The golden autumn month of August, a season ripe for harvest, offered crisp skies and gentle breezes, yet the sight along the road was of hurried figures, their faces etched with barely concealed panic, as if fleeing some terrible catastrophe.
Indeed, they were running for their lives, escaping the pursuit of a terrifying demon.
Six days prior, I had used the Dungeon Escape Scroll to flee the Sanctuary Space, only to be cursed with terrible luck and teleported randomly to the southernmost tip of the Dragon Continent, to Nanxi City. With no other recourse, I had to push my mount to full speed towards the Panlong Yun Family manor. Though the Royal Token allowed me to cover considerable distance quickly, Nanxi lacked a direct Thunder Eagle route to Panlong. Thus, I was forced to requisition a warhorse from the Nantang Commandant’s Office and gallop towards Panlong!
Along the way, I gathered whispers about the reappearance of the Blood-Scarlet Demon Sword on the continent. Truthfully, this hardly required inquiry; Blood-Tiger Luo Jiang had already become the continent’s most feared fiend.
The cities of Zuyun, Tong, and Yuan had been nearly annihilated by Luo Jiang. The news shocked everyone; no one knew where Luo Jiang’s next target would be. Consequently, to save their skins, many fled with their families toward the capital of the Demon Dragon Empire, Dragonfall City, hoping to secure protection from the Heavenly Demon Warriors and escape death.
“What is this madman trying to do!” My head was starting to ache. Lost in thought, I spotted a small tavern not far ahead.
That someone was still operating normally during such turmoil was quite unexpected. The tiny tavern was already packed with refugees, the overflow spilling even onto the outdoor patio.
This was hardly surprising; while fleeing was paramount, one still needed to eat before continuing the journey.
The small tavern clearly couldn't accommodate everyone, so rudimentary cooking stations, built from piles of stones by the refugees themselves, dotted the open ground outside, used for preparing meals.
Sleek columns of cooking smoke rose into the air, and the weary travelers, mentally exhausted from flight, found a rare moment of calm, preparing food while murmuring amongst themselves.
“Did you hear? Luo Jiang showed up in Tang City the day before yesterday.”
“Ah, Tang City! That’s very close to here.”
“What happened in Tang City?”
“What else? Everyone who wasn’t fast enough was killed.”
“Damn it, can’t anyone stop him?”
“Alas! Truly an age of great suffering.”
“Who knows where his next stop will be.”
“Panlong and Dujiang are the two largest cities near Tang City. If this devil strikes there, things will be dire.”
“I heard the Royal Family has already dispatched Heavenly Demon Warriors.”
“Heavenly Demon Warriors? Let’s hope it’s not too late.”
“Do you really think the Heavenly Demon Warriors can defeat Luo Jiang?”
“They should be able to. Those Heavenly Demon Warriors are exceptionally powerful. If even they can’t handle Luo Jiang, then this Dragon Continent will truly be scoured clean by him.”
Heavenly Demon Warriors!
The dry bread in my hand suddenly felt impossible to chew. I hadn't expected even the Heavenly Demon Warriors to be drawn into this. Thinking it over, perhaps they were the only ones capable of dealing with the current Luo Jiang.
The cities closest to Tang City were Dujiang and Panlong. Since Master Jianli and the others had likely returned to Panlong, they must be at their wits' end now. No, I had to hurry back to Panlong and deliver the Blade of Destiny to Uncle Lu. Perhaps then there would be a sliver of hope.
To be honest, even if the Blade of Destiny could truly merge with the Blade of Prayer into a new divine weapon, I doubted it could defeat Luo Jiang. I had learned previously that without sufficient strength to wield a powerful divine artifact, one could never unleash its true potential; instead, the wielder risked being consumed by it.
The strongest among our side was Master Jianli, yet even he couldn’t master the Blade of Prayer. How much more powerful would the new divine weapon be, forged from the fusion of the Blade of Destiny and the Blade of Prayer? Controlling such a weapon would be incredibly difficult. Even if one could barely manage it, defeating Luo Jiang wouldn't be easy.
The thought nearly fractured my mind.
No matter what, I had to return to Panlong quickly. Finishing the bread in my hand, I could wait no longer. I mounted the warhorse and spurred it onward toward Panlong.
Crack! Rumble!
Suddenly, peals of thunder echoed, and looking up, I saw the entire sky rapidly shrouded in thick, swirling black clouds. Instantly, lightning flashed and thunder roared, accompanied by a violent downpour.
What the—! Seriously! At this critical moment, you dump this much rain on me? Damn it, my luck is truly abysmal!
As the saying goes: trouble never comes singly—a leaky roof always gets hit by a night storm, and a sailing ship meets a headwind! The sudden, fierce rain instantly drenched me to the bone! The road surface had become dangerously slick! The damn warhorse could no longer maintain its speed. I had no choice but to slow down slightly.
Dujiang City!
Splat!
Mist of blood merged with the sheeting rain. The last corpse dissolved into fragments beneath the blood-red sword!
“Hn! Ghrr!” A flicker of savage pleasure crossed Luo Jiang’s icy pupils. He let out a deeply satisfied growl, like a famished wolf finally feasting. Looking up at the torrential rain, Luo Jiang felt a rare sensation of coolness and clarity. His hazy eyes began to clear momentarily!
But it was only a flash. Those once-clear pupils were immediately swallowed again by a flame-like crimson! Like a suddenly awakened fierce tiger! Luo Jiang’s blood-red eyes pierced through the curtain of rain, focusing on the distance! The end of the street!
Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Steady footfalls struck the pooled water on the road; the dull thuds were jarring, unable to be muffled even by the rolling thunder of the rain. For the first time, Luo Jiang sensed the approach of danger!
Like a tiger challenged by a rival, Luo Jiang emitted a non-human roar, staring intently at the blurred, solitary figure in the downpour.
The newcomer was clad in a hooded oilskin greatcoat, the entire head securely covered, revealing only a few strands of silvery-white hair.
Stomp! Thud! The approaching figure halted its steps twenty meters away! When the thick hood was thrown back, it revealed armor of brilliant gold! Luo Jiang could not make out the face, but the measured stride and the profound killing aura made it clear: the creature before him possessed immense power—a power capable of threatening his own life. For the first time, Luo Jiang knew fear, yet his innate ferocity and the murderous frenzy consuming his mind stoked an uncontrollable agitation and excitement.
Tap-tap-tap! My warhorse galloped, and through the descending rain curtain, I saw the faint outline of a city wall.
Ah! It’s Dujiang! My spirits soared, and I instinctively urged the horse faster!
In moments, the warhorse carried me crashing into Dujiang City!
The city gates were unguarded; the main streets were utterly deserted, strewn with random debris, discarded fruits, and the like. Many shops hadn't even bothered to close their doors. Clearly, the inhabitants had fled in such haste they hadn't time to secure their wares.
Could the Blood-Tiger Luo Jiang already be in Dujiang? My heart lurched in shock.
Not long after entering, I caught the strong stench of blood. For the first time, I saw bodies—though they could barely be called corpses anymore. Limbs and severed parts were scattered everywhere. The only relatively intact remains were a head, that of an old man with white hair and a desolate expression. Clearly, this elder had failed to escape Luo Jiang’s grasp. As I pressed deeper, the number of corpses visible on the street increased. Most were either very old or very young. I wondered why they hadn’t managed to escape with the others.
“Roar!”
As I pondered this, a dull, furious roar suddenly reached my ears, accompanied by a soul-chilling killing intent.
Ah! It’s him!
A flash of a blood-red figure instantly crossed my mind!
Yes, it had to be him. This familiar aura was unmistakable! Blood-Tiger Luo Jiang was nearby!
Wait! There’s another powerful aura. I almost couldn't trust my intuition—such presence was nearly equal to Luo Jiang’s.
Recalling the rumors I’d heard on the road, I immediately guessed: Could it be a Heavenly Demon Warrior?
I precisely pinpointed the direction of the killing auras and bolted forward, running across the empty streets. Far ahead, I saw the open central avenue where two figures—one red, one gold—faced off against each other!
It was indeed the Blood-Tiger Luo Jiang! And the other was Jidu! However, neither of them seemed to have noticed my arrival, or perhaps they had noticed but were too preoccupied to care.
Clearly, the two were already locked in a deadly confrontation where the slightest lapse in concentration could prove fatal. To avoid distracting Jidu, I suppressed the joy and excitement surging within me and quietly crouched in a corner, anxiously watching these two supreme powerhouses duel.
A Heavenly Demon against a Demon-Man—who would prevail? I couldn't believe I had stumbled upon such an earth-shattering battle!
“Hn! Ghrr!” Luo Jiang roared softly, instinctively tightening his grip on the Blood Sword! Like a tiger guarding its territory, he issued a warning to the invading enemy.
Through the curtain of rain, Jidu finally grasped the true appearance of the Luo Jiang before him: clad in blood-red armor, his hair and eyes were also fiercely crimson. The man looked as if he had just been fished out of a pool of blood. His right hand held the Blood Sword, which still dripped with unspent gore.
Blood-Tiger Luo Jiang! The name certainly suited the appearance!
The Luo Jiang before him truly resembled a fierce tiger emerging from the jungle!
“You are Luo Jiang!” Jidu stated in a deep voice.
“Ghrr! Roar!” Jidu’s only response was a deep, savage growl. At this moment, Luo Jiang seemed to have lost all human attributes, his ability to speak reduced to mere guttural snarls that clearly conveyed his intent.
“As expected, completely fallen to demonhood,” Jidu sighed heavily, gripping his Frost-Congealing Greatsword. “Since that is the case, you can die.”
“Roar!” A heaven-shaking roar erupted! Like an enraged tiger, the startling sound waves of energy vibrated the street, the falling rain, and countless fragments of rubble, which shot out like shrapnel, uncontrollably toward Jidu!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Facing the sudden barrage of debris and raindrops, Jidu seemed not to notice, his icy pupils locked onto Luo Jiang’s silhouette! But every piece of shrapnel and every drop of rain that struck Jidu bounced away as if hitting an invisible wall of air.
Rumble! A clap of thunder split the sky, followed by a fierce gale that seemed to blow away a portion of the black clouds. Several shafts of golden light pierced through the thick cloud cover, splashing onto the muddy street, illuminating both Jidu and Luo Jiang.
It seemed even Heaven itself did not wish to miss this epochal confrontation!
“Ghrr!” A low growl, like a tiger’s roar! Luo Jiang’s blood-red figure seemed like a furiously dancing blaze. Even in this wet and muddy world, Jidu felt an intense, scorching heat, as if immersed in volcanic lava. A grave expression surfaced in his icy eyes.
Such potent aura! It was hard to imagine this man could conjure such fierce killing intent based purely on murderous thought. Even as a Heavenly Demon Warrior, Jidu felt his spirit momentarily shaken!
Is this the power of the Blood-Scarlet Demon Sword? Just a single sword elevates a man’s power to such a terrifying level, enough to contend with a Heavenly Demon Warrior! Although I had heard all the legends surrounding the Blood-Scarlet Demon Sword, facing it firsthand, Jidu couldn’t help but feel an ineffable sense of dread and oppression!
This fight would not be easy! In an instant, Jidu realized that the Luo Jiang before him was no less formidable than any Heavenly Demon Warrior he had faced before, perhaps even stronger.
In times past, the Royal Families of the Four Nations had sought to acquire the Blood-Scarlet Demon Sword for their own use, but on several occasions, they had missed their chances through strange turns of fate. If he could defeat Luo Jiang, perhaps, using his own powerful spiritual energy as a Heavenly Demon Warrior, he could successfully master this demonic sword. At that point, his strength would surely increase dramatically. Jidu suppressed the wild excitement within him. After all, the Four Nations each possessed their own national divine artifacts—Xiangbiqi’s Dragon-Slaying Blade, Cangyue’s Dragon-Slayer, and so on, each held by the nation’s strongest Heavenly Demon Warrior. If the Demon Dragon Empire could add this demonic sword, they would hold a decisive advantage when facing the Heavenly Demon Warriors of other nations in the future.
But all that depended on defeating the opponent before him first!
Jidu watched Luo Jiang cautiously! He knew clearly that the wave radiating from him was the result of Battle Qi pushed to its absolute limit—an earth-shattering strike was imminent.
“Roar!” The momentum finally gathered to its peak! Amidst a deafening roar, Luo Jiang slammed his feet down!
The blood-red afterimage vanished instantly. But thanks to the Eye of Death Lust, Jidu locked onto the ghost-like figure in a mere flash of lightning!
Whoosh! Without warning, the blood-red figure materialized three meters in front of Jidu! Violent sword energy swept toward him! Blood Sword illusions erupted in all directions, forming a sky full of sword shadows, as if countless sharp blades were simultaneously stabbing at every vital point around Jidu’s body.
No one knew how many strikes Blood-Tiger Luo Jiang launched at that moment; no one could describe the speed of those myriad sword shadows.
“Hn! Come then!” Surrounded by the sea of sword shadows, Jidu’s expression sharpened. The Frost-Congealing Greatsword swept out instantly, and the light around him surged, creating countless massive shields of light that met the onslaught of incoming sword shadows in that split second.
Clang! Ding! Bang!
A series of dense, muffled thunder-like impacts followed. Every sword strike launched by Luo Jiang was met head-on by Jidu!
Clash! With another dull thud, the snow-white Frost-Congealing Greatsword and the blood-red body of the Blood-Scarlet Demon Sword collided once more. However, this time, the Blood-Scarlet Demon Sword seemed like a viper caught in an eagle’s talons.
The crimson blade surged with intense light, emitting a sharp, rapid hum, struggling to break free from the Frost-Congealing Greatsword’s restraint.
In that very instant, Jidu utilized his masterful control over Battle Qi, employing a binding technique from his sword style, attempting to forcibly seize the Blood-Scarlet Demon Sword from Luo Jiang’s hand.
“Roar!” Seemingly enraged by Jidu’s provocative technique, Luo Jiang roared again! He abruptly channeled strength for a sword push!
Clash! Whoosh! The Blood-Scarlet Demon Sword flared with light and instantly broke free from the entanglement of the Frost-Congealing Greatsword!
The entire figure, sword included, transformed into a streak of light, shooting backward. As he retreated, countless arcs of sword energy—like a violent storm—slashed out, forming countless ethereal, unpredictable, and strange arcs of light that once again targeted Jidu’s vital spots. This maneuver, retreating to advance, instantly nullified Jidu’s intent!
What fine swordsmanship!
Jidu couldn't help but utter an exclamation of praise. It was hard to imagine that Luo Jiang, currently acting like a beast, could execute such exquisite sword techniques and Battle Qi attacks.
Jidu channeled his Battle Qi wildly, instantly erecting layers of robust protective Battle Qi, while slightly stepping back and sweeping his Frost-Congealing Greatsword in a rotation!
A massive golden crescent shot out with a howling sound!
Clash! Rumble! The dazzling sphere of light exploded instantly!
The giant crescent successfully intercepted the countless lightning-fast sword qi, yet several sword qi managed to pierce the crescent’s barrier, striking Jidu’s chest and abdomen.
However, they were deflected by Jidu’s protective Battle Qi and the Heavenly Demon Armor.
Thud! Only then did Luo Jiang’s retreating figure settle onto the ground ten meters away.
In this first exchange, neither side had gained an advantage!
Looking toward Luo Jiang, who was roaring like a wild tiger ten meters distant, Jidu’s expression grew serious again!
From this brief exchange, Jidu intuitively realized that the Luo Jiang before him was different from any opponent he had ever faced! This style, based purely on speed and fierce assault, involuntarily reminded Luo Jiang of Xingchen.
Although he could still keep up with Luo Jiang’s pace using the Eye of Death Lust, the battle-hardened Jidu instinctively felt that Luo Jiang was clearly not yet using his full strength.
But what other trump cards did he have yet to reveal?