âAbyss Demon Clan? How have I never heard of them before?â
Ye Yu felt a surge of confusion.
Xun Nanqiao then began to explain this ancient race. According to legend, the Abyss Demon Clan hailed from the darkest depths of the Demon Realm and, in the distant past, were the true rulers of that world. They embodied ultimate chaos and destruction and delighted in feasting on immortals. The very first War of Ascensionâwhen demons attacked the heavensâwas waged by them. By the might of their entire clan, they threw the Heavenly Realm into turmoil. Though immensely powerful, their numbers were limited and their belligerent nature eventually led to their downfall; it is said they were all annihilated in battle against the heavens. For millions of years, no one had laid eyes on them. Xun Nanqiao had only read about them in ancient textsâhe had never seen one in person. None had expected that an Abyss Demon would still survive.
At that moment, the Abyss Demon named Ku Jiye raised his hand slightly, and two corpses materialized out of thin air, crashing heavily to the ground before Ye Yu. Looking down, Ye Yu recognized them as the demons sent by his own Lotus State. His expression darkened with gravity. From Xun Nanqiaoâs account, his clanâs methods of demanding ancient texts had been somewhat ruthless, but surely not to the point of slaughtering the entire party. This was utterly inappropriate.
Before Ye Yu could speak, a brusque voice rang out behind them. âWho dares court death by coming to sow chaos in my Lotus State? If you donât want to live, Iâll grant your wish right now!â
In an instant, Mo Gailian burst before Ku Jiye and delivered a fierce punch. The latterâs figure vanished from sight! Mo Gailianâs eyes widened. Since cultivating the
Mo Lintian
techniqueâaside from my elder brotherâthis was the first time anyone had dodged his strike so directly.
Before he could retract his fist, Ku Jiye reappeared at his side. To Mo Gailianâs astonishment, the demon markings of
Mo Lintian
flared identically across Ku Jiyeâs entire right arm. Then, with overwhelming force, Ku Jiye struck once more. Mo Gailian was sent flying, crashing into the ground and gouging a massive crater!
Ye Yu couldnât help widening his eyes. He could clearly sense that Ku Jiye was using
Mo Lintian
. How could this guy possibly master that technique?
Ku Jiyeâs lips curled into a cruel smile. âCurious, arenât you? Itâs the same method you practice? Donât you know that
Mo Lintian
is a body-refinement art passed down from my Abyss Clan? You may have gained fame in the Demon Realm wielding our technique, but attempting to show off before me is naĂŻve beyond belief!â
Ye Yu raised his hand and unleashed the
Divine-Ghost Array Diagram
, teleporting Xun Nanqiao and the fallen Mo Gailian far away. He then strode directly toward Ku Jiye. âHonestly, when I first heard âAbyss Demon Clan,â I was intrigued. But I dislike your tone.â
Ku Jiyeâs smile vanished. He clenched his fists, and countless purple demon runes erupted across his skinâ
Mo Lintian
in its full, awakened state. A wave of black aura expanded from him, quickly engulfing the entire Demon Lord Hall. In the next instant, anguished wails rose from the hidden demons trapped within the mist.
Ye Yu probed with his divine sense and saw that under the black vapors, the demons writhed in terror, eyes wide, collapsing as if confronted by the most horrifying nightmare. A ripple of fear swelled within Ye Yu. In dreams, the worst fate is for the vision to shatter before you achieve your goal. Ye Yu was attempting to break into the Divine Realm, but a terrifying thought struck him: as soon as # NĐŸvĐ”light # he arrived, before he could stabilize, some mighty force would crush him, leaving him defeated yet againâjust as had happened when he earlier ascended to the Heavenly Realm. That very sensation was magnifying! Clearly, this Abyss Demon named Ku Jiye was also at the Divine Sovereign level. His path was terror itselfâtruly a strategy of winning without a fight!
Recognizing the threat, Ye Yu closed his eyes.
Whoosh!
A sound of rending air, and Ku Jiye appeared beside him, delivering a crushing blow. Ye Yu spat bloodâbut the crimson droplets didnât fall; they floated along his forearm. His body began to liquefy, transforming into a pool of blood that spread over Ku Jiyeâs legs and crept upward.
Ku Jiye frowned, about to act, then paused. With a mocking tone he said, âOh right, I almost forgotâyouâre a Dream Demon. Entering dreams is your greatest strength. But thinking you can kill me with just that? NaĂŻve indeed. And you shouldnât be near me!â
He clasped his hands and formed a strange seal. Suddenly, everything around began to quake. The blood that covered his legs seemed to evaporate, restoring his freedom. Ku Jiye smiled triumphantly. âDream Demon, huh? For my Abyss Clan, dispelling dream realms is trivial!â
But after he cast his dispelling art, nothing changed.
Waitâthis isnât a dream?
Before Ku Jiye could ponder further, an invisible force engulfed him, forcing him to his knees. He struggled, but to no avail, as the pressure grew until it crushed him completely.
Ye Yu approached calmly and whispered, âYouâre not worthy of having me use dreams against you. That was merely a fragment of my clone. Arenât you tired of pretending to be all-powerful and all-knowing?â
Ku Jiye tried to lift his head but couldnât; he could only press it low and emit a pained roar as the wings on his back began to crack under the strain. Ye Yu, unwilling to prolong the ordeal, stomped down and killed him, then extracted his divine soul.