Chapter 259: Father and Son

Time flows back to when the battle had just entered its white-hot stage—

The Blood Temple had just unfolded, the heavens and earth shifted abruptly, and the air above Black Wind Fort seemed to have been dyed a deep red. All the blood in the entire city district seemed to be converging toward some invisible altar, transforming into this scarlet domain!

The players in the distance widened their eyes. Originally full of zest and wanting to charge into the battlefield, they now stopped in their tracks one after another, their faces written with the stunned expression of "Did we walk into the wrong dungeon?"

A skeleton mage clad in black robes and holding a necromancer staff watched the surging blood-colored clouds in the distance. The staff trembled slightly in his hand, and his skeleton rattled uncomfortably.

After a long while, he sighed with emotion.

"... Damn it, the Dao of two people fighting has already been obliterated; we actually dared to charge up there just now?"

Fortunately, his class was Acolyte; he hadn't gone up himself but had summoned a group of cannon-fodder babies to die for him.

Beside him, a lizardman player covered in emerald-green scales and carrying a giant bow on his back clicked his slender tongue, his tone carrying a hint of heartfelt admiration.

"Tsk tsk, this scene—if it were filmed as a CG promotional video, it could probably trick all the players on the entire internet into joining."

"You call this tricking?" A little devil player rolled his eyes, looking at the towering blood-colored temple in the sky, and said with an envious face, "A closed beta game can be made like this? This is a live-action movie, damn it!"

In the distance, blood-colored mist rolled and black flames intertwined; the two powerhouses on the battlefield were like two towering high mountains.

Under the collision of destructive energy, the surrounding buildings turned into dust, and the air was compressed until it emitted unbearable wails.

And at this moment, the nearby combat-class players were whispering to each other.

"You guys say, if we were to rely on numbers to pile those two guys to death, how many people would it take?" An undead warrior clad in iron armor touched his chin, his tone carrying a hint of contemplation.

The skeleton mage immediately interjected: "I think... a hundred-thousand-strong army, at the very least."

"Fart! You really think this is filling in monsters with human heads? Transcendents and mortal armies are not in the same dimension!" The lizardman archer shook his head in disdain. "I think ninety thousand is enough."

"Uh, what's the difference between that and a hundred thousand?"

"The difference is huge! I've calculated it. According to the proportion of Transcendents in the army, there can at least be five or six thousand battle-mage-priests. If we average it out like this... if we each die thirty times, we can probably grind the BOSS to death."

"Awesome, you actually calculated it."

"Forget it, listening to him talk nonsense is better than listening to me brag."

The players whispered, the atmosphere carrying a hint of relaxation and banter, which appeared quite out of place with the surrounding ruins.

The injured goblins were crawling out from under the collapsed buildings, limping toward the direction of the Magic Crystal Cannon Factory. They always felt that nothing should happen there; at the very least, that place concerned the supply of war equipment for the front line, and the "High Ranks" of Hell wouldn't just ignore it.

Although the reasoning process was completely off-base, the result was no different.

Zakuro indeed had no interest in the Magic Crystal Cannon Factory, and even less time to attend to that side.

The little devil player to the side hugged his arms, looking at that blood-colored battlefield with a rather complex gaze, his voice carrying a hint of helplessness.

"But having said that, the dog developers really didn't intend for us to get the rewards... This is absolutely not a level that Bronze can challenge, damn it."

"Yeah, is this quest here to send us home?" A skeleton player who had just resurrected and arrived looked full of frustration. "I'm wondering if we should consider other tactics, like, camping and waiting for the BOSS to die on his own?"

"I'm afraid you'd have to camp until the server shuts down."

Just as everyone was sighing, the blood energy and black flames on the battlefield collided again, forming a destructive shockwave. In an instant, several players who were standing too close were blown away directly!

"Scram!" Zakuro roared, his sharp claws reaching forward, and purple flames instantly carved out a "blood path" in the sea of blood!

Watching the BOSS charging into the fray, the surrounding players let out a series of wails.

"Holy crap!"

"Help! Going back to the login screen again!"

"Ugh ah ah ah—oh oh oh!"

After a series of screams, the ground was a mess, and the players' bodies turned into bone ash and disappeared into the air.

Looking at the miserable state of those newbies, the players who were still standing looked at each other, their expressions complex.

The lizardman archer couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva: "... You guys say, if we get any closer, will we not even have slag left?"

However—

Not all were sounds of frustration.

Unlike the goblin NPCs crying for their parents, players could resurrect even if they died. Although not being able to beat the BOSS was very frustrating, some people also felt the future was full of hope.

It's a closed beta!

A few small twists and turns are normal.

The little devil flying in the sky looked at the duel between the two powerhouses in the distance with burning eyes, his saliva almost dripping to the ground, his voice carrying a hint of excitement.

"This... is too damn realistic! This impact, this environmental destruction—a closed beta can reach this level?!"

The skeleton mage gripped his staff even tighter, shouting excitedly.

"Open beta! It's settled! It's definitely settled!"

But just at this moment, a certain lizardman carrying a battle-axe was suddenly startled, his voice carrying a hint of nervousness.

"Wait! Is this BOSS heading toward the direction of the Lord's Mansion?!"

The little devil beside him immediately came back to his senses, his face changing along with it.

"Damn it! I almost forgot about this setting! If the Demon King dies, will the server reset?!"

That guy was usually extremely cautious, always the one pitting others; he had never seen anyone who could pit him, to the point that he almost forgot about this setting!

Watching the BOSS rush into the Lord's Mansion, the players were suddenly panicked, and they didn't care about dying anymore, swarming up in a flock.

"Grass!"

"Dad!!! Run quickly!"

"Quick! Quick, protect the Emperor!"

The Lord's Mansion of Black Wind Fort stood quietly outside the flames of war. This three-story obsidian building was surrounded by thick walls, and the magical lights cast a cold, faint glow in the night, forming a sharp contrast with the burning goblin community in the distance.

Luo Yan stood on the balcony of the Lord's Mansion, his hands folded, gazing at the scarlet sky in the distance, a hint of an elusive smile on the corner of his mouth.

He knew his father would come to save him.

This was his biggest trump card.

It was also the source of the ninety-percent confidence he mentioned when talking with Feisiting.

From the moment Zakuro stepped into Black Wind Fort, the ending of this guy's inevitable death was destined. Even if there were ten thousand demons in the Demon Capital who wanted him to live, he couldn't escape the one person who wanted him to die—

This person wasn't even Luo Yan himself.

It was Luokesai Prince Kelin.

Zakuro would never understand; after all, he had neither loved anyone nor had any true relatives. For him, everyone was just a tool he used, even his son or grandson. If it were him who had an illegitimate child, he would probably wish for that guy to die himself, even going so far as to do it personally... Therefore, he projected his own thoughts and assumed Luokesai Prince Kelin must be thinking the same way.

He couldn't dream that Luokesai would be waiting here for him to deliver himself.

"I thought you were planning to wait until he made a big scene, and then wait for the Truth Department to come and save the day." Floating beside Luo Yan, You You said with a sigh, "I didn't expect that the one who came was actually... your father."

Luo Yan smiled faintly.

"The Truth Force would probably prefer to collect my corpse."

His voice was very calm, as if he weren't discussing himself.

It is true that humans are protected animals, but such talk is fine to discuss in school. Some theories are useful for teachers and useful for classmates, but as for when you get outside... didn't Baron Aweisile challenge him to a duel without caring at all?

Hearing You You tilted her abstract head in confusion.

"But... you are the Demon King. If you die, wouldn't the labyrinth in Lei Ming County be finished?"

Luo Yan said in a leisurely manner.

"If you want to assume a non-existent 'High Rank' and abstract it into a cold machine, then this logic holds. But if you stand in the position of a specific person, such as the position of the Religious Minister Geligao, you will probably reach a completely different conclusion, and you won't be surprised at all why the people from the Truth Force haven't appeared yet."

It is indeed quite far from the Demon Capital here, maybe a hundred kilometers, but this is not a problem at all.

If they really wanted to catch Zakuro, they could just squat at Black Wind Fort twenty-four hours a day; if they couldn't catch him, they would just keep squatting—better than anyone else at enduring—just like his father.

As for the Demon God—

From the day he saw Hearing You You, he had been doubting what state the Demon God was actually in.

Hearing You You looked at the Demon King blankly and asked in a low voice.

"Then how did you know Luokesai was here?"

Luo Yan answered without hesitation.

"He must be here, otherwise he would regret it for the rest of his life."

The Blood Clan's concealment ability is not inferior to the Shadow Demon, and they can also lie in a coffin, just like lying in a hibernation pod. Wanting to find a lurking Blood Clan is much more difficult than finding a Terror Demon.

Luo Yan didn't count on the goblin community discovering any clues at all, but he believed that the moment his father saw Zakuro become a fugitive, he must have been more anxious than himself.

Does this count as using him?

Luo Yan actually wasn't sure either.

But he felt that if his own child encountered danger, even if it were an illegitimate child, he would do similar things.

Hearing You You admired him to the ground.

"... As expected of Lord Demon King, even this step was calculated!"

Ignoring Hearing You You's flattery, Luo Yan pondered for a moment and then continued to speak.

"The only thing I can't figure out now is one thing... Hearing You You, did you smell it?"

Hearing You You asked curiously.

"Smell what?"

"A bad smell," Luo Yan frowned slightly, "it makes me think of Nuoweier."

Hearing You You looked at him in astonishment.

"The Mist of Deception?! You mean... Zakuro is a Mad Whisperer? But how is that possible... I can't sense the aura of Chaos from him."

"Hmm," Luo Yan nodded, "that is the problem."

Perhaps—

Is there someone else who made a deal with Nuoweier?

Hearing You You asked cautiously.

"Could it be that you are overthinking it?"

Luo Yan replied noncommittally.

"I hope so."

Just as the "person" and the "dog" were chatting, the battle situation in the distance underwent a new change.

Zakuro suddenly unfolded his domain, and the heavens and earth instantly fell into a deep black, as if the entire world were shrouded in endless fear.

However, this change did not last long; a blood-colored temple suddenly unfolded, not only completely covering Zakuro's domain but also dyeing the heavens and earth a blood-dripping red!

That was Luokesai's domain!

And it was also a true domain... not the fake kind like Zakuro's.

Luo Yan also didn't expect that his father was actually strong to this degree!

"Is this the power of a Grandmaster level..." Luo Yan whispered to himself, his eyes flickering, his voice carrying a hint of shock that could not be concealed.

He had once heard that Demigod-level powerhouses could open up a world of their own within a limited space and write their own rules, but he didn't expect that Grandmaster-level powerhouses could also do it.

Is it a divine artifact?

Or a secret technique of the Prince Kelin family?

Or—

Is it a blessing bestowed by the Demon God?

Luo Yan fell into deep thought.

He knew too little about the rules of this world.

If it weren't for an old madman as paranoid as Zakuro, he probably wouldn't have won so easily.

The three Platinum-level Demon Generals standing by Luo Yan's side were also gazing at the battlefield, their expressions even more shocked than Luo Yan's, even carrying a hint of awe.

"That... is actually a domain?!"

The burly beastman Gelake clenched his fists, his rugged face full of disbelief, staring blankly at the dome that had completely changed color.

He didn't expect Lord Demon King to actually know a Demigod-level powerhouse!

No wonder he wasn't worried at all when facing the Delagong family!

Unlike Gelake, the Thorn Demon General Blanxia beside him had a pale face, her enchanting features carrying a hint of faint fear, but more of it was relief and gratification.

"Zakuro... an elder of the Delagong family, this guy... is finally going to die?"

Her voice trembled slightly, her slender fingers gripping the corner of her cloak, the corners of her mouth curling up uncontrollably, a drunken smile appearing on her face.

"This is really... too great! Hehe... Hahaha!"

The gloomy Thanos's face was hidden under his hood, complex light flickering in his eyes, and only after a long while did he speak slowly.

"Domain battle... I didn't expect to see such a powerhouse exchange in the Demon Capital; it has truly benefited me greatly."

The shock of the three Demon Generals far exceeded that of the players.

After all, they were all clear that that was power comparable to a god, a domain that only Demigod-level powerhouses could touch!

Although they were clearly misunderstanding something, Luo Yan didn't intend to explain it to them.

Let them misunderstand; it wasn't a bad thing for him anyway.

And besides shock, the three of them felt more of the joy of having their great revenge fulfilled.

Although Zakuro Delagong hadn't directly exploited them, this guy was the biggest backer of Lei Ji Delagong, and even more, the source of Lei Ji's madness.

For an unrealistic goal, these guys drove them like tools, not eating enough, not wearing enough, living like dogs.

Now that Lei Ji was dead and Zakuro was also approaching his end, it could be considered a fulfilled wish for them.

"Hahaha, it's truly satisfying." Gelake laughed in a low voice, his eyes full of the pleasure of revenge.

Blanxia smiled slightly, but her eyes carried a dangerous edge: "It's a pity we can't do it ourselves..."

Thanos snorted coldly, his teasing carrying a hint of faint sarcasm.

"Being drained of flesh and blood by the power of the Blood Clan is a decent ending for this guy who eats people without spitting out the bones."

That voice sounded as if he wished he could swallow him alive himself.

Listening to the conversation of his subordinates behind him, Luo Yan smiled faintly, and just as he was about to say something, the Blood Temple in the distance suddenly shook violently.

The air seemed to be torn apart by a sharp blade, and the blood mist surged like a violent tide!

Immediately following, a figure burning with purple flames suddenly broke through the barrier of the domain, transforming into a terrifying stream of light, galloping straight toward the direction of the Black Wind Fort Lord's Mansion!

"Boom—!"

The huge impact shattered half the street, and Zakuro, who fell to the ground, was like a burning meteor, purple flames surging all over his body, as if he wanted to crush everything blocking his path. Buildings along the way collapsed with a roar under the impact of his terrifying aura, and the goblins fleeing on the street let out terrified screams. Even those usually brave Hell Dwarves collapsed to the ground under the erosion of the fear energy, unable to even let out a single scream.

The smile of victory froze on the corner of Luo Yan's mouth.

What is...

What's going on?!

The scene before him exceeded his expectations; that purple meteor was heading straight for his direction. In the blink of an eye, there was no time for him to think too much.

Especially when he saw the black shadow coming through the air clearly, his pupils shrank suddenly.

He didn't die from this?!

Holy crap!

It wasn't just Luo Yan; the three Demon Generals standing by his side were also completely stunned.

Blanxia's smile disappeared, her face became solemn, and a hint of unease appeared in her eyes. She subconsciously took a step back, her slender fingers gripping her cloak tightly, at a loss for what to do.

Gelake gripped the battle-axe behind him, his rugged face full of anger and anxiety, but also a hint of panic.

Thanos, however, widened his eyes, his face hidden beneath his hood filled with bewilderment and confusion, and for a moment, he actually forgot how to react.

Zakuro didn't look at them at all.

He didn't care about these small fry at all; he only cared about one person—that was Luo Yan.

A crazy smile hung on the corner of his mouth, and unspeakable pleasure surged in his heart, as if his great revenge had already been fulfilled.

"Hahahaha! Luokesai! So what if you're a Grandmaster! Trash is trash!"

While laughing wildly, he stared at Luo Yan with eyes full of deep hatred and accelerated toward the Lord's Mansion!

The courtyard of the Lord's Mansion shattered under the shock of the shockwave, floor tiles flew, and the air was filled with the acrid smell of gunpowder and burning purple flames.

The guards holding magic stone guns couldn't block him for even a second, and the magic crystal cannons displayed on the street didn't even have time to turn their muzzles before they were cut into two by a purple blade.

The completely insane Zakuro Delagong stepped into the courtyard wall without slowing down, the scarlet afterglow reflecting on his black robe full of cracks, setting off the ferocity and bloodthirsty madness on his face.

His purple flames were still burning, and although his aura was slightly weak, compared to Luo Yan and his group standing on the balcony, he was still the most terrifying existence on this battlefield.

However, before he could take another step, a roar exploded from the balcony—

"Die!"

? ￠o

Blood Blade Demon General Gelake roared and leaped down from the balcony, his hands gripping his huge double-edged battle-axe, slamming it toward Zakuro.

The blazing red aura condensed on the battle-axe, tearing through the air like a meteor, aiming straight for Zakuro's head!

He wasn't a loyal subordinate, but at this moment he also understood that this was the only way to survive!

If Luo Yan died—

That mysterious powerhouse who intercepted Zakuro would definitely not care whether they lived or died!

Perhaps, this was exactly Lord Demon King's test for them!

Zakuro was expressionless, not even lifting his head, just waving his hand casually, and the Flame of Fear lashed out like a whip—

Bang!!

The next instant, Gelake's battle-axe shattered, and his body flew backward like a rag, slamming heavily into the courtyard wall, creating a huge dent, and then falling to the ground, life or death unknown!

"... Tsk, where did this trash come from." Zakuro snorted coldly, not even bothering to take a look.

"Thorn Binding!"

An eerie voice sounded in the air, and Blanxia hurriedly extended her slender right hand, a large amount of twisted thorns surging from under her cuffs.

The twisted thorns were like galloping pythons, descending from the sky and instantly sweeping over Zakuro's limbs, attempting to bind him firmly!

She didn't have so much inner drama; she was purely scared.

For those skilled in scheming, nothing is more terrifying than facing the coldness of a blade.

In the face of the threat of death, all calculations lost their effect!

Zakuro narrowed his eyes slightly, and then a cold smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"Just this?"

Crack—!

He suddenly lifted his hand and grabbed the thorns, and the moment the blood poison permeated his palm along the thorns, it was directly evaporated by the purple flames!

Blanxia's full-force strike couldn't hurt him in the slightest!

The next second, Zakuro pulled hard, and Blanxia's body was instantly dragged away!

She wanted to break free from the thorns, but was horrified to find that she couldn't let go at all, and was dragged in the air for half a circle, slamming heavily into the courtyard wall with a bang, half her body embedded in it!

Stone bricks shattered, and dust filled the air.

Sitting paralyzed on the ground, her legs trembled non-stop, her face was pale, and she didn't even have the strength to get up, a stain slowly spreading on her damaged long dress.

The energy of fear invaded her nerves, making her completely unable to move!

In front of the elder of the Delagong family, the Queen of the Desperate City actually peed herself in fear.

Thanos stood on the balcony, his face changing between light and shadow.

He was clearer than anyone that Zakuro's strength was simply not something they could resist!

But he also understood that if he didn't make a move now, when the Demon King settled accounts afterward, he would definitely not have a good end!

At least—

Fight for a second for Lord Demon King!

"... Damn it."

Glancing at Luo Yan's "calm" expression, Thanos gritted his teeth and cursed in a low voice, then channeled all his strength.

The next second, his figure turned into a black afterimage, shadow blades popped out from his cuffs, wrapped in shadow power, and slammed toward Zakuro's back!

A hint of mockery appeared on the corner of Zakuro's mouth.

"Want to sneak attack me? You trash are still too green."

He turned around suddenly, his palm glowing with purple flames, accurately grabbing Thanos's wrist, and then a claw slammed into his abdomen!

Boom—!

Thanos's eyes bulged, his body flew backward like a cannonball, piercing through the stone pillars of the balcony and slamming into the ground, his chest heaving violently, unable to crawl up for a long time.

He had originally wanted to act a little, but he didn't expect Zakuro not to cooperate at all; this strike almost cost him his old life.

The three Demon Generals had all lost their combat ability by now!

Although they were the masters of the labyrinth, they were after all from a labyrinth in the countryside.

Although the Campbell family had produced Demigod-level powerhouses, that was many centuries ago.

Zakuro smiled and lifted his head, looking at Luo Yan standing on the balcony, then took a step forward, his expression as if saying "It's your turn."

Luo Yan looked at Zakuro expressionlessly, seemingly calm even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of him, but actually, the mudslide came too fast and he hadn't reacted.

Too fast!

He didn't have time to react at all, and his three strongest subordinates were lying on the ground.

As for himself, there was actually no difference between standing and lying down.

The difference between Purple Crystal level and Bai Yin level was four tiers, equivalent to level 50 PK level 150.

This was simply not a battle in the same dimension!

Without a hint of hesitation, looking at the three Demon Generals lying on the ground, Luo Yan raised his hand without hesitation and activated the teleportation array of the Lord's Mansion.

Right now, he could only avoid the sharp edge first and wait for his unreliable father to solve Zakuro before coming back.

However, the next second, his expression changed slightly again—

The teleportation array... failed?!

An invisible twisting force was interfering with the flow of magic.

That was the power of a domain!

Hearing You You, who was floating beside his ear, trembled and whispered.

"Lord Demon King... this... what do we do now?!"

She, who was watching the fun a second ago, started to panic now.

Luo Yan: "..."

"Do you think I'll let you run away? Don't dream. Hehehe... but I have to compliment you; you are braver than those three guys, at least you didn't pee your pants in fear." Zakuro seemed to see through Luo Yan's intention to slip away and walked toward him with a grin.

He seemed to want to fully enjoy this intoxicating fear, so he deliberately walked very slowly.

The outcome was decided!

For him, there was no difference whether he was holding the opponent's neck or not at this distance.

Presumably, Luokesai also knew this point, which was why he didn't chase after him.

Luo Yan gritted his teeth, the move of his raised right hand changed, as if he hadn't thought about running away, a magic wand appeared at his fingertips.

"Shadow of Withering!"

He didn't know what his old man was spacing out about, but now all he could do was stall for time!

An emerald-green energy shot out, heading straight for Zakuro's chest, the corrosive power of death permeating the air, wrapped in the whispers of death!

If it were an adventurer like Chris or Amu who had been hit by this move, they would have lost a layer of skin even if they didn't die, but Zakuro, seeing the magic light flying slowly, sneered and didn't even dodge, letting that green light hit his chest, which was as solid as a city wall.

"You only have this much ability—"

The mocking words had just left his mouth when a "pfft" explosion sounded through Zakuro's chest.

His eyes widened suddenly, his two eyeballs wishing they could pop out of their sockets, and then blood seeped from his nose and mouth, as if struck by lightning, freezing in place unable to move...

Then the twisted expression changed from anger to pleading, and from pleading to despair.

Luo Yan was completely stunned, completely not knowing what had happened.

He pondered that he had indeed chanted "Shadow of Withering," not "Avada Kedavra"?!

Besides, the skill effect didn't look like it...

Before he could come back to his senses, Zakuro suddenly spat out blood, and his whole body was like a balloon poked from the inside, bursting open from the position of his heart.

"Pfft—!"

Scarlet flesh flew and splashed, and the solidified blood clots were like exploding shrapnel!

The purple flames wrapped around his body instantly extinguished, and Zakuro looked at his chest, which was missing a large chunk, with dull eyes, and then the light in his pupils dimmed, and he fell to the ground silently, welcoming the end of his life.

Until the last moment of his life, he didn't understand why he had died at the hands of a Bai Yin-level Necromancer.

In the distance, Luokesai, standing on high ground, slowly loosened his clenched fist.

Fine blood scabs leaked through his fingers, flying away like sand blown by the wind, just like Zakuro's soul passing away with the wind.

From the moment that guy rushed out of his domain, Luokesai had been very careful to control his life, until his child made a move—letting that weak spell become the last straw that broke the camel's back at just the right time.

This matter was not easy to operate.

Honestly, he only had a one or two percent chance of success, but fortunately, he won the bet.

Zakuro's arrogance caused him to lose this last and most fatal round, and Luo Yan's bravery also won him the reward he deserved.

If Luo Yan had indeed improved his soul level through Vivian's embrace, then his current strength should not be inferior to the Gold-level Vivian, which could be considered to make up for some of the debt in his heart.

Looking at the young Demon King standing lightly on the balcony, a smile of approval and heartfelt pride appeared on Luokesai's face.

As expected of my son—

Even when facing a Purple Crystal-level powerhouse, he could bravely pull out his magic wand and counterattack!

Perhaps this is the bond between father and son! ===== CHAPTER 260 =====