Chapter 563: More Demons

"D-Demon Slaying Technique... why do you know something like that?!" The demon's voice trembled uncontrollably upon hearing the name of the technique Yuan used on him.

"C-Curse you, human! So, it turns out you're one of them—a descendant of the Demon Slaying Clan... I should've killed you when I had the chance!" the demon exclaimed, kneeling on the ground as his body slowly turned to stone before crumbling into dust.

Yuan responded calmly with a slight smile. "What are you even muttering about? I've never heard of any Demon Slaying Clan. This is my first time hearing of it. Didn't I tell you that I acquired this technique inside the pagoda? Do demons have small brains or something?

Too bad I can't examine yours now that you're turning into dust."

The demon's eyes widened with hatred as his body continued to crumble. He glared at Yuan, his existence slipping away. "Curse you! Curse you, damn human!" the demon shouted, an intense urge to tear Yuan apart overcoming him. But it was too late—most of his body had already turned to stone and was disintegrating.

"I curse you, damn human! You'll di—" Before the demon could finish his curse, his entire form turned to dust, leaving only a shiny red stone where he once stood.

Yuan examined the stone curiously. "It looks like a monster core, but it has this sinister aura... as if it doesn't belong to this world." He picked it up, scrutinizing it with interest.

"Y-Yuan... you... really defeated the demon!" Fang Xiaoyan approached, her face frozen in shock as she looked at the remains on the ground.

"Yeah, I did," Yuan replied casually. Then, holding up the stone, he asked, "Xiaoyan, do you know what this is?"

"That's a demon core. When a demon dies, it leaves behind a core. It can fetch a high price in Xian City. It's like a monster core," Fang Xiaoyan explained, still eyeing the core in Yuan's hand.

"A demon core, huh? I wonder if I can swallow it like a monster core..." Yuan mused to himself.

Xi Meili suddenly wrapped her arms around Yuan's neck and said smugly to Fang Xiaoyan, "Did you see that? My hubby is the best. He can even defeat a demon, which is said to be almost immortal."

"Humph! You don't need to tell me that. And correct yourself—he's not only your husband, he's mine too!" Fang Xiaoyan shot back, her expression twisted in annoyance.

"Humph! Unlike you, Xi Meili, you haven't even become his wife yet. So don't call him 'hubby'!" Xi Meili retorted.

"Well, that's easy to fix. I'll just sleep with him, and then I'll officially be his wife," Fang Xiaoyan grinned widely.

Yuan sighed, shaking his head. "I wonder when they'll stop bickering and just become friends..."

After a moment of thought, Yuan decided to swallow the demon core. "Well, here goes nothing..." He tossed the core into his mouth, much to the shock of both women.

"Yuan! What are you doing?! Spit it out before your body explodes!" Fang Xiaoyan cried, rushing over and trying to pry open his mouth, her panic resembling that of a mother pulling something dangerous from a child's grasp.

But the core melted as soon as it touched his tongue, dissolving like cotton candy.

"Relax, Xiaoyan. See? I'm fine. This isn't the first time I've consumed a core—I've done it before with monster cores," Yuan reassured her with a calm expression.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Fang Xiaoyan asked, still concerned.

"You don't need to worry. I'm perfectly fine." Yuan smiled gently.

"But," Grandpa Fang continued, his tone turning serious, "the demon you defeated was the lowest-ranked demon in this Secret Realm. I don't know why the Lord placed demons here, but there is a leader among them—the Demon Lord—who has the cultivation level of a Spirit Grandmaster. Be cautious of him."

As Grandpa Fang spoke, his expression suddenly darkened as he looked toward a specific direction. A powerful and oppressive aura was rapidly approaching. Yuan and his wives could feel it too—several tyrannical presences closing in on them.

"Speak of the devil... it's too late. They're already here," Grandpa Fang muttered grimly.

"Hahaha! So, you're the one who killed my minion. I see you've finally come out of hiding, away from the protection the Lord's formation provided!" A deep, malevolent voice echoed through the air, accompanied by an overwhelming aura that made it hard to breathe.

Moments later, Yuan and his wives saw the source of the aura—a figure flying toward them with a sinister grin.

"Is that the Demon Lord?" Yuan murmured, dazed by the sight.

Grandpa Fang glanced at Yuan and nodded solemnly. "I'm afraid so."

"And it seems he's grown stronger since the last time I saw him... No wonder the number of magical beasts has been dwindling," Grandpa Fang remarked with a frown, studying the Demon Lord, who now hovered in the air, radiating power.

The Demon Lord resembled the demon Yuan had defeated earlier but was more imposing. He had a more muscular build, with a larger red crystal glowing brightly in the center of his chest. Unlike the previous demon, this one had two long, sharp horns on his head, and the aura he exuded was far more menacing and powerful.

The Demon Lord looked at Yuan with a pondering expression. After staring at him for a few moments, he finally spoke, "You look... familiar. I feel like I've seen that face of yours before... can't quite place it..."

Before Yuan could respond, five more demons appeared, flying down from the sky. They landed before the group, their faces twisted into vicious grins as they eyed Yuan and his wives hungrily.

"Oh, if it isn't the protector of the Red Pagoda! And you've brought humans to assist you? This is quite the surprise!" one of the demons sneered at Grandpa Fang, amused by the situation. Each of the demons radiated a powerful aura.

"Well, no matter. More food for us! Hahaha!" another demon cackled, eyeing Yuan and his wives like a pack of wolves eyeing fresh prey.

'These demons are stronger than the one I fought earlier. I'll have to be careful and end this quickly,' Yuan thought, his expression turning serious.

"It's been thousands of years since we've tasted human blood! How fortunate!" a demon with a bulky, fatty frame grinned, his sinister voice dripping with excitement. "Let's kill them and feast afterward!"

Another demon, licking his lips, added with a laugh, "Look at those women! They're beautiful! Let's not kill them just yet... we can have some fun with them before chewing on their soft flesh. Hahaha!" His saliva dripped as he stared hungrily at Yuan's wives.

"Yuan, be careful!" Grandpa Fang suddenly warned. "Each of these demons is very powerful. I'll handle the Demon Lord, but you need to take care of the lesser demons quickly."

Yuan nodded, his focus sharpening. "I understand."

Grandpa Fang then turned to Fang Xiaoyan. "Xiaoyan, protect Yuan's wives. Don't let the demons get close to them."

"I understand, Grandpa," Fang Xiaoyan replied with a serious expression, quickly moving to shield Anna and the others.

Meanwhile, Yuan stepped forward, his expression calm but determined, as he slowly approached the four demons. With a swift motion, he summoned the Empyreal Oblivion from his system storage. As soon as the sword appeared in his hand, Yuan's figure blurred, vanishing from sight.

In the blink of an eye, he reappeared before the demons, catching them completely off guard with his sudden, lightning-fast attack.

"Demon Slaying Slash!"