The Hehuan Sect cultivates alchemy; my senior sister helps me refine alchemy throughout the world.

Shen Yifei quickly forced a smile, "Xinghe, what are you thinking about... um... how long will it take for Sister Hongxiu to recover?"

"At least seven days." Xinghe held up seven fingers. "Within seven days, Sister Hongxiu can only take medicinal baths, take pills, and meditate to regulate her breathing. She is not allowed to do anything else."

Shen Yifei thought to himself, seven days is fine. I can use this time to sort out the mess in the Demon Clan's territory.

"And also, brother, don't blame me for not reminding you." Xinghe, with her hands behind her back, looked up at him with the air of a little adult.

"For Sister Hongxiu's Xuanpin bloodline to fully grow from the demonic root, she needs to devour a drop of her life essence blood to 'open her meridians'."

Shen Yifei's lips twitched. "Xinghe, are you saying that Sister Hongxiu needs to consume a drop of essence blood to restore her demonic root?"

"Yes, that's how the Xuanpin lineage is. They are the mother of all blood, born to consume blood."

"Then...can I eat mine first?"

Xinghe's face immediately fell. "Brother, aren't you still hoping that Sister Hongxiu will help you refine your essence blood? If you can't bear to part with even a drop, then don't even think about refining your essence blood."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yifei realized that he wouldn't get a single drop of the Demon Emperor's essence blood. However, he wasn't bothered to give it to Hongxiu.

In the following days, Shen Yifei was extremely busy.

Shen Yifei returned to Tianyan Sect and brought Xueying and two thousand demon soldiers with him, stationing them outside Demon Abyss City.

Then, Shen Yifei summoned all the officials of the Demon Palace, big and small, together. The Demon King sat next to him. Although he was in much better condition, he still looked listless.

"Gentlemen," the Demon King began, his voice weak, "Shen Yifei, Youlan's son, will succeed as Demon King from today onwards. Does anyone have any objections?"

The hall was silent for a moment, then erupted into chaos.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

A burly demon general stepped forward first, kneeling on one knee. His voice boomed like a bell, "The throne of the Demon King has been passed down since ancient times, and there has never been a precedent of a human bloodline succeeding to it. Although this young master Shen is of demonic blood, his bloodline is, after all…after all, not pure. I fear he will not be able to win over the people!"

The one speaking was none other than Zhan Lie, the Demon Army's Grand Commander and Ghost-Faced Demon General.

Shen Yifei stood in the hall, not in a hurry to speak. He could tell that when Zhan Lie spoke, at least half of the people in the hall nodded in agreement.

Shen Yifei stood in the hall, his gaze sweeping over the faces that were filled with doubt or resistance.

He knew that no one would easily accept that a mere upstart from the human realm was suddenly about to sit on the throne of the Demon King.

Zhan Lie was the Demon God of War, with extremely high prestige. When he shouted, most of the generals in the hall echoed his words.

Shen Yifei knew that if he couldn't get past this hurdle, even if the Demon King personally appointed him, the morale of the army would be unstable, and he wouldn't be able to sit in this chair.

He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhan Lie: "Commander... you say my bloodline is impure, I admit it. My mother is a demon princess, my father is a human cultivator, and I do indeed have half-human blood flowing through my veins. But I want to ask the Commander, do you want a demon king with pure blood, or a demon king who can ensure the survival of the demon race?"

Zhan Lie frowned. He hadn't expected Shen Yifei to not respond to the conversation but instead throw out a question that hit the nail on the head.

Before he could answer, Shen Yifei continued, "Commander, you've seen it yourself. The demonic veins in the demonic territory are severely depleted, and the people can't even afford to eat. No matter how pure one's bloodline is, it can't fill an empty stomach. If I restore the demonic veins and improve the lives of the people, will anyone still care whether my bloodline is pure or not?"

Zhan Lie was speechless after hearing Shen Yifei's words. His crimson eyes stared at him intently for a good dozen breaths before he finally clasped his hands in a fist and took a step back.

"Alright, I, Zhan Lie, am not ungrateful. You're right, what the demon race needs now is a demon king who can lead everyone to survival, not an empty shell with pure blood. However..."

He changed the subject, his tone turning serious, "I've always bowed to strength. I don't care about bloodlines, but you have to show the brothers what you're capable of. I won't be impressed by just empty talk."

"The Grand Commander is right." Shen Yifei smiled. "I know you're all holding your breath, so I won't beat around the bush. Seven days from now, at the martial arts arena. If I lose, you can have whoever you want sit on the Demon King's throne, I won't say a word. If I win, from now on, I'll be in charge of the Demon Clan."

"Great!" Zhan Lie laughed heartily. "See you at the training grounds in seven days!"

Those military officers who had originally joined in the commotion looked at each other, none of them expecting Shen Yifei to agree to the life-or-death pledge so readily.

Zhan Lie is currently the strongest fighter in the Demon Clan territory!

"Yi Fei." The Demon King's weak voice came from behind Shen Yi Fei.

Shen Yifei quickly turned around, "Grandpa..."

The Demon King's eyes showed a hint of worry as he said softly, "That brat Zhan Lie has been at the peak of the Tribulation Transcending stage for hundreds of years. He possesses unparalleled demonic power, making him impervious to blades and spears, and incredibly strong. Back when Huo Xin controlled me, even Huo Xin dared not easily touch him, because if he were pushed too far, he would risk his life and drag you down with him."

Shen Yifei chuckled and said, "Grandpa, don't worry. Since I dared to accept this challenge, I'm confident that if he's strong, I'll be even stronger; if he's tough, I'll be even tougher!"

Although the two were whispering, His Highness and everyone else heard them.

Zhan Lie snorted, "In the arena, each relies on their own strength, and life and death are determined by fate. Your Majesty, please forgive any accidental injuries!"

After saying those words, Zhan Lie strode out of the main hall, his boots making a loud slapping sound on the bluestone floor tiles.

His generals and subordinates also retreated in a flurry.

Only a group of civil officials and a few elderly military officers remained in the main hall. They looked at each other, some with a sigh of relief, others with worried expressions.

Shen Yifei, on the contrary, thought Zhan Lie was a wonderful person. He was decisive and efficient in his speech and actions. To deal with this kind of person, you just need to beat him until he submits, and everything will be solved.

The Demon King raised his hand, his voice weak yet authoritative: "Seven days from now, at the martial arts arena, I will personally observe the battle."

No one dared to voice any further opinions, and they all bowed and withdrew.

Seven days passed as Shen Yifei waited for Hongxiu to recover.

In the past few days, besides taking care of the Demon King, Hongxiu has been following Xinghe's instructions to take medicinal baths and meditate to regulate her breathing every day. Her foundation in the early stage of tribulation is becoming more and more solid, and her demonic root is also much more stable.

Shen Yifei finally made it to the seventh day, which was the night before the martial arts competition.

He was hesitating whether to go find Hongxiu when his door was pushed open and Hongxiu was standing outside.

Shen Yifei was taken aback when he saw her. "Sister Hongxiu, it's so late, you...you've recovered?"

Hongxiu didn't say anything, but stepped into the house and closed the door behind her.

She lowered her head and walked up to Shen Yifei. "Young Master... I've recovered and can... refine the essence blood now."

Refining essence blood requires the fusion of the mysterious female energy with the essence blood within his body.

The mysterious female energy is hidden in the deepest part of Hongxiu's dantian.

Hongxiu understood this as well, and her initiative was also to dispel Shen Yifei's concerns.

Hongxiu had been preparing for this day for a long time.