"You're formidable, but against all four of us, you don't stand a chance!" declared the Palace Painting Demon. "I've encountered plenty of self-proclaimed experts like you, but you're not worthy of an audience with our Master. You'll stay right here! Attack!"
With the Palace Painting Demon's bellowing command, the four Demon Kings launched their assault.
The Palace Painting Demon revealed his arsenal of attacks. Aware that his illusions were ineffective against Chen Guo, he channeled his brush and ink into crafting spells.
He sketched a bolt of lightning, and a real one crackled toward Chen Guo!
He drew a ferocious tiger, and a shadowy beast sprang to life, leaping at him!
He illustrated a flying sword, and one materialized, thrusting at Chen Guo.
His artistry was a blend of illusion and reality, with some strokes manifesting as tangible threats and others serving as mere bluffs.
Such tactics were a nightmare for the average person to contend with.
Yet, among the four Demon Kings, he was considered the least formidable.
The Sheep Head Taoist wielded a crimson peach wood sword, unleashing an array of bizarre and eerie spells at Chen Guo.
Though these spells weren't particularly powerful, their odd and unpredictable nature made them hard to defend against.
Take the "Cut Shadow Technique," which could slice through Chen Guo's shadow to harm his physical form.
Or the "Stand Puppet Technique," which involved summoning a puppet to mimic Chen Guo's every move, then attempting to control him with invisible strings.
And then there was the grotesque "Flying Head Technique," where he'd sever his own goat head, allowing it to hover and spew venomous fumes, witchcraft, and swarms of bees at Chen Guo!
The array of sinister spells was bewildering, and a moment's lapse could spell total defeat.
City Lord Dugu had not been mistaken in labeling the Sheep Head Taoist a demonic practitioner.
The headless general was a force to be reckoned with, his great sword slicing through the air with ferocious might. His relentless, aggressive style was marked by a bravery that could intimidate thousands, exuding an aura akin to that of a legendary warrior.
But the most fearsome was the Roshan Demon King. Aside from his sluggish movements, he seemed invulnerable. His body was a weapon in itself.
The hands on his back wielded the magic of fallen masters, the eyes on his palms shot beams of colored light, and the faces around his waist uttered powerful mantras.
It was as though the Roshan Demon King had harnessed the abilities of the masters sewn into his fleshly form. Though their powers were diminished, they were still formidable.
"Perfection of Wisdom!"
"Form up, soldiers, at the ready!"
"Void is my homeland, birthless is my mother!"
The Roshan Demon King alternated between Taoist magic arts, Buddhist divine abilities, and the sinister skills of the left-hand path as if he had mastered the strengths of a hundred schools.
Moreover, the Roshan Demon King's defenses were incredibly robust, making him a formidable opponent.
Any one of these four Demon Kings could drive a trial challenger to despair. With all four attacking simultaneously, the sight was nothing short of nightmarish.
Zhou Tao and his companions kept retreating, not daring to approach, merely observing from a distance.
Even at a distance, the assault of the four Demon Kings was enough to change their expressions.
"The combined force of these four fiends is like having the power to move mountains and seas. One wonders if Boss Guangcheng can handle such a scenario."
"Boss Guangcheng's fighting capacity is at 99,999, surpassing their combined might. He's sure to triumph!"
"It's a shame we can't bring phones into this realm; I'd have captured Boss Guangcheng's battle in action. Look at him go—Boss Guangcheng's techniques are nothing short of extraordinary!"
"Not only are Boss Guangcheng's methods superior, but his adaptability is flawless. His performance is the epitome of a textbook strategy!"
The four Demon Kings' onslaught was staggering. Despite Chen Guo's combat strength being perceived as incredibly high, towering over the four Demon Kings, there was still an air of concern for him.
But witnessing Chen Guo's exemplary response, they marveled at his strategic prowess. Eyes wide with awe, they all yearned to learn how Chen Guo mastered the art of timely victory.
"Om Ah Hum, purify the Dharma realm, prosperity and righteousness!"
Chen Guo remained calm and collected, first summoning three Yellow Turban Warriors.
Initially, he could only call forth one, but as his cultivation advanced, he was now able to summon three at once.
Then, with a command, Chen Guo directed the trio of Yellow Turban Warriors to besiege the Roshan Demon King.
The Roshan Demon King, with his high-level defenses and multitude of techniques, was the toughest nut to crack, and thus, he was to be saved for last.
Chen Guo decided to employ a Yellow Turban Warrior to hold off the Roshan Demon King.
Yet, entrusting a single Yellow Turban Warrior with such a task was nearly impossible, given the vast disparity in their levels.
The Yellow Turban Warrior summoned by Chen Guo was a level below him, at only level 15.
At level 15, the Yellow Turban Warrior was outclassed by the Roshan Demon King by 10 levels—a significant gap. Despite Chen Guo's cultivation enhancing its fighting capacity far beyond that of an ordinary level 15 warrior, it was still insufficient to contend with the Roshan Demon King.
Therefore, Chen Guo commanded three Yellow Turban Warriors to collaborate and temporarily detain the Roshan Demon King.
As expected, the trio of Yellow Turban Warriors managed to immediately restrain the Roshan Demon King.
Subsequently, Chen Guo donned a layer of armor using the Flying Thunder God Art and materialized behind the Palace Painting Demon.
Divine Insight revealed that the Palace Painting Demon's vulnerability lay at the back of his head—his magical lifeline.
With Divine Insight, Chen Guo pinpointed the Palace Painting Demon's Achilles' heel.
His strategy was to concentrate his attacks and prioritize the Palace Painting Demon.
For one, the Palace Painting Demon had already suffered two of Chen Guo's Kidney Strikes. Though his boss status spared him from death, he was critically wounded, making him the most vulnerable among the four Demon Kings.
Moreover, the Palace Painting Demon's attacks, while not overly powerful, were a mix of illusion and reality, causing significant disruption to Chen Guo. Eliminating him would bring a welcome respite.
With a thrust, Chen Guo's golden-red Kingslayer sword pierced the back of the Palace Painting Demon's head, shattering his essence in an instant.
"How... How did you discover my weakness?" the Palace Painting Demon uttered as he closed his eyes forever, "Please forgive me, Master. I can no longer paint the landscapes of the Land of Thorns for you..."
With those final words, the Palace Painting Demon collapsed.
The Explorer? Defeating the level 19 boss, Palace Painting Demon, earned 20,000 Slaughter Points!
The Explorer? Advanced to level 17!
Beyond these alerts, a bounty of valuable loot dropped, but Chen Guo didn't inspect it closely. His focus remained on relentlessly hunting down more demons.
His next target? The headless general!
Don't be fooled by the Sheep Head Taoist's bizarre and flamboyant sorcery; Chen Guo practices the orthodox and formidable Celestial Spell. This authentic doctrine naturally has a significant advantage over such unorthodox methods.
Moreover, Chen Guo's proficiency in escape arts provides him with better defense against magic than physical attacks, allowing him to momentarily set aside the threat of the Sheep Head Taoist.
However, the headless general's prowess in hand-to-hand combat rivals that of a Martial Tao Grandmaster. The edge of his hefty saber even glimmers with a menacing light, presenting a far greater danger to Chen Guo.