Chapter 378 - 369: Humanoid Demon Disaster

Chapter 378: Chapter 369: Humanoid Demon Disaster

"That’s the First Grade Thousand-eyed Blood Bat, the Tributor of the Wuhuan Jin Clan!"

Even from a great distance, Fu Juemin could clearly make out the figure within the blood-red cloud: a black Giant Bat, its form bizarre and savage, its body covered entirely in crimson eyes.

And perched atop the Blood Bat’s head, that strange Foreign Monk cradling a Seal.

’National Preceptor Sang Luo? He even brought the Chi Dragon Seal?’

He didn’t need to think to know that this man and demon had surely been drawn by the commotion of his breakthrough to the Flood Dragon Level.

The Nine Banners’ quinquennial Wuchen Magic Sacrifice had just failed, and they had lost a considerable number of Demon Officials. It was a time when they were most in need of a fresh "blood supply" of Demon Fiends.

Now that a "wild" Second Grade Great Demon had suddenly appeared, it would be stranger if these guys *didn’t* come rushing over, smelling blood in the water.

Watching the Blood Bat draw ever closer, Fu Juemin felt an unexpected surge of eagerness, a desire to test his might.

’A First Grade Great Demon is theoretically still Flood Dragon Level, just a bit stronger than me, a newly-ascended one...’

’But combat strength isn’t just empty talk. Are they really strong? How much stronger? I’ll only know once we fight!’

Fu Juemin’s molten-gold pupils slowly turned vertical, starting to dance like flames.

A fierce battle lust surged from his chest. He was about to charge forward and test the might of the Royal Banner’s Thousand-eyed Blood Bat.

Just then, from behind the vast, dense blood-cloud, two more powerful Demon Fiend auras erupted, soaring into the sky.

One was a Standard Second Grade Demon Deer from the Purple Banner, as large as a hillock. Its hooves never touched the ground, and it left a trail of sparkling blue frost crystals in its wake, like some ancient creature lost in the mortal world!

Between the Demon Deer’s antlers, which resembled two inverted ancient trees, hovered a silver Ancient Mirror that shimmered with divine light. The mirror cast down a radiance that enveloped the entire Demon Deer.

The other was a Kuiniu descendant from the Red Banner, wreathed in leaden clouds. A massive Black Drum, so large it would take several people to encircle it, hung beneath its single-horned, ox-like head.

Of course, compared to the Kuiniu’s colossal size, the Black Drum looked no bigger than a pendant hanging from its neck.

’The Heirloom Magical Artifacts of the Purple and Red Banners!’

Fu Juemin’s pupils constricted. As he watched the three Great Demons approach at high speed—their auras immense, yet the sky above them conspicuously clear—a sudden realization struck him.

He now understood why the Nine Banners’ Flood Dragon Level Great Demons didn’t attract the Thunder Tribulation of heaven and earth. It was because they were protected by Heirloom Magical Artifacts—and unsealed ones at that.

The flicker of battle lust that had just ignited in Fu Juemin’s heart was instantly extinguished, vanishing like smoke.

If it were just the Royal Banner’s Thousand-eyed Blood Bat alone, he would have dared to fight. But three Great Demons of the same level, plus three unsealed Heirloom Magical Artifacts?

’Better not.’

He was worried he might not even be able to escape, and would end up captured as a Demon Fiend to serve as a Tributor for the Nine Banners.

’The Great Demons of the Purple, Red, and Royal Banners are all here... but where is the Profound Banner’s Ghost Flood Dragon?’

His gaze flickering, Fu Juemin thought this as he rapidly retreated.

He was fast, but the three Great Demons were faster!

In the blink of an eye, they were upon him. The leading Thousand-eyed Blood Bat descended like a crushing red cloud. With a flap of its wings, the countless eerie eyes covering its two massive, fleshy wings blinked in unison.

Immediately after, innumerable pillars of scarlet blood rained down upon Fu Juemin like a sudden squall.

Fu Juemin’s eyes flashed. The ink-black Crystal Clusters on both sides of his collarbones grew rapidly upward, converging from his cheeks toward the center to form a savage, natural faceplate, leaving only a pair of enchanting, demonic eyes exposed.

He wanted to test the Thousand-eyed Blood Bat’s strength, so instead of retreating, he unfolded the dense Fire Centipede Steps on his back like a fan and brought them together in front of him.

BOOM!!

The descending pillars of blood slammed into the barrier of flame-wreathed steps, setting off a series of explosions that kicked up clouds of black smoke.

The pillars that struck the ground sank in instantly, silently corroding horrific pits into the earth.

After the wave of scarlet rain passed, the step-wings, their flowing flames now scattered, unfolded again to reveal Fu Juemin.

Fu Juemin calmly glanced at his Fire Centipede Steps, now clearly scorched and dim. With a flash in his eyes, he vanished from the spot!

At his current stage, the maximum number of Demon Soul Talents Fu Juemin could handle was about seven.

Six great Talents constituted his new [Flame Monarch] Demon Body, leaving one empty slot that could be fitted with different Talents for different situations.

Talents like [Shu Lin] or [Earth Travel], for instance. It was a slot reserved specifically for auxiliary combat Talents.

’[Lifting Power]!’

But the one Fu Juemin activated now was [Lifting Power].

His five savage fingers, tips glowing with a faint crimson light, suddenly clenched, as if gripping an invisible ring of pure void.

A series of sounds, like massive machinery tightening layer by layer, echoed from Fu Juemin’s Demon Body. He raised his right arm, gathered his power, and then... threw a punch!

RUMBLE—!!

As he threw the punch, a series of explosive rumbles erupted from the ground in his wake.

The earth and rock churned as if an invisible, enraged dragon was skimming the surface, spiraling forward with ferocious speed!

Yet the target of this explosive power...

...was not the Thousand-eyed Blood Bat overhead.

BOOM!

A terrifying, muffled explosion erupted at a single point in the distance!

Fu Juemin’s vanished form reappeared, having crossed nearly a hundred meters in an instant. His right fist, which he had thrown with Lifting Power, was now firmly embedded in a suddenly-formed wall of pale blue ice.

Through the countless spiderweb cracks radiating from the point of impact, Fu Juemin met the cold, indifferent eyes of the Purple Banner Demon Deer on the other side of the ice.

SHHH...

The massive Demon Deer shook its head slightly. Its intricate, magnificent antlers shed countless frost crystals, producing a melodious sound ten times crisper and clearer than the chiming of silver bells.

As the ice wall began to melt and shatter, a bone-chilling cold rushed toward him. Before Fu Juemin could react...

ROAR!

A thunderous roar exploded next to his ear, and in the next second, his entire body was struck by a thick, searing bolt of lightning!

KABOOM!

The bipedal Kuiniu came running, shaking its head. Under the blast of lightning, "Fu Juemin’s" figure exploded.

Like a burst of black ink, he shattered into thousands of tiny ink-like stains that clung to the ground and scurried off in all directions.

WHOOSH—

The Thousand-eyed Blood Bat arrived on the wind. On its enormous body, countless blood-red eyes blinked rapidly, each one seemingly locking onto a different fleeing shadow.

Barrage after barrage of blood-red light shot out, pinning and extinguishing a large number of the shadows, but many more managed to escape.

MOOO—!

The bipedal Kuiniu let out a low, questioning bellow. The Purple Banner Demon Deer raised its head, its divinely serene eyes turning toward the Thousand-eyed Blood Bat.

The Blood Bat’s eyes flickered. A second later, the Foreign Monk, who had been sitting motionlessly atop its head, opened his eyes.

There was no white, no pupil in his eyes—only pure, unadulterated crimson.

The Foreign Monk’s lips twitched, as if he had spoken something to the two demons below him.

Soon, the three Great Demons split up, each pursuing the shadows in a different direction.

And just as the three demons decided to split up, along the route toward Yingjing City that none had bothered to pursue, Fu Juemin’s figure silently emerged from a shadow that had been flowing swiftly through the crevices of the earth.

Fu Juemin faced the imposing Yingjing City, his Fire Centipede wings spread wide, his molten-gold eyes flashing rapidly.

The Yingjing West Suburbs were nothing but vast, open plains. With three Great Demons hunting him, there was no guarantee he could escape in any direction.

It was better to turn back, enter the city, retract his Demon Body, and hide among the people like a drop of water in the ocean.

It was a perfect opportunity...

...to let the "Nobles" of the Nine Banners get a good taste of the legendary... "human-form demonic calamity"!

WHOOSH—

As if collectively injected with stimulants, a group of Nine Banner Youth, who had been excitedly giving chase to the three Great Demons, had just charged out of the city gates.

Suddenly, a terrifying, demonic gust of hot air blew out from the city gate!

The demonic wind kicked up a blinding cloud of dust before the gate. The terrified whinnies of horses rose and fell, and the Nine Banner Youth atop them were so blinded by the dust storm they could barely open their eyes. NEIGH! NEIGH!

By the time they managed to control their mounts and could just barely make out the scene before them...

...they saw a tall, slender figure over four meters high emerging step by step from the swirling sand.

The figure looked down upon them with a placid expression.

The next second, the long, slender steps on its back rose up and folded together—

Before the horrified, wide-eyed gazes of the countless Nine Banner Youth, a single point of light flared, then rapidly expanded... as if a scorching, violet-red demonic sun was slowly rising from within the dust storm!

[Tail Star]!

BOOM!!

The sudden, massive explosion made the three Great Demons in the distance, who were still chasing the shadows, halt in their tracks and whip around.

The gazes of all three demons focused on a single direction behind them.

There, they saw a chaotic scene: the city gate had collapsed, thick smoke was billowing, and the light of fires flickered and danced...