Secondary Demonization, Undying Demon Body! Lu Changsheng's Mind Sword Slays the Demon Martial Artist!

Enveloped in four layers of Divine Gang, Lu Changsheng felt immense reassurance. Setting everything else about Divine Gang aside, its defensive power was truly terrifying. Even if one or two layers of Divine Gang shattered under the demon martial artist's sonic attack, what of it? He still had two more layers! Moreover, as long as he survived, he could reconceive and restore the shattered Divine Gang once more. This was precisely what made Divine Gang Realm martial artists so troublesome to deal with. One either struck with lethal finality, shattering the Divine Gang and slaying the opponent in the same breath, or engaged in a war of attrition to slowly grind their Divine Gang to dust. Neither was easy. "Suppress!" Lu Changsheng uttered in a low shout. At the same moment, the surroundings seemed to plunge into darkness, turning into a vast expanse of starry sky. Within that boundless starry expanse, the faint silhouette of a three-thousand-foot waterfall pierced straight through the void. Lu Changsheng deployed two domains at once, blanketing the demon martial artist in an instant. Formidable though the demon martial artist's physical body was, the mental realm remained an inherent weakness for demon martial artists. Under the suppression of two layers of domains, the demon martial artist immediately felt his mind violently convulse. "Roar..." Just then, the demon martial artist unleashed another sonic blast. This sonic attack was exceptionally bizarre, seeming to carry vibrations that directly targeted the psyche. It possessed tremendous destructive force against mental-level techniques. Consequently, beneath the terrifying sonic waves, both of Lu Changsheng's domains trembled violently before shattering. "Oh?" Lu Changsheng raised an eyebrow. This demon martial artist was indeed extraordinary. A demonic innate ability capable of rivaling domains? Such an innate talent might not enhance the demon martial artist's own mind, but it could disrupt all manner of mental-level techniques, such as martial conceptions and domains. Moments ago, a single roar from this demon had assailed the twenty-four Divine Gang Realm martial artists, throwing their minds into turmoil and knocking them all to the ground. Lu Changsheng now roughly understood why the corpses across Luochang County had been mostly intact, appearing virtually uninjured. It had likely been this very shockwave. With such a sonic shockwave wreaking havoc over a vast area, wiping out an entire county was naturally child's play. "If two domains aren't enough, then four!" Lu Changsheng said calmly. Rumble! Amidst the pitch-black starry sky, towering waves faintly surged forward in relentless crests. Fierce winds howled through the air, whipping into a dreadful storm. Two more domains. A total of four domains bore down heavily upon the demon martial artist. Even as the demon martial artist continued to unleash his sonic attack, he could no longer shatter Lu Changsheng's four domains in one go. At the same time, however, whenever the force of Lu Changsheng's domains drew close to the demon martial artist, it was instantly dispelled by the sonic shockwaves. The two sides fell into a stalemate. Clang! Lu Changsheng drew his saber. A streak of blood-red saber light cut across the void. With four layers of Divine Gang stacked, a ninety-fold physical boost, and the empowerment of four domains, this strike from Lu Changsheng far surpassed a hundred thousand tripods of force. What did a hundred thousand tripods of force mean? One tripod equaled a thousand jun of force; ten tripods equaled ten thousand jun; a hundred thousand tripods... Such strength was unfathomable. At the Divine Gang Realm, Lu Changsheng could scarcely imagine anyone capable of withstanding this strike. Even the demon martial artist sensed danger in the strike's overwhelming momentum. "Roar..." The demon martial artist bellowed once more. At the same time, a burst of crackling and popping echoed from within his body. His frame, originally over ten feet tall, swelled further until it exceeded four meters. Standing over four meters tall, the demon martial artist radiated a terrifying baleful aura from head to toe. "Secondary demonization!" Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly. A secondary demonization signified a tier-2 demon martial artist—undergoing demonization a second time upon the foundation of the first. All physical attributes surged severalfold or even tenfold once more! Furthermore, a second innate talent would awaken. No matter how strong the physical body became, Lu Changsheng paid it no mind; it certainly could not withstand a hundred thousand tripods of force. However, a second innate talent was an entirely different matter. The innate abilities of demon martial artists were bizarre and varied, many of them defying common sense, and could very well pose a threat to him. Lu Changsheng's saber light finally descended. A hundred thousand tripods of force did not disappoint. With a single stroke, the demon martial artist's four-meter-tall body was cleaved in two from head to toe. Such a grievous wound could not be regenerated regardless of how robust one's vitality or restorative powers were. It should have been certain death. Yet an eerie scene unfolded. Though cleaved in half, the demon martial artist did not die. Instead, the two halves rapidly merged back together. Even the wound vanished at a speed visible to the naked eye. The demon martial artist was completely unharmed! From his aura, Lu Changsheng could sense that he truly was uninjured, not merely bluffing. "Human martial artist, after my secondary demonization, I obtained an innate talent—the Undying Demon Body!" the demon martial artist spoke. "No matter how you kill me, I cannot die!" "Undying Demon Body?" Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly. Swish! Lu Changsheng slashed out once more. Under the suppression of four domains, the demon martial artist was a sitting duck. Unable to dodge, he could only watch helplessly as the saber light landed upon him. The demon martial artist's head rolled onto the ground. Yet he still did not die. The severed head even flew back onto his neck. "I don't believe a mere tier-2 demon martial artist can possess a body of immortality!" Lu Changsheng did not believe it for a second. A true body of immortality might exist, but it was certainly not something a tier-2 demon martial artist could grasp. Swish, swish, swish! Lu Changsheng drew and slashed again. Not just once—several flashes of saber light fell in rapid succession, instantly hacking the demon martial artist's body into fragmented chunks of minced flesh. Yet the meat scattered across the ground rapidly coalesced again, restoring the four-meter-tall demon martial artist. "I told you, I possess the Undying Demon Body. You cannot kill me," the demon martial artist said again. Lu Changsheng had to admit that this demon martial artist was indeed difficult to handle. However, while hacking the body to pieces just now, he had been closely observing with his Perception Domain. And he had indeed picked up on something. "Your so-called Undying Demon Body merely comes at the cost of consuming essence blood," Lu Changsheng said. "It's just that you slaughtered Luochang County earlier and obtained an inexhaustible supply of it, which is why you can regenerate time and again." Lu Changsheng's words caused the demon martial artist's expression to shift slightly. Because Lu Changsheng was stating the truth. This was the secret of the Undying Demon Body! "Hmph, so what if you know? Do you want to compete with me in endurance and see if you can exhaust my essence blood?" the demon martial artist sneered coldly. He had no fear at all. While his essence blood would indeed be depleted, did Lu Changsheng's domains and the explosive power behind each slash cost nothing? They expended considerable energy as well. When it came to a battle of attrition, a demon martial artist feared no one. Lu Changsheng remained silent. The demon martial artist was right. In a pure contest of endurance, he might not outlast his opponent. "Your sonic shockwaves cannot break my domains," Lu Changsheng said, his gaze growing colder. "Beneath the suppression of my domains, your mind is actually being rattled continuously. "The mind is the inherent weakness of demon martial artists after all. Even if you awakened a sonic blast talent, that mental weakness remains unchanged." There were many ways to kill someone. The same held true for slaying a demon martial artist. The weakness of a demon martial artist lay in the mind! And when it came to attacking the mind, Lu Changsheng had more than just domains. The next instant, Lu Changsheng focused his will. "Sever!" His Mind Sword struck in a flash. This time, the Mind Sword had fused with the Nine-Word Mantra Secret Method, imbuing it with the power to shatter and convulse the psyche. Rumble! The formless, invisible Mind Sword cleaved directly into the demon martial artist's consciousness. "Ahhh..." The demon martial artist let out a bloodcurdling shriek. Pain! It was excruciatingly painful! The sensation of having his psyche violently shaken and torn apart was agonizing beyond measure. "It works." Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up. He unleashed the Mind Sword once more. The demon martial artist sharply sensed the incoming attack. Though he did not know what the Mind Sword was, he recognized it as a mental attack technique. He tried to unleash his sonic blast to counter it. However, Lu Changsheng's four domains had not vanished. Under layers of heavy domain pressure, the sonic blast could only struggle against the domains and was entirely unable to block the Mind Sword's assault. Thus, strike followed strike. "Ahhh!" "It hurts! It hurts so much!" The demon martial artist shrieked again and again. Watching him scream in wild frenzy, the shrieks were so chilling that anyone listening could not help but shudder. The twenty-four Divine Gang Realm martial artists listened to the agonizing screams and exchanged bewildered glances. They could not quite understand. Had this demon martial artist not just been arrogant and invincible? Relying on his immortal body, Lu Changsheng had seemed unable to do anything to him. How had the demon fallen to shrieking so miserably in the blink of an eye? Even from a distance, the sheer agony conveyed in those cries sent a tremor of dread through their hearts. Meanwhile, Lu Changsheng remained expressionless, unleashing the Mind Sword again and again. Progress on the Mind Sword had always been exceedingly slow, not yet reaching even thirty percent. Lu Changsheng had possessed no good solution. After all, the Mind Sword could not be cultivated by learning from nature. Even if he took a Dao Comprehension Pill to enter sudden enlightenment, he would not have known how to advance it. Yet now, facing this demon martial artist, as his Mind Sword cleaved repeatedly into the demon's psyche, an epiphany struck him, illuminating his mind with sudden clarity. The Mind Sword must clash with the psyche to forge its supreme edge! What the Mind Sword severed was the mind itself! If it could not sever the mind, what use was empty contemplation? Lu Changsheng instantly understood the path to advancing the Mind Sword. "Sever, sever, sever!" Lu Changsheng unleashed the Mind Sword in rapid succession. Wave after wave of Mind Swords slashed into the demon martial artist's consciousness. The demon martial artist could no longer hold on. His mind had been his weak point to begin with, and now, suppressed by the domains with nowhere to run, he was a helpless target for the Mind Sword. As strike after strike landed in his psyche, the demon martial artist's mind was torn apart. With each tear, his mental presence diminished. A short while later, as the final Mind Sword struck his psyche, the demon martial artist ceased screaming. With a heavy thud, his four-meter-tall body collapsed stiffly to the ground. There was not a single wound on his body, yet all signs of life had vanished from him. Dead! The demon martial artist had died just like that. His mind had been pulverized and annihilated by the Mind Sword, naturally claiming his life. "Phew..." Lu Changsheng let out a light breath. He was exhausted as well. Unleashing the Mind Sword so many times in rapid succession to grind away the demon martial artist's mind had taken an immense toll on him. Nevertheless, the demon was finally dead. Without the Mind Sword, Lu Changsheng truly would have had little recourse against this opponent. A sonic shockwave and the Undying Demon Body—both innate talents were extraordinary, proving that the demon essence blood within this martial artist was likely exceptional. As was widely known, the stronger the demon essence blood, the more powerful the awakened innate talents would be. Unfortunately, these were demonic talents that could only be awakened through demon essence blood and could not be cultivated. Even if Lu Changsheng coveted these two abilities, he could do nothing about it. No matter how extraordinary his comprehension was, he could not cultivate demonic talents. "Dead!" "The demon martial artist is actually dead?" "He possessed an immortal body, yet died with his physical frame completely intact? That can only mean one thing—his mind was annihilated." "The mind... This honored envoy from the Northern Region Heavenly Sect must possess some terrifying mental secret method capable of annihilating an opponent's psyche." "Four layers of Divine Gang, four domains, capable of unleashing a hundred thousand tripods of force, and now even a mental secret method... Someone like this must be among the very finest disciples in the Northern Region Heavenly Sect's inner sect, right?" "Perhaps this envoy will one day become a true disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect and step into the Divine Treasury Realm." "Still, now that the demon is dead and his body remains intact, the demon essence blood inside him..." For a moment, the twenty-four Divine Gang Realm martial artists stared at the corpse on the ground with burning desire in their eyes. They had been of no help just now, yet now that the demon was dead, they could not help coveting the demon essence blood within him. After all, it could extend one's lifespan! Who did not wish to live longer? Clang! Lu Changsheng drew his saber. A blood-red saber light instantly severed the demon martial artist's head. Squelch. The head rolled away, completely motionless this time, unlike before when it had rapidly regenerated. Seeing this, Lu Changsheng finally felt at ease. Even the Undying Demon Body was gone; the demon martial artist was truly dead. Lu Changsheng was always exceptionally cautious. This had been a demon martial artist, after all—who knew what other bizarre tricks he might have possessed? Once certain the demon was dead, Lu Changsheng stepped forward, crouched down, and searched the corpse for a while. Unfortunately, he found nothing of value. Demon martial artists relied on demon essence blood; martial arts manuals and the like were useless to them. "Demon essence blood..." Lu Changsheng murmured under his breath. He had slain a demon martial artist once before, but back then he had known nothing of demon essence blood and had not extracted it. Now that he knew of its existence, he naturally would not let it go. Lu Changsheng glanced at the twenty-four Divine Gang Realm martial artists. Clearly, they yearned desperately for the essence blood. "Demon essence blood is usually located in the heart..." Lu Changsheng slashed with his saber, cleanly slicing open the demon's chest and carving out the heart. "Open." He sliced open the heart with another flick of his blade. Instantly, a drop of ink-black blood appeared before his eyes. Lu Changsheng knew immediately that this had to be demon essence blood! It exuded a tyrannical, violent aura. Even having never seen it before, Lu Changsheng could recognize it at a glance. Moreover, the closer one drew to the essence blood, the more that tyrannical aura sought to affect the martial artist's mind. Once consumed, a martial artist would take on demonic traits—a path of no return. Lu Changsheng produced a porcelain vial, sealed the ink-black drop of essence blood inside, and stored it against his chest. Just then, sensing something, Lu Changsheng suddenly spun around. The twenty-four Divine Gang Realm martial artists turned as well. Behind them, a figure was rushing toward the scene at extreme speed. The figure finally came to a halt, revealing an old man with a head of snow-white hair and beard. He appeared visibly decrepit, his qi and blood already beginning to decline—a fate that not even Divine Gang Realm martial artists could stave off forever. The old man looked at the demon martial artist's corpse on the ground, his gaze lingering particularly on the severed head. A flicker of disappointment crossed his face, and he murmured, "A step too late after all; the demon martial artist has already been slain." He clearly saw the demon's chest cut open and the sliced heart. The demon essence blood inside had undoubtedly already been claimed. His eyes swept over the twenty-four Divine Gang Realm martial artists before finally settling on Lu Changsheng, who was the only one standing beside the corpse. "Are you Lu Changsheng, an inner sect disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect?" the old man asked. "Indeed, I am Lu Changsheng. And who might you be?" The old man had not addressed him as "envoy," which clearly indicated his identity was far from ordinary. "This King is Prince Yong of the Great Moon Dynasty!" The old man's words sent a jolt through the hearts of the twenty-four Divine Gang Realm martial artists. "Prince Yong? The current emperor's uncle!" "I heard Prince Yong possesses peerless combat strength, standing at the very pinnacle of the Divine Gang Realm. He once led armies on southern and eastern campaigns, cementing the vast territory of the Great Moon Dynasty—a true living legend." "He even stepped in personally to suppress the martial world, forcing the martial arts sects and clans to submit to the imperial court for decades." "They say Prince Yong fought hundreds of battles without a single defeat! Countless martial clans and sects were crushed under his armies. Yet for some reason, he never entered the Northern Region Heavenly Sect back then." "Word has it that Prince Yong had lofty ambitions, wishing to attain the Divine Treasury Realm from within the martial world. Unfortunately, he practiced an art in his early years that severely depleted his lifespan. Though he is only in his fifties, he already resembles a man in his seventies or eighties. He likely doesn't have much time left." "He definitely came for the demon essence blood." Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly, having already guessed Prince Yong's purpose. "This King has a Dao Comprehension Pill here. How about trading it for the drop of demon essence blood in your hand?" Prince Yong said in a deep voice. "A Dao Comprehension Pill?" Lu Changsheng shook his head. As a seed disciple, he received double rewards. With twenty thousand contribution points, he could purchase two Dao Comprehension Pills. Trading with Prince Yong for a single pill would be utter foolishness. Seeing that Lu Changsheng was unmoved, Prince Yong gritted his teeth and said, "This old man knows you are a disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect and lack neither cultivation methods nor secret methods. But if you wish to increase your mind index, engaging in life-and-death combat or roaming the mortal realm are valid methods. "As long as you agree to hand the demon essence blood to this King, this King will arrange opponents for you—as many as you wish to slaughter. "And if you wish to experience the mortal realm, this King will arrange everything to your satisfaction. What do you say?" In truth, even without Prince Yong, Lu Changsheng could easily obtain all of this purely through his status as a seed disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect. There was no need whatsoever to trade the demon essence blood with Prince Yong. "I have no need of that," Lu Changsheng replied. Having said his piece, Lu Changsheng paid Prince Yong no further heed and prepared to depart. "Very well." "I had hoped to resolve this peacefully today, but it seems you do not know what is good for you. "This King must have that demon essence blood. If you will not give it, this King will simply kill you!" Prince Yong glared fixedly at Lu Changsheng. "Kill me?" "With just you? Or perhaps with the dozens of Divine Gang Realm experts you brought along?" Lu Changsheng asked calmly, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Oh? You knew?" Prince Yong was momentarily taken aback, having not expected Lu Changsheng to be aware. However, it did not matter. In the face of absolute strength, what difference did it make even if Lu Changsheng knew? Sure enough, dozens of Divine Gang Realm martial artists soon arrived at Luochang County and took up positions behind Prince Yong. Prince Yong glanced at the twenty-four Divine Gang Realm martial artists and sneered, "This King is near death, as you have likely guessed. "A dying man may do very reckless things. "If you aid this King in slaying Lu Changsheng and seizing the demon essence blood, this King will pardon you and spare your lives. "Otherwise, all of you must die!" Prince Yong was indeed somewhat crazed. He was dying, and a man like him could never accept simply perishing like this. Thus, he had set his sights on the demon essence blood. Originally, he had intended to slay the demon himself, only for Regional Inspector Zhang Wending of Qing Prefecture to seek aid from the Northern Region Heavenly Sect. This had infuriated Prince Yong. Yet he had had no choice but to lead his men here in haste. To obtain the demon essence blood and stay alive, Prince Yong was prepared to slaughter everyone present, including Lu Changsheng, a disciple of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect. When the time came, he could simply pin the blame on the demon martial artist. As for the twenty-four Divine Gang Realm martial artists, Prince Yong gave them no second thought. How many prominent clans had he crushed in his prime? How many martial sects had he brought down? Single-handedly, he had suppressed the entire martial world of the Great Moon Dynasty. Any martial artist of the Great Moon Dynasty was well aware of his formidable might. He was confident these twenty-four Divine Gang Realm martial artists would know what choice to make. "Will you obey this King's command, or stubbornly resist alongside Lu Changsheng? The choice is yours!" Prince Yong said coldly, a trace of confidence lingering on his face. No martial artist in the Great Moon Dynasty dared disobey his orders! Whoosh! The twenty-four Divine Gang Realm martial artists moved. Without the slightest hesitation, they immediately stepped to Lu Changsheng's side. "Honored Envoy, we will lend you our aid to purge Prince Yong!" The twenty-four Divine Gang Realm martial artists spoke with resolute eyes. "You..." Prince Yong's eyes widened in disbelief at the scene before him. With him present—the legendary Prince Yong who had suppressed the martial world for decades—and accompanied by dozens of Divine Gang Realm experts, was there even a need to deliberate under these circumstances? Yet the twenty-four Divine Gang Realm martial artists had chosen Lu Changsheng almost instantly, standing firmly against him. In an instant, Prince Yong's face darkened further.