My Beautiful Duchess Wife

Lin Peng's lips twitched slightly. If he put Howard down now, Howard would really burn to death. Even just now, he didn't dare to put him down. Doing so would only make him seem more like a pretense.

Some people are like that; the more mountainous a place is, the more they want to venture into the tiger's den.

For example, that great demon on the other side, even after seeing such a massive explosion, is still rushing this way. Even if you consider a battle between demon lords to be beyond your reach, my friend!

When the great demon who had fought Lin Peng reached the fire giant, the scorching flames raised the temperature of the entire space to its highest point. At the same time, an aura of rage slowly rose.

Looking coldly at the fire giant, the Great Demon sneered, "I didn't expect it to be a true Demon King-level expert! It seems I miscalculated!" However, there was no trace of alarm on his face.

It seems, still as spirited as ever. Still as before... heads raised, revealing a burning fighting spirit.

A pair of eyes, sharp as blades, pierced the fiery giant in the sky. Perhaps, just a spark would ignite a conflagration.

Howard was somewhat taken aback, jumping out and staring blankly at the great demon. To be honest, he knew he was no match for him. However, under these circumstances, his fighting spirit was truly surging.

He snorted coldly and said with a strange smile, "Even if it's a tactic, I'll still have to deal with you!"

Lin Peng was now somewhat annoyed. He glanced at Howard, who was still standing outside in the hot wind, and his lips twitched slightly. Why not just kill him? What's the point of all this trouble? Instead, they had to fight.

You're just a mid-level Great Demon, how could you possibly be a match for someone at the peak? Besides… it seems this guy is about the same level as me, close to breaking through. Moreover, your aura doesn't look that strong at all. You even seem a little injured?

However, the great demon sneered, a chill running through him: "You? Hmph..." As he spoke, his eyes, as cold as the moonlight, suddenly swept towards the fire giant in mid-air.

Suddenly, the great demon seemed to swell, its body swelling as it leaped high into the air. In that instant, its battle blade also seemed to grow larger, black demonic flames engulfing the blade and causing it to rise abruptly to three zhang (approximately 10 meters) in height.

The most powerful demon's power slashed at the fire giant in mid-air.

Lin Peng sneered, secretly delighted: This fool who doesn't know his own mortality, today, I'll make sure you die right here. The fire giant slammed his fist into the great demon, the enormous flames seemingly sucking the air away.

puff……

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, the great demon flew backward, crashing into the ground and causing a tremor. A huge crater then exploded. At that very moment, a small figure appeared as if by accident, directly beside Lin Peng.

"Brother!" Angelina exclaimed, stopping just as she was about to help Lin Peng up. Lin Peng glanced at Angelina gratefully, then closed his eyes and once again controlled the fire giant, staring into the deep pit of the great demon.

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Sealed Cave

In a crater over ten meters deep, the great demon lay a mangled mess, wisps of smoke seemingly rising from his body. He was clearly unconscious. That was a full-force punch from a demon king, delivered with elemental power. If he hadn't been unconscious, he truly would have been an incredibly powerful demon with unbelievable defense.

Seeing that the person had fainted, Lin Peng seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. With his current strength, Lin Peng had no way to control this fire giant anymore. At the same time, his mental energy seemed to have been completely drained, and he experienced wave after wave of dizziness.

He glanced at Angelina with a smile, but ultimately could only fall into a coma.

……

On the train of life, Lin Peng had a feeling that he had derailed. Or rather, the train had somehow headed off in a different direction. Still in that scorching space that seemed to want to roast him into jerky, Lin Peng gave a bitter smile, wondering why he had suddenly thought of a train. Or perhaps, was this bloody and violent place reminding him of his hometown?

However, even that previous world seemed to be a place that devoured people without spitting out their bones. It's just that it was more hidden there, while here, violence is everywhere.

"What kind of place is this? Is it a dream... or is it real?" Lin Peng sat shriveled in the midst of the imposing flames, and it seemed as if the flames liked him, constantly trying to enter his body.

He wiped his forehead, which wasn't sweating at all, and then felt as if his body was being sucked into some kind of space. He didn't panic; he'd had a similar experience before. So, the moment Lin Peng opened his eyes, he immediately closed them again.

The tall floor-to-ceiling windows let in sunlight like dappled glass. I gently shielded my eyes with my left hand before the sunlight slowly returned to normal.

Beside him, Angelina's little head was resting against the edge of the bed, fast asleep. However, Lin Peng was somewhat surprised; where was he? Even in the Duke's palace, his residence wasn't like this, was it?

Could it be that they stayed in a hotel?

Angelina, who was standing next to him, immediately woke up. Seeing Lin Peng sitting up, she smiled charmingly. For a moment, Lin Peng was momentarily captivated by her beauty.

He shook his head and patted Angelina's head: "Where are we? Hmm... the environment is nice! Haha..."

As they spoke, he wanted to get up and go to the French windows to take a look. Angelina nimbly helped Lin Peng up, like a crutch, insisting on supporting him towards the window. When they pulled back the curtains, the view outside was quite captivating.

It turned out to be the original mountain stronghold, with the entire outer wall made of massive, tall timbers. The watchtowers looked like individual cloud platforms.

In the distance, on that swampy land, it was unclear whether they were magical beasts or real birds. Occasionally, animals that looked like they were hiding in the swamp would peek out. There were patches of grass and small puddles on the ground.

With the surrounding area extending for dozens of miles, the whole place has a secluded, idyllic feel to it.

"Uh... this, really that swamp and the mountain stronghold?" Lin Peng was speechless for a moment, then shook his head and continued, "Well, I've been unconscious for several days. And this mountain stronghold has turned into this state!"

In his mind, it would take at least half a month! Otherwise, he would have to sleep for ten days.

Angelina gave a sly smile: "Five days, only five days!"

"Five days?" Lin Peng's mind seemed to be reeling, and he felt utterly drained. He really didn't know how he had survived those five days.

"This...I...this..." He seemed unsure of what to say, and just stared at Angelina with his mouth open.

"Hehe... If it weren't for Sister Eileen supplying you with fire crystals every day, you would really be in danger!" Angelina covered her mouth and chuckled. In that instant of laughter, Lin Peng even felt that Angelina had grown taller in the past few days.

He patted Angelina's forehead, pursed his lips, and remained silent. After all, everyone has their own secrets.

Just then, the hemlock door suddenly slammed shut, and Howard, slightly out of breath, looked at Lin Peng standing by the French windows and exclaimed in surprise, "You're awake!"

Lin Peng nodded and smiled at Howard: "What...is there something urgent?"

It seemed unlikely they would look for him, after all, he had only just woken up. At this point, Howard slapped his forehead: "Right, Princess Eileen asked Angelina to come over, but for some reason, the ore in those mines burst into flames as soon as it was dug out!"

Angelina's delicate, arched eyebrows furrowed slightly. After giving a low "hmm," she turned and followed Howard out of the room. Lin Peng smiled faintly and followed as well.

In a cave on the back mountain, lay two corpses, burned to ashes. Princess Eileen frowned as she looked at the two bodies; judging from the intensity of the flames, they weren't very hot.

Meanwhile, Lin Peng and his two companions, who had just arrived, stared in astonishment at the corpses. They hadn't expected them to burst into flames the moment they touched the ore. Such a thing was truly rare.

On the other side, the miners and slaves trembled with fear, as if they were about to face the same fate.

When Eileen saw Lin Peng arrive, she smiled and said, "I didn't expect you to be awake!" Lin Peng nodded with a faint smile and looked at the uneven mountain walls and ground.

"What exactly happened?"

"I also want to ask, what exactly happened?" Princess Eileen looked at Lin Peng, who was asking the question, speechless, while Angelina pouted: "Fiery, the power of subterranean fire. It seems that this vein of minerals is accompanied by a volcano. Or, a newly formed core of the earth!"

Upon hearing Angelina's words, Lin Peng immediately closed his eyes and exclaimed in surprise, "I knew it! I never imagined the heat here would be so high. Heh... If all we dig out is this kind of stuff... then it really will be useless!"

Eileen glared fiercely at Lin Peng, then turned to look at a strange, powerful demon beside her. But… Lin Peng was somewhat surprised to see this demon. It was the very same powerful demon he had knocked unconscious with a single punch that day.

At this moment, judging from the flow of light and radiance, it was still the aura of that great demon. It had neither increased nor decreased.

“Yes, Master, from the moment I arrived here, I knew that although this mine was good, it seemed to be sealing something. However… even I, Magris, didn’t say it! It seems… that seal is what caused the heat!”

The Great Demon spoke cautiously, his tone obsequious, which sent shivers down Lin Peng's spine. How had that arrogant and spirited Great Demon from that day become like this? He was simply a bootlicker!

Howard knew what Lin Peng was thinking just by looking at him.

After chuckling, he nudged Lin Peng in the waist: "That day, after we captured this guy, he was utterly captivated by Princess Eileen. So... cough!" Seeing Eileen glare at him, he pursed his lips and shrugged helplessly.

Lin Peng seemed to suddenly understand, and nodded with a smile: "So that's how it is! Um... what's your name?"

When the Great Demon saw Lin Peng ask him a question, he immediately reverted to his arrogant demeanor and said coldly, "Francis!"

Lin Peng nodded, then smiled and said, "Since you know it's related to a seal, then... there must be the location of that seal! Don't tell me you don't know. Hehe... even a pseudo-demon king like him can be sealed, why can't we!"

Eileen's eyes lit up, she nodded slightly, and then looked at Frans.

Frans immediately became amiable again, his dark skin twitching on his square face: "Master, of course I know about that seal. However, I originally wanted to go and see it, but... before I even entered the seal, I was almost burned to death!" As he spoke, he couldn't help but tremble slightly.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Howard was confused. A powerful demon was almost burned to death; what kind of seal was that? Besides, Magris didn't seem to be a master of fire elementals!

"Hmm... how should I put it? I'll take you to see for yourselves, and you'll see!" Frans seemed to have a hard time explaining, pursed his lips, and turned to leave. After instructing the soldiers to let the slaves go back to rest, Eileen and the others followed Frans out of the cave.

As Frans stepped out of the cave and stood on the other side of the cliff, he suddenly punched the cliff face. With a bang, the cliff face shattered like a mirror.

Inside, a red light flickered. Looking inside, it even seemed a little eerie.

Frans smiled and stepped directly into the cave. The deeper he went, the hotter it became. It felt as if the moisture on his body would be instantly dried out. What was even more unbearable was that the red light was truly unleashing its power.

Each flash of light is accompanied by scorching heat. Each ray carries a scorching, lethal force. Those who are not strong enough would truly be burned to death.

Even a peak-level demon like Frans had beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. Gritting his teeth, he took another step, his shoes practically catching fire.

Startled, Lin Peng clenched his fist and laughed, "It seems you'll have to stay here. As for what's inside, how about I go in and take a look?" He turned to Howard and the others, but without a care in the world, he walked straight into the deeper part of the cave.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Space Seal

Eileen's expression changed slightly. The Lin Peng of the past had no strength whatsoever. At least, in their eyes, he had no strength at all. But… the Lin Peng of now was different. Not only had he obtained the Flame Demon's inheritance, but he had also clearly broken through to the Demon King level.

She gave a wry smile. The heat here had no effect on her. But if they went any further, who knew what might happen?

However, what surprised them even more was that little Angelina suddenly took flight. Yes, she flew. Slowly following Lin Peng deeper into the cave, her small figure exuded an air of mystery.

Eileen frowned slightly and turned to look at Howard. A cold glint flashed in her watery eyes. If these two siblings were both such experts, then... she really would have to change her attitude towards them in the future.

But... I wonder what my sister will think then.

Howard shrugged, looking like he didn't know either. Frans, on the other hand, gazed at Eileen with deep affection, as if he were about to melt her heart.

……

The cave was deep, becoming increasingly narrow the further in you went. Meanwhile, the red light grew even more intense. The heat was astonishing, even Angelina found it hard to bear! Wiping the sweat from her brow, her eyes were exceptionally resolute.

"Angelina, what's your strength now?" Lin Peng asked casually as he walked ahead. Angelina, who was behind him, paused for a moment, then chuckled softly, "The Great Demon!"

"A peak-level Great Demon, but even if you wanted to kill me, you couldn't catch up with me directly. Or perhaps, you could kill me!" Angelina said confidently. Her small, delicate face was filled with a sacred pride.

Lin Peng stopped in his tracks, then frowned at Angelina. He shook his head, pursed his lips, and continued walking forward: "To be honest, when I ran into you, you could have easily killed me, right? Heh... it's really ironic that in a brutal and bloody place like the Demon Realm, there actually seems to be some kind of friendship involved!"

Angelina nodded, somewhat amused. From the very beginning, she and Lin Peng had developed a friendship. Now, they were actually calling each other brother and sister. Angelina could also sense that the Princess and the Duke's feelings for Lin Peng weren't simply about mutual exploitation. Perhaps friendship was a more fitting description! Although, neither of them seemed to realize it.

The cave began to shrink, its dim, reddish light making it feel like entering the throat of a giant beast. Strange bursts of light, after a final burst, brought a brief respite of coolness, even to the already scorching cave walls.

Before them appeared a wall rippled like the air itself. Waves of red light emanated from these ripples, slowly spreading throughout the cave. Lin Peng turned to Angelina: "This is the so-called seal?"

He gently poked the almost transparent wall with his finger, a slight smile playing on his lips. He felt a sensation as if his finger were piercing cotton. Smiling, he looked at the serious-faced Angelina and said, "Wait a minute, this feeling… um…"

A basin of fire suddenly rose in his hand, radiating intense heat.

"Don't attack this wall!" Angelina immediately stopped Lin Peng's probing, gradually lowering her body until she was about a centimeter or two off the ground. She lightly touched the sealed wall and smiled wryly, "It seems we've truly reached the end here. I didn't expect there to be such a seal. Unless we have an extremely powerful expert who understands sealing techniques, it's all in vain!"

"Huh?" Lin Peng was somewhat surprised. Could such a seemingly insignificant seal really be that strong?

He sneered and suddenly attacked. With a bang, the fireball struck the wall, but bounced back as if hitting a layer of cotton. It crashed into the adjacent wall, knocking down a huge rock that reeked of burning flesh!

Lin Peng was somewhat stunned. Gritting his teeth, he once again spread his five fingers and shot several scorching beams of light directly towards the seal. The five beams of light rushed towards the seal at extremely high speed. The faint layer of the seal wall, seemingly composed of air, suddenly seemed to explode and bounce back after being pushed a certain distance by the scorching beams. This time, not only did the scorching beams return, but the rebounding seal wall also struck Lin Peng directly.

Boom...

The scorching light reflected off the walls, piercing through them and creating tiny holes. Lin Peng was sent flying backward, crashing into the wall and shattering into a large pile of rocks.