Evan Chu was momentarily stunned. These people were way too pragmatic—kneeling at the drop of a hat! Sure, strength rules, but did they have to be this extreme? He quickly said, "Everyone, get up! The Demon Lord position should still go to your princess. I'm not staying in the Demonic Realm for long, so let's drop it here and move on!"
What a joke—if he stayed here as Demon Lord, he'd have to give up his women in the Azure Tide Ruins, abandon his sect, and forget his most important mission: rescuing his mother! Evan shot Selena a glare and said, "Sel, don't mess around. You know my situation. There's still a ton of things waiting for me to handle. The Demon Lord seat should be yours for now, until your father recovers. Then you can return to the Azure Tide Ruins—don't forget Roxanne is still waiting for you there."
Selena giggled, "Lin Feng, just stay with me for a month before you leave, okay? This is my family home and it's your first time here—wouldn't it be a little rude to leave so soon?"
"Sel, don't make things hard for Evan. Your father will finish his closed-door cultivation in two months and should be able to rebuild his body by then. He won't keep you from returning to the Azure Tide Ruins. For now, though, you need to stay and handle Demon Clan affairs. Evan is a sect master, so he has his own responsibilities. As his woman, you should understand that." The Demon Lord finally spoke up, unable to watch any longer.
"Father, I was just joking with Evan! How could you take his side over your own daughter? So unfair! I'm not talking to you anymore!" Selena pouted, breaking into a playful laugh.
"Alright! No one wanted things to turn out like this today. Zhou Wenbin rebelled and tried to seize the Demon Lord’s seat, so of course someone like him couldn’t be allowed to live. I know many of you aren’t convinced, but since you survived, I’ll let bygones be bygones. I hope you’ll all work for the prosperity and glory of the Demon Clan. There’s no need for a formal succession ceremony, but we should hold a welcome banquet for Evan—the strongest of the Humans—and your princess. Go make the arrangements."
"Also, with the Grand Elder and Second Elder dead, new appointments are needed. Monica Meng performed excellently, so she’ll be the new Grand Elder and help Sel manage Demon Clan affairs. As for Second Elder, the previous Third Elder will take over. As long as everyone works together, I won’t treat anyone unfairly." The Demon Lord announced.
No one objected to the Demon Lord’s arrangements. After handling the matters in the main hall, Selena returned to her room, while Evan and the Demon Lord entered his secret chamber.
"Evan, I really am your father-in-law now. Feels great! From now on, you’d better show me proper respect, or you’ll pay for it," the Demon Lord suddenly joked.
"Cut it out! If I’m in a bad mood and want to beat you up, I’ll do it. What, you think Sel would side with you? You should focus on rebuilding your body. If you need help, just say so—don’t be shy," Evan laughed.
"As expected, I can't hide anything from you. For us demons, rebuilding a physical body isn't hard—I just need half a month to do it. But regaining my strength will take longer. What I need most right now is the wood element you carry. Can you figure out a way to give me some?" the Demon Lord asked.
"Old man, you even know about the wood element in my body? Looks like you've been spying on me from inside the Frostbane Sword—pretty nosy for a realm lord," Evan teased. He knew exactly how to provide wood element: just pick a sealed chamber and pour it in directly.
"Don't make it sound so bad—I found out by accident. Just take good care of Sel, and drop by the Demonic Realm once in a while. That's my only real request," the Demon Lord said.
"Just focus on rebuilding your body. In two days I have to leave too. When you finish your seclusion, send Sel back—she's a mother now, you know that, right?" Evan laughed.
Evan inspected the secret chamber and found its sealing decent enough. With a thought, he began channeling wood element from his hand, pouring it out for a full hour before stopping. The whole room was now filled with vibrant wood-element life force.
"Thank you, Evan!" the Demon Lord said simply, then ignored Evan and sat down cross-legged to begin rebuilding his body.
Evan left the chamber. He’d wanted to ask about the specifics of body reconstruction, but knowing Luna the Sword Spirit had her own solutions, he held back.
Back in Selena’s room, Lynn had already prepared food and wine, waiting for him. "Son-in-law, I can’t believe you’ve gotten so strong in just a few years—I almost don’t recognize you! How did you do it?" Lynn asked, still incredulous.
"Want to know?" Evan smiled at her.
"Of course I do—why else would I ask? I never imagined you’d turn out to be the top powerhouse from the Azure Tide Ruins. It’s honestly unbelievable," Lynn said, still looking at Evan in disbelief.
"Give me a kiss and I'll tell you this earth-shattering secret! Sound like a good deal?" Evan teased, glancing at Selena.
"Son-in-law, you’re too much! You two enjoy your meal—I’m leaving!" Lynn’s face went crimson and she hurried out, leaving Evan and Selena laughing out loud.
"Evan, how could you tease Lynn like that? She’s a pure-hearted girl—say stuff like that and she’ll fall for you, then you’ll leave and she’ll pine for you every night. That’s just mean!" Selena scolded, rolling her eyes.
"Alright, I get it. Come on, let’s toast to today’s events! How do you like the surprise I arranged for you—satisfied?" Evan laughed.
"You’re so hateful! My dad’s been free to come and go and you still kept it from me. Tonight, you’re not allowed to touch me!" Selena huffed.
"Seriously? So heartless? Then I’ll go touch Lynn!"
"You dare! I’ll make sure you regret it!"
The next day, Monica Meng personally arranged the welcome banquet for Evan and Selena. Everyone’s attitude toward Evan had completely changed—no one looked down on him for being human anymore. Instead, they lined up to toast him and shower him with flattery, making Evan feel a little light-headed from all the attention.
After three days in the Demonic Realm, Evan finally left. Though Selena tried again and again to persuade him to stay longer, Evan’s heart was already set on returning to the Azure Tide Ruins—he didn’t want to delay any further. Selena promised that once her father finished his seclusion, she would hurry back as soon as possible.
After leaving the Demonic Realm, Evan was joined by Shadow and Goldwing. With another crisis resolved, he felt relaxed. This time, before heading back to the Azure Tide Ruins, he decided to visit the Heavenly Dragon Empire again to see his old brothers—last time he’d left too quickly to visit them. If possible, he wanted to bring them to the Azure Tide Ruins to help them grow stronger.