A few minutes later, Diana escorted a beautiful woman with curly chestnut hair into the office. This lover of the Demon Lord, Lady Betty, boasted a sizzling physique. Her hips rounded into an exaggerated peach shape that filled out her loose trousers to a snug perfection, while her waist was slender enough to clasp in one hand, and her heavy bosom showcased the commanding presence of a G-cup goddess.
She possessed the quintessential gym-toned body of a Western woman.
Compared to her, most Eastern women looked like underdeveloped, scrawny girls.
Staring at those exaggerated peach hips, Zhang Yuanqing finally saw the light. No wonder the clacking impacts in the recordings of the Demon Lord and Betty had been the sharpest and loudest.
The truth was now unveiled.
*The Demon Lord really had zero inhibitions. As long as she was pretty, he was down—not a picky eater in the slightest!* Zhang Yuanqing mused to himself.
Of course, Betty's looks were undeniably striking. Her light green eyes held hidden flirtatiousness, her features were gorgeous, and her aura carried that wild, wanton edge. She was the bed partner the Demon Lord had kept around the longest.
Betty swept an appraising glance over Yuanshi Tianzun, seated herself on the opposite sofa, and offered a polite, practiced smile. "Lord Yuanshi Tianzun, your reputation precedes you!"
Zhang Yuanqing acutely sensed a tinge of jealousy and resentment in her emotions. It wasn't directed at him, but at Annie.
Annie had mentioned that intrasexual competition within the Association of God of Beauty was fierce. Annie and Betty had once been rivals, but the latter had latched onto the Demon Lord and skyrocketed in status, climbing steadily through the association's ranks.
Now that the Demon Lord had fallen and Annie had hooked up with him, the tables had well and truly turned.
"Lady Betty, your reputation precedes you as well!" Zhang Yuanqing said with absolute sincerity.
The audio recordings of her and the Demon Lord had given him, back when he was a mere newbie, an immense shock—and had instilled in him a profound yearning for the women of the Association of God of Beauty.
Recalling who knew what, Betty flashed a flicker of embarrassment before quickly recovering her composure. Wearing a faint smile, she asked, "The director mentioned you were looking for me?"
"I want you to give me the Demon Lord's relic," Zhang Yuanqing said, cutting straight to the chase.
Betty paused, her smile slowly fading away. "I apologize," she said coolly. "That is a relic the Demon Lord left to me. I will not trade it to anyone."
From Diana's earlier hints, Zhang Yuanqing had already anticipated Betty's stance. He said mildly, "Name your terms. I will make sure you are satisfied."
Betty shook her head slowly, her attitude unyielding. "I will not part with it. No one can trade the Demon Lord's relic away from me."
Zhang Yuanqing fixed his eyes on her for several seconds, his expression gradually chilling. "Then wait for death!"
"What?" Betty stared blankly, completely unprepared for such words from him.
Zhang Yuanqing spoke in the deep, measured cadence of a superior:
"'An ordinary man invites disaster by possessing a jade treasure.' You lived in Huaguo for some time, so you should understand what that means. That was the very first lesson the evil faction and orthodox faction taught me after I became a Spirit Realm walker. Now, I am teaching it to you.
"Recognize your own strength. Do not stubbornly cling to things that do not match your level, or else you are walking straight toward death."
Betty's willow-leaf brows shot up. She glanced at Diana and snapped, "I never expected Mr. Yuanshi to be so arrogant as to think he could kill someone and seize treasure right on the Association of God of Beauty's turf."
Zhang Yuanqing's tone grew colder still. "Lady Betty, between you and me, who do you think is more important to the Association of God of Beauty?"
Betty choked, her beautiful eyes widening slightly.
Zhang Yuanqing said heavily, "The Demon Lord's key fragment is extremely vital to me. I must have it, and that will not change based on your wishes.
"Did you think that if you refused, I would accommodate you? On what grounds? Because you are a woman? Because you are pretty? Back then, I didn't want to hand over the Fragment of Taiyin Origin either, but did the evil organizations accommodate me?
"Has the Association of God of Beauty sheltered you too well, or has the nature of the Desire profession made you accustomed to men always catering to your whims? If that is the case, then allow me to teach you just how cruel this world truly is."
His voice and gaze were so chillingly icy that it felt as though he might lash out and kill her at any second.
Betty's expression shifted erratically. She looked toward Diana once more.
From start to finish, Diana hadn't uttered a single word, her face entirely impassive.
Betty bit her lower lip and finally conceded. "What price can you offer?!"
Zhang Yuanqing looked down at her imperiously. "The price is that when I open the Demon Lord's treasure vault one day, you will receive the share you deserve."
Diana finally spoke up, smiling faintly. "Betty, with your capabilities, you will never be able to gather all the keys and open the Demon Lord's treasure vault in this lifetime. Rather than letting it sit useless, it is better to leave it to Yuanshi Tianzun.
"I will notarize his promise to you."
Without another word, Betty unclasped the jade pendant hanging around her neck, tossed it onto the coffee table, and strode out with a face like frost.
Zhang Yuanqing picked up the pendant, incinerated the cord with divine sun power, and stored the broken jade into his inventory.
Diana chuckled. "I thought you would use gentler means."
Zhang Yuanqing scoffed softly. "Gentle how? Spend two weeks fawning over her, slowly winning her over with sincerity? Even if I were willing, your president wouldn't have the patience. If intimidation can get me the key fragment, why waste time? Besides, what I taught her are truths that could save her life in the future."
As he spoke, a prompt chimed in his ears, inviting him to join the Association of God of Beauty's guild.
Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing accepted.
A moment later, the Spirit Realm notification echoed beside his ear:
[Ding! Spirit Realm map loading. Entering the Spirit Realm in 30 seconds. Your destination is "Forest of Elves," Scenario ID: 73.]
[Difficulty: Grade B.]
[Type: Solo (Death Type).]
[Main Quest: Uncover the source of the aphrodisiac gas.]
[Remarks: Non-Spirit Realm items are prohibited.]
[Scenario 73 Introduction: When night falls, an aphrodisiac gas inevitably surges from the depths of the forest. No one knows where it comes from. The aphrodisiac gas blankets the woods, driving the animals into a frenzy of mating and reproduction—including the elves who dwell within the forest. Flaunting their alluring figures and singing enchanting melodies, the elves entice men from beyond the forest's borders...]
***
Jiangnan Leather City, the headquarters of the Xiahou family.
Xiahou Aotian stood on the balcony, gazing at the distant scenery, plunged into a protracted silence.
He remained quiet for so long that the old grandpa in the ring broke the silence on his own initiative—an unprecedented occurrence.
"What could have possibly driven you to contemplate life?"
Xiahou Aotian drew in a sharp breath and muttered in distress, "Disaster! I actually have this absurd illusion that Yuanshi Tianzun is the protagonist and I'm just a mere supporting character."
The old grandpa in the ring sounded thoroughly surprised. "What could have made you realize the truth?"
Xiahou Aotian snapped irritably, "Are you a straight man in a comedy duo? If you're so good at chiming in, how about I set up a stage so you can perform cross-talk!"
After venting his frustration, Xiahou Aotian sighed deeply. "Yuanshi Tianzun is playing for keeps this time. He's acting like he'll die in the dungeon if he doesn't reach Level 9. If he really succeeds, tell me, will I still be the protagonist?!"
*You never were!* A mental ripple came from the old grandpa in the ring. "So you finally feel the pressure?"
Xiahou Aotian answered with silence.
In the past, no matter how formidable or dazzling Yuanshi Tianzun had been, Xiahou Aotian had remained supremely confident because they occupied the same realm.
One might be slightly stronger or weaker, but their statuses were not far apart.
Now, things were different. Once Yuanshi Tianzun succeeded, the gap between them would be like a petty punk facing an undisputed boss.
Xiahou Aotian took a deep breath.
"No, I can't let Yuanshi Tianzun outshine me. I need to enter a guild scenario too. I'm going to see the Ancestor right now."
The old grandpa in the ring chuckled. "Is it truly because you don't want to lose to Yuanshi Tianzun? Did you stand on the balcony for two whole hours merely out of fear that he would surpass you?
"You cherish your current companions, and you want to pull your weight for them as well. But you're afraid of dying in the dungeon, which is why you weighed it for so long."
Xiahou Aotian sneered with disdain. "Only ants huddle together for warmth; the strong keep company with the starry sky. I just don't want to be upstaged by a supporting character."
Having said that, as if his mind were firmly made up, he soared into the air, flying toward the Xiahou family's ancestral residence.
***
Crab City, Sanzhuang Province.
Dressed in a magnificent red gown, the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter, guided by Xie Lingxi, arrived before an ancient residence deep within the garden estates.
Xie Lingxi stepped forward, took hold of the door knocker, and tapped gently.
"Ancestor, Sister Chu wants to see you."
The two dark-black courtyard gates swung open automatically, and a deep, low voice drifted out:
"Come in!"
Xie Lingxi turned obediently and departed along the cobblestone path.
The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter crossed the threshold, looked around the small courtyard, and spotted a round-faced boy seated before a writing desk. His hands were tucked inside his sleeves as he gazed over coolly.
Though clearly very young in appearance, he carried the bearing of an ancient, transcendent senior.
"Greetings, Ancestor!" The Palace Master bowed.
Her grandmother had also been a descendant of the Xie family, and her father, Chu Shang, had possessed half of the Xie lineage.
"State your business," the Ancestor said calmly. "A girl like you never comes to the temple without a reason. Don't waste time."
The Palace Master lowered her voice. "I wish to make a deal with the Ancestor."
The Ancestor scrutinized her and chuckled. "The only thing on you worth bargaining with me for is that Demon Refining Pot. Speak, what do you want?"
The Palace Master said, "If the Ancestor grants me three things, I will present the Demon Refining Pot with both hands. First, I want to enter the Xie family's guild scenario for a duration of thirty-five days. Second, I want the Xie family's Holy Infant. Third, once I return from the scenario, I ask that the Ancestor help me accommodate the remains of Empress Wa left behind by the Chu family's ancestor."
The Xie family's Ancestor beamed. "Little girl, aren't you afraid I will claim the body of Empress Wa for myself?"
The Palace Master smiled radiantly. "Then you would have to worry about retaliation from a Void demigod and the Lord of the Sun."
Seeing the Ancestor's expression darken, she quickly added in a softened tone, "You are my ancestor, after all; how could you steal from your own descendant?"
The Ancestor's childish, adorable face smoothed out slightly. He snorted. "Go to Xie Su and get a dossier on the scenario. Once you are prepared, come see me again."
Delighted, the Palace Master replied, "Thank you, Ancestor."
***
The Northwest Gobi.
Treading upon yellow sands and red earth, Demon Eye Heavenly King returned to the headquarters of the Soldier Master sect.
Just as the modest, rustic cluster of yellow mud buildings came into view, the voice of Freedom Heavenly King drifted from behind him:
"Although coming to the Soldier Master sect is your freedom, as a traitor, you shouldn't have come. Because I despise traitors, I can't help wanting to kill you—and killing you is also my freedom."
Demon Eye Heavenly King touched the athletic headband across his forehead, the corners of his lips curving upward.
"Doesn't matter. I have flexible moral bottom lines. I can always rejoin the Soldier Master sect."
Chapter 922