Chapter 540: She is the Little Demon Empress!?
Suddenly, flames blazed above the great hall. A massive three-legged Golden Crow emerged amidst the roaring fire, its wings spread wide as it let out a sky-rending cry. Then, the three-legged fire bird dove straight down from the flames, dragging a long curtain of crimson fire in its wake. As the fire curtain swept past the hall—
“The Little Demon Empress is very frightening, um… I think I also said that I didn’t even dare to look directly at her face. But what I meant was that the Little Demon Empress’s aura, her gaze, and her expression are extremely terrifying. Every time I face the Little Demon Empress, my heart pounds wildly and a chill runs down my spine. However, I never said that the Little Demon Empress’s appearance is scary. The Little Demon Empress is recognized as the number one beauty in the entire Illusion Demon Realm.”
“~！#￥%……” Yun Che now had a strong urge to strangle Xiao Yun to death. “That last sentence… such an important piece of information, why didn’t you tell me that day!”
Xiao Yun shrank his neck, his expression even more innocent. “You… you didn’t ask what the Little Demon Empress looked like. And… I felt that this didn’t seem like very important information either.”
Yun Che slapped his forehead, speechless and choked.
Thinking back carefully, what Xiao Yun had said that day about the Little Demon Empress being “terrifying” and “scary” referred to the feeling he got when facing her, not explicitly her appearance being terrifying. But his description would easily lead one to imagine a cold, sinister face so frightful that people dared not look at it. Add to that the fact that the Little Demon Empress was older than his father Yun Qinghong—at least a middle-aged woman…
With Xiao Yun’s descriptions, there was no way he could have connected the Little Demon Empress with a little girl who looked only fourteen or fifteen!
Even though she was also dressed in gray, that didn’t mean much—it was perfectly normal for someone who admired the Little Demon Empress to imitate her gray attire… Even though she also used Golden Crow Flame… but the Illusion Demon Royal Clan could all use Golden Crow Flame…
Yun Che was now thoroughly tangled up… This plot was far too stimulating.
He had been calmly thinking about how to help his father resolve the great crisis the Little Demon Empress might face during this grand ceremony, but now… the one facing the greatest danger was himself!
Whether he could walk out of here alive today was unknown.
Having seen the body of the esteemed Little Demon Empress with his own eyes… this crime, even beheaded ten thousand times wouldn’t be enough. After all, she was the Little Demon Empress, openly married to the Little Demon Emperor before the world, the sovereign ruler of the entire Illusion Demon Realm!
Yun Qinghong glanced at Yun Che, full of confusion. He was about to ask when, atop the imperial throne, the Little Demon Empress slowly stood up.
“Since I inherited my late husband’s throne, a hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye. In these hundred years, though I have accomplished no great deeds to benefit the people, I have also committed no great wrongs to bring chaos to the world. It can be considered that I have barely lived up to the trust of the Emperor Father and my late husband.”
“The centennial ceremony was originally created for celebration, but this time is different from the past. I have been on the throne for a hundred years, and the Emperor Father and my late husband have also been dead for a hundred years. Though a century has passed, the blood feud of the Emperor Father and my late husband remains unavenged! Under such hatred and resentment, what joy is there? What is there to celebrate?”
“At this grand ceremony, there shall be no songs or dances, no praise of merits and virtues, no tributes or gifts. We shall only discuss the affairs of the world during my century on the throne, and the plans for the world after this century!”
If one looked directly at the Little Demon Empress’s face, they would see a beauty so exquisite that it could outshine the sun and moon. But accompanying this peerless countenance was a heavy pressure like heaven and earth collapsing… Even for an emperor, this pressure was far too heavy, enough to make even a powerful Xuan cultivator in the realm struggle to breathe when facing her.
This kind of terrifying pressure that made one’s heart palpitate was enough to completely suppress the dazzling effect of her beauty.
She stood before the throne, coldly overlooking the ten thousand magnates of the Illusion Demon Realm, speaking slowly. Every word struck the ears and shook the soul. These powerful figures, either wielding great strength or controlling the important powers of the Illusion Demon Realm, all bowed their heads and listened silently. None dared to lift their heads to face her, let alone commit any disrespectful act.
A maiden who appeared only fourteen or fifteen—still the recognized number one beauty of the Illusion Demon Realm—and yet she was the sovereign ruler of tens of billions of subjects in the Illusion Demon Realm!!
For Yun Che, who was “meeting” the Little Demon Empress for the first time, this scene’s mental and visual impact was undoubtedly enormous.
The Little Demon Empress raised her right arm. The wide gray sleeve fell back, revealing a snowy hand and a small section of jade-like arm. Her attendant on the right slowly stepped forward, bowing as she presented a crimson wine cup.
The Little Demon Empress slowly took the cup. Below, everyone hastily picked up the cups already prepared before their seats, raising them toward the Little Demon Empress with cupped hands.
“This grand ceremony shall begin with this toast!” The Little Demon Empress raised her arm high. On her face, like that of a young girl, was a majesty that none could despise.
“This toast: first, to the heaven and earth of our Illusion Demon Realm!”
“Second, to the ancestral line of our Demon Emperor Clan!”
“Third, to all of you present! You are either the foundation of our Illusion Demon Realm, its pillars, or its fortifications. For these hundred years, I have relied entirely on your dedicated support… I drink first to show my respect!”
As soon as the Little Demon Empress’s voice fell, she raised her head and drained the cup.
“We thank the Little Demon Empress!”
The crowd below, all filled with trepidation, hurriedly drank their own cups, not daring to leave a single drop. Some were even trembling with excitement. In centennial ceremonies, it was always customary to toast the Demon Emperor first, yet the Little Demon Empress had toasted them first—they were naturally extremely alarmed.
The Little Demon Empress set down her cup and gazed at the crowd. Her eyes, already lifeless and grim, suddenly released a bone-chilling coldness. She said calmly, “Who arranged the seating for today?”
Everyone in the great hall immediately held their breath. Some, who didn’t understand, exchanged bewildered glances. The people of Yao Huang City also changed expression drastically… The seating order of the Twelve Guardian Clans had been fixed for ten thousand years. No one doubted that the Little Demon Empress could tell at a glance that something was wrong with the arrangement. But no one expected that one second she was toasting the heroes and ministers of the realm, and the next, in front of everyone, during this grand ceremony, she would suddenly question this matter.
The shift was so swift that no one had time to react.