Stepping on the Demoness to become the strongest

Even that monster with the dragon's head was baffled by Yan Yu's words and took a moment before speaking:

"You're not afraid of death?"

"Of course I'm afraid of dying," Yan Yu stated righteously, "but as a descendant of the dragon, how could I cower and fawn over the fear of death?

"Hmph, you do have some backbone," the dragon-headed monster said, then reached out to pull the bars apart.

The door and bars, originally seamless, had not budged even when Huang Tingjian had battered at them, yet the dragon-headed monster, using brute strength, forcibly pried them open, revealing a small path for passage.

Yan Yu floated calmly in the water, his Divine Sense having scanned the dragon-headed monster from head to toe.

It was not an insubstantial phantom, but a creature of flesh and blood.

Its physique was excessively robust, presumably a beast of the Long Race bloodline with significant strength, but its brain seemed to be somewhat faulty.

"Come out then," the dragon-headed monster opened the cell door and said, "Don't make me fetch you personally."

Yan Yu climbed out of the water, chuckling:

"Many thanks, many thanks. How may I address your excellency?"

"Call me Gong Er," the dragon-headed monster asked curiously, "You're on the brink of death and you can still laugh?"

"It's precisely because one can't laugh after dying that one should laugh more while they can," Yan Yu adeptly responded to its inquiry and continued, "I have a question, Brother Gong Er, that bothers me. Could you resolve it so I can die with a clear mind?"

"Ha, ask away, though I don't guarantee I'll answer," the dragon-headed monster sneered.

"Why must one die just because they are a dragon?" Yan Yu asked.

"Have you gone stupid from the watery bubble?" The dragon-headed monster looked at him as if he were a fool, sizing him up with that gaze before saying, "Humans and demons are inherently opposed, get it?"

"Oh!" Yan Yu feigned sudden understanding, "So, I am a dragon, and you are…"

"I am naturally human," the dragon-headed monster said matter-of-factly, "For humans to slay demons and dispel evil is righteous by heaven and earth. You, being a Flood Dragon of demon-kind, at least are granted the use of the dragon-slaying executioner's blade. For those nameless lesser demons, they are simply killed by hand and tossed into the sea to be devoured by fish and turtles, understand?"

"That makes sense. Marvelous!" Yan Yu clapped his hands and chuckled, "To die as one of the dragon kind should be a glorious death; that fits my status indeed. I have to thank you for this!"

"Quite so, quite so," the dragon-headed monster stretched its snout, revealing a ferocious yet satisfied smirk, "Though you're a demon, you understand how things are, which is truly rare. Later I will speak to the general above and request him to make the blade swift to lessen your suffering."

"Then I must thank Brother Gong Er," Yan Yu said, following it out of the watery cell and proceeding down the corridor.

The passageway was dim and dark, and Yan Yu could only judge by the slight swaying underfoot that he must be on a ship, yet not knowing which deck.

Taking advantage of the fact that no exit could be seen ahead, he continued to make conversation:

"Speaking of which, Brother Gong Er, since humans and demons are incompatible, isn't there a spell to distinguish demons?"

"What, you want to pry into the secrets of our Human Race cultivators?" the dragon-headed monster asked coldly.

"I wouldn't dare," Yan Yu chuckled, "What good would that knowledge do me, a dying dragon? Besides, when Brother Gong Er first spoke, you didn't know whether I was a dragon or not, hence my question."

The dragon-headed monster pondered for a moment and then said:

"Since I've already mentioned it before, there's no harm in telling you. There are spells to distinguish demons, but they are unnecessary."

"If you admit you're a dragon, you'll face the executioner's blade; if you deny it, we won't bother to investigate whether you're a dragon or not, and you'll just stay in the watery cell. Either you admit it and come out, or you rot to death inside."

"I see," Yan Yu nodded as if enlightened, "Rather than languishing in the dark and damp cell until the end of life, it's better to admit it, come out, and seek a swift end."

"Exactly," the dragon-headed monster nodded.

"If it were a human, a hundred years would be but a fleeting moment," Yan Yu continued, "But what if it were an ordinary lesser demon that, seeking that swift end, falsely claims to be a dragon? What then?"

The dragon-headed monster stopped in its tracks, stunned for a moment, then said:

"If it's not a dragon, the executioner's blade will reveal its true form."

"But if the executioner's blade could be wielded at will, then what's the point of this watery cell?" Yan Yu chuckled, "Just take them all straight to the blade, wouldn't that be better?"

This time the dragon-headed monster was taken aback for even longer, but finally regained its composure and said:

"Don't ask too many questions; rest assured, we have our methods."

"Not to hide from you," Yan Yu, seeing its uneasy expression, promptly said, "as one of dragonkin, I also know others of my kind. Perhaps you could take me on a tour of the other cells, so I could gather all of my kin. It would be nice to have some company on the journey to the netherworld."

"You..."

The dragon-headed monster felt something was off and struggled for words before finally saying, "You really are fraternal to your clan."

"What about it?" Yan Yu smiled, "Lining up for the Dragon-Slaying Guillotine, taking turns getting chopped, would save your Brother Gong Er the trouble."

"That's right, that's right," after thinking it over, the dragon-headed monster agreed, "Then come with me."

It turned around with Yan Yu and headed deep into the water cell.

Although the water cell was crammed with many chambers, most were vacant. The dragon-headed monster didn't stop to check but focused on moving forward.

After about two to three minutes of walking, a dense clanging of metal on metal was heard in the distance, producing a clear echo in the corridor.

The dragon-headed monster strode over, slammed its iron pick against the bars, and cursed:

"What's with all the noise! Be careful, or I'll flay you alive... You, come take a look."

Just as Yan Yu stepped forward, he heard a familiar coughing sound from the cell.

Upon closer inspection, sure enough, it was Li Minghu trapped inside.

This Valkyrie must have searched her surroundings without finding any mechanisms for escape, so she could only repeatedly strike the bars with her Sky Flash Sword to attract someone from outside.

The moment she saw the dragon-headed monster, Li Minghu readied herself for battle, but the next second, seeing Yan Yu appear, she exclaimed in shock:

"Yan Yu?"

The moment the words left her mouth, she realized her slip and hastily sealed her lips shut.

But the dragon-headed monster looked skeptical, turning and asking:

"She knows you?"

"Indeed." Yan Yu replied, "She too descends from the Long Race, we are of the same bloodline."

"Oh?" The dragon-headed monster said coldly, "The Flood Dragon clan takes 'Zhao' as their surname; the Azure Dragon clan takes 'Qin' as theirs. Yet she calls you 'Yan Yu,' what's the meaning of this?"

"I wouldn't hide it from Brother Gong Er." Yan Yu was caught in a slip, but showed no sign of panic; instead, his mind raced to find a solution. To buy time, he evasively said, "It's not a name, it's a term of endearment."

"Term of endearment?" The dragon-headed monster was baffled.
Your next chapter awaits on empire

"She's my wife at home," Yan Yu finally concocted an excuse and smiled, "After getting married, I have been too lazy in our abode, spending all day soaking in briny seawater for prolonged slumbers, neglecting my cultivation. She has always disapproved of me, hence she mocks me as 'pickled fish,' which is rather shameful."

"That's right," Li Minghu quickly played along with the lie, "This pickled fish… the biggest regret of my life is marrying this lazy pickled fish. He doesn't cultivate for days on end, not advancing an inch in his abilities. If I had known, I would have been better off marrying a rice noodle dragon!"

"Hehe," the dragon-headed monster seemed to understand and smiled at Li Minghu, "You're about to die anyway, I'd advise you not to hold grudges. Under the Dragon-Slaying Guillotine, if you become a wedded couple in death, journeying to the netherworld together, it would also be rare."

Li Minghu's acting was exquisite; first, she glared angrily at Yan Yu, then her expression changed several times, couldn't help but cough weakly a few times, and finally sighed deeply, showing a resigned expression and tearfully said:

"It's over, it's over, since I married him, I might as well die with him."

"That's right," the dragon-headed monster consoled her in return, "There's a hundred days' grace in a day of marriage; why harbor so many grievances? You should know, after he got out, he was still eager to find you."

He grabbed the iron gate of the bars, exhaled deeply, and with a strong pull, the door which the Sky Flash Sword couldn't open was torn open by him, issuing a shrill and piercing sound.

Seeing this, Li Minghu understood that despite not mentioning other abilities, the physical strength of this fiend was definitely fearsome. With this in mind and coughing again, she asked:

"Aren't you going to quickly carry out your wife?" The dragon-headed monster, seeing her look frail and noticing Yan Yu behind still unmoved, suddenly asked.

Yan Yu hurriedly moved forward, plunging into the water without hesitation, snagging her by the crook of her knee with his left arm, the right arm threading beneath her armpit, hands gripping the iron bars, pushing against the rocky wall beneath the water with his feet, and with one kick, his upper body burst out of the water.

He then stepped onto the edge and carried Li Minghu out of the water cell.

Li Minghu was originally wearing a woolen overcoat for warmth, but once soaked, it hindered her movements, so she had already stripped it off along with the sweater underneath and left them in the cell.

Activating a Runescript to protect her body, she wasn't afraid of hypothermia, but her thin T-shirt, damp and semi-transparent, left little to the imagination—not covering her curves, the outline of her undergarments was clearly visible. Although her figure wasn't as voluptuous as Zhao Yuanzhen's, it was quite substantial and even better than Sister Lin's.

Yan Yu didn't have time to appreciate it; as soon as they emerged from the water, he laid her down and quickly took off his outer garment to drape over her.

Li Minghu nodded but did not rush to let him go. Instead, she silently clung to his arm, presenting the image of a devoted little couple ready to act together.

The dragon-headed monster saw nothing odd (what's strange about a couple staying together?), and turned to continue leading Yan Yu.

As it turned away, Li Minghu pretended to be weak, slowing Yan Yu's pace to create some distance from the dragon-headed monster. She then silently mouthed words, sending a telepathic message to ask:

"What's the situation now?"