Amid the swirling mist and frost, a figure stood out prominently. Shrouded in a thin, dark shadow that draped around him like a massive cloak, most of his body was obscured.
On closer inspection, the shadow seemed almost alive; even as he stood still, it undulated slightly, with its edges constantly shifting and occasionally releasing wisps of black smoke that morphed into various shapes in the air.
This person, having made his move, drifted slowly downwards and fixed his gaze on the gray-white figure still embedded in the cliff face. He lowered his voice deliberately, asking, “Did you see that?”
The response was a shrill, piercing wail from the gray-white figure trapped in the cliff.
To ordinary ears, this sound would have no meaning, but the figure clearly understood: “You’re saying I’m strong? What nonsense… Or are you saying you can’t understand human speech?”
Another series of sharp cries came from the gray-white figure but was abruptly cut off.
The cliff wall shattered, scattering stones and raising a cloud of dust.
Just in time, the gray-white figure sprang away, escaping several dozen feet. Otherwise, he would have been sliced in half by the twenty-foot crack newly embedded in the cliff wall.
The attacker chuckled softly, “So, you want to say you’re from the Moon Demon clan, don’t you?”
The so-called Moon Demons were an elite, high-ranking demon race dwelling within the treacherous “Eight Torment Nether” of the Blood Demon Restricted Realm. Known for their immense power, the strongest among them throughout history held the title of “Great Lord of the Nether,” making them a crucial force within the Blood Demon Restricted Realm.
Of course, ordinary people, or even top-tier cultivators, would know little of this information. Yet, the two here clearly weren’t typical cases.
The one holding the advantage laughed even more deeply, “Keep pretending! I’m watching closely, you know!”
Under the tangible and intangible pressure from his opponent, the gray-white figure’s chest heaved, unable to utter a single word.
Yet, his silence didn’t mean his opponent would spare him.
The shadow, which had just retracted, suddenly expanded again, covering an area three miles wide. This shadow originated from the “cloak” draped over the attacker’s shoulders.
Recognizing the impending danger, the gray-white figure retreated swiftly.
But no matter how fast he moved, how could he escape the three-mile span in an instant? Suddenly, darkness enveloped him once more. Just as he attempted to use his twisted light-wave technique to escape, a hand parted the tendrils of black mist, reaching toward him.
He let out a shriek and extended his long arm to stab.
“What an impressive sword technique!”
The voice of his enemy seemed to echo from every corner within the shadow’s range, and the hand that was reaching for him vanished. Suddenly, a heavy punch landed squarely on the gray-white figure’s face, contorting half of his visage and sending his entire body flying back, even further than before.
“When did the demons of the Blood Demon Restricted Realm learn swordplay? That strike was somewhat interesting. Oh? Are you trying to say it wasn’t swordplay… So, you’re saying I’m blind?”
A sudden roar accompanied the strike, causing the battered gray-white figure to tremble violently. A second, then a third wave of terrifying blows crashed down on him from the mist and frost, each hit landing solidly. A succession of bone-cracking sounds echoed as the gray-white figure was instantly compressed, hurtling ten miles into the distance through clouds and mist.
After much struggle, he finally managed to stop himself, only to see his powerful opponent already waiting in front of him, casually shaking his wrist as if the punch had caused considerable recoil.
“Body shielded by sword Qi? Otherwise, I’d have smashed you into pulp with a single punch… Hmm, how long has it been since I last tasted the green persimmons from Yin Mountain?”
The gray-white figure, gasping heavily, could barely keep up with the enemy’s erratic train of thought and simply gave up, focusing on his ragged breathing.
The wild winds in the void had no direction, whistling through the frigid mist, occasionally spiraling into fierce tornadoes. Some creatures that hadn’t escaped in time were caught in the storm, dragged deep into the roaring cold currents, where their usual strength and ferocity were no match.
A few tumbles within the severe cold currents caused them to freeze over instantly. Their frozen bodies shattered into countless pieces with each collision, fragmenting further into fine particles that blended into the intensifying storm.
Even in such a hostile environment, and in his battered state, the gray-white figure remained suspended in midair, enduring the raging cold currents around him. Standing nearly nine feet tall, his body almost merged with the mist.
Occasionally, glimpses of his exposed skin revealed a smooth, eerily unnatural texture. Although his face had been distorted by heavy blows, it still bore a vaguely human likeness, with its sunken contours and glowing, jade-green pupils.
Now, he coughed blood—though it was actually a thick, grayish-white liquid.
The figure with the shadow cloak noted his appearance, clicking his tongue in admiration. “Indeed, you’ve got a fine disguise. Your mimicry of the Moon Demon is impressive. Not only do you look the part, but you move like one, speak like one, even bleed like one… I was quite startled when I first saw a ‘Moon Demon.’ Damn, when they spit up blood, who knows what kind of junk they’re spitting up!”
The gray-white figure had no response to such comments.
But his opponent didn’t let up. “Too bad, it’s only an imitation. I’ve spent a hundred years in the Blood Demon Restricted Realm, with forty of those in the Eight Torment Nether. I’ve k!lled no fewer than eight thousand Moon Demons. Just a slight twitch of their behinds, and I can tell exactly what they’re about to do. Why don’t you try doing the same?”
The gray-white figure remained silent, ignoring the other’s reaction. The man burst into laughter, leaning back and forth, clapping his hands and slapping his knees, nearly laughing himself breathless.
The gray-white figure continued in silence.
Just then, a distant “boom” echoed through the void. Though this place was neither connected to the heavens above nor grounded to the earth below, the sound still caused a tremor. Even the distant cliffs, thousands of feet high and several miles away, shuddered slightly, rocks tumbling down, as if they might collapse at any moment.
As the tremor intensified, the chill in the air grew colder.
In Sky Rift Valley, hail began to fall, countless ice pellets striking the two figures standing in the void before bouncing off with a steady “thunk-thunk.”
“So, as I said, something serious has happened.”
Seeing the situation unfold, the figure cloaked in shadows sighed. “Another passage or two in Sky Rift Valley isn’t a big deal. It just lets people travel more freely and avoid becoming estranged from each other. This cold wave I triggered is nothing either—plenty of people have done that in the Blood Prison. But now, with both forces colliding, the cold wave is surging forward, clashing with the surrounding world’s energy. If a real calamity were to happen, with the earth and mountains reshaped, would Heaven’s wrath fall upon me?”
“In the past, it wouldn’t have mattered, but now that my cultivation is greatly weakened, how would I withstand a calamity if it came?”
As he fretted, the gray-white figure kept his mouth shut, choosing not to interrupt. Yet, the man refused to let him off:
“And you, sneaky one, your mind is full of schemes. I can tell you’re up to no good. You’ll go out there and spread rumors, making me the scapegoat, known to everyone and inviting all kinds of enemies. How would I deal with that…?”
“How would I deal with that!”
As soon as the lament left his mouth, the gray-white figure abruptly bolted, dropping ten feet before shifting into a wave of distorted light, weaving through the falling hail in an attempt to flee.
The enemy, of course, was not about to let him escape, extending his shadowy cloak to capture him again. Just then, a fierce cry echoed from above the cliff, coming closer: “Take this!”
The shout drew the man’s attention. He glanced up. “Another accomplice…hmm, Army of Enlightened King Technique?”
Opposite the cold wave, a layer of intense flames poured down from the cliff. The fire, deep black in color, surged forward, and each stream of flame vaguely formed the shape of a black serpent, hissing and mingling with explosive crackles to form a piercing sound that swept towards them.
The man watched with amusement. “The flame’s quality is pure enough, but what about its level?”
This surge of black flames possessed the cultivation level of only a beginner in Core Refinement. Even with the protective enhancements of Buddhist arts, it barely registered as a threat to him. Standing still, he doubted the black flames could break through his true demonic body.
He squinted, looking up at the reckless figure on the cliff. “Which sect’s little monk is this?”
Then, from the same voice, another shout rang out: “Lady Huang Quan sends greetings to Brother Liu!”
These words, shrouded in black flames, charged forward.
At that, the man froze in midair, letting the flames engulf him, though his shadowy cloak automatically reacted, coiling around him and swallowing the black flames whole.
The attack hit its mark, or rather, the words did. The “little monk” behind him pulled back and vanished into the depths of the cliff using a form of earth escape technique.
Meanwhile, the gray-white figure, unconcerned with anything else, dashed along the cliff, transforming into a streak of light as he sped away. He had stayed near the cliff all this time, enduring the relentless attacks, waiting for backup. Now, with the distraction, he was already miles away.
Things went more smoothly than expected.
By the time the man came to his senses, the two had already vanished without a trace. They were skilled in the arts of concealment, cutting off any clues for pursuit with expertise beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Yet, the man showed no intention of pursuing them. He simply hovered before the cliff, muttering to himself as he gazed at the dark rock.
“Huang Quan… Huang Quan…”
It was unclear how many times he repeated the name before suddenly throwing his head back and letting out a long howl. His voice reverberated, and the cliff within several meters around him shattered with a deafening crack, spiderweb-like cracks spreading from the breach.
In the echo of his howl, the words were faintly discernible:
“Huang Quan!”
The two syllables rumbled like thunder, reverberating through the canyon and lingering for a long time.
As the echo faded, the man fell silent. For a while, he made no movement, though his body visibly relaxed, conveying a sense of calm he had never shown before—an unprecedented stillness.
After a long while, he tilted his head, reaching a conclusion. “It’s not that cursed Huang Quan. Definitely not! Then who’s playing this trick on me? Hmm, I’ll have to look into this carefully.”
Then he chuckled, and the mist around him noticeably thickened.
At that moment, a trail of fire, carrying immense heat, shot up from several miles away through the frosty mist, blazing a bright path in his line of sight.
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