Chapter Forty: The Eighteen Demon Generals (Part Two)

At that moment, Yunmeng saw the clouds in the sky rolling with the wind, transforming into rain, converging in the air, and vaguely taking the shape of a colossal dragon. Its claws bared, it surged ferociously toward the Six Demonic Champions.

“Heavens… Brother Huafeng, what is that?” Yunmeng cried out in alarm, unable to stop herself from stumbling backward.

Only then did the others notice the girl hiding in the corner. “Oh… it’s you, little lass! I searched high and low, only to find you here effortlessly. The Body of Seven Absolutes, the Equilibrium Body, both appear before me today. I’ll deal with you later.” Having just managed to break free from the melee, Wind Demon was delighted to discover that nearly everyone he sought was present. The other five Demon Generals likely couldn’t delay Danqiu Sheng and Master Zhang much longer; he’d have to act swiftly.

The enormous dragon, dozens of yards long, swooped down and coiled above Huafeng’s head. Its fierce eyes glared at the crowd, as if with a single command from its master, everything before them would be ripped to shreds.

As if he had heard Yunmeng’s frightened cry, Huafeng opened his eyes. Glancing at the panic-stricken Yunmeng, with no time to question how she had come to be there, he called urgently, “Xiaomeng, go! As far as you can! Now!” He sensed the unsettling energy within the dragon and feared the devastation would exceed his control.

Wind Demon roared, “What are you waiting for? He’s just a Yuan King-level brat. Even if he’s gained some power, he’s no match for you! Go! Capture him alive—if our master is pleased, you might break your bottleneck and become peak Yuan Emperor experts. Then you could hope to become immortal demon gods!”

At these words, greed gleamed in the eyes of the Demon Warriors; the temptation of immortal power momentarily overcame their fear. They unleashed their strength and lunged toward the pale-faced youth. Five figures, shrouded in black demonic aura, closed in instantly.

With a resounding dragon’s roar, the summoned dragon finally moved, its massive claws slashing at the five Demon Generals.

Clang! Clang!

The sound of metal clashing rang out ceaselessly. Though the dragon was strong enough to withstand a Yuan Emperor-level master, these five were skilled and coordinated, more than enough to repel a top-tier Yuan Emperor.

At that moment, the dragon formed from wind and rain wielded power akin to a peak Yuan Emperor. The deadlock lasted only a while before Wind Demon grew impatient. The ones diverted earlier—Yinglong, Master Zhang, and Danqiu Sheng—seemed to be breaking free and heading their way.

“Boy! Surrender now! If this is your final trump card, you’d best come quietly, or you’ll suffer for it!” Wind Demon mocked.

Ignoring the threat, Huafeng knew the time had come for a decisive outcome. Even if he couldn’t kill all six demons, he had to inflict grave wounds. With a thought, he pushed the last of his true energy to the limit. With a spurt of blood, he spat a mouthful of essence onto the dragon.

With most of Huafeng’s vital energy infused, the dragon’s assault grew even fiercer, gradually gaining the upper hand. Screams rang out as demon generals fell wounded by the dragon’s claws. But Huafeng himself grew paler; after all this, he finally collapsed to his knees, unable to rise.

“Brother Huafeng…” Yunmeng, who had not yet left, rushed toward him, crying, “What’s wrong?” Seeing Yunmeng’s anxious face as she ran to him, Huafeng cried out urgently, “Go! I’m fine, just… just that summoning technique from earlier—it’s too draining! You must leave; it’s dangerous here. Later, I’ll explain everything that happened today. Please, listen to me.” Seeing Xiaomeng stand not far away, worry etched on her face, his tone softened.

He watched as she turned away, hoping only for her safe departure. Whether he could survive today remained uncertain. For now, he pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the battle not far away, summoning his will and intoning, “Flame Emperor’s Wrath—Tempest’s End!” His hands flashed through seals.

The dragon’s might surged, transforming into countless blades of wind and rain, slashing toward the Six Demons.

Wind Demon, who had been observing, finally moved. A sudden black mist appeared, coalescing into a bow and arrow. “Since you insist, boy, I’ll use the Godslayer Bow to end you! Bringing your soul back is just as well. This bow can slay common immortals—what hope do you, a mere mortal, have of withstanding my Godslayer Arrow? Today, it all ends,” Wind Demon sneered.

It was only then that Huafeng realized—the blades of wind and rain, while injuring the other five, had no effect on Wind Demon, serving only to thin the black mist around him.

Feeling the approach of Yinglong and the others, Wind Demon wasted no time. The deadly Godslayer Arrow, already gleaming coldly, was ready to fire, infused with his peak Yuan Emperor true energy, aimed straight at the slowly rising youth.

Whoosh—

A piercing sound split the air. The powerful wind and rain blades could only momentarily slow the arrow’s momentum. The arrow, loosed from the string, flew unerringly toward Huafeng’s heart.

Having unleashed Tempest’s End, Huafeng was drained to his limits, unable even to dodge—he could only watch the Godslayer Arrow streak toward him. Perhaps this truly was the end. Glancing at the five Demon Warriors sprawled wretchedly on the ground, a strange calm came over him.

But just as Huafeng resigned himself to fate, he saw several familiar figures racing into the arena.

In that split second, he saw Yinglong snatch the arrow by the fletching, but the arrowhead broke free, piercing the chest of a suddenly arriving figure in its path.

Amidst Yinglong’s cry—“Snow Dance Phantom Step!” and “Xiaomeng!”—Huafeng saw the girl who always trailed after him, boisterous and carefree, her grades forever just behind his, use her own flesh and blood to block an arrow meant to slay a Yuan Emperor.

As Huafeng caught the blood-soaked Xiaomeng in his arms, his anguished, despairing cry—“Yunmeng!”—echoed to the heavens.

Yinglong joined the fray at once, battling Wind Demon and the ten Demon Generals converging upon them.

“B-brother Huafeng… don’t… don’t be like this. It… makes me sad. I… I’m so cold… so cold. Could you hold me?” A weak, heart-piercing voice reached his ears.

Struggling to suppress his killing intent, he gently cradled Yunmeng in his arms.

“Why did you come back? Why did you take that arrow… you fool!” he chided her, his voice trembling. Raising his head, he looked at Danqiu Sheng and Master Zhang. “Save her… please, I beg you…”

Master Zhang hurried to kneel beside her, feeding her a pill to stabilize her heart and channeling his true energy into her meridians, while Danqiu Sheng stood nearby, vigilantly on guard. After a moment, Master Zhang frowned. “My energy is being blocked. There’s a powerful force within her meridians protecting her. Forcing it might endanger her life. If not for that force, she would have died the moment she took that arrow. But she’s lost too much blood—her vital energy is fading.”

Hearing this, Huafeng’s face grew grave, a murderous aura surging from him, golden light radiating from the taiji symbol at his core. Bowing his head, he gently stroked Yunmeng’s back and spoke softly, “Don’t be afraid. Everything will be alright. With me here, you’ll recover. I’ll never argue with you again. We’ll go to Disneyland together—I’ll take you to see Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse, all right?”

“Mmm…”

“For now, just sleep a little. When you wake up, everything will be fine, okay…”

Perhaps truly exhausted, Yunmeng nodded, a faint smile on her pale face as she drifted into sleep.

“I’ve already stopped the bleeding. With that force sustaining her, she’ll be safe for now,” Master Zhang whispered. Huafeng nodded in gratitude.

At this moment, he yearned for strength more than ever. In the end, he was still too weak. Xiaomeng, don’t worry—I will become stronger! What happened today will never happen again! After this ordeal, Huafeng’s resolve to pursue absolute power became utterly unshakable. He swallowed Master Zhang’s pill, restoring his energy, while a surge of battle fury unleashed his hidden potential.

Huafeng turned to the Demons, his voice thunderous: “A dragon has its reverse scale—touch it and you die! Today, your lives are forfeit!”