The blade in his hand shattered as a gaping wound split his body from left shoulder to chest. One of the Twin Demons staggered back, howling in agony.
The brother he’d been clutching—already clinging to his last breath—now lay severed in two, all signs of life extinguished.
Since mastering their unique job, the Twin Demons had encountered foes they couldn’t defeat—but none who could kill them.
He understood why Ye Zhongming hadn’t dodged: The King of Cloud Peak had traded defense for annihilation. What baffled him was how Ye Zhongming, after taking a direct hit from the Heaven Speech Demon Vine, seemed completely unfazed—still capable of delivering this lethal strike.
Ye Zhongming’s body had rebounded after that slash, but the violent impact forced fresh blood from his lips.
The Staff of Nature had mitigated some damage, but the Demon Vine was a top-tier battle companion. Its attack had been weakened, not nullified.
Ye Zhongming had gambled on his own defense to endure the blow.
The gamble paid off—one Twin Demon lay dead—but the backlash ravaged his body. Wounds that had begun healing now flared anew.
He knew his regenerative abilities, though monstrous, didn’t grant immortality. Accumulating injuries would diminish potion efficacy, and the cycle of fresh and old wounds would inevitably erode his combat prowess.
If he killed, he’d kill thoroughly!
Even if he never reached the plains, even if he had to release the demonic horde here—slaughtering more eight-star evolved would cripple the elite forces of Soul Merchant, God Hall, and Pin Palace, directly impacting the final outcome.
The blade’s glow nearly grazed the unarmed, grievously wounded Twin Demon—when a streak of crimson intercepted.
CLANG!
The deflection sent Ye Zhongming’s strike veering off course, gouging a three-meter fissure beside his target. The counterforce also twisted Ye Zhongming’s stance, robbing him of a follow-up angle.
As he leaped aside, a whistling gust attacked his flank. With no time to dodge, he crossed his weapons to block—but the impact felt oddly fluid.
Stabilizing, his peripheral vision caught a flash of red.
Silk? Satin? Brocade?
“Ah Xiu!” Sister Bo’s roar confirmed the newcomer’s identity—an ally, and apparently a close one.
Ah Xiu of God Hall had arrived. An agility-specialized evolved, her speed was legendary. Covering the distance in just over a minute, she now confronted a battlefield starkly different from Mei Rang’s reports.
Silver—dead. One Twin Demon—dead. Sister Bo—wounded.
Was the King of Cloud Peak truly this formidable?
Unlike overconfident elites, Ah Xiu’s greatest strength was prudence. She’d rather overprepare than underestimate.
After saving the Twin Demon, she activated her job—Flowing Sleeve Phantom—and unleashed its signature skill: “Graceful Sleeves Dance.”
The attack itself lacked brute force, but its unpredictability made it nearly impossible to fully counter. Her weapons were twin crimson sleeves that shifted between supple and rigid at will.
Even Ye Zhongming’s dual blades blocking couldn’t negate the secondary shockwave, forcing his body off-balance.
In combat, losing control—even momentarily—was fatal.
Seeing Ye Zhongming easily dismantle her first move, Ah Xiu didn’t hesitate. Ignoring Sister Bo’s shouts, she triggered her second skill: “Thousand Flying Swallows!”
Her sleeves whirled into a blur, multiplying until a sea of crimson fabric bloomed before her. Soon, Ah Xiu herself vanished, leaving only a storm of scarlet petals—their numbers swelling relentlessly.
Ye Zhongming tilted his head, uncertain of the technique. He raised the Undead Sand Moon Blade and slashed.
Upon contact, the red mass detonated.
A sky of scarlet shards.
Each strip hardened into razor-edged steel rods, fanning outward in a grid too precise to evade. Ye Zhongming deflected two before retreating beyond their range.
Ah Xiu reappeared at the epicenter, every crimson strand connected to her battle skirt.
When her attack failed to injure Ye Zhongming, her expression remained unshaken—a detail that unsettled him.
Then, the “porcupine” of rigid sleeves dissolved into crimson light.
“Ah—!”
Ye Zhongming’s gasp was stifled as he shut his eyes, backpedaling violently. The Undead Sand Moon Blade scored deep grooves into the earth.
He’d avoided using his weapon’s passive summoning earlier—undead minions were too slow and weak for this combat tier.
But now? The sleeve-light’s nature was unknown, yet his eyes burned as if scalded. Touching them revealed a pinkish fluid—tears mingled with blood.
Blindness. He couldn’t see, couldn’t even pry his eyelids open.
This Ah Xiu possessed vision-crippling abilities.
After a wild slash, Ye Zhongming turned and fled.
Blindness spelled doom against the Demon Vine and these foes.
“After him!” Sister Bo bellowed, leading the chase.
The Lightning Sand Demon, bound by proximity limits, vanished—reappearing beside its retreating master. Only the fork-wielding humanoid still harried Saint Green Serpent.
Ah Xiu glanced at Ye Zhongming’s fleeing figure, then outraced Sister Bo in three effortless strides. The surviving Twin Demon slumped to the ground, sprinkling medicinal powder into his wounds.
Losing his brother had halved his strength. With injuries compounding, he’d rejoin his leader Wen Yan—this fight was beyond him now.
As for Saint Green Serpent? He screamed for help, but his body didn’t even move. He was locked in an even duel with his infernal adversary.