"We're finally here."
A shuttle-shaped magical artifact, only three zhang long and two chi wide, tore through the sky, appearing above a vast coral reef covering nearly 50,000 li, 23,000 li southwest of Yu Liu Island.
The white-haired king of the Yin Xing Hei Yu clan emerged from the flying shuttle. He stood six feet tall, making it quite a squeeze for him to fit into a two-chi wide space.
"Who dares to trespass on the territory of the Jin Xing Hei Yu clan?"
Not long after the white-haired elder appeared, four fish-people, who had not yet evolved legs, with dark skin and only three fingers on each hand, surged up from the sea. Although they were only at the fourth tier, still mere young demons, they showed no fear towards the white-haired elder, who was at the seventh-tier Demon Lord realm.
"Four young sirs, thank you for your hard work. I am Hei Yin Qi, the current clan leader of the Yin Xing Hei Yu clan. I seek an audience with the Jin Xing Hei Yu clan leader."
The white-haired elder bowed slightly, performing a clasped-fist salute, and politely requested.
"So it's Clan Leader Yin Xing. Please wait a moment, we will report this immediately."
Upon hearing the white-haired elder's identity, the four fourth-tier Hei Yu demons trembled in surprise. If it were demons of other races, even an eighth-tier Demon Lord would not be feared, but they dared not offend demons of their own clan easily, even a fifth-tier Great Demon.
"Heh heh ~ Then I'll trouble you."
The white-haired elder maintained his amiable demeanor. Despite his high cultivation, he dared not act presumptuously here. This coral reef was home to the Jin Xing Hei Yu clan, one of the top ten overlords of the outer regions of the Myriad Demon Sea. It was a super force commanding an expanse of 100 million li of sea, boasting over three eighth-tier Demon Lords. 100 million li! If this were on the Tai Yuan Continent, even the Ten Great Immortal Sects would not have such a vast domain. Yu Liu Island nominally belonged to the Jin Xing Hei Yu clan's jurisdiction, and a tribute of over a million spirit stones was demanded every hundred years.
"Elder Yin Xing, please come in. The clan leader is not in seclusion today."
"Thank you."
Less than fifteen minutes later, the young demon who had gone to report flew back. The white-haired elder, Hei Yin Qi, humbly followed behind the young demon, slowly flying down.
A colossal golden palace, covering an area of ten thousand mu, appeared on the blue-black sea. Guided by a young demon and with the palace owner's consent, Hei Yin Qi soon entered a magnificent golden hall. As soon as he entered, he knelt and paid homage to the person on the high platform.
"This humble one, Hei Yin Qi, pays respects to King Jin Lai."
"Get up. Why are you, you old fellow, not lord it over your own domain, but instead running to my Jin Xing territory?"
On the high platform, a tall, robust man with a face full of flesh spoke humorously.
"I've come to present a gift to you, King Jin Lai."
Saying that, Hei Yin Qi raised a storage bag above his head and respectfully offered it.
"Oh ~ You stingy old man is giving me a gift, how rare."
The burly man on the high platform glanced disdainfully at Hei Yin Qi, but still waved his hand, signaling a seventh-tier Demon Lord beside him to fetch the storage bag.
"Reporting to King Jin Lai, this is a top-grade treasure that this humble old man has found recently. I hope King Jin Lai will like it."
Hei Yin Qi had not yet been permitted to stand and remained kneeling, yet he dared not show any displeasure. King Jin Lai, the burly man, took the storage bag from the seventh-tier Demon Lord and opened it directly. He wasn't worried at all that Hei Yin Qi would dare to plot against him. However, as he saw the gift inside the storage bag, his expression darkened.
"Hmph ~ Just a few fourth-grade spirit fish are worthy of such ceremony? These things are merely snacks with better flavor. Are you mocking me, you old fool?"
Hearing King Jin Lai's displeasure, Hei Yin Qi's face paled, and he prostrated himself, explaining with a slight tremor in his voice.
"Your Majesty King Jin Lai, this humble one would not dare disrespect Your Majesty. These fourth-grade spirit fish are rather special, containing the aura of creation. After consuming them, some demons have broken through their cultivation. A sixth-tier demon broke through to the seventh tier."
"Hmm? Are they that good? Let me try."
With that, King Jin Lai, without transforming into his true form, opened his mouth. A blood-red maw, full of fangs and thirty feet wide, opened wide. Paired with his current torso, less than ten feet long, it looked incredibly imposing and terrifying. Two spirit fish, only twenty feet long and three to four feet thick, disappeared into the cavernous mouth.
The sound of crunching echoed in the silent hall.
Over thirty demons were present in the hall, the lowest cultivation being fifth-tier Great Demon, and the strongest being two eighth-tier Demon Lords. They were all accustomed to it. King Jin Lai eating spirit fish was normal; he had even eaten other demons in the past. Only Hei Yin Qi's face was filled with heartache. Those were fourth-grade Yu Liu Jiu spirit fish, worth two million spirit stones! These were top-grade treasures that could assist a sixth-tier demon in breaking through to the seventh tier! And they were just eaten like that? So extravagant! The key point was that these spirit fish, worth two million spirit stones, were his! Hei Yin Qi's heart was bleeding. He... was still kneeling.
Finally, after a series of crunching sounds, King Jin Lai wiped his mouth and nodded with satisfaction.
"Mmm, tastes good. Hei Yin Qi, your gift is acceptable. You may rise."
"Thank you, King Jin Lai."
Only then was Hei Yin Qi allowed to stand.
"Hei Yin Qi, you wouldn't come to my treasure hall without reason. Speak your mind."
King Jin Lai's personality was as direct as his appearance. He immediately asked Hei Yin Qi's purpose. Being ancient demons who had lived for thousands of years, he had already guessed Hei Yin Qi's intentions at a glance, but he needed to retain the decision-making power in his own hands.
"This..."
Hei Yin Qi looked at the other demons in the hall with a troubled expression, as if the matter were too important to be spoken of casually.
"Hmph ~ Isn't it just two fourth-grade spirit fish containing a trace of the aura of creation? What is there to hide? Just say it!"
King Jin Lai snorted disdainfully at Hei Yin Qi's caution.
"This..."
Hei Yin Qi glanced at the demons in the hall. They were all Black Fish demons. He gritted his teeth and decided to speak.
"King Jin Lai, on Yu Liu Island under my jurisdiction, a young demon has appeared who possesses special abilities. He knows how to cultivate these spirit fish containing the aura of creation. I wish to take him into my possession."
"Fine! Yu Liu Island is allocated to you. You can do as you please, as long as you supply me with seventy percent of the annual yield."
Before Hei Yin Qi could finish speaking, King Jin Lai interrupted him impatiently with a wave of his hand. He had guessed this from the beginning. As long as his profits were guaranteed, it didn't matter if some lesser demons died.
"Thank you, King Jin Lai, for your generosity. However, this young demon is also a sixth-tier formation master."
Hei Yin Qi, upon hearing this, knelt down emotionally to thank him, but also stated the difficulty.
"Hmph ~ Are you an idiot? How can a fourth-tier young demon be a sixth-tier formation master? Without advancing to the fifth tier and cultivating magical power, let alone a sixth-grade formation, even a fifth-grade formation is impossible to set up."
As soon as Hei Yin Qi finished speaking, King Jin Lai cursed him unceremoniously. It was common knowledge that one could not set up a fifth-grade formation without reaching the fifth tier, as common as 1+1=2.
"Uh~~ This humble old man doesn't understand formations, but two of my seventh-tier Demon Lord clansmen were killed by that young demon's formations."
Hei Yin Qi also knew that common knowledge, but his people had indeed died.
"A formation that can kill a seventh-tier Demon Lord? Interesting. You stay here! I'll go take a look."
With that, King Jin Lai fire-blasted out of the hall, then plunged into the sea, disappearing in an instant. Hei Yin Qi was also stunned. He hadn't expected King Jin Lai, who was at the mid-eighth-tier, to be so hasty. It truly fit his brigand-like image, being so rash.