"Do you want to leave? To leave and live the rest of your life with your back straight?" Huan Yi's words reverberated in the snakegirls' minds , leading them to fall into another trance.
'Leave? I…can leave?' From Xiao Qing to the most unremarkable of monstergirls, all asked themselves this one simple question.
In the history of the Wine Lake and Meat Forest, one hand was enough to count the monstergirls that had managed to leave with a guest. Most of the time, only the human girls had the opportunity, becoming mistresses, concubines, or in miraculous cases, the wife of their savior.
The laws and social stigma made it so that, at best, the monstergirl would build a long-lasting relationship with her guest, seeing him whenever he came to the Dream Mansion and asked for her. Girls that actually got bailed out were few and far between. But without a doubt, Huan Yi was offering them that very same opportunity.
It didn't matter. Perhaps believing that the Demon Child was trying to play with their feelings, or fearing the hunts they risked outside, the monstergirls stayed stoic, not responding to Huan Yi's words.
Unbothered, the Demon Child resumed speech, speaking words that forced all monstergirls to consider their options:
"The world will not adjust because you suffer, so it falls on you to find the courage to pursue your heart's desires. I can help you reach the destination, but you first need the courage to challenge your condition.
Life isn't meant to be spent in misery. If you want happiness, chase it. If the world doesn't tolerate your existence, why not change that world? Don't you owe yourself that much?" Huan Yi seriously asked, his eyes going from one monstergirl to the other, not leaving any of the 66 unattended.
Confronted by the Demon Child, the 66 fell into introspection, further questioning themselves. True, due to the Dream Mansion and their predecessors' teachings, these monstergirls dared not imagine a life outside the cave mansions of the Wine Lake. But now, they realized that they'd allowed themselves to stay trapped, using their weakness to justify their cowardice.
Yes. What kind of sentient life could tolerate an existence spent in chains? What was so wrong with rebelling? Even if they died in the process, at least they'd die with dignity. An honorable death would always be better than centuries spent in captivity.
Sensing the shift in the 66 girls' mental state, Huan stretched his hands out. A flurry of 66 Demon Lotuses flew out of his hands, hovering above the monstergirls. The Demon Child's left eye regained its purple color, the images of dancing devils and enchanting demonesses flashing through as overpowering demonic energies erupted from Huan Yi's form.
"My name is Huan Yi, and this is a contract offer. Accept the Demon Lotuses, be reborn through the Manuscript of Forbidden Secrets, and embrace the supreme path as my loyal soldiers. Do so and, from this day onward, not only will you become immortal, but so long as I live, you will also be free from all difficulties," Huan Yi said, causing all monstergirls to stare into the white lotuses, trembling as they considered his words.
Thanks to Taotie, Huan Yi now understood that the only thing that he needed in his subordinates was…unshakable loyalty. Strength, talent, cunning, none of that mattered, because as long as he had his eyes and the Manuscript of Forbidden Secrets, Huan Yi could turn even the most unremarkable of commoners into a generational powerhouse.
But unless he used his powers to enslave those he picked, loyalty wasn't something that Huan Yi could guarantee. And some, he would indeed enslave. But others, he would seduce and lure to his side. Why? Because that…was more entertaining. And after spending billions of years trapped in an isolated dimension, Huan Yi was in dire need of fun.
The longer the monstergirls peered into the Demon Lotuses, the bigger their appetite for a better lie, a life of happiness and satisfaction by their young master's side, became. The reality that they were trading one master for another didn't escape them. But at the very least, Huan Yi would allow them to experience all the pleasures the world had to offer. That alone was something the Dream Mansion couldn't compete with.
Huan Yi's left eye, the Eye of Dancing Devils, offered many useful abilities. It could force anyone it faced to act on their emotions and desires alone, forgetting reason. It could bless an area with demonic energies and cause it to produce Demon Lotuses, and also turn humans or monsters into devils.
Yes, even without the Manuscript of Forbidden Secrets or the Demon Lotuses, Huan Yi could use his purple eye to turn willing humans or monsters into devils. However, the energy cost of doing so was too much for the current Huan Yi. By relying on the manuscript and Demon Lotuses, Huan Yi could not only reduce his energy costs to zero, but also produce much better results than his eye alone could.
Of the nine demon tribes, Devils were the strongest. Then came the Moon and Shura tribes, the two at equal power, followed by the Shadow, Heart, Giant, Undead, Blood, and Mara tribes—also at equal powers. But of the nine bloodlines, Devils were unique in that they didn't have one standard demonic form.
Their birth process was also the most convoluted. Some inherited the bloodline from their parents, some were man-made, and others still were born from various phenomena. Huan Yi's White Demon Lotuses, for example, were devil parasites that could fuse with other lifeforms to turn them into Flower Devils, gifting them with formidable defense, regeneration abilities, and control over nature.
The Eye of Dancing Devils added terrifying speed and offensive powers, ensuring that the innate potential of Huan Yi's Flower Devils stood at the very summit of the Three Realms.
Almost in synch, the girls stretched their hands out, reaching for the Demon Lotuses.
"I…accept," all 66 said, before grasping the lotuses. So, what if they embraced demonkind? So long as they could be free from the Dream Mansion and enjoy a lifetime of happiness, these monstergirls were willing to abandon their humanity.
The Demon Lotuses broke into particles of white light, pouring into the monstergirls' bodies while purple beams poured out of Huan Yi's left eye, stabbing into their hearts, and setting their souls ablaze.
The transformation kicked off, and as the combination between Huan Yi's left eye and Demon Lotuses transformed the 66 monstergirls' flesh and blood, waves of demonic energies gushed out of their bodies. And was it not for Huan Yi's control over Karma, these violent and unrestrained demonic energy waves would have likely alerted the experts of the Dream Mansion.
It wasn't long before the transformation ended. And if before, the 66 girls could be labeled as breathtaking beauties, they now reached the level of country toppling—their skin glowing and their eyes shining like reflections of the moonlight. These were the only outside changes. Inside, however, all aspects of the girls' souls and constitutions had changed. They retained their monstrous characteristics. But the human half had vanished completely—replaced by Devil blood.
Unlike Di Yi, they didn't have a devil in their soul.
They were the devils.
"Master, your servants greet you!" In tandem, the 66 demonesses bowed at Huan Yi, professing their allegiance.