Forge a path to success.

Chapter 225 Evil Demon Asura
For a fleeting moment, Qingxia thought she was experiencing a post-mortem fantasy. Everything happened so suddenly, like a hallucination conjured by a brain that refuses to accept reality when it's in a state of suspended animation. Children are always like this; when faced with difficulties, they fantasize about a hero descending from the sky, sweeping away evil with a single sword strike, invincible and unstoppable.

But she quickly dismissed the thought, for the man who emerged from the cave was both terrifying and utterly unfamiliar. An ancient longsword hung at his waist, and his faded, tattered coat, worn from countless battles, billowed behind him like a withered, dying ember. An overwhelming life force surged forth with each heartbeat, clinging to his body and forming an ominous, blazing flame. He opened his eyes, his crimson pupils etched with sharp, piercing lines, his fierce gaze seemingly capable of slashing the very world it beheld.

A hero shouldn't be like this; even heretics don't possess such ferocity. That is more terrifying than demons, more cruel than monsters… a Shura!
However, Shura released the knife and took her hand in his. His palm had a reassuring warmth.

"Well done," Chu Hengkong said. "Leave it to me."

Qingxia, fighting back tears, nodded vigorously, and Ji Huaisu behind him gave him a thumbs-up. He raised his hand in response to his partner, having surveyed every corner of the battlefield. He saw Shakes in the poisonous pool, Qingye and Fande in the icy mountain, the dying Ji Huaisu, and Qingxia, who still stood there until this moment.

He closed his eyes. The murderous intent within the blade surged with killing intent, and he transformed into a burning streak of blood!
Wen Yao stood frozen in the distance, her fingertips stiff with fear. Her wings had just regenerated, but her mind remained blank. She had no idea how she had fallen victim to the attack. She had seen the assassin emerge from the mountains, she had seen the transformation formation, but she hadn't seen the action of drawing a sword. At that moment, Chu Hengkong had merely placed his hand on the hilt of the sword.

What is that? A reverse-blade draw?

—Did that person cut her down with just the reverse blade?

Blood splattered, blades clashed, and the assassin's icy gaze drew near. The dynamic vision of the Desire Demon slowed her perceived speed by a hundredfold. Several specific nerve clusters within Wen Yao's body tightened, the toxins acting in reverse on her flesh helping her accelerate her thought process. The key lay in that knife. Chu Hengkong alone could never unleash such power; he must have used the technique of reverse-blade manipulation to force out the knife's inherent power, relying on the relic itself to inflict damage.

We can't give him another chance to draw the murder weapon. We must use our speed advantage to suppress him!

The wrist bone tore through flesh, forming an arc-shaped blade on the side of the arm. Wen Yao lunged forward, using the bone blade to deflect Chu Hengkong's strike. The moment their weapons collided, the soil within a thousand miles evaporated, and the immense impact created a perfectly circular crater in the desolate wilderness. The crater was cleaved open by afterimages of crimson and white light, and the figures of both appeared almost simultaneously in every corner.

In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged blows no less than a hundred times. Chu Hengkong remained expressionless, while Wen Yao's heart pounded wildly. Her prized speed proved utterly useless; the assassin perfectly matched her movements, even with ease.

She used her full strength from the tenth strike onwards, while Chu Hengkong's arm strength and reaction time continued to increase. With each strike, his speed and power grew. And even now, the enemy's strength was still rising, still getting stronger…!
Wen Yao heard the clang of the blade, a greedy, malevolent sound. She saw blood seeping from her wound. The assassin was testing his abilities; he wasn't just using the "One Qi A Thousand Autumns" technique, but the vicious blade was also actively amplifying its wielder's power. He was slowly transforming... into something more terrifying than a demon!

"Willingly become a puppet of the sword?" Wen Yao sneered. "Then I'll turn you into a zombie first!"

She sheathed her sword and retreated, letting the vicious blade shatter the bone sword. Her wings sharpened and deformed, swirling around from behind like four demonic claws. Blood seeped from Wen Yao's fingertips, connecting with her colorful wings to form a bizarre "net."

Life force was gathering at the center of the net, and a brand-new secret technique was about to be released. Chu Hengkong rushed forward with his sword, his spirit forming a burning coat on the blade. He stepped forward, unleashing a powerful slash straight at the center of the blood net. Wen Yao sneered, and at the moment the blade struck, the blood net was draped in a blood armor with a glassy texture—it was the True Profound Qi Armor!
She wouldn't risk using her immortal techniques at this distance; she wanted to return the martial arts cultivator's attack to him in its entirety, making Chu Hengkong kill himself. Wen Yao's eyes widened with excitement; she couldn't wait to see her enemy's gruesome death. But Chu Hengkong didn't retreat; his blade struck the qi armor solidly.

"You used Dragon Township Fist Technique right in front of me?"

The blood-stained armor shattered, and the murderous blade sang a mournful cry. The fierce slash tore through the defenses and pierced straight into the body of the lustful demon, causing thousands of needle-like holes to burst from its skin!

The Secret History of Longquan Township: Chaotic Stars.

Even during their earlier exchange, the hidden force had already seeped into Wen Yao's body. The final strike triggered it all, shattering Wen Yao's protective aura armor from within. The banshee shrieked and retreated, unable to even muster the strength to retaliate. At this moment, she could no longer transform fear into pleasure, for the blade was taking advantage of the situation to devour her blood. In a mere instant, she had lost nearly thirty percent of her life force; if this continued, she would be the first to turn into a zombie!

The murderous blade slashed again, severing both of Wen Yao's arms. Using the severed arms as an opportunity, Wen Yao took flight once more, flying erratically like a headless insect. The silver prosthetic arm was flung away by the assassin, who relentlessly pursued her. Wen Yao gasped for breath, inhaling the magic emanating from the wilderness. The Heavenly Demon Furnace transformed the energy into fresh blood, causing her damaged body to regenerate.

She forced herself to turn around, searching for the enemy. There was still a chance. The fact that the assassin was using a prosthetic arm to find the enemy meant he wasn't capable of catching her at long range. Once she pinpointed the enemy's location, she could switch to long-range combat, and there was still time—

"Where are you looking?"

The call entered my mind.

The murderous aura penetrated to the very marrow.

Chu Hengkong stood right behind her. When Wen Yao turned around, she already saw the black blade flashing. In a panic, she raised her hands to block, but the overwhelming pressure startled her. The pressure from the black blade made her wrists tremble violently. She felt as if she were wrestling with one of her own kind, and the slightest opening would result in her head being cleaved in two.

She attempted a counterattack by drawing upon her blood energy using a secret technique, but flames erupted from the black blade so close to her, an ominous fire as menacing as the assassin's crimson eyes.

Burning Night.

The flames blazed brightly, and the spirits soared. The secret power of the Dragon Village erupted at the shortest distance, blasting Wen Yao directly towards the distant battlefield!

A madman. Utterly insane. Wen Yao's heart trembled uncontrollably. She had never seen a martial artist use Burning Night like this. This secret technique was always unleashed through swordplay and other methods, and even martial artists driven to the brink of despair would only use long weapons. This was because the explosive power of this move was so strong that it could kill the martial artist before even injuring the enemy.

But this assassin used Burning Night directly during the knife fight. He didn't care about his own safety at all; he only wanted the enemy to die!
Wen Yao urgently regenerated her hands, repairing the previously shattered Qi Armor. She slammed her hands on the ground, transforming her blood energy into magical power that flowed into the earth, creating a dark storm in the Chu Juan Mountain area.

"Immortal Judgment - Breaking Army and Chaotic Wind!"

The Holy Judgment, a spell used by Discipline Knights in legion battles, is a destructive wind that shatters battle formations and blocks vision. This war magic, originally requiring the combined efforts of several Point 4 Knights, was perfectly replicated by Wen Yao single-handedly. She didn't intend to use this spell to kill Chu Hengkong; she wanted to temporarily hinder the enemy's advance with a wide-range attack. A direct confrontation would be unwise; she must now utilize her speed advantage to create distance and engage in sniping—

A flash of blood streaked through the storm, and all four towering storms vanished simultaneously. The overwhelming pressure of the sword triggered a countercurrent, creating a transparent tsunami across the desolate wilderness!
Steel Edge Flow - No Return Strike.

The war magic was shattered with a single sword strike; the assassin's power far surpassed that of ancient legions. Chu Hengkong, sword in hand, ran up the wave of air. The power of the Heavenly Demon Furnace Heart, fully activated after its transformation, granted him unprecedented explosive power. While his normal speed was indeed inferior to Wen Yao's, the explosive power of Xu Lie Xin was enough for him to defeat the Plague Demon in a short time.

He would catch up, he would overtake the Plague Demon, and this time he had complete control of his current power. This time… he would kill his opponent directly! Fear erupted in her heart, and the desire to survive overcame reason. Wen Yao made a decision in an instant. Her pupils turned into a brilliant gold, the same color as the Blood Knight's, and a large amount of blood was drawn from her head, revealing her original appearance.

At this moment, the Heavenly Demon Furnace was operating at overload, and the azure light hidden within it spread out, dispersing into Wen Yao's blood. Over 90% of her blood concentrated in her wings, which vibrated rapidly, sending countless blood streaks flying like thousands of monstrous venomous snakes biting at the sky. She activated the power bestowed upon her by her loving mother, her trump card originally intended to ambush Vansalal.

"Immortal Technique of Absorption and Circulation - Azure Sky's Lament!"

A blood-red line, laced with deadly poison, plunged into the zenith, turning the entire sky a blurry and hideous bronze hue. This time, there was no rain, no clouds; the dome of the desolate wilderness, polluted by the poison, transformed into a thin, pale green film. The blood-red line danced with the cries of the hawks, dragging the sky, now a pool of poison, as it crashed down!
Close combat was impossible to win; the enemy wouldn't give her a chance to retreat. Therefore, Wen Yao chose poison, the Plague Demon's strongest and most vicious weapon. This was a method feared even within the Desire Demon Clan; the azure Immortal's Lament, used by those in power to inflict the most painful death upon those who disobeyed orders.

Even the mother body that breeds toxins cannot resist the wrath of the loving mother. Under the corrosive influence of the Green Sorrow, they will become withered and rotten, watching their bodies turn into thick liquid. The intense pain before death will merge into the world, turning into a mournful cry that will never dissipate for thousands of years.

This was the final measure bestowed upon Wen Yao by her loving mother. She came with a mission that could not be failed; if she failed, she herself would be the one to drink the Azure Sorrow. This time, however, Wen Yao's speed prevailed. The azure poisonous membrane covered the shockwave, and the assassin's figure was instantly buried by the Azure Sorrow. Wen Yao mustered her remaining life force, flapped her wings, and moved away from the poisonous membrane. A terrified and crazed smile was etched onto her pale face.

"You're finished, Chu Hengkong..." she laughed, overwhelmed by the effects of the overactive stimulant. "You're finished! This is what happens when you oppose the Immortal Clan!!"

A burst of fiery blood light shot into the sky, like a sharp sword cleaving through the azure wound!
Chu Heng stood in the center of the poisonous tide, the blood-red light of the disintegrating ray erupting from his prosthetic hand, sweeping away the poisonous tide with unstoppable force. The crystallized flames of ambition melted in his palm, naturally merging into the fire on the surface of his body with the exhalation of his Qi. The vast number of poisonous creatures were disrupted by the attack, swirling around the assassin like a vicious vortex. They swarmed forward but could not gain an inch, their venom changing color the moment it touched the assassin, from pale green to a deep crimson.

After merging with the flames of ambition, the fiery aura clinging to Chu Hengkong's body actually burned towards the poisonous membrane, using even the deadly poison from his mother as fuel for the Burning Night. Streaks of blood-red light shot towards the heavens, the plague-laden poisonous barrier incinerated to ashes in the fiery path, and the frenzied crimson blood churned and danced in the air, turning the battlefield into a chaotic hell!
"Impossible!" Wen Yao screamed. "This isn't Fen Ye! What have you done?! What are you?!"

Yes, the burning passion of life alone cannot rival Qing Shang.

The True Machine's Disintegration Ray alone is not enough to deplete the demon's blood.

The fire of ambition may spread like wildfire, but it is only a miracle that lasts for a few breaths.

Therefore, all of this needs to be integrated.

By referencing the method used by the murderous blade to plunder the blood of heretics, the splitting ray was modified, and the energy source was replaced with the raging fire of the burning night. The fire of ambition was incorporated into it, resulting in the property of being able to burn anything.

No elaborate tests or structures are needed; the body responds naturally to his will because he has already passed the test of unifying the mind, and he has constructed the framework for merging powers. What he learned and comprehended in the desolate wilderness is the path to the highest truth.

"——The Secret Art of Canxin's Anti-Soul!"

The deathly blue vanished, its power incinerating the poisonous barrier to ashes. The power of Qing Shang, devoured by madness, transformed into blood flames, surging into his left arm at the assassin's command. This overwhelming force was enough to instantly shatter Chu Hengkong's body, so he swept his hand across the murderous blade. All the power flowed into the blade, the blackness instantly receding, the murderous blade transforming into a bright blood-red, emitting a cry of yearning for slaughter!

Chu Hengkong closed his eyes and slowly sheathed his sword. A moment of silence fell between heaven and earth as the female demon fled for her life under the pale sky.

No. I can't win. He's a madman. A demon. I absolutely can't beat him. There's no hope. I can't enjoy it. I can't feel any excitement. There's not a single bit of pleasure in his attacks. Only hatred. Only anger. Only murderous intent.

Will die. Will die. Will die, will die, will die, will die -

Go back! Go back to the Blood Plains of No Life!!

She used all her strength to fly high into the sky, to that boundless sky. The life essence of point 4 was forcefully triggered by Wen Yao, and the rules of the Heavenly Prison border, which had been suppressed by Vansalal, were finally touched at this moment. A chaotic vortex appeared in the sky, its other side shrouded in blood, which was the passage to the Blood Plains.

Wen Yao laughed wildly as she flew towards the whirlpool. She had lost, she might have failed, but she would still live, and she would still have the last laugh!
On the devastated battlefield, a knight silently watches the demons in the sky.

Listen to her maniacal laughter.

Looking at her timid and cowardly soul.

She ran towards the vortex, blood from her wounds flying upwards to form a rugged, powerful bow, while her bone-white lance contracted and refined, transforming into a spiraling arrow. She drew her bow, nocked the arrow, and aimed at the demon about to touch the vortex.

The bowstring twanged, and an arrow shot through the sky, piercing the body of the Warm Hawk. The gravitational pull of the Qikun Spear exploded, pinning the Plague Demon to its spot!

"I told you... you won't be leaving this place!!!"

Wen Yao looked down in astonishment, her gaze traveling across thousands of miles to land on the blood knight covered in wounds.

Shame. Fear. Hatred. Panic. All sorts of emotions tangled like mud in the dying heart, transforming into the shrill screams of demons.

"Qingxia!!!"

The Blood Knight burst into laughter, and the assassin drew her sword amidst her laughter. The pulsating heartbeat and the clang of the blade overlapped, and the power gained after devouring Qing Shang surged into the murderous blade, transforming into the force propelling the strike.

And so the legendary skill of the one who had broken his heart reappeared, and the lightning-fast Iaijutsu emerged from the shadows. His slash left a crimson line in the sky, and the slash wound burst forth with fire that illuminated the heavens.

The passage to the upper level of the Heavenly Prison collapsed in the withered heart fire, and blood and fire soared into the sky, burning the Plague Demon, her ambition, and her malice to ashes!
(End of this chapter)