Chapter Eighteen: The Great Battle of Mount Mang

Luo Longyu’s face was skeletal, his corpse’s howls echoing ceaselessly from the depths of the cave, sending chills down the spine. Even as the Vulture Elder fought back with all his might, slashing at Luo Longyu with his demon-marked blade, Luo Longyu remained unfazed, focused solely on pummeling the Vulture Elder’s chest with his claws.

The Vulture Elder’s ribs were shattered, his chest caving in, blood streaming from every orifice, and froth bubbling from his lips. The frenzied path of the corpse was many times more terrifying than any zombie.

“Get away from me! I am the third ancestor of the Reverse-Feather Tribe! I’ll not allow a fiendish corpse to run rampant!” The Vulture Elder’s eyes burned red, his beak emitting a piercing screech. His iron-like talons glimmered with a dazzling demon sigil, which he slammed fiercely into Luo Longyu’s brow.

Luo Longyu felt a storm surge into his mind, and a tremendous force flung him through the air, smashing him hard into the stone wall.

“Cough... cough, cough...” The Vulture Elder staggered to his feet, spitting blood, his face grim with killing intent. “A pack of despicable wretches, scheming against me so. Even if I die today, I’ll make sure you pay dearly!” Ignoring his internal injuries, he struck several key acupoints on his body, then drove a finger straight into his own brow, gouging out a bloody hole from which a black radiance shot skyward.

His body convulsed, eyes rolling back, lifted by a mysterious power into the air. His wings wrapped around him, forming a black cocoon that radiated overwhelming force, making it impossible to look directly upon him.

At that moment, Ju Feng darted into the cave, freezing at the sight and paling in horror. “The old fool’s gone mad! He’s sacrificing himself to the Heavenly Demon, transforming into its form. He’s really gone suicidal!” Without another glance, he turned and fled the cave.

Elsewhere, Luo Longyu’s hand emerged from the stone wall, gripping it tightly as he struggled free.

Deep within Lion Camel Mountain, three black-robed elders meditating suddenly opened their eyes in unison, demon sigils gathering in their gaze. One spoke: “This is the Heavenly Demon Ritual. That rebellious third brother has finally emerged.”

“The Heavenly Demon Incarnation—there are few in this age who can withstand it. It’s time to clean house. Let’s go!” The three elders turned into streaks of rainbow light and vanished from their cavern.

Mount Mang collapsed completely. The helicopter pilots watched in stunned silence as the whole mountainside crumbled. Massive boulders were hurled skyward, then rained down with the fury of a storm, forcing the helicopters to dodge wildly amid the chaos and spectacle.

A thunderous heartbeat reverberated from the ruins of Mount Mang, drowning out even the roar of the mountain’s collapse. With each beat, boulders turned to dust, forests vanished, and a ripple of energy swept outward, obliterating everything in its wake—a truly terrifying sight.

Helicopters closest to the mountain erupted in sparks and spiraled out of control, crashing down. Ju Feng, barely clear of the cave, was struck by the shockwave, coughing blood and plummeting, narrowly missing being buried by the falling rocks.

Within Long Shaoxian, the dragon’s essence shielded him in a crimson glow. The ghostly woman was less fortunate; her paper parasol shredded, her soul nearly extinguished, teetering on the brink of annihilation.

As the one most exposed, Luo Longyu was flung hundreds of meters by the heartbeats, his corpse grotesquely twisted, nearly torn apart by the reverse surge of corpse energy. The recoil nearly shredded his body, forcing a roar from his throat that shook the land.

“Who dares disturb my heavenly might?” A pillar of dark violet light shot into the sky, piercing the stars, like the very pillar of heaven. The clouds churned, thunder rolled—a scene of impending apocalypse.

Even towns a hundred miles away saw the black clouds and thunder over Mount Mang, the violet pillar connecting earth and sky. Countless residents marveled and speculated at the celestial phenomenon, gathering to witness it from afar.

Within the pillar, a towering figure slowly ascended, standing amidst the thunder. Twin wings unfurled behind him, his form wreathed in dark violet, golden sigils spreading across his body. His eyes blazed gold, exuding a godlike, demonic majesty that commanded the heavens and earth to submit.

“W-What sort of monster is that?” The soldiers arriving on the scene were stunned speechless by the terror before them.

The corpse energy within Luo Longyu surged through his vital meridians, using brute force to repair his body in a cruel, inhuman fashion. The agony was unimaginable, for though a zombie, he still felt the pain of bones resetting and sinews knitting.

With a deafening crash, Luo Longyu smashed aside the boulders pinning him, leaping to the ground. He looked up at the Heavenly Demon floating high above and roared, stripped of all reason.

“Reckless fool!” The Heavenly Demon looked down, voice cold. He stretched out a hand, dragging Luo Longyu into the air, gripping his throat. With the other hand, demon sigils flared, visions swirling behind him—he seemed the very master of this world.

“He’s going to destroy the Corpse Path! Open fire!” The ground forces, seeing disaster imminent, unleashed all their firepower. Anti-aircraft shells arced skyward like tongues of fire, rocket launchers blazing across the sky.

But the Heavenly Demon’s gaze summoned a powerful force field, deflecting all the shells. With a sweep of his hand, black lightning scoured the earth, overturning vehicles and decimating the ranks—his destructive power utterly overwhelming.

The members of Xuan Yi Pavilion arrived, witnessing Luo Longyu’s peril. All were shocked, charging in regardless of the danger. If Luo Longyu fell, Earth’s last hope against the Void Clan would be lost.

Ju Feng was missing; Elder Ge was in confinement; the rest were no match for the Heavenly Demon. Only Zhan Wushuang and Kong Yuxuan had the power to contend, for this was not the Heavenly Demon’s true body, but a remnant soul condensed from the world’s energies.

“Martial Vein, awaken!” Zhan Wushuang shed his usual nonchalance and fought at full strength, the mark on his brow glowing as he unleashed his formidable aura.

“I’ll go first!” With a shout, Zhan Wushuang leapt skyward like a cannon shot, the ground cracking under the force.

Kong Yuxuan, seeing Zhan Wushuang charge the Heavenly Demon, acted without delay. His hands formed demon seals, and behind him bloomed a peacock’s radiant light, a vast specter manifesting. The peacock’s cry echoed through the heavens as a chain, as broad as a mountain range, descended from the Milky Way, sweeping toward the Heavenly Demon.

Zhan Wushuang smashed through the force field with a single punch. “Fire!” he shouted.

At his command, the surviving ground forces unleashed another barrage. This time, with the field destroyed, every shell hurtled toward the Heavenly Demon.

Zhan Wushuang struck out again, his fist blazing as though to ignite the world, exuding dominance.

The Heavenly Demon snorted coldly and caught Zhan Wushuang’s punch, but the rain of shells forced him back in a barrage of explosions.

Seizing the chance, Zhan Wushuang seized the demon’s right arm, slashing it with a palm strike. The Heavenly Demon winced, his grip on Luo Longyu loosening.

Luo Longyu roared, headbutting Zhan Wushuang away, then lunged for the Heavenly Demon, biting into his neck and driving his hands deep into the demon’s chest, nearly tearing him apart. The two figures wrestled, bound together by Kong Yuxuan’s chain.

Kong Yuxuan held the demon seal but dared not strike, for Luo Longyu was entangled with the demon—any attack would wound them both.

“Cough... what a bunch of idiots!” Zhan Wushuang crashed to the ground, clutching his aching back where Luo Longyu had slammed him. If not for his martial body, his spine would have been shattered.

Above, the Heavenly Demon howled, struggling to break free from Luo Longyu, but Kong Yuxuan’s chain held them fast.

“If even a remnant soul is this hard to handle, what if the true body descends? How would we stand a chance?” Zhan Wushuang frowned, clutching his waist.

Kong Yuxuan pulled the chain with all his might. “Not just the true body—if even an avatar descends, it could wipe out Earth’s civilization! Help me! Luo Longyu’s strength is too much; the demon chain’s about to snap!” he shouted.

“Understood! Reverse Demon Great Hand Seal!” Zhan Wushuang nodded and shot skyward, his right hand slashing down. A golden imprint descended from the sky, enveloping both the Heavenly Demon and Luo Longyu. The very void collapsed, the stars recoiling, as the imprint crashed down, driving both into the ground and leaving a vast crater.

Heaven and earth trembled. The imprint, like a divine mountain, thundered as it fell, casting its shadow over the land like Five Fingers Mountain.

The Heavenly Demon was left riddled with cracks, half his head shattered. Luo Longyu fared little better, his back twisted, a bloody gash running from the base of his skull down his spine.

Seeing Kong Yuxuan’s shock, Zhan Wushuang’s eyes were resolute. “There’s no other way. Luo Longyu’s of the Corpse Path—his body’s tough, he won’t die. Do it!”

Gritting his teeth, Kong Yuxuan stifled his doubts and changed his seal, intoning, “Eastern Emperor’s Demon Binding!”

As his seal struck the demon chain, it flared into a seven-colored radiance like a rainbow. Yet within that dazzling light was a killing intent so dense it shredded space itself. The earth split, mountains crumbling into valleys—the destruction was immense.

“I’ll help, too!” Ju Feng’s voice rang out.

Turning, Kong Yuxuan and Zhan Wushuang saw Ju Feng, bloodied and pale, but still summoning two demon blades. The blades grew to a hundred miles long in an instant, radiating a terrifying aura. With exquisite control, Ju Feng guided them past Luo Longyu, slashing at the Heavenly Demon’s neck.

“Where did you go? How’d you end up like this?” Kong Yuxuan asked, concern flickering through his rivalry.

Ju Feng swallowed the blood rising in his throat. “It’s a long story. Let’s handle the Heavenly Demon first. He was the third ancestor of our Reverse-Feather Tribe. Long ago, he practiced forbidden arts and harmed his kin, and our clan sentenced him to death, but he escaped. We’ve been hunting him ever since. Luo Longyu and Long Shaoxian both fell into his hands!”

At that critical moment, a deep voice boomed from the sky. Three beams of light coalesced into three elders standing atop the clouds, who with a wave of their hands dispersed the thunder and storm. Looking down at the battered Heavenly Demon pinned beneath the demon blades, one of them called out,

“Third Brother, will you not cease this madness?”