The Black-Armoured Demon raised his giant axe high, his right foot stomping on Dali’s chest, laughing triumphantly.
From Mo Fan’s desperate efforts to save Dali, the Black-Armoured Demon understood there must be a deep bond between the two, so he devised this plan to pierce Mo Fan’s heart and throw him into disarray.
A Devouring Demon? So what?
Breaking through to Demon General? So what?
In the end, he could only watch helplessly as his companion was killed, powerless to stop it.
“You dare!” Mo Fan roared, his massive eyes glaring furiously, the vertical pupils narrowing into slits.
“Master, I’ll be your loyal follower in the next life!” Dali, now fully conscious, growled. Though he had broken through the Demon Soldier realm, he was still weak against the far stronger Black-Armoured Demon.
With a low roar, the horns on his head glowed, transforming into two curved blades. He grabbed them, aiming to slash at the demon pinning him down.
Swish!
The giant axe descended, cleaving the horn blades in two, heading straight for Dali’s neck.
Splat!
At the critical moment, a figure blocked the blow, its back armour torn apart by the axe, blood spraying everywhere.
“Old… Old Six?!” Dali stared at the pained figure before him, unable to believe his eyes.
“Dali, damn you… Why should you always get to play the hero and earn the tears?” Old Six said with a bitter laugh, his face uglier than crying. “This time, I want to shine too!
“But I really don’t want to die… and… why does it hurt so much? I… I thought my shell and armour could take it…”
“Why… couldn’t I block it…
“I regret this…”
As he spoke, Old Six had thought his defensive strength would withstand the Black-Armoured Demon’s strike, but the result far exceeded his expectations.
He couldn’t block it at all.
“Ah—!!”
“Old Six!!”
The giant toad roared, shaking the heavens, then leaped forward, transforming into his spiritual form and appearing before the Black-Armoured Demon in an instant.
“Die!” Mo Fan, consumed by rage, threw a punch, a thunderous rumble echoing from his abdomen.
The next moment, his fist glowed with silver light, as if imbued with a divine technique.
Little Thunder Sound Fist, Realm of Creation!
Boom!
A thunderclap erupted, startling the Black-Armoured Demon. His giant axe was blasted away, and a bloody hole was punched through his black armour.
The punch had pierced straight through his chest.
“How… is this possible…” The Black-Armoured Demon’s eyes widened, and he staggered back.
Before he could retreat far, Mo Fan swallowed him in one gulp.
“Master… save… save me…” Old Six raised his head, looking at Mo Fan with hope, blood foaming from his mouth as he wept, “I don’t want to die…”
“Don’t speak,” Mo Fan said, standing before Old Six. His entire back was shattered, a mangled mess of flesh and blood, his organs pulverised. It was clear he wouldn’t survive.
Mo Fan’s outstretched hand trembled.
Even so, he channelled a drop of demon liquid and a surge of energy into Old Six’s body.
Boom—
In an instant, demonic and spiritual energy erupted, briefly raising Old Six’s cultivation to mid-Demon Soldier level before it plummeted again.
Mo Fan’s face was grim. He realised Old Six’s body was like a dam with a gaping hole. No matter how much energy he poured in, it couldn’t stay, dissipating instantly.
Old Six’s injuries were far worse than he’d imagined, even worse than Dali’s.
There was no saving him.
“Master… I think I see Old Eight… he’s come for me…” Old Six murmured.
“Old Six!” Dali sat up, clutching Old Six’s head, his face full of agony. “Why did you save me with your life? You could’ve lived!”
“Because… I wanted to prove to Master… that us old demons… are worth trusting…” Old Six said, his voice fading. “Before, we had no choice… but now, I finally can…”
Before he could finish, Old Six’s life slipped away, his pupils turning dull.
“Old Six!!” Dali roared to the heavens, clutching Old Six’s body, overcome with grief.
Mo Fan fell silent, staring at Old Six’s corpse for a long time before saying calmly, “Master has received your proof. You demons are indeed trustworthy…”
Old Six’s death dimmed the joy of Mo Fan’s breakthrough to Demon General, leaving his eyes misty.
He had thought demons only schemed and betrayed, that he’d never be moved by any demon’s death.
But he was wrong.
Only now did he realise he could grieve for his lesser demons, that demons and humans, aside from their appearance, weren’t so different after all.
Looking around, Mo Fan saw no other demons nearby, only two piles of corpses, various animals among them, but not the two familiar figures he sought.
He looked down at the palm-sized beetle, Old Six’s true form, and fell silent, wanting to speak but unsure what to say.
“Dali, let’s go. Take Old Six. We’re going home,” Mo Fan said hoarsely, his voice choked with emotion.
Dali nodded, taking Old Six’s body into his pouch, then followed Mo Fan toward the two piles of corpses.
“Well, looks like the show’s over,” Diamond said from afar, facing the Black Cloud Mountain demons, pursing his lips in dissatisfaction. “What a lousy performance!
“Black Nether Mountain and Black Cloud Mountain’s demons are such trash. They couldn’t even handle a toad and let him break through… Ugh, what a headache.”
In his calculations, the toad demon should’ve died.
Yet he survived and broke through to Demon General, making him a potential future rival.
“It’s time to step into the Demon General realm,” Diamond muttered.
“What did you say?” Big Horn, secretly pleased that Mo Fan had survived, was startled by Diamond’s words.
Diamond ignored him, spitting out a crimson fruit. He examined it for a moment before tossing it back into his mouth. As he chewed, a terrifying demonic aura surged from his body.
“So this is Demon General power…” Diamond said. “From today, I, Diamond, am Black Wind Mountain’s fifth Demon General!”
“Hahaha…”
As his demonic aura grew, Diamond’s presence intensified, finally breaking through to the Demon General realm.
At the same time, the blood-robed youth among Black Cloud Mountain’s demons consumed something, and a terrifying aura erupted from him as well.
In mere moments, both demons had broken through to the Demon General realm.
