Chapter 544: Demon Apostle Prepares a Big Move
"It seems this operation is over."
In the Competitive Canyon, Aizen watched as people began to leave the field one by one.
He gazed across space toward Orochimaru in the central experimental area.
Then, he sheathed his Zanpakutō, ignored the demon apostle opposite him, and turned to depart.
The time wasn't right yet.
Challenging the atmosphere now would be too inappropriate.
With things as they were, he decided to give his seniors some respect.
Whoosh!
As the white feather fabric of his attire fluttered behind him, the demon apostle Zhurong did not act rashly.
His eyes were filled with both fear and solemnity.
The human before him, or rather, the man cloaked in human skin, exuded terrifying strength even in a casual skirmish.
This man's power was even more formidable than before.
It wasn't an illusion; it was a genuine sensation.
He had likely reached that realm, hadn't he?
Watching Aizen leave, Zhurong felt both relieved and grave.
Their earlier duel in the black tide had been immensely stressful.
Fortunately, it was only a test, or Zhurong felt he would have had little chance of victory.
After all, Aizen had once defeated the apostle Gekiryū, who symbolized thunderstorms.
Now, Zhurong sensed Aizen's combat power had grown significantly.
No matter how he thought about it, his chances of winning were slim.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on that.
To be honest, this trip to Mythical Beast Island was eye-opening.
Zhurong was deeply affected.
The reason was simple: the power and foundation displayed on Mythical Beast Island were staggering.
Yamata God Orochimaru was indeed a god, having created so many powerful Mythical beasts.
The Sun Golden Crow was particularly terrifying.
Then there were the God Killer Equipments, Mythical beast fruits, and the ultimate God Killer Equipment certified by Yamata God Orochimaru to possess divine power, the Mythical Demon's Return, crafted with the Gluttony Brood Dragon as its core.
Zhurong could already foresee the aftermath of this conference.
The future would see dramatic changes.
Focusing solely on the disadvantages to the demons, there were plenty.
The new combat power gained by humans from the Mythical Beast Conference was one thing.
The ripple effects of items like the God Killer Equipments, Sky-Bound Crystal, and Contract Stone were highly detrimental to the demons.
The reason was straightforward.
These items were designed for Mythical beasts.
But if humans developed similar imitations targeting demons, it would be catastrophic.
The demon clan's current rise could be cut in half.
Zhurong had no doubt about human greed and ambition.
Yamata God Orochimaru had shown this possibility.
Driven by completed research and interests, humans would inevitably pursue that path.
Compared to Mythical beasts, which were mostly confined to Mythical Beast Island, demons were widespread and vulnerable.
"Zhurong, Zhurong!" Kiiro called, waving his hand to interrupt Zhurong's thoughts.
Snapping back to reality, Zhurong saw Kiiro gesturing animatedly with a blackened hand, causing Zhurong's forehead to crease in frustration.
"What are you thinking about so deeply?"
"You weren't scared by that human, were you? Hahaha!"
Seeing Kiiro's carefree grin, Zhurong's frown deepened.
"You fool!" Zhurong snapped.
"You're always carefree, never paying attention to the demon clan's major affairs!"
Zhurong's outburst left Kiiro momentarily speechless.
Kiiro reached out, pausing briefly on Zhurong's steaming, volcanic head.
"It's so warm!"
"Why's he so angry all of a sudden? Zhurong, thinking so seriously and getting mad, it's strange!"
Seeing Kiiro's nonchalant attitude, Zhurong's frustration grew.
He swatted Kiiro's hand off his head.
"How can someone like you be an apostle?"
"I'm ashamed that some younger demons idolize you. They must be blind."
Kiiro shrugged.
"It seems you've really eaten explosives and lost your head! Talking about big demon clan matters with me, a pirate apostle?"
"I'm meant to conquer, plunder, and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy." he emphasized repeatedly.
"You should talk to Celestial Dragon about demon clan matters. He's the one who cares." Kiiro continued.
Zhurong looked unimpressed.
Kiiro placed a hand on Zhurong's shoulder, grinning.
"Let's go!"
"I know a squid restaurant. The human's grilled squid is especially delicious."
"And he's hilarious, when others see me, they move out overnight. But he stays, telling me stories. Such a greedy, amusing, reckless guy! Hahaha!"
(The squid shop owner sobbed loudly, overwhelmed by the excessive attention.)
Zhurong felt powerless.
Why had he teamed up with someone who only cared about fun?
He sighed, deciding not to pursue the argument.
"After we return, open the apostle area to the demon kings." Zhurong said calmly as he walked.
Hearing this, Kiiro paused.
The apostle area was a spatial division on Demon Island, the fear demons' stronghold.
Countless primal magic powers permeated Demon Island.
These powers were mixed with various energies.
The demon apostle Celestial Dragon used his ability to isolate the fear magic most suited for fear demons.
Fear magic was weakest at the island's outermost layer and strongest near Demon God Valley at the center.
This created distinct class areas.
The apostle area, where apostles resided, had fear magic so potent it was terrifying.
Fear demons who could withstand it would see rapid growth in their magic power.
"Is this necessary?" Kiiro asked, his playful demeanor fading.
"I plan to send demon kings to various regions to accelerate pure demon development. We need to boost their strength." Zhurong said.
"We can't let pure demons grow freely anymore."
"Otherwise, they'll become resources for humans next." he warned.
"We must ensure they have the power to protect themselves soon."
Sensing Zhurong's seriousness, Kiiro smiled.
"Really, this will escalate conflicts with humans. You're reckless, Zhurong." Kiiro said.
"But I like it! Hahaha!" he laughed.
As the two demon figures vanished, some who had been secretly monitoring the apostles sighed in relief.
(End of this chapter)