Chapter 42: Demon Core
Changqing County, Pure Yang Martial Arts Academy.
Ning Zhibai looked up at the churning clouds and the gray rain falling in sheets, slowly setting down the book in his hands.
He—or more accurately, the demon inhabiting Ning Zhibai's body—didn't like this weather. But even this unpleasant rain was preferable to the dark, hopeless confinement of the Demon Suppression Tower for decades past. It felt strangely liberating, even joyful.
It considered itself an anomaly, unlike its brethren who only knew slaughter and carnage.
The Yin Body Taisui was intelligent, possessing exceptional wisdom from birth. It understood patience, knowing the world was dangerous, far more complex than it appeared. Humanity possessed beings capable of threatening demons.
It would use its talents to grow slowly: parasitism, control, weaving fog, manipulating puppets.
Unfortunately, plans rarely survived contact with reality.
A rampaging demon attracted the attention of a high-ranking official from the Demon Suppression Agency. The newly born Yin Body Taisui was caught in the crossfire, imprisoned in the Demon Suppression Tower.
Whoosh! A cold wind swept in, turning a page of the book. The words, "When Heaven is about to confer a great task upon a man, it will first test his will, exhaust his muscles and bones, expose him to hunger, and subject him to poverty," resonated deeply with the Yin Body Taisui.
Thirty years. Thirty years of imprisonment in the Demon Suppression Tower had been excruciating. Suppression, dismemberment, use as a cultivation material, even as a test subject—it had nearly perished several times.
Yet, it persevered.
A sudden riot caused cracks to appear in the seemingly indestructible Demon Suppression Tower. The Yin Body Taisui seized the opportunity to escape, hiding in the deep mountains to recover its strength. Despite its caution, accidents happened.
Fortunately, its luck wasn't entirely bad this time.
It had completed its transformation, reaching a new level of existence. From now on, it was a true great demon, no longer needing to cower in fear.
"Unbeknownst to me, I've grown this far," it sighed.
Ning Zhibai slowly rose from the recliner, a book in one hand, the other outstretched, sensing the surging power within.
Power, talent, intelligence… it lacked nothing.
Now, it could finally attempt what it had always wanted: revenge, making those who had suppressed and tormented it pay the price; destroying the Demon Suppression Tower and establishing a demon kingdom in this land.
But before that, there was something else to do.
This body was too weak. Despite its modifications, it couldn't unleash its full power. It needed a new vessel.
Conveniently, a suitable target had appeared. Everything was unfolding as planned, perfectly under its control.
"Hee hee hee…" A sinister laugh escaped "Ning Zhibai" as he saw the dark figure in the rain. "My dear disciple, you've finally arrived."
"Ning Zhibai?" Su Heng raised an eyebrow, surprised. He hadn't expected the Mistfiend to meet him this way.
"Although we've settled our accounts, Ning Zhibai still deserves some respect for his teachings. Since he died by your hand, I'll avenge him," Su Heng shrugged, unbuttoning his collar to reveal his bronze skin.
Ning Zhibai stood on the courtyard steps, his smile fading, his gaze turning cold.
"Why…" he suddenly spoke.
"Why what?" Su Heng found him strange, almost mournful.
"Even at this stage, you still lack respect for me. Oh well…" Ning Zhibai said languidly. "A chasm separates us. You don't understand what a Tyrant-level demon truly means."
"You think I avoided you out of fear? No, I simply didn't want to act without absolute certainty."
"Then, now…"
Boom! A roar of terrifying power exploded.
Ning Zhibai spread his arms, drawing in vast quantities of grayish-white fog. The clouds above churned, lightning flashing. In the courtyard, Ning Zhibai's body swelled, growing from just over 1.6 meters to nearly 2.3 meters in an instant.
Rip! His white training clothes tore to shreds.
His exposed muscles resembled rock and roots, sharp and angular, radiating an exaggerated, ferocious power.
Boom! The platform beneath him instantly shattered, as if struck by an invisible hammer, creating a three-meter-wide crater.
The immense power propelled him forward, vanishing from his spot.
The moment he attacked, Su Heng also unleashed a powerful punch. Both were supremely confident in their physiques, choosing to forgo defense and rely on overwhelming power to attack until one fell.
Bang bang! Two dull thuds echoed simultaneously.
Su Heng's massive fist landed squarely on Ning Zhibai's chest, but was stopped by a thin, grayish membrane.
The membrane trembled violently, dissipating about eighty percent of the force. Only twenty percent landed on Ning Zhibai, causing minimal damage, easily overcome by his demonic resilience and regeneration.
Conversely, Ning Zhibai's full-force blow landed squarely on Su Heng.
His face changed slightly as he took a step back, the floor cracking beneath his feet. The powerful force coursed through his body, sinking his lower leg into the earth.
"Hahaha!" Ning Zhibai laughed wildly.
"See? This is the Demon Core, the insurmountable chasm between us!"
"While the Demon Core remains, the great demon lives!"
"You're just a mere mortal! What right do you have to challenge me!?"
Fog enveloped him, his power and speed increasing, his form blurring. Countless air currents exploded as a flurry of punches rained down on Su Heng.
Swish! Ning Zhibai twisted, his leg a blur.
Grayish-white energy condensed on his leg, like a god's battle-axe, cleaving through the rain and air currents, striking Su Heng's waist.
Boom! A terrifying force erupted, sending Su Heng flying like a cannonball, crashing into the two-story building behind him.
The building, struck as if by a bomb, collapsed with a tremendous roar. Half the building instantly crumbled, sending debris and earth flying. The powerful shockwave shattered the ground within a ten-meter radius.
"To fight me to this point, kid, you're not bad," Ning Zhibai walked forward, breathing heavily, his excitement uncontainable.
Such a powerful physique, such incredible strength! If he could control and possess it, his power would reach unimaginable heights.
Then—even the Grand Marshal of the Demon Suppression Agency wouldn't be a match for him.
Boom! Another dull thud.
The recently collapsed building exploded again, the temperature rising sharply. Smoke and steam formed a small tornado, the high-speed swirling air emitting a piercing shriek. Ning Zhibai's clothes and flesh trembled violently, his face contorting in disbelief.
"Damn you, bastard!" a roar echoed.
A crimson giant hand, its energy twisting the air into smoke, descended like a demonic hand from myth, striking down.
"With that kind of power, how dare you boast before me!" Su Heng laughed wildly, his body rapidly expanding, an unsettling series of cracking sounds emanating from his body. "Ghost Back, open your eyes!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 43: End
"This—impossible!?"
Ning Zhibai's pupils dilated, his mouth agape, the flesh on his cheeks trembling in the wind. Facing the towering, two-and-a-half-meter-tall muscle giant that had suddenly appeared, Ning Zhibai's muscles tensed, freezing him in place. The sudden surge of danger felt like a bomb exploding in his mind, sending shockwaves through him.
Boom!
In the critical moment, Ning Zhibai clenched his jaw. He raised his arms, channeling all his demonic essence into them, preparing for a defense.
Crack—Boom!
The floor beneath him shattered, the raindrops in the air first solidifying, then turning to dust. The white spores, pervasive throughout the martial arts hall, were swept up in the force, forming a radiating pattern of white threads.
A scorching, lava-like force surged towards the demon.
Ning Zhibai's already grim expression twisted further. His once-prized demonic essence was rapidly depleting under the impact of Su Heng's force, like a thin puddle of water on a hot stove, about to vanish.
"Break!" Ning Zhibai roared, detonating the rest of his demonic essence. A gray mist exploded, instantly engulfing the battlefield.
"Run!" The Yin Body Sprout's burning thoughts cooled rapidly. Compared to the demon, Su Heng was a true monster.
Without hesitation, Ning Zhibai fled towards the courtyard wall, summoning mist to conceal himself.
Swish!
As he leaped over the wall,
Ning Zhibai instinctively looked back, only to see Su Heng disappear into the mist.
"Gone!" A strong sense of foreboding surged. Where was he?
No!!!
Ning Zhibai looked up to see a huge face looming before him. The face was covered in large, grotesque black veins, its smile twisted and exaggerated, its mouth stretched to its ears, revealing a set of white teeth. Its pupils were reduced to tiny black dots, surrounded by terrifying whites.
"Run!? You dare offend me and try to escape!?"
Boom!
Before Ning Zhibai could react, Su Heng landed a devastating blow to his abdomen.
A sharp crack echoed as his spine fractured. The dragon-like force tore through his body, bending him into a U-shape. His eyes bulged, and he vomited a torrent of crimson internal organs.
His mind went blank, only regaining consciousness after a few heartbeats. He looked up to see the huge hole Su Heng's punch had created in the mist, still expanding, the sound of tearing air filling his ears.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The courtyard wall collapsed, houses exploded, and the villa, filled with golden jasmine, was torn apart by Ning Zhibai's body. A two-meter-deep trench appeared in the middle of the martial arts hall, splitting it in two. When Ning Zhibai finally stopped, the ground around him had formed a ten-meter-wide crater.
Swish!
Su Heng appeared at the edge of the crater, looking down.
Ning Zhibai's body was mangled, but countless pale white mycelia were attempting to repair the wounds.
Sensing Su Heng's approach, Ning Zhibai opened his eyes, their whites stark against the pupils.
Bang!
He flicked a gray-white orb through the mist towards Su Heng's face.
Su Heng raised his hand to block, but the orb exploded on contact, engulfing him in a cloud of mist.
"Success!" A look of triumph flashed in Ning Zhibai's eyes. This mist was a highly potent parasitic spore, painstakingly cultivated. Even a Fetal Transformation Realm expert would be drained of blood and life force, leaving only a desiccated corpse.
"Child's play…" A cold laugh from within the mist sent chills down Ning Zhibai's spine.
Hiss—
Su Heng opened his mouth and inhaled, swallowing all the mist. The potent spores, before they could take root, were ignited by his scorching Yang Extremity True Force, transforming into pure life energy that replenished his slightly depleted blood and qi.
"You're quite tasty, you mongrel," Su Heng grinned, stepping forward. In Ning Zhibai's despairing gaze, he leaped.
Boom!
A deafening sound shook the entire martial arts hall and the surrounding streets. Su Heng stomped on Ning Zhibai's hip bone, tearing his lower body to shreds.
"My apologies, Master!" Su Heng sneered, stomping again, this time shattering Ning Zhibai's chest. Then his arms, neck, head, kidneys… Su Heng stomped repeatedly, dust and debris flying, a terrifying roar echoing. In moments, Ning Zhibai was reduced to a bloody pulp mixed with the earth.
From this gruesome mess, countless white threads rapidly coalesced into a bizarre creature resembling a hybrid of an octopus and a mushroom. Eight sucker-covered tentacles extended, launching themselves towards Su Heng's face.
Crack!
Su Heng, prepared, grabbed the creature. Its tentacles thrashed wildly, desperately trying to parasitize him.
But Su Heng's body was too resilient. The creature's efforts were futile. Su Heng held it, examining it with interest.
"To think, the creature that drove all of Changqing County to the brink was such an insignificant little thing," Su Heng laughed.
The intense demonic aura emanating from the creature was undeniable. The creature in Su Heng's hand was the Mist Demon's true form.
Su Heng's grip tightened, pouring Yang Extremity True Force into the creature to extinguish its life.
"I won't give up!" the Mist Demon shrieked.
But its body was inevitably charred by the True Force, its struggles weakening.
"Young friend…" A voice called from the rain, "Don't kill it."
Pfft! Su Heng squeezed.
The Mist Demon shattered, leaving only a soft, fleshy remnant in his palm.
Su Heng's expression turned cold as he looked up at the newcomer.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 44: Craniotomy
Sizzle! A pebble, piercing the rain, shot from the mist towards Su Heng's powerful arm. His immense strength deflected it, reducing it to dust.
Su Heng slowly looked up, seeing a figure in a wide-brimmed hat rapidly approaching. As it drew closer, a pale, sinister face with a hooked nose was revealed.
"Who are you?" Su Heng, his expression cold, watched the newcomer as he stowed the Mist Demon's remains.
"Young friend…" The figure stopped ten meters away, separated by a curtain of rain.
"Leave the Yin Body Taisei's remains, and I'll let bygones be bygones," the middle-aged man, dressed like a swordsman, frowned. "Otherwise—"
"So, you placed the Mist Demon here?" Su Heng interrupted.
"Yes… but also no," the middle-aged man began, but Su Heng's brow furrowed, a crimson "川" (river) character forming between his brows. His blood surged, his voice thick with rage and bloodlust. "You put this monster at my doorstep and dare to negotiate?!"
"Young friend, the world is vast. Don't think you can act as you please just because you've surpassed human limits," the middle-aged man's face turned cold, still attempting to reason.
But Su Heng had no patience.
Boom! The ground exploded beneath his feet, and he became a blur. Waves of scorching yang energy converged on his right forearm like a river, his muscles bulging, his arm swelling to several times its size in an instant. Without finesse, he unleashed a powerful punch towards the middle-aged man's chest.
"You—" The middle-aged man's pupils dilated, tearing, bloodshot. Seeing the black fist rapidly approaching, he raised his arms to block.
Crack! Their energies collided, tearing at each other, creating a visible ring of mist in the air.
The middle-aged man's composure vanished. The overwhelming force shattered his defenses, his arm muscles caving inward, deforming, the ulna and radius cracking under the strain.
He no longer underestimated his opponent.
Swish! He leaped back, trying to create distance.
Su Heng pressed his advantage. His over 100% meridian mutation granted him incredible speed, his massive body surprisingly agile.
Bang, bang, bang, bang!
They moved like phantoms, like lightning across the summer sky. Their blows collided like a storm, the dull thuds echoing continuously. The compressed air formed sharp, white blades that spread outward, splitting houses in two, causing them to collapse in a cloud of dust and rain.
Bang! Su Heng landed another heavy blow.
The middle-aged man, his legs planted firmly, retreated ten meters, leaving deep gouges in the mud. His eyes were bloodshot from the exertion, his face contorted. His left arm was bent at an unnatural angle, broken by Su Heng's force.
"You forced my hand!" the middle-aged man snarled, his face filled with ferocity.
Crack! He flicked his wrist, his broken arm instantly healing.
"Watch closely, this is the difference between our esteemed family and you commoners—" he roared, "Secret Technique: Three-Phase Finger!"
Swish! He vanished, leaving only a swirling grey vortex.
Su Heng's pupils constricted, sensing the danger from his left. He struck out, but it was too late. A searing pain shot through his left Jiao Gu point, his muscles spasming uncontrollably. The middle-aged man reappeared, his fingers laced with powerful energy, striking Su Heng's Qi Sea and Ju Que acupoints.
"Hiss…"
The middle-aged man retreated, reappearing three meters away. He held his arms in front of him, regulating his breath after the exertion. His face was flushed, his blood boiling. The rain evaporated before it reached him, forming grey smoke above his head. Despite the immense cost, seeing Su Heng motionless with his eyes closed, the middle-aged man smirked.
"Hit by my Feng Mo Luo family's Three-Phase Finger, even a god couldn't save you." He sneered, reaching for the remains. "Such a waste of talent and aptitude."
Slap! A giant hand seized his arm.
His face turned pale, he practically leaped. Su Heng's bloodshot, ferocious eyes glared down at him.
"Damn it, your movements aren't bad. Without a little trickery, you might have slipped away," Su Heng grinned, tightening his grip.
Crack! The middle-aged man's arm twisted like a rope. Blood and flesh sprayed, white bone fragments piercing the skin.
"Impossible…" The middle-aged man's face was filled with disbelief, but little pain.
"Nothing impossible. Your energy can't kill me!" Su Heng grabbed his head, feeling the fragile skull crack in his hands, blood seeping from his eyes and nose. "Any last words?"
"Remains… balance… complete the seal…" The middle-aged man coughed up blood, his body convulsing, nearing death. "Otherwise… if the Glutton breaks free… there will be… carnage."
"What a joke!" Su Heng's disgust grew. "Your Luo family are people, but my Su family aren't?"
He ignored him, pressing his thumbs into the man's eye sockets.
The middle-aged man struggled, screaming. His remaining hand weakly struck Su Heng's chest, but his strength was fading, unable to inflict any real damage.
Su Heng's patience finally snapped. He crushed the eyeballs, piercing the brain, then tore the head in two.
Hot blood splattered on Su Heng's face, a drop landing in his eye. Through the crimson vision, he saw Su Li and Xiao Qing rushing towards the battlefield.
(End of Chapter)