Chapter 303

The 154th God-Slaying Demon King's Carnage! The Ancient Demon God Awakens, Ants, tremble!

As the shadow dissolved into the light, the chilling dread gradually receded, yet the air within the castle remained taut, as if another unknown peril would howl upon them in the next second.

Li Anzhangshu exhaled deeply, sheathing his sword in one fluid motion, the gesture carrying the ease and grandeur of a warrior who had just endured fierce battle.

Turning to face the group of women behind him, their faces etched with worry, he smirked with quiet confidence: "Relax—this ghostly thing? Not much more than this."

Yui Hirasawa bounced over, her eyes sparkling with admiration: "My lord Li An, that move of yours was so cool! Just like a hero from a tale—light flashed, and the villain vanished into thin air!"

She gestured wildly with her hands and feet, making everyone laugh, and the tense atmosphere eased slightly.

Teacher Hiratsuka Shizuka stepped forward, lightly tapping Yui Hirasawa on the head, feigning annoyance: "Stop daydreaming here—this isn't over yet."

Though she spoke thus, her gaze toward Li An held a hint of unspoken approval.

Yukinoshita Yōno glided forward with light steps, approaching the dais, her eyes tracing the ancient book and the gem still emitting a faint glow.

"This castle hides many secrets—this book and gem likely hold greater purpose. We must uncover it quickly."

She furrowed her brow slightly in thought, strands of hair falling to frame her face, adding to her gentleness and wisdom.

Li An nodded, picking up the book and gem again; they felt heavy in his hands, as if bearing the weight of a thousand years of mystery.

"These characters are obscure and hard to decipher—we'll need time to study them."

Xiang Xiang Monan peered curiously nearby: "Why don't we try together? Maybe more minds can crack this mystery."

The group gathered close, debating the strange symbols—part drawing, part script—filling the hall with lively chatter.

Yet before they could make sense of anything, a violent tremor surged up from beneath their feet.

The entire castle shook as if gripped by an invisible hand.

"Bad! Something's changing!" Li An's face darkened as he shouted.

Before he finished speaking, the torches along the walls flickered and went out one by one with a "pop-pop-pop," darkness surging like a tide, swallowing them whole.

In the dark, only the rapid breathing and pounding heartbeats of the group could be heard.

"Don't panic—get close to me!"

Li An called out loudly, using his sharp perception to swiftly gather all the women around him.

One hand gripped his longsword, its blade faintly glowing as if resisting the darkness.

The other cradled the gem protectively—its light now one of the few remaining hopes.

As the group braced themselves, pairs of blood-red eyes slowly emerged from the dark—countless, like ghostly flames in the night, dense and endless.

Then came a chorus of guttural growls, like demons roaring from the abyss, sending chills down their spines.

"Th-this… what are these things?" Yui Hirasawa's voice trembled as she instinctively shrank behind Li An.

"They seem to be dark-summoned abominations—numerous. Stay alert," Li An whispered, his gaze hardening like a wolf-king in the dark, ready to fight to the death.

In an instant, the blood-eyed abominations surged forward like a black tide, attacking with ferocious speed.

Li An roared, his sword instantly becoming a curtain of silver light—"clash-clash-clash"—the sound of blade meeting abomination never ceasing, each strike carrying the force of a thousand jin, sparks flying as limbs and torsos of the creatures flew apart, yet they showed no pain, charging forward relentlessly.

Teacher Hiratsuka Shizuka wasn't idle; she pulled out a thick wooden staff from somewhere and swung it with fierce momentum, shouting: "Don't hold back—hit them hard!"

Each swing sent a gust of wind, flinging the approaching abominations away.

Yukinoshita Yōno calmly observed the battle, occasionally calling out warnings: "Watch left! More on the right!"

Her voice cut through the chaos like an anchor, keeping them from panicking.

Yui Hirasawa and Xiang Xiang Monan, though pale with fear, forced themselves to pick up scattered stones and hurl them at the abominations, shouting as they threw: "Don't come closer! Don't come closer!"

Through their united resistance, the first wave of abominations was temporarily halted.

But Li An knew—this couldn't last. Their numbers were too great; they'd drain everyone's strength eventually.

"We can't just wait to die—we must strike first!"

Li An gritted his teeth, a look of resolve flashing in his eyes.

He drew a deep breath; his demonic energy surged like boiling magma.

His sword blazed with brilliant light as he leapt high into the air, like a war god descending from heaven, roaring: "Break!"

In an instant, a blinding sword aura, like a rainbow of light, erupted from him and swept outward—wherever it passed, the abominations vanished into ash, swept away like autumn leaves, clearing a vast area in seconds.

The women stared, awestruck and filled with admiration.

"My lord Li An, you're incredible!" Yui Hirasawa cheered.

But before they could recover, a far stronger pressure erupted from deep within the castle—as if the Ancient Demon God had awakened.

Then, a much larger shadow slowly rose, wreathed in thick black mist, within which faint runes flickered, radiating suffocating evil and power.

"Hmph, Ants, still daring to defy me in my domain? Today is your time of death!"

The shadow roared with Lei Mingban fury, the sound echoing through the castle, making their eardrums ache.

Li An's gaze sharpened; he handed the gem to Yukinoshita Yōno: "Yōno, take the gem—look for a chance to use its power to find this castle's weakness. I'll hold this thing off."

"My lord Li An… be careful…"

Yukinoshita Yōno hesitated, then took the gem, her eyes filled with worry and trust.

"Don't worry—I won't die," Li An turned, facing the giant shadow, sword held horizontally, his aura blazing like a beacon, rising steadily.

"Come then—let's see whether this abomination is stronger, or whether I, Li An, will command this battle!"

The shadow, enraged by his provocation, charged forward, each step shaking the castle floor.

It raised a hand and hurled a wave of black energy—like a bolt of black lightning—toward Li An.

Li An dodged with ghostly speed, evading the strike effortlessly.

Simultaneously, he moved like lightning, closing the distance in an instant, his sword wrapped in surging demonic power, thrusting straight at the shadow's chest.

The shadow didn't flinch—it raised a hand and blocked the blow with ease, then countered with a palm strike. Li An couldn't dodge in time; the force swept him back, staggering.

"Hmph, is that all you've got?" the shadow mocked.

"Don't get cocky yet!"

Li An let out a cold snort, his killing intent in his eyes growing even more intense.