Invincible Dad-Chapter 773: Persecutory Delusions_1

In the depths of the forest, a white plant dazzled under the sunlight. It had seven leaves, each bearing an irregular pattern that emitted a faint glow. From a distance in the dark, it resembled a cluster of stars, which was why it was called Seven-star Grass. It grew in places rich with Spiritual Energy and could be used in Alchemy or consumed directly to raise one’s Boundary.

On Earth, this three-hundred-year-old Seven-star Grass was quite precious to Martial Artists or Loose Cultivators who lacked resources. This meant there would be many contenders.

For instance, right now, three humans and eight Demonic Beasts had formed opposing camps, all of them coveting the gradually blooming Seven-star Grass.

The ground was littered with bodies, both human and Demonic Beast alike. Blood stained the surrounding foliage, creating an incredibly gory scene, and a nauseating stench wafted through the air.

The three humans were panting heavily, their faces pale. They had sustained serious injuries in the previous battle. At this moment, they watched the eight Demonic Beasts nearby with wary expressions, cursing inwardly. Why are there so many Demonic Beasts here?

However, the Demonic Beasts were also cursing their bad luck. They had been watching this Seven-star Grass for a full hundred years, sending a demon to check on it every decade. Now that it was finally nearing maturity, some humans wanted to swoop in and steal the prize. How could they tolerate this?

Did they really think that just because our Demon Race was defeated by the Human Race in the ancient war and retreated to renowned mountains and oceans, we’ve completely lost our spirit and bloodlust?

"Humans, you’ve crossed the line."

The leading Demonic Beast was a brilliantly-colored giant snake, ten meters long, coiled around the trunk of a massive tree. It sent forth its Divine Sense, which was saturated with murderous intent. If those humans dared to continue coveting the Spirit Plant in its possession, it would tear them to shreds, just like the other humans whose mangled corpses littered the ground.

"Let’s retreat. Their strength is beyond what we can handle..."

"Six of our ten Martial Ancestors have died, leaving only the three of us, all heavily wounded Ninth Grades. The power disparity is too great!"

"That Snake Demon is a Demon King; we’re no match for them."

The expressions of the three Ninth Grade Martial Ancestors wavered.

A Demon King. That was a realm significantly stronger than the Human Race’s Divine Gate Realm. Their squad couldn’t even take down a single Demon King, let alone the numerous Great Demons at its side.

The three exchanged a helpless glance and finally chose to slowly retreat.

Seeing this, the Snake Demon coiled on the tree breathed an inward sigh of relief. Although they currently had the upper hand, it didn’t want to annihilate its enemies if it could be avoided. After all, the Human Race was still the sovereign of this planet. If it completely broke ties with them, its life among the Demon Race would become difficult, and it would become a target for the Sea Demons.

The Demon Race was far from monolithic. The Sea Demons, for instance, were mostly outsiders, with seventy to eighty percent of their population originating from other stars. Although they lived in the deep sea, the Sea Demon communities often caused trouble, much to the displeasure of the native Demonic Beasts on land. The two factions were actually rivals. If the Human Race weren’t between them, they would never be this peaceful; instead, they would be fighting violently over old grudges.

Seeing the three humans preparing to leave, the Snake Demon flicked its forked tongue, left the massive tree, and approached the Seven-star Grass, its vertical pupils filled with joy. As long as it could swallow this Seven-star Grass, its Boundary would advance even further, reaching the pinnacle of the Demon King Realm. While it wouldn’t be invincible among the Demon Race, it would truly rank among its top-tier combatants.

From then on, it would no longer need to care what the Human Race or the Demon Race thought. There would be no place on Earth it couldn’t go. If it couldn’t win a fight, surely it could outrun its opponent, right?

But just then, a clear female voice shattered the Snake Demon’s fantasy.

"Is that a python?"

"No, it’s actually an earthworm that gained spiritual awareness. It’s on the evolutionary path of snake, to python, to flood dragon. Right now, it’s a snake. It’ll need another three to five hundred years of hard cultivation to become a python."

"Who’s there!"

The Snake Demon, as if its tail had been stepped on, instantly reared up, glaring fiercely at the man and woman who had suddenly appeared.

The woman was stunningly beautiful, with a gentle face that made her look like a delectable morsel. The man had a cold, indifferent face, like a pool of icy water. At a single glance... the Snake Demon inexplicably shivered. For some reason, the Snake Demon felt its gallbladder tremble violently, as if it were about to burst.

The Snake Demon was already thinking of retreating. Its intuition told it that the man before it was terrifyingly strong, so strong that crushing it to death wouldn’t even require him to lift a finger.

It wanted to leave, but it couldn’t bear to. After all, this Seven-star Grass was the key to its future evolution.

After a long moment of contemplation, it finally projected its Divine Sense. "I am Qiu Ying, the Demon King of Zhongling Mountain. Humans, this Seven-star Grass is mine!"

"If it already belongs to someone, let’s go, Xu Lai," Ruan Tang said softly.

The Snake Demon secretly nodded in approval. This human woman was quite sensible.

But... Xu Lai? Why does that name sound so familiar?

The Snake Demon was utterly confused, but its Great Demons all gasped in unison, their faces turning pale as if recalling something terrifying.

"The human, Xu Lai?"

"My King, we have to go! We’ve run into the calamity of the Demon Race!"

"Demon King Orochi died at his hands! And the Thunder Beast Demon King, too! My King, we must retreat, quickly!"

The Snake Demon’s vertical pupils constricted. The Thunder Beast Demon King was revered like a god in Sakura Country, yet he and his mate had both been killed by Xu Lai...

"Senior! Heavenly treasures belong to the virtuous. It’s clear at a glance that you are a virtuous person, so you must graciously accept this Seven-star Grass." The Snake Demon’s voice was now utterly fawning.

Ruan Tang tilted her head. "So this is killing someone to take their treasure? It’s a little different from what I imagined."

"That’s not right," Xu Lai frowned. "You’re supposed to provoke me, refuse to give up the Seven-star Grass, and then attack me."

Have I lost my mind? Or do I have a million lives to dare and attack you?

The Snake Demon put on a miserable expression. "Senior, I have a family to support! You can’t kill me."

THUMP. It flopped to the ground, wishing it could bury its head in the dirt. The other Great Demons showed no disdain for their king’s actions, only regret that they hadn’t been quick enough to kneel first. A chorus of pleas for mercy followed.

Xu Lai felt a bit helpless. He had wanted to give his wife the thrilling experience of fighting for a treasure, but his opponent had folded before it even began.

His enthusiasm dampened, Xu Lai said, "Alright, alright. Be off with you."

The Snake Demon cried even louder. "No, Senior, I won’t go! You’ll kill me the moment I turn my back!"

A classic case of a persecution complex.

Ruan Tang, however, smiled, her eyes curving. "A stab in the back."

"When have I ever stabbed you in the back?" Xu Lai asked helplessly.

Ruan Tang’s face instantly flushed crimson. She glared at him. "Starting tonight, you’re sleeping on the couch for a month!"

Xu Lai was baffled. What did I say wrong? Ruan Tang, you can’t do this to me! This isn’t democratic!

Just then, the Seven-star Grass suddenly burst into full bloom, its seven leaves radiating a dazzling light and a surge of Spiritual Energy.

The Seven-star Grass was mature