Chapter 531: The Ten Thousand Demon Hall First Shows Its Name

Above the waters of the Western Flood.

Several imposing figures were arguing without end.

"I'm not going back!"

"No matter how great the Long Gong's power is, can it really reach into matters on land?"

An Tuxiao turned his fierce gaze back. As a young prodigy of the Haoyue Shuanghu clan, being humiliated so mercilessly before so many powers of the Western Flood—when would he ever be able to hold his head up again?

"Just consider it for the Dragon Consort's sake and spare him this once." A few of the elder demons of his own clan gave him a way out, as if coaxing a child.

"I know you're afraid his background is unfathomable... but have we never killed cultivators with backgrounds before? Especially ones like this, who play at being mysterious, think themselves so impressive, and love to hide their identities." An Tuxiao drew a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

"Shut your mouth!" The faces of the elder demons twitched, and they cast wary glances around.

This little beast—when his emotions flared, he really dared to say anything. As land-dwelling demon clans, they already found it hard to compete with the Long Gong for resources; the territories they occupied were kept as far from the waters as possible, and on ordinary days, if they didn't raid a little, where would they find enough heavenly materials and earthly treasures to nourish their demon bodies?

The prodigies who came out to travel from those great powers were practically treasures from head to toe—naturally a feast in the eyes of the demon clans.

But! This time the situation was clearly different.

The background of that black-robed youth had already begun to exceed what they could control.

To dare stretch out a claw now would truly be a clouded mind.

"Fool! Fool! Fool!"

An Tuxiao let out several low roars in succession: "Have any of you considered why that boy didn't make a move in the end? You all think it was out of kindness? Let me tell you—he truly wanted to crush my skull, he only hesitated at the last moment! He was afraid, do you understand?"

"If he were really from a top-tier power like the Liangdaohuang Sect, as you imagine, would he have shown mercy? Would he have given face to this Dragon Consort? He would have long since cut us all down cleanly. He was only worried he couldn't walk out of the Western Flood, so he put on that act, trying to scare me off."

"But there is one thing that can be confirmed."

An Tuxiao worked to steady his breathing, his gaze sweeping over the three clansmen: "He does have some background. If we really let him go back, that would be releasing a tiger back into the mountain—do you understand?"

The three elder demons listened in silence, and even began to feel somewhat half-convinced.

After all, in their earlier observation, the moment when that black-robed youth suddenly rose and spared An Tuxiao did indeed seem rather abrupt, and didn't match the style of those arrogant disciples from great sects.

And judging from the bearing the youth had displayed, he truly was not a gentle and refined sort.

Moreover, he had even mentioned the Glazed Blue Phoenix clan at the end—it didn't look like someone letting the matter rest.

Thinking it over carefully, it really was quite strange.

It was just that the atmosphere had been too tense moments ago, making them overlook it for the time being.

Could it be that person really harbored the intention of settling accounts afterward?

"You go and explain the details to the tomb-guarding elders yourself."

They shifted their gazes away, feeling a little uneasy in their hearts.

If they wanted to make a move against a prodigy out traveling from a top-tier power, they certainly couldn't do it openly at the Glazed Blue Phoenix clan—they would have to ambush him on the road.

But relying only on the few of them was clearly a bit insufficient.

The reason An Tuxiao still clung to thoughts of revenge was that the few of them had only come to the Dragon Consort seeking medicine; the ones truly escorting the life-prolonging item back were others.

If those two were willing to act, this matter might really have a chance.

One had to know that it wasn't only An Tuxiao who had been pinned to the ground in the hall just now—the three of them were equally seething inside.

Besides, a cultivator with such a background surely had plenty of good things on him...

"Don't worry, I have my own plans."

An Tuxiao had finally persuaded his clansmen. A smile returned to his face, and a savage glint flickered in his great tiger eyes.

He looked up toward the sky with faint anticipation.

He would let that boy putting on airs learn what it meant that a strong dragon cannot suppress a local serpent.

And what a terrible price one paid for standing out in a strange land!

Soon, after receiving the demons' message, two white long rainbows swiftly swept over. When they revealed their forms, they were actually two aged tiger demons, their clothes tattered all over, their hair matted and tangled, looking filthy and disheveled; their eyes were cloudy, as if their minds were not quite clear.

But their entire bodies exuded a terrifying aura beyond what ordinary cultivators could imagine.

These tiger demons, called tomb-guarding elders, were the eldest of the Haoyue Shuanghu clan. They spent their days guarding the grand tomb specially prepared by the clan chief, enjoying the most abundant moonlight. Apart from damage to their divine souls, there was nothing at all to fault in their strength.

The difference between demons and cultivators was that they could not inherit Dao-Compatible treasured lands, but as an advantage, they likewise had no Tribulation Crossing barrier. So long as heavenly materials and earthly treasures were sufficient and their bloodlines strong enough, the Fourth City—which for cultivators was as hard as reaching the heavens—might for them only require the span of a single slumber to possess equivalent strength.

"Elders, this junior has an important matter to report..."

An Tuxiao had just stepped forward to greet them when, before his words were finished, he was cut off by the other's hoarse voice.

"Give me the thing."

One of the tomb-guarding tiger demons slowly extended a sharp claw, its entire body seeming stiff beyond compare.

"Elder, don't be hasty, I—"

An Tuxiao still wanted to say something, but the next moment, his features twisted savagely as he was hauled up.

The sharp claw that had just been stiff an instant ago landed on his neck at a speed he could not react to, then suddenly tightened.

"I said... give me the thing..."

"As for... the affairs of you little juniors... we have no time to listen... nor any interest."

The tomb-guarding tiger demon's half-lidded eyes were filled with indifference.

Under its gaze, An Tuxiao's face twitched, and he no longer had the courage to talk nonsense in front of the other elder clansmen as before.

Just that one move alone was enough to show how vast the gap in strength between them was.

Even if he was truly unwilling, at this moment he could only forcibly suppress the resentment and fury in his heart.

"You'll definitely regret this... he'll definitely take revenge afterward..."

An Tuxiao grew increasingly strangled, forcing out a sentence from between his teeth, then roughly pulled a water lotus from his bosom.

Hearing this, the tomb-guarding tiger demon merely curled its lip with faint contempt, released his neck, and reached out to take the water lotus.

In this region of the Western Flood, there really weren't many powers that dared to seek revenge against the Haoyue Shuanghu clan.

If they truly encountered one, then these juniors wouldn't have had the chance to stand before it either.

Just then, a Bai Xi, soft, and tender palm appeared on the crystal-clear lotus, snatching it away a step ahead.

"..."

Several tiger demons froze for an instant.

They turned their heads in unison to look.

There, a woman in a green skirt, her whole body rippling with Heart Flames, carefully examined the lotus in her hand, then respectfully nodded toward a spot not far away.

Having been approached silently and having had the Water Lotus stolen right from under them, the two grave-guarding tiger demons did not act rashly; instead, they too used their peripheral vision to look in the direction she had nodded.

Clearly, this woman had come only on orders; the true master was still elsewhere.

Ahead, a figure in black armor had appeared at some unknown time; a youth stood suspended in mid-air, his long five fingers gripping the hilt, the black-as-ink blade adorned with golden patterns that were somewhat blinding.

He cast his gaze silently, blocking the way ahead all by himself.

After his appearance changed, this youth's temperament was utterly different from when he was in the main hall earlier; no longer arrogant and domineering, his deep eyes held only a purity so calm it was chilling, as if he were staring at a pile of corpses.

The remaining three tiger demons' eyes flickered with doubt, then they suddenly noticed something and decisively turned around.

Behind the crowd of demons, another figure in a black robe walked slowly through the air; he leisurely pulled down his hood, revealing a face covered with a few dark scales.

The three said not a word and cleanly sealed off all escape routes for the tiger demons.

The atmosphere fell into a Tianyan Siji.

"You actually came on your own?"

An Tu Xiao, stunned for a long time, his face a complex mess, thought revenge was hopeless, yet that person suddenly appeared right before him.

Then he turned to look at the two grave-guarding tiger demons beside him, revealing a ferocious and strange expression: "See? I told you he would take revenge; do you believe me now?"

"Still think it has nothing to do with you?"

Upon hearing this.

The two grave-guarding tiger demons finally opened their eyes completely, and a chilling killing intent gradually rose in their cloudy pupils.

They did not meddle in others' affairs, but the other party should never, ever have dragged their squabbles among juniors into the matter of the Great Tomb; thus, there was no room for compromise whatsoever.

Was the life-extending object something just anyone could touch?

So-called heavenly geniuses, no matter how prominent their reputation, were still limited to the level of juniors.

Perhaps the path of cultivation had been too smooth, causing these young fellows to forget the respect owed to their elders.

Unfortunately, not everything has a second chance.

Thinking this, the two grave-guarding tiger demons redirected their gaze to Yu Lan; the aura radiating from their bodies suddenly coalesced into surging demonic power, instantly locking down the woman's spiritual presence.

Feeling the change in the two grave-guarding tiger demons, An Tu Xiao's ferocious expression gradually gained a touch of excitement; finally, he let out a roar with a slight tremor, as if to vent all the accumulated resentment and anger from before: "Kill them!!"

This time, he would make this mysterious thing experience the sensation of its skull being slowly crushed!

However, before his words had even faded.

Yu Lan had already put away the Water Lotus; seemingly feeling nothing of the aura descending upon her, she slightly raised her head. The next moment, terrifying Heart Flames surged outward; this Southern Hall Master, for the first time, unleashed her full strength, revealing power beyond imagination!

The several tiger demons previously in the hall were simultaneously engulfed by the Heart Flames.

An Tu Xiao's roar turned into a sharp scream; his body, which had just lunged forward, twisted violently under the intense pain, and his thick demonic power raged and spilled out uncontrollably, hoping to alleviate the agony this way.

He knew this Glazed Green Phoenix was strong, but he never expected the opponent to be so powerful.

The ferocity of this Heart Flame technique was far greater than that of the Green Phoenixes he had dealt with before!

The two grave-guarding tiger demons felt the aura they had projected be directly shattered by the Heart Flames; their expressions changed slightly. This young woman's abilities had exceeded their expectations.

Could it be that they had stayed in the tomb too long, not knowing when the Glazed Green Phoenix clan had produced such a formidable existence, one not much inferior to them old ones?

However, thinking that this alone was enough to contend for the life-extending object, was that not a bit too fanciful?

A combination of one cultivator and two great demons was indeed rare, but it was no big deal.

The two grave-guarding tiger demons exchanged a glance, then without hesitation extended their sharp claws, their movements perfectly synchronized as if they were one person.

The instant those sharp claws struck down, a thick intent of death instantly enveloped everything around, raising a heart-stopping gray fog, like moonlight tainted by evil spirits, bone-chillingly cold.

"Suppress!"

A low roar rose in unison.

Four sharp claws pressed down together toward the ground; compared to directly slaying this Glazed Green Phoenix, the two grave-guarding tiger demons clearly cared more about that Water Lotus.

However, what they did not expect was that this Glazed Green Phoenix, fully occupied dealing with four tiger demons each comparable to the Three Cities realm, paid no attention at all to the gray fog attacking from behind.

And in fact, she truly did not need to care.

The instant the gray fog was about to wrap around her body, it suddenly halted, then slowly dispersed.

One of the grave-guarding tiger demons' palms failed to press down completely because another slender palm covered in dark scales had, at some unknown time, seized its wrist; under the black-robed scaled demon's casual movement, the tiger demon's whole body trembled, yet it could not shift it even a fraction.

It looked up in shock.

He had thought that Glazed Green Phoenix was the limit for juniors, but he never expected this snake demon, whose aura was so restrained, to be far superior to that beautiful woman!

As for the other grave-guarding tiger demon, no one held down its palm.

Because it no longer had a palm.

The golden-patterned black blade sliced down cleanly and decisively in mid-air; though brimming with sharpness, it was as heavy as a mountain!

As the blade edge swept past, two blood-stained sharp claws silently fell downward.

"Elder, kill them!"

An Tu Xiao, finally recovering from the torment of the Heart Flames, looked up with eyes bloodshot and tearing, realizing he was no match for these heavenly geniuses, but against true elders of the demon race, what could they amount to?

However, the next moment, his bloodshot vertical pupils shrank to an almost imperceptible size.

There, the grave-guarding elder's palms were completely shattered; he turned in horror, and in his line of sight was the youth in black armor, who was casually holding the black blade, blood droplets still not yet rolling off the blade edge.

Shen Yi looked down upon this tiger demon; his other hand had, at some unknown time, been placed upon the tiger demon's brow.

In an instant.

This grave-guarding tiger demon's eyes were filled with a sky full of stars.

Its body stiffened on the spot, but its expression was like a drowning person, desperately seeking a way out. Even though running between those stars had left its whole body covered in wounds, it did not dare pause for even a moment.

The tomb-guarding tiger demon kept feeling that behind those stars, something even more terrifying was hidden.

It had to leave as quickly as possible!

Until a hazy figure appeared before its eyes, the mystic armor gleaming with an eerie black light against the towering heart-flames. That person stepped out from the sea of flames, revealing a handsome face.

Then across that face appeared a horizontal slash of Jin Xuan edge-light, as if it cut through the entire river of stars.

While the tomb-guarding tiger demon was straining to cross the stars, he had been quietly preparing this blade.

At this moment, the blade's edge had already built to its absolute peak.

The tomb-guarding tiger demon sensed those surging heart-flames — that was a divine ability belonging solely to the Glazed Green Phoenix clan!

Its heart sank rapidly.

So it wasn't one cultivator and two great demons… this was simply three great demons!

"…"

"Senior!"

An Tuxiao let out another sharp roar. The green phoenix's slender jade fingers had already torn apart three tiger bodies. Stimulated by that thick scent of blood, this young tiger demon's voice was nearly broken!

Yet under its incredulous gaze.

That formidable, terrifying tomb-guarding great demon simply stood there in a daze. Beneath the palm of the black-robed youth, its eyes gradually dimmed, turning from cloudy to utterly lifeless.

The demon body, tempered through the ages, split cleanly in two without any warning.

Shen Yi glanced at the mystic armor on his body.

After receiving the blessing of the Diming Youmang young lord, its quality had indeed improved considerably.

He withdrew his palm and set his gaze on An Tuxiao.

"I… I…"

Under that calm gaze, even An Tuxiao's lips began to tremble. In the corner of its eye, it saw the other tomb-guarding senior — in the hands of that python demon, being folded together like clay, forcibly crushed. The other party clearly hadn't used any divine ability, yet didn't even give the tomb-guarding senior a chance to let out a wail.

An Tuxiao's spirit finally collapsed: "Spare me! I know many things! You can take in the Green Phoenix clan, you can take me in too! Aren't you interested in that water lotus? I know, I know everything!"

As a direct junior of the Haoyue Shuanghu clan, it possessed enormous value!

"…"

Shen Yi withdrew his gaze as if he hadn't heard, a trace of barely perceptible disappointment crossing his eyes.

Before An Tuxiao could react, it caught sight of the beautiful woman beside them. She simply raised her palm without the slightest hesitation.

The slender jade palm met the tiger demon's skull.

Within those seemingly delicate five fingers lay a force beyond An Tuxiao's imagination. Beneath Yu Lan's youthful appearance, her true nature was the same as Ke Shisan and Wu Jun's — an existence that had spent nearly a million years in Tribulation Crossing, with a demon body grown to its absolute limit.

Boom—

The tiger demon's skull exploded cleanly, announcing the fall of the last life.

Shen Yi sheathed his long, straight blade.

The mystic armor returned to the sky.

Yu Lan and You Chang, carrying the demon corpses, stood respectfully behind him.

The three of them still had not spoken a single word until now.

Only the dark-red waters bore witness to what had just happened.

(End of chapter)