Unrivaled Martial Emperor

Chapter 809 - Demon General Guard

Northern Palace Demon Lord Hua Qianchou was the only woman among the Four Great Demon Lords. She guarded the northern demon palace.

Qi Xue stood out as the most powerful among Hua Qianchou’s Seven Great Demon Generals. With peak Heavenly Star realm cultivation, Qi Xue was a dominant figure in the northern demon palace's hierarchy.

Zhang Yu, whom Chen Fan killed, was Qi Xue’s subordinate. Thus, the youth brought Chen Fan to Qi Xue’s palace hall.

Standing at the base of the grand staircase, Chen Fan gazed at the imposing palace hall towering above. It was evidence of demonic cultivators’ penchant for magnificence, far surpassing the architectural styles of the Tianwu Continent.

The building's design exuded sophistication, and the palace hall atop the stairs was a stark emblem of authority.

Chen Fan had seen many Manifestation realm experts before, quite a number of Legendary realm peak experts, and even a supreme Void Immortal level. Yet, even here, he could keenly sense the rigid hierarchy of the demon sects.

Strength dictated status—no exceptions. Even a single realm's difference could determine one’s place in the pecking order.

Take the Mo Clan, for example. They knelt before the Zhang Clan like cowards, begging for forgiveness from the siblings.

Chen Fan fully grasped the unyielding truth of the Myriad Demon Islands: strength was the sole measure of worth.

The Myriad Demon Islands were cruel, not merely because of their harsh laws but due to the instability of power. Just because you were influential today didn’t mean that you would still be notable tomorrow.

One had to remain constantly vigilant of both allies and subordinates. The moment someone found a chance to surpass their superior, they would seize it—killing without hesitation to claim their position.

This resulted in a lot of bloodshed; consequently, only the truly powerful could maintain their place at the top.

As Chen Fan stood under these stairs, he could imagine that many wanted to rush up and kill Qi Xue to take her position.

However, she had been ruling this palace hall for more than ten years.

More than a decade ago, she had climbed these very steps and usurped her predecessor. Over time, her power had only grown.

No one dared to challenge her prestige. Those who had tried in the past were corpses now.

“Wan Yue seeks an audience with Lord Demon General,” said the youth beside Chen Fan, his voice transmitted inside the palace hall.

Several officers and soldiers stood watch at the end of the stairs. They were under Qi Xue’s direct command and were in the sixth-level Heavenly Star realm or above, a testament to the abundance of experts within the demon sect.

After some time, a cold female voice came from inside the palace hall.

“Who is he?”

“He killed Zhang Yu and took her position,” Wan Yue explained.

Silence followed, broken moments later when a woman stepped out from the palace hall. She wore a simple long robe that could barely conceal her striking figure. This was none other than Demon General Qi Xue.

Her simple outfit could not hide her magnificence. Her eyes were icy, seemingly able to see through a person’s heart.

“Zhang Yu is really useless. I gave her the chance to improve her cultivation, but she got herself killed. Whatever, since he could kill her, he must be stronger than Zhang Yu.”

Qi Xue was indifferent, her cold, composed gaze falling on Chen Fan. “How strong are you?”

“Killing an eighth-level Heavenly Star realm is no problem,” Chen Fan answered.

“Alright, then you be my guard for now,” Qi Xue declared without hesitation. She didn’t bother to ask for Chen Fan’s opinion. In this demon palace hall, her authority was absolute. No one could defy her.

Wan Yue interjected, “Reporting to Demon General, he is from the Tianwu Continent. He’s not native to the demonic island.”

Qi Xue’s eyes flickered. She regarded Chen Fan with a steady gaze, showing neither shock nor alarm. “Interesting. A few days ago, the eastern demon palace also took in a martial artist from the Tianwu Continent. Rumor has it he’s incredibly powerful, on par with a demon general.”

Hearing this, Chen Fan’s eyes flickered.

A martial artist from the Tianwu Continent. Mu Tianfang? @@novelbin@@

“Come up here. From today onward, you’re my guard. Get yourself familiar with the rules for now.” With that, she turned and strode back into the demon palace hall, leaving no room for discussion.

Though unexpected, he decided to go along with the situation for now. While Chen Fan was confident in his abilities, he wasn’t one to let arrogance cloud his judgment.

Since he had come to the Myriad Demon Islands, Chen Fan had resolved to adapt to its brutal environment. Acting as if he were still at the True Martial Academy would only lead to an early death here.

Thus, although Qi Xue wasn’t as strong as him, he accepted his role as her guard without resistance.

Of course, joining the Xuan Ting Demon Sect wasn’t an end in itself—it was a means to rise to a higher position.

For Chen Fan, becoming a demon general was the logical next step.

One day, while guarding outside the demon palace hall, Chen Fan noticed two demonic cultivators entering the hall. Moments later, the sounds of fierce combat echoed from within, signaling that a battle had broken out.

The other guards beside him were already used to this and were not surprised in the slightest.

Not long after, Qi Xue’s voice rang out.

“Very good, you two will be my guardians and support me in the upcoming Demon General Ranking Battle. You will be rewarded generously if we achieve a good result.”

Chen Fan had heard about the Demon General Ranking Battle during his time here.

In the Xuan Ting Demon Sect, the twenty-eight demon generals represented twenty-eight forces. Even within a single demon palace, the seven generals maintained a competitive relationship.

The ranking battle determined the distribution of cultivation resources and authority among the generals. Higher-ranked generals wielded greater power and could even earn special rewards from the demon lord.

Qi Xue was ranked tenth among the twenty-eight demon generals, placing her in the upper-middle tier of influence.

However, it was obvious that Qi Xue was not satisfied with her current rank. She wished to have a better rank, one as high as possible.

The entire demonic island was competing.

Those demonic path clans were competing for territory, and those in the Xuan Ting Demon Sect were competing for status.

Higher status brought greater authority and more privileges. With increased benefits came faster cultivation progress, creating a cycle that pushed them toward even more power.

Moments later, Qi Xue emerged from the hall, accompanied by two individuals.

She was dressed in tight-fitting black clothes, her striking figure accentuated and impossible to ignore.

Qi Xue was born extremely beautiful, and combined with this outfit, she had a heroic allure—elegant yet commanding. Chen Fan couldn’t help but steal a few more glances at her.

Suddenly, a powerful demonic might descended on Chen Fan. The man standing to Qi Xue’s right glared coldly, his eyes flashing with a chilling demonic light.

“How dare you!”

“Disrespectful bastard, gouge out your own eyes.”

“Hmm?” Chen Fan’s eyes flickered as he looked at this person. Ninth-level Heavenly Star realm and his aura was surging very powerfully.

“Why?”

“The Lord Demon General isn’t someone a lowly bastard like you can disrespect! You dare ask why? Gouge out your own eyes and cut off your own tongue,” said the man, his tone boundlessly overbearing.