novelraw Chapter 693 - 445: Descension, Demon Empress (Part 2)
Chapter 693 - 445: Descension, Demon Empress (Part 2)
Before Wang Zhifan could comprehend the identities of those present, he heard a series of strange rumbles from above Shuyue City, and then the clear moon of the night seemed to be obscured by something, disappearing without a trace.
Following the direction of the unknown commotion, he relied on his extraordinary senses and perception to discover an endless darkness enveloping the city below.
It was a darkness deeper than the blackest night, akin to the most unbearable memories buried in the depths of one’s heart. Though you resist it, you cannot stop it from approaching.
"An entity conceals the essence of the darkness, making it unclear what lies within, but the Demon Sealing List indicates clearly that they are the main force from the Demon Realm."
At this moment, Wang Zhifan used two methods of observation to judge that the long-awaited enemy had finally arrived, and they appeared vast and high in stature, formidable foes indeed.
"Did Long Dao also come?"
Suddenly, Wang Zhifan sensed a very familiar aura from this world.
Turning, he discovered the elites of the Mieyue Race appearing at the corner of the top floor of Shuyue Pavilion, and his gaze met that of the approaching Moon-Annihilating Dragon Saber.
He then saw Moon-Annihilating Dragon Saber say a few words to the patriarch Aotian beside him, then stride quickly toward him, and Wang Zhifan hastened to meet her.
"Fan! The Demon Lord is here! There really is a sixth Demon Lord in the Demon Realm!"
Usually calm, Moon-Annihilating Dragon Saber seemed somewhat unsettled. As soon as she arrived by Wang Zhifan’s side, she shared this critical intelligence with a hint of fear.
"Are you saying that dark spot represents the Demon Lord?"
Wang Zhifan listened and picked up the Demon Sealing List to check, feeling as though that were the case.
The Demon Sealing List distinguishes enemy strength by color intensity and block size; if a small deep red point represents a Demon Venerable level, then a large black spot represents a Demon Lord, which makes sense.
"Xi’Er, don’t worry! The enemy may have a Demon Lord, but we have our Master! We’re not far inferior to them!"
Realizing he was probably too calm, Wang Zhifan comforted the Dragon Girl beside him, using the core figure of the human side, Master, as a shield.
In fact, if even the Master couldn’t resist the might of a Demon Lord, there’d be no point in fighting this battle anyway—they might as well surrender, for the Saint level is not something a handful of super Innate beings can handle.
Sure enough, as soon as Wang Zhifan finished speaking, the Master standing at the center of Shuyue Pavilion’s rooftop began to engage with the endless darkness in the sky above.
First, a colossal, black hand spanning thousands of miles appeared above the nine heavens. It descended with an indescribable destructive pressure towards the relatively insignificant Shuyue City below, seemingly about to crush the City’s defense array like a bubble, when Master instantly appeared atop the array’s shield.
Standing out of nowhere, with grey-white hair fluttering, his scholarly robe swirling, he raised his right hand with all his might to resist the immense demonic hand’s pressure, causing indescribable sounds of friction and collision throughout heaven and earth, resembling a mild earthquake over a wide area.
This round of confrontation was so shocking that one could hardly comprehend it without witnessing it firsthand. Despite being of average human stature, the Master could lift his hand to support a Heaven-Suppressing Demon Hand thousands of times larger, defying description.
After the first attack of the demon hand failed, it switched to other attack methods.
Instead of pressing down with its palm, it extended a single finger to deal with the Master and the surrounding area, trying to crush the Master with a finger larger than Mount Tai.
But naturally, it was in vain. The Master extended one of his fingers, correspondingly minuscule, but he managed to push back the demonic finger directly.
Then, the demon hand somehow summoned infinite sand and stones, perhaps intending to bury Shuyue City underground with the amount contained within a vast desert.
Yet the Master merely swept his sleeve lightly, unleashing endless whorls that caused all the falling sand to obediently fly into his sleeve along countless trajectories.
Even stones larger than the Master posed no problem; within a breath’s time, he had stored everything, not allowing a single grain to reach the protective shield below.
So it was, the two mighty powers clashed repeatedly without breaking the deadlock, these awe-inspiring scenes perhaps merely minor skirmishes for them.
Finally, after some time, the Heaven-blanketing demonic hand vanished, and from the boundless darkness in the sky came a sinister female voice with a bewitching quality:
"Zhang Taiqing, after a thousand years, you’ve grown stronger."
The Master, standing in mid-air above Shuyue City’s array, listened expressionlessly, chuckling lightly in reply:
"Demon Empress, I guessed it was you... You did deceive us back then, not only surviving but further enhancing your strength."
"Hehehe... To deceive you, Zhang Taiqing, truly brings me joy..."
A strange laughter emanated from the infinite darkness high above, enough to make an ordinary cultivator’s head explode, yet the Master silently blocked all its offensives, not wavering an inch.
This grey-white-haired, middle-aged man then addressed the formidable enemy, their tone seemingly nostalgic yet ambiguously respectful:
"Demon Empress, could I ask a favor? If you retreat from the Calamity Realm with your Demon sons and grandsons now, I would personally visit the Demon Realm tomorrow with a great gift to dissolve all past grievances! My word is my bond, as you know best..."
To his dismay, his persuasion was met with a thunderous roar from the blackened sky:
"Hmph!!! You treacherous man! Trying to deceive me again! It was your honeyed words back then that nearly destroyed my soul! No matter your eloquence today, do not expect my army to retreat an inch!"
It was clear that the so-called Demon Empress harbored great resentment towards the Master due to past events and had resolved to fight him.
Yet the Master seemed unsurprised by this result. He sighed lightly, responding:
"Ah... Fight, then. Perhaps you’ve long been beyond your own control... It’s just a pity for this Calamity Realm, once again to suffer catastrophe..."
With that, he turned to address the numerous human super Innate cultivators gathered on the top floor of Shuyue City’s array, instructing:
"Ladies and gentlemen! Leave the Demon Empress to me! The other Demon Venerables are yours to handle! Humanity will prevail!"
Finishing, his figure transformed into a dazzling white light, surged upward into the endless darkness of the sky, raising the brightness of the Calamity Realm’s night sky while breaking the dark shroud imposed by the Demon Empress, revealing layer upon layer of the expansive Demon Realm army.
There appeared countless towering and terrifying entities, over a thousand times more than a giant mountain, and countless more elite and fierce Demon Generals, numbering in the millions, with innumerable cannon-fodder demon men stretching beyond sight.
"Humanity will prevail!"
"Humanity will prevail!"
"Humanity will prevail!"
...
Atop Shuyue Pavilion, numerous super Innate cultivators were inspired by the Master’s brave charge into the enemy’s heart against the strongest enemy, the Demon Empress, causing many to take flight from the City Defense Array, ready to attack.
However, Wang Zhifan showed signs of hesitation because he realized the enemy’s numbers were overwhelming and their quality visibly high. Engaging head-on despite the odds seemed likely to yield poor results.