Sun Ling Cai stared at Yuan's face, stunned. It was identical to the statue enshrined in the Demon Sealing Clan's Grand Library—handsome, timeless, and unmistakable.
It had been years since Sun Ling Cai last saw Yuan, and in that time, he had matured. He no longer merely resembled the Divine Paragon—he was his exact likeness, down to the last detail.
"F-Founder...? That's impossible…" Sun Ling Cai had spent many years gazing at the Divine Paragon's statue since she joined the Demon Sealing Clan, and as a painter who painted countless pieces of him, there was no way she could mistake his features. Yet even now, she struggled to believe what her eyes were showing her.
"Your first instinct is to run again? I thought you wanted to see me, Demon Emperor 'Slaughter'," Yuan said coldly as he walked toward Sun Ling Cai's battered body.
When Yuan reached her side, he retrieved a recovery pill and gently placed it in her mouth. Just as Sun Ling Cai had once been forced to watch the Demon Emperor free the Demon General from his seal, Demon Emperor Slaughter could now only watch helplessly as Yuan healed her—its body paralyzed by fear.
"Founder… is it really you? Where have you been this entire time?" Sun Ling Cai asked, her voice trembling as tears streamed down her face.
A faint smile touched Yuan's lips as he replied calmly, "I'll explain everything once I've handled our little situation here."
After treating Sun Ling Cai, Yuan turned to face the Demon Emperor, who looked like it had just seen a ghost.
"Why do you look so surprised to see me? Didn't Demon Emperor Carnage tell of my return?" Yuan asked, having assumed the news would've spread after their brief encounter years ago.
"Carnage knew?! Impossible! We spoke not long ago! He never mentioned anything about your return!" Demon Emperor Slaughter exclaimed.
"He didn't? How odd. Well, whatever reason he has for keeping it to himself, I'm not complaining. This works better for me anyway."
"You hateful bastard… how the fuck are you still alive?! It's been hundreds of millions of years since the Demonic Era ended! No human should live that long!"
Yuan narrowed his eyes. "If you demons—beings beneath me—can live that long, then why shouldn't I? In case you forgot, let me remind you something—that I won't take my last breath until I eradicate every single demon in existence!"
Sure enough, Demon Emperor Slaughter can still vividly recall the Divine Paragon always uttering such words whenever they clashed.
"No! I don't know why you look like the Divine Paragon, but you can't be him! Right! You're only at the level of Spirit Enlightenment, and I can tell that's your real cultivation!"
"Since when did my cultivation ever matter?" Yuan scoffed. "I wiped out half your race before I even stepped into the Immortal Realm."
Demon Emperor Slaughter clenched its jaw in frustration, the bitter memory surfacing once more. During the Demonic Era, the Divine Paragon had defied all logic—slaughtering demons with a cultivation far beneath theirs, turning their pride into shame.
Unlike battles between cultivators, fighting demons hinged on one thing—the strength of one's Demon Sealing Aura, and in that regard, no one even came close to the Divine Paragon.
"Since you refuse to believe I've truly returned, there's only one option left… I'll beat the reality into you."
Yuan retrieved the crimson blade from his spatial ring again—the very sword he had used to seal the Demon General.
"T-That sword! The Demon Sealing Sword!"
Demon Emperor Slaughter trembled at the sight of it. That weapon had sealed countless demons, and its presence alone stirred deep, ancestral fear within its core.
"The Demon Sealing Sword?! The strongest of the Three Demon Sealing Treasures?!" Sun Ling Cai gasped, just as stunned by its appearance. No one had seen the legendary weapon since the Divine Paragon vanished, and most had long believed it was lost with him.
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