"Unfortunately, you guessed wrong. I don’t do bluffs."

Xiao Chen shook his head with a light sigh.

The other Cultivators had to cluster their Red Flame Radiances to set traps, as a single one wasn’t powerful enough.

But thanks to his Augment, a single Red Flame Radiance was equivalent to ten. The power was more than sufficient.

That was why he’d placed a Red Flame Radiance inside every single Flame Radiance.

Ding Sanlei’s real body was blasted back to the cave entrance. With a cry of pain, he vomited a large mouthful of fresh blood.

He struggled to look up. "You despicable villain!"

’What guessing game? It was all a lie.’

’I’d swear to the heavens right now that the remaining nine Flame Radiances are also packed with Red Flame Radiance.’

"A despicable villain, am I?"

Xiao Chen couldn’t help but laugh. "Alright, I’ll take that as a compliment."

After all, the more your enemy cursed you, the more you knew you were doing something right.

He stepped forward slowly. "I advise you to surrender without a fight. As long as you’re willing to forsake the darkness for the light and submit to my Li Huo Sect..."

"...I won’t just guarantee you’ll live, I can even introduce you to the Sect Leader."

?

Ding Sanlei’s eyes widened. ’Are those your lines to steal?’

He couldn’t believe Xiao Chen had been nearby this whole time, and he hadn’t sensed a thing.

"Pfft!"

Elder Liu couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing. "That’s right, I also advise you to surrender without a fight."

He also walked forward. Though the jade belt at his waist had lost its luster, it seemed he had already recovered a good deal of his Magical Power.

Ding Sanlei’s face immediately turned the color of a cooked liver.

Not only was he being mocked by Xiao Chen, but now Elder Liu, the man he’d just defeated, was throwing his own words back at him. He felt a surge of hot blood rush to the top of his skull.

As a Demon Cultivator, he knew full well that if he were caught, death would be the only outcome.

’These two are clearly just humiliating me.’

"You’re asking to die!"

Ding Sanlei pulled a small black flag from his robes and flung it into the air.

"This Array was supposed to be for the reinforcements arriving later."

"But since you two bastards insist on courting death, I’ll send you to hell together first."

As the small flag billowed in the wind, the Array he had laid out in advance at the mouth of the cave instantly activated.

Having arrived in the Ten Thousand Demons Mountain Range so many days early, he naturally had other preparations ready.

Countless Array Flags materialized, and a Grand Array was about to roar into existence.

Elder Liu, however, snorted disdainfully. "Hmph. This trick again."

He then calmly retrieved a Tier Two Array-Breaking Talisman from his Storage Bag.

"The righteous and demonic factions have clashed countless times, yet you’ve shown zero improvement. Still using the same old Eight Demons Blood Refining Array."

"This Array-Breaking Talisman was prepared just for you."

As he channeled his Magical Power into it, the Talisman in his hand instantly flew out and attached itself to one of the Array Flags.

The Array Flag abruptly combusted in mid-air, turning to ash.

"Hahaha!"

Ding Sanlei, however, roared with laughter at the sight. With a flick of his Magic Formulas, the small black flag grew several times larger, replacing the destroyed Array Flag.

"I bet you didn’t expect that. My Array is a special, modified version, designed precisely to counter your Array-Breaking Talismans."

"Eight Demons Blood Refining!"

With that, he activated the Array. A massive amount of Demonic Qi instantly erupted and surged toward the two men within.

"Not good!"

Elder Liu hastily activated his Heaven-Reaching Profound Fire Pillar, laying down a barrier of Profound Light to block the Demonic Qi.

At the same time, he grew nervous once again.

He hadn’t panicked during the relentless assault earlier, confident that he could successfully hold out.

But he had never expected his opponent to not only have set up an Array in advance but to be using a modified version.

Now, trapped within the Array, they were truly facing a matter of Life and Death.

Watching the two men being besieged by Demonic Qi, Ding Sanlei finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Still want to hide in your shells like turtles? I refuse to give you that chance."

He took a vial of Essence Blood from his robes and sprinkled it into the Array.

The Demonic Qi within the Array instantly became more violent, as if it had been agitated.

Elder Liu’s heart sank. ’I’m afraid this is where I fall today.’

As he struggled to maintain his defense, he said, "Xiao Chen, it seems there’s no getting out of this peacefully today."

"Since it was my carelessness that led us into this trap, I should be the one to bear the burden."

"I once learned a Demon Technique that allows me to detonate my Dantian. In a moment, I will break open the Grand Array from the eastern side."

"Get ready, and use that chance to break through."

But Xiao Chen shook his head. "It hasn’t come to that. I have a way."

He had been observing the Eight Demons Blood Refining Array the whole time and discovered that the Demonic Qi was consistently weaker in one direction.

That was precisely where the small black flag had replaced the original Array Flag.

The Array-Breaking Talisman may not have broken the Array, but it had left a vulnerability.

He took out the Fire-Storage Treasure Gourd, timed his attack with the shifting pattern of the Array Flags, and directly activated the Li Huo Thunder. "Li Huo Demon Vibration!"

"BOOM!"

A deafening explosion erupted.

Demonic Qi scattered within the Array as the small, temporary flag was simultaneously struck by thirty-six Li Huo Thunders, immediately beginning to teeter.

A look of joy crossed Elder Liu’s face, but Ding Sanlei was sent into a panic. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

But as the three of them watched, Demonic Qi bled from the small flag, but it did not completely disintegrate.

The Li Huo Thunder had, after all, exploded from within the Array. Much of its might was blocked by the Array Power itself. It was just a little short of what was needed to break through from the inside.

The hope that had just sparked in Elder Liu’s heart was instantly extinguished, replaced by regret.

"Sigh. In the end, it was just a little bit short."

"Whew. In the end, it was just a little bit short."

Ding Sanlei, however, breathed a sigh of relief, his mind at ease once more. "I never thought you’d find the weak point so quickly."

"But what does it matter? Can you really pull off an attack like that a second time?"

"It’s nothing but a desperate last stand. You’re both destined to die here today."

As he spoke, he manipulated the Array, gathering the Demonic Qi once more to end the battle quickly.

"How do you know I don’t have another one?"

Xiao Chen pointed at the Treasure Gourd. "Li Huo Demon Vibration!"

This time, the Eight Demons Blood Refining Array could no longer hold and shattered on the spot.

Violent firelight erupted in all directions, and the shockwave that blasted out from the front sent Ding Sanlei flying once again.

"How can this be? How can this be?"

He lay sprawled on the ground, muttering to himself, "I was so close. I just needed a little more time and I would have succeeded. I hate this!"

His eyes were shot with blood as he stared at Xiao Chen with a deathly, hateful gaze. "It was all you. You’re the one who ruined our plan."

"In that case, you can just die here with me."

"No one is getting out of here alive!"

As his words faded, the entire cave behind him seemed to shudder.

Inside, the Demon Cultivators busy setting up the Talisman Array, as well as the large number of captured Loose Cultivators, all suddenly erupted in a crimson, bloody light.

The countless streams of bloody light converged, unexpectedly punching a temporary, fist-sized hole through the Blood Plague Secret Realm.

An exceptionally violent surge of Demonic Qi gushed out from within.

A powerful, oppressive aura spread out without restraint, as if a great, slumbering Demon inside had awakened.