"Come in, this is the palace of the Demon King, 'Golden Peng Palace'. Remember, do not use any movement technique here. If you get killed, it has nothing to do with me." After saying this, Mr. Kou led the way on foot, and Zhu Bufan and his two companions quickly followed.

Upon entering the palace, the three were utterly astonished by the opulent adornment of the palace. The architecture of the Demon King's Golden Peng Palace was not extravagantly luxurious but impressively solemn and grand. After passing through successive pavilions and towers, the four finally arrived in front of the Golden Hall.

"Go in, the Demon King has been waiting for you inside." Arriving at the entrance of the Golden Hall, Mr. Kou voluntarily stopped and said to Zhu Bufan and the others. Hearing Mr. Kou's words, the three of them walked into the Golden Hall to meet the ruler who commanded the entire Fifth Layer, or more accurately, the first five layers of the tower.

"You've come, inheritor of the Martial King Pattern."

As they just stepped into the somewhat dim yet vast hall, an authoritative and compelling voice sounded, followed by a sudden illumination. Unbeknownst to all, at the four corners of the hall, within the four massive cauldrons, intense fires had been ignited. With the flames' illumination, the whole hall was bathed in an extraordinary brightness.

"Shouldn't there be another adorable little presence? Call her out too; this king is very interested in you." On the hundred-step staircase sat a massive golden chair, adorned with a lifelike engraving of a Golden Peng on the backrest. There, a figure sat, appearing mysterious due to the elevation and lack of exposure to the light.

"Who are you, exactly, to know of my existence? No! That's not right, you must have been spying on us long before this, huh! It seems I have been underestimated by you." With a flash of light, Emperor Yan appeared above the hall, staring intently at the figure seated above. His tone utterly devoid of any respect.

"You call yourself 'Emperor'? Who are you really? You must be aware of the significance of the title 'Emperor' in the Cultivation World, aren't you? If you don't have an answer today, this king will have no choice but to annihilate you right here. To sully the meaning of 'Emperor' is to pay with your life."

As he spoke, Zhu Bufan, Huo Ling, and Wang Hui suddenly felt the figure on the throne emitting a very strange essence. Although it did not have the kind of pressure that caused fear, Zhu Bufan and the others felt goosebumps all over—a sensation that evoked fear from the depths of the soul.

"Hmph, you've got some nerve to speak like that, you mere mixed-breed bird, daring to talk to this Emperor thusly. A mere 'king' dares to question this Emperor? It seems you've been confined within this tower for too long, so long that you've forgotten the meaning of 'not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth', haven't you? Do you really think your 'Earth Power' can suppress me?"

As Zhu Bufan, Huo Ling, and Wang Hui were all affected by this abnormal essence, Emperor Yan let out a cold laugh. A dark flame burst forth from Emperor Yan's body, and the fires burning in the four huge cauldrons extinguished as if they encountered a natural predator. The already dim hall seemed even more shadowy and terrifying under the glow of Emperor Yan's Wutian Black Flame.

"This is... an Abnormal Fire formed by Exotic Spirit Qi? Who... are you exactly?" Upon seeing the Wutian Black Flame in Emperor Yan's hand, the Demon King asked with a grim voice, too preoccupied to even care about the 'mixed-breed bird' comment. As for Zhu Bufan and the others, they were already sweating profusely under the 'Earth Power' of the Demon King, unable to interject in the conversation between the two.

"Oh, not bad for a mixed-breed bird, recognizing this is Exotic Spirit Qi. Well then, I might as well tell you. My name is 'Emperor Yan'. Having recognized the meaning of the 'Emperor' title, you should know what my name represents, right?"

"Emperor Yan... Impossible, so it turns out... Ha, so that's how it is, ha, who would have thought... not at all..." Upon hearing Emperor Yan reveal his name, the Demon King sitting above first froze, then began laughing somewhat incoherently, clearly knowing who Emperor Yan was. After the Demon King's burst of laughter, Zhu Bufan suddenly felt the unpleasant essence entwining around him disappear.

"Hmph, it seems you have withdrawn that pointless hostility. Remember, the majesty of this Emperor is not something that a mere 'king' can question." Emperor Yan's eyes, which were once bright and lively, now looked lifeless like a dead fish's, appearing even more eerie and mysterious under the light of the Wutian Black Flames. His voice had also lost its previous childlike innocence, taking on a strange, deep timbre.

'Clap'

With a light sound, the dark and oppressive atmosphere immediately dissipated into nothingness. It was at this moment that Zhu Bufan walked up beside Emperor Yan and gently tapped the small head of Emperor Yan. Touched in such a manner by Zhu Bufan, the Wutian Black Flame in Emperor Yan's hands immediately extinguished, and the flames of the four giant cauldrons began to burn once again.

"What... What are you doing?" Like a little cat that had its tail stepped on, Emperor Yan suddenly leaped up, wanting to grab Zhu Bufan, but was simply held in place by the press of a hand to her small head. Then, Zhu Bufan turned to the Demon King and said, "My apologies, Your Excellency Demon King. My little Emperor Yan did not mean it; she's just a bit mischievous."

"You idiot... How could you!!" Seeing Zhu Bufan apologizing to the Demon King on her behalf, Emperor Yan was almost angry enough to fall ill. Yet when she met Zhu Bufan's resolute gaze, she found herself at a loss for words, only able to swallow back her anger, not knowing what to say.

"Hahaha, heir of the Martial King Pattern, you are too amusing, actually referring to the 'Emperor' as one of your family? Ha ha!" Rising to his feet, the Demon King slowly descended the symbolic steps of authority, and as the Demon King reached the lower level of the great hall, everyone finally saw the Demon King's true appearance. His exotic features caused Zhu Bufan and the others to be astonished.

This Demon King had a square face that bore unique characteristics, gold and purple skin, a pair of fiery red eyebrows slanting into his temples, and two hawk eyes that gleamed with remarkable brilliance. His hair, like reversed thorns, stood straight up. No matter how you looked at him, this Demon King was not of the human race.

"You... You are..." Upon seeing the Demon King's features, Wang Hui couldn't help but murmur to himself, and Emperor Yan, who was holding her small head, and scowling at Zhu Bufan, overheard Wang Hui's words and retorted with a pout: "I've said it before, he's just a scruffy bird, that's all."

"Emperor Yan, His Majesty would still prefer if you referred to His Majesty as 'Fire-eyed Golden Winged Peng,' not scruffy bird. Although His Majesty is not of 'Emperor' kind, you still lack the right to insult His Majesty, not to mention you don't have the strength to do so right now." The Demon King's fiery red eyes looked at Emperor Yan as he spoke with a tone of respect that left no room for question.

"Tsk!" Although she wanted to retort, Emperor Yan knew well that what the Demon King said was the truth. At the moment, she didn't have the strength to contend with the Demon King. Emperor Yan, who had only broken through one layer of the sealing, was minuscule compared to this being who had mastered the towers from the first to the fifth layer and bore the title of 'King.' The respectfulness in the Demon King's tone was only for the title of 'Emperor,' not for Emperor Yan herself.

"You... You mean to say, the Demon King... is actually a Demon Beast in human form?" After hearing their conversation, Wang Hui understood without needing an answer from the Demon King—that the Demon King was indeed a Demon Beast that had transformed into human shape!

"What? Is there something strange about a Demon Beast capable of transforming into human form? With a Transformation Pill, it is possible. Moreover, even without a Transformation Pill, as long as one reaches the Sixth Rank of Demon Beasts, they have the ability to autonomously transform into human form. Shouldn't you all be aware of this fact? Why do you seem so surprised?"

The words of the Demon King left Zhu Bufan and the others with no grounds for argument. Indeed, Demon Beasts capable of taking on human form were not nonexistent; there was nothing surprising about that. So after the initial shock, everyone calmed down.

"So, may I ask what the Demon King had in mind by inviting us here?" Zhu Bufan, now composed, asked the Demon King.

"Actually, His Majesty simply wanted to personally experience the power of the heir of the Martial King Pattern. The other two are merely incidental guests. His Majesty is genuinely intrigued by your Martial King Pattern and hopes you won't disappoint His Majesty." The moment the scarlet eyes turned towards Zhu Bufan, he felt the previously weakening aura envelop him once again.

"Come on, all of you together. Let His Majesty see for himself the true level of the heir of the Martial King Pattern's strength. Let's see if you are truly as promising as Cou said, and please don't disappoint His Majesty." A glimmer of golden flame rose and then the whole Golden Hall was filled with an indescribable and formidable atmosphere, an aura far more intense than any previously witnessed.

With hurricane-like pressure emerging, Zhu Bufan, Huo Ling, and Wang Hui were instantly blown against the wall by the force, aside from Emperor Yan. Combined with the abnormal Qi emitted by the Demon King that could weaken a person, the three had no ability to resist and were pressed helplessly against the wall, unable to move an inch.

"What's the matter? We've only just begun, so don't tell His Majesty that you can't move at this level, otherwise, His Majesty will be very disappointed." Looking at Zhu Bufan, who was nearly embedded in the wall, the Demon King revealed a hint of contemptuous smile: "It seems Cou has overestimated you. You probably don't even have the qualification to make His Majesty stand up, do you?"

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