“Oh! You can actually look me in the eye!” The Lava Demon strode forward heavily. The demons around him hurriedly backed away in fear, leaving Bexia alone to face him. Even his lackey, Kalimon, was too scared to do anything but hide off to the side.

“What do you think you’re doing? They’ve already been conscripted as soldiers by Demon King Talan!” The Stone Demon didn’t care what happened to Bexia, but he had to defend his superior’s authority. If word got back to him, the Stone Demon would be in serious trouble!

“Hahaha! Just because you say they’ve been conscripted doesn’t make it so! If saying it were enough, I could just say I’ve conscripted them too. Would that make it true?” The Lava Demon laughed and swatted the Stone Demon aside. Still, he didn’t dare attack him outright—that would be a slap in a Demon King’s face!

His own Demon King hadn’t fallen out with the other side yet, and he didn’t want to become a brainless sacrificial pawn. But demons were ambitious. This would earn him credit and please the Demon King he served—and who knew, he might even be rewarded with something good.

The Demon God Camp looked peaceful on the surface, but each Demon King still had their own faction, and they were all competing with one another. Their temporary alliance had merely pushed that rivalry further underground.

As long as they didn’t anger their superiors, those below them were allowed to engage in this limited infighting. It was one way for the Demon Kings to test each other, and a means of keeping their rivals in check.

The Stone Demon was no match for him. And honestly, though both demons had a Demon King backing them, there was a difference between the two. The Lava Demon’s master even had a Demon King Pillar, making him far stronger than the Stone Demon’s superior.

“You…” The Stone Demon had only just begun to speak when the Lava Demon cut him off.

“What? Want to face me in the arena?” the Lava Demon said with a grin. Fighting was forbidden within the Demon God Camp, but an arena had been set up to settle disputes. Once inside, life and death were left to fate.

“Hmph!” The Stone Demon was no match for the Lava Demon, so he could only swallow his anger. He glared and made a threat, hoping to save a little face.

“I’ll report this to Demon King Talan!”

“Heh.” The Lava Demon chuckled disdainfully, then turned his gaze to Bexia. “You’re an unusual one, kid.”

“There’s nothing unusual about me,” Bexia replied calmly, secretly using the power of causality on the Lava Demon.

“How about coming to work under me? I’ll make you a squad—” The Lava Demon grinned. He wasn’t being kind; he just wanted to see what made Bexia different. But the moment he took a step, he abruptly stopped. A black bolt of destructive lightning plunged down from above the Demon God Camp and blasted the Lava Demon apart.

“Boom!”

“What’s going on?” The Lava Demon quickly reassembled his body, but he was clearly much weaker.

“Rumble—”

The Lava Demon had barely pulled himself together when another bolt of destructive lightning struck him, shattering his body once more.

“Damn you!” The Lava Demon reassembled again, then vanished in an instant. Far away, another bolt of lightning rang out, followed by a cry of agony.

“What’s going on?”

“Why would a heavenly punishment strike here?”

The demons were curious creatures too, and they began speculating among themselves. The Stone Demon looked at Bexia, certain that he was behind it, and beckoned him over. “You. Come here!”

“What do you want with me?” Bexia asked calmly, his hands behind his back.

“Did you cause that just now?” the Stone Demon asked.

“No.” Bexia shook his head. “I didn’t do anything. Everyone saw that.”

“I think there’s something wrong with you!” The Stone Demon reached for Bexia. But before his hand had even reached halfway, a spear suddenly flew in from afar and pierced his palm.

“Aaaagh!” The Stone Demon cried out in pain, yanked out the spear, and glared in the direction it had come from. Two figures were fighting there. Before he could even pull the spear free, one of them summoned it back.

The two fighters were at the Demon King level. Even if the Stone Demon got caught in the crossfire, there was nothing he could do but suffer in silence. He’d have to swallow his anger, broken teeth and all.

“Hmph!” The Stone Demon gave Bexia a cold snort, then reached for him again.

“Boom!” A flame suddenly tore through space. The Stone Demon’s hand had only made it halfway when the fire swept over it, burning it to ash in an instant.

“Aaaagh!” The Stone Demon acted decisively and severed his arm at the root. The flame was powerful, and it could cling to its target. If he hadn’t done that, his life would’ve been in danger!

“Who are you, really?” Having suffered twice, the Stone Demon eyed Bexia warily. The other demons scattered, afraid they’d get caught up in it.

Bexia was acting far too strangely. They feared the Stone Demon, of course, but they were even more afraid that what had just happened might happen to them!

“I’m just an ordinary demon,” Bexia said calmly.

“Hmph!” The Stone Demon snorted.

“Someone, seize him and lock him in the dungeon!” The Stone Demon, an officer at the Demon God Camp, summoned several demon soldiers. They bound Bexia with specially made chains, dragged him away, and threw him into a sealed-off space.

Seeing this, Kalimon immediately slipped into the crowd, afraid the Stone Demon would spot him and make trouble for him too.

After this bizarre incident, the Stone Demon immediately went to report what had happened to his superior, Demon King Talan.