162: Chapter 162 The King's Mount

Mo Wen stared blankly at the Rotting Bone Hyena kowtowing frantically towards him, feeling like his worldview had suffered... a tiny bit of... an impact.

No way...

Just like that... it's subdued?

All because... I... released a tiny wisp of... aura towards it?

That's... that's so... casual?

Where's the challenge in that?!

He turned his head, casting a gaze filled with 'pleading for help' and 'confusion' towards Lin Qingzhi beside him.

Instead, he saw Lin Qingzhi looking back at him with a mysterious smile brimming with 'approval' and 'a promising student'.

"Mo Wen, this... is the 'King's'... authority."

Her voice was filled with a kind of... matter-of-factness, as if stating the most fundamental truth of the world.

"Before absolute, origin-level Bloodline Suppression, any form of resistance is futile."

"They either submit."

"Or die."

"There is no third option."

Listening to her explanation, steeped in the 'art of an Emperor', and then looking at the hyena that was about to knock itself out, Mo Wen finally, reluctantly, accepted this somewhat overly fantastical... reality.

Fine then.

A king it is.

Anyway, getting a seemingly quite clever... little brother for free doesn't seem like a loss?

"Ahem... you, get up." Mo Wen, imitating the Emperors from TV dramas, spoke to the hyena in a tone he tried to make sound as imposing as possible.

Even though he spoke in the human language.

The hyena, however, seemed to understand. Its head, bloody from the kowtowing, suddenly snapped up!

Its eyes, originally filled with savagery and chaos, now held nothing but boundless... ecstasy and... loyalty!

It carefully clambered up from the ground, then walked over to Mo Wen's feet with humble, mincing steps, like a timid bride.

It extended its crimson, barbed tongue and gently licked the hem of Mo Wen's blood-red robe.

That servile, fawning appearance sent a shiver of disgust down Mo Wen's spine.

Buddy, you're at least an Essence Rank demon beast!

Can't you have a little backbone?

However, right at that moment—

"Mo Wen." Lin Qingzhi's voice sounded again.

"Since you have now gained your first 'subject'."

"Then next, you should go and inspect your... territory."

She pointed towards the distance, at several 'red dots' emitting powerful auras that had long been marked on Mo Wen's 'full map vision'.

"Any existence that dares to act like a king within your territory is the greatest... provocation to you, the 'new King'!"

"You must use the most direct, the most domineering method to make them understand who the true master of this land is!"

Listening to her words filled with 'incitement' and 'enticement', Mo Wen looked again at the nearest red dot on the map—a Black Rock Demonic Rhinoceros sleeping soundly in its own cave.

Wasn't that the very beast that had pushed Lin Qingzhi into a corner before?

Good!

Settle new grudges and old scores together!

Perfect timing to test the strength of this new body of mine on you!

"Let's go!"

Mo Wen issued his first command as the 'Demon King' to the Rotting Bone Hyena at his feet, which he had already named 'Employee Number One'.

"Awooo—!"

The hyena, as if injected with adrenaline, let out a high-pitched howl brimming with excitement and honor!

Then, it took the lead, galloping forward on all fours like the most loyal, most courageous vanguard officer, charging straight towards the Black Rock Demonic Rhinoceros's lair!

...

Ten minutes later.

Outside a massive cave reeking of strong musk and blood, Mo Wen came to a halt.

He waved a hand at the 'Employee Number One' behind him, which was ready to charge in and 'pave the way for the King'.

"You, wait outside."

Then, alone, he slowly walked into that cave filled with darkness and danger.

The moment he stepped inside the cave.

"ROAR—!!!"

A furious roar, filled with rage at having its sweet dreams disturbed, exploded from the deepest part of the cave!

Immediately after, a terrifying quasi-demon king rank oppressive aura, saturated with savagery and chaos, surged towards Mo Wen like a waking volcano, attempting to crush him!

Yet, Mo Wen didn't even furrow his brow.

That terrifying oppressive aura, enough to make ordinary Demon Rank Experts pale, the moment it touched his body, melted and disintegrated silently, like spring snow meeting the blazing sun!

He simply strolled forward, step by step, as if taking a leisurely walk, until he stood before the Black Rock Demonic Rhinoceros that was slowly rising from its slumber—a creature with a build comparable to a heavy-duty truck.

When the demonic rhinoceros saw this tiny, seemingly crushable 'two-legged beast' dare to ignore its oppressive aura and walk right up to it, its already low intelligence was instantly flooded with boundless fury!

It let out an ear-splitting roar. Its horn, gleaming with a sinister cold light, shot forward like the sharpest battering ram, carrying a terrifying force capable of shattering mountains, aiming to smash directly into Mo Wen!

It wanted to ram this foolhardy ant into a bloody pulp!

However, facing this fatal strike that would drive any Demon Rank Expert to despair, Mo Wen didn't even bother to dodge.

He merely slowly raised his... right fist.

Then, aiming at the horn charging towards him, he threw a simple, straightforward punch!

"BOOM—!!!"

A deafening metallic explosion, like two high-speed trains colliding head-on, erupted within the entire cave!

A violent wave of energy surged outwards in all directions, scraping a thick layer of... stone dust off the cave walls!

And at the center of the collision—

Mo Wen remained standing quietly in place, completely unmoved.

Meanwhile, the once-arrogant Black Rock Demonic Rhinoceros—its proud horn, capable of piercing through ten-meter-thick steel—was now covered from the middle outwards, inch by inch, with spiderweb-like... cracks!

"CRACK—!"

Accompanied by a crisp sound, like shattering glass!

That supposedly indestructible horn shattered completely!

And the demonic rhinoceros itself, as if struck by a fired cannonball, was sent flying uncontrollably backwards, its massive body weighing dozens of tons!

"CRASH!"

It slammed heavily into the cave wall, imprinting a massive human-shaped... dent into the hard stone!

"Roar...?"

The demonic rhinoceros slid down from the dent. It shook its massive head, which was feeling somewhat dazed.

Its crimson eyes, filled with savagery, stared fixedly at its own horn, now broken off halfway.

Its gaze was filled with an indescribable... confusion and... disbelief!

Broken?

My hardest horn, capable of smashing anything... was broken... by a single punch from such a tiny-looking 'two-legged beast'?!

How... how is this possible?!

After a brief moment of stupor, a fury more violent and insane than any before instantly drowned all its... reason!

It fell into complete... madness!

It wanted to trample this bastard who broke its 'horn' to death!

Watching the rhinoceros, eyes blood-red and charging at him again like a mad beast, Mo Wen sighed helplessly.

"Sigh, why won't you listen to reason?"

He had originally just wanted to test the strength of his new body.

Who knew this guy would be so... fragile.

Since physical persuasion doesn't work.

Then, it's time for... magic.

He slowly released the Bloodline Suppression belonging to his chaos demon core towards the frenzied rhinoceros!

"HUMM—!"

The moment that supreme, primordial kingly aura, as if from ancient times, descended—

The Black Rock Demonic Rhinoceros, charging forward wildly, suddenly froze!

Its forward momentum came to an abrupt halt!

As if under a paralysis spell, it stopped dead in its tracks!

Then, under Mo Wen's somewhat speechless gaze, this 'quasi-demon king', so arrogant just moments ago, let out a 'thud' as its four thick, pillar-like legs went soft!

It just knelt straight down on the ground!

And within its simple mind, filled with chaos and savagery, an epic-level storm of 'delusional rationalization' was raging wildly!

"He... he... he was testing me just now!!"

"Yes! That must be it!"

"A 'King' so great, with a bloodline so noble I can't even comprehend it, how could he possibly stoop to the level of a lowly, humble 'mortal beast' like me?!"

"He didn't even use his 'kingly aura' that could crush me instantly just now!"

"He was just using his purest, most primitive... physical strength to 'play' with me!"

"He was testing my 'loyalty'! Testing my 'valor'!"

"And I... I, this idiot! Didn't understand the 'King's'... well-intentioned effort!"

"I actually felt... anger towards him because he broke my insignificant 'horn'?!"

"I... I deserve to die ten thousand deaths!!"

"Only after I showed my 'unyielding spirit' did he finally release a tiny wisp of his true... kingly aura towards me!"

"He's telling me he acknowledges my 'courage'!"

"He's giving me a chance... to submit to him!"

"Such... such magnanimity!!"

"Such... such majesty!!"

"Wahhh... I, Black Rock, having lived for three hundred years, have met such a benevolent and great... King for the first time!!"

Boundless 'gratitude' and 'remorse' instantly flooded its simple... mind!

It hesitated no longer!

It lowered its massive, 'noble' head deeply towards Mo Wen!

A psychic wave filled with endless 'penitence' and 'fanaticism' exploded in Mo Wen's mind!

"Th-this lowly demon... Black Rock... pays homage to His Majesty the Demon King!"

"Black Rock failed to recognize Mount Tai, offended Your Majesty's heavenly might, and deserves ten thousand deaths!"

"I beg Your Majesty to give Black Rock a chance to atone!"

"Black Rock is willing to serve as Your Majesty's ox or horse! No! As Your Majesty's... mount! To charge into battle for Your Majesty for all eternity, undeterred even by ten thousand deaths!!"

Mo Wen: "..."

He was petrified. Again.