Chapter 152: Power

Yang Shiming was so ecstatic that he was practically dancing with joy, resembling a blissful two-hundred-pound dog. It was too much for Wen Ying to bear, so she flew away to look for Boreas.

Not knowing how long they would stay in the human realm, Boreas conserved his puppet's magic power and was waiting patiently. The moment Wen Ying pulled him away, he had an unremarkable "as expected" thought without any ripples.

"Where are we going?"

Wen Ying turned her head. "You're not angry?"

Boreas was already numb and replied coldly, "Enjoy this month while it lasts."

Curious, Wen Ying looked at him. Weren't all Cerberus from the hellhound clan supposed to have short tempers? Well, it seemed like his temper had been worn down by Wen Ying, and it wasn't too difficult of a task.

"I feel like the academy will send out the return notice within the next day or two," said Wen Ying. "Anyway, there's nothing to do now, so let's just stroll around."

The two puppets flew high up in the sky, their bodies concealed by black fog, blending seamlessly with the dark clouds above at night.

From this height, Wen Ying overlooked the city where she grew up. From this perspective, the city below looked like a toy.

Wen Ying gazed down at the city illuminated by countless lights, a bold idea suddenly popping into his mind. If the Demon Realm and Human Realm were to truly connect in the future, he could expand his magic card business into the Human Realm.

Boros, standing beside him, watched as Wen Ying suddenly broke into an idiotic grin, a quirky smile that stirred an unexplained sense of alarm within him.

This guy probably wasn't thinking about anything good, considering Wen Ying had never been a decent person... except for when they first met, when Aruda's upbringing had confused Boros.

"Y-You like humans, don't you?" Boros blurted out.

Lost in envisioning his grand commercial empire, Wen Ying was startled by Boros' ambiguous question, responding with a mix of confusion and bewilderment, "Why would you ask that all of a sudden?"

Boros' voice was cold and detached, "I don't meddle in others' affairs, but I'm not stupid. Don't think I haven't noticed your recent actions."

Wen Ying blinked. To be honest, Boros sometimes reminded him of a Husky in his mind, a tireless creature that demolished everything in its path.

Boros was indifferent to most things that didn't concern him directly, but when it came to battles, his cold aura would be engulfed by a fiery passion, intense and fierce.

"This plan might seem detrimental to exorcists, but in reality, it equips more humans with the basic means to protect themselves," Boros paused, "You're preparing humans for a future where demons roam the Human Realm, accelerating their internal transformation."

Wen Ying was surprised that Boros delivered this statement without any trace of sarcasm. Boros' tone was one that simply stated the facts.

"Not of our kind, their hearts must differ," Beros said. "If you favor humans, I'll probably be the one to collect your remains in the future."

Wen Ying muttered softly, "You're exaggerating." Besides, he was a hybrid, not a pureblood.

Suddenly, Wen Ying's pupils constricted as his power within the Realm of Devils surged explosively. Countless demonic energies rushed into his main body, brutally pushing its strength to an absurd level.

However, the power surged too quickly, and his physical constitution couldn't keep up. Veins popped out, blood seeped from his seven orifices, and his originally fair skin now had visible red veins and cracks. Blood oozed out, making him appear as if he were soaked in blood.

Although only his consciousness resided in the puppet, it was still affected. Wen Ying curled up in discomfort. The sensation was like overeating and continuing to eat until his stomach felt like bursting. Even moving made him feel nauseous.

Beros noticed something was amiss with Wen Ying and flew over to grab his arm, preventing him from falling mid-air. "What did you consume? Why is your power increasing rapidly?"

This commotion was rather loud, and there was no guarantee that exorcists wouldn't detect it. Beros flew Wen Ying to the rooftop of a skyscraper and opened a barrier nearby.

Wen Ying curled up tightly, inwardly cursing. This power came from the Blood Tree. That guy must have consumed something he shouldn't have.

Wen Ying grumbled mentally but lacked the strength to speak. His mind was in chaos when a thought flashed through his head. The Blood Tree was a dark art, feeding solely on blood and flesh. For his power to surge so drastically, the Blood Tree must have consumed an astonishing amount of blood and flesh.

It couldn't hunt on its own, so the blood and flesh were likely provided by Aluda. However, even Aluda wouldn't recklessly kill a large number of devils. The source of this blood and flesh was most probably from the extremist faction that was eradicated in the Realm of Devils recently.

There is a kind of hunger called "Grandmama thinks you're hungry."

Wen Ying clutched himself in agony. Aluda was still feeding him, yet he was already overly full. Grandmama, can't you take a look at my true form before force-feeding me?

Silent, Wen Ying gave no clue as to why his power had surged and was still increasing rapidly.

In his daze of pain, Wen Ying caught sight of Poros's envious gaze. He couldn't hold his breath and fainted.

Poros: "?" Wen Ying's expression just now was peculiar.

As Wen Ying passed out, the uncontrolled magic within him gradually calmed down, slowing its growth. Within minutes, it settled.

Wen Ying woke up to find Poros staring intently at his face with a solemn expression, as if studying some secret martial arts manual.

Never had Wen Ying seen such a "passionate" gaze from Poros, which left him stunned into silence.

It was Poros who noticed his awakening and asked eagerly, "What did you do to make your power surge so quickly? I initially thought it was temporary, but this power has merged with you and hasn't vanished."

Wen Ying pushed away Poros's face, which was too close for comfort. He pressed his hand on the back of his neck, twisting his neck as he spoke, "I thought you were falling in love with me, judging by the way you looked like you wanted to merge with me just now."

Boros shuddered at the cheesiness and took a swift step back, creating distance between himself and Wen Ying.

Wen Ying raised an eyebrow. "Is it really that bad?"

In the end, the allure of power triumphed over the disgust of sentimentality. Boros drifted closer, albeit cautiously, ready to retreat at any moment. "How did you do it?"

"Not even a little concerned," Wen Ying sighed wistfully. "I suppose Aruda must have done something to my original form."

"Aruda?" Boros was momentarily taken aback. Had she created another new potion?

Wen Ying stood up and stretched, still haunted by the sensation of his body about to burst before he blacked out. Even the slightest touch now caused him phantom pain.

"I'm not entirely sure," Wen Ying said. "How long was I unconscious?"

Boros decided he would pay Aruda a visit after they returned. As he thought this, he casually replied, "Almost a day."

It was night outside, and he had been out for nearly a full day since last evening. Wen Ying hadn't expected to be out for so long.

"Has there been any news from the academy?"

"Not yet."

Yang Rixi pushed the door open and approached with an "Ah" sound. "You're awake?"

Wen Ying nodded and looked at his clothes. "Did you attend a party?"

Yang Rixi nodded. Behind him, Yang Shiming squeezed in, closed the door, and immediately began to chatter away. "We went to a gathering within our circle tonight. Man, those guys didn't even go to the Magic Academy; they went straight to the Exorcist School. A few of my arch-enemies were there, rubbing it in that once they graduate, they'll be on a whole different level than me. They warned me to watch out and not provoke them, otherwise they could squash me with just one finger."

"Tch, so what if it's the Exorcist School? What's so great about it?" Yang Shiming said sourly. "Not everyone who graduates from a prestigious school is elite. There are those who earn only three or four thousand too."

Wen Ying opened his mouth, wanting to say that Yang Shiming's envy was practically overflowing.

"Was that girl there that day?"

Yang Shiming was puzzled. "Which day, which girl?" It was the first time the silver-haired demon had shown interest in a human girl for some reason.

"The one who broke up with her cheating boyfriend on her own initiative."

Yang Shiming suddenly understood. "You mean Wen Xinxin? She also attends the Exorcist School. I've heard that she has a high aptitude for magic."

A demon hybrid attending an exorcist academy — Wen Ying's mood suddenly turned peculiar. His mother should have informed Wen Xinxin about their family's hybrid status, so why would Wen Xinxin choose to go to an exorcist academy?

The image of Wen Dingjue learning the truth and immediately fleeing to an uninhabited island in the dead of night flashed through Wen Ying's mind, making him chuckle.

"Mr. Demon, what are you laughing about?" Yang Shiming replayed his previous words in his head but found nothing amusing.

Wen Ying shook his head. "Nothing, just remembered something."

Wen Xinxin had always been strong-willed and brave, so it wasn't entirely unacceptable for her to still attend the exorcist academy despite knowing the truth.

His aunt had given birth to twins. The elder sister took her mother's surname, becoming Wen Xinxin, while the younger brother took his father's surname, Yan Jieming. The sister studied at Mu City University, while the brother attended a university elsewhere.

Wen Xinxin was daring, whereas Yan Jieming was timid, the complete opposite. When they visited haunted houses together in the past, Yan Jieming had cried from fear multiple times. Wen Ying hadn't entered because his body couldn't handle the stimulation; he had watched them play instead.

Recalling this, Wen Ying belatedly realized that he could now enjoy thrilling rides at amusement parks. However, he then remembered that he was now a puppet and still unable to participate. His spirits, which had just been lifted, sank again, and his expression became listless.

A mass of black fog flew in through the balcony, instantly putting Yang Shiming and Yang Rixi on high alert. Their magical energy stirred within them, ready to cast a defensive spell at any moment.

"Don't worry," Wen Ying raised his hand, and the black fog drifted into his upward-facing palm. "There's no danger."

Within the dark mist was an envelope, and there was one for Beros as well. He simply reached out and grabbed it.

Wen Ying opened the envelope to reveal a letter bearing the academy's seal.

It was impossible to forge a magical realm's seal, for it carried the aura of its owner's magic.

"We should leave now," Wen Ying said after reading it. Fire ignited in his palm, burning the letter to ashes.

Yang Rixi and Yang Shiming were surprised. Yang Rixi sounded reluctant as he asked, "So soon?"

He rather liked this silver-haired demon. Compared to calling him a demon, he felt that angel was a more fitting name. An angel who had saved his life.

Yang Shiming couldn't quite describe his feelings. He had been longing for the departure of that cold and terrifying black-haired demon, but now that he was about to leave, he felt a sense of loss.

If he were to be honest, it was probably the thrill. It was something that others didn't have, but he did – a little secret that made his heart race.

"Can I contact you in the future?"

Wen Ying was taken aback. "Huo Jue would love nothing more than to send my companion away forever, yet you want to keep in touch with me."

Yang Rixi smiled and said, "I think you're a good demon."

Wen Ying touched his nose. "I think so too, even though you're the first person to call me that."

Beros: "..." Go tell that to Lan Jiaying and the others.

After bidding them farewell, Wen Ying returned home once more to inform his parents about his journey back to the Demon Realm. As his consciousness gradually withdrew from the avatar puppet, he felt as if he had been on a long journey, disoriented and nauseous upon waking up.

Wen Ying sat up slowly, only to realize that something was amiss with his body. He felt unwell, but in an unusually robust way. Wen Ying sensed an abundance of strength within him, and his body felt incredibly light.

Looking at his clenched fist, he inexplicably felt that one punch could shatter the ground. He picked up a decorative item from the bedside table and effortlessly broke it in half with a gentle twist, his eyes widening in shock.

Exiting his room, he hurriedly sought out Aluda. After searching for him inside the castle without success, Wen Ying ran outside to the garden, where he found Aruda. Little Bai rushed towards him, and upon contact, Wen Ying noticed that the pup had grown significantly, yet the impact felt less intense than before.

"Not that Little Bai's impact has decreased, but his strength has increased," Wen Ying said as he carried Little Bai over to the matriarch. "Grandmatriarch, what did you feed the Blood Tree? I almost felt like I was going to burst."

Aluda held a watering can and turned around, examining Wen Ying before chuckling. "Not bad, your strength has grown significantly."

Wen Ying ventured a question. "Grandmatriarch, did you feed the Blood Tree with the corpses of those extremist party members?"

Aluda nodded. "Lennach led the operation this time and eradicated many of the extremists. I asked for some magic potions and requested him to bring back the corpses without mentioning the Blood Tree. To the public, I said it was for research purposes."

Wen Ying cautiously inquired, "How many did you feed?"

Aluda chuckled. "Not many, just around a hundred corpses."

Wen Ying almost leaned back tactically. He wiped the imaginary sweat from his forehead and forced a smile. "A hundred seems like quite a lot."

"There were actually quite a number more, but I only asked Lennach to bring back the stronger ones. The weaker ones weren't needed."

No wonder his power had surged to the point of near-overload.

Wen Ying recalled the events from a few days ago and said solemnly, "Grandmother, is the barrier between the Human Realm and the Demon Realm really that fragile now? The Extremists were actually able to transport so many low-ranking demons into the Human Realm the other day."

"Before, it was still manageable, but after they opened the teleportation portal, it's weakened," Aruda replied. "Although the portal is closed now, it's affected the entire barrier. There are small cracks everywhere, and demonic energy from the Demon Realm keeps pouring into the Human Realm. Over time, these cracks will expand, and the current barrier won't last much longer."

"The more demonic energy there is in the Human Realm, the stronger exorcists as a whole become, and the rules won't mend the barrier's breaches."

Wen Ying was startled. He had initially thought it was just a one-time teleportation, but he hadn't expected there to be a subsequent plot with irreversible consequences.

"Grandmother, how are the Demon Lords dealing with this matter?"

Aruda continued watering the flowers. "For now, they're stepping up their efforts to capture the Extremists in the Demon Realm."

"Nothing else?" Wen Ying was perplexed. "Nothing to deal with the imminent openness of the Human Realm?"

The term "openness" was indeed fitting for the demons. To them, the Human Realm was like a playground.

"We'll see when the time comes. Anyway, we still have some time," Aruda said nonchalantly. "Humans would never dare to come to the Demon Realm anyway."

"Go take a look at the Blood Tree. It's looking very beautiful now," Aruda changed the subject to something more personal.

Wen Ying approached the location of the Blood Tree, and before his very eyes, he never imagined it would be so enchanting.

The Blood Tree had already grown into a towering giant, reaching about six or seven stories high. Its branches were silver-white, emitting a faint glow, and within them, one could discern tiny, silver-white fruits that seemed to blend seamlessly with the tree itself.

Wen Ying flew up and gently cupped one of the fruits in his hand for a closer inspection. The fruit resembled a tiny, humanoid ginseng, bearing the outline of a human form, brimming with magical energy.

The branches of the Blood Tree swayed softly, brushing against Wen Ying as if caressing him.

Following an intuitive sense, Wen Ying flew to a hidden fruit nestled deep within the tree. Perched on a thick trunk, he studied it intently.

Others might not perceive it, but Wen Ying knew this was another "him." It was the crucial link to his spirit's transference and resurrection after death.

He gently stroked the small fruit and whispered tenderly, "Grow well, my dear."

After spending some time observing the tree, Wen Ying went to the academy to retrieve his clone puppet replica.

On his way, he encountered several classmates, some who had just finished collecting theirs and others who were about to. Wen Ying greeted them warmly.

The distribution point was in their classroom. When Wen Ying entered, Feng Luo was surrounded by a few devils.

"Where were you teleported for your final exam, Wen Ying?" Scarlet turned to ask as he caught sight of him.

Wen Ying replied, "Mu City."

Scarlet's eyes widened instantly. "Mu City?!"

Confused, Wen Ying asked, "What's the matter? Why such a big reaction?"

With an envious gaze, Scarlet said, "You're so lucky. You could stumble upon several Extremists just wandering around Mu City, let alone after the teleportation magic activated. Finding Extremists in Mu City is as easy as picking vegetables in a market."

Wen Ying's eyebrows curved up, and he spoke with a hint of smugness, "Luck is also a part of one's strength."

"Are the two of you still interested in the puppet copies or not?" Feng Luo's deep, impatient voice came from ahead.

Upon seeing that all the other demons had taken theirs, Wen Ying hurried forward, extending his hands obediently.

Feng Luo placed a puppet identical to the avatar Wen Ying used in the Human Realm into his palms.

The academy provided them with a pair of puppets – one for use, and the other functioning like a USB drive, storing the experiences and sights of the other puppet.

The final exam had no proctors; instead, the students' grades were determined by the recorded memories within this replica doll. Upon returning, they needed to extract the memory fragments related to their scores and submit them as answers. The Academy's demonic classroom would then assess their grades.

Wen Ying took the doll back and spent three days extracting all the relevant memory fragments. With the memory beads in hand, she went to the academy to submit them to Feng Luo.

The moment the memory beads were handed in, the final exam was considered over.

Since the doll couldn't eat, Wen Ying hadn't truly eaten for several days. After submitting the beads, she rushed to a famous restaurant in the capital city for a hearty meal, coincidentally running into Wu Fei and Lilith, two demons.

In the restaurant, Lilith, with her finger resting on her fork and chin on her hand, watched the two male demons devour their food at lightning speed. Her eyes shimmered with allure, as if she could grace the cover of any fashion magazine, seemingly in a different world from the focused and ravenous Wen Ying and Wu Fei.

Lilith picked up a glass of red wine beside her and sipped it gently, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "Are you very hungry?"

"We're not exactly starving, but after not eating for a few days in the human realm, everything looks appetizing now."

"Haven't you eaten since coming back to the demon realm?"

Wu Fei explained bashfully, "We were afraid we wouldn't make it in time to submit the memory beads, so we didn't eat much."

Ordinary humans might collapse after three days without food, but demons wouldn't.

Wen Ying adhered to the habit of three meals a day, even after becoming a demon, he never skipped them – if not three, then at least two.

Wu Fei was no different.

"So that's how it is," Lilith leaned slightly, her body turned sideways, exuding an alluring aura of leisure. "Wen Ying, did you know that several gambling games have opened up in the capital lately, all about you?"

Wen Ying paused in his eating, lifting his gaze in surprise. "What could they possibly be betting on? When I'll be killed by Berossus or when I'll catch up to him?"

With a teasing tone, Wen Ying spoke. But his smile vanished the next second as Lilith chuckled and teased him. "They're betting on whether you can maintain your first place in the ranking matches. If not, how many more rounds can you endure?"

Wu Fei suddenly recalled, voicing his concern. "Wen Ying, there are still four days left until the end of this semester's ranking matches."

Four days – the smile disappeared from Wen Ying's face, only to appear on Lilith's instead.

Lilith suggested, "Lord Wu Fei, I advise you to give it a try as well."

Wu Fei hastily shook his head. "I'm definitely not up for it. With no limit on one demon challenge per day during these last few days, I dread the thought of a marathon battle."

Lilith narrowed her eyes slightly. "Lord Wu Fei, as a prince of the Demon Realm, you shouldn't easily utter the word 'fear.'"

Wu Fei shrunk back. "I forgot again."

"Wen Ying patted his shoulder. "You've been through a lot too."

Lilith observed him. "How can you be smiling now?"

Wen Ying continued to eat while speaking. "I just remembered something I had forgotten, and that's why I'm smiling."

"What was it?" Wu Fei was full of curiosity.

Wen Ying held up his index finger to his lips. "A secret."

Lilith propped her chin on her hand. "Boys do love their secrets, don't they?"

The deadline for the memory beads was within three days. The next morning, on the second day after Wen Ying submitted his, the scores were released, and Wen Ying ranked first.

Along with the announcement of the scores, the Lucifer Demon Academy disclosed the final exam content for Class One. Unlike other classes, which would have their exams in the Demon Realm, Class One's would take place in the Human Realm.

The students of the Lucifer Demon Academy were surprised by this result. Wen Ying had come in second during midterms, yet he took first in finals? Rumor had it that Muershi, Beros, and the others were also in Mu City—how did Wen Ying manage to secure the top spot?

It was truly astonishing, no matter how one thought about it.

Each devil's memory bead was stored in the archive room. Many devil students flocked to the archive to examine Wen Ying's memory bead. Upon watching it, they fell silent.

If Wen Ying had ranked second in the mid-term exam due to his and Muershi's provocative actions that stirred up the devils' excitement, then this final exam could only be attributed to... pure luck?

From beginning to end, Wen Ying's journey had been smooth sailing. Whenever he felt tired, someone would bring him a pillow for support. Disregarding everything else, just the fact that he closed the teleportation portal by simply breaking an object had greatly boosted his score.

For Wen Ying, luck could be said to be a part of his fortune, but it could also be considered as a display of his ability. Among the two, luck seemed to have played a more significant role.

"I refuse to believe that this guy, Wen Ying, can still rank first in the ranking match!" a student declared firmly.

"If he ranks first again, I... I'll... Anyone who calls the Mirror Devil trash, I'll beat them up!"