The Ancient Demon tore through the void, his white robes fluttering against the vastness of the universe. An aura of earth-shattering, dragon-slaying intent hung in the air, a single thought manifesting an Illusion Realm. Sword energy, peerless and sharp, descended from above.
"Alas! Fate is a cruel jester!"
The Demon ancestor spat blood from the corner of his mouth; having lost the will to struggle, he slowly closed his eyes.
"Boom!"
At that very moment, a powerful pressure descended, instantly shattering the sword energy into dust. The tyrannical aura radiated outward, leaving those nearby gasping for breath.
"This is... the primordial ancestor of the Demon race?"
Qin Xingchen narrowed his eyes, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart. He had thought he had successfully interrupted the demon blood sacrifice ritual, but he had not expected that the ancient ancestor summoned by the demons would be able to locate them here, relying on a divine consciousness that spanned the entire universe.
"Hahaha... The heavens have not forsaken my Celestial Demon race! The heavens have not failed me, Shentu Zhantian!"
The Demon ancestor, sensing that terrifying aura, felt a surge of wild ecstasy and laughed toward the sky. With that grating laughter, a streak of red light tore through the horizon, draping the black clouds above in a hazy, crimson veil. Gale-force winds rose, and snowflakes, glowing with an eerie red light, began to drift down in a chaotic flurry, as if the Demon God himself were weeping blood. In an instant, the black clouds in the sky churned, thick with demonic energy.
"Hum—"
A red beam of light descended, and within it, a bizarre humanoid figure flickered in and out of existence, his true features obscured. The beam vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and everything returned to calm, save for the drifting red snow that served as a reminder that what had just occurred was no hallucination. The ethereal, towering figure radiated a terrifying pressure that buffeted the heavens. Slowly, the figure turned, and a fierce, substantive gaze swept across them.
"It seems that the visitors are not well-intentioned, and those well-intentioned do not come!"
Qin Xingchen stared fixedly at the terrifying figure, secretly shocked. In a trance-like moment, the bizarre humanoid figure vanished. In a single blink, he traversed a thousand zhang and appeared directly before them, standing opposite Qin Xingchen.
The figure was wreathed in black mist, his demonic energy so overwhelming it felt as though he might crush the very firmament. Looking closely, one could see he was a burly old man with white hair and beard. He wore a gilded lotus crown, and his exposed skin was a strange, dark red. His face, sharp as if carved from stone, radiated a murderous glare that struck fear into the heart. His crimson pupils revealed a wicked, alluring light; with every flicker of his lids, he seemed to possess the power to destroy the world. The wide, black robe he wore swayed in the wind, embroidered with gold and red patterns that marked his extraordinary status.
The old man spoke, his voice like the tolling of a great bell: "My descendants, how have you become so weak? To be driven to such a state by a mere human junior—I am deeply disappointed."
The Demon ancestor hurriedly bowed and cupped his hands, trembling as he spoke: "The ancestor’s rebuke is just, but this..."
"Enough, enough. I have no desire to inquire into the karma of this place. You may withdraw... I am but a spirit-body projection, and my time is limited."
Before the old man could finish, the Ancient Demon God waved his hand, cutting him off.
"We obey the ancestor’s decree!"
Shentu Zhantian bowed hastily and retreated to the side.
Qin Xingchen carefully sensed the aura before him, his heart beginning to pound. Based on the pressure radiating from the figure, he knew he was no match for him.
"Human boy, are you the one who forced these useless descendants of mine to open the Demon Blood Altar?"
Having said this, the Demon ancestor fixed a cold, icy stare upon Qin Xingchen. As he spoke, his blood-red claw pressed downward. In an instant, a terrifying pressure bore down upon Qin Xingchen.
"So... so strong. He truly lives up to his reputation as a True Immortal!"
Qin Xingchen felt the spiritual energy in his body stall under the crushing weight, his bones beginning to crack and pop. It felt as if a massive mountain were pressing down upon him.
"A little interesting... but unfortunately... it is still not enough!"
The Ancient Demon God pressed down with more force.
"Pfft—"
Qin Xingchen felt his blood surge, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood, instantly staining his white chest red. Not daring to hesitate further, he immediately channeled the Nine Heavens Astral Formula, attempting to resist the terrifying pressure.
"Hum—"
Under his constant urging, iridescent light slowly emerged around Qin Xingchen, instantly transforming into a brilliant galaxy that swirled around him.
"Break for me!"
Qin Xingchen let out a roar, and the brilliant galaxy suddenly surged, transforming into a vast, celestial river. Stars twinkled within it, and a vast, cosmic power exploded outward, shattering the Ancient Demon God’s destructive pressure.
"Oh! You human junior actually has some tricks?"
The Ancient Demon God paused, a look of disbelief crossing his face. "Though you have some skill, that is all you have!"
A fierce light flashed in his blood-red eyes as he glared at Qin Xingchen. He waved his wide sleeve, and a blood-red Dragon-Slaying Blade slowly manifested in his large palm.
"Boy! Taste my blade!"
His mountain-like frame flickered, and he raised the Dragon-Slaying Blade, hacking down toward Qin Xingchen. The crimson blade light was incomparably sharp; wherever it passed, the void was shredded to pieces.
"Boom!"
Violent, turbulent void currents tore crazily at everything in sight.
"Three-Life Sword—Demon Severing!"
Seeing the blade shadow descending at high speed, Qin Xingchen’s heart tightened; he dared not delay. The Three-Life Sword in his hand erupted with brilliant silver light, moving to intercept the falling Dragon-Slaying Blade.
"Clang—"
The sound of metal clashing rang through the heavens, and the shockwave from the impact erupted outward. Qin Xingchen was sent flying back thousands of zhang before he could barely steady himself. Before he could recover, another peerless blade light swung in from his rear right. Qin Xingchen hurriedly swung his sword to block, but as expected, he was sent flying again.
The Ancient Demon God moved his blade with dizzying speed; in the blink of an eye, he had struck dozens of times. Dense, blood-red blade shadows surged to envelop Qin Xingchen. As the terrifying blade intent spread, the sky grew dim, and the mountains and rivers fractured. All this seemed to last for a long time, but in reality, it happened within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
The Ancient Demon God’s momentum grew with every strike, each blade more powerful than the last, until he had unleashed eighty-one strikes in one breath. With the final blow, Qin Xingchen was cast away like a kite with a broken string, flying tens of thousands of zhang until he shattered a small mountain, finally coming to a halt.
However, the Ancient Demon God did not give him a moment to breathe. Before he could rise, another world-destroying blade descended upon him. If he were struck by this blow, he would surely perish!
"Activate!"
At that moment, the surrounding space shifted, and the Ancient Demon’s strike fell, but it hit nothing but air. His burly frame now stood in the midst of a lush forest. The surrounding trees were ancient and colossal, reaching into the clouds like pillars supporting the heavens. From afar, the Ancient Demon God’s massive stature looked no larger than a child’s, appearing extraordinarily small.
"Hmph! Trying to trap this ancestor with a mere Illusion Realm? You are deluded!"
The Ancient Demon God snorted coldly. The Dragon-Slaying Blade erupted with brilliant red light, and nine golden dragons, claws bared and fangs exposed, flew out from within the blade. Wherever the dragons passed, the towering trees were shattered. Violent storms of elemental energy exploded, and in the blink of an eye, the lush forest was obliterated.
Just then, everything around them went still. The dust dancing in the air, the falling debris, and the rubble all floated silently, as if time itself had stopped.
"Drip..."
In the void, a single drop of water fell, landing on the surface of a calm pool. At the sound of the drip, the tranquility of the water was shattered, and a profound, mysterious aura erupted outward.
The Ancient Demon God suddenly came to his senses. Everything before him was as it had been; the surrounding forest remained lush and green. It was as if none of it had ever happened—as if he had merely been dreaming.
"Let’s see what other tricks you can play!"
The Ancient Demon God was furious. With a roar, he raised his Dragon-Slaying Blade and swung it at the surrounding forest.
"Boom!"
The surrounding scene shattered once more. With this strike, dust filled the sky, and mountains crumbled. The Ancient Demon God wore a satisfied smile; his sharp, stone-carved face was dark red, and his laughter appeared only the more eerie and sinister.
"Drip—"
However, before the old man’s smile could fade, the surrounding scene returned to normal.
"It seems this is not merely a simple Illusion Realm!"
After the repeated changes, the Ancient Demon God seemed to have gained some insight. This was likely not just a simple illusion, but an Illusion Array. If he did not find the array’s eye, he would be trapped within it—either trapped forever, never to see the light of day again, or forced to repeat the cycle until his divine power was exhausted and he dissipated. After all, this was only a projection of divine sense traversing the void; his true body remained locked away in the Divine Demon Purgatory.
The Ancient Demon God pondered for a long time, then suddenly looked up at the sky. In the gray, overcast expanse, a dim, yellow sun hid behind the clouds, casting a weak, cold-white light over the forest. Yet, under the illumination of this sun, the ancient trees cast no shadows—a bizarre inconsistency.
The old man’s heart stirred. He raised the Dragon-Slaying Blade and unleashed a streak of blade energy toward the cold-white sun.
"Boom!"
The blade energy surged, striking the sun in an instant. With a loud roar, brilliant light erupted, and a massive shockwave expanded in all directions.
"Drip."
Another drop of water fell in the void, landing on the surface, sending ripples outward.
The Ancient Demon God felt a blur before his eyes. Everything returned to normal. Yet, a wicked, alluring smile curled at the corner of his mouth. It seemed that in this trial, he had finally found the key to breaking the array.