A dead-end alley, a broken wooden door, darkness shrouding everything, and the stench of blood hanging in the air. Four or five vicious demon cultivators, only partially transformed and baring their fangs, surrounded Li Wuyang and his companions. Greedy, hungry glints flickered in their green eyes.
The wolf demon at their head had reached Spirit Refinement and Void Return, his savage aura far beyond that of Li Wuyang, a rookie who had only just entered the peak of Qi Refining to Spirit Transformation. Licking his sharp claws, he approached with a vicious grin. "Kid, scared stupid? Hand over your things obediently, and you might suffer a little less!"
Huaihuai neighed anxiously. Little Fire forced himself to endure his injuries as flames rose around him once more, letting out a threatening growl. Yingying, meanwhile, trembled behind Li Wuyang's collar in fright.
Li Wuyang's heart pounded wildly, cold sweat instantly soaking his back. This was his first time truly facing a life-and-death crisis. His opponents utterly outclassed him and were clearly seasoned killers and robbers, unlike the Witch Clan or demon cultivators he had encountered before, who at least observed some "rules."
Run? The door was blocked. Fight? The difference in strength was enormous. Call for Dad? In this godforsaken place, screaming himself hoarse probably would not help.
In his despair, the dormant Great Dao Imprint within his sea of consciousness seemed to sense the extreme danger its host faced. It began to circulate on its own once more, releasing an imperceptible yet supreme Primordial Dao Rhyme.
At the same time, the Sky-Opening Axe imitation in his hand, which he had always regarded as junk, also seemed to be activated by that Dao Rhyme. A flicker of chaotic light flashed across its blade and vanished.
A sudden insight struck Li Wuyang. Gritting his teeth, he poured every bit of the Innate True Qi he had only recently refined into the axe without holding anything back, while guiding the wisp of Dao Rhyme emitted by the Great Dao Imprint onto it as well!
Gripping the axe handle with both hands, he faced the charging wolf demon. Instead of retreating, he stepped forward and, with all his strength, swung the axe fiercely at the empty air before him!
There was no earth-shattering explosion, no dazzling spell light.
Only a faint, nearly invisible chaotic ripple spread from the axe blade like ripples across water—gentle, yet utterly unstoppable.
The ripple swept over the charging wolf demon.
The wolf demon's vicious grin froze instantly, replaced by utter terror and confusion! He felt the demon power he had cultivated for centuries collapse and dissipate soundlessly the instant the ripple passed over him, like ice and snow beneath the blazing sun! Even more terrifyingly, his powerful demonic body seemed to lose all support, turning weak and limp!
"N-No... impossible! My cultivation... my strength..." The wolf demon discovered in horror that he could not even remain standing. With a thud, he dropped to his knees, reduced to a weak-legged wretch.
The ripple continued spreading.
The lesser demons behind him fared even worse. Before they could even scream, they crumpled to the ground and partially revealed their true forms, turning into several trembling, whimpering wolves and jackals.
The vicious demonic aura vanished in an instant. In the dark little courtyard, only a few "cute pets" remained, letting out fearful whines.
Li Wuyang remained in his axe-swinging stance, gasping for breath. The True Qi within him had been completely drained, and a wave of weakness washed over him. He stared at the scene before him in disbelief.
That... solved it?
This axe, combined with the Great Dao Rhyme, was way too overbearing, wasn't it? It directly stripped away their cultivation and beat them back into their original forms?
He walked over and kicked the wolf demon sprawled on the ground with his foot. Now, he should have been called a lame old wolf. The old wolf's eyes were unfocused, filled with nothing but terror. He did not even have the strength to bare his teeth.
"With skills like that, you dared to run a black shop?" Li Wuyang curled his lip disdainfully, though fear still lingered in his heart. Luckily, he had a trump card. Otherwise, he really would have died here today.
He looked around the decrepit courtyard and saw several white bones and broken weapons piled in a corner. They were clearly belongings left behind by previous victims.
"Bad luck!" Li Wuyang did not want to linger. He searched the demons and found several dozen Low-grade Spirit Stones along with some worthless odds and ends. Then he kicked open the broken wooden door and hurried away from this place of trouble with Huaihuai and the others.
Once he returned to the sunlit market street, Li Wuyang felt as though he had been given a second life. After this lesson, he understood the dangers of the prehistoric world more deeply, and he also gained a new understanding of the power of his Immunity to All Magic, active version, and the axe.
"Looks like I can't rely on bluffing alone. My own strength and the proper use of my trump cards are what truly matter." He silently reminded himself.
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