"What's the use of being mad at you?" Xiaokai looked at them with a wry smile. "Since everyone is here, please have a seat."
The small living room was now packed, with all the fox tribe's beautiful women in the front and the Tiger King by their side. At least eight tigers were behind the Tiger King, though they didn't exude the dominance of jungle kings, but rather looked as meek as kittens, gazing at Xiaokai as if he were about to feed them.
The living room, not that small, was still not enough to accommodate just a few monsters. From all directions of the fox and tiger tribes, there were various strange creatures such as snakes, cats, dogs, cows, and pigs, but one thing was certain: no humans were present.
For a moment, Xiaokai felt like he had walked into a zoo, with at least thirty or forty animals squeezed into his living room. He even caught a whiff of their strong animal scent.
"You... are the 18-Territory Alliance of Monster Clans." Xiaokai said.
The monsters immediately began clamoring.
"Yes, yes, celestial being, please save us!"
"Celestial being, the fate of our dog tribe is in your hands!"
"Oh my, is this the young and handsome celestial being of the Thunder Sect? It's so incredible!"
"Respected master of the Xiaokai Clan, if you are willing to save our pig tribe, we will remember your kindness for generations!"
"Oh! I suddenly feel my heart pounding, like a little deer jumping in my chest. I think I've fallen in love with this handsome celestial being!"
"Celestial being, our snake clan beauties are the best among the monsters, I beg you to accept the sincerest dedication of our snake tribe!"
The monsters went on and on, leaving Xiaokai completely stunned. He discreetly prepared the leftover "Zhenyuan Heavenly Talisman" from last time. If these monsters swarmed him, he would have to act.
"Sorry, celestial being, for disturbing you again," Huyunyue said apologetically. "We were just too excited and couldn't help but gather the entire monster clan to seek your help."
"Seek help?" Xiaokai was perplexed. "What do you need help with?"
Tiger King cleared his throat and stepped forward, "Everyone quiet down!" With his authority, the noisy monsters immediately fell silent. He walked up to Xiaokai, causing him a bit of nervousness, despite having subdued him before. In Xiaokai's imagination, monsters were all unruly. If something unexpected were to happen, it wouldn't be good. Xiaokai, thinking this, raised his foot slightly to step back, and then heard a thud. The Tiger King's massive figure had knelt down in front of him!
The Tiger King's action led to all the monsters following suit, and even Xiaoyue and Xiaoxin, who were kneeling on either side. "Oh my, what are you doing?" Xiaokai was not only shocked but even let out a curse.
"We beseech you, celestial being!" the monsters all pleaded in unison, their loud voices filling the room. Just as their voices trailed off, a neighbor's voice came from the stairwell, "Why the hell are you making a racket so early in the morning? If you want to watch TV, turn down the volume, you lunatic!"
Xiaokai sighed and shook his head with a helpless smile. "Get up, everyone, let's take it slow and tell me what's going on."
"Thank you, celestial being!" the monsters all replied in unison, standing up noisily.
Another voice from outside scolded, "Oh my, didn't you hear me? If you're making a racket again, I'll call the police!"
Xiaokai sighed again, feeling a bit amused and helpless.
"Master, it's like this," the Tiger King said humbly, "the treasure taken back by Xiaoyue alarmed our entire 18-Territory Monster Clan. Though we don't have high standards, we can still see that the treasure given to the Fox Clan by the door master is worth at least ten times more than the Cold Jade Bed. The world's vitality is fading, making it increasingly difficult for the monster race to cultivate. After wandering for thousands of years, we've run out of ways to continue our bloodline. Not only the Fox and Tiger Clans, but in fact, all 18 clans are on the brink of extinction. Being the contemporary master of the Tianxuan Sect, closest to the divine, with seemingly extraordinary and mysterious powers, you were able to casually give such a premier treasure to the Fox Clan to help them through their predicament. It seems that you can also easily solve the extinction problem of our other 18 territories. With no other options, I have finally made a decision to rally everyone to seek the door master's help."
The Tiger King finished and then knelt down again, saying solemnly, "This whole situation today was my idea. If the door master blames anyone, I am willing to take the full responsibility. If the door master commands, I will give up my cultivation on the spot, willingly!"
Xiaokai shook his head and smiled bitterly at them. "If there's any way I can help, I will do my best, but... I really don't have much power."
Thud, thud, thud! The monsters all knelt down once more as a unified resounding plea rose in the room, and even Xiaoyue and Xiaoxin, with tears in their eyes, said together, "Please, help save our monster race."
Xiaokai, even if he could refuse the roomful of monsters, couldn't bear to refuse these two girls he had gotten to know over the past few days. After hesitating for a long while, he finally sighed and said, "Alright, alright, you can get up. I... I'll help as best as I can."
The thumping of prostrations ceased.
The monsters looked at one another, not showing much joy, but their eyes were slightly moist. Xiaokai felt a bit bitter seeing their bloodstained foreheads. "I've said it already, I'll do my best to help. If I can't help much, please don't blame me."
"Of course, of course," the Heavenly King hurriedly agreed, "As long as the Master is willing to help, we will be completely satisfied."
"Yes, yes, the Heavenly King is right," the demons also nodded in agreement. Judging from their expressions, they didn't take the statement to heart at all. In their view, Xiao Kai was just being modest. They believed that the immortal could summon thunder at will, so helping them would be a simple matter.
At that moment, loud banging on the door sounded from outside, with a voice shouting, "What the hell are you doing? I'm going to beat someone, open the door for me!"
"Uh..." Xiao Kai didn't say anything.
"Hmph, daring to offend the immortal, let me go and teach him a lesson!" a dog-headed demon stood up, ready to open the door, but Xiao Kai quickly stopped him, "No, let Xiao Yue and them go."
The door opened, and standing outside was indeed a burly man. He was about to lose his temper, but suddenly realized that the door was opened by two girls, two extraordinarily beautiful girls at that. He was momentarily stunned.
Both girls appeared delicate, as if they had just been crying. They stood at the door hesitantly and asked, "Do you...have any business here?"
The burly man's anger dissipated instantly, even becoming stuttered as he spoke, "N...nothing, you...you can close the door, um, close it, I...I must have entered the wrong room."
Xiao Xin smiled gently at him and then slammed the door shut. As the door closed tightly, it seemed to hit something, making a soft "thud," followed by a faint "ouch" from the burly man. Xiao Xin looked at Xiao Yue, and the two fox spirits couldn't help but burst into laughter together.
"He hit his nose," Xiao Yue said, "Reckon he deserved it."
"He dared to offend the host, so this is letting him off lightly," Xiao Xin said with resentment, "If there's a next time, I'll seduce him, then intentionally let his wife see, guarantee he'll be divorced within three days."
"That's right, that's right," Hu Yunyu praised them greatly, "Our fox clan always acts by using their wits, just as it should be."
Xiao Kai had just taken a sip of water and nearly choked on it. People often referred to those women who bring disaster upon the country and the people as fox spirits, and it seemed they were not wrong at all. The two fox spirits were always obedient and gentle in front of him, a typical image of well-bred ladies, who knew they had such an evil side to them.
While Xiao Kai was pondering, he suddenly felt a stirring in his heart, the reaction of the wordless book!
"Ha, Kai, I've come out of seclusion!" A long-lost voice suddenly resonated in his mind. Before Xiao Kai could speak, the voice exclaimed again, "Wow, so many monsters!"
As the voice trailed off, a short, bald man appeared in the living room. He had a completely bald head and was wearing a large robe, and it was none other than Xiao Guan!
With Xiao Guan's appearance, the aura was truly earth-shattering. The demonic beings in the room, who had been smiling, either sitting or standing, suddenly appeared as if they had encountered great fear. They all quickly prostrated themselves on the ground, burying their heads deeply, and not a single one dared to speak again, not even move a finger. Even their breathing was deliberately suppressed.
The entire bustling living room suddenly became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. After Xiao Kai regained his composure, he found that apart from Xiao Guan, the only one left standing was himself.
"Huh?" Xiao Kai saw that the Heavenly King was prostrating not far from him, his broad and tall body was trembling slightly, as if a mouse had seen a cat.
Xiao Yue and Xiao Xin were also lying on the ground, their jet-black hair spread out all around. They were also motionless and didn't dare to move at all. Xiao Kai looked closely and saw Xiao Xin pressing hard on the ground, her knuckles turning white, clearly terrified to the extreme.
"What's going on?" Xiao Kai asked.
"Oh, nothing, they're afraid of me," Xiao Guan said smugly. "The demonic world is a strictly hierarchical place. I'm the demon king, so it's strange if they don't kneel. Haha."
Xiao Kai patted Xiao Guan on the head, "Don't be too proud, get them up quickly." As he spoke, he quickly crouched down and pulled Xiao Xin and Xiao Yue up. The two fox spirits were still trembling and were forcibly pulled to their feet by Xiao Kai, their delicate bodies still shaking slightly in a frightened manner, and they didn't even dare to look at Xiao Guan.
Xiao Guan was disappointed, shaking his head while the laughter faded away. He suddenly said, "Kai, you're quite nice to them, aren't you?"
"W-what... are you saying?" Xiao Kai instantly blushed.
"Don't deny it, Kai, look at where your hand was," Xiao Guan burst into loud laughter, then sighed repeatedly, "Alas, what a pity, what about Sister Xiao Yun? What about Sister Xiao Zhu? Have you abandoned them?"
"I...I haven't," Xiao Kai explained, "I only have Xiao Zhu in my heart." As he spoke, he quietly withdrew his hand from the waists of the two fox spirits.
Xiao Yue and Xiao Xin still had their heads down, but their slightly blushing faces betrayed their inner thoughts. The two fox spirits were feeling sweet in their hearts, and even their courage had grown a little. In a voice not much louder than a buzzing mosquito, Xiao Yue said, "Master, this is..."
"Two sisters, I'm Yan Xiao Guan, Kai's brother," Xiao Guan smiled and said, "Of course, you can call me by my other name: the Demon King."
"Hiss..." There was a collective gasp from the monsters sprawled on the floor. The Heavenly King's teeth chattered uncontrollably, his expression a mix of fear, anticipation, and surprise. He trembled as he spoke, "M-mighty King, are you going to lead the demon race in a counter-attack on the realm of cultivation?"
"A counter-attack on the realm of cultivation?" Xiao Guan looked puzzled, "What are you talking about? Why would I want to counter-attack the realm of cultivation? Is it fun to fight and kill? Last time, when Kai subdued the Celestial Demon, I even saw the leaders of the six sects."
"Uh..." The Heavenly King's eager expectations were all swallowed back, and he forgot his fear as he stared at Xiao Guan, unable to say a word.
Xiao Guan's expression was very serious, and it didn't look like he was joking at all. Seeing the Heavenly King's incredulous expression, Xiao Guan couldn't help but walk over to pat his shoulder, shaking his head with a look of incomprehension, "Alas, what should I say to you guys? All living things in the world belong together, whether it's humans, demons, or immortals, everyone should live in harmony, remember, peace! Peace is the most important. It's already the 21st century, and peace is the theme of the world. I've only been out for a month, and I understand this principle. You've cultivated for thousands of years, how can you not see through this simple truth?" He couldn't help but sigh, "Read more books and watch TV when you have nothing else to do. To integrate into this world, you must first understand it."
The Heavenly King was completely dumbfounded, his tiger mouth wide open, completely petrified. He carefully scrutinized Xiao Guan, wanting to see if this person was a phony, but the overwhelming demonic aura emanating from this person, along with his astonishing power, indicated that he was a higher-ranking demon lord, exerting an unparalleled level of pressure on the lower demons. Everything about him proved that he was undoubtedly the legendary figure, the King of Ten Thousand Devils.
In fact, the Heavenly King's Heavenly King's Cracked Monument Palm was handed down from the King of Ten Thousand Devils thousands of years ago, and the demonic powers cultivated by innumerable mountain spirits and water monsters in the demon world had drawn upon the King of Ten Thousand Devils' original demonic power. As long as the King of Ten Thousand Devils wished, he could reclaim all the power from the monsters at any time. For these monsters, the King of Ten Thousand Devils was a god, an emperor, everything, an existence that they could not resist, an entity that was not on the same level at all.
The reason why the monsters were so terrified just now was because they were utterly powerless in front of the King of Ten Thousand Devils. This renowned demon lord's greatest characteristic in the past had been "ruthless killing, unpredictable emotions."
Legend has it that thousands of years ago, the demon world and the realm of cultivation engaged in an earth-shattering war. The King of Ten Thousand Devils single-handedly fought against numerous top cultivators united against him and didn't fall behind at all. He even issued a vow on the spot, vowing to sweep the realm of cultivation, unify the demon world and the human realm, occupy all the famous mountains and rivers of the human world, and establish the 'Great Ideal Country' for the monsters.
The King of Ten Thousand Devils was such a heroic figure back then, ferocious and bloodthirsty. His character and ideals were the ultimate goal of self-cultivation for the monsters over the past ten thousand years.
However, now, this King of Ten Thousand Devils, emitting an overwhelming demonic aura, was actually saying, "We want peace"?
It is often said that humans are willing to sacrifice their lives for their ideals, and the humanoid monsters that were cultivated also have similar qualities, at least the Heavenly King is one of them. Even after hearing Xiao Guan's declaration of peace, the Heavenly King was still shaking in fear, but he still managed to ask, "Are you...really the King of Ten Thousand Devils?"
"Yes, of course I am the King of Ten Thousand Devils!" Xiao Guan boasted to Kai, "Kai, my seclusion this time wasn't in vain. I recalled many things, I remembered that I am the King of Ten Thousand Devils, and I also recalled many of my signature moves. Most importantly, I finally know what's wrong with me!"
"Um... can I finish asking the question first?" The Heavenly King's teeth chattered, "I want to ask if you remember your vow from back then?"
Xiao Guan glared at him disapprovingly, "What vow? I don't remember any vow. It's good enough that I can remember my name. I'm living quite well now, stop bringing up old stuff with me. Haven't you heard the saying, 'A hero does not mention his past glory'?"
The Heavenly King rolled his eyes and wiped the sweat from his forehead, then helplessly prostrated himself again.
Only then did Xiao Guan turn to look at Kai, looking quite upset, "Kai, my strength can never be restored, because I finally remembered that I was sealed by someone."
"Sealed?" Kai asked.
Xiao Guan let out a long sigh, "You also know this seal, it's known as the Demon Sealing Mantra!"
The Demon Sealing Mantra is a very strange ability that can affect all the monsters in the world, from the tens of thousands of years old super monsters to the newly formed weak creatures. Yet, it is unable to defeat any monster, as its nature is not to "defeat the monster," but only to "restrict the monster," and the restrictive means it employs are very absolute: it seals the opponent's most powerful ability.
The key point is that the sealing ability of the Demon-Sealing Mantra is permanent. Despite the world collapsing and the seas drying up, its sealing effect will never diminish.
Back then, the Demon King's demonic aura was unrivaled in the world, and no treasure or immortal weapon could threaten him. Thus, he roamed the world unchecked. However, this was also his weakness. Apart from his unparalleled demonic aura, the Demon King's other abilities were much weaker. So when he encountered the Demon-Sealing Mantra, he instantly lost nearly ninety percent of his combat power and was easily sealed away in the Wordless Heavenly Scripture for a whole ten thousand years.
After ten thousand years, much had changed. The Demon King became Yan Xiaoguan, losing most of his memories and even having his nature remolded by the spiritual energy in the scripture.
Of course, the current Xiaokai couldn't possibly grasp the key aspects of this. Before he could express his thoughts, he felt a reaction coming from the Wordless Heavenly Scripture. The Mahjong Elder exclaimed, "The Demon King? The Demon King? My goodness, this name sounds familiar!"
"I feel the same way," the Erudite Elder chimed in. "Hearing that name, I feel an inexplicable animosity."
"Indeed," the Recluse Elder joined in. "Besides animosity, there's also murderous intent!"
The Primordial Elder sighed, "Alas, after so many years, all our memories have been eroded away."
Xiaoguan's eyes widened as he looked suspiciously at the place where Xiaokai held the Wordless Heavenly Scripture. After observing for a long time, he suddenly clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Ah! So it turns out I'm not the only one in this book!"
A flash of light shot out, and Xiaoguan had already returned to the Wordless Heavenly Scripture. In an instant, the eerie aura in the living room disappeared completely, and the monsters on the ground suddenly felt lighter, slowly raising their heads.
"Where is the Demon King?" asked a cautious wolf-headed individual.
"He's gone," Xiaokai said. "You don't need to be afraid. He's my brother and won't harm you."
The monsters looked at each other, revealing the astonishment and joy in each other's eyes that they couldn't hide. This Xiaokai, an immortal, not only possessed unpredictable abilities, but was also the brother of the Demon King, a status that was truly earth-shattering. Being able to gain favor with the Eighteen Caverns Demon Race would make their future days better.