“My Queen, the beast tide seems to have come early. It’s massive in scale, and it’s being led by a peak A-class Taotie.”
“Instruct the defenders at all four gates to prepare for battle. As soon as the enemy enters the range of our crossbows and siege weapons, open fire immediately. The first wave of counterattack needs to be fierce.”
“Yes, my Queen.”
Frost took off her usual clothes and donned a suit of silver armor. The armor shimmered with a flowing light, and beneath that light were evenly sized scales.
Standing atop the city wall, she gazed into the distance toward the direction of the flower fields. Her tightly furrowed brow relaxed slightly. “I’m glad I went to see it. Who knows how long it’ll be before it blooms again like that.”
Suddenly, a massive black flood surged from the edge of the sky. Looking closer, that flood was actually composed of all kinds of strange beasts—pigs with sheep bodies, cows with dog bodies, chickens with eight legs, you name it.
“Here they come.” Frost’s relaxed brow furrowed again, and her gaze turned cold. “It’s time to remind them what it looks like when a demigod gets angry.”
Throughout the generations, every Heavenly Demon King of the Heavenly Demon Clan had reached the demigod realm. Before dying, they would also pass on their lifetime of cultivation to the next king through secret techniques. This kept the Heavenly Demon Clan weak in number, yet the fierce beasts of the wilderness never dared to attack lightly.
However, the previous Heavenly Demon King had an accident and was severely injured, so she couldn’t fully pass down her cultivation. As a result, Frost was only at peak A-class when she first took the throne, which led to endless beast tides during her first ten years as ruler.
Now, having broken through to demigod on her own, building upon that peak A-class foundation, it was time to give those fierce beasts a real shock.
The city defense general stood beside her. After giving a few instructions, Frost’s figure suddenly vanished from the spot, reappearing high up in the air.
“Heavenly Demon Eye: Soul Capture.”
An immense spiritual pressure spread over tens of thousands of meters. The beast horde immediately lost its fight. Aside from a few stronger leaders, all of them collapsed to the ground unconscious, foaming at the mouth.
Almost instantly, the Taotie leader leaped into the air to confront Frost. But upon realizing that her aura was incredibly powerful, far beyond his own, he turned tail and ran, completely abandoning the beast horde.
Frost let out a cold snort. “Taotie, is it? Fine. I’ll make an example out of you first.”
“Enough!” A deep, muffled voice rang out. The fierce beast Taotie was already in her grasp.
“I didn’t expect the Heavenly Demon Clan to produce such a prodigy like you. Breaking through to demigod on your own merit? We’ve underestimated you.” The speaker was an ethereal projection—another, far more powerful Taotie, the grandfather of the one Frost had caught.
“The Heavenly Demon Clan are the guardians of the Heavenly Demon Domain. After ten years without a demigod among us, it seems you old-timers have forgotten.”
The captive Taotie grandson squirmed in her grip, sneering sarcastically, “Some guardians you are. You actually buy into your own hype. Your clan is nothing but abandoned children of the Mother Goddess. Sure, you’re not suppressed by this world’s rules, but in the end, you still have to suffer here just like the rest of us.”
He was confident Frost wouldn’t dare touch him. Although suppressed by the rules, making it impossible for a second demigod to appear in this world besides the Heavenly Demon King, the fierce beasts simply had too many powerful beings. Surely, she wouldn’t risk offending them casually.
Frost snorted coldly. “I’m talking to your grandfather. The junior generation should keep their mouths shut.”
With that, she struck him on the back. The Taotie grandson’s solid bones and tendons shattered from that single blow. He immediately squealed in pain, “Grandfather, save me! It hurts!”
“Young one, you wouldn’t dare!” The old Taotie’s projection trembled violently, absolutely furious.
“Watch me.” Frost raised her hand and struck again. The Taotie grandson was about to cry out, but she hit him once more. She kept hitting him until he clamped his mouth shut and dared not make a peep. Only then did she turn her gaze forward. “If you want to save your grandson’s life, fine. Return all the territories you’ve encroached upon in the Heavenly Demon Domain over the past ten years. You will not violate our borders again for the next decade.”
The old Taotie let out a scornful laugh. “Such big talk for a youngster. Even the strongest Heavenly Demon King in history spoke respectfully when dealing with us old-timers. None have ever dared to address us with such disrespect.”
Frost smiled too. “You just called me a youngster. Don’t you know what being young and cocky implies? I’ll give you three days to go back and discuss this with the other old-timers. I want an answer in three days. Otherwise, your grandson’s life is forfeit.”
Without waiting for the old Taotie’s reply, she turned and left.
“Our ancestors, after all…” This time, the old Taotie had lost his condescending tone.
“Take up ancestral matters with the ancient ancestors themselves. What does that have to do with me? I only know that if I don’t get the answer I want in three days, your grandson dies. And when that happens, I’ll personally take back the territories we lost. It’ll just mean a bit more bloodshed.”
The old Taotie was so angry his whiskers trembled. He cursed inwardly: How is it that the younger generation these days gives no face whatsoever? Even bringing up their ancestors doesn’t work.
Was this a distortion of bestial nature, or a breakdown of morality?
He could only sigh helplessly. “Fine. As long as my grandson comes to no harm, I will give you an answer within three days.”
“I can only guarantee he stays alive for three days. So you’d better move fast. Don’t blame me if something happens.”
Frost’s figure flickered and vanished, reappearing above the Heavenly Demon City. She was carrying the Taotie grandson, who was in so much pain he wanted to scream but didn’t dare.
The High Priest was startled. “Oh dear, my Queen, why did you capture him? He’s the heir to the Taotie clan leader. If those old-timers fly into a rage, the consequences could be unimaginable…”
Frost curled her lip. “Throughout the generations, the Heavenly Demon Kings, for the sake of so-called ancestral friendships and all sorts of strange rules, have possessed overwhelming power yet insisted on reasoning with them. And what was the result? When we were weak, did they reason with us? In my view, a strong fist is the greatest reason of all.”
She waved her fist, which looked like it didn’t pack much punch. The Taotie grandson flinched instinctively.
Landing on the city wall, she said seriously to the High Priest, “Besides, we also have…”
She didn’t finish the sentence. The High Priest understood, but still looked worried. “That matter isn’t so easy, though. Do you really trust her that much?”
“Absolutely,” Frost said in a tone that brooked no argument. “So this time, I have to make the fierce beasts realize that the dignity of me, the master of the Heavenly Demon Domain, is not to be violated. I’m preparing for the future.”
The High Priest said nothing more. Her aged eyes were full of pride. “My Queen has grown up…”
She still remembered Frost ten years ago—a young girl who had just received her inheritance that no one thought much of. Now, she had grown into someone who could stand on her own.
Moreover, she had a feeling that this youngest Heavenly Demon King in history would likely become the most powerful king the Heavenly Demon Clan had ever known.
Her only worry right now was the result of her divination last night. The hexagram showed that within ten years, the Heavenly Demon King would face a calamity—a Male Calamity.
She sucked in a sharp breath.
But our Heavenly Demon Clan has no men either…
