Within the palace, an eerie terror permeated the air, so suffocating it seemed to strangle the breath from one’s lungs. The shadowy architecture loomed like a devourer of souls, capable of absorbing and shattering any spirit it touched. From time to time, unsettling ethereal echoes reverberated through the halls—desperate wails, as if from demons concealed in the depths of shadow.
The woman seated upon the throne possessed eyes like molten gemstones. An elegant evening gown clung to her, outlining a breathtakingly perfect figure that stirred insatiable desire, from the black thigh-high stockings to the tantalizing expanse of pale skin above them… Yet her arrogant posture quelled any flicker of lust, replacing it with dread. A barrier of demonic energy, so dense it had materialized into solid form, encircled her completely—yet even it failed to conceal her innate, mesmerizing allure.
Demon horns and retracted dragon wings bore witness to her identity, but more than anything, her unmistakable aura proclaimed it: a king.
The Dragon King.
If the Demon King ruled the Demon Race as sovereign, then the Dragon King was their god.
At that moment, Dragon King Leia sensed a unfamiliar presence. She raised her head, her cherry lips quirking slightly as she spoke in a tone both grave and icy, chilling like the depths of a frozen cavern.
“Who goes there?”
Fully aware of the intruder’s existence, Leia’s voice turned indifferent.
“Come in.”
The grand doors swung open, revealing a woman’s silhouette.
Her face bore no trace of makeup, yet it outshone the finest mortal cosmetics. A classic slender jaw lent a touch of maturity to her girlish demeanor. Wings woven of gold and ivory framed her, setting her in stark opposition to the figure gazing down imperiously from the throne.
“I don’t recall inviting a Light Envoy to my palace,” Leia said with a wicked smile, though the woman’s golden hair struck her as rather piercing.
“You summoned me here, Miss Dragon King. I had no choice.”
“Oh?”
“I couldn’t endure the suppression of your Domain. You lifted it deliberately—for me alone, leaving me untouched… You understand everything, don’t you?”
“Heh heh heh…”
Leia draped her tail over the arm of the throne, ensuring her reclining posture against the backrest wouldn’t crush it.
“I didn’t invite you. And you know far too much, don’t you? Aren’t you afraid I’ll dispose of you, War God Dolores?”
“I…”
Dolores did not reply at once. She stepped forward, her gossamer skirt billowing lightly behind her, her footsteps echoing through the vast, desolate palace.
Lifting her gaze, she declared with unwavering resolve:
“I’ve come only to confirm one thing… Did you impregnate the Demon God King?”
In that instant, a profound silence descended upon the hall.
Leia had no idea how to respond. Embarrassment gripped her, rendering her speechless. She closed her eyes, then opened them again, her voice grave.
“I’d be delighted if you called me Xuefei’s wife.”
“As expected of a… ‘beast.’ No, Leia—how could you make the Demon God King pregnant? As a ‘beast’ myself, I simply can’t comprehend it…” Dolores’s expression grew complicated. She struggled to grasp the intricate nature of the being before her, or the motives driving her.
If her suspicions were correct…
Leia’s delicate brows furrowed.
To her, this was a foolishly simple question, one so obvious it scarcely needed stating. Dolores clearly didn’t understand. Indeed, Leia now wondered what had truly brought the War God to her door.
She posed no threat, as Leia had imagined. She was merely a Light Envoy in thrall to the Demon God King.
Loyalists to the Demon God King had existed for centuries, and Isabella was a textbook example of one swayed by her influence. Dolores, quite possibly, was the founder of that enigmatic organization.
“Are you the one manipulating things from the shadows?” Leia’s tone sharpened, but Dolores shook her head.
“I’m a failure. I… hold no authority, only vestiges of power—and even those are being exploited.”
“What’s her name?”
“Lydia.”
“As I thought…”
The mysterious woman who had freed Dolores and conspired with the elves.
Leia granted her the deference owed a Main God, yet the air still crackled with an intangible tension, leaving her faintly discomfited. Dolores’s power, potent as it was, could not pierce the Domain’s suppression.
Thus, Leia reaffirmed her claim over Xuefei once more:
“Now she is a dragon—an ordinary girl to whom I granted power. She likes me, and I like her. That’s all there is to it.”
“It seems you’ve succeeded.”
“I understand everything she desires, and I give it to her. In exchange, she repays what she owes me. Only then is it fair. I don’t fully grasp what we are to each other, Dolores. You’re overcomplicating it.”
“Dragon King, in truth, you’ve long seen through all of this, haven’t you? Without you, we never could have won… You hold everything in your grasp, yet you’ve never truly made a move.”
Leia laughed.
This time, the being she had dubbed a “beast” suddenly let out a laugh of relief:
“I prefer to call it ‘protecting’ Xuefei. So, Dolores, what is it you want to take from me? The Ice Holy Key?”
“I…”
Dolores lowered her head. Her eyes flickered faintly as she spoke in a melancholic tone, like a little girl admitting her fault:
“I only want to protect the Demon God King.”
“I’d rather she stayed quiet. I understand your loyalty, but there’s an enormous gap in ability between a Light Envoy and Dark Filth. If Laer is powerless against it, then… I’m sorry…”
“I’d sooner have no power at all than leave her side.”
“Oh?”
Leia’s brows smoothed out.
She rose from her throne with a warm smile. The arrogant poise from moments before lingered on her striking features, but it had softened considerably. Even her voice had grown steady and gentle.
It seemed she had overthought things.
There was no hint of hostility here—only the pitiful plea of a girl who had lost everything.
“Poor thing.”
“Since your sincerity is plain, the Palace has no reason to turn you away.”
Leia approached Dolores until they stood just two meters apart.
Her pupils resembled gateways to hell. Even Dolores couldn’t help but tremble slightly. Uncertain of the woman’s intentions, she took a few steps back.
Under the shroud of the Evil Dragon’s Domain, she could barely muster any power at all.
And the one who controlled that Domain was the seductive young woman standing before her.
As those pupils gleamed with an eerie red light, Dolores felt her very soul being probed. In the next instant, she realized this was the power of soul-scrying.
“Complete Filth Soul.”
This woman was far more than a mere “beast.”
Was she also the bearer of Dark Filth’s perfect soul?
She bore a striking resemblance to that person.
“A soul riddled with holes, drained of all vitality, steeped in the same gloom as Dark Filth. You’re so pitiful now that even the shell of a Light Envoy holds no meaning.”
“So, what you need is a complete transformation, isn’t it?”
“I happen to have a method right here—one that lets you retain your power and sense of self while staying by Xuefei’s side… albeit in a different form.”
“My conditions are these: Protect Xuefei forever. Keep all our secrets. Regard every enemy—including Dark Filth or any Light Envoy—as foes. Pledge eternal loyalty to me and Xuefei.”
“What do you say?”
