Facing Four Demon Emissaries Alone

The wind Cang Xuan Mountain carried lingering demonic energy, a stench a mixture of acrid sulfur and the putrid stench of rotting corpses, clinging to every inch of air like poisonous spiderwebs. Even the sunlight overhead seemed tinged with gray, its rays piercing through the gaps in the Demonic Clouds, becoming chilling fragments that fell upon the Immortal-Conceiving Light Armor on Ren Xiaoyao's shoulder—the armor, originally gleaming with a soft, luminous white, was now suppressed by the demonic energy, reduced to a dim halo, even its inherently cold metallic sheen diminished. Yet, his hand gripping the Creation Spear remained as steady as ever. Within the warmth of the gun barrel emanating from the palm of his hand, the four runes of "Life, Annihilation, Devouring, and Immortality" were quietly circulating: the emerald green "Life" rune shimmered with a faint light, as if concealing the vitality of a spiritual herb sprouting from the earth; the silvery-white "Annihilation" rune gleamed with a chilling light, like the sharp edge of a weapon tempered by a thousand years of snow; the deep blue "Devouring" rune was as deep as the ocean, concealing the weight of embracing all things and encompassing all rivers; the golden "Immortality" rune shone like the rising sun, wrapped in a clear radiance that cleansed impurities and purified evil spirits. As the four runes intertwined, they quietly resisted the erosion of the surrounding demonic energy.

The four demon envoys hovered above the churning Demonic Clouds, their bluish-black bodies appearing and disappearing in the mist. Their withered skin clung tightly to their protruding knuckles, like a rotting black cloth. Seeing Ren Xiaoyao alone blocking the defensive formation, their cracked lips curled into undisguised mockery. The Ghost Bone Demon Emissary slightly raised his withered claw with protruding knuckles, and the Black Chains wrapped around it rattled loudly. The chains were covered with sharp spikes, and three dark purple skulls hung from the ends. The Nether-Green Ghost Fire dancing in his eye sockets suddenly leaped half a foot high, making the crisscrossing wrinkles on his face look like dry ravines, each ravine hiding a ferocious expression. "Mortal, you killed a cowardly and useless elder, and you really think you can stop the four of us? Today, I'll let you taste the feeling of your soul being torn apart and your Immortal Bone being devoured, so you'll know just how vast the difference is between an ant and a god or Gods and Devils!"

Before the words were even finished, the most impatient of the Void Splitting Demon Emissary had already launched his attack. The Demonic Clouds surrounding him churned and bubbled like boiling asphalt, and black mist rapidly condensed before him, transforming in an instant into dozens of Demon Blade half a zhang long. The edges of these Demon Blade gleamed with a dark purple light—that was demonic energy capable of Sky-Rending Strike. Each blade carried a piercing sound as it tore through the air, like countless rusty iron knives howling in the wind, densely slashing towards Ren Xiaoyao. Wherever the blade tips passed, even the air was cut with tiny cracks, from which a faint black mist seeped out. The sunlight, which had been relatively clear, was shattered into fragments at the cracks, like ribbons of silk being forcibly torn, falling to the ground and turning into wisps of gray mist that vanished without a trace upon touching the rocks.

Ren Xiaoyao, however, remained unhurried, treading the "Cloud Treading Immortal Steps," a technique lost to the Qingyun Sect for three hundred years. This footwork was originally created by the Qingyun Sect's founder to traverse famous mountains and rivers, and later improved by cultivators into a superb Movement Method for dodging attacks. His figure instantly became as light as a willow catkin in the wind. The gaps between the falling Demon Blade were already narrow, yet he could weave through them with his mysterious footwork: sometimes he would sidestep to avoid the wind from the blades, his robes fluttering in the air, the hem of his clothes brushing against the ground, even stirring up tiny pebbles; sometimes he would leap up, touching the ground with his toes to avoid Demon Blade attacking from below, and while suspended in mid-air, he could even adjust his body... His movements were so precise that subsequent Demon Blade grazed the soles of his boots; even when two Demon Blade struck his left shoulder and right leg almost simultaneously, he managed to twist and spin, dodging the attacks like a top in the wind. The moment the Demon Blade grazed the hem of his clothes, tiny Black Hole were burned into the fabric by demonic energy. Fortunately, the "Life" rune emitted spiritual light in time, quietly repairing the Black Hole. The cultivators behind the defensive array watched with bated breath; one young cultivator even instinctively clenched his magic weapon, his knuckles turning white. Yet, Ren Xiaoyao remained completely calm, as if the Heavenly Demon blades before him were nothing more than willow catkins falling in spring.

The instant he dodged the first wave of attacks, Ren Xiaoyao abruptly raised his hand, holding the Creation Spear horizontally in front of him. The "Extinction" runes on the spear suddenly blazed with a blinding silver-white light. This light was unlike the sharp, piercing light of ordinary blades; instead, it carried a weighty, crushing power capable of shattering all evil, like the Warm Sun breaking through the ice in winter, yet concealing undeniable strength. A semi-circular Immortal Power Slash shot out from the spear tip, its arc smooth yet its momentum overwhelming, crashing towards the Heavenly Demon blades like a crescent moon. "Boom!" A deafening roar exploded on the mountaintop, the sea of clouds churning violently from the impact. Waves of clouds scattered in all directions, revealing the undulating outline of Cang Xuan Mountain below—those peaks previously Demonic Qi Erosion still tinged with a faint gray, even the spiritual mist in the mountains had thinned somewhat. Even the distant mountains seemed to be affected by the shockwave, emanating a faint rumble. The spiritual herbs at the Foot of the Mountain trembled slightly, dewdrops rolling off their leaves.

The moment the Demon Blade collided with the Immortal Power Slash, it shattered instantly like fragile Glazed Ice. Black fragments fell to the ground, and before they could even exude the black aura that corroded the rocks, they were quietly enveloped by the Emerald Spiritual Light emanating from the "Life" runes around Ren Xiaoyao. The light, like gentle water, slowly spread along the fragments, gradually dissolving the demonic energy within: first, the purple light at the edges of the fragments faded, revealing their grayish-black true form; then, the black demonic mist was enveloped by the light, fading away like ink diluted with water; finally, it transformed into wisps of thin black mist, swirling in the wind before disappearing without a trace. The bluestone struck by the fragments, which should have been corroded into deep pits by the demonic energy, now shimmered with a faint, lustrous sheen under the nourishment of the "Life" rune light, with tiny green shoots even peeking out from the cracks.

But in that brief moment, the Soul Devouring Demon Emissary suddenly moved. His withered hand slowly rose, the black mist in his palm thickening like churning ink, quickly condensing into a swirling Black Vortex. The Powerful Suction emanating from the vortex's center, like an invisible giant hand, lunged directly at Ren Xiaoyao's brow—it attempted to bypass his physical defenses and forcibly pull Ren Xiaoyao soul! Ren Xiaoyao felt a sharp, piercing pain in his mind, as if countless red-hot needles were simultaneously stabbing his consciousness, or as if countless icy hands were pulling at his soul, trying to tear it from his body. His vision began to darken, and he even heard faint hissing sounds—the lingering remnants of souls devoured by the Soul Devouring Demon Emissary. The resentment of these remnants, like maggots clinging to bones, tried to burrow into his consciousness and disturb his mind.

Ren Xiaoyao clenched his teeth and bit his tongue hard, drawing out a mouthful of warm Essence Blood. It dripped onto the Creation Spear, spreading a small patch of crimson. The instant the Essence Blood touched the spear, the "Swallow" rune suddenly shone with a deep, dark blue light. A semi-transparent blue light shield radiated from the spear, spreading out like ripples on a calm lake, its surface shimmering with fine, watery patterns. This shield not only firmly blocked the Soul Devouring Demon Emissary's suction force but also created an even stronger pulling force—the force emanating from the Soul Devouring Demon Emissary. The Black Demonic Qi, like iron filings attracted by a magnet, was gradually drawn towards the light shield. As soon as the demonic energy entered the range of the "Devouring" pattern, it was instantly transformed into pure energy, flowing into Ren Xiaoyao's body through the spear. Like parched land receiving sweet rain, his immortal power, which had been slightly depleted from dodging attacks, was quietly restored, and even the stinging pain in his mind was lessened considerably. Upon seeing this, the Soul Devouring Demon Emissary's ashen face flashed with astonishment, clearly not expecting that his innate Devil Cultivation Method would be backfired on by a mere mortal cultivator.

"You ungrateful wretch!" Seeing that Sky-Rending Strike and Soul Devourer had both failed, a sinister glint flashed in the Corrupted Heart Demon Emissary's eyes. He swung his bluish-gray hand fiercely towards the mountain peak, unleashing a massive surge of Pink Mist like a tidal wave. This mist was thicker than the one that had bewitched lower-level cultivators before, as dense as melted honey, carrying a cloyingly sweet fragrance as it spread through the air. Yet, that fragrance contained a Bone Erosion allure; inhaling even a single breath would cause dizziness and waver in one's mind. When the mist reached Ren Xiaoyao, it condensed into twisted... The faces were twisted: some were the terrified faces of cultivators on their deathbeds, their eyes bulging, Black Blood flowing from their mouths, and their faces marked with black spots corroded by demonic energy; some were the innocent faces of crying children, tears streaming down their cheeks, yet their mouths were open in a strange laugh, a laugh that concealed a chilling coldness that did not belong to a child; and some were the faces of the cultivators' relatives and friends, repeating the words, "Surrender, live on," "As long as you offer your Soul Pill, you can reunite with us," their voices as gentle as murmurs, yet carrying an irresistible seductive power.

Even the surviving cultivators hiding behind the defensive array couldn't help but cover their ears upon hearing this sound, their faces turning pale and their eyes beginning to glaze over again. One young cultivator thought of his mother waiting for him back home; her smiling face appeared in his mind, and his hand unconsciously loosened its grip on his magical artifact, which fell to the ground with a clang. A female cultivator thought of her senior brother who had died in battle; his dying words, instructing her to protect the sect, still echoed in her ears. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she even considered leaving the array to "reunite" with him. If the elder beside her hadn't pulled her back in time, she probably would have already stepped into the mist. If the array's patterns hadn't lit up with a pale golden light in time, protecting their minds, some of them would probably have already given up resistance and become puppets of demonic energy.

A golden glint suddenly flashed in Ren Xiaoyao's eyes, and the "Immortal" runes on the spear instantly shone with dazzling light. This light enveloped his entire body as if it were tangible, forming a semi-transparent Golden Shield. Tiny specks of light swirled on the surface of the shield, like stars in the night sky, each carrying the power to purify the mind. The Pink Mist melted upon contact with the shield like snow meeting the blazing sun, the sweet fragrance cleansed by the light, leaving not a trace. Ren Xiaoyao could even see the distorted faces within the mist, emitting shrill screams in the light. Each face began to twist and shatter, then dissipated into wisps of gray smoke. The resentment hidden within the mist was also completely purified by the light, losing all its bewitching power.

Before the Corrupted Heart Demon Emissary react, Ren Xiaoyao thrust his spear forward, his footsteps causing the mountain's bluestone to tremble slightly with a muffled thud. The spear tip pierced the Corrupted Heart Demon Emissary's heart, its shaft crackling with silver lightning derived from the "Extinction" rune. With a hissing sound, it incinerated all the remaining Pink Mist along its path. The Corrupted Heart Demon Emissary's expression changed Void; his ashen face instantly lost all color. He instinctively tried to retreat, but found his aura locked onto by Ren Xiaoyao's spear tip—no matter how he activated his Demonic Clouds, his body seemed to be frozen by Invisible Power, unable to move even an inch. He could only watch helplessly as the spear tip drew closer and closer, the silver lightning on the spear reflecting in his pupils, making him feel the fear of death for the first time.

Seeing this Ghost Bone Demon Emissary, who had been observing coldly, finally stopped hesitating. He swung his withered claw, and the three Black Chains wrapped around it, like living venomous snakes, hissed piercingly as they coiled towards Ren Xiaoyao's limbs. The spikes on the chains glowed with a ghostly green poisonous light, and the skulls at the ends spewed out ghostly green poisonous fire. The poisonous fire landed on the bluestone on the mountaintop, instantly burning out pits about half a foot deep. Thick black smoke billowed from the pits, carrying a deadly poison that could corrode the soul—even inhaling just a trace of it made one's heart tighten, and the spiritual energy within one's body became somewhat stagnant. The cultivators behind the defensive array scrambled to circulate their spiritual energy to resist, and many of them became even paler.

The moment Ren Xiaoyao dodged the first chain, the second one had already wrapped around his right leg. He lightly touched the ground with his toes, his body suddenly rising half a zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) in height. At the same time, he held the Creation Spear upright in front of him, and the "Life" and "Death" runes erupted simultaneously: Emerald Spiritual Light overflowed from the spear, growing rapidly like bamboo shoots after rain, transforming in the blink of an eye into dozens of wrist-thick vines. The surface of the vines shimmered with a luminous white spiritual light, brimming with Vibrant Vitality, precisely wrapping around the ends of the three chains; those vines were as tough as ancient vines, no matter how the chains struggled or how the thorns cut, they remained firmly entangled. He grabbed it, preventing it from getting any closer to Ren Xiaoyao; the silvery-white immortal power slowly spread along the vines, gradually corroding the demonic energy on the chains. The chains, which had originally gleamed with black light, began to crack under the touch of the immortal power, the "crackling" sound echoing on the mountaintop like the sound of withered wood breaking. The Nether-Green Ghost Fire in the eye sockets of the skull at the end of the chains sizzled and burned, quickly dimming and becoming still like an extinguished candle. Even the surface of the skull began to show weathering cracks, and it would crumble into powder with the slightest touch.

Seeing their individual attacks repeatedly fail, the four demon envoys finally showed seriousness in their eyes. They exchanged a glance, and without a word, simultaneously activated the demonic energy within their bodies—clearly, they were about to launch a joint Killing Moves. The Ghost Bone Demon Emissary manipulated three chains to intertwine in the air, instantly forming a massive black net covering several meters. The net was covered with sharp barbs about an inch long, each barb gleaming with a ghostly green poisonous light and dripping black venom. The venom corroded small pits in the bluestone as it fell to the ground, emitting wisps of black smoke. The Soul Devouring Demon Emissary expanded the Black Vortex in his palm three times, its suction so strong that even the rubble on the mountaintop was drawn into the air, spinning rapidly around the vortex to form a black vortex. Even a few leaves that had been severed by the Demon Blade earlier were caught in the vortex. Upon approaching the vortex, it was instantly torn to shreds, leaving not a single fiber behind; the Corrupted Heart Demon Emissary condensed the remaining Pink Mist, transforming it from loose fog into a solid pink cage. The cage's bars were wrapped with fine black Demonic Threads Demonic Threads, which possessed extremely strong corrosive properties, clearly intended to trap Ren Xiaoyao and then Demonic Threads to corrode his immortal power and physical body; the Void Splitting Demon Emissary circled behind Ren Xiaoyao, and the Demonic Clouds condensed in front of him into a ten-foot-long demonic blade, its blade gleaming with dark purple light, and tiny Space Cracks visible on its edge. With each breath, the cracks widened, as if they would tear space apart at any moment. He clearly intended to launch a sneak attack from behind, forming a four-sided attack with the other three, giving Ren Xiaoyao no chance to dodge.

Ren Xiaoyao took a deep breath, and the immortal power within his body surged wildly like a rushing river, flowing into the Creation Spear through his arm. The four patterns on the spear—"Life, Death, Devour, Immortality"—simultaneously lit up, with emerald green, silver-white, deep blue, and golden light intertwining and coiling on the spear like four Flood Dragon of different colors, quickly condensing into a semi-transparent, Seven-Colored Light Shield, firmly protecting him in the center. The surface of the light shield was shrouded in four-colored patterns. Sometimes, emerald green vines would climb and repair the shield's minor cracks; sometimes, silver-white lightning would flash, resisting the erosion of demonic energy; sometimes, deep blue water would ripple, dissipating external impacts; and sometimes, golden rays of light would flicker, purifying the surrounding evil spirits. Each pattern carried a powerful defensive force, and the four forces complemented each other, forming an indestructible barrier.

Almost simultaneously, the Demonic Net, vortex, cage, and demonic blade collided with the light shield: the barbs of the Demonic Net pierced the light shield, emitting a piercing screeching sound; the venom on the barbs landed on the light shield, instantly dissolved by the spiritual light, leaving not a trace; the suction force of the vortex pulled at the light shield, causing the seven-colored spiritual light to sway slightly, like the surface of a lake rippled by the wind, but it could not budge the light shield even an inch; instead, it was being absorbed by the power of the "devouring" pattern; the pink cage attempted to envelop the light shield, but as soon as it touched the light shield, it was... The rosy light reflected back, and fine cracks appeared on the surface of the cage. The black Demonic Threads quickly dissolved in the rosy light, turning into wisps of gray mist. The Void Splitting Demon Emissary's demonic blade slashed fiercely at the light barrier. The Space Cracks on the blade attempted to tear the light barrier apart, but the silver-white lightning on the light barrier instantly wrapped around the demonic blade, repairing the cracks little by little while continuously corroding the blade. The dark purple light on the demonic blade grew fainter and fainter. Even the Void Splitting Demon Emissary could feel his magic energy rapidly draining away. The demonic blade didn't even leave a trace on the light barrier.

Seeing this, the four demon envoys increased their demonic energy output. The Demonic Clouds around them churned more violently, like boiling water, with black Demonic Fluid even dripping from Demonic Clouds. This Demonic Fluid was extremely corrosive, corroding deep holes in the bluestone as it hit the ground. Black smoke billowed, and the stench of sulfur and rotting corpses in the air grew stronger. However, the Seven-Colored Light Shield remained as solid as an impenetrable wall, firmly resisting all attacks. No matter how hard they tried, they could not advance any further. Instead, due to the excessive consumption of demonic energy, their breathing became disordered, and exhaustion appeared on their ashen faces.

"My turn!" Ren Xiaoyao suddenly looked up, a resolute light flashing in his eyes. He held nothing back, pouring all the remaining immortal power in his body into the Creation Spear. At the tip of the spear, four kinds of spiritual light rapidly converged, no longer scattered colors, but fused into a fist-sized seven-colored sphere of light. Inside the sphere, the four patterns of "Birth, Death, Devouring, Immortality" seemed to come alive, spinning rapidly. With each rotation, they emitted an even stronger pressure—the air on the mountaintop seemed to be frozen by this pressure, even the rolling of the Demonic Clouds slowed down, and the cultivators behind the defensive array even felt that their breathing became difficult. They could only subconsciously circulate their spiritual power to resist, and many people had fine beads of cold sweat on their foreheads, but they still stared intently at the sphere of light, their eyes full of expectation and awe.

The four demon envoys' expressions changed drastically, and fear appeared on their ashen faces for the first time. They finally realized something was wrong and tried to withdraw, but found that the seven-colored orb of light had locked onto their auras. No matter how they activated their Demonic Clouds, they could not break free from the orb's lock. They could only watch helplessly as the orb of light grew brighter and brighter at the tip of Ren Xiaoyao's spear, its radiance even surpassing the sunlight overhead, illuminating the entire Cang Xuan Mountain as if it were daytime.

Ren Xiaoyao roared, his voice booming like thunder across the mountaintop, carrying a power that pierced the clouds. "Today I will show you that cultivators of the Tianyan Continent, even if they are mortals, have the courage to protect their homes and slay demons! If the Demon Realm dares to invade, we will fight to the last man, shedding our last drop of blood!" He thrust his spear forward, and a seven-colored orb of light shot towards the four demon envoys like a meteor. Wherever it passed, the demonic energy melted away as quickly as ice and snow meeting the blazing sun. Even the Demonic Clouds were torn open, leaving a clear slit. Sunlight streamed down through the slit, forming a golden band of light on the ground. Where the light band passed, the deep pits in the bluestone began to heal, and the spiritual herbs regained their vitality.

The moment the sphere of light collided with the four demon envoys, it exploded with a deafening roar—seven-colored spiritual light spread out like a tide, enveloping the entire Cang Xuan Mountain. The remaining demonic energy was instantly purified in the spiritual light, and the black Demonic Clouds vanished without a trace, like smoke blown away by the wind, leaving not even a trace of putrid stench. On the bluestone of the mountain summit, the deep pits previously scorched by poisonous fire sprouted tiny green shoots at a visible speed under the nourishment of the spiritual light. The tender shoots were topped with glistening white dewdrops, radiating a vibrant glow. Even the fine Demonic Dust that clung to the cultivators behind the defensive array was cleansed by the spiritual light. Many felt their stagnant spiritual energy return to its smooth flow, and the fatigue caused by the previous Demonic Qi Erosion was swept away.

The four demon envoys didn't even have time to scream before they were engulfed by the spiritual light. Their dark blue bodies rapidly dissolved in the light, first their skin turning to ash, then their joints being crushed by the light, leaving only four wisps of faint blue smoke. The smoke drifted in the air for a moment, as if making a final struggle, but ultimately could not withstand the purification of the spiritual light, turning into wisps of white vapor and disappearing completely, leaving not even a trace of demonic energy—as if they had never set foot on the Cang Xuan Mountain.