"Then we don't have any chance of getting that ten-thousand-year-old spirit beast! Such a beast is comparable to a sixth-grade demon artifact."
"Big brother, I feel like this kid is lying. He just said his master is a ninth-grade Immortal King, but I sensed the aura of a demonic cultivator on him."
"You can sense that?"
"Big brother, you know I've always been sensitive to such things. He has a demonic aura unique to demonic cultivators."
"Hmph, he's trying to trick us, he's definitely not ordinary."
Just as Zhou Hong was about to turn and leave, the four individuals rushed forward, blocking his path.
"Is there anything else, esteemed seniors?" Zhou Hong asked quickly.
"Kid, you claim your master is a ninth-grade Immortal King, yet you carry the aura of a demonic cultivator. Why?"
"What demonic aura? I don't understand what you're talking about." Zhou Hong's heart sank. If these three fifth-grade Demon Kings and one sixth-grade Demon King decided to attack, he wouldn't be able to escape easily. He was less worried about the three fifth-grade Demon Kings and more fearful of the sixth-grade one.
"Kid, are you trying to deceive us? Speak, why are you lying to us?"
"I don't understand what you're saying. If you don't leave now, you won't be able to when my master comes out."
"Alright, hurry up and call him out. I'd like to see where a demonic cultivator gets a ninth-grade Immortal King master from."
The reason Zhou Hong claimed his master was a ninth-grade Immortal King was that the individuals before him were demonic cultivators. If he had said his master was a ninth-grade Demon King, they would have undoubtedly asked for his name. Cultivators reaching the ninth-grade Demon King realm usually had some notoriety, and asking his name would have exposed his lie. Therefore, Zhou Hong directly claimed he was a ninth-grade Immortal King.
Unexpectedly, these individuals were not so easily fooled, and one of them could even sense a demonic aura on Zhou Hong, something Zhou Hong himself was unaware of.
"Even if I am deceiving you, what of it? Is it wrong to take precautions against you harming me?" Zhou Hong stopped bothering to feign ignorance.
"You little scoundrel, confess honestly, what is your purpose here?"
"To gather spiritual herbs."
"Show us the spiritual herbs you've gathered for inspection."
"Hahaha, who do you think you are to demand an inspection?" Zhou Hong was enraged. He was prepared to fight them.
"You, a fourth-grade Demon Master, dare to be so arrogant in front of us."
"Enough, no matter what he's doing, just kill him," the sixth-grade Demon King ordered.
"Yes, big brother." One of the fifth-grade Demon Kings immediately attacked Zhou Hong.
Zhou Hong instantly unleashed eight puppets, forming the Eight Immortals Sword Formation.
The power of Zhou Hong's Eight Immortals Sword Formation was clearly capable of instantly killing a fifth-grade Demon King.
"Puff!" In the blink of an eye, with a surprise attack, he instantly killed the attacking fifth-grade Demon King. The Demon King's nascent soul tried to escape, but Zhou Hong instantly captured it, holding it in his hand.
The other four Demon Kings were stunned. They had assumed this fourth-grade Demon Master was no match for them and hadn't paid much attention, only to have one of their companions instantly killed.
"Fourth brother!" the other three shouted.
"You... you actually possess such means." The remaining Demon Kings stared at Zhou Hong, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
"Hmph, don't come any closer, or I'll crush your fourth brother's nascent soul!" Zhou Hong threatened, holding his fourth brother's nascent soul in his hand.
"Release my fourth brother's nascent soul, or don't blame me for being merciless," the sixth-grade Demon King said fiercely.
"You've already been merciless."
"I advise you not to seek death."
"Stop threatening me. If you dare to make a move, I will detonate this nascent soul. I have a method to cause a nascent soul to explode, and I doubt the two fifth-grade Demon Kings among you could survive such an explosion."
It turned out Zhou Hong had captured the nascent soul to use it as a bomb. At this moment, Zhou Hong was like someone holding a grenade, threatening to blow himself up with the enemy if they dared to act.
Indeed, the faces of the three Demon Kings twitched. The sixth-grade Demon King might be unharmed, but the other two fifth-grade Demon Kings would likely suffer. Even if they weren't killed, they would be severely injured.
"Kid, how dare you threaten me!"
"You attacked me first. We had no prior grievances, yet you intended to kill me."
"Big brother, what should we do? Fourth brother's nascent soul is still in his hands, and this kid has eight puppets that can instantly kill fourth brother. Therefore, my second brother and I, both fifth-grade Demon Kings, might also be instantly killed," one of the fifth-grade Demon Kings said to their big brother.
The situation seemed to have reached a stalemate.
"Kid, I never expected a fourth-grade Demon Master like you to possess such powerful demonic artifacts. Release my fourth brother, and I'll let you go, how about it?" the sixth-grade Demon King guaranteed Zhou Hong.
Zhou Hong wasn't a fool. If he released their fourth brother, they would undoubtedly hunt him down.
"Heh heh, it seems this is the only way!" Zhou Hong made up his mind. He detonated the nascent soul in his hand. This way, even if the two fifth-grade Demon Kings weren't killed, they would temporarily lose their combat power. Then, at the critical moment, Zhou Hong would command his puppets to kill the two fifth-grade Demon Kings and capture their nascent souls. This would leave only the sixth-grade Demon King, and Zhou Hong would have two more nascent souls in his possession.
Although Zhou Hong's Eight Immortals Sword Formation couldn't deal with a sixth-grade Demon King, with the explosion of two more nascent souls, he might stand a chance.
Having made up his mind, Zhou Hong instantly detonated the nascent soul in his hand while the enemy was distracted.
"Boom...!"
In an instant, it was as if a hydrogen bomb had exploded, erupting outwards from Zhou Hong.
The moment the explosion occurred, Zhou Hong immediately released his Immortal Mansion and hid inside. Although his Immortal Mansion was only a second-grade Immortal Artifact, its defensive power could rival a third-grade one.
As expected, Zhou Hong was completely unharmed after hiding in his Immortal Mansion.
At the same time, the moment the shockwave passed, Zhou Hong reappeared in his original spot. While the two fifth-grade Demon Kings were dazed by the explosion, he instantly commanded his puppets to strike them down.
As Zhou Hong had anticipated, the nascent souls of the two fifth-grade Demon Kings fled their bodies, but were again captured by Zhou Hong.
Thus, after a series of maneuvers, Zhou Hong held two more nascent souls in his hand.
The sixth-grade Demon King on the opposing side thought Zhou Hong had perished with them and never imagined Zhou Hong possessed an Immortal Mansion for defense. After the shockwave of the nascent soul explosion passed, he saw Zhou Hong alive, holding two nascent souls, which were his second and third brothers.