Ten Thousand Demon Cave

Bang!

The next second, Ziye moved like a phantom. Before his opponent could react, he punched him and sent him flying.

Immediately afterward, he flashed again, suddenly appearing behind Asura. Two gray whirlwinds began to form in his hands.

"Here's a little something for you!"

Ziye sneered, then hurled the two whirlwind-shaped blades, each about a meter long, straight into Asura's back.

"Ah!"

In an instant, Asura's anguished scream rang out. His wails had none of the fearsome presence a Demon King should command, and the demons below stared up in terror.

As the whirlwinds vanished, Asura's piglike shrieks came to an abrupt halt. Bloodied wounds covered his body, and chunks of flesh had been sliced away in places. His cold expression twisted into a savage grimace as he roared at Ziye, "Human, how do you know my ultimate move, Whirlwind Air Blade?"

"Do you think I owe you an explanation?" Ziye replied disdainfully. Golden energy gathered at his fingertips. He pointed sharply, and the energy burst forth.

Bang!

The next second, Asura's chest was pierced. His body was embedded in the wall behind him, riddled with bloody holes.

"So the ruler of the Demon Realm isn't all that strong! What a disappointment. I thought you'd be a formidable opponent!" Ziye said with a scornful sneer.

"Kid, it's impressive that you've pushed me this far. But now, I'm going to kill you!"

Asura's face suddenly twisted into a hideous expression. Blood seeped from his pale skin until it had dyed his entire body red. His once-bright, humanlike eyes turned bloodshot, and a pair of black horns sprouted from his head. He looked utterly different from before, transformed completely into a demon.

"In hundreds of years, you're the first person to see me in this state. Today, I'll show you the terror of Hell Remnant."

After his ear-splitting growl, Asura's body suddenly moved like a phantom as he charged at Ziye. Caught off guard, Ziye had no time to react before he was struck and sent flying, crashing heavily off the raised platform.

Ziye gritted his teeth and forced himself to his feet, ignoring the pain in his body. He stared at Asura in disbelief. Asura had moved so fast that Ziye hadn't even been able to see him.

Unwilling to believe it, Ziye clenched his fist, gathered all his strength, and swung at Asura with all his might.

Asura met Ziye's full-force attack with a cool expression and a look of contempt. He gave a dismissive snort and casually raised a hand.

"Bang!"

A violent crash rang out. Ziye felt a sharp ache in his wrist. He glanced up and saw that Asura had stopped his attack with ease.

The next second, Asura swept his hand outward, sending Ziye flying into the palace wall. Ziye crashed to the ground in a heap, then gritted his teeth and struggled back to his feet. But the pain in his body left him barely able to stand. He swayed, then collapsed with a crash, kicking up a cloud of dust!

"Long live King Asura!"

"King Asura is invincible!"

The palace, quiet until now, erupted with cheers. All the demons were celebrating Asura's victory.

Lying on the ground, Ziye's face changed. He felt danger slowly closing in. The next second, Asura came crashing down from the raised platform like an erupting volcano, driving his knee into Ziye's chest.

Ziye cried out in agony. He could feel the bones in his chest shattering, and his arms had gone completely limp. His consciousness began to fade.

"Your Majesty, this human has no pulse."

Hearing his subordinate's report, Asura let out a soft sigh and returned to his original appearance. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, and exhaustion weighed down his entire body.

"Throw his body into the Ten Thousand Demon Cave. That's enough for today. Everyone, leave!" Asura turned away without even looking at Ziye and ordered the demons.

"And have Lena and Gola come see me tomorrow!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

After seeing Asura's true power, the other demons wouldn't dare disobey. They immediately filed out of the palace, carrying Ziye's body with them. Before long, the once-bustling palace was left with only Asura and the beautiful human woman.

"Pfft!"

The moment all the demons had left, Asura spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground. His face turned deathly pale.

"Ah!"

The human woman couldn't help crying out at the sight.

"Make another sound and I'll kill you!"

Asura snarled. The terrified girl clapped a hand over her mouth and remained where she was, quietly sobbing.

Asura paid her no further attention. The most important thing now was to recover from his injuries. After all, there were still plenty in the Demon Realm who refused to submit to him.

Asura looked at his body, which was nearly rotting away, and said weakly, "Damn it. This transformation puts far too much strain on my body!"

"Stop crying. Help me to my bedchamber, to the Blood Pool!"

"Do you hear me? Otherwise, I'll eat you!"

At Asura's threat, the human woman rose in terror and went over to him.

Outside the palace

Two hideously ugly monsters carried Ziye's body toward the Ten Thousand Demon Cave.

"Both of you, stop!"

Suddenly, a woman's icy voice called out. The two demons halted and spun around.

"Lena? What are you doing here? What do you want?" Seeing Lena head straight for Ziye, the two demons warned her.

Lena ignored them. She lightly traced Ziye's cheek with her fingertip, her brows knitting slightly. Then she politely asked the two demons, "Why don't you hand him over to me?"

"But how can we—"

"Hey, hey..."

One of the demons was just about to refuse when the other tugged at him and whispered in his ear, "He's just a corpse. Let her take him! Besides, I really don't want to go to that damned Ten Thousand Demon Cave!"

At the mention of the "Ten Thousand Demon Cave," the other demon's face changed instantly. After a moment's thought, he nodded in agreement.

"Fine, you can take him. But I'll warn you: this human brat angered King Asura."

"The King ordered us to throw his body into the Ten Thousand Demon Cave. Don't pretend to obey while doing the opposite, or we'll be in trouble!"