Territory and Sasi Territory, and I eliminated many bandits. However, after I subdued Sasi Territory, my men were attacked by Fallen Angels.”
Two rays of light shot from my father’s eyes.
An immense pressure descended upon me, making it difficult to breathe. I could not help but shudder.
“How could Fallen Angels appear in our territory?” my father demanded in a deep voice. “What were they doing here?”
With bitterness in my voice, I answered, “They came to sabotage our plan to unite the Beastmen. Five Fallen Angels killed nineteen of my subordinates. Before I could return in time, one escaped back to Demon Clan territory. The rest were annihilated. I will avenge this. That is why I returned to request that His Majesty send troops to attack the Demon Clan.”
My father suddenly sprang to his feet.
“What did you say? You killed four Fallen Angels?”
I shook my head.
“I killed one. One was killed by my sworn brothers. One self-destructed, and another died in the explosion.”
“Where did these sworn brothers come from? What kind of people are they?”
“I swore brotherhood with three Beastmen. One is from the Naga tribe, one from the Werewolf tribe, and the last is the only survivor among my guards.”
My father snorted.
“Stop fooling around. With the noble blood of our Behemoth tribe, how could you swear brotherhood with such lowly creatures?”
I frowned in surprise.
“Isn’t His Majesty himself only a Lionman?”
My father coughed dryly but did not answer.
“You said you killed a Fallen Angel. Your strength must have improved quite a bit.”
As he spoke, he walked toward me. I immediately stood up as well.
“Follow me.”
He turned, opened the door, and walked out. I hurried after him.
Just as I had entered the mansion by jumping over the wall earlier, my father did the same. Instead of using the front gate, he leaped over the wall with me.
Night was slowly falling. The curtain of darkness was descending over the sky.
Why did Father bring me out here?
From his tone, it seemed clear—he wanted to test my strength.
He led me to the same place where we had fought before and stopped.
“Let me see how much you have improved.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he struck with his fist.
This is bad.
I could not transform into a Fallen Angel while fighting my father. Even if I transformed into the Crimson Angel, I still would not be his opponent—let alone fighting without transforming at all.
In order to last a little longer, I forced myself to recall the moment when I had nearly died. Remembering that moment filled me with excitement and pushed me toward the edge of berserk fury.
Circulating Mad God Chi together with dark magic, a faint yellow glow emerged from my body.
I knew my father preferred direct combat.
With a loud roar, I leaped forward and drove my fist toward him, pouring Mad God Chi into it as I attempted to enter the Heavenly Berserk state.
The concentrated Mad God Chi condensed around my fist, erupting into brilliant yellow light.
A flash passed through my father’s eyes. His raised fist was wrapped in white light.
Boom!
Our fists collided.
A violent gust shot into the sky. The grass in the surrounding area was flattened by the force of the collision, producing a series of fluttering sounds.
I staggered backward several steps before barely stabilizing myself. My right hand had gone numb.
What terrifying strength.
My father clearly had not used his full power.
He snorted coldly.
“Let me tell you—this was not even twenty percent of my strength. With your current power, there is no way you could have killed a Fallen Angel. Go all out. Or do you not wish to avenge your grandmother?”
I had no time to wonder how he knew about the hatred in my heart. His words ignited the fury within me.
What shocked me was that even though my anger was burning fiercely, I still could not enter a berserk state.
Blood vessels burst across my eyes. With a violent roar, I leaped into the air.
“Violent Dance of the Mad Dragon!”
Transforming into a streak of yellow light like a dragon, I rushed toward my father with full power.
He did not dodge.
Extending one hand, he traced a semicircle in the air. A white sphere of light appeared before him.
Like a moth flying into flame, I crashed directly into the sphere.
The explosion blasted outward.
A crater nearly three meters wide appeared on the ground. I was thrown backward again.
However, I realized that my father’s strength had been precisely controlled—strong enough to repel me but not enough to injure me.
Without hesitation, I unleashed the fourth technique of the Mad God Art.
“Hundred Splits of the Mad Shadow!”
With a roar, I felt every cell in my body ignite as my speed surged to its absolute limit.
Countless yellow afterimages of my body rushed toward my father.
For the first time, a serious expression appeared on his face.
He stepped forward half a pace and slightly lowered his stance. Slowly he raised both hands before his chest and crossed them.
Then he slowly separated his hands, turning his palms outward and downward. When his hands reached his sides, his palms faced directly toward me.
I had already exhausted all my strength using the Hundred Splits of the Mad Shadow technique.
Yet it was as if an invisible wall stood before my father.
Every one of my attacks struck that barrier and vanished into specks of light. Each collision created rings of energy that spread outward in front of him.
Throughout the entire exchange, my father maintained the same stance with both palms extended forward.
The white armor formed by the Heaven Thunder Armor technique—something I had often seen him use—did not appear.
Yet an invisible force seemed to fill the entire space between heaven and earth.
I was like a dragonfly trying to shake a stone tower.
No matter how many times I attacked, my father remained unmoved.
Suddenly my father exhaled sharply and thrust both palms forward.
“Open!”
The remaining shadows shattered instantly.
Layers of invisible force slammed into my body. I was hurled high into the air and thrown far away, crashing heavily onto the ground.
The impact dragged my body across the earth, carving a long trench into the ground.
Under the moonlight, it felt as though my entire body had been split apart by pain.
The Mad God Chi inside me had been completely scattered by my father’s attack. The agony was indescribable.
Dark magic circulated rapidly through my body, slowly restoring my strength.
Suddenly the moonlight above me disappeared.
My father’s figure stood directly in front of me.
Struggling, I forced myself to stand and look at him.
“Why didn’t you enter berserk mode?” my father asked with a frown. “If you had gone berserk, even I would not have been able to block your attack so easily.”
I steadied myself and gave a bitter smile.
“I wanted to go berserk as well. But after fighting the Fallen Angels, something strange appeared inside my body. Every time I reach the threshold of berserk, that energy appears and suppresses it.”
Father lifted his hand and placed it on my shoulder. A stream of pure and dense chi flowed into my body.
I was startled and quickly used my will to control my dark magic, forcing it to avoid my father’s chi. I compressed it tightly and pushed it back to the acupuncture point between my brows.
Fortunately, in my father’s understanding, the energy of warriors like us was stored in the dantian. The energy he sent flowed directly there. With the help of his power, my scattered Berserk Chi gathered again.
After examining me for a while, Father slowly withdrew his chi. A puzzled look appeared on his face.
“Your chi is extremely domineering. There is also energy similar to the Heaven Thunder Armor technique within it. Did you learn another martial technique?”
I nodded.
“Yes. I learned another type of chi while studying at Sky City Academy in the Dragon Empire. It is called Mad God Chi. It is said that only those capable of entering a berserk state can learn it. That is why I studied it. Its power is quite formidable.”
Father nodded.
“That is not a problem. However, there is a trace of death aura inside your chi. That may be the reason you cannot enter a berserk state. Did you encounter a necromancer?”
I looked at him in surprise.
“A necromancer? What is that?”
Father sighed.
“A necromancer is a very powerful existence. You could consider them a branch of magicians.”
I asked doubtfully, “Are they black magicians?”
Father shook his head.
“No. Black magicians mainly cultivate dark magic, but necromancers practice necromantic magic—also known as necromantic witchcraft. Both belong to the broader category of dark magic, but they are fundamentally different. Compared to black magicians, necromancers are far more terrifying.”
A trace of fear flashed across Father’s eyes. It was clear that a necromancer had once left him with a terrible memory.
“There are necromancers on the continent?” I asked. “Why have I never heard of them?”
“Necromancers are rarely seen nowadays,” Father replied slowly. “When I was young, your grandfather and I once encountered an advanced necromantic mage. At that time, he had not yet reached the level of a true necromancer.”
“Your grandfather’s strength had already reached the pinnacle among the Beastmen. Yet even though he managed to kill that necromantic mage, he still suffered the mage’s curse.”
“That curse was the real reason your grandfather died so young.”
Father looked directly at me.
“You are the first person besides me who knows this secret. Without my permission, you must never reveal it to anyone.”
I was shocked.
“Are necromancers truly that terrifying? At that time, who was stronger—Grandfather or you now?”
Father replied seriously, “I’m afraid your grandfather was somewhat stronger.”
“His Heaven Thunder Armor had already surpassed the highest tier and reached the Heaven Realm of the ancient Beast God.”
“Heaven Realm?”
I remembered something I had heard before.
“My sworn elder brother, Panzong, once mentioned that he is about to reach the Zenith Realm. I thought those terms were only used among ancient races.”
Father looked surprised.
“Isn’t your elder brother a Naga? I’ve never heard of a Naga capable of reaching such a level.”
He would learn eventually anyway, and I had nothing to hide. So I briefly described how I had suppressed the bandits.
A faint smile appeared on Father’s face.
“So that cunning assassin was a Twin-Headed Wolf from the Werewolf tribe? Hmph. Wait until I meet him again.”
That’s bad…
If Father and the Wolf God met again, they would probably start fighting immediately. I quickly changed the subject.
“Why did you describe your level as the Heaven Realm?”
Father straightened proudly.
“Because the Behemoths are also an ancient race.”
“In fact, we were the most numerous among the ancient races. Ask your brothers if they know about our tribe—the Ancient Titans.”
“In ancient times, the Ancient Titans were second only to the Dragon Clan. We possessed the innate talent to cultivate to the Luminous Realm.”
I was surprised.
“How many dragons are there anyway? Only a few, right? Does that mean the Behemoths were the strongest race in ancient times?”
Father sighed.
“You are wrong.”
“Although our talent is exceptional, the Behemoth race has a fatal flaw. Because of that flaw, we cannot compare with the Dragon Clan.”
“You already know that Behemoths cannot live longer than 150 years. No matter how powerful we become, that limit remains. Only if we manage to break through into the Ash Realm can we escape it.”
“In truth, very few Behemoths live beyond one hundred years.”
“Other races can live for several hundred or even thousands of years. As for the Dragon Clan, there is no need to mention them.”
Father sighed again.
“Do you know why I never liked you?”
“It’s because you are not a pure-blooded Behemoth.”
“Your grandmother was from the Demon Clan. Because of that, I myself am not a pure-blooded Behemoth either.”
“Because of that impurity, it is likely I will never reach the threshold of the Luminous Realm.”
“I hated your grandmother for that reason. That is why I never paid attention to her.”
“However, I never intended to have her killed. That was simply—”
A surge of killing intent erupted within me.
If he had treated Grandmother even slightly better, would his subordinates have dared to kill her?
But I could not lose control now. I still lacked the strength to oppose him.
Suppressing my anger, I asked calmly, “Then what realm has your strength reached?”
Father answered proudly.
“I have just entered the threshold of the Heaven Realm.”
“Lei Xiang, you must understand—each realm brings an enormous leap in power.”
“But even with my current strength, I would never provoke a necromancer.”
“The condition I observed in your body just now is very similar to what happened to your grandfather. Yours is slightly milder.”
“Are you sure you never encountered a necromancer?”
I thought for a moment.
“Ah… The Fallen Angel I mentioned earlier—the one who self-destructed. Before dying he used a forbidden technique. It released a massive amount of death energy.”
“We weakened it together, otherwise it would have killed me.”
Father frowned.
“A forbidden technique… Such magic actually exists?”
“Before your grandfather killed that necromantic mage, the mage also recited an incantation. Perhaps he intended to use the same magic but failed.”
He looked at me seriously.
“Listen carefully. The death aura inside your body currently only prevents you from entering berserk mode. It has no other effect for now.”
“But you must find a way to eliminate it as soon as possible.”
“If it remains inside you, it will eventually erupt.”
“And if that happens… I’m afraid…”
I was surprised. Father was actually worried about me.
But that concern did nothing to reduce the hatred I felt toward him.
Still, his explanation about necromancers sparked my curiosity.
“Do necromancers have any distinctive characteristics? If I encounter one in the future, what should I do?”
Father replied,
“Necromancers are divided into several levels.”
“The lowest level is the necromantic mage. Even they possess power greater than that of a mid-tier human mage, because most of them were originally human magicians before becoming necromancers.”
“The next level is the advanced necromantic mage. Compared with human magic rankings, they would possess power similar to the so-called Holy Soulmasters—though far more terrifying.”
“The final level—the true necromancers—may exist only in legend. None have ever appeared.”
“They are the true commanders of the undead. Their power certainly surpasses that of human Holy Soulmasters.”
“Once they reach that level, they can break through the boundaries of our world and enter the legendary Underworld.”
“Even if I reached the Ash Realm, I might still not be their opponent.”
He looked at me seriously.
“Remember this. Necromancers usually wear large black cloaks and carry long wooden staffs. The staff is their most obvious symbol.”
“Advanced necromantic mages wear red cloaks with long staffs.”
“As for true necromancers, legends say they have no physical form—only grey mist hidden within grey cloaks.”
“With your current strength, if you encounter any necromancer, your only option is to run immediately.”
“Are they really that powerful?” I asked.
Father nodded seriously.
“Yes.”
“They specialize in curses and the summoning of the undead.”
“If someone dies on your side during battle, that corpse may immediately become another soldier under their control.”
“The stronger the necromancer, the more power their summoned undead retain.”
Although Father spoke seriously, I still felt skeptical.
If I ever get the chance, I’d like to test this myself.
“Then where are necromancers located on the continent?” I asked.
Father shook his head.
“I don’t know. Perhaps they have already disappeared.”
“However, necromancers do have one virtue—if you do not provoke them, they usually will not provoke you.”
“That is why they remain so mysterious and unknown.”
“Most of them hide deep within mountains to train. They are a group of lunatics obsessed with power.”
“There may even be some among the Demon Clan.”
“Enough for today. Let’s go back.”
After returning to the Behemoth King’s mansion, Father asked,
“You said you returned because you want His Majesty to send troops against the Demon Clan. Why?”
I answered angrily,
“The Demon Clan has already begun bullying us within our own territory. If we do not show them our strength, they will only become more arrogant.”
Father snorted coldly.
“You are too impulsive.”
“Do you understand how powerful the Demon Clan is?”
“We have just finished a war and already lost a great deal of manpower and strength. Furthermore, the Demon Clan controls our logistical lifeline.”
“I doubt His Majesty will approve your proposal.”
I glanced at him calmly.
“No. His Majesty agreed to consider my proposal.”
Father suddenly stood up.
“What? Has His Majesty lost his mind?”
I smiled faintly.
For the first time during this visit, I clearly had the upper hand.
“No. His Majesty has not lost his mind.”
“With his wisdom, would he make a decision without benefit?”
“You are right—we must take risks. But high risk brings high reward.”
“His Majesty said he will consider it carefully and give me an answer in a few days.”
“However, he greatly respects your opinion.”
“That is why I came here to inform you.”
Father stared at me silently. He also knew that the Beastmen Emperor was not reckless.
After a moment, he sat down again.
“Explain your plan in detail.”
I thought for a moment and then repeated the strategy I had already explained to the Beastmen Emperor earlier that day.
After hearing it, Father fell into deep thought.
A long time passed before he finally raised his head.
“What if the Demon Emperor refuses to accept this?”
“Will we fight the Demon Clan with the strength of the entire country?”
“You also know there is a great disparity in power between us.”
“I know,” I replied. “But I already told you—the Demon Clan is not as united internally as it appears. The Demon Emperor must also consider that.”
Father nodded slowly.
I stood up.
“You can think about it. I will return now.”