Chapter 626: Bloody Storm

King Ming roared, his entire body engulfed in flames. A massive, tens-of-meters-tall fiery demon descended from above, opening its monstrous maw and lunging towards Yun Che.

The pressure from a Monarch Profound Realm Level 10 expert was so intense that even the formidable Mu Feiyan felt completely suffocated. However, before the fiery demon had flown even ten meters, a streak of crimson-gold flames erupted, scorching across the sky. The moment it touched the fiery demon, it was as if a raging inferno had met rotten wood. The demon was instantly consumed by fire. In the blink of an eye, the dark red fiery demon transformed into a crimson-gold one, its form twisting as it let out low, pained wails… Soon after, it was completely incinerated, scattering into countless fine sparks across the sky.

Although everyone had witnessed the Little Demon Empress’s terrifying power multiple times, this scene still sent shivers down their souls. King Ming’s pupils constricted, his chest heaving violently. He stared at the Little Demon Empress, his voice strained as he asked, "Could it be… your profound strength… has already… reached the Divine Profound Realm!?"

The words "reached the Divine Profound Realm" stunned everyone into silence, leaving them speechless for a long time.

The Divine Profound Realm… the legendary realm of the Divine Way! Those who entered this realm would no longer be mere mortals, but gods among men! However, it was called a legend precisely because it had never appeared. It was even widely believed to be impossible for mortals to achieve, existing only in humanity's ancient records and fantasies.

The Little Demon Empress's unfathomably immense power… a gift from the Golden Crow Divine Spirit…

Could it be that the Little Demon Empress, who had awakened her bloodline and gained the supreme divine power of the Golden Crow Divine Spirit, had truly stepped into that legendary, unreachable realm…?

Everyone's hearts pounded violently. Their gazes towards the Little Demon Empress were now filled with even greater awe… though fear predominated. Any remaining thoughts of resistance were completely obliterated by the terrifying notion of the "Divine Profound Realm."

"No, this is impossible," King Ming slowly shook his head, the dark red flames around him flickering wildly, soaring to a hundred meters in just a few breaths. "In this world… how could anyone possibly surpass me! It's absolutely impossible!!"

King Ming's eyes widened. With a roar, the hundred-meter-tall demonic flames burning around him let out a devilish shriek and violently blasted towards the Little Demon Empress.

Instantly, space collapsed, and the sky changed color. This was the near-unreserved power of a Monarch Profound Realm Level 10 expert, once the strongest in the Illusory Demon Realm. If these fallen demonic flames were to fall, they would be enough to turn half of Demon Imperial City into ashes.

A sense of impending doomsday oppressed the crowd below, eliciting terrified screams.

The Little Demon Empress’s gaze sharpened, her Golden Crow Flames burning silently around her. She raised her arms; beneath her wide grey sleeves, two delicate, jade-like arms shone dazzlingly white. Yet, it was these two flawless maiden arms, with a seemingly casual wave, that instantly created a massive cage of fire, encompassing King Ming and his hundred-meter-tall demonic flames entirely.

The fallen demonic flames touched the fiery cage, but no matter how violently they raged, they could not advance an inch. The fiery cage began to contract rapidly; with every bit it shrank, the fallen demonic flames retreated a corresponding amount. Gradually, the cage shrank to less than a hundred meters, still contracting swiftly. With nowhere left to retreat, the fallen demonic flames were slowly compressed, devoured, and dissipated, like a desperate beast trapped in an iron cage. No matter how it struggled or shrieked, it could not escape, able only to wait for its complete demise in mournful cries.

When the fiery cage had shrunk to only three meters, it finally stopped contracting. The fallen demonic flames, originally a hundred meters vast, had been incinerated until only a remnant remained, not even a wisp escaping the cage. King Ming was imprisoned motionless at its center… because throughout this process, he had tried to escape more than ten times, but each time he touched the Golden Crow Flames on the fiery cage, he was burned with unbearable pain.

The disparity in strength between him and the current Little Demon Empress was evident.

Although there was less than half a minor profound realm level difference between a Monarch Profound Realm Level 10 and a Half-Step Divine Profound Realm, there was still a difference of half a major tier. Moreover, the Little Demon Empress’s Golden Crow bloodline and Golden Crow Flames completely suppressed King Ming.

King Ming, whom the Little Demon Empress could never have contended with four months ago, was now no match for her at all.

"King Ming…" The Little Demon Empress extended her palm, not towards King Ming, but downwards. Her arm was wreathed in increasingly scorching Golden Crow Flames, her voice filled with seething hatred: "You murdered my father, my imperial brother, harmed my entire clan, and brought chaos to my Illusory Demon Realm! Your crimes shall be repaid with the blood of your entire clan!!"

"I abandoned everything, crawling back from the abyss of death… solely to cast your entire clan… into eternal hell!!"

The Little Demon Empress’s voice, like a decree from the heavens, clearly resonated throughout every corner of Demon Imperial City. As her last syllable fell, her arm, burning with Golden Crow Flames, swept out. The surging crimson flames transformed into a colossal Golden Crow flame shadow that soared away, flying directly towards the west side of Demon Imperial City…

In just a few breaths, the massive Golden Crow flame shadow flew dozens of kilometers, then briefly hovered overhead before plummeting abruptly…

BOOM!!!!

A tremendous roar shook the entire Demon Imperial City. A pillar of crimson-gold fire shot into the sky, extending straight to the firmament. Even hundreds of kilometers away, a soaring blaze could be seen. Under the tyrannical Golden Crow Flames… specifically, the Little Demon Empress's Golden Crow Flames, everything within its reach would undoubtedly be reduced to ashes.

"That’s… that’s…"

"It's King Huai's Estate!!"

"Hiss…"

Shouts of alarm and gasps of cold air erupted from all directions. The Little Demon Empress had actually unleashed the Golden Crow Flames into King Huai's Estate, dozens of kilometers away! Despite the immense distance, the sky-filling flames and smoke, along with the terrifying might of the fire that still sent shivers down their spines even from dozens of kilometers away, all clearly indicated that the vast King Huai's Estate had been utterly incinerated… Everything within King Huai's Estate, including all living beings, had been completely consumed… not a single soul would escape!

Yun Che opened his mouth, muttering in astonishment, "Half-step Divine Profound… to be this powerful…"

"What did you expect?" Jasmine scoffed. "Although the Divine Profound Realm is only one realm higher than the Monarch Profound Realm in terms of tier, in reality, it's an incredibly vast watershed! In this world, countless profound practitioners have broken through the King Profound and Tyrant Profound realms, yet no one has ever managed to break through the Monarch Profound Realm, not even reaching the Half-Step Divine Profound! The Monarch Profound Realm is therefore known as the limit for mortals. From the fact that no one can break through it, you should be able to imagine how enormous the gap between the Divine Profound Realm and the Monarch Profound Realm is!"

"Or, I can tell you more directly!" Jasmine said coolly. "If the Elementary Profound Realm to the Monarch Profound Realm are classified as one major realm, then the Divine Profound Realm is another major realm entirely! A completely different realm! And the Little Demon Empress has effectively stepped half a foot into this major realm. While her Monarch Profound Realm peak and King Ming's seem to have only a subtle difference in level, the laws she can now grasp, and even her understanding and perception of this world, are fundamentally different from King Ming's and all other beings in this world."

"Exchanging remaining lifespan for three years of divine power is quite a bargain for beings in this world."

Yun Che: "..."

The lingering flames and billowing smoke flickered in King Ming's eyes. He had painstakingly plotted for centuries to sever the Demon Emperor clan's lineage, yet with just one fire, the Little Demon Empress had destroyed his clan's thousands of years of foundation.

But the nightmare for King Huai's Estate had only just begun. The Little Demon Empress swayed her arm, and amidst the flickering flames, King Huai's body was drawn upwards. He was still in the profound energy soul-capture state, his eyes vacant, his face expressionless. He was not the only one pulled into the air; his sons, Prince Huiye and Prince Huiran, were also lifted.

"King Ming, you murdered my father and imperial brother… I shall now slaughter your kin, kill all your descendants, and make them die in the most agonizing torment in this world!!"

"This is the fate… your clan deserves."

"You…" A pallor spread across King Ming's face, and his body trembled slightly. The fiery cage enclosing him was a barrier that simply should not exist in this world. He had tried every means, but he could not escape, forced to watch his son (King Huai) and grandsons (Prince Huiye and Prince Huiran) being thrown high into the air…

"Little Demon Empress… mercy… I don't know anything… I truly don't know anything… Arghh!!!!"

Prince Huiye desperately begged for mercy, but his pleas could not stir even a flicker of pity in the Little Demon Empress. As raging flames ignited out of nowhere and enveloped the three of them, his pleas instantly transformed into heart-rending screams of agony.

Consumed by the Little Demon Empress's Golden Crow Flames, they were doomed to be incinerated; no one could save them. But how could the Little Demon Empress let them die quickly? The Golden Crow Flames on their bodies burned along their limbs, consuming their flesh and blood bit by bit, making them suffer torture as if from the fires of hell.

"Ughhhh… Little Demon Empress… mercy… Grandpa… save me… save me… Arghhh…"

The bodies of the three burned in mid-air, their flesh charred beyond recognition, their limbs gone. Yet, their screams remained heart-rending, unable to live, unable to die in their extreme torment. Every person below felt chills run down their spines, their teeth chattering, faces pale. Just witnessing the scene and hearing the sounds filled them with such terror that they could barely stand.

"Shut up! Don't beg her for mercy!" King Ming roared. Watching his only son and grandsons meet such a gruesome end, his eyes turned bloodshot, and his face was ashen like a vengeful ghost. He stretched out his hand, trembling, and pointed at the Little Demon Empress: "Little Demon Empress… it's not over yet… Don't think I've completely lost… The power you possess is certainly not ordinary… Such a rapid surge in profound strength in just four months… absolutely cannot be without side effects… Perhaps… your price is death… to die before me!!"

The Little Demon Empress’s brows furrowed, and she said coldly, "On the verge of death, and you still dare to utter such nonsense! I shall ensure you have no burial ground right now!!"

"With just you… you still can't kill me!!" King Ming gritted his teeth, looking maniacal, as a stream of dark blood rapidly flowed from the corner of his mouth. "Little Demon Empress… just you wait! One day… I will repay today's vengeance a thousandfold!!"

Pfft!!

King Ming spewed out a large mist of blood, its color a shocking dark red. Enveloped by the dark red blood mist, King Ming's body gradually faded, then completely vanished.

"Blood Escape!" Jasmine spoke, followed by a faint cold snort. "He escaped, but at the cost of a vast amount of lifespan and essence blood. However, for this Illusory Demon Realm, a major problem has just gone into hiding."

The fiery cage was retracted. The Little Demon Empress instantly appeared at the spot where King Ming had been. She gazed at the dissipating dark red blood mist, her eyes infinitely cold, her chest heaving.

This was a Blood Escape performed at the cost of essence blood and lifespan. Even with the Little Demon Empress's current strength, she could not track the direction he had fled.

Behind her, the screams of Prince Huiye and Prince Huiran had also ceased. The bodies of the father and two sons had been utterly incinerated, their ashes now floating aimlessly in the air. King Huai, once majestic and awe-inspiring, who had only just donned the imperial robes today and been nominated as the new monarch, along with his two perpetually arrogant sons, had met such a tragic end on what should have been their proudest day.

The Little Demon Empress slowly turned, her gaze sweeping over those below. In the ruined Demon Emperor Hall, the kneeling culprits who had defected to King Huai's Estate still dared not stand. Under the Little Demon Empress's gaze, their entire bodies trembled, every pore from head to toe constricting in fear.

"I shall give you a chance to atone!" The Little Demon Empress’s voice, like a cold judgment from the grim reaper, pierced their ears: "I give you ten days. Within these ten days, I demand that you exterminate King Huai's entire clan! The four paternal clans, the three maternal clans, the two marital clans… all nine clans shall be annihilated! Not even women and children are to be spared! Pile their corpses before the gates of Demon Imperial City, burn them all, leaving not a single strand of hair!"

"After ten days, if even one person from King Huai's nine clans remains, I will execute a hundred of you as punishment! If ten people remain, I will execute a thousand of you!"

The Little Demon Empress’s chilling command initiated the most terrifying storm of blood in Demon Imperial City's history. A baptism of blood, fueled by the Little Demon Empress's boundless hatred and centered on King Huai's Estate, descended upon the sacred Imperial City of the Illusory Demon Realm.