The Lord Demon King is Unfathomable!

Outside the Demon King Palace, Father Matt sat on a stone bench waiting, and soon saw an acolyte draped in robes walking toward him.

"Please follow me, Mr. Matt." A hoarse voice drifted out from the shadow under the hood, like a whisper from Hell.

The eerie tone would make anyone else shudder upon hearing it, but in Matt's ears, it evoked a completely different sensation—it was as if he was home.

After all, he wasn't human; he was a Corpse Ghost.

It was only for the sake of the Lord Demon King's grand cause that he had to remain hidden in the human world, a task he had carried out for nearly six months now.

"Yes."

Matt nodded slightly and followed behind the acolyte, stepping through a long corridor before arriving at a massive archway.

The colossal archway stood deep within the cavern, its obsidian-carved frame adorned with intricate and exquisite patterns, resembling both the entrance to the Abyss and the gaping maw of an Abyss Giant Beast.

Passing through the archway, he entered the great hall, where everything suddenly opened up before him.

Spacious, majestic, and fraught with gloom and apprehension!

And that familiar scent of undead—

It was his first sensation!

The entire hall was hewn from rough granite as its foundation. The walls bore no seams, as if they had been forcibly carved out of solid rock.

Countless granite steps encircled the massive throne, which stood prominently at the front of the Audience Hall. Eighteen monumental obsidian pillars flanked the stone avenue, towering like totem poles gazing down upon visitors, compelling them to lower their heads, unable to confront the demonic carvings etched into the poles' writhing depictions.

Massive braziers were embedded into the granite walls, the flames within leaping in shades of purple, casting eerie light that illuminated the solemn and oppressive space. Stone guards wielding long spears stood beneath each brazier, their pitch-black armor exuding a chilling radiance that stripped away any last remnant of warmth.

Not a trace of a living being's vitality could be seen on them, which was precisely what made these statues so terrifying.

It was as though, should the Lord Demon King will it, they could awaken from their slumber at any moment, transforming into loyal guards to protect the Demon King Palace!

Father Matt's face displayed devoted reverence as he knelt on one knee, remaining there until a commanding voice drifted from ahead and enveloped him overhead.

"Rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Matt rose slowly, bowing his head respectfully as he stood before the steps, like a loyal servant awaiting his lord's permission to speak.

Luo Yan observed the devout and respectful expression on his face.

Over the course of these six months, this Corpse Ghost whom he personally awakened had become increasingly like a human.

Unless one possessed exceptionally sharp insight, it would be nearly impossible to discern his undead nature... And this was what Luo Yan was most pleased about.

It signified that his soul had fully adjusted to his new body and identity, seamlessly merging into the role he now played.

After a brief pause, Luo Yan continued speaking with an authoritative tone.

"I have read Charles' letter. I have been aware of the recent happenings in the Campbell Duchy. You may write back to him on my behalf and tell him I understand their current situation. Our agreement remains intact—as long as they do not break the tacit understanding between us first, we will not actively disrupt the status quo."

"Understood." Matt responded respectfully.

Luo Yan looked at him and continued.

"If it's only about this matter, I doubt it warrants a special trip here. Do you have other issues to report?"

"Indeed, my lord," Matt nodded slightly, his tone deferential as he continued speaking, "I actually have two matters to report to you."

After pausing for a moment, he proceeded.

"The first concerns the efforts to aid the refugees outside Thunder City in the name of the Flame King. Interestingly, the soup kitchen we've set up in Thunder City's suburbs has garnered support from Erin Campbell, leading to the legend of the Flame King spreading at an unforeseen speed, with trends even extending beyond Thunder County."

"Forgive my boldness, but many followers of Saint Sis foolishly believe you to be an emissary sent to the mortal realm by Saint Sis. As a result, pilgrims have begun appearing in the church of Silver Pine Town. Some hail from other directly governed counties and the Earl Domain of the Campbell Duchy, while others come from as far as the southeast Duke Domain and directly governed provinces of the Ryan Kingdom."

His fingertip tapped lightly against the armrest of the throne as Luo Yan pondered for a long while before finally speaking.

"This is good news. Your efforts have been commendable."

"I'm glad you think so."

Matt nodded slightly in acknowledgment before continuing.

"However, this has introduced complications to our next step. The recognition from the Campbell family has cast too sacred a halo upon the 'Flame King,' blurring the gray area we've carefully crafted between black and white... I would like to ask if we should still proceed with the original plan to gradually steer public opinion, merging the Flame King's identity with your other identity—Undead Mage of Beifeng Mountain."

In Thunder County, combining the two personas step by step, while propagating the Flame King's legend beyond Thunder County, had been Luo Yan's long-standing plan.

On one hand, this would allow him to absorb more Power of Faith, while on the other, it would gradually ease the vigilance residents of Thunder County held toward the Demon King.

But now, achieving this might no longer be so easy.

Under the influence of the Campbell family, people had spontaneously started believing he was Saint Sis' emissary. Even if someone deliberately tried to guide them to associate the Flame King's identity with his other persona, few would believe such "nonsense."