Just Like the Demon Lord

"Is there something else?" Catherine's mood was sour, having just been turned down, and her expression was rather cold. Before long, however, her gaze dropped to the remarkably prominent tent pitched below Tongtian Jiaozhu's waist. Her gorgeous eyes lit up slightly, the corners of her lips curling upward into an involuntary, teasing, and sultry "Whoa." Tongtian Jiaozhu maintained his stern, frosty expression. His upper head was lucid and rational, but his lower head had completely betrayed him. "I think you were right," he said, closing the distance between them step by step. He threw an arm around her slender waist beneath the black dress and pulled her voluptuous, tender body flush against his chest. Catherine slammed against him full-chested, plunging into a chest radiating masculine hormones. Instinctively, one hand stroked his chest while the other slid downward. The branding-iron heat took even the battle-tested Catherine aback for a moment. Then her eyes flared with delight, her breathing quickening. She giggled. "You want it this badly, so what are you waiting for?" Zhang Yuanqing scooped her up and tossed her onto the bed. Catherine let out a soft yelp followed by another giggle, taking advantage of the motion to hike up her skirt, seductively displaying two legs like sculpted white jade. Here comes the little black baton... Zhang Yuanqing stripped off his shirt and pounced on her with burning eyes. The plush mattress dipped sharply, followed swiftly by rustling sounds. The black dress, undergarments, trousers... piece by piece, they scattered across the floor. The bedroom lights dimmed in harmony with the mood, casting a hazy, sultry amber glow. Zhang Yuanqing propped himself up on both hands, gazing down at the beauty beneath him. Her features were flawless, her gaze alluring and hazy. She had a long, swan-like neck, rounded shoulders, delicate collarbones, and skin so soft and fair it seemed it might break at the slightest touch. Her abdomen was pale, smooth, and supple. With only a thin layer of body fat, he couldn't resist resting his palm against it, relishing the silky delicacy against his skin. "Will you make me pay a price?" Zhang Yuanqing asked, his throat dry, Adam's apple bobbing. "What do you think?" Catherine replied with a teasing smile. Zhang Yuanqing drew back slightly and scoffed. "I suddenly changed my mind. Is it too late to leave now?" Catherine hastily wrapped her fair, serpentine legs around his waist and chided playfully, "Not a chance." She immediately channeled her Charm, stirring his lust. Sure enough, Zhang Yuanqing surrendered. Breathing heavily, he bit down on her shoulder, drawing a soft whimper from Catherine: "It hurts..." An hour later, amid Catherine's tearful pleas for mercy, the tempestuous storm in the bedroom finally settled into quiet. Catherine lay on her side, covered by a glossy silk sheet. Her bare feet stuck out, toes curled and calves twitching intermittently. My soul is bound, similar to a Knight's contract... After erupting inside Catherine, Zhang Yuanqing felt his soul branded by a mysterious force, guessing it was the Desire class's "Demanding Payment" skill. "You're incredible," Catherine panted softly. Strands of her grayish-white hair clung damply to her face with sweat, and her skin flushed a dizzying crimson. She murmured, "I've only ever known one man more formidable than you, and that was the Demon Lord!" "Catherine, you're jumping to conclusions," Zhang Yuanqing said, pressing down on her once more. Since he was already branded anyway, he might as well indulge for the night. The darkness outside the window gradually receded as pale dawn arrived, yet the commotion inside the bedroom never ceased. It went on until the sun peeked over the horizon, bathing everything in warm, potent sunlight. Only then did their frenzy finally subside. Catherine lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, and murmured, "I truly was too quick to judge. You're just as formidable as the Demon Lord. No, you're even stronger than him. He was a Night Wanderer, brimming with boundless vitality, while you're an Illusionist—yet you're just as enduring and just as powerful as he was." The flavor of Desire really is something else... Relishing the mad revelry that had lasted through the entire night, Zhang Yuanqing felt as though a door to a new world had opened before him. Women of the Desire class were practically a different species from ordinary women. It wasn't merely a matter of beauty or figure—stunning and curvaceous women were everywhere, and although the Desire class possessed the "Perfect Physique" passive, it couldn't completely outclass every top-tier beauty. The real difference lay in the unique charm of the Desire class. During intimacy, their traits were unleashed to the fullest. A single glance, a soft moan, a subtle sway of the hips was enough to send Zhang Yuanqing's arousal soaring, pulling him into an intoxicating trance. It was like a vial of fatal, irresistible poison. In the future, the Endurance Spray would be reserved specifically for dealing with the Desire class. Women of other classes simply couldn't handle the combination of a Night Wanderer and the Endurance Spray. Well, perhaps a Wood Monster inclined toward reproduction could manage. But if it had been Guan Ya, she would have skewered him with a sword before midnight and fled impregnated in panic. Furthermore, he discovered another price of the Endurance Spray—one not mentioned in its [Remarks]: it drained the kidneys. While the spray granted the user endless firmness, it didn't bestow an infinite supply of vitality. Only classes with formidable regenerative abilities, like Night Wanderers, could actually handle it. "Will you be joining the battle tonight?" Zhang Yuanqing probed, keeping his tone so nonchalant that it sounded like a casual inquiry. "Of course!" Catherine nestled against his chest and said softly, "Now I can tell you about the upper structure of the Covenant of Freedom. First off, our primary forces are the rogue organizations: the Biological Alchemy Association, the Dionysus Club, and the Night God Church. "These three organizations are the core affiliates of the Covenant of Freedom, though only the core leadership and promising Saints are aware of the Covenant's existence. As for the rogue organizations of the Second District, they're currently just cooperating partners." Zhang Yuanqing's interest was piqued. "Why are the evil factions of the Second District merely partners?" Although Tongtian Jiaozhu belonged to an evil class, he was also a zealot who loathed evil, and he would never acknowledge the evil faction as truly "free." "Because the Gods differ across districts," Catherine answered obligingly, though the question seemed beyond her depth. "As for the specific reason, I don't know." Does that mean the evil faction of the First District has only one God? Is that why it can command all three evil organizations? But that doesn't make sense—the Demon Seed is clearly of the Toxic Chemist class, so what about the Gods of the Alcoholics and Eternal Night? Zhang Yuanqing paused in thought. He considered two possibilities. The first: the God behind the Covenant of Freedom wasn't just a Toxic Chemist, but likely an entity embodying all three evil classes at once. Just like Empress Wa in the Second District, who was both a Musician and a Scholar. The second possibility: something had happened to the Gods of the Alcoholics and Eternal Night, or their seats were vacant, much like the vacancy among the Spirit Realm Administrators. If there was only one God, the pressure on the orthodox faction would be much lighter. He could find an opportunity to steal the canvas and ink from Catherine, open that secret realm, and hurl a nuclear warhead inside. As long as the Demon Seed was eradicated, it wouldn't be easy for the evil faction's God to descend upon the mortal realm again. If descending were that simple, why hadn't there been another incident like the meteor fall of 1900 in the past century? I wonder who the evil god of the Second District is... Zhang Yuanqing suddenly recalled the killing trial, where the old crone had used the Eight-Armed Demon God as a medium to trace back to its origin. Following her perspective, he had glimpsed a pair of terrifying eyes. Merely seeing those eyes had caused him to fall on the spot, transforming toward a Bewitching Demon. If not for the old crone's purely masculine and unyielding Sun divine power purifying the corruption, Yuanshi Tianzun would have long since become the Soldier Master sect's top enforcer. While his thoughts churned, Catherine continued: "The second major force is the Hunter Guild, spanning the Free Confederation and Europe. The Hunter Guild serves as the Covenant of Freedom's channel to manipulate rogue cultivators and root out parasites within the orthodox organizations." You're the parasite inside the orthodox organizations! Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help but complain internally. "The third force consists of moles embedded within the orthodox organizations. Their numbers are small—the higher the tier, the fewer there are—and they are generally left dormant." Zhang Yuanqing probed, "Who is the mole in Heaven's Punishment's New York County branch?" Catherine giggled. "I'm not telling." Looks like I didn't work hard enough last night... Zhang Yuanqing didn't press further. Given Tongtian Jiaozhu's cold persona, asking once out of curiosity was natural, but persistent questioning would easily raise suspicion. After all, Catherine was a Dominator. Although blinded by lust and currently basking in immense satisfaction, she was far from stupid. One could never underestimate her intelligence and sharp senses. "How confident are you about tonight's battle?" Zhang Yuanqing asked in a low voice. "Eighty percent!" Catherine smirked. Eighty percent... My Astromancy predicted an absolute victory for the Saint stage battle, which means the issue must lie with the Dominators. The evil faction's target tonight is the Dominator-tier experts... Zhang Yuanqing replied nonchalantly, "Very well! Among the Saints of the orthodox organizations, only that Jumang poses a threat. You'd better send him back to the Spirit Realm first." Catherine laughed. "Don't worry, Jumang is a dead man tomorrow night." Holy shit, Zhang Yuanqing cursed inwardly, though his face remained placid. "Oh? How so?" Catherine kept her lips sealed. "You'll see when the time comes." Seeing that no more information was forthcoming, Zhang Yuanqing wasted no more words. He gently pushed aside Catherine's lush body and got up to dress. Thoroughly sated, Catherine didn't stop him. Hugging the sleek silk sheet, she narrowed her eyes languidly and purred, "Look out for yourself tonight. Your role is support; you won't be needed on the front lines. Tsk, tsk, I'd really hate to see you die." After finishing dressing, Zhang Yuanqing asked, "Won't you claim your payment?" Catherine smiled sweetly. "What's the rush? We'll talk after you come back alive. By the way, the people from the Nihility Sect are quite interested in you. After tomorrow night's decisive battle, I'll introduce you to them." She had immense confidence in an Illusionist's survivability, especially under cover of night. Did the Nihility Sect grow suspicious of my identity? Or is Catherine planning to test my background again? Either way, the Nihility Sect people must die. Fully dressed, Zhang Yuanqing activated Dream Traversal and left the health club. At nine in the morning, after meeting up with his avatar, Zhang Yuanqing arrived at the bank building. He originally intended to talk with Vinnie, but suddenly remembered the contract signed yesterday in Conference Room 3: No content from the meeting could be disclosed to anyone in any form. This meant that prior to the decisive battle, the strike team was forbidden from initiating discussions on tactics and combat. Only now did Zhang Yuanqing realize that this contract was essentially tying their own hands. The terms of the contract had been proposed by Sean Meade, and Vinnie hadn't objected. Given their intellect, they shouldn't have made such an amateur mistake. Yet it was impossible for both of them to be spies for the Covenant of Freedom... Forget it. I can't interfere in the clashes between Dominators anyway, and my deductions are still shrouded in fog. I'd better focus on myself. Zhang Yuanqing leaned back in his office chair, mulling over Catherine's claim: Jumang is a dead man! It was already known that Jumang possessed two Dominator-tier items. To kill someone like that, there were only two methods: first, dispatching a Dominator-tier expert; second, fighting fire with fire by using a Dominator-tier item. "If they're using a Dominator-tier item, it must be highly specialized and capable of killing Jumang instantly. Otherwise, with so many variables in a chaotic battle of Saints, on what grounds could Catherine be so certain Jumang would die?" "Uh, neither the Chaotic Oil Painting nor the Form and Spirit Annihilation Blade has defensive capabilities. If the enemy brings out any Dominator-tier item, they could one-shot me." For items of the same type, quantity was essentially meaningless. Even if he possessed ten offensive Dominator items, the enemy only needed one to seize the right moment and eliminate him. Because ten offensive items couldn't block an incoming attack. Saints were fragile in that regard. Having Dominator-tier combat power did not equate to possessing a Dominator's tier of existence—a gap that items simply could not bridge. In truth, Zhang Yuanqing did have a defensive item: the Purple Gold Set. However, it was Yuanshi Tianzun's signature gear, distinct from his other items. Though very few people knew this, it was best avoided under the public eye if possible. "Then I'll just have to abandon sportsmanship and rely on deception and sneak attacks." A plan formed in Zhang Yuanqing's mind. 11:00 PM. Top floor, Heaven's Punishment's New York County branch. Beside the helipad stood a secret vault that remained locked year-round. Its security rivaled that of a bank vault: steel plates twelve centimeters thick were embedded within the concrete walls, and short of a military-grade bombardment, ordinary explosives could hardly scratch it. Matching its physical defenses was its classification level, requiring all three chiefs of Heaven's Punishment's New York County branch to open it together. Vinnie Brent rode the elevator up to the top floor and saw Channing Lu and Sean Meade already waiting outside the vault door. The three exchanged no words. In unspoken coordination, each entered their respective passcodes and cleared the iris scanners, unlocking three consecutive iron doors, each ten centimeters thick. The fourth iron door had no padlock, required no password, and needed neither fingerprint nor iris authentication. Instead, intricate runes were etched across its surface. The final "access control" was a formation—or more precisely, a sealing array. When Heaven's Punishment Headquarters originally erected this array, they had utilized high-tier items from both the Void and Eternal Night classes. It was fair to say that practically no one could infiltrate this vault except a demigod of the Void class. That made it even less of a concern, as there was only one demigod Void in the entire world. If the Eye of the Sky ever went missing, it could only be that guy's doing. With practiced synergy, the three chiefs of Heaven's Punishment produced three triangular silver talismans, channeling spiritual energy into them. Pressing their palms against the iron door, they chanted incantations. Along with the cadence of their chant, the silver triangular talismans erupted in brilliant white light. The moment the chanting ceased, the white light slammed into the engraved runes on the iron door. Click! The iron door's bolt snapped back, and the runes vanished into the metal. Channing Lu stowed his silver talisman, looked at his two colleagues, and gave an emotional smile. "How many years has it been since we last used the Eye of the Sky?" Executive Sean replied: "Over thirty years ago, I believe. An incompetent, brainless president wanted to wipe out the Night Head of the Night God Church with a nuke, and the board mindlessly agreed to his request. The nuclear warhead was launched in the end, but unfortunately, it failed to detonate. "How could humanity's current technological weapons ever kill a demigod-tier powerhouse?" Vinnie Brent said coldly, "Gentlemen, time is limited. This is no moment to reminisce about the past." Thirty years ago, she had only just been born.