Chapter 223: The Truth Stands Tall

At the huge gap in the Demon God's chest, an eerie light flickered; the Rune squirmed like a living thing, emitting a heart-palpitating aura.

Ji Chen held his breath and slowly reached out his hand, attempting to touch this mysterious symbol.

"Roar—!" The Demon God let out a deafening roar, as if it had sensed Ji Chen's intent.

Its massive body trembled violently, and the flesh around the gap churned like boiling magma.

Countless dark tentacles shot toward Ji Chen like lightning, carrying the momentum to destroy everything.

"Watch out!" Ceng Yue exclaimed, her slender figure flashing as she blocked the path in front of Ji Chen.

Ji Chen's pupils constricted; it was already too late to stop her.

"Boom!" The dark tentacles struck Ceng Yue fiercely, and her petite body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily to the ground.

"Ceng Yue!" Ji Chen's eyes were on the verge of splitting, his heart feeling as if it were being tightly gripped by an invisible giant hand.

He flew to Ceng Yue's side, only to see her face pale, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth, her breathing faint.

"Are... are you alright..." Ceng Yue opened her eyes weakly, looking at Ji Chen, her eyes full of worry.

Ji Chen gripped Ceng Yue's hand tightly; a cold chill traveled from her fingertips.

He tremblingly placed his finger under Ceng Yue's nose, feeling a trace of faint breathing, and only then did he breathe a slight sigh of relief.

"Damn it!" Ji Chen cursed under his breath, a feeling of oppression enveloping him, as if a great mountain were pressing down on his heart, leaving him unable to catch his breath.

He slowly raised his head and looked at the Demon God, his eyes burning with raging fury, his voice as cold as a freezing wind from hell: "You... will pay the price!"

"Ji Chen..." Ceng Yue's weak voice sounded again, "Don't... be impulsive..."

"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you." Ji Chen gently stroked Ceng Yue's cheek, but his gaze gradually became sharp, like a drawn sword, flashing with a chilling light that could seize one's soul.

He slowly stood up and walked toward the Demon God step by step, each step feeling as if he were treading on the edge of death, yet carrying an indomitable determination.

"I want you to... pay in blood!"

The aura around Ji Chen surged abruptly, like a volcanic eruption, his rage turning into tangible energy that formed a crimson flame on his body.

The ground beneath his feet cracked inch by inch, as if it could not bear this terrifying power.

"Roar!" The Demon God roared again, and countless dark tentacles, like dancing demonic snakes, swarmed toward Ji Chen, covering the sky and earth.

This time, Ji Chen did not dodge, but instead charged straight at the tentacles.

On his fists, the crimson light grew increasingly dazzling, each strike containing the power to split mountains and shatter rocks, directly blasting the tentacles into powder.

"Is this the true protagonist halo?!" The Ability Users watching from afar exclaimed; they had never seen such powerful strength, like a god descending, awe-inspiring.

Ji Chen's speed was fast to the extreme, like a ghost, and in the blink of an eye, he rushed before the Demon God.

He let out a roar and smashed his fist fiercely onto the Rune on the Demon God's chest.

"Boom!"

With a loud bang, the Energy Wave spread out like a tsunami, shaking the surrounding space until it twisted and deformed.

The Demon God let out a painful hiss, its body shaking violently, and the Rune on its chest became even more unstable.

Ji Chen did not pause in the slightest, striking the Rune with fist after fist like a rainstorm, each attack carrying a destructive force.

The Demon God was enraged by Ji Chen's frenzied attacks, and the Dark Energy throughout its body surged out like a tide, colliding with Ji Chen's red energy and erupting in a deafening roar.

The surrounding buildings collapsed and shattered like tofu dregs, the scene extremely shocking.

Ceng Yue struggled to stand up and saw Ji Chen fighting the Demon God like a god of war; she gritted her teeth, endured the pain, and mobilized the remaining energy within her body.

"Ji Chen, I'll help you!" Ceng Yue gave a light shout, and the energy in her hands transformed into an ice-blue beam, pouring into Ji Chen's body.

Ji Chen felt this cold energy pour in, his body trembling slightly; he discovered that this energy was extremely similar to the special energy he had obtained in the Inheritance Ground.

He understood something in an instant.

He fused the red energy within his body with Ceng Yue's blue energy and, following the method learned in the Inheritance Ground, injected this fused energy into the Rune.

The Rune began to tremble violently as if it had been activated, emitting a dazzling light.

The Demon God let out a shrill scream, and its body began to collapse and disintegrate.

"Now!" Ji Chen roared, his eyes flashing with excitement; he raised his power to the limit once more and unleashed a final strike toward the core of the Rune.

"Crack!"

A crisp sound came, and the Rune appeared covered in countless cracks like shattered glass, then completely crumbled.

The Demon God's massive body also began to slowly dissipate like a sand sculpture.

Ji Chen stared intently at the Demon God's collapsing core, his long-suppressed emotions finally released.

He had just turned to look at Ceng Yue when he heard a faint murmur.

"Watch out..."

As the Demon God's core collapsed, the Dark Power shrouding the city receded like a tide, the sky regained its light, and the air became fresh again.

Those buildings eroded by the darkness began to slowly return to their original state, as if a rewind button had been pressed, and the withered plants regained their vitality.

In the streets and alleys, people walked out of their homes, their faces filled with the joy of surviving a disaster; cheers, screams, and applause converged into one, resounding through the sky.

"We won! We won!" Someone jumped up excitedly, raising their arms high to celebrate this hard-won victory.

"Heroes! They are our heroes!" People's gazes focused on Ji Chen and Ceng Yue.

Ji Chen did not bother with the surrounding cheers; he walked quickly to Ceng Yue's side and carefully picked her up.

Feeling the weakness of the petite body in his arms, he lowered his head and kissed Ceng Yue's forehead in heartache.

"It's alright, everything is over."

Ceng Yue raised her head, her eyes flashing with a crystalline light, and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, revealing a rare smile.

"Mm, it's over."

The two embraced and kissed, fervent love flowing between them, as if to melt everything in this world.

Seeing this, the people around applauded and cheered, sending their most sincere blessings for their love.

At this moment, the air was filled with the sweet scent of happiness, warm and romantic.

"Fine, I'll eat this dog food, won't I?" an Ability User joked, though their eyes held sincere blessings.

Just as everyone was immersed in joy, Ji Chen's brows furrowed slightly.

He sensed an extremely subtle power coming from a distant place, like a beast lurking in the darkness, exuding an unsettling aura.

This power was completely different from the power of the Dark Demon God before; it was more mysterious and more elusive.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Ceng Yue noticed Ji Chen's abnormality and asked worriedly.

Ji Chen did not answer; he gently set Ceng Yue down and looked into the distance with a firm gaze, "This power... is somewhat interesting..."