Chapter 137: Sensing the Unique

Zhai Guangyi wasn’t sure how many Demigods the Demon King had under his command, but within this castle alone, there were a full eight Demigods—and that was excluding the Demon King and Zhai Guangyi himself.

Among the dark, densely packed ranks of the Demon King’s Army beneath the giant, there should also be Demigods leading the troops. Hong Ren hadn’t followed them up, likely because his rank wasn’t high enough. Although he claimed to be one of the Eight Cadres, selection as a Demon King’s Army Cadre wasn’t based solely on Level; Family strength and interpersonal influence were also criteria, and most importantly, the Demon King’s favor.

Moreover, the Demigods within this castle were mostly Transcendent Demigods. Only those who had surpassed Level 70 could be called Transcendent Demigods. Including Lvqi, there were seven such beings here. Lilith, Lanni, and Zhai Guangyi were the lowest-Level individuals present; all the others were powerful Transcendent Demigods. This place could be considered the Demon King’s elite fighting force.

The white-haired Demon King Mephistopheles trembled as he sat upon his Throne, looking as though he might die of old age at any moment. His entire spirit and vitality seemed extremely weak, yet a flicker of excitement shone in his eyes—a look utterly unbefitting an elder of his age.

“Why are you so cooperative? You should know what I want, don’t you?”

Mephistopheles spoke slowly to Zhai Guangyi. This Primordial Spirit, a Deity in identity, had suddenly appeared in the Mesopotamia Forest, accompanied by a Spirit King Tree. But the Demon King couldn’t be bothered with such details—if it could be used, it would be used.

Zhai Guangyi nodded silently. Initially, his cooperation had been due to the threat; he didn’t want to offend the Demon King. Moreover, with Lilith—who seemed to be a Classmate from his Previous Life—present, he had agreed to join the Demon King’s service. As for what the Demon King wanted, he now had a rough idea: it was probably the Unique Skill.

“Hahaha, although I’m not entirely clear about your origins, I have a general idea.” With that, Mephistopheles glanced at his daughter, Lilith.

Zhai Guangyi thought he probably knew about Transmigrators. Since they were Transmigrators from another World, it explained why he, as a Primordial Spirit, had broken free from the control of the Elven Divine Tree.

“Now, in this World, only you or a Deity can approach the Elven Divine Tree. If you are willing to help me, I will also help you become the true Elven Deity, replacing this mad Deity. We can cooperate for mutual benefit.

But if I fail, I will likely perish. Lilith will become the new Demon King, and my subordinates will assist her until she ascends to the throne—she has that potential. And if you help me with all your might, even if I fail, you can still marry Lilith and become the ruler of the Demon Race. I assume you won’t refuse war, will you?”

Mephistopheles began to ramble on, like a truly dying elder with endless words before his end, arranging matters for his children. Lilith shyly retreated half a step behind the Throne, as if she genuinely had thoughts of marrying Zhai Guangyi. Zhai Guangyi was stunned—could it be that she had proposed this herself? Just who was she, that Classmate from his Previous Life?

“This World cannot lack war, and war will never cease.”

Just as Demon King Mephistopheles had said, Zhai Guangyi would not refuse war now. He could gain much from war, which contradicted the ethics of his time on Earth. He knew this was wrong, but when the Hero brought forty thousand men to deliver themselves to him, Zhai Guangyi still harbored the thought of harvesting them all.

Zhai Guangyi had already tasted the benefits brought by war. For the strong to evolve, to advance to Demigod, Transcendent Demigod, Demon King, or even Deity, war was necessary. There was only one position; if the one above did not die, he could never climb up. Such were the rules of this World.

Every Demigod stepped over the lives of others to advance, and to become a Deity, one must kill a Deity. Such were the rules of this World. Zhai Guangyi felt no resistance to the Demon King’s desire to kill the Elven Divine Tree; on the contrary, he found it quite thrilling.

He did not believe he had any connection with the Elven Divine Tree. The only slight confusion was when he named his True Body—he inexplicably thought of the name Sylph, as if guided by some unseen force, coinciding with the Elven Divine Tree. But he too needed to advance to a higher position. If the current Elven Divine Tree did not die, he would have no way to ascend. Perhaps this was also an opportunity.

And now, the great army marched grandly toward the southernmost end of the World, seemingly unstoppable. The Demon King’s Army, capable of running rampant across this World, was advancing toward the ruins of the Elven Dynasty. This could be said to be the preparation the Demon King had been making for a thousand years. The Demon King had staked all his assets and the entire Fortune of the Demon Race on Mephistopheles. If successful, the Demon Race would possess a Deity from then on; if failed, the Demon Race would surely be suppressed by powerful beings from all corners of the World.

The Demon Race had committed too many heinous acts over the centuries. If the Demon King died, it would be difficult for the Demon Race to rise again. Among the entire Demon Race, only Lilith possessed the qualifications and talent to become the Demon King. The status of a Demon King Seed was more precious than imagined.

Xiong Batian’s Demon King Seed also represented her qualification to become the Demon King. It was not that reaching Level 80 or above meant one was at the Demon King level. The Demon King was a special evolutionary existence, with a status infinitely close to that of a Deity. Even if one reached Level 90, the Demon King Seed might not necessarily enable its holder to become the Demon King. Yet Mephistopheles was not speaking idly when he said Lilith had this Aptitude; her Demon King Seed was also on the verge of helping her evolve into the Demon King.

This was also why Lilith was so highly favored.

“I am willing to help you become a Demon God within my capabilities.”

Zhai Guangyi did not know what method Mephistopheles intended to use to kill the Elven Divine Tree, but none of it was disadvantageous to him. If successful, he would gain a Demon God as a backer; if failed, it would only mean the death of one Avatar Body.

But judging by Mephistopheles’s demeanor, he did not seem to intend for Zhai Guangyi to die. Instead, he tied Zhai Guangyi and Lilith together, wanting to bind the future of the Demon Race to Zhai Guangyi. Zhai Guangyi did not know why Mephistopheles was doing this.

“Mmm.”

The old man nodded with a smile. Demon King Mephistopheles gathered all the wrinkles on his face together. Though he was smiling, Zhai Guangyi still found it somewhat terrifying.

“All of you, leave now. The following words are for you and me alone to discuss.”

Demon King Mephistopheles drove all the demigods out of the castle, leaving only Zhai Guangyi and Lilith, who was supporting the Demon King.

“I can sense the aura of a Unique Skill on you, though it is very faint. Yet this aura extends all the way to the Mesopotamia Forest.”

After everyone had left, Demon King Mephistopheles uttered these words without a trace of emotion. Though the Demon King spoke quickly, the words echoed incessantly in Zhai Guangyi’s mind. Zhai Guangyi felt the clothes on his back already soaked with cold sweat, and an ominous premonition rose from within his heart. He even recalled that, aside from his own territory, there were traces of goblin sieges throughout the forest.