The Twelve Divine Fiends

As the Nine Bends Yellow Springs Great Formation vanished, Pangu seemed to have gone through a true trial of life and death. Although he had wielded the Sky-Opening Axe until he nearly reached the limits his body could endure, perhaps destruction had paved the way for rebirth: the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Art, which should have been unable to advance any further, began circulating once more, tempering Pangu's body anew. His magic power finally stabilized at the peak of the Primordial Saint realm, and his understanding of the Dao deepened. He also gained further insight into using the Three Sky-Opening Forms.

The great battle had only just ended, and Pangu's aura still carried the heavy scent of injury. This only excited the already frenzied demons even more. So the Chosen One wasn't invincible after all—he could be wounded, and judging by the look of things, he was badly hurt.

Still, the demons knew in their hearts that their opponent's cultivation was formidable. If one or two of them went alone, they would surely be throwing their lives away. The demons who had hoped to seize the spoils for themselves had sobered up considerably after the battle with Yellow Springs.

This time, thirty or forty of them gradually gathered together, forming a vast procession as they advanced toward Pangu and Xuanhuang. A great battle was about to erupt.

But the truth was always cruel: numbers alone didn't guarantee an advantage, especially when the demons all had their own agendas, and some were even plotting in secret. Even so, every one of them was willing to do their part.

"Pangu, we Demon Gods have come to fight you. Today is the day you die!"

"Know your place. You think you can take me? You're nothing but a rabble. I advise you to leave at once. Otherwise, you may not be the ones who survive!" Pangu said proudly, sweeping his contemptuous gaze over the surrounding Chaos Demon Gods.

The thirty Chaos Demon Gods were instantly enraged.

A demon god at their head spoke up. "Pangu, though you have reached the peak of the Primordial Saint realm, you were badly injured in your battle with Yellow Springs. Do you really think you can withstand the combined assault of thirty of us?"

The Chaos Demon Gods around him burst into laughter, mocking their opponent's ignorance and arrogance.

Pangu smiled faintly. "That's more than enough to deal with you. Since you've come here to die, you can't blame anyone else!" He tightened his grip on the divine axe and bellowed at the demons across from him, "Which of you dares fight me?"

His roar carried the supreme Law of Strength. A gale seemed to sweep past the demons, and those with weaker wills even stumbled back three steps.

"Pangu, you really are arrogant! Since you're so eager to die, we'll grant your wish. Fellow Daoists, attack! Kill the Tribulation Bearer!" Spurred on by his words, all thirty demon gods instantly roused their magic power, unleashing thirty divine abilities governed by different laws at Pangu.

Seeing this, Pangu laughed heartily. "Good! Good!" With a thunderous shout, he raised the divine axe. The First Sky-Opening Form!

An arcane trajectory cut through the air. Here in the chaos, the Sky Opening was far more powerful than it had been inside the formation. The chaos was cleaved apart at once, showing signs of separating into clear and turbid halves. The Axe Shadow instantly swept toward the Chaos Demon Gods!

"Ah!" Cries of agony rang out one after another. With a single swing, several demons caught in the Axe Shadow's path were killed, their bodies and spirits obliterated! The Green Lotus silently absorbed their foundations of the Great Dao.

Xuanhuang watched it all in silence. He had almost no means of attack, and even if he had, he couldn't bring himself to initiate a slaughter of his own kind. He knew the demons before them posed no threat to Pangu. Perhaps Pangu's weakness was that he didn't know how to handle formations, but if Xuanhuang was willing to help, there were very few who could threaten him. As long as Pangu was safe, it was better for Xuanhuang to watch from a distance.

The Second Sky-Opening Form, "Earth Splitting," brought another chorus of anguished cries.

The Third Sky-Opening Form, "Sky Rend." After three axe strikes, more than a dozen gods and demons had perished. Though some of the remaining demons tried to rally the others, they hesitated to advance, let alone attack. Both sides fell into an unspoken understanding. The demons still surrounded Pangu, but whenever one side moved forward, the other retreated, maintaining a fixed distance.

Those who arrived later didn't know what was going on, but they didn't dare act rashly. A few demons who couldn't bear to stay idle found their divine abilities easily blocked by Pangu, and his axe strikes injured or killed several of them at once. Most chose to join the others in surrounding Pangu. The crowd grew to several hundred, and over time, dozens of the demons besieging him had been obliterated, body and spirit. Looking at the immense crowd, Pangu couldn't help but smile wryly. If they really all charged at once, they might not even need their divine abilities—they could crush him to death just by piling on top of him.

Just then, twelve Demon Gods hurried over. They moved almost in unison and looked identical. It seemed they wanted a share of the spoils. Someone went forward to greet them, but they didn't even acknowledge him.

The twelve went straight to their respective positions and shouted, "Form the Twelve Heavens Divine Fiend Great Formation!" The formation enclosed the demons as well.

But when the demons heard that the Twelve Divine Fiends were about to set up such an arcane formation, their blood immediately began to boil. This was the perfect way to deal with Pangu. They all seemed to remember his miserable state inside the Nine Bends Yellow Springs Great Formation. Ha ha, Pangu, you're done for this time!

But the demons' hearts sank when they realized they were inside the formation too.

The twelve Chaos Demon Gods took their places in an arcane formation and roared in unison. Their beastlike cries rang throughout the chaos as the twelve fiendish laws, embodying the power of slaughter and calamity, began to operate.

As the fiendish laws took effect, boundless Killing Qi filled the formation. Tainted by it, the demons within felt killing intent rise in their hearts. Gradually, it took control of their minds, and every god and demon went berserk, shouting, "Kill! Kill!" as they hacked at one another.

Yet two people remained clearheaded. Pangu had the Chaos Green Lotus; its azure aura curled around him, cleansing away all vexation and discomfort. The other was Xuanhuang, who had seized the chance to come to Pangu's side. Xuanhuang Qi was the most righteous energy between Heaven and Earth, capable of dispelling all evil and falsehood.

Looking at the red Killing Qi within the formation, Pangu said apprehensively, "I'll have to rely on you again, Daoist friend."

Xuanhuang nodded slightly. This seemed to be the formation with the greatest power of slaughter. It might indeed be a little difficult.

As demons continued to fall, the Killing Qi within the formation grew denser, and the formation's power grew stronger and stronger.

Worry crossed Xuanhuang's face. "They're gathering the Killing Qi to increase the formation's power."

As the Killing Qi grew stronger, the Essence, Qi, and Spirit of the twelve Chaos Demon Gods began to slowly merge. A huge, indistinct phantom appeared above their heads, and its boundless, overwhelming majesty instantly spread throughout the chaos.

"What is that?" Pangu looked startled. His brow furrowed as he murmured, "Could it be the aura of the Great Dao?"

Through the Twelve Heavens Divine Fiend Great Formation, the twelve Chaos Demon Gods could actually draw directly upon the power of the Great Dao. Its aura also directly hastened the gradual fusion of the twelve Demon Gods' Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

The merging Essence, Qi, and Spirit formed a Great Dao Incarnation. Boundless power of the laws radiated from its every gesture, and a mysterious force descended in an instant. Beneath that force, all the myriad rules of the world seemed utterly powerless.

The Great Dao Incarnation appeared among the frenzied demons and attacked with nothing more than simple punches and kicks, yet every strike possessed boundless might. The demons, who had been using their bodily functions as fuel to gain Great Magic Power under the influence of the Killing Qi, were utterly unable to fight back. Those who were defeated turned into Killing Qi and were absorbed by the Great Dao Incarnation.

For some reason, the Great Dao Incarnation didn't attack Pangu or Xuanhuang. Even when it passed by them, it merely glanced their way before continuing its relentless assault on the other demons.

The formation gradually quieted. Pangu and Xuanhuang exchanged a look, both of them shocked and confused. Perhaps what was meant to come would always come.

"Pangu, do you dare fight me?" The Great Dao Incarnation seemed to have wiped out all the other demons inside the formation, and the aura of the Great Dao around him had grown even stronger.

Pangu slowly rose to his feet and used the divine ability Dharma Heaven Dharma Earth, growing until he stood as tall as the Great Dao Incarnation. "Why wouldn't I dare?"

Xuanhuang also slowly stood and stared at the Great Dao Incarnation. "You aren't the Dao. You're merely borrowing the aura of the Great Dao to cow the demons. Though you command quite a few laws, none of them are complete—you know only their surface. What is the Great Dao? It isn't about using the laws, but commanding and creating them. The Three Thousand Demon Gods correspond to the Three Thousand Laws. Every law can be called supreme, yet each also has a law that counters it. You're simply exploiting those opposing attributes to kill the other demons in a single blow. Can you find a divine ability that completely counters Pangu's Law of Strength?"

"Ha ha, as expected of Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang. You're absolutely right. I never intended to defeat Pangu. I only wanted to fight him. But that doesn't mean there's no way. The Great Dao's divine ability is unstoppable—nothing can defeat speed. If I wield the Law of Speed in the chaos, perhaps even Pangu will have trouble dealing with me. Besides, we Twelve Divine Fiends are born with physiques unlike ordinary beings, and we cultivate only our bodies. You've also practiced the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Art, Daoist friend. This is a perfect chance for us to test and discuss our cultivation."

"Fine. I'll test your speed and the strength of your body." Pangu knew Xuanhuang had said all this for his sake, hoping he wouldn't be intimidated when the fight began. Pangu himself had vaguely sensed that the Law of Speed could affect him greatly. If he couldn't even overcome someone who knew only a little of it, how could he hope to prove the Dao through strength?

Perhaps the closer one got to the Great Dao, the simpler each Demon God's fighting style became. As the saying went, the Great Dao was simple. The Great Dao Incarnation formed by the Twelve Divine Fiends was slightly faster than Pangu. Its punches always landed first, but it feared Pangu's fists too, so whenever it succeeded in a sneak attack, it quickly withdrew. Pangu was constantly on the receiving end of blows.

Xuanhuang watched the two fight. Pangu truly couldn't match his opponent's speed. He couldn't even find an opening to touch him, and remained on the defensive, taking hit after hit. The Law of Speed was indeed extraordinary.

Pangu himself felt he was holding up well. His opponent was fast, but this time he was circulating the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Art with all his might. He had suffered no more than a few flesh wounds, which were nothing to him. The real question was how to find a way to land a blow on his opponent.