"ROAR!"
Walls crumbled and houses collapsed.
A toad the size of a millstone, wreathed in a demonic wind, charged into the crowd.
The demonic wind was poisonous.
Those who inhaled it found their limbs growing limp and numb. Then, with a flick of the toad’s long tongue, they were instantly reduced to puddles of viscous liquid.
The fist-sized pustules covering the toad Demon’s body sporadically spurted Poisonous Water, killing anyone it touched.
The members of the Sanhe Gang dared not approach, scrambling back and tripping over each other in their retreat.
In an instant, the scene descended into chaos.
Not far away, several Wolf Demons lunged relentlessly into the crowd, their fanged maws tearing at flesh and limbs.
A Spider Demon spun its web, a Bird Demon took to the sky...
The demons ran rampant!
"Fire!"
Suddenly, a shrill, furious roar rang out.
TWANG!
Bowstrings vibrated as arrows and Crossbow Arrows as thick as a child’s arm rained down from the sky.
Gleaming with a cold light, the Armor-Piercing arrowheads shrieked through the air, unleashed in a mad volley upon the horde of Demons.
The arrows fell like dense rain, covering most of the courtyard. Before one Wolf Demon could even react, several shafts pierced clean through it. The Giant Power behind them lifted its Demon Body off the ground, pinning it to the stone wall behind.
The black arrows pierced Skin and Flesh and tore through bone, carrying with them a strange energy that suppressed demonic evil.
Demon-Devouring Iron!
From the moment they were forged, the arrowheads had been infused with Demon-Devouring Iron, designed to suppress Demons.
The crisscrossing arrows formed a lethal net, felling one Demon after another wherever they passed.
"ROAR!"
A colossal crocodile, several dozen feet long, burst through a pile of bricks and rubble. With a single sweep of its tail, it sent several archers flying. Their steel armor was no match for the Giant Power of the blow, and they were all killed instantly.
"Croc Hall Master."
Seeing this, Hall Master He roared in fury:
"What are you doing?"
"You failed to control your subordinates, letting them run wild with their bestial instincts! We had no choice but to kill them!"
"Bullshit!" the crocodile roared.
"These archers were clearly trained to counter the Demon Race! You’ve been wary of us all along."
"Even if this hadn’t happened today, you would have made a move against us sooner or later!"
"Nonsense!" Hall Master He’s eyes narrowed.
"We were just preparing for a rainy day. But as it turns out, the Gang Leader’s preparations were not in vain. A demon is a demon. Even if you can understand human speech, you have no humanity."
"If we hadn’t prepared in advance, the Sanhe Gang would have been destroyed by you pack of Demons today!"
"ROAR!" the crocodile bellowed.
"He, you’re courting death!"
"Hmph!" Hall Master He snorted coldly. He took an eight-hundred-jin spear from a nearby subordinate and pointed it at the Croc Hall Master.
"I’ve been itching to deal with you for a long time. Today, we settle this!"
"Charge!"
"The Gang Leader has given the order! The demons have lost their minds! You are to show no mercy! Kill them all!"
The Sanhe Gang members surged forward. Arrows whirred through the air, once again raining down on the Demons.
And the two Hall Masters, both at the Seventh-Grade Peak Realm, began to fight to the death.
...
Outside, the earth-shaking cries of battle raged, but inside the room, all was calm.
Hai Yunzou sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion with his eyes closed, while the Sanhe Gang Leader, Li Xianshan, stood with his hands behind his back before a painted scroll.
"A little impatience can spoil a great plan."
Li Xianshan began to speak slowly.
"My family was poor when I was young. I was fortunate enough to be adopted by my foster father, but I was never favored. I’ve only made it this far by being cautious."
"You must understand..."
"On a chessboard, one wrong move, and you lose the whole game!"
"They’ve followed me for decades, even centuries." Hai Yunzou slowly opened his eyes. They were crystal clear, reflecting Li Xianshan’s image.
"I once promised that when I became a Great Demon, I would give them the life they desired."
"You’re not a Great Demon yet," Li Xianshan chuckled.
"Besides, what does it matter if you become one?"
"In the Martial World, your fate is not your own. Even the exalted East Sea Dragon Race had to swear an oath never to set foot on land, did they not?"
"Some subordinates... if they die, they die. You can always recruit more later. You mustn’t let them ruin your own Cultivation."
"..." Hai Yunzou stared directly at Li Xianshan, then suddenly grinned.
"I heard that to reach the Sixth Grade, you offered the woman you loved to your foster father."
"That level of forbearance is truly remarkable!"
"I..."
"Am nothing like you!"
*
*
*
’Chaos!’
’It’s really turned to chaos this time.’
Standing on a roof ridge, watching the city engulfed in flames and listening to the shrieks and wails, Zhu Ju couldn’t help but shake his head.
He hadn’t expected there to be so many Demons in Taiyuan Prefecture.
Especially in West City.
The area was full of the poor, a motley mix of all sorts.
At the same time, it was also the largest Black Market for Demon Blood Flesh. Some people specifically raised Low-Tier Demons to sell their meat.
Now, crazed Demons had broken out of their cages, setting off a chain reaction that had thrown all of West City into turmoil.
Other areas were faring better.
Especially around the City Lord’s Mansion. With the deployment of elite Mansion Soldiers, the nearby Demons were quickly slain.
’This is the territory of the Divine Dynasty’s Human Race, after all. The Demons can cause temporary chaos, but it won’t last long.’
Watching the Mansion Soldiers charge out, accompanied by government officials, to begin purging the Demons, Zhu Ju slowly averted his gaze.
SWISH!
His figure flickered as he leaped back and forth across the rooftops, heading toward the Zhu Mansion.
There were no Demons in the Zhu Mansion.
No!
There was one Half-Demon.
’I wonder if the Demon-Luring Grass, which triggers a demon’s bestial nature, will affect that Qian Hu. Not that it matters. Qian Hu hasn’t even achieved Grade Entering yet. Even if he goes berserk, he can’t cause much trouble.’
"Hm?"
As he moved, Zhu Ju’s eyebrows twitched, his gaze drawn to a nearby courtyard.
Inside the courtyard was a Demon that looked like an ordinary ox, but with a white body and four horns. Its hair was so long, stiff, and dense that it resembled a straw raincoat.
An Aoyin!
This was a Demon recorded in the Hundred Demons Chart. It was of an extremely high grade, not something transformed from a common creature.
Even as a juvenile, it possessed the strength of a Seventh-Grade Martial Artist.
And its opponent...
Was Lu Dingkui!
SWISH!
The Aoyin was as fast as a cheetah, and its power was astounding; it could withstand blades without injury.
Several corpses already lay at its feet.
"Vile beast!"
Lu Dingkui’s eyes were bloodshot as he roared furiously.
"Die!"
Giant Spirit Fist!
Mountain Shattering!
His Fist Force was ferocious, whistling through the air, but his Eighth-Grade Cultivation was proving ineffective against the Demon.
BANG!
His fist landed on the Aoyin’s back, but the Fist Force was mostly absorbed by its fur and Skin and Flesh, leaving little impact.
The Demon merely swayed before swiping with its claw.
This strike could tear through steel; a Mortal’s body stood no chance.
THUMP!
The result was unexpected.
’Hm?’
Zhu Ju let out a sound of surprise, suppressing the urge to intervene.
Though he’d taken a blow, Lu Dingkui’s clothes were merely torn. His Skin and Flesh were unharmed, and he had even used the opportunity to close the distance between them.
"Die, vile beast!"
He roared, his body crashing down like a collapsing mountain, his Fist Force massive and profound as he collided with the Demon once more.
This time, the Demon actually let out a pained cry and was sent flying backward.
’A Seventh-Grade Demon was no match for an Eighth-Grade Martial Artist?’
’Just because I, Zhu Ju, can easily kill a Seventh-Grade Martial Artist despite being only at the Ninth Grade, one shouldn’t think that defeating a higher-ranked opponent is simple. In reality, that’s only because I have the experience of a Third-Grade master and perfect control over my Physical Body.’
’An ordinary Martial Artist... Forget about jumping two grades, even a Ninth Grade fighting an Eighth Grade has almost no chance of victory.’
’An Eighth Grade fighting a Seventh Grade is even more hopeless.’
’Unless...’
’...they are practicing some top-tier heritage technique!’
’Giant Spirit Divine Skill!’
Zhu Ju muttered to himself, a strange light glinting in his eyes.
"The Lu Family actually possesses the complete Giant Spirit Divine Skill—not just the Giant Spirit Fist, but the Giant Spirit Skill as well."
"This is a top-tier Cultivation Technique that leads directly to the Third Grade. It’s even a cut above the Fire Separation Mysterious Skill that Hong Qingyi, the Qingyi Gang Leader, cultivates."
"Lu Dingkui..."
"You’ve hidden your secrets well!"