Lan Ling suffered the greatest humiliation and degradation of his life.
Although he was not actually castrated, neither his dignity nor his body was physically mutilated.
However, he had been forced to self-destruct in order to escape the disaster.
How much energy would Lan Ling need to consume to self-destruct and then reconstruct his body?
An enormous amount of energy. The stronger Lan Ling’s cultivation, the more energy he would have to expend.
Before self-destructing, Lan Ling’s cultivation had been at the Six-Star Demon Sect level.
After self-destructing and recovering, his cultivation had fallen to the point where even the Five-Star Demon Sect level was extremely difficult for him to maintain. He had lost more than an entire level of cultivation.
Of course, Lan Ling did not care about this loss of cultivation in the slightest.
What he cared about was the humiliation and the feeling of being utterly cornered.
Why had Gu Tu eventually left?
Because he believed that Lan Ling was already dead, so he left on his own.
To put it bluntly, Lan Ling’s self-destruction was almost no different from suicide, and it was far more serious than a gecko abandoning its tail.
This was an enormous humiliation.
Although he did not like Princess Sha Yan at all, she was still his legally married wife, and his principal wife at that.
Although she had not been violated by Gu Tu, that was only because Gu Tu had not actually carried it out.
What Gu Tu had intended was to humiliate Lan Ling by taking Sha Yan from him right in front of his eyes. Lan Ling’s self-destruction was what prevented this from happening.
Lan Ling and the Little Rakshasa King had conspired to kill the He Leng Crown Prince. They had acted arrogantly and openly, completely humiliating Elder Mo Kan to his face.
And now, Gu Tu, the successor of Venerable Chong Lou, the nephew of the Rakshasa King, and the heir to the Heavenly Demon Banner, had done far more than merely humiliate Lan Ling. He had acted completely without restraint, treating Lan Ling with the utmost contempt.
Yesterday, Lan Ling had humiliated the Netherworld Prince’s faction.
Today, the other side had returned it tenfold!
If Lan Ling had not self-destructed and survived, he would either have suffered an even greater humiliation or died.
This was an unprecedented humiliation, far exceeding the disgrace Na Shu had previously brought him.
Therefore, everything within Lan Ling’s field of vision had now turned completely blood-red.
His mind and chest were completely consumed by rage, filled with a destructive demonic nature.
He immediately placed the blade against Princess Sha Yan’s neck and asked directly, “Are you divorcing me or not? If you are, I will kill you. If you are not, come with me to Flame Demon City.”
Previously, Lan Ling had refused to let Princess Sha Yan accompany him to Flame Demon City because he had always regarded the Rakshasa royal family as a major enemy, and there were many things that would have been inconvenient.
But now, his relationship with the Little Rakshasa King had undergone an unexpected change.
More importantly, if Princess Sha Yan remained in Rakshasa City, sooner or later she might fall into Gu Tu’s hands.
Therefore, Princess Sha Yan would either die or leave with him!
……
Princess Sha Yan stared blankly at Lan Ling.
At this moment, Lan Ling was completely unclothed.
His body was filled with demonic power, almost as if it had been carved from jade by the heavens.
Every part of him seemed to possess an artistic quality.
His face was equally impossible to describe with words.
At Princess Sha Yan’s level, beauty was no longer judged simply by whether someone was handsome. Their standards had reached the level of temperament and energy aura.
For example, the He Leng Crown Prince was extremely beautiful, even more beautiful than many women, but in terms of charisma, he was worlds apart from the Little Rakshasa King.
Gu Tu was not particularly handsome, yet he possessed tremendous charisma.
Among demonic men, physical beauty was only the most superficial aspect of attractiveness.
Their temperament and the energy aura they radiated were far more important.
In terms of Lan Ling’s appearance, only the Little Rakshasa King and the Netherworld Prince could rival him.
The temperament he revealed, that wild intensity, that cold dominance, that combination of darkness and sadness.
This demonic temperament was something Princess Sha Yan had only ever seen in her elder brother, the Little Rakshasa King.
His temperament was far, far beyond that of Na Shu.
The energy aura radiating from his body was overwhelmingly attractive to an advanced demon woman such as Sha Yan.
Both Si Si and Ninian had developed an intense attraction to a certain dark energy within Lan Ling.
Princess Sha Yan’s reaction to this energy aura was even stronger. Her heart was pounding violently. It could not even be described as love at first sight. It was more like an explosive collision, burning with extraordinary intensity.
Hearing Lan Ling’s question, Princess Sha Yan did not answer. Instead, she walked around him, examining his ears, his lower back, and the demonic markings around his waist, before finally stopping to look at the several-inch-long bone spines on his back.
“You are not from the Near-Human race,” Princess Sha Yan said tremblingly.
She gently touched the bone spines and examined them closely.
“You are not Rakshasa, nor Heavenly Rakshasa, nor human…” Princess Sha Yan said. “You are not any race from this world. You are not one of the Eight Great Demon Races, nor are you from the Motuo Empire… The demonic energy within you is denser and more advanced than ours. You brought the Black Demon Banner Lord back from death. You created the Hell Lightning. You can guide the power of heaven and earth. You are a mutation rarely seen in a thousand years. You are an intruder carrying the bloodline of the Demon King, just like the previous Heavenly Rakshasa King!”
Princess Sha Yan’s voice trembled, and so did her body.
“I was blinded by hatred, and I was also deceived by your ugly and ordinary-looking face,” Princess Sha Yan said hoarsely. “I am an extremely emotional demon woman, which is why I chose Na Shu at first sight during the selection ceremony. Before this, my dislike of your appearance overwhelmed everything else, causing me to lose my reason.”
Lan Ling said, “You still haven’t answered my question.”
Princess Sha Yan said, “Why did you never reveal your true appearance before? You clearly knew that I would be unable to resist your energy aura.”
Lan Ling said, “Because I did not want you clinging to me. What I needed was the status of being the Rakshasa royal family’s son-in-law. I did not actually want to become your husband. I have never thought highly of you.”
“Giggle…” Princess Sha Yan laughed softly.
This really was a world that judged people by appearance.
If Lan Ling had said this before, Princess Sha Yan would have found him even more repulsive.
But now, she only felt that his words were extremely confident and captivating.
He did not even think highly of a demon princess like me. What a fascinating man.
“Then why do you want to take me to Flame Demon City now?” Princess Sha Yan asked with a charming smile.
She seemed to have become a completely different person.
Previously, she had hated Lan Ling to the extreme. Even looking at him had made her feel sick, and she had found it unbearable to remain in the same space as him.
But now, her attitude had completely changed.
This was characteristic of high-ranking demon women. The higher their status, the more purely they responded to special energy auras, often forming an immediate and intense attraction.
“Because if you remain in Rakshasa City, there is a good chance you will eventually be taken from me,” Lan Ling said. “You are a woman who appears strong on the outside but is weak within.”
Princess Sha Yan said in a hoarse voice, “Without ideals, there is no persistence. Without something you love, where does strength come from? Just as a man without a career seems to lose his foundation and spirit, a woman without something she loves in her heart will naturally become weak and drift with the current. Even if she wants to remain faithful, who would she remain faithful for? If I have a goal in my heart, I will naturally become stronger.”
There was considerable truth in her words.
“Now you can answer me. Are you divorcing me, or are you coming with me to Flame Demon City?” Lan Ling asked.
Princess Sha Yan said, “Husband, tell me one thing. Have you truly formed an alliance with my elder brother, the Little Rakshasa King, or are you merely pretending?”
“We truly have,” Lan Ling replied.
Princess Sha Yan’s eyes brightened.
“Could it be that only two men standing at the very peak can truly understand one another? No one knows what my elder brother is really thinking, yet you have genuinely formed an alliance with him. That is incredible.”
“Enough. I have no time left. You can answer me now,” Lan Ling said.
“I will go with you to Flame Demon City. I will become your wife…” Princess Sha Yan said.
Lan Ling stopped her before the situation could progress any further.
“Why? Do you dislike me?” Princess Sha Yan asked.
“I do dislike some things about you…” Lan Ling said. “But that is not the reason. Now is simply not the right time…”
Lan Ling then searched around for clothing.
Princess Sha Yan had already been affected by a mind-altering drug and was in a highly confused state. Her emotions were even more difficult to control now. Fortunately, the medicine Gu Tu had given her, combined with the shock of Lan Ling’s self-destruction and the revelation of his true appearance, had left enough of her awareness intact for her to retain some control.
She stumbled around, searched through the cabinets, found an extremely cold medicinal liquid, and drank it.
Immediately, her nerves seemed to become completely frozen, suppressing the effects of the mind-altering drug.
“It was my wet nurse. She drugged me,” Princess Sha Yan said. “It was not just the mind-altering drug. For the past few days, she had been giving me medicine every day, making me restless and leaving my defences weakened. That is why I have been having nightmares every night.”
Princess Sha Yan then found a fresh set of fine clothes and helped Lan Ling put them on.
“Husband, you know what I was like before. I was calm, intelligent and decisive. But after I was forced to marry you, I became completely lost, allowing my wet nurse to take advantage of me. She even poisoned me without me realising it. It shows that when a woman marries someone she does not love, she can become completely lost, without direction or purpose.”
At that moment, the voice of Talan, the chief warrior of the Princess’s residence, came from outside.
“Princess, are you all right?”
The Shadow Warrior said nothing. He had already sensed Lan Ling’s energy aura.
“I am fine,” Princess Sha Yan replied. “Where are my wet nurse and Gu Tu?”
Talan answered, “They have already left. They said that Lan Ling was dead, so you had become a widow. Gu Tu said he would return to prepare the betrothal gifts and formally propose to you. He also intends to find a female sorcerer.”
The implication was that the sorcerer would help conceal what had happened to Princess Sha Yan. Gu Tu really had acted without restraint.
……
After hearing Lan Ling’s account, the Little Rakshasa King’s eyes narrowed sharply.
Princess Sha Yan said, “Brother, you must obtain justice for my husband.”
The Little Rakshasa King was stunned, then closed his eyes.
Because of the death of the He Leng Crown Prince, the Little Rakshasa King was already in a difficult position. He had almost stepped directly on his father, the Rakshasa King’s, bottom line.
Adding Gu Tu to the situation would make the consequences extremely serious.
Gu Tu’s backing was not merely the Heavenly Demon Banner, nor was he merely the Rakshasa King’s nephew. He also had Venerable Chong Lou behind him.
Venerable Chong Lou was one of the great Venerables of the Rakshasa race. He was also one of the most protective, ruthless and insane among them. Even the Rakshasa King had to give him some leeway.
Taking down one He Leng Crown Prince was almost the limit.
Adding Gu Tu would be more than even the Rakshasa Crown Prince could bear.
“All right…” the Little Rakshasa King said without hesitation. “Lan Ling, I will obtain justice for you!”
“No!” Lan Ling shook his head. “Your Highness, I must obtain this justice myself. I must wash away this humiliation myself.”
Lan Ling’s eyes were almost like two balls of flame.
“Gu Tu wanted to castrate me and forced me to self-destruct. It was even more humiliating than a gecko abandoning its tail. Moreover, he intended to humiliate me by taking my wife from me right before my eyes. Although he did not succeed, this humiliation can only be washed away with an immense price. Unless the Heavenly Demon Banner family is completely destroyed, this humiliation cannot be erased!”
The Little Rakshasa King’s eyes contracted.
“You… what are you planning to do?” he asked in a trembling voice.
Lan Ling said, “Declare war. I will lead the Flame Demon army into the territory of the Heavenly Demon Banner and wipe out the Heavenly Demon family!”
The Little Rakshasa King’s body trembled violently. He could hardly believe his ears.
“Now… now?”
“Yes, now!” Lan Ling said. “A demon seeking revenge cannot wait ten years. We must seize the moment. As soon as I reach the Flame Demon Banner territory, I will immediately launch the war.”
The Little Rakshasa King’s expression changed completely.
“Lan Ling, you… you know exactly what time this is. The great war across the Demon Realm is imminent. Time is extremely precious to us. If you launch a war against the Heavenly Demon Banner territory, the consequences will be extremely serious. It could even completely destroy our original plan.”
If Lan Ling launched a war against the Heavenly Demon Banner at this moment, he would completely trample on the Rakshasa King’s bottom line and tear away the last remnants of goodwill.
Then, if the Little Rakshasa King died in the future, Lan Ling would have no chance of becoming the Rakshasa King’s successor.
Lan Ling would have become the Rakshasa King’s mortal enemy.
If the united front of the Demon Empire chose the Earth Rakshasa race as its main target, the Rakshasa King could even gather all his forces to destroy Lan Ling’s Flame Demon Banner, because an internal threat had to be eliminated before facing an external enemy.
Therefore, Lan Ling declaring war on the Heavenly Demon Banner would have extremely, extremely serious consequences.
It would completely destroy the Little Rakshasa King’s carefully planned path.
The Little Rakshasa King’s expression changed completely. His entire body trembled, and he felt cold from head to toe.
Princess Sha Yan had never seen her brother so helpless.
“Lan Ling… I, I will go and kill Gu Tu right now!” the Little Rakshasa King said hoarsely. “You… withdraw your order, all right?”
Lan Ling shook his head.
“No. I must wash away this humiliation myself. More importantly… you should remember that I have always said that I do not want to follow the path you have planned for me. I want to fight my own way through. I want to conquer my own territory. I want to establish my own empire. I do not want to simply enjoy the fruits of someone else’s work. I do not want you to prepare everything for me and then have me sit easily upon the throne!”
“But… but the path I planned is clearly the best path!” the Little Rakshasa King said.
Lan Ling stepped forward and gently held the Little Rakshasa King’s arms.
“Thank you. Thank you. You are the only true confidant I have in the Demon Realm. I know this will be difficult, but I will do everything I can to save you.”
These words were transmitted directly into the depths of the Little Rakshasa King’s mind through Lan Ling’s voice.
The Little Rakshasa King said, “But if you follow your path, there will not be enough time. It will be extremely dangerous, perhaps even a dead end. Once the Rakshasa race gets a chance to recover, my father will gather all his forces to destroy your Flame Demon Banner.”
Lan Ling said, “The path I have always walked has been a dead end.”
The Little Rakshasa King shook his head in despair.
“Then… then do you still want Sha Yan?”
“Yes!” Lan Ling said. “But not for the Rakshasa throne. It is simply because I refuse to let anyone take what belongs to me.”
The Little Rakshasa King raised his head.
“Your Majesty… I have never been willing to kneel before anyone. But now I want to beg you to withdraw your order. What you are doing could truly lead to a dead end!”
With that, the Little Rakshasa King was about to kneel before Lan Ling in front of Princess Sha Yan.
Lan Ling stopped him before he could kneel.
“Crown Prince, I have already made my decision…” Lan Ling said firmly. “And I want to tell you this. When I was in the human kingdom, I calculated everything and planned every step carefully, yet the final result was complete destruction. Planning everything too carefully can sometimes lead to a worse ending. Now… I no longer want to make such detailed plans. I only want to follow my heart, follow my demonic nature, and follow my madness, impulses and desires.”
With that, Lan Ling released the Little Rakshasa King.
“Your Highness, I will take my leave!”
Then he stepped backwards, took Princess Sha Yan’s hand and said,
“Let’s go. Return to Flame Demon City and prepare for war!”
Princess Sha Yan bowed to the Little Rakshasa King, then followed Lan Ling away.