Chapter 1116: Another Emperor Slain |
"Aaaaarghhhh—!"
A roar of agony erupted from the Tenebrous Demon Emperor. In the next moment, black light burst from his body like a volcanic eruption. His thousand-meter-long body instantly shrank by nearly a third, but at the same time, an overwhelming surge of power blasted Tang San, Xu An'yu, and the Scourge Dragon away.
Fresh wounds split open across the black dragon's massive form, and his entire body trembled. Holy energy, light energy, and annihilation energy, along with the yin-yang energy Tang San had injected, ravaged him from within. He was wracked with searing pain. Though he forcefully suppressed the foreign powers with his immense cultivation, expelling them was no easy task; it would take time and focus, neither of which he could spare right now.
His enormous form rapidly shrank, reverting to a humanoid figure. Contorted with pain, the Tenebrous Demon Emperor's face twisted with rage. "Die! All of you must die! You dare injure me?! You will pay with your lives!"
The Misfortune Pearl spun into the sky, releasing a torrent of gray mist. Simultaneously, a long saber brimming with malevolent aura appeared in his hand—obviously, a top-grade demonic weapon.
Xu An'yu raised his dragon spear and unleashed his blazing, radiant power.
"I'll handle the Misfortune Pearl," Tang San said coldly.
"Alright!" Xu An'yu responded, his light energy flaring even more intensely.
Among the Demon Emperors, the Tenebrous Demon Emperor ranked around the bottom. That was one reason he had never ascended to the position of Dragon Lord. Xu An'yu wasn't afraid of someone like him, especially with the support of the Grand Elder and the entire dragon race.
The Crystal Dragon by Tang San's side gave a subtle nod.
Prismatic light flowed into Xu An'yu, casting crystalline brilliance across his armor. At that moment, he seemed to merge entirely with Crystal City.
Tang San had seen this once before—in Kali City, when the Peacock Great Demon King used it to hold his own against the Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor. This was the power of a city's fortune.
On the Daemon Continent, the city with the strongest fortune wasn't Crystal City, but Skytree City, the very same city that was under Tang San's control now. Why was Skytree City still untouched in spite of the Blue Gold Tree clan being so coveted? It was because the Ancestral Tree resided there. Not only was it powerful itself, but the ancestral fortune it commanded was second to none.
Crystal City didn't have the Ancestral Tree, but it was the largest city on the continent and had been nurtured by the dragon race for generations. Now, as he drew upon its ancestral power, Xu An'yu's aura made even the Tenebrous Demon Emperor's expression shift.
"You've gained Crystal City's recognition?" The Tenebrous Demon Emperor's face twisted even more, and it was not from the searing pain in his body. Jealousy, rage, and anguish overwhelmed him, and the Misfortune Pearl's backlash only fueled his instability.
"Yes. I am the rightful leader of the dragon race, and today, I shall represent all dragons in judging you!" Xu An'yu's gaze was ice-cold as he locked eyes with the Tenebrous Demon Emperor.
Beneath him, the Radiant Dragon let out a majestic roar that echoed across the entire city. Xu An'yu's aura surged skyward, and in a flash, he launched himself at the enemy.
The Tenebrous Demon Emperor bellowed and summoned a torrent of gray mist from the Misfortune Pearl, blasting it toward Xu An'yu.
But just then, a peculiar white light shot out and struck the Misfortune Pearl.
The Misfortune Pearl trembled violently. Its surge of misfortune power vanished instantly, unable to reach Xu An'yu.
Boom!
The demonic saber clashed with Xu An'yu's spear. Golden and black energies erupted in the sky, transforming it into a chaotic blend of two opposing colors. Shockingly, the Tenebrous Demon Emperor gained no advantage. Both combatants were thrown back by the impact.
The Misfortune Pearl had backfired. And Xu An'yu was much stronger than the Peacock Great Demon King had been at his peak; now, borrowing the strength of Crystal City, his power actually reached the Emperor level. Combined with the Tenebrous Demon Emperor's earlier injuries, their power was now evenly matched.
The Tenebrous Demon Emperor began to regain some clarity. He realized this battle was already lost. With Xu An'yu alive and healthy, and empowered by the entire city's power to boot, he stood no chance. In this enemy territory, he would only suffer further if he stayed.
As the saying goes, he whose mountains stay green needs not fear lack of firewood.[1] As long as he was alive and well, other opportunities would arise.
"Xu An'yu, I came here out of goodwill to check on your injuries, and you dare offend an Emperor? Prepare to face judgment from the Ancestral Court. We're leaving!" the Tenebrous Demon Emperor roared. Then, without even bothering to check if his subordinates were following, he transformed into a streak of black light and turned to flee!
"You think you can come and go as you please? What about murdering my third elder?" A voice interrupted him just as a radiant figure blocked his path.
Rings of holy orange-golden light swirled in the sky, rippling with strange, distorted pattern. They wove together to bind the fleeing figure mid-air—not just stopping him, but immobilizing him entirely.
Despite his Emperor-level cultivation, the Tenebrous Demon Emperor was completely frozen. His eyes went blank in an instant.
He stared in horror at Jin Miaolin… and in that moment, he remembered.
"You—"
Splurt!
Before he could utter a second word, Xu An'yu closed in from behind. His blindingly radiant spear pierced straight through the Emperor's back, carrying the full weight of Crystal City's power.
The tip of the spear burst out through the Tenebrous Demon Emperor's chest.
Tang San reached out and gripped the tip of the spear, unleashing a surge of holy energy that spread over the weapon. The holy energy flooded the Tenebrous Demon Emperor's body, sealing his throat and ensuring that whatever he wanted to say was left unsaid.
At that instant, a blood-red light descended from the higher skies, cleaving down with overwhelming power, as if it sought to split heaven and earth.
Wrapped in holy energy, the Tenebrous Demon Emperor's soul trembled. He wanted to scream, but no sound came.
Xu An'yu pulled back his spear, and the bloody sword light flashed past.
The Tenebrous Demon Emperor's eyes went lifeless.
In the sky, all darkness turned chaotic.
A new figure hovered above—silver dress, blood-red longsword, black hair fluttering in the wind. Who else could it be but Mei Gongzi, champion of the Battle for the Throne, first Crown Princess, Lord of Kali City, and leader of the Peacock Demon clan?
Xu An'yu's spear thrust would have been lethal even if her strike hadn't fallen. And even if not for Xu An'yu, the moment the Tenebrous Demon Emperor was bound, her sword would have cut him down regardless.
The Tenebrous Demon Emperor had been judged and found guilty. And for his sins, he had been executed.
A scarlet line spread downward from the crown of his head, and his body began to disintegrate along that line. Even his sea of divine consciousness burst into wisps of black mist that vanished into thin air.
To be executed by the Asura Sword meant not only the destruction of the body, but the annihilation of the soul.
Xu An'yu stood dazed. He still couldn't quite believe it.
This wasn't just a victory.
In his mind, as long as they drove the Tenebrous Demon Emperor away, it would've been enough. He'd wait until he became an Emperor, then settle the score by himself when the right opportunity arrived.
But now, with Jin Miaolin and Mei Gongzi's help, vengeance had come overnight. The Tenebrous Demon Emperor had been slain above Crystal City.
An Emperor had fallen. Again.
1. This is a proverb somewhat equivalent to "as long as there's life, there's hope" and it comes from the writings of Ling Mengchu, a writer of the Ming Dynasty. Since the next sentence more or less explains the meaning, we preferred not to localize it, in order to keep a bit of the original flavor. ☜