From the fake emperor to the concubine

Indeed, in the face of absolute power, all schemes and tricks appear pale and powerless.

The Zheng family used the Qingya Sect as a living example to tell everyone: cooperating with the Demon Heart Sect will not end well, and being an enemy of the Zheng family is a dead end.

This deterrent effect is more effective than any propaganda.

"Vice Sect Leader, what about the Sect Leader?"

"The sect leader is still in seclusion; we shouldn't disturb him unless absolutely necessary," Chu Yuehua said, shaking her head. "Right now, we can only hope that the sect leader can break through as soon as possible."

But he knew very well that, given the current situation, even if the sect leader did break through, it wouldn't be easy to turn things around.

The Zheng family has seized absolute initiative and continues to expand its advantage.

"Perhaps we should consider other options," Chu Yuehua thought to herself.

As the deputy sect leader of the Demon Heart Sect, he had to be responsible for the sect's future. If a head-on confrontation would only result in mutual destruction, then timely compromise might be a viable option.

Meanwhile, at the Zheng family's residence...

"Clan leader, according to the latest intelligence, it seems there are internal divisions within the Demon Heart Sect," Zheng Hui reported. "There are rumors that some of their higher-ups are wavering in their decision to continue fighting against us."

"Really?" A glint of shrewdness flashed in Zheng Tianhao's eyes. "It seems our strategy has worked as intended."

“Should we take this opportunity to apply further pressure?” Zheng Chengbai suggested.

"No rush," Zheng Tianhao shook his head. "Let them create chaos internally for a while, then we can sit back and watch them fight it out."

"The clan leader is brilliant!" Everyone exclaimed in admiration.

Three months later, inside the Blood Fiend Cave deep within the Ghost Valley of the Demon Heart Sect.

"boom!"

A powerful aura erupted from the cave, shaking the entire Ghost Valley. Countless vengeful spirits dwelling in the valley were shattered by this aura and vanished into nothingness.

"Hahaha! We finally succeeded!"

With a wild laugh, Qi Yang emerged from the Blood Fiend Cave.

Qi Yang had undergone a dramatic transformation compared to three months ago. His complexion was no longer pale, but rather had a sickly ruddy glow. His eyes gleamed with a blood-red light, and the aura he exuded was several times stronger than before.

"Late stage of Foundation Establishment! I've finally reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment!" Qi Yang felt the surging power within his body, his face full of a triumphant smile.

After three months of arduous training, he not only successfully broke through his cultivation bottleneck, but also reached a new level in the "Heart-Devouring Demonic Art." Now, he is confident that he can fight any late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"Sect Master! You've finally emerged from seclusion!"

Chu Yuehua had been waiting outside the cave for a long time. When she saw Qi Yang come out, she immediately went to greet him. But when she sensed the aura emanating from Qi Yang, a look of shock appeared on her face.

"Sect Master, what is your cultivation level?"

"Late stage of Foundation Establishment," Qi Yang said calmly, his tone filled with undisguised pride.

"Congratulations, Sect Master! Congratulations, Sect Master!" Chu Yuehua exclaimed excitedly. "With your current strength, Sect Master, our Demon Heart Sect will surely rise again!"

"Really?" Qi Yang narrowed his eyes. "Then tell me first, what's the situation outside?"

Chu Yuehua's face immediately turned ugly.

He had intended to wait until Qi Yang was happy for a while before reporting the bad news, but he didn't expect Qi Yang to ask about serious matters so quickly.

"Sect Master, the situation is not very optimistic," Chu Yuehua said, forcing herself to speak.

"Speak." Qi Yang's tone turned cold and stern.

“While you were in seclusion, the Zheng family launched an attack on the Qingya Sect. Master Qingshi surrendered without a fight and submitted to the Zheng family,” Chu Yuehua said cautiously.

"Qingya Sect has surrendered?" Qi Yang frowned, but his expression remained relatively calm.

"Yes, and the Zheng family is making a big fuss about this, spreading rumors that our Demon Heart Sect is unreliable," Chu Yuehua continued, "Now most forces in the cultivation world are unwilling to cooperate with us."

"Anything else?" Qi Yang's tone remained calm, which surprised Chu Yuehua.

"Furthermore, many previously neutral forces have begun to side with the Zheng family, and even some sects that had previously agreed to cooperate with us have changed their stance," Chu Yuehua said in one breath.

After he finished speaking, he looked at Qi Yang nervously, waiting for the other party's reaction.

As he expected, Qi Yang would be furious upon hearing this bad news. After all, he had been in seclusion for three months, only to emerge to find the alliance plan completely bankrupt; anyone would be enraged in his shoes.

To Chu Yuehua's surprise, Qi Yang simply nodded after listening, without any anger on his face.

"I see," Qi Yang said calmly. "It seems those human cultivators are indeed unreliable."

"Sect Master, are you not angry?" Chu Yuehua asked tentatively.

"Angry? Why should I be angry?" Qi Yang retorted. "Doesn't the betrayal of these opportunists prove that my initial judgment was correct?"

"The initial judgment?" Chu Yuehua asked, puzzled.

"Internal strife within the human race ultimately has its limitations," Qi Yang sneered. "These human cultivators, no matter how righteous they appear on the surface, are only thinking of their own interests at heart. Once the situation turns unfavorable, they will immediately betray us."

"So, what does the sect leader mean?"

"Since the human race can't be relied upon, then we'll find other allies." A glint of madness flashed in Qi Yang's eyes. "In this world, it's not only human cultivators who possess strength."

Chu Yuehua's heart stirred, and she vaguely guessed Qi Yang's thoughts, but she dared not confirm them.

"Yuehua, what do you think of the demon race?" Qi Yang suddenly asked.

"The demon race?" Chu Yuehua gasped. "Sect Master, you wouldn't be thinking of..."

"That's right, I'm planning to visit my friends in the demon race," Qi Yang sneered. "Human cultivators look down on our Demon Heart Sect, but the demon race might not."

"But Sect Master, the demon race and the human race have always been at odds. Would they be willing to help us?" Chu Yuehua asked worriedly.

"Whether we're willing or not depends on what we can offer." Qi Yang's smile grew even colder. "Moreover, the hatred between the demon race and the human race is long-standing, and they'd love to see internal strife break out among the human race."

"This..." Chu Yuehua was still somewhat worried. "Sect Master, isn't cooperating with the demon race too dangerous? What if other human cultivators find out?"

"So what if we know?" Qi Yang said dismissively. "The entire cultivation world is targeting us now. Do we still need to worry about our reputation?"

"But what if it's a demon race?"

"There's no 'what if'!" Qi Yang interrupted Chu Yuehua. "Yuehua, you need to understand one thing: now is our most dangerous time, and also when we need allies the most. If we continue to proceed as planned, our Demon Heart Sect will be completely crushed by the Zheng family sooner or later."

Chu Yuehua fell silent.

He knew Qi Yang was right; given the current situation, the Demon Heart Sect did indeed need a powerful ally. However, cooperating with the demon race was practically an act of treason in the eyes of human cultivators.

"Sect Master, where do you plan to search for the demon race?" Chu Yuehua finally asked.

"The Northern Wilderness Demon Realm." Qi Yang answered without hesitation.

The Northern Wilderness Demon Realm, located at the northernmost edge of the cultivation world, is the main settlement of the demon race. Countless powerful demonic beasts inhabit it, and legend even speaks of demon kings. Ordinary human cultivators dare not set foot on that land, for it is a death trap for humans.

"The Northern Wilderness Demon Realm?" Chu Yuehua's expression changed drastically. "Sect Master, that place is too dangerous! Even with your current strength, though you are already very powerful, facing a Demon King-level being..."

"I'm not going to challenge the Demon King," Qi Yang waved his hand and said, "I'm going to discuss cooperation. As long as we're sincere enough, I believe the demon race will be interested."

“Then I’ll go with you,” Chu Yuehua said.

“No, you stay here and oversee things,” Qi Yang refused. “I’m going alone this time; having more people would be inconvenient.”

"But what about the sect leader?"

"No need for further explanation, my mind is made up," Qi Yang said resolutely. "You just need to manage the Demon Heart Sect well, and wait for me to return with my demon allies."

That night, Qi Yang left the Demon Heart Sect alone.

He didn't bring any attendants, nor did he tell anyone where he was going. Only Chu Yuehua knew that the sect leader had gone to the most dangerous place for humans.

The Northern Wilderness Demon Realm is located in the far north of the cultivation world, and it takes at least half a month to travel there from the Demon Heart Sect.

Heading north from Qiyang, the landscape became increasingly desolate.

Later on, there was no sign of human habitation at all, only endless wilderness and the occasional appearance of monsters.

"Roar!"

A gigantic demonic wolf leaped out of the grass and pounced on Qi Yang. This demonic wolf possessed the strength of the early Foundation Establishment stage, its fangs gleaming coldly, clearly indicating it was no benevolent creature.

But Qi Yang didn't even glance at it. With a casual wave of his hand, a blood-red light flashed, and the demonic wolf was blasted into a bloody mist.

"A mere Foundation Establishment stage demon beast dares to block my path?" Qi Yang snorted coldly and continued walking forward.

After more than ten days of trekking, Qi Yang finally arrived at the edge of the Northern Wilderness Demon Realm.

Standing atop a high mountain and looking north, a completely different scene unfolds before your eyes.

A faint demonic aura permeated the sky, and the distant mountains took on an eerie purple hue. Even the plants were completely different from those in human territory, exuding a strong, eerie atmosphere.

"We've finally arrived at the Northern Wilderness Demon Realm." Qi Yang took a deep breath, sensing the demonic energy in the air.

For him, who cultivated the "Heart-Eating Demon Art," this demonic aura was not only not repulsive, but rather felt familiar.

"Since we're here, let's go in and take a look." Qi Yang stepped into the Demon Realm.

The moment he stepped into the demon realm, he felt countless eyes watching him.

The demonic beasts hidden in the shadows were all observing this human cultivator who dared to enter the demon realm.

"Interesting." Qi Yang felt the hostile gazes and a smile of excitement appeared on his face. "It seems that I'll need to get through a few hurdles before I can meet the higher-ups of the demon race."

Sure enough, he had only walked a dozen miles when he was surrounded by a group of demonic beasts.

Leading the group was a gigantic demonic tiger, its early-stage Golden Core cultivation giving it a powerful aura. Behind it were a dozen or so Foundation Establishment stage demonic beasts, their eyes fixed menacingly on Qi Yang.

"Human cultivator, how dare you trespass into the demon realm!" The demon tiger spoke in human language, its voice booming like thunder. "Speak! What is your purpose here!"

"I have come here to pay my respects to your noble king," Qi Yang said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "and to discuss important matters."

"Ha!" the demonic tiger sneered, "A mere human cultivator dares to dream of meeting my race's king? Utterly delusional!"

"Is that so?" A cold glint flashed in Qi Yang's eyes. "What if I have enough strength?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a powerful aura erupted from Qi Yang's body.

The cultivation level of the late Foundation Establishment stage was fully released, causing the surrounding air to tremble.

The Foundation Establishment stage demonic beasts were immediately intimidated by this oppressive force and retreated in droves. Even the early Golden Core stage demonic tiger felt immense pressure.

"Late Foundation Establishment stage?" The demonic tiger's eyes showed surprise. "I didn't expect you, a human brat, to have some skill."

"Am I now qualified to pay homage to the king of the nobility?" Qi Yang asked.

The demon tiger remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded and said, "Alright, but you must accept our test."

"What kind of test?"

"It's simple, defeat me." The demonic tiger grinned, revealing sharp teeth. "If you can't even beat me, you're not worthy to meet a king."

"Interesting." Qi Yang cracked his knuckles. "Then let's see the strength of the demon race."

"Roar!"

With a roar, the demonic tiger lunged at Qi Yang with its massive body.

Its claws gleamed with golden light, clearly indicating that it was using some kind of innate divine power of the demon race.

But Qi Yang was not afraid at all. He activated the Heart-Eating Demon Art at full power, and the blood-red demonic energy surged around him.

"Blood Demon Heart-Devouring Palm!"

Qi Yang met the demonic tiger with a palm strike, the blood-red palm print colliding with the golden tiger claw.

"boom!"

The enormous explosion echoed throughout the valley, and the powerful shockwave destroyed all the surrounding trees.

When the smoke cleared, the demon tiger lay on the ground panting heavily, while Qi Yang remained firmly in place.

"How is this possible?" The demonic tiger stared at Qi Yang in disbelief. "Your demonic arts can actually suppress my demonic power?"

"It seems the nobles don't know much about the demonic arts of our human race," Qi Yang sneered. "The 'Heart-Devouring Demonic Art' shares similarities with the demon race's techniques, so it's not surprising that it suppresses you."

Indeed, the Devouring Heart Demon Art, as an evil cultivation method, bears some resemblance to the cultivation methods of the demon race. This is also the source of Qi Yang's confidence in venturing deep into the demon realm.

"Good!" The demon tiger struggled to its feet. "You've passed the test. I'll take you to see the king."

"Thank you," Qi Yang said, cupping his hands in thanks.

Next, led by the demon tiger, Qi Yang ventured deep into the heart of the demon realm.

Along the way, he saw many strange sights he had never seen before.

Giant monsters soared through the sky, and bizarre plants emitted multicolored light, filling the world with a wild and primal atmosphere.

"Human cultivator, what is your name?" the demon tiger asked as it walked.

"Qiyang."

"Qi Yang," the demon tiger muttered the name, "Don't you humans all reject us demons? Why did you dare come here alone?"

"Because I am different from those pedantic human cultivators," Qi Yang said. "In my view, whether human or demon, as long as there are common interests, cooperation is possible." (End of Chapter)