Chapter 2484: Lakefront Crisis

After changing into Agu's attire, Zu'an casually conjured a wisp of flame and incinerated Agu's corpse into ashes.

He then left the room and found several demon guards waiting there, clearly all subordinates of the one named Agu.

"My lord, the other commanders have already gone ahead," one of the guards said with some concern, clearly afraid that if he was late, the Lord of Slaughter would blame him, and they, as his subordinates, would also suffer.

Zu'an looked into the distance and saw figures hurrying towards the Imperial Mausoleum from all directions. He couldn't help but inwardly marvel at how powerful the demon world had become; these commanders were all formidable, and several of them were exceptionally strong.

Given the current situation, if he were to flee, he would surely become a target, so he decided to go and assess the situation first.

Soon, he blended in with the demons and arrived at the Imperial Mausoleum. The mausoleum gates had already been opened, and many statues of demon ancestors along the way inside had been destroyed, leaving only the magnificent statue of the Demon God at the very top.

Returning to this familiar place, Zu'an made a new discovery: the statue of the Demon God emanated a unique aura, appearing majestic and powerful.

A massive stone throne was installed beneath the statue, still retaining a faint trace of malevolent energy, clearly left by someone who frequently sat there.

He scanned the hall; there were about a hundred demons in total, and Agu's strength was among the lower ranks.

The ones at the very front were clearly powerful Greater Demons, each possessing strength beyond that of an Earth Immortal.

Not long after, a figure emerged from the inner chamber. Exceptionally burly, what stood out most were his eyebrows, angled at forty-five degrees as if poised to pierce the heavens. A pair of exceptionally sharp eyes swept across the room.

"Greetings, Lord!" a group of demons saluted in unison.

Zu'an secretly observed the individual. The current Lord of Slaughter was indeed more powerful than the one who had been suppressed for millennia in later generations. A palpable malevolent aura enveloped the entire hall, and he could even sense some of the nearby demons unconsciously trembling, clearly naturally fearful of such oppressive power.

"Strong, too strong," Zu'an thought. He dared not use his divine sense to probe the other's exact cultivation, lest he be detected. He could only roughly estimate that the opponent's current strength was clearly above his own, and even a third stronger than the Demon Lord he had previously encountered.

He wondered what method the Demon Lord in history had used to deal with such a powerful being.

"May we ask why Your Lordship has urgently summoned us?" the leading Greater Demon inquired.

"The portal has changed," the Lord of Slaughter said coldly.

All the demons were startled upon hearing this, and many began to whisper, clearly guessing at the meaning behind those four words.

"Not long ago, King Molgarth, the Unholy King, was annihilated with his entire army by the Merfolk," the Lord of Slaughter stated calmly.

"What?!" Many demons in the hall were shocked, while others exchanged knowing glances with expressions of amusement.

"I was also shocked when I learned this news, but what shocked me even more was..." The Lord of Slaughter swept his gaze across the entire hall, his eyes like biting cold wind, causing everyone to involuntarily shiver. "...Why, when such a major event occurred, did no one report it to me?!"

His voice was like the roar of an ancient beast. Several demons present instantly exploded into a mist of blood.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Many demons throughout the great hall successively burst apart like fireworks. Even a powerful Greater Demon at the very front cried out, trying to escape, but ultimately couldn't suppress the destructive power within him and exploded completely with a boom.

Blood and gore splattered onto the nearby demons. The remaining demons trembled, terrified and bewildered, not daring to make the slightest move, fearing they might attract the Lord of Slaughter's attention and also explode into shattered flesh.

Zu'an's hairs stood on end. He had only intended to observe discreetly and slip away once the commotion died down, but he never expected the Lord of Slaughter to slaughter his subordinates so ruthlessly right after their meeting.

Fortunately, he did not appear to be a target of the attack.

After this round of "fireworks," nearly a third of the demons in the hall were dead. All the remaining demons trembled uncontrollably, wanting to resist but too afraid to act.

"We're going to die anyway, might as well fight back."

"The Lord of Slaughter is too powerful. Those who go first will surely die. Let others make the first move."

"What's going on? Has the Lord gone mad?"

While all the demons harbored their own thoughts, the Lord of Slaughter spoke just in time: "There's no need to panic, everyone. I was merely punishing traitors. Those of you who are loyal to me, I naturally remember your devotion and will not treat you unfairly."

"Traitors?"

Many demons were confused. The demon world was currently at its zenith, on the verge of conquering the cultivation world. Who would one betray them for now?

A few clever ones, their minds working, had already guessed what was happening.

At that moment, the Lord of Slaughter snorted coldly: "The Demon Lord truly has impressive means, to have bribed so many of my personal subordinates."

These words caused an uproar.

It was well known that for years, the Lord of Slaughter had been immersed in the secrets of the Demon Imperial Mausoleum, taking no part in worldly affairs, entrusting all military and governmental matters to the Demon Lord.

The Demon Lord, already highly prestigious due to his strength and military prowess, had seen his authority soar even further by monopolizing power in recent years, his prestige now almost rivaling that of the Lord of Slaughter.

Unexpectedly, conflict had finally erupted between the two.

"Your subordinates swear undying loyalty to Your Lordship!" all the remaining demons declared in unison.

They were originally direct subordinates of the Lord of Slaughter; their interests were maximized only by following him. Even if they pledged allegiance to the Demon Lord, they would neither be trusted nor highly regarded there.

Zu'an's expression was odd. It seemed his previous meeting with little Salame had been effective; she had found a way to inform the Lord of Slaughter.

The Lord of Slaughter's voice rang out again: "The Demon Lord is ambitious. For years, he has betrayed my trust, seizing the opportunity to plant his cronies and eliminate dissidents, seeking to rebel. This time, I intend to cleanse my ranks!"

A leading Greater Demon below hastily said, "Currently, the army is largely under the Demon Lord's control. Coupled with King Molgarth's incident, other armies loyal to Your Lordship are far away at the borders and cannot return in haste. We beg Your Lordship to plan your moves slowly."

The Lord of Slaughter laughed heartily:

"Don't worry, I am not one to act rashly. With a small stratagem, the Demon Lord will arrive at the Imperial Mausoleum within days. Once he is no longer on his own territory, we can seize the opportunity to strike."

The demons rejoiced: "Your subordinates will fight to the death!"

The Lord of Slaughter's cultivation was already high, and now, fighting on his home ground, the advantage was theirs.

Zu'an felt a touch of admiration. The Lord of Slaughter was indeed a powerful figure, reacting incredibly quickly. He wondered what method he had used to summon the Demon Lord here.

Could it be related to the secrets of this Imperial Mausoleum?

He looked towards the distant, profound Imperial Mausoleum, lost in thought.

Next, the Lord of Slaughter outlined his specific plan to deal with the Demon Lord. Zu'an nodded inwardly, thinking that with such arrangements, the Demon Lord would be doomed. He wondered how he had managed to break free in history.

To prevent information leaks, all demons present were forbidden from leaving the Imperial Mausoleum until the matter was resolved.

During these days, the demon powerhouses were busy setting up various formations within the Imperial Mausoleum. When tired, they would find places to rest there; after all, the mausoleum was vast, and finding empty spaces or rooms was not difficult.

One day, Zu'an found an opportunity to secretly venture deeper into the Imperial Mausoleum. He remembered that this place was laid out as a "yang tomb, yin grave," with the demon imperial mausoleum serving as a facade to conceal the true unknowable place hidden beneath.

He eventually arrived at a deep pool. The entrance to the unknowable place had once been beneath this very pool, but he didn't know if that spatial gate was currently open.

As he pondered whether to descend and investigate, a whooshing sound suddenly came from beside him. A dark shadow slashed towards his neck.

Simultaneously, a small magic array appeared beneath his feet, causing the air around him to slightly congeal. It was clearly a slowing array, designed to prevent him from dodging.