"Hiss..." went the sound of a weapon plunging into flesh, yet a smile was absent from Sakura Kongshi's face; instead, a flicker of shock crossed it, for he knew his long spear had failed to pierce Ye Jingyu's heart.

The spear-bloom dissipated, and Sakura Kongshi saw Ye Jingyu's left hand gripping the spear tip with fierce determination. The sharp point had already torn through his palm, scarlet blood tracing a path down his arm, yet his entire momentum was neutralized by that single grasp.

Sakura Kongshi tried to thrust deeper, but it felt as if an impassable mountain stood before him; even trying to retract the weapon, he felt it clamped by iron pincers, utterly immovable.

In that moment, Sakura Kongshi truly understood the power Ye Jingyu possessed—pure, physical strength that had reached such an apex. How had he cultivated this? How could his body be so formidable?

Ye Jingyu was not untouched, however. Though his left hand held the spearhead, the point had easily broken his skin, even grazing bone. An indescribable agony shot through him, yet his grip remained unyielding, veins standing out like cords across his arm.

Yet, his face showed no trace of pain, bearing instead a faint smile—a look of serene contentment, devoid of anger or resentment, as if greeting a dear friend.

"You are strong, but you are still no match for me!" Ye Jingyu softly uttered these words, his gaze radiating absolute confidence.

Seeing Ye Jingyu’s self-assured expression, Sakura Kongshi was about to retort when a sudden chill swept over his back, striking dread into his heart. He instantly recalled the Heavenly Sovereign Blade Ye Jingyu had thrown earlier.

At this juncture, he faced a choice: release the Heaven-Devouring Demonic Spear to evade the hurtling blade, or allow that strike to pierce his body. But if he let go of the spear, reclaiming it would be exceedingly difficult, and victory against Ye Jingyu would then be impossible.

Furthermore...

The spear was his life, his soul, his companion; how could he abandon it?

A look of grim resolution flashed in Sakura Kongshi’s eyes. Clenching the shaft with his right hand, he suddenly surged forward. His strength inferior to Ye Jingyu's, his right hand slid along the spear handle, bringing him directly before Ye Jingyu, unleashing a devastating punch aimed at his chest.

Witnessing Sakura Kongshi’s reckless offensive punch, Ye Jingyu was startled; he hadn't expected Sakura Kongshi to disregard the imminent danger from the Heavenly Sovereign Blade.

Surprise notwithstanding, Ye Jingyu met the incoming blow with a punch of his own...

The two fists collided heavily, unleashing immense energy. But here, in the void, save for the blinding flash of light, they heard almost no sound.

Both bodies recoiled simultaneously. Ye Jingyu's left hand gripping the spear tip loosened slightly, but at that moment, Sakura Kongshi had no intention of withdrawing; instead, he drove the spear forward with renewed force, aiming again for Ye Jingyu's heart.

Ye Jingyu tensed, leaning backward to evade the fatal thrust, but the sharp edge scored a long gash across his shoulder.

Immediately after this strike, Sakura Kongshi's body began to contort, but the Heavenly Sovereign Blade had already circled back. Despite his desperate evasion, a wound nearly an inch deep was carved into his left side. The electrical energy accompanying the blade seared the injury, leaving it ragged and terrifying to behold.

The two bodies sprang apart quickly. Ye Jingyu clutched his shoulder, while Sakura Kongshi covered his left flank. In their eyes, a mutual respect, a shared understanding, surfaced.

Especially in Ye Jingyu's gaze, there was profound admiration. To evade his fatal strike under such pressure and still manage to wound him—his battle techniques had truly reached the pinnacle of mastery...

How wonderful if such a person could be a friend? But he knew friendship was impossible. Since Sakura Kongshi first abducted Luo Ling'er, they had been enemies—sworn enemies destined for mutual destruction.

For such a formidable foe, the only course of action was complete erasure from this world.

"Kill..." Ye Jingyu roared, his body transforming into a streak of light, charging again toward Sakura Kongshi. Sakura Kongshi merely snorted, wielding the Heaven-Devouring Demonic Spear, engaging Ye Jingyu once more.

Both were figures of astounding talent, their strength equally immense. Even though Ye Jingyu had not yet condensed his fourth Golden Core, his current power placed him firmly within the Demon King realm, the Venerable tier. Relying on the might of his three Golden Cores, he was even stronger than the newly ascended Sakura Kongshi, and thus feared nothing around him.

In the void where time and space held no sway, their powers so grand, they fought on ceaselessly, battling without end, the passage of time unknown.

In the Demon Realm, the battle had raged for seven days and seven nights. Tens of millions of demons had suffered casualties exceeding six million. The four Great Royal Clans still possessed armies numbering several million, while the Purple Flame Clan, and indeed the entire Blazing Demon race, were reduced to less than a million survivors.

Even among the twelve Ninth-Rank Demon Sovereigns of the Purple Flame Demon Clan, only seven remained to protect Hei Ming Yingjie and Hei Ming Shixuan. Three of the twelve Ninth-Rank Demon Sovereigns from the Evil Nightmare and Azure Feather Clans had been slain by Yan Senxu, and the Wolf Clan's Ninth-Rank Demon Sovereign, Qing Yi, had been killed by the rested Liang Xiaoke.

Zhu Rong and Han Ba were still confined within the Twelve Heavenly Witches Annihilation Grand Array. Without Ye Jingyu's guidance, the array functioned as a static formation; as long as the demons did not charge in, they remained unharmed.

Jiu Feng and the others were likewise safe within the array's protection for the time being. However, Chi Yixiu and Liang Xiaoke had broken out to join the fray against the main forces. Liang Xiaoke, having mastered the Three Corpses God Technique, single-handedly, alongside Gongsun Lu, managed to tie down the remaining Ninth-Rank Demon Sovereigns of the Wolf Clan. The battle had reached a stalemate, yet the slaughter continued relentlessly...

While this war, which nearly consumed the entire Demon Realm, raged on, in the easternmost region of the Demon Realm's Thunder Marsh Circle, lay the territory belonging to the Asura Clan.

Asura King Ashura, who had long remained aloof from worldly affairs, unexpectedly emerged from his Asura Palace. Gazing toward the direction of the war, Ashura murmured softly, "The Demon Realm has known little turmoil for long; let them slaughter one another. It is time for my people to descend upon this land once more!" As the words fell, Ashura’s body ripped through the void, speeding directly toward the eastern edge of the Demon Realm...

Hei Mingba, locked in a standoff with the three Demon Kings, felt his expression shift slightly. He looked eastward, his brow deeply furrowed. "Sirs, if you still wish to retain your positions as Demon Kings, then cease your actions?"

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