Floating outside the protected floating land, Gutas from the Bispo Clan delivered Grand Monarch Primal Demon’s message in a confident manner.
After he was finished, he turned around and prepared to return to their stronghold.
At this moment, Nie Tian suddenly shouted, “Gutas! Catie from your clan died at my hands in my domain, don’t you want to avenge her under everyone’s gaze?”
Gutas turned back around, his face distorted and his breathing heavy.
Due to the unexpected deaths of grand patriarch Cardy and Catie, he had been fiercely berated by his father, Grand Monarch Bloodl.u.s.t, after his return to the Demon realms. Even his clan’s status had suffered because of it.
Besides that, Grand Monarch Bloodl.u.s.t had recently been defeated by Mo Heng, and retreated to his clan badly injured.
Their entire clan’s name had suffered an unprecedentedly heavy blow.
Therefore, when he had learned that Mo Heng demanded that the Demons choose any eighth grade Demon to fight Nie Tian in a duel, he had volunteered in an attempt to right his wrong by winning the duel.
As the son of Grand Monarch Bloodl.u.s.t, even though he was only at the seventh grade, he was confident that he was more than capable of contending against eighth grade members of his clan.
After all, he had a grand monarch’s blood running through his veins.
However, Grand Monarch Primal Demon, the supreme ruler of the Demon race, had coldly refused his offer.
According to him, another champion would be chosen to fight Nie Tian. He, Gutas, wasn’t the best candidate.
The refusal of his offer had sent a message to all of the Demon clans: Grand Monarch Primal Demon wasn’t convinced that he would win a duel against Nie Tian.
For Gutas, who had inherited Grand Monarch Bloodl.u.s.t’s combative nature, Grand Monarch Primal Demon’s refusal had been absolutely humiliating.
At this moment, by shouting at him, Nie Tian was clearly provoking him into finding a way to become his opponent in the upcoming duel.
Unfortunately...
“I want to fight you very much!” Gutas said with a sinister face. “But you’ll have to fight another!”
Nie Tian was surprised at first, but immediately afterwards, he laughed wildly and said, “That’s right. You’re indeed a bit too weak. You’re only at the seventh grade... Of course you can’t be sure that you’ll win a duel against me. Your people are right about that.”
Gutas’ breaths grew increasingly heavy. He struggled to hold his temper as he dashed back towards the Demons’ stronghold.
“You can’t escape death!” Nie Tian shouted.
“Tell Grand Monarch Primal Demon that I agree to his terms,” Mo Heng said in a light tone.
However, Gutas heard every word he said, and shouted back, “We’ll give you a time soon!”
On the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace’s stars.h.i.+p.
Mo Heng took a deep look at Nie Tian and said, “Don’t carry any burdens and don’t listen to anyone. I yearn for this duel against Grand Monarch Primal Demon. It has nothing to do with the sect. Only if you win your duel will I have the chance to stand in front of Grand Monarch Primal Demon and give it all I have.”
Nie Tian had second thoughts.
Gutas’ message from Grand Monarch Primal Demon made him think whether he should lose intentionally, so that Mo Heng wouldn’t have to fight that deadly duel against Grand Monarch Primal Demon.
However, as he looked into Mo Heng’s eyes now, he realized that he actually yearned for this chance to fight Grand Monarch Primal Demon.
“I won’t hold anything back. I promise.” Nie Tian said with great determination.
Mo Heng nodded. “Good. I need to spend some time alone before your duel.”
With these words, he went below decks into a secret room. As soon as he did, his aura vanished completely.
All of the G.o.d and Saint domain experts present strained their senses, but none of them could capture a wisp of Mo Heng’s aura, spirit or soul.
Wei Lai approached Nie Tian with a hesitant look on his face. “Nie Tian...”
He seemed to want to say something, but didn’t know how to say it.
“I know.” Nie Tian saw through his intention. “I’ve already promised the grand elder that I’ll give my best, no matter who my opponent will be.”
Hearing this, Wei Lai sighed and gave up.
Many experts from the Five Elements Sect, the Heaven Span Pavilion, and the Void Spirit Society whispered among themselves.
“Such a vicious ploy.”
“Very cunning! That Grand Monarch Primal Demon is extraordinary indeed!”
“Will this sway Nie Tian’s fighting spirit? If he knows that his victory will set Mo Heng on a path to death, will he be able to stay true to himself in crucial moments?”
“A moment of hesitation during the duel might kill him.”
“After all, he’s going to fight an eighth grade Demon! Gutas is the son of Grand Monarch Bloodl.u.s.t, but even he was deemed insufficient to be Nie Tian’s opponent... I bet the Demons plan to send in the direct descendant of another grand monarch that’s even stronger than Gutas.”
“An eighth grade Demon that’s a direct descendant of a grand monarch and stronger than Gutas...”
“Ophelia!”
“It must be Ophelia!”
After heated discussions, they called out the same female Demon name simultaneously: Ophelia.
Nie Tian was taken aback.
He had just refused Wei Lai with a firm stance. Before he could settle down, exclamations echoed out from the nearby stars.h.i.+ps that belonged to the other sects.
Even Wei Lai, Yan Zhan, and Fang Yuan’s expressions flickered after they heard the name.
“It might be Ophelia,” Fang Yuan said with a deeply worried expression. “If it’s actually her...”
With these words, he shot a glance at Nie Tian, his eyes filled with sympathy.
It seemed that he was certain that Nie Tian wouldn’t possibly be able to match that Demon named Ophelia in battle. He would most certainly lose the duel, and even get killed.
Standing next to Nie Tian, Yan Zhan’s face turned slightly pale as he said, “I can’t believe we actually forgot about Ophelia! I suppose you haven’t heard that name before, right?”
Nie Tian shook his head and said, “I don’t know much about the Demon clans. I only learned some powerful Demon names from the broken soul awarenesses I captured during my expedition to the three Demon realms. But yeah, I haven’t heard the name Ophelia before.”
“Like Gutas, she’s a young monarch,” Wei Lai explained with grim face. “However, her powerful bloodline didn’t come from any of the four living Demon grand monarchs. Ophelia’s mother was Grand Monarch Illusory Demon, a powerful Demon. When she was alive, she was even slightly stronger than Grand Monarch Bloodl.u.s.t.
“Back then, her battle prowess was only second to Grand Monarch Primal Demon, and she was one of the few female Demon grand monarchs.
“Ophelia is her daughter, and deeply trusted by Grand Monarch Primal Demon. Grand Monarch Primal Demon even once said that Ophelia’s bloodline is even purer than Grand Monarch Illusory Demon’s. According to him, she will most likely surpa.s.s her mother’s heights and join him among the ranks of the late tenth grade grand monarchs!
“Ophelia happens to be at the middle eighth grade. Even so, it’s said that she’s more than capable of fighting ninth grade grand patriarchs.”
Nie Tian frowned. “If that’s the case, I suppose she’s most likely going to be my opponent... Is she really that strong?”
“Very strong.”