“Better run fast, or you’re dead today!”
Ling Xiao felt exhilarated. The Plague Demon King martial soul behind him perfectly countered his opponent, and with his Human-Dragon form boosting his combat power, killing the Plague Demon King was all but certain.
Hm? Blocking the exit, Ling Xiao was surprised to find the Plague Demon King wasn’t fleeing but charging toward the battlefield of the Demon General, Shangguan Lei, and his martial soul clone.
“Not good!” Ling Xiao pursued, using Cloud Dragon Divine Walk. It not only granted elusive movement but also vastly increased his speed. A high-grade Gold Level technique far outstripped an entry-level one.
Fearing the Plague Demon King would target Shangguan Lei, Ling Xiao secretly ordered his clone to protect him. Shangguan Lei was still useful, at least as a witness. If the sect investigated Wanyan Jun and Chen Zui’s deaths, Shangguan Lei could vouch for him. If all three died, it’d be trouble—someone could frame him, and he’d have no defence.
But when he caught up, he saw the Plague Demon King dive into the Demon General’s body. A blood-curdling scream followed as the Demon General’s body was overtaken, his soul either erased or suppressed.
“Gaga gaga, don’t blame me. The enemy’s too strong. Consider this your sacrifice for the Empire,” the Plague Demon King laughed, his aura surging powerfully.
Buzz! He unleashed a soul attack, a terrifying force flooding toward Ling Xiao. He likely thought a powerful soul resided in Ling Xiao, making a soul attack more effective.
But he didn’t know Ling Xiao feared soul confrontations least of all.
“What is that!” The Plague Demon King spat a mouthful of thick green blood, horrified as his soul force collided with a massive golden dragon. Its boundless, ancient aura made him tremble. The dragon’s might was even more terrifying than before.
His soul attack was useless and backfired. The Plague Demon King was truly terrified. He’d thought seizing the Demon General’s body would make him far stronger than Ling Xiao. He was wrong—disastrously so.
Wiping blood from his mouth, he eyed Ling Xiao warily, no longer daring to use soul attacks. Ling Xiao stood calmly, everything under control. In Human-Dragon form, his soul-entering state was enhanced—his mind, vision, senses, and touch sharper and stronger. Everything around him felt within his grasp.
He was the master of this domain! His Mountain and River Martial Soul’s nine abilities surged. Within a ten-metre radius, he ruled, setting the laws, unbound by the mysterious realm’s rules. It felt incredible!
The Plague Demon King, staring into Ling Xiao’s golden pupils and feeling his mysterious, ancient aura, trembled. This aura, once only felt from the True Demon Emperor and the Human Holy Lord Ji Wu, was commanding, dominating, primeval—an aura that crushed his will to resist.
Wind Phenomenon—Heavenly Dragon Divine Finger! As the Plague Demon King panicked, Ling Xiao struck. A single finger unleashed wind condensed into a thin line, a precision only possible with the Mountain and River Martial Soul. Unlike the earlier Wind Phenomenon with the Tiangang Sword Formation, this was more focused, concentrated into a single point, its power multiplied several times.
Most terrifyingly, the Heavenly Dragon Divine Finger’s straight golden beam bent midair, as if curved by the wind. Pfft! It struck from a tricky angle, piercing the Plague Demon King’s newly acquired body.
“Damn, how does he know the Demon General’s body’s weakness? Too uncanny!” The Plague Demon King knew the weakness because he created this Demon General. No being was perfect, but he’d hidden the weakness well. Ordinary warriors, even Celestial Realm ones, wouldn’t find it. This kid was too terrifying—could he be a revived primeval soul?
Enduring the pain, the Plague Demon King fled toward the palace’s exit, his mental defences shattered. He knew he couldn’t win against this monster. Though abandoning this place infuriated him, survival demanded it. If he died, there’d be no comeback.
Thunder Phenomenon—Heavenly Dragon Divine Finger! How could Ling Xiao let him escape? Whether the Plague Demon King had treasures or not, he’d kill him and merge him into his new martial soul.
The same finger technique, with different phenomenon power, produced a vastly different attack. A thick finger beam roared with thunderous cracks. The palace shook, thunder echoing, as if it might collapse.
Ling Xiao’s mastery of phenomenon power grew, and paired with the already formidable Heavenly Dragon Divine Finger, it left the Plague Demon King too terrified to look back. Boom! Though he dodged most of the attack, a chunk of his body was blasted off, leaving a gaping wound oozing green blood.
“Senior, spare me! I’ll offer the True Demon Empire’s treasures!” Terrified as Ling Xiao prepared another attack, he shouted, “Kill me, and you’ll never get them!”
His heart seethed with hatred, but fear overwhelmed it. Facing Ling Xiao’s unpredictable, terrifying attacks, he had no counter. He hoped, given time to recover, he’d take revenge. For now, sacrificing some treasures to survive was worth it.
“You think you can bargain with me? I told you to leave earlier, but you didn’t. Now, you’ve no chance,” Ling Xiao said, maintaining his domineering senior act to pressure the Plague Demon King, leaving him no room to think.
