The Return Of The Exiled Villain

Gray continued eating while listening to the demons around him.

At first, their conversation was nothing more than background noise, but after a few minutes, one particular word caught his attention.

”By the way, did you hear about the Demon Academy?”

”The entrance exam?”

”Yeah.”

Gray’s hand stopped for a moment.

Another demon laughed.

”Who hasn’t heard about it? The exam is only a few weeks away.”

”I heard they changed the requirements this year.”

”They change them every year.”

”Not like this.”

The demon lowered his voice.

”I heard the academy is expecting an unusually large number of applicants this time.”

”Of course they are. The academy has been accepting students from every major demon territory.”

”Even the royal families?”

”Especially the royal families.”

Several demons at the table laughed.

Gray quietly took another bite of Demon Boar.

’Demon Academy.’

His eyes narrowed slightly.

He knew about it.

The Demon Academy was one of the most famous academies in the entire Underworld, comparable to the greatest academies of the Upper Plane.

It accepted talented young demons from noble families, ancient clans, royal bloodlines, powerful tribes, and even some independent cultivators, making it one of the best places in the Underworld to gather information about the younger generation and the major factions.

More importantly...

’If I enter the academy, I won’t need to wander around the Underworld searching for information.’

The academy would put him directly in the middle of everything.

Noble heirs, royal descendants, ancient bloodlines, demon clans, instructors, factions, forbidden techniques, ancient ruins, inheritance sites...

There would be information everywhere.

Gray slowly smiled.

’And the Sacred Demon Body.’

He still didn’t know the exact location of its inheritance, but an academy filled with talented demons and descendants of ancient families was one of the best places to begin searching.

There was another reason as well.

The Underworld and the Upper Plane were fundamentally similar.

Both were higher planes of existence compared to the Mortal Plane, and the general cultivation system between them followed roughly the same power structure.

The difference was not that one side was naturally weaker.

The difference was the people living there.

The Mortal Plane had far fewer high-level cultivators because its resources and natural laws placed greater limits on cultivation.

The Upper Plane and the Underworld were different.

Their environments supported stronger cultivation, their resources were richer, and their populations contained far more cultivators at the higher stages.

’If the Underworld is equal to the Upper Plane in terms of overall power...’

Gray’s eyes slowly brightened.

’Then entering the Demon Academy is an excellent choice.’

He had originally planned to spend some time gathering information in the city before deciding where to go next.

But now...

He already had a direction.

’I’ll enter the academy.’

Gray continued eating as the demons kept talking.

”Who do you think will rank first this year?”

”Who else? One of the royal heirs.”

”Which one?”

”I heard the Third Prince of the Bloodscale Kingdom is participating.”

”He’s already at the Grandmaster Realm, isn’t he?”

”Grandmaster?”

The demon beside him laughed.

”You’re behind on the news. He broke through two months ago.”

”What?”

”He’s already at the Peak Grandmaster Realm.”

The demons around the table immediately became interested.

”Peak Grandmaster?”

”At his age?”

”He’s only eighty-three.”

Gray nearly choked.

’Eighty-three.’

He slowly placed his fork down.

’And they’re calling him young?’

Jasmine’s voice sounded inside his head.

[You should probably remember that demons have much longer lifespans than humans.]

’I know.’

[You sounded surprised.]

’I was.’

Gray looked toward the table.

The demons continued talking.

”That’s still nothing compared to the others.”

”Who?”

”The heirs from the Ancient Demon Clans.”

The first demon shook his head.

”You haven’t heard?”

”Heard what?”

”Three heirs from the Ancient Demon Clans have already entered the Monarch Realm.”

The table suddenly became quiet.

Gray’s expression froze.

”...Monarch Realm?”

”Yes.”

”How old?”

”One is around a hundred and twenty.”

Another demon laughed.

”That’s the youngest one.”

Gray’s eyes slowly narrowed.

”Then how old are the others?”

”One is around two hundred.”

”And the last?”

”Three hundred, give or take.”

Gray remained silent.

The demon continued speaking as if this was completely normal.

”Those three aren’t even the scariest candidates.”

”Then who is?”

”The princess of the Crimson Moon Royal Family.”

Several demons immediately became serious.

”Her?”

”Yes.”

”I heard she is already a Monarch too.”

”Not an ordinary Monarch.”

The demon lowered his voice.

”Early Monarch Realm, with a royal bloodline.”

Another demon shook his head.

”Forget about her. The one I’m worried about is the young master of the Black Flame Clan.”

”What about him?”

”He reached Monarch before turning one hundred.”

”You’re joking.”

”I’m not.”

The demon slammed his palm against the table.

”His Black Flame Bloodline awakened completely last year. His cultivation rose all the way from Peak Grandmaster to Early Monarch in less than a year.”

Gray’s expression became increasingly serious.

’This is ridiculous.’

He had expected the Demon Academy to have talented students.

But he hadn’t expected this.

In the human world, reaching the Monarch Realm at such a young age would already be enough to shake an entire empire.

Here, it was being discussed as if it were an impressive achievement among academy applicants.

The demons continued.

”Then there’s the daughter of the Blood Demon Duke.”

”She’s participating too?”

”Of course.”

”How strong?”

”Late Grandmaster.”

”That’s not as scary.”

”You haven’t heard the rest.”

The demon grinned.

”Her bloodline has already awakened twice.”

The others immediately understood.

”The Blood Demon Art?”

”Yes.”

”Fucking hell... then her power should at least be on par with a Monarch powerhouse, right?”

”That’s right...”

Gray quietly listened and quietly added every name to his list.

All of them were preparing for the same entrance exam, so he really would need to get much stronger and quickly.

After all... the entrance exam should be just around the corner.

Gray leaned back slightly.

His earlier confidence had disappeared, not because he was afraid. Rather, because he had finally understood the level of competition.

’So this is the Demon Academy.’

He looked down at his plate.

’The entrance exam isn’t going to be easy.’

Jasmine immediately spoke.

[You were planning to enter, weren’t you?]

’Yes.’

[And now?]

Gray was silent for a few seconds.

He looked toward the demons talking excitedly about the upcoming exam.

The entire table was filled with confidence and excitement.

Gray slowly smiled.

’I’m still entering.’

[Even after hearing all of that?]

’Especially after hearing all of that.’

Gray picked up his fork again.

’If the Demon Academy is filled with people like this, then it means the information I need is probably there too.’

He took another bite of Demon Boar.

’And besides...’

His crimson eyes narrowed.

’I’m not entering the academy to become the strongest student.’

He smiled.

’I’m entering because I need to find something.’

The Sacred Demon Body.

The inheritance that could change his entire cultivation path.

The reason he had come all the way into the Underworld.

Gray finished the last piece of meat on his plate and wiped his mouth.

’Still, there is one small problem.’

Jasmine asked.

[What?]

Gray looked toward the entrance of the inn.

’If those rumors are true, I need to find out exactly how strong I am compared to the young geniuses here.’

His smile became slightly wider.

’Before I register for the entrance exam.’

He stood and prepared to leave, but just as he took his first step, the conversation from another table suddenly caught his attention.

”Wait, you’re saying the Crimson Moon Princess is coming here?”

”Yes.”

Gray stopped instantly.

”Are you sure?”

”I heard it from a merchant who came from the eastern road this morning.”

”Why would a princess come all the way to this city?”

”Because the city is on the way to the Demon Academy.”

Gray slowly turned his head.

The demons continued talking.

”The Crimson Moon Royal Family is sending several people to the academy this year, and the princess is apparently traveling with them.”

”I thought she would go directly there.”

”She was supposed to, but the group changed their route.”

”Why?”

”I don’t know. Perhaps they wanted to rest here before continuing.”

Another demon laughed.

”Rest?”

”What’s funny?”

”You’re talking about the Crimson Moon Princess. Do you think she needs to rest in a small city like this?”

”Who knows?”

The demon shrugged.

”Maybe she wanted to see the city.”

”Then you’re saying a princess from one of the strongest royal families in the Underworld is walking around here?”

”Not yet.”

The demon lowered his voice.

”I heard their group will arrive tomorrow.”

Gray remained completely still.

’The Crimson Moon Princess.’

He knew exactly who they were talking about.

One of the most talented young demons of the current generation, a princess born from the Crimson Moon Royal Family, possessing an awakened royal bloodline and cultivation at the Monarch Realm despite her age.

More importantly...

She was one of the candidates expected to perform exceptionally well in the upcoming Demon Academy entrance exam.

Gray’s eyes slowly narrowed.

’She’s coming here.’

A faint smile appeared on his face.

’Just perfect.’

He had been looking for someone strong enough to test his current strength.

The young demons he had heard about were already impressive, but finding one of them in this city had seemed unlikely.

Now one of the strongest candidates was coming directly to him.

Gray slowly turned away from the table.

’But for now...’

He walked toward the exit.

’I should rest.’

He had accumulated quite a few resources after winning the Inter-Exchange Tournament.

Then there were the things Aurora had given him before he left.

Those resources were still inside his spatial ring, waiting to be refined.

The resources he had obtained from the tournament were not ordinary.

There were cultivation pills, rare herbs, monster cores, and several high-grade resources, while Aurora had given him even more valuable materials.

Gray had not wasted any of them.

He had stored everything inside his spatial ring and planned to refine them slowly after reaching the Underworld.

’If I absorb all of it without rushing...’

Gray calculated his current condition.

’That should be enough to reach the Early Sovereign Realm.’

He paused for a moment.

’Perhaps even close to the middle stage.’

A quiet smile appeared on his face.

’That should be enough for now.’

He did not need to force his cultivation upward.

Breaking through too quickly without properly strengthening his foundation would only create problems later.