âImmortal Xie?â
Yu Ci looked up at the sky.
The clouds descending from the high heavens and the thunderfire rolling through themâheâd seen this once before. It was back when they were purging demons near the Heart Prohibition Temple. At the time, the highly compressed thunderfire stream caused a violent atmospheric shock over a dozen miles, creating a deafening roar. Once you saw it, youâd never forget it.
Then, he saw Yu Zhou. The white-haired old daoist stood just a few feet behind Immortal Chi Yin. His longsword remained sheathed, but Immortal Chi Yinâs stance was unusually stiff, clearly forced into a passive state.
Just then, a cry from the side rang outââMoon Demon!â
Moon Demon? That was probably this demonâs name. Its background was suspicious. At first, it looked like it intended to capture rather than kill, but once Xie Yan intervened, it immediately went for the kill without hesitation. If capture wasnât possible, then death was the only optionâits purpose was clear, and its actions swift and decisive, nothing like the usual brutish and direct style of common demons.
When had he made such a formidable enemy?
A loud thunderclap shook the sky, followed immediately by the Moon Demonâs sharp and piercing shriek. The sound was so intense it overwhelmed the thunder, its sonic waves spreading outward. The nine-foot-tall figure of the Moon Demon was blasted back, its body lit up in flickering glows like scattered shards of glass. Yet, it bore none of the charring or heavy injuries Yu Ci had expected. Though arcs of lightning coursed around it, the demon’s protective aura forced them away, preventing any real harm.
Yu Ci narrowed his eyes. âIs that⌠ice?â
The Moon Demonâs response was quite impressive. In the split second before the lightning struck, it used its innate cold-controlling ability to form a thick layer of ice, effectively insulating itself from the electricity. But the thunder that followed, forceful and unyielding, couldnât be stopped by mere ice. Though the Moon Demon countered with its screech, the outer ice still shattered with a loud crack, which was the scene Yu Ci had just witnessed.
But that wasnât the end of it!
The searing lightning dimmed, slithering back into the clouds. The rolling thunder became the main force beneath the nightâs sky. Though it seemed less threatening than the piercing bolts, this was specifically targeted at the Moon Demonâs cold-based abilities. The thunder, infused with intense Yang and powerful innate Qi, surged like a tidal wave across the area, churning the air for miles. From the outside in, the Moon Demonâs demonic energy was steamed and boiled, unable to form properly.
With a shrill cry, the Moon Demon faltered. It had originally been thrilled to escape Cliff City, thinking that once back in the sect, it could resume cultivation that had long been stagnant. Capturing or killing Yu Ci in these deserted mountains shouldâve been an effortless task. Who wouldâve thought Yu Ci had persuaded Xie Yan to protect him? The Moon Demonâs initial strike had already been disrupted, and just when it finally broke free and tried to escape, it was met head-on with a full-force thunder barrage.
To wield such peerless lightning arts in the borderlands of the Broken Boundary Mountain Rangeâthat could only be Immortal Xie of the Rifting Earth Sect.
How could a mere outer disciple attract so many heavyweights?
Reeling from one surprise after another, the Moon Demon was filled with bitter frustration. The emotional whiplash drained its morale. After suffering multiple blows, it didnât even have the heart to counterattack, only desperate to escape. But now, escaping was no simple matter.
The thunder rumbled in waves across the ten-mile radius, and from below, Xie Yan sent out a sword strike from a distance. He had a deep bond with Xie Liang; since childhood, they had fought side by side countless times and developed perfect synergy. The sword Qi he unleashed was no longer merely sharp and aggressive. The flashing sword light melded seamlessly with the surrounding thunder, their energies intertwining and complementing each other, multiplying the destructive force.
The Moon Demonâs cold aura could block lightning but not this blade-like thunder-infused sword light. Worse, its internal energy was in chaos due to the thunderâs resonance, making it hard to exert its power properly. Though it dodged with all its might, it was still grazed by the edge of the sword Qi.
With a muffled grunt, half its body was soaked in sword energy. Xie Yan didnât let up at all. Sword light slashed repeatedly, tearing through the night sky alongside the thunder, as if bolts of lightning were raining down. A single wave of sword Qi forced the Moon Demon into disarray, leaving it screeching in panic.
At that moment, the clouds above suddenly flared with light. A massive sword of lightning and fire burst out from the skyâthis time, it was genuine thunderfire. The attack had been charging for a long time and was launched without warning. The Moon Demon never expected it and couldnât form an ice barrier in time. The red-purple lightning struck it squarely on the crown of its head.
In that instant, every inch of its flesh and skin was flooded with lethal thunderfire. The roaring thunder twisted and assaulted it, yin-yang thunder energy swirling throughout its body, inside and out, completely purging it.
The destructive power of thunderfire against demonkind needed no explanation. Xie Yanâs sword light, gleaming across the sky, was no less lethal. When the two forces collided, a burst of gray-white mist exploded from the Moon Demonâs body, along with chunks of flesh. Its piercing wail was cut short as it plummeted to the ground.
With a heavy thud, the Moon Demon hit the earth. Its once-smooth outer skin was now scorched and curling, split open in countless tiny gashes oozing foul white fluid. But the most severe wound was a diagonal sword slash from the left shoulder downward. The surrounding flesh showed clearly cracked textures, and those cracks were still spreading.
It tried to press the wound with its hand, but the moment it touched it, the cracking accelerated. Just then, the sword Qi inside its body exploded again, forcing more of that white fluid out, mixed with bits of shredded flesh.
The Moon Demon froze. The crumbling sounds of its collapsing body echoed from every part of it. And it wasnât just the sword Qiâthe inner injuries caused by the yin-yang thunder energy were far more devastating.
This body was on the verge of total collapse.
As the Moon Demon fell, both Yu Zhou and Immortal Chi Yin turned their eyes toward him. Just moments ago, the two Void Stepping cultivators from the Rifting Earth Sect had launched a ferocious assaultâcoordinated and relentless, like a storm of wind and rain. It left one breathless just to watch.
Yu Zhou could manage, but for Immortal Chi Yin, an upper master of the Mysterious Moon Sect, things were far more complicated. She understood much more than these Rifting Earth Sect cultivators did. At this moment, she had already guessed the Moon Demonâs true identity, and her emotions were conflictedâhis actions deserved death, and yet, if he hadnât suddenly appeared, she herself mightâve been the one reduced to a bloodied mess by now.
Her gaze shifted slightly. On the other side, Yu Ci was intensely focused on where the Moon Demon had fallen, seemingly unaware of her attention. The more he remained like that, the heavier Immortal Chi Yinâs heart grew. Her current thoughts mirrored those of the Moon Demon in some strange way:
How could a mere runaway s1ave cause such a commotion?
Just as the thought peaked, a sudden pulse from the void jolted her.
Thunder rolled, drowning out all other sounds, yet that distinct rippleâfamiliar from her years in the Rakshasa Sectâwas unmistakable.
It was a sacrificial prayer to summon a god with oneâs life! Not a part of the Rakshasa Sectâs system, but the âflavorâ was the sameâunchangeable.
Her delicate frame turned cold, but she quickly realizedâwasnât this the perfect opportunity?
With a single thought, her qi responded.
Yu Zhou behind her sensed it immediately. The old daoist furrowed his white brows and was about to speak when a sharp crack rang outââCrack!â Lightning surged down like a sword from the clouds. Thunder roared alongside, leaving not even the tiniest gap. Its target: the Moon Demon, who was just now struggling to his feet.
The lightning engulfed the Moon Demon again, but everyone could clearly see that as the bolt struck, he raised a bladed hand. The lightning twisted unnaturally and erupted in all directions, scorching the nearby meadow into blackened patches. Yet within the lightning, the Moon Demon surged upwardâgolden radiance blooming from his Niwan Palace, shining through the dazzling light. It spread in a golden ripple from inside out, forming a luminous shell that wrapped around him.
The next instant, the Moon Demon threw back his head and howled. Thousands of golden rays exploded outward, like a blazing sun, bursting with a blinding light!
âSword qi!â Xie Yan exclaimed.
Indeed, it was sword qiâpure and razor-sharp, no weaker than Xie Yanâs own. Under the night sky, thunderclouds were ripped apart. Beyond the rift, Xie Liangâs solemn face emerged.
The golden sword qi radiated in all directions. It seemed aimless, but the range it covered was massive. Xie Liang, Xie Yan, and even Yu Ci and the others on the ground were all within the range of its deadly edge.
Xie Yan snorted coldly, and with a flick of his long sword, layers of sword qi unfurled like waves chasing clouds. Though the golden sword qi was fierce, it struggled to break through his defense. In this way, not only did he protect himself, but also shielded Yu Ci standing nearby.
As for the others, they werenât his concern.
But then he saw itâafter the golden sword qi wave passed, the Moon Demonâs chest burst open with a loud explosion. Immediately after, his body popped and crackled like firecrackers, white fluids and chunks of flesh flying in every direction. And yet, the golden light around him only grew brighter. Even after releasing that burst of sword qi, it didnât weaken in the slightest!
The golden light radiated intense heat. The blood and flesh bursting from the Moon Demonâs body evaporated into smoke the moment they touched itâvanishing into nothing.
Seeing this, a realization suddenly dawned on Xie Yan. But before he could speak, Xie Liangâs voice boomed from above:
âA True Immortal Yang Spirit, parasitizing a demon puppetâwho are you really?â
Yu Ci squinted, looking up at the dazzling golden light in the sky. He was just starting to wonder when Xie Liangâs voice echoed down. Yu Ciâs heart gave a sudden thumpâa suspicion rose within him. At that very moment, a searing sensation bloomed at the top of his head. The spiritual sense he had maintained since battle began clearly picked up an intensely evil intent, sharpened and magnifiedâit pierced straight into his soul.
In the sky, the golden light twisted violently.
A crushing weight slammed onto Yu Ciâhe knew the target had shifted to him. But before he could react, thunder crashed again. A beam of sword light cut through the air, intercepting from afar.
A howling wind swept through, kicking up dust and making it hard for Yu Ci to open his eyes.
Just then, a sharp, unfamiliar voice burst out in laughter:
âLeaving now! No need to see me off!â
The pressure vanished abruptly, and only that triumphant laughter trailed off into the distance.
Yu Ci spat out a mouthful of dirt and grit with a loud âptui,â just about to curse, when a cold, crisp chant rang out from the heavens:
âGreat Net of Heaven and Earth, Prison of Five Directionsâseal!â
The laughter was cut off midairâŚ