Hsi Wu looked at Yue Guan before him, the corners of his mouth lifting. He swung a claw backhanded.
"Riiip—"
The sharp sound of fingertips tearing through clothes rang out.
"Hm?" A flicker of surprise crossed his menacing face.
Gui Mei had dodged while carrying Yue Guan, but his own back had been torn open in a huge gash. Fortunately, it was only his clothes; his body was unharmed.
Even so, they didn't dare stay any longer.
"Old Ghost, are you all right?" Yue Guan asked worriedly, moving to his side.
"I'm fine! This guy's fast."
Gui Mei stared at the bat monster in the sky, his eyes full of wariness. Its speed had far exceeded his expectations. Even as a Level 95 agility-type Titled Douluo, he felt suppressed in its presence.
It was an absolute suppression of speed!
"You go first. I'll hold him off." Gui Mei hurled a mass of ghostly shadows at the bat monster, then shot away into the distance, hoping to draw it off.
"Damn it!"
Yue Guan cursed under his breath and flew downward without hesitation.
As partners who had spent their whole lives together, he trusted his old comrade. Even if the bat monster was incredibly fast, Gui Mei could handle it.
After the two split up, a cloud of ghostly mist exploded before Hsi Wu, releasing thousands upon thousands of ghosts that surged toward him, their sole target.
"Heh!"
Hsi Wu beat his wings. The air boomed like a string of firecrackers, deafeningly loud, and all the ghosts were blown away. In an instant, the sky cleared.
The two bowl-sized eyeballs in his hideous demonic face darted back and forth as he watched Yue Guan below and Gui Mei in the distance. A mocking smile curled his lips.
The next moment—
Boom—
He spread his wings and plunged toward the ground. The resulting sonic boom made both men shudder.
Gui Mei glanced back in shock. Seeing that the other was going after Yue Guan, he immediately sensed trouble.
This guy—how could he be so clever? Was this really the intelligence of a Soul Beast?
Down below, Yue Guan was also beside himself with rage. What had he ever done to this thing? Why had it flown all the way to Spirit Hall just to pick a fight with him?
What they didn't know was that among the Eight Demons, Hsi Wu was the second-smartest, surpassed only by Shendu.
He had even once taken human form and lived in human society for a time without giving himself away. That made him an oddity even among the Eight Demons.
Just as Hsi Wu's sharp claws were about to slash Yue Guan's throat, the two men suddenly shouted in unison.
"Polar Static Domain!" ×2
In an instant, the entire sky was enveloped by a strange golden space. Space and time alike were locked firmly in place, and Hsi Wu was trapped where he stood, unable to move a muscle.
"What is this?" Shock filled Hsi Wu's face. For the first time, he felt panic.
He struggled with all his might to break free, but no matter how much strength he exerted, he remained completely immobile, as if his body no longer obeyed him.
"Hmph! This is our Martial Soul Fusion Skill, the Polar Static Domain. It can freeze all things in place. You bat monster can just sit there and wait to die!" Yue Guan shouted, venting his anger.
The monster had dared to break into Spirit Hall. What had it been thinking? They couldn't move while using this skill either, but once reinforcements arrived from Spirit Hall, they could take it down.
The two held the domain firmly, waiting for reinforcements.
Below, Bibi Dong had been watching everything in the sky through her spiritual power, but she had never made a move.
This was a rare chance to observe a demon's strength, and of course she had to make the most of it.
But after watching for a long while, she was left with many questions. That so-called Sky Demon... how could he be so weak?
A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was certainly powerful, and it was no small feat to outpace Gui Mei. But compared with what Qian Xunji's diary recorded, Hsi Wu fell far short.
Could the diary be fake? she wondered.
Bibi Dong turned to look at the statue of Shendu on the wall. Recalling the overwhelming power she had sensed from him just moments ago, she asked with a hint of uncertainty:
"Shendu, the Sky Demon seems to be in danger. Should we go help him?"
Shendu shot her a cold glance.
"You're wondering why Hsi Wu is so weak, aren't you?" he said icily.
Bibi Dong was startled, her hand clenching tight.
Was this guy able to know what she was thinking at any time, or was he just exceptionally clever? Either way, she'd find it hard to fool him!
And he had seen right through her little scheme just now. She should've known better than to say anything.
Bibi Dong regretted it.
Just as she worried that she might be punished for it, she heard his rich, resonant voice.
"After being sealed for countless years, you've become this weak, Hsi Wu? What a waste!" Shendu said coldly, contempt plain in his voice.
Bibi Dong caught it at once.
So even the demons didn't get along very well, she thought to herself.
Leaning on her Pope Staff, she asked calmly, "Then what should we do about Hsi Wu now that my people have trapped him?"
"Trapped? Heh! How long do you think something this low-level can hold him?" Shendu said with equal contempt.
"Hm?" Bibi Dong hurriedly turned her senses toward the sky. Sure enough, Hsi Wu had already regained the ability to move.
Inside the golden space, the gigantic black bat beat its wings and slowly flew toward the edge.
"How is that possible?"
Yue Guan stared at him in disbelief. What on earth was this thing? How could it break through his Polar Static Domain?
High in the sky, Hsi Wu beat his wings again and again, finally escaping the space.
The moment he left the static domain, he vanished into the air at sonic-boom speed, unwilling to linger there for even a second.
He'd barely gotten out. If he ran into some other ridiculous human who sealed him away again, he really would cry.
In the secret chamber,
Bibi Dong watched the demon leave, astonishment rising in her heart.
Just what was this thing's true strength?
She had thought he was nothing more than a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast with a little extra speed, but she hadn't expected him to have a trick like that!
Even she couldn't break through Yue Guan and Gui Mei's Polar Static Domain, yet Hsi Wu had been able to fly inside it?
So this was a demon!
Bibi Dong clenched her fist, a strange tension rising within her. With something like this suddenly appearing in the world, she had no idea what kind of changes it would bring.
As she pondered, Shendu suddenly spoke beside her. "Servant, I need you to do something for me."
Bibi Dong turned to him, puzzled. "What?"
"Help me gather the power I lost: the twelve Talismans!"
Before you continue