The others in the cave stood frozen, their breaths shallow and uneven. No one dared to speak, their fear palpable as they avoided meeting Lei Ying's gaze.
A woman in red broke the silence, her voice cutting through the oppressive tension. "If we work together, we can take him down," she said, her tone firm but not without a flicker of uncertainty. Her fiery gaze locked onto Lei Ying. She didn't trust the others, but this man—this threat—was too dangerous to ignore.
Zhào Hán, standing off to the side, hadn't moved. His hands hung limp at his sides, and his eyes remained glued to the empty spot where his uncle had stood moments ago. He looked lost, like a man trying to make sense of a nightmare he couldn't wake from.
Lei Ying's shoulders shifted in a light shrug. He tilted his head slightly, his expression calm, almost amused, as his eyes lingered on the black pool. The faint swirl of energy drew him in, a quiet hum of power promising something invaluable. His lips curved upward in a subtle smile, like he'd already claimed it in his mind.
The woman in red's jaw tightened as she hovered into the air. A fiery aura erupted around her, filling the cave with an unbearable heat. Beads of sweat formed on the foreheads of those nearby, but her focus never wavered.
In the center of her forehead, a third eye opened, glowing with a strange, petrifying light. The energy it radiated made the air around her shimmer, heavy with power. She raised a hand toward Lei Ying, her voice sharp.
"Let's see how arrogant you are when you're turned to stone."
Lei Ying slowly lifted his gaze to her, his expression unchanging. His purple eyes studied her as if she were a curious insect.
"The Evil Eye, huh?" he murmured, as though discussing something mundane. His voice was soft, almost conversational. "I suppose that's impressive… if you don't mind borrowing ideas."
A faint flicker passed over his forehead.
Then, without warning, a third purple eye opened in the center of Lei Ying's brow.
The atmosphere shifted instantly. It wasn't just power—it was domination. Everything in the cave seemed to halt, like the world itself had forgotten how to move.
The woman gasped, her eyes widening in disbelief. Blood splattered from her mouth as her aura collapsed around her. She fell from the air, her body limp as it hit the ground with a hollow thud. Her breaths faltered, and her skin turned gray, withering as the life drained from her. In mere moments, her body crumbled into ash, swept away by an unseen current.
Her energy flowed into the black pool like a quiet, inevitable tide.
Zhào Hán stumbled backward, his chest rising and falling in shallow gasps. His trembling hand moved to the third eye on his forehead, desperation mingling with terror as he sought some understanding of Lei Ying.
The moment his third eye opened, a horrific pressure slammed into him. His scream tore through the cave as blood poured from the ruptured eye, his knees buckling under the invisible weight. He clutched his face, shaking his head in disbelief.
"This… this can't be," he whispered hoarsely, his voice cracking. "You're… you're the Demon King."
Lei Ying didn't respond. His third eye closed as effortlessly as it had opened, and his attention drifted back to the black pool, as if nothing of note had just occurred. The others in the cave looked on in silent horror. No one dared move, no one dared speak. It was as if Lei Ying's very presence had drained the air of any hope or defiance.
"Demon King? What's that?" Lei Ying asked, tilting his head slightly. His tone was casual, but his eyes gleamed with curiosity. The title had caught his attention—not because it held fear or reverence for him, but because it wasn't something he fully understood. The novel barely touched on the Demon King, and in this world, the supposed figure had never actually appeared. Well, aside from the fake one who met an unceremonious end at Wu Dian's hands.
His gaze shifted lazily to Yun Xiao, who was trembling, his face pale and drawn.
"I suppose it's time to end this now, isn't it?" Lei Ying said, his voice calm, almost conversational.
Yun Xiao's breath hitched, his chest tightening as if a vice had clamped down on his lungs. Subconsciously, he stepped in front of Ye Qi, shielding her. His fists clenched at his sides, trembling as he stared back at Lei Ying with all the defiance he could muster.
Lei Ying's lips curved into a faint smile, though his expression remained unreadable. "Well done," he said softly, his tone almost... approving. "It's been hard on you these past three years."
The words hung in the air for a moment, like the final notes of a requiem. Then, a sharp metallic sound sliced through the silence.
Yun Xiao gasped, his body jerking forward. He looked down to see the blade protruding from his chest, its edge glinting faintly in the dim light. His gray robes darkened quickly as blood spread across them, the warmth of it a cruel contrast to the cold betrayal that flooded him.
He turned his head slowly, his movements sluggish as if weighed down by disbelief. His eyes locked on Ye Qi, who stood behind him, her trembling hands still gripping the hilt of the sword.
"You... you're working for him?" Yun Xiao's voice cracked, his words barely a whisper. His gaze searched her face for some kind of denial, some explanation that would make this anything but the truth he dreaded.
Ye Qi flinched but didn't answer. She didn't need to. Her silence was deafening.
The realization hit Yun Xiao like a hammer. His knees buckled slightly, but he remained standing, held up by nothing but sheer will. Disbelief, rage, and heartbreak twisted his features. His lips moved as if to say something more, but no words came.
Behind him, the old man's voice echoed in his mind, shaking with fury and shock. "This... this can't be! She's been with us all this time. How—how could she—"
But the pieces were already falling into place. The old man's memories unraveled like a thread, weaving together a picture he'd failed to see before. The perfectly timed news of the ruins. The inexplicable way the demonic cultivators always seemed to find them, whittling down their numbers bit by bit. The countless "accidents" over the years.
"It was all arranged. From the very beginning," the old man muttered bitterly.
Yun Xiao's lips trembled, a bitter laugh bubbling up despite the pain. "I can't believe it," he choked out, his voice barely audible. His body sagged, his strength leaving him as the betrayal cut deeper than the blade.
His vision blurred, but he kept his eyes on Ye Qi, searching for something—anything—that would make sense of it all.
She couldn't meet his gaze. Her grip on the sword faltered as she took a small step back, her expression filled with guilt and fear, but no words of defense.
The last thing Yun Xiao saw before his world went dark was the cold, indifferent face of Lei Ying, who hadn't moved an inch, his purple eyes fixed on the black pool as if none of it mattered.
Yun Xiao fell to the ground, his body crumpling lifelessly.
The cave grew silent once more, save for the faint hum of energy from the pool, as though it fed on the despair lingering in the air. Lei Ying finally glanced at Ye Qi, his tone light but laced with subtle amusement. "You did well. I'll take it from here."
Ye Qi trembled, lowering her head, unsure whether she felt more fear for Lei Ying or guilt for what she'd done. The others in the cave could only watch in stunned silence, the weight of Yun Xiao's betrayal and death pressing down on them like a suffocating blanket.