Chapter 1728

Black Tiger slunk away, after uttering harsh words, next time he will surely try to seize back the Demon Emperor's throne; it's impossible to let it go to Diewumeng. This time he was careless, didn't guard against Diewumeng; next time, it won't be like that.

Diewumeng watched his retreating back, shaking head with a wry smile; the battle ended just like that, quite dramatic. Lan Tiansheng came to Diewumeng's side, while the onlookers dispersed one by one. The battle didn't let them see anything; instead, it gave them a feeling: Diewumeng is strong, Black Tiger cannot threaten Diewumeng's position.

The Bee King glanced a few times, then went back to continue cultivating; he didn't want to get involved in their affairs. This battle made him realize that Diewumeng remains Diewumeng—even if Black Tiger's cultivation equals Diewumeng's, he still isn't Diewumeng's opponent. Moreover, Diewumeng's cultivation is terrifying; she could undergo tribulation at any moment, putting immense pressure on him. If this continues, he will likely be completely left behind by this woman.

The first tribulation and the second tribulation are not the same; the gap between them is huge—whether in cultivation, strength, or any other aspect, the difference is great. Advancing from the first tribulation to the second requires a long time; even the fastest demon beasts known to them need several decades to complete the Advancement, and if slower, they need several hundred to a thousand years of accumulation before daring to break through.

It's not enough to just break through; one must undergo tribulation, which is the biggest problem. Many demon beasts dare not break through, fearing heavenly tribulation. The heavenly tribulation of the first tribulation and that of the second cannot be compared; its power is at least doubled, and this is assuming you haven't caused too much slaughter, so your karmic burden isn't high.

If there is too much slaughter and karmic entanglement, then one won't be so fortunate.

"Black Tiger won't just let this go; he will surely continue to challenge you, Diewumeng. Have you figured out how to respond?" Lan Tiansheng said, somewhat worried. The two of them are now like grasshoppers on the same rope, so naturally they must consider Diewumeng's welfare.

Diewumeng has become one of our own, the master's woman; we cannot let her come to harm. The position of Mangshan Demon Emperor must not change—not for the next hundred years or more. This is the master's original words, and also the task the master gave him.

Support Diewumeng in securing the position of Mangshan Demon Emperor, not letting others snatch it away. Black Tiger is the greatest threat, so Lan Tiansheng naturally must keep an eye on him, and cannot let him succeed.

"Don't worry, Black Tiger's strength poses no threat to me. Though we are both in the first tribulation, his strength is still a bit immature; even giving him several decades, he may not be able to catch up to me."

"He wants to defeat me and seize the Demon Emperor's throne—that's impossible."

"Moreover, I have already gained insight; I will complete the breakthrough soon, and by then Black Tiger will have even less hope."

Diewumeng is full of confidence and does not regard Black Tiger as a threat. She has received Chen Chuyang's support and aid, a large infusion of true qi, plus a vast amount of yang qi, which she cannot digest in the short term. After digesting this energy, she has a premonition that she can break through.

As for the heavenly tribulation of the second tribulation, she is confident. Over these years, Diewumeng hasn't been idle; her self‑control has naturally become much stronger.

"Hiss." Lan Tiansheng looked at Diewumeng in surprise, examined her closely, and discovered that Diewumeng was different.

"You're going to break through this quickly?"

Diewumeng nodded slightly: "Mm."

Diewumeng did not conceal anything from Lan Tiansheng before her; he ought to know something, and hiding it would be useless.

"Diewumeng, you are truly formidable." Lan Tiansheng couldn't help praising her, then after thinking, corrected himself: "No, it's the master who is truly formidable."

After being with the master, breaking through that layer of relationship, Diewumeng made rapid progress; a transformation akin to shedding the old self and being reborn is no exaggeration.

Lan Tiansheng regretted deeply, muttering: "What a pity I'm not a woman; otherwise, I wouldn't be any worse than you."

That gaze, that look, and that tone of regret—he had reincarnated wrongly; he should not have become a man but a woman. Then he could rely on the master like Diewumeng, follow the master, and reap many benefits. Lan Tiansheng never imagined there would be so many advantages; the gap between the first and second tribulations is indeed huge, and just that one breakthrough has Diewumeng already preparing.

If it were me, wouldn't I be able to advance to the Tribulation Realm at any time?

Thinking also of Bai Xinlan, Lan Tiansheng gradually understood everything. That woman must have known this, which is why she went up the mountain to become the master's woman. Bai Xinlan surely had received the master's favor and obtained great benefits; otherwise, given her personality, she would have left the mountain long ago if things were not right.

"Lan Tiansheng, just stop thinking about it; this is innate and cannot be changed." Diewumeng teased, "This cannot be chosen—accept it obediently and advance relying on your own strength."

"You have great talent; the Tribulation Realm won't stump you, so why bother like this?"

"Ah." Lan Tiansheng took a deep breath, forced a smile, and said: "Diewumeng, you've received benefits, so you naturally say that. I've been following the master for a long time and have also gained many benefits, but compared to you, the difference is vast."

"You are the master's woman; pills and such are trivial. Compared to the benefits you've received, a few pills are hardly worth mentioning."

Envy, jealousy, hatred.

I, as his subordinate, have worked diligently, doing all kinds of dirty and tiring work for the master; it can be said that I have paid a great deal to earn the master's trust, who has bestowed many pills upon me, allowing me to realize my talent. I originally thought that steady progress would let me quickly advance to the Tribulation Realm.

Diewumeng and Bai Xinlan directly became the master's women, in one fell swoop rising above him to become his half‑mistresses; the change in status is minor compared to the change in strength, and the benefits the two women have received are enormous—far greater than any so‑called opportunity.

How could Lan Tiansheng not feel envy? How could he not feel jealousy?

If I were female, I could be like them; perhaps she has already advanced to the Tribulation Realm. Look at Bai Xinlan—originally what she was, she directly completed a layer of transformation. As her time on Longshe Shan increases, her Nine‑Layer White Dragon Transformation will soon be finished; once that transformation is complete, her talent, bloodline potential will be enhanced, directly surpassing them by a whole tier.

The Tribulation Realm is trivial; the gap between them will only grow larger, and then he will truly only be able to look up to them.

Thinking of this, Lan Tiansheng feels even more uneasy; his painstaking cultivation cannot compare to their quick shortcut, and this shortcut has no side effects, causes no problems, and is very reliable.

"Lan Tiansheng, don't be sour." Diewumeng teased, hearing the vinegar in his words; this person is truly broken through his defenses.

Regarding this, Diewumeng did not comfort him; she truly didn't know how to comfort him, for he is a man and cannot become the master's woman—even if she were willing to help, it would still be impossible.