Within the noisy and chaotic tent area, a sudden explosion rang out. A fire dragon shot out from the distance, and the surrounding demons cheered and danced with joy.
"They really have no fire safety awareness," Jian Lin muttered silently. With so many tents, if they caught fire, it would surely turn into a sea of flames.
As she approached, Jian Lin realized she had overthought things. It turned out that despite the crowded tent area, there was a large open space in the center.
In the central open space, a massive bonfire blazed with fierce flames. No matter how crowded other areas were, few demons occupied this space.
The open ground by the bonfire was divided into two camps, one on the left and one on the right. The leading demons were both humanoid. One was tall and muscular, while the other was thin and gaunt, with sinister, evil eyes.
There was no need to ask; it was obvious who was Boss Leopard and who was Boss Snake.
Behind each of them were many subordinates, neatly arranged and exuding an imposing aura. It was rare to see demons so orderly.
The fire dragon gradually descended back into the bonfire, returning to ordinary flames. Boss Snake and Boss Leopard bowed to each other. Boss Leopard snorted in displeasure through his nostrils, while Boss Snake grinned sinisterly, revealing a wicked smile.
The two sides faced each other for a few seconds before turning and leaving. A high-pitched, duck-like voice shouted, "Open for business!"
Jian Lin focused her gaze and saw that it was indeed a duck. Dressed in vibrant colors, it wobbled and followed Boss Leopard.
As the announcement to open for business was made, the surrounding demons quickly became busy. The Demon Lord, with a turn of his steps, headed towards Boss Snake's direction first.
Jian Lin was somewhat surprised, expecting the Demon Lord to directly engage in a battle to win a chance to enter the demon city that night.
A line of demons had formed outside Boss Snake's large tent. At the entrance, a similarly thin and small snake demon arrogantly declared, "No cutting in line! Have you no manners? Queue up! Queue up according to the amount of spirit stones you can offer. How much can you give?"
The cunning wolf demon replied, "50 spirit stones."
"50 spirit stones! Is there anyone who can offer more? Step forward!" the small snake demon shouted, craning his neck.
"I, 60 spirit stones!"
And so on, it was like an auction. They were truly good at business.
When it came to money, the Demon Lord was not afraid. Under the gaze of the surrounding demons, he walked directly to the front and calmly said, "1000 spirit stones."
His voice caused an uproar, and the demons stepped back.
The small snake demon's eyes gleamed with greed. He extended his slender palm and said, "You... what kind of demon are you? Never mind what kind of demon, don't talk big. Only when you hand over the spirit stones will it be real!"
The Demon Lord took out two red spirit stones from his embrace and threw them directly at the small snake demon, making the demon's arm bend. He astonishingly clutched the red spirit stones and bit into them, looking utterly uncultured.
"Two red spirit stones, and I'll go in with her," the Demon Lord said with a nonchalant expression. The surrounding demons gasped.
Jian Lin suspected the Demon Lord had a bottomless pit on him. The way he produced spirit stones was like tossing pebbles.
On the other hand, she stood beside the Demon Lord with immense satisfaction, enjoying the astonished and envious gazes of the other demons. She knew the feeling of spending money like this; she had done it in her original world and it felt incredibly good!
The small snake demon asked them to wait, then slipped into the tent through a gap. Soon, he emerged, lifted the tent flap, and announced loudly, "You two, please come in. Boss Snake invites you."
Jian Lin stepped inside. The tent was brightly lit and luxuriously decorated. The floor was covered with a golden-red dragon-patterned carpet, and around the perimeter were display shelves filled with various magical artifacts, likely collected from the other demons.
Boss Snake sat behind a desk, which was also covered with various magical artifacts and spirit stones. He was currently lowering his head, intently examining the two red spirit stones. Hearing them enter, he raised his face and revealed a sinister smile.
"Please, have a seat," the snake demon said, his small eyes fixed on them. Suddenly, he stretched his neck, bringing his entire face close to the Demon Lord's, staring intently into his eyes. "Impressive. I can't tell what kind of demon you are."
He then moved closer to Jian Lin and commented, "And you are just an ordinary little fox demon. Interesting, very interesting."
While still seated, Boss Snake's body transformed into a snake's body, and he swayed his head around to survey the surroundings.
The scene was bizarre, and Jian Lin felt a prickle of unease. She instinctively retreated, saying, "Boss Snake, you are right. I am indeed just an ordinary little fox demon."
"Since you can tell, I won't waste any more words explaining," the Demon Lord said straightforwardly, cutting to the chase. "I want her to enter the demon city. Boss Snake, name your price."
Boss Snake's head snapped back, and he asked with a hint of confusion, "Allow me to ask one more question. What will she do inside the demon city? That filthy place can't accommodate her."
"It's nothing, the young lady of the house wishes to broaden her horizons," the Demon Lord said haughtily. "Spirit stones are not an issue; they are minor matters."
Jian Lin raised an eyebrow. Hearing the Demon Lord refer to her as "young lady" was surprisingly pleasant.
"Very good," Boss Snake said with a sinister smile, scratching his chin with his long, withered fingers, his face full of shrewd calculation. "I like doing business with generous demons. No more pleasantries. Not only will I send the young lady into the demon city, but I will also give her a stable identity, protecting her from being devoured by other demons. Of course, the prerequisite is... a sufficiently large sum."
Jian Lin's throat tightened. She had a feeling that "sufficiently large sum" was like a bottomless pit.
This deal felt like it wasn't worth it.
Jian Lin quickly signaled to the Demon Lord with her eyes, wanting him to not agree immediately and to adopt a bargaining stance.
To her surprise, the Demon Lord ignored her completely. With a wave of his hand, a magical artifact appeared before the snake demon. It resembled an incense burner, with alternating green and blue colors, mottled and blurred patterns, ancient and worn, as if it would crumble at a touch. It was completely out of place among the gleaming magical artifacts filling Boss Snake's tent.
Boss Snake stretched his neck, circling the artifact and examining it from all angles, so excited he didn't know what to do. "This... could this be an ancient divine artifact, the alchemy furnace of Divine Venerable Liyang?"
"Boss Snake has vast knowledge. I am impressed," the Demon Lord said indifferently, offering a compliment.
Boss Snake quickly retracted his head and settled back into his chair, gloomily uttering, "Not enough."
Jian Lin knew it! She subtly reached out and pinched the Demon Lord's wrist, signaling him not to be a fool.
The Demon Lord ignored Jian Lin, as if prepared, and calmly said, "Please, Boss Snake, open the alchemy furnace and take a look."
A glint flashed in Boss Snake's eyes. He extended his long, withered fingers and carefully lifted the lid of the alchemy furnace. Instantly, a sharp aura surged out, golden light filled the tent, and the other magical artifacts hummed, as if summoned by the contents within the furnace.
Boss Snake quickly put the lid back on. The surroundings immediately returned to silence, as if nothing had happened.
"This is..." Boss Snake asked, his expression filled with disbelief.
"Boss Snake, don't be modest. You must have recognized it," the Demon Lord revealed the mystery. "It is the demon core of the Giant Rong Beast."
Jian Lin's eyes widened in surprise. The Demon Lord truly had everything. No wonder he hadn't been interested in competing for the Giant Rong Beast's demon core that day.
The Giant Rong Beast was as tall as a mountain, with skin as hard as stone, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. It took a thousand years to form a single core. Its demon core possessed pure and immense power, rumored to be second only to divine objects like dragon cores or phoenix marrow, making it arguably the top demon core in the demon realm.
Although this beast was not intelligent, it made up for it with its immense power. Blades and swords were ineffective against it, and ordinary attacks were like tickles. One could imagine how precious its demon core was.
Boss Snake was thoroughly convinced. If divine artifacts were considered flashy but impractical, then regarding this Giant Rong Beast's demon core, he had nothing to say.
Some days ago, he had heard that two Giant Rong Beasts had fought over territory. His tribesmen happened to be present and reported back that the two beasts had fought for three days and three nights without a victor, and then collapsed to sleep, seemingly preparing to fight again upon waking.
However, a Giant Rong Beast's sleep lasted at least half a year, and up to three to five years. No one had the patience to wait for them, and the demons were greatly disappointed, their dreams dashed.
Boss Snake covered the alchemy furnace and remained silent. After a long pause, he slowly said, "I still have one question. Since you can produce the Giant Rong Beast's demon core, why not give it to your young lady to consume?"
"The young lady has been frail and sickly since childhood. Her current state is already a blessing," the Demon Lord responded calmly. "I cannot explain such personal matters in detail."
Seeing this, Boss Snake asked no further questions and continued with the business at hand. "In that case, I won't beat around the bush. I accept this deal."
Following this, they quickly finalized the details. Because the offer was generous enough, Boss Snake readily agreed.
They agreed to act at noon the next day, when the demon city would be asleep, making it easier for them to enter and exit.
Leaving Boss Snake's tent, they headed towards Boss Leopard's direction. The Demon Lord planned to enter the demon city through Boss Leopard's means the following night, and tonight they would scout the way.
Jian Lin looked back furtively. Seeing that they were getting further away from Boss Snake's tent, she finally couldn't hold back her question, "Young Master, you're bleeding heavily tonight! Is it really worth spending so much?"
Jian Lin really wanted to shout, "I'm not worth it!" Divine Venerable artifacts, and the Giant Rong Beast's demon core, she didn't deserve the Demon Lord to go to such lengths for her.
"It's nothing, just useless items," the Demon Lord added another boastful remark.
Jian Lin couldn't believe it. "That's the alchemy furnace of a Divine Venerable. How can it be useless?"
Jian Lin had just confirmed with the system whether the alchemy furnace was real. The system replied that it was indeed real.
"That alchemy furnace requires Divine Venerable Liyang's heart's blood to activate each time. It simply cannot be used by outsiders," the Demon Lord said dismissively. "The alchemy furnace was originally just a decorative piece in the Demon Palace. The Head Steward found it unsightly and stored it in the treasury. I only brought it out this time when I left, thinking it might be useful."
Jian Lin was speechless. She had only one realization: the Demon Lord truly had immense wealth and was outrageously extravagant.
It made sense. With hundreds of immortal sects combined, there was only one Demon Sect. Everything good in the demon realm belonged to the Demon Lord alone.
What a detestable man! Rich, handsome, and with profound cultivation. Apart from not liking her, he had no flaws.
Jian Lin gritted her teeth, caught up with the Demon Lord, and they walked together towards Boss Leopard's tent.
Before they got close, they heard shouts of fighting and cheering emanating from the large tent. Waves of heat and blood surged out, carrying a nauseating aura.
Demons had gathered around the large tent. After a great deal of effort, Jian Lin managed to squeeze in. She saw a huge pit in the center of the tent. At the bottom of the pit, a tiger demon and a lion demon were fighting in their original forms. The lion let out a deafening roar and lunged at the tiger, biting its hindquarters.