193. Frozen Boat
Li Wen stood atop the estate's roof, his deep green eyes locked onto the double-decker floating on the Moon River.
His voice was quiet yet resolute.
"It's time to fulfill the agreement."
The agreement between the Divine Realm and the Demon Realm was clear:
If a Demon Lord or God Lord was discovered in the Human Realm, they had to leave.
Not literally— but they had to make humanity believe they had left.
The reason behind this pact was simple—
If a Demon Lord or God Lord remained exposed, they would monopolize the mortals' power of fear and faith.
Such an imbalance could shift the entire world's order.
Just as Li Wen was about to fly toward the double-decker, a sudden shift in energy made him pause.
A massive surge of fear energy poured into his body—thick, heavy, intoxicating.
He instinctively activated his Spirit Vision.
What he saw made his gaze darken.
From Red Leaves City, waves of gray energy twisted and coiled, converging toward him like a raging tide.
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"So, they've finally realized I'm behind the plague."
His eyes gleamed with amusement—not fear.
"Looks like I need to fulfill the agreement quickly."
Without hesitation, his form shifted—
His body dissolved into a cloud of dark mist, then reassembled into the shape of a black crow.
With a single powerful flap of his wings, he soared through the night sky—
Heading straight for the double-decker on the Moon River.
As Li Wen soared through the night, he could feel it—
His understanding of the Plague Law was rapidly deepening.
At that moment, he finally understood why other Demon Lords committed evil acts in the mortal realm from time to time.
The fear of mortals wasn't just sustenance—it was enlightenment.
The more humans feared them, the faster they comprehended their laws.
A smirk played on Li Wen's lips.
With a powerful flap of his wings, he accelerated, his body slicing through the wind.
Soon, the double-decker came into full view, floating peacefully on the Moon River.
But what caught his attention wasn't its presence—
It was the noise of celebration echoing from within.
He narrowed his eyes.
"So, instead of hunting me… they're throwing a party?"
His smirk widened.
"Looks like I'll have to invite them outside."
His crow body expanded, shifting as his human form re-emerged.
However, this time, two massive crow wings remained unfurled behind his back.
The versatility of Demon Energy was truly remarkable.
Demon Energy could do incredible things in the hands of those who mastered it.
Unlike mortal cultivators who needed specialized techniques, any demon could wield their energy to create illusions, summon fire, freeze the air, or even manipulate other elements.
Li Wen made a mental note—
If he could fully unravel the nature of Demon Energy, it would greatly aid his future cultivation path.
But that could wait.
Right now, he had to fulfill the agreement.
With the people of Red Leaves City connecting him to the plague, they must have already realized—
I am not a Great Demon but a Demon Lord.
A Demon Lord does not flee with his tail between his legs.
Li Wen had no intention of quietly vanishing.
He would teach the Demon Hunters a lesson—
That he was not the same Li Wen who once cared about the human race, despite being a demon.
That version of him was long gone.
Summoning Demon Energy, a cold blue sphere formed in his right palm, swirling with frost.
Without hesitation, he let it drop—
Straight onto the double-decker below.
The moment the energy ball made contact, a thin layer of ice began to spread from the top of the ship, consuming the wooden planks like creeping vines.
Wan Cai sat in his chair, his gaze lingering on his comrades and friends, all laughing and celebrating.
A part of him knew—
This might be the last time he would ever be with them like this.
Beside him, Zhen Li Si studied his expression.
Her voice was calm but questioning.
"Are you not going to tell them?"
Wan Cai took a slow sip of his wine before replying.
"They're happy."
His eyes swept over the room, watching them enjoy themselves.
"If I tell them now… their mood will sour."
Just as he finished speaking, a low groan sounded from above.
Wan Cai's gaze snapped upward.
His eyes widened as he saw ice slowly spreading across the ceiling, crawling downward like a living entity.
Zhen Li Si's expression hardened in an instant.
Her spear ignited, a blue glow pulsing from its tip.
She shouted—
"I sense Demon Energy!"
Zhen Li Si's sharp gaze swept the room, her grip tightening around her spear as the temperature plummeted.
The once warm, lively atmosphere vanished, replaced by a suffocating chill.
Ice crept across the walls and floor, its relentless advance sending a wave of horror through the gathered warriors.
Wan Cai's voice cut through the panic.
"Quickly! Everyone to the deck!"
Zhen Li Si didn't move.
"You take them out." Her voice was firm, unwavering. "I'll gather the others from below deck."
Wan Cai hesitated for only a second before nodding, then turned, leading the others toward the stairs.
As soon as they burst onto the open deck, Wan Cai's eyes darted in all directions, searching for the enemy.
Yet—
No one was there.
His mind raced.
Could the attack have come from beneath the ship?
Gripping the railing, he leaned over, scanning the waters below.
Nothing.
Then—
A voice shouted from above.
"LI WEN!"
Wan Cai's breath hitched.
His head snapped upward.
And there, hovering in the sky, bathed in the eerie glow of moonlight—
Li Wen stood with massive black wings, looking down on them with cold amusement.
High above the double-decker, Li Wen hovered, his black wings flapping lazily behind him.
Wan Cai stared in shock.
Something about him felt completely different.
His demeanor, his presence—everything had changed.
Wan Cai's grip tightened around his sword.
His voice rang out.
"LI WEN!"
Without hesitation, he swung his sword, releasing a sharp blade of energy toward the sky.
But—
Li Wen didn't even move.
Instead, his bored gaze met Wan Cai's, as if he were nothing more than a roadside pebble.
Before the sword energy could even reach him, it vanished—dispersed effortlessly.
Then—
Flames ignited in Li Wen's hands.
The fire roared to life, swirling violently before he sent it hurtling down toward the ship.
Wan Cai's instincts screamed at him.
He raised his sword, channeling his internal energy into it.
A barrier of golden light formed—
A thin wall of defense standing between them and certain death.
But even as he held firm, he knew—
He wouldn't last long.
His voice rang out desperately.
"Everyone, jump into the river! Escape to the city!"
The crew members—the ordinary civilians responsible for manning the ship—leapt overboard immediately.
But—
The demon hunters hesitated.
Wan Cai's arms trembled, his nose began to bleed, his strength fading rapidly.
He gritted his teeth and shouted again—
"JUMP! I CAN'T HOLD ON ANY LONGER!"
At that moment—
A sharp cracking sound echoed—
Like shattering glass.
The barrier splintered.
Finally, the demon hunters relented, one by one diving into the river.
As the last of them jumped—
Wan Cai's motivation vanished.
With a final, shattering explosion, the barrier collapsed.
The firestorm surged forward, engulfing everything in its path.
Wan Cai braced himself—
But then—
A jet of water shot forth, colliding with the flames in mid-air.
Steam exploded outward, a thick mist engulfing the ship.
Through the haze, Wan Cai saw—
Zhen Li Si standing on the deck, her spear glowing with divine energy.
She rushed to his side, her voice sharp with concern.
"Are you alright?"
Wan Cai, kneeling on the deck, wiped the blood from his lips.
"I'm fine. Just drained of internal energy."
His next words made Zhen Li Si freeze.
"The demon who attacked us... is Li Wen."
Her eyes widened.
Zhen Li Si's head snapped upward, her sharp gaze cutting through the thinning mist.
But—
There was no sign of Li Wen in the sky.
Then—
A voice, deep and mocking, echoed through the air.
"Sister-in-law."
She whipped her head to the right—
And there, seated on a throne of ice atop the upper deck, was Li Wen.
A smirk played on his lips as he gazed down at them.
Zhen Li Si froze.
The man before her—this detached, overwhelming presence—was nothing like the Li Wen she had met in the past.
Two years ago, he had a scholarly, gentle temperament.
Now—
He radiated an unfathomable aura, his demon energy as vast as an endless sea.
For the first time, she truly believed it—
Li Wen is a Demon Lord.
Her voice was steady.
"Li Wen."
Wan Cai, still struggling to stand, coughed out the same name—
"Li Wen!"
The moment Wan Cai spoke, Li Wen's demon energy erupted—
A powerful, suffocating force lifted Wan Cai into the air as if he were nothing more than an insect caught in a storm.
His body convulsed in pain, the crushing force making his bones creak.
Li Wen's eyes gleamed coldly as he turned his gaze toward Zhen Li Si.
"You may call me whatever you want, Sister-in-law."
His smirk deepened, his voice dripping with mockery.
"But this insect… how dare he call me by name?"
Zhen Li Si's fists clenched, but she did not attack.
She knew—any attack would be meaningless.
Her voice remained calm, unwavering.
"Li Wen, if you kill him… Yuan'er will be heartbroken."
Li Wen's expression darkened, his smirk fading.
"And when he tried to kill me at my wedding—"
His voice grew colder.
"Did he ever stop to think that she would be sad?"
With a flick of his wrist, Wan Cai's body was flung downward—
He pierced through the deck, crashing into the lower floor of the ship with a sickening crack.
Li Wen's piercing gaze locked onto Zhen Li Si one last time.
"Tell your father to take care of Yuan'er for me."
His voice was neither a request nor a threat.
It was a statement of inevitability.
"I will return to take her back."
Then—
His body dissolved into swirling magic energy, vanishing into the night.
His destination—
The Ancient Mountain Range.
The ship remained eerily silent, frozen over in layers of ice.
The survivors—left struggling to float in the icy waters of the Moon River—could only watch in helpless terror.