Chapter 73:Poison Demon vs Great Elder Tortoise

A battle where both legends stake their lives, and only one remains standing.

The sky above the tournament grounds had turned dark.

Not because of clouds.

Not because of rain.

But because two monsters of Murim had finally decided to fight.

Above the arena floated the ancient painting dimension that contained the young generation—the Five Dragons, Three Phoenixes, Elizabeth, Lei Xin, Zhong Yu, Tsuru, and Lucifer.

If the painting was destroyed…

Everyone inside would die.

And standing before it like an immovable mountain was the Great Evil of the Demonic Cult.

The Poison Demon.

Opposite him stood one of the five pillars of the Murim Alliance.

The Great Elder.

The Black Tortoise.

The spectators, sect leaders, clan patriarchs, and elders all retreated hundreds of meters away. Nobody dared remain close.

Because if these two fought seriously…

The battlefield itself would cease to exist.

The Tortoise Elder looked at the floating painting.

Then at the Poison Demon.

"You know what is inside that painting."

The Poison Demon smiled.

"I do."

"Then move."

"No."

The elder sighed.

"So you truly intend to start a war."

The Poison Demon's smile widened.

"The moment you tried to kill your own disciples to get rid of Lucifer, the war had already begun."

Silence.

Then—

BOOM!

The elder's aura exploded.

A golden qi rose to the heavens.

The ground cracked.

The nearby buildings trembled.

The air itself became heavy.

Everyone felt as though a mountain had suddenly appeared on their shoulders.

The Black Tortoise Elder slowly unsheathed his sword.

"I respected you once."

The Poison Demon also released his aura.

A deep emerald mist spread through the sky.

Flowers withered.

Grass turned black.

Birds fell dead from the sky.

Even the stones beneath him began melting.

"I respected you too," he said.

The elder raised his sword.

"What a pity."

The Poison Demon nodded.

"Indeed."

And then—

Both disappeared.

BOOOOOOOOM!!!

The sound of their collision shook the entire neutral city.

Their first clash shattered the ground for several hundred meters.

The elder's sword struck downward.

The Poison Demon met it with his green fan.

CLANG!

A shockwave erupted.

Buildings collapsed.

Trees were uprooted.

The spectators were blown away.

Both experts jumped back.

The elder frowned.

"You still use that ridiculous fan as a weapon."

The Poison Demon chuckled.

"And you still use that rusty sword."

The elder snorted.

Then vanished.

A sword light flashed.

It appeared before the Poison Demon instantly.

Too fast.

Yet the Poison Demon smiled.

His fan opened.

Emerald mist erupted.

Poison Art:

Thousand Venom Mist.

The sword light entered the mist.

Sizzle.

The elder's qi began corroding.

The spectators widened their eyes.

Even sword qi was melting.

The elder instantly retreated.

A strand of his hair had touched the poison.

It turned black.

Then disintegrated.

The elder narrowed his eyes.

"So your poison has reached this level."

The Poison Demon laughed.

"I've had hundreds of years to perfect it."

Then he waved his fan.

The green mist suddenly transformed into thousands of snakes.

Poison Art:

Emerald Serpent Domain.

The sky became filled with giant poisonous serpents.

Each was made entirely from condensed poison qi.

They charged.

The elder's expression finally became serious.

He raised his sword.

Sword Intent exploded.

Sword Art:

Black Tortoise Guard.

BOOOOOOM!

A gigantic tortoise made of golden qi appeared behind him.

Its shell seemed capable of bearing heaven itself.

The snakes crashed into it.

Explosions echoed endlessly.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The entire sky turned green and gold.

The poison snakes exploded one after another.

Yet the tortoise remained standing.

The elder smirked.

"Still not enough."

The Poison Demon smiled.

"Who said I was aiming for you?"

The elder frowned.

Then looked below.

The shattered remains of the snakes had become puddles of poison.

The poison was spreading.

Toward the spectators.

Toward the sect leaders.

Toward the painting.

The elder's face changed.

"You bastard!"

The Poison Demon laughed.

"You wanted war, old friend. War has casualties."

The elder swung his sword.

A golden barrier appeared around the spectators.

But at that exact moment—

The Poison Demon moved.

Like a ghost.

He appeared directly before the elder.

His fan closed.

Then pierced forward.

Poison Art:

Heaven Piercing Scorpion Sting.

CRACK!

The elder blocked.

Yet the green poison spread through his sword.

His hand instantly turned purple.

The spectators gasped.

The Poison Demon attacked again.

Again.

Again.

Again.

The fan moved like countless venomous stingers.

Every strike carried enough poison to kill an army.

The elder retreated continuously.

For the first time…

He was being pushed back.

The Poison Demon smiled.

"You've gotten old."

The elder's eyes became cold.

"So have you."

BOOOOOOOM!!!

A massive aura exploded.

The Black Tortoise behind him grew larger.

Its shell covered the heavens.

The elder's sword became completely golden.

Sword Art:

Heavenly Tortoise Suppression.

He swung.

A mountain-sized sword descended.

The Poison Demon's expression changed.

He instantly spread both arms.

Poison Art:

Ten Thousand Venom Barrier.

Layers of poisonous walls appeared.

One.

Two.

Three.

Ten.

Fifty.

A hundred.

The giant sword crashed into them.

BOOOOOOOOOM!!!

One wall shattered.

Then another.

Then another.

Like glass.

The spectators watched in horror.

Eighty.

Ninety.

Ninety-nine.

The final wall shattered.

The sword reached the Poison Demon.

He crossed his fan.

CRACK!

His arm broke.

The ground beneath him collapsed.

Blood flowed from his mouth.

Yet—

He was smiling.

The elder frowned.

Then realized.

Poison.

The final barrier had exploded directly onto him.

His entire arm had turned black.

Even his meridians were being corroded.

The Poison Demon laughed.

"Cough… cough…"

Blood fell from his lips.

"But I finally poisoned you."

The elder looked at his arm.

Then smiled.

"You think this can kill me?"

The Poison Demon sighed.

"No."

The elder nodded.

"But it'll weaken you."

"Yes."

Silence.

Both men looked at each other.

For hundreds of years they had stood on opposite sides.

Enemies.

Yet also rivals.

The elder sighed.

"I never thought we'd fight like this."

The Poison Demon smiled.

"Neither did I."

Then—

Both released all their qi.

The heavens trembled.

The clouds split apart.

The city shook.

Even the experts watching felt terror.

One sect leader whispered,

"They're going to use their final techniques…"

Nobody dared blink.

The elder raised his sword.

Golden light gathered.

The Black Tortoise behind him roared.

The Poison Demon spread both arms.

The poison in the city rose.

Every drop.

Every puddle.

Every trace.

It gathered behind him.

An emerald giant appeared.

The sky became half gold.

Half green.

The elder spoke.

"Old friend."

The Poison Demon smiled.

"What?"

"I'll remember this battle."

The Poison Demon laughed.

"I'd be offended if you didn't."

Both moved.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

Their final clash erupted.

The giant tortoise collided with the poison giant.

The sky shattered.

The earth split apart.

Mountains in the distance collapsed.

Rivers changed course.

Even the painting dimension shook violently.

The spectators were blown away.

Nobody could open their eyes.

Light engulfed everything.

For several moments…

There was nothing.

Then…

Silence.

The smoke slowly dispersed.

Everyone looked upward.

The elder stood.

His robes were torn.

Blood covered his body.

One arm hung limply.

His face had aged several years.

And before him…

The Poison Demon remained standing.

A giant hole pierced his chest.

Blood flowed endlessly.

The emerald giant behind him had vanished.

His fan had broken.

The spectators trembled.

The Poison Demon looked at the elder.

Then smiled.

"You won."

The elder remained silent.

The Poison Demon looked toward the painting.

"I suppose… I won't be able to protect those brats anymore."

The elder's eyes softened.

"You fought well."

The Poison Demon laughed weakly.

"Of course I did…"

He coughed blood.

"I'm one of the Four Great Evils."

He looked toward the sky.

"I wonder…"

A smile appeared.

The elder's expression darkened.

The Poison Demon slowly closed his eyes.

"Tell him…"

He smiled.

"I finally lost a battle."

His body began to collapse.

Yet even while falling—

He was smiling.

THUD.

Silence.

The Great Evil of the Demonic Cult.

The Poison Demon.

Had fallen.

No cheers erupted.

No celebration.

Because everyone present knew…

This was not victory.

This was the spark.

The elder looked at the corpse for a long time.

Then at the painting.

For the first time in centuries…

Fear appeared in his eyes.

Because somewhere inside that painting…

There was a devil.