84: Azure Scale Demon General

Gu Yuchuan pushed open the door. This half-human, half-snake appearance was still very eye-catching, with probing gazes everywhere. Although these Demon Generals could partially transform, most demons preferred their original forms. After all, they could exert their full strength that way, whereas the transformed state only has eighty percent of the strength. However, he just liked the human form; the flexibility of these hands was truly comfortable.

He wore a cyan robe on his upper body, which also half-covered his tail, making him look like a scholarly Young Master, appearing quite refined. He walked happily and soon arrived in front of the Black Tortoise Demon General's residence. The attendants outside did not recognize Gu Yuchuan in this form.

However, they still had sharp eyes. Even if they didn't recognize him, they knew that the snake demon before them was a Foundation Establishment Stage Demon General and needed to be received with a very good attitude.

This Crab General was very humble and spoke very politely: "May I ask which Demon General you are, Senior? This lowly one is blind and truly does not recognize you. Please state your name so I may go in and announce your arrival."

This attitude was completely different from when Gu Yuchuan had come before. In the past, although these people were very polite to him, they were of equal rank. Now, it was true flattery.

"Alright, I'm not a difficult person to talk to. Besides, we've met before. Go in and announce me. I am Great King Green Snake, Gu Yuchuan. I have just been promoted to the Foundation Establishment Stage and have come to pay my respects to the Black Tortoise Demon General and receive my Demon General title."

The Crab General's small eyes widened, clearly very excited. It wasn't until Gu Yuchuan glanced at him that he reacted, immediately clasping his claws in a salute.

"So it is Great King Green Snake! This lowly one was truly blind. We have met many times, yet I did not recognize the Great King. This lowly one first congratulates the Great King on reaching the Demon General Realm. May your immortal path be smooth and prosperous from now on, and may you become a Demon King or Demon Emperor in the future."

Gu Yuchuan waved his hand: "Stop, stop. No wonder you can guard the gate for a Demon General; you certainly have a silver tongue. Alright, I am now a Senior, and it wouldn't be right not to show some appreciation. Take this yellow bud pill. It's not anything precious, but it can save you five days of hard cultivation. Go on, announce me."

The Crab General happily scurried off to announce him. Soon, a Clam Spirit came out to welcome him. He recognized this Clam Spirit; her name was Jin Yushu, the head housekeeper of the Black Tortoise Demon General's household. Her cultivation was also at the Qi Refining Great Perfection. In the past, she had never been the one to personally escort him in. It was clear that once he crossed this threshold, everything changed.

Before she even reached Gu Yuchuan, her voice arrived first. Her voice was very hearty and had a sense of approachability; to become the right-hand person in a Demon General's household, she naturally had her abilities: "Great King Green Snake, long time no see! Come, I will lead you in. I have already prepared a banquet to celebrate your promotion. Our Demon General is also waiting for you."

Gu Yuchuan nodded: "I am the General's subordinate. Making him wait for me is truly inappropriate. Let's go quickly; it would be my fault if we kept him waiting too long."

Along the way, Jin Yushu was constantly flattering Gu Yuchuan. He had seen Jin Yushu's attitude toward Foundation Establishment Stage Demon Generals before—it was poised and generous, without the current hint of sycophancy. After all, the Black Tortoise Demon General was one of the managing Demon Generals, with a status significantly higher than ordinary Demon Generals. As the head housekeeper, she actually didn't need to fear other Demon Generals. Such an attitude could only mean one thing: she knew he had an Earthly Fiend Dao Foundation and was different from ordinary Demon Generals.

However, Gu Yuchuan didn't talk to her much. Soon, they reached the reception hall, where the Black Tortoise Demon General was waiting for him. After entering, he didn't sit down immediately but first bowed in greeting.

"Greetings, Demon General. Now that I have successfully achieved a Breakthrough to the Demon General Realm, I have come specifically to pay my respects."

The Black Tortoise Demon General came down and helped him up: "Alright, from now on we are both Demon Generals; we should just support each other. With you, me, and the Serpent, the three of us will be an alliance from now on. I believe that with our combined strength, we can even strive for the Demon King Realm."

The Black Tortoise Demon General was truly very happy now. With these two allies who possessed Earthly Fiend Dao Foundations, his position was much more stable. It might even make him the highest-ranking Demon General under the Black Fiend Demon King.

"Little Gu, since you have broken through to the Demon General Realm, I must give you a Demon General title. Do you still want to be the Green Snake Demon General?"

Gu Yuchuan didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately shook his head. "Green Snake Demon General" sounded far too ordinary, and there were too many green snakes in the Cloud Sea Marsh. This wouldn't do.

"General, I'm thinking of changing the title. That one is too unpleasant to the ear. What do you think of 'Azure Scale Demon General'?"

The Black Tortoise nodded: "That works. This is your title, so your happiness is most important. Since you've chosen it, let it be this. Someone, bring my seal and announce to the army: Great King Green Snake has been promoted to the Azure Scale Demon General. As for his affairs in the Logistics Camp, there's no need for him to return there."

Gu Yuchuan was pleased. Having just been promoted, he had too much on his plate and no time to refine low-level Magical Artifacts. His priorities now were: first, to practice his Spells and Divine Abilities to align them with his Foundation Establishment Stage combat power; and second, to advance his Artifact Refining skills. If he could become a rank-two Artifact Refiner, his status would be entirely different. While Magical Artifacts were common, Spiritual Artifacts were a different matter; many ordinary Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators didn't even possess one. A single Spiritual Artifact was enough to boost the combat power of early and Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators by thirty percent. Even some Golden Core Stage powerhouses still relied on peak-grade Spiritual Artifacts in battle.

"Little Gu, I've had someone call the Serpent over. First, to celebrate with you—the three of us should have a few drinks. Second, I will arrange your future activities. Come, let's have a couple of drinks while we wait for the Serpent to arrive."

Gu Yuchuan raised his wine cup. As someone from Huaxia, how could he not know the etiquette of the dinner table? As the subordinate, he naturally took the initiative: 'As you wish, General. I'll first toast to you. While I've achieved what I have today, and the greatest credit goes to my own efforts, it certainly wouldn't have been this easy without your help, General. This wine is to thank you for your assistance.'

There was some sincerity in his words. Both the Black Tortoise Demon General and the Serpent Demon General had helped him. Although their intention was to win him over, judging by their actions rather than their motives, they really had helped him a lot.

The satisfaction in the Black Tortoise Demon General's eyes grew. Hadn't he given so much just to win them over? Gu Yuchuan's gratitude naturally brought their relationship a step closer, and soon the two began to address each other as brothers.