Single Combat

That sight made Mu Yuan's heart clench!

He had wanted to rush over and help.

But three demons at the seventh level of the Blood Forging Realm were holding him back.

All he could do was watch helplessly as Chen Guan fell into danger!

There was nothing he could do to help.

Chen Guan's eyes bulged, and his face had turned bright red.

With a hand clamped around his throat, he couldn't breathe at all.

No matter how desperately he struggled, he couldn't break free from the Tushan Great Demon's grip.

"Brat, today I'll teach you what happens when you provoke this king!"

The Tushan Great Demon let out a brazen shout.

Then he prepared to crush Chen Guan's throat with a single squeeze.

At that critical moment,

golden light began to shimmer across Chen Guan's body.

The light made the Tushan Great Demon's palm sizzle like meat roasting over a fire.

"Ah!"

The searing pain forced the Tushan Great Demon to let go.

"The True Dragon Jade Pendant? How did you end up with this?"

The Tushan Great Demon stared at him in astonishment.

Chen Guan sat on the ground and took several great gasping breaths, as if he meant to suck all the air from the sky.

Only after he had recovered did he get back to his feet.

If the True Dragon Jade Pendant hadn't suddenly protected him, he would already have died at the Tushan Great Demon's hands.

"But no matter. You clearly don't understand that the pendant's ability to protect its owner depends entirely on the energy within it. Let's see who can save you next!"

As he spoke, the Tushan Great Demon strode toward him again.

This time, Chen Guan didn't dare let his guard down.

He gripped the Blood Forging Sword and thrust it at the demon with the Blazing Flame Sword.

The Tushan Great Demon could clearly sense the Blood Forging Sword's power.

So he didn't dare meet it head-on.

He could only dodge aside.

And that dodge gave Chen Guan his chance.

Upgrade the Dragon Elephant Subduing Demon Art!

Chen Guan thought.

[Dragon Elephant Subduing Demon Art upgraded to the sixth layer. Entered the sixth level of the Blood Forging Realm. Gained six layers of Dragon Elephant Power. Comprehended Dragon Elephant Swordplay. Lifespan needed to upgrade to the next realm: 6,400 years.]

[Realm increased. Lifespan +1.]

The system's notification rang in his mind.

The sixth layer of the Dragon Elephant Subduing Demon Art brought a qualitative improvement.

Dragon Elephant Fist had now advanced into Dragon Elephant Swordplay.

The dragon-elephant silhouettes around his body had also grown more distinct.

"You actually reached the sixth level of the Blood Forging Realm in the middle of a fight? But that's all!"

The Tushan Great Demon stared at Chen Guan in surprise.

It was the first time he'd seen someone break through during a battle.

Even so,

Chen Guan was still far below him. The demon charged straight at him, intent on killing him once and for all!

"Dragon Elephant Swordplay!"

Chen Guan refused to back down. He swung the Blood Forging Sword in his hand.

Golden dragon-elephant silhouettes flashed across his body again and again.

The Blood Forging Sword seemed to have come alive as it shot toward the Tushan Great Demon's heart.

The attack took the Tushan Great Demon by surprise.

He quickly swung his right hand.

A massive boulder appeared between them, blocking the Blood Forging Sword's deadly strike.

But Chen Guan's strength now exceeded a thousand jin. His blow cleaved the stone in two.

And his attack came at the Tushan Great Demon once more.

"Shadow Claw!"

The Tushan Great Demon refused to yield. Black demonic qi wrapped around his right hand.

A massive claw dropped from above, aiming straight for Chen Guan's crown.

But Chen Guan didn't even try to dodge.

The Blood Forging Sword in his hand shot relentlessly toward the Tushan Great Demon's heart.

With that strike, he was telling the Tushan Great Demon:

Even if the Shadow Claw could kill him, his own attack could take the demon down with him!

"Die!"

The Shadow Claw descended from above, engulfing Chen Guan's body.

Yet not a trace of fear showed in his eyes.

Instead, he charged at the Tushan Great Demon, his gaze brimming with killing intent.

He knew the gap between his realm and the Tushan Great Demon's was enormous.

Against an enemy like this, his only chance was to charge forward without regard for his life.

But the Tushan Great Demon had no intention of dying alongside him.

"Clever brat! You were waiting for me to make that move!"

Grinding his teeth, the Tushan Great Demon had no choice but to abandon his attempt to kill Chen Guan with the Shadow Claw.

Instead, he pulled back his attack and dodged Chen Guan's Dragon Elephant Swordplay!

He retreated a few steps, his scarlet eyes fixed on Chen Guan.

For the first time, someone at the sixth level of the Blood Forging Realm had pushed him this far.

Chen Guan held the Blood Forging Sword and drew a ragged breath.

Though he seemed evenly matched with the Tushan Great Demon, he was burning through his inner strength and stamina at a terrifying rate.

He had barely any strength or stamina left, and he didn't know how much longer he could keep fighting.

He surveyed the situation around him.

With Mu Yuan and Liu Tai leading their respective groups, they were only just managing to hold back the surrounding demons.

Neither could spare a hand to help him.

So he could only face the Tushan Great Demon on his own!

"Brat! I acknowledge your strength. But you're still going to die here today! Black Sand Roar!"

The Tushan Great Demon no longer dared to get close to Chen Guan.

He decided to finish him off with a ranged attack.

As his voice fell,

the surrounding sand and wind instantly whipped up and swept toward Chen Guan.

The fierce sandstorm shredded his clothes and covered his skin in tiny cuts.

It also blinded him.

"Another sandstorm?"

Chen Guan endured the agony and studied his surroundings.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

He found a gap in the swirling sand and burst through it with the Exquisite Leg!

In the Tushan Great Demon's eyes,

no matter how powerful Chen Guan's Blood Forging Sword was, it could never withstand an attack like this.

Just as he thought Chen Guan was about to die in the sandstorm,

a figure suddenly shot out of it, reaching him in the blink of an eye.

"Dragon Elephant Swordplay!"

The dragon-elephant silhouettes gathered in midair and poured into the Blood Forging Sword.

With a fierce killing intent in his eyes, Chen Guan thrust the sword straight into the Tushan Great Demon's heart.

"You... How is this possible?"

Blood trickled from the corner of the Tushan Great Demon's mouth.

He stared at Chen Guan in disbelief, his voice trembling as he spoke.

Chen Guan gave a cold laugh. "There's a weak point in your sandstorm. I found a way through it, so I could catch you off guard!"

The truth was, he knew full well

that luck had played a large part in his victory over the Tushan Great Demon. The demon had also underestimated him.

The Tushan Great Demon slowly fell to the ground.

The sight sent everyone present into excited cheers.

With the Tushan Great Demon dealt with, the remaining demons would be much easier to handle.

"Lord Mu, I'm coming to help!"

Chen Guan pulled out the Blood Forging Sword and prepared to rush over.

But when Mu Yuan saw what was behind him, his eyes widened with alarm. "Chen Guan, watch out!"

The Tushan Great Demon, whose heart had just been pierced, was slowly rising behind Chen Guan.

His right demonic claw silently reached Chen Guan's back and plunged in.