[The Nine Provinces Cauldron rocked and lurched away.]

[The Red Dragon-Man flapped his wings, that massive body instantly teleporting to a position above the Nine Provinces Cauldron!]

[You knew it wasn't true teleportation, it was just that his instantaneous burst speed was too fast!]

[Seeing the Red Dragon-Man preparing to strike again, you gripped your sword in one hand and the Ten Thousand Souls Banner in the other, ready to leap out and fight him.]

"Da Chun! Open the exit! Let me out!"

"Yi Brother! You can't go out, that monster is too powerful!"

"He'll kill you!"

"Everyone stay seated, I will get you out safely!"

Another thunderous explosion resounded.

The ground inside the small world within the cauldron split inch by inch under the force that had pierced through.

After all, an Immortal Artifact is still just an object. Right now it had neither the artifact spirit of its prime nor a controller whose combat strength matched the enemy's.

If it only relied on Da Chun to hold it, it definitely wouldn't last.

You knew Da Chun was stubborn; yelling wouldn't work. You had to reason with him.

"Da Chun! This isn't just your fight. We came into the Demon World together, we'll leave together!"

The Ten Thousand Souls Banner smacked Da Chun on the head.

"Damn you! You want to die here? If you die, who'll pay me back for the peaches I beat you at cards for? Dream on! Open the exit for me!"

Still, the Ten Thousand Souls Banner talking got through.

"Yi Brother, you must be careful."

You and the Ten Thousand Souls Banner leapt out and charged.

With your last glimpse, you saw Da Chun yank a peach and jam it into the smoking Qiankun Mirror, trying to wake the artifact spirit.

"Finally came out, you coward! Eat my axe!!"

The Red Dragon-Man swung his axe across the void, a terrifying force tearing through the air.

Before the attack arrived, you standing on the Nine Provinces Cauldron were blown upward by a gale.

"Hundred Demons Night Parade!!"

You held the Ten Thousand Souls Banner in your left hand and unleashed the killing move. A massive tide of demon souls wrapped in surging demonic qi burst forth, meeting the enemy's assault head-on!

With your right hand you wielded the Soul-Chasing Sword, using the defensive move from the Vertical-Horizontal Sword Technique to nullify the enemy's strike.

"Pop!!"

Even though the golden-tier trait The Most Severe Father to Non-Humans had already reduced the damage you received by a factor of a hundred, you were still bloodstained across the sky, crashing heavily into the ruins of the ancient city.

The Red Dragon-Man did not pursue further. Instead he stared at you in puzzlement.

"Strange, you're only at Fifth Realm, yet you survived my blow?"

The Fifth Realm in the Dragon-Man tongue corresponds to the human Spirit Sea realm.

You slowly rose to your feet.

"Damn it, the Martial Saint Realm is powerful. Fine, I'll let you see the Shen Family's might!"

Your Storage Ring gave a blink, producing an explosive device in your hand.

This was a star explosive the Shen Family used to blow up a star.

Although the stars of the Starry Domains are not comparable to planets like Earth or Mars in scale, they can be considered small planetesimals.

That the Shen Family could use such a special explosive to shatter a star spoke volumes about its power.

You entered sword-state, using sword qi to control the explosive and pushed it toward the Red Dragon-Man.

The Red Dragon-Man sneered.

"I just haven't fought in a long time and was rusty, so you luckily survived. You think that piece of trash can match me? Don't be delusional!"

He did not dodge. When the star explosive detonated a few meters before him, he suddenly opened his maw!

The length his jaws opened took up about half his body, an exaggerated deformation straight out of a comic.

The fiery light from the star explosive had not fully expanded before he swallowed it whole!

"Hum!"

With a muffled sound, you saw the Red Dragon-Man's belly swell, only to be quickly pressed back down by his terrifying abdominal muscles.

He opened his mouth and spewed a jet of black smoke.

"I am a Fire-Element Dragon-Man. Attacking me with explosives is no different from feeding me rations! Die!"

The Red Dragon-Man raised his giant axe above his head and beat his wings for flight.

The molten red glow on the axe lit up half the sky!

This strike left you nowhere to hide; you felt he could split the very ground beneath your feet!

"Is it going to end here..."

You prepared to pull out your final trump card, the Shen Family Founding Ancestor!

Suddenly!

The Ten Thousand Souls Banner cried out.

"What the hell! Bro, how did you get out by yourself?!"

You turned and saw Hu Tiangong standing beside you.

"What are you doing—"

"Heh heh, human friend, I told you, I voluntarily let you capture me."

Only then did you realize the Ten Thousand Souls Banner could not truly bind Hu Tiangong.

Hu Tiangong's soul was gradually rising. His voice carried a piercing quality, a sort of soul wave that could reach other soul forms at a great distance.

"Fellow kin! Lend me your power once more! Let us fight again for our mother realm!"

You saw demon souls from all directions frantically converging.

The demon souls sealed on the surface of the Ten Thousand Souls Banner also tried to break out.

"Old Wan, release all the demon souls!"

The Ten Thousand Souls Banner complied.

"General Hu! Lead us into battle once more!!"

"What use is keeping this remnant soul? Let us burn again!"

"General Hu! Take my soul power!"

Hu Tiangong was gathering soul power from countless demon souls pouring in from every direction!

You saw his soul form constantly condensing, its transparency decreasing, his body even swelling in size!

A heart-stopping power was brewing within Hu Tiangong.

The Red Dragon-Man's vertical pupils suddenly constricted!

"You are the Son of the Demon Emperor! You gather the strength of ten thousand demons! Do not let this succeed!"

Hearing the Red Dragon-Man's words, surprise flashed across your face.

This Hu Tiangong was not, as he had claimed, merely an unremarkable commander by the Demon Emperor's side.

He was actually the Son of the Demon Emperor!

The Red Dragon-Man was about to rush forward to interrupt Hu Tiangong's power gathering.

Suddenly, a seven-colored rainbow light descended from the heavens, binding him within.

"Old thing! You still had a trick up your sleeve!!"

The one who acted was the spirit of the last Guardian of the Demon World, imprisoned by eighteen chains of darkness in the Demon Tribe's ancient city!

"Young Master! Strike now! Avenge the Demon World!!"

Hu Tiangong's voice rang through heaven and earth.

"Thirty thousand years ago, my people protected me home, yet I failed to protect them, I failed to defend our homeland!

At least today, I will avenge a bit of the blood debt owed by the Demon World!!

Dragon-Man tribe, die!!!"

Countless demon souls spontaneously surged into Hu Tiangong's body, turning to gray ash and becoming a part of his power.

Hu Tiangong became like the sun, thousands of rays converging on him from all directions, making him ever brighter!

"Hate—end—less—"