Do Demons Bleed Too?

These dying words were twisted and blurred. Just looking at their slanted, deformed shapes inexplicably evoked a vision of dying people forcefully carving letters into the ground with bloodstained fingernails. It was as if the writers were enduring unimaginable agony. A single glance was enough to hear shrill howls echoing in one's ears, grievances blowing against the face like a violent gale. "What on earth did they go through before they died...?" Bai Zhou's heart grew solemn. He focused his attention to observe cautiously, finding that these last words scattered everywhere were severely fragmented—just like their source, the mutilated limbs littering the ground. Yet now was truly not the time to study them. For the blood arrow, sweeping forward with rainbow-like momentum, was closing in on the demon! Whether the tides of battle would turn hung in the balance; everyone's attention was pinned firmly to that arrow, which seemed to fly in from beyond the heavens, swift as a shooting star. The reason the word "closing in" was used was that as the blood arrow drew closer to the School Demon, its speed, originally faster than sound, noticeably slowed down. Though its masses of flesh trembled violently, the flesh-and-blood building still madly extended dozens of tentacles to block the blood arrow's path. Even though the blood arrow could pierce layer after layer of these severed limbs and mutilated torsos—which had somehow become coated in scales—its speed was ultimately impeded; punching through that rotten meat still took some time. The shuddering mountain of flesh was like an army rallying to save the crown, having no retreat and betting everything on a final stand, only to be mercilessly pulverized by the blood arrow. Boom! Boom! Boom! The sounds of the arrow blasting through the mountain of flesh rang out incessantly. To an ordinary Extraordinary, a mere glance at these foul and tainted things would cause dizziness and disrupt the spirituality within their body—yet before the blood arrow, they were nothing more than fragile tofu dregs that shattered at a single strike! Plunging through the surging tidal wave of mutilated limbs, the crimson radiance clinging to the blood arrow showed no sign of dimming, as though the propulsion driving it hadn't weakened in the slightest. After all, the surging spirituality Bai Zhou had drawn and infused into the Thunderous Heavenly Bow—and ultimately into the Evil-Dispelling Bolt—had astounded every Extraordinary present. Even the three Titled Extraordinaries were deeply shaken, their faces full of disbelief. "Where did all that spirituality come from?" The Sword of Winter said, visibly shaken. Emerald Flame stared wide-eyed at Bai Zhou's back. "What kind of method is this...? He was clearly on the verge of total exhaustion just a moment ago. How can it be that in the blink of an eye, even I can't see through how powerful he is?" Armor clanking around him, the Rusted Silver Knight spoke with absolute certainty: "This is definitely not something a Rank 4 Extraordinary could pull off—even if he is a Destined!" "...Could it be because he inherited the position of 'Principal'? Can the Principal command the spirituality within a minor secret realm?" Emerald Flame guessed, but then she frowned immediately. "The problem is, as a human Destined, how could he possibly inherit the identity of a quasi-King of Wicked Desires?" "—Aren't humans and Kings of Wicked Desires supposed to be sworn mortal enemies?!" Hearing this, the Sword of Winter pondered before shaking his head. "At least the quasi-King of Wicked Desires I once killed never utilized such means, not even up to the moment of its death..." The Sword of Winter hesitated, starting to speak and stopping himself before finally saying with uncertainty, "If it isn't the identity of 'Principal' enabling him to do this, could he possess such ability on his own?" That was even more inconceivable! What kind of ability could allow someone who was merely a Rank 4 Destined to surpass numerous Rank 6 Titled figures in the blink of an eye, directly threatening an existence as terrifying as an honorific-named demon? —That's not how we Extraordinaries work! You're supposed to read ancient forbidden tomes first, strengthen your spirituality, occasionally send little blasphemous offerings to evil gods, participate in some near-derailing ritual on a specific holiday, and finally venture deep into the Reflected Ruin Realm to explore perilous ruins, barely escaping death to gather advancement materials, only to suffer a mental breakdown during the pathway promotion and hallucinate tentacled, kindly-looking ancestors— How did you just skip straight from a Rank 4 Destined into the unfathomable realm above Rank 6! That is not how the occult world works! I refuse to accept this! "If that's the case, wouldn't it mean that in any secret realm environment, he is virtually invincible?" the Rusted Silver Knight said in astonishment. "Could it be..." Emerald Flame's gaze flickered as countless thoughts raced through her mind. "Could it be a legendary pathway like [Spirit Warlock]?" Yet the moment she said it, she shook her head in denial. "No, that's not right." "[Spirit Warlock] has long been lost to history—and while powerful, that pathway is overly restricted by environment and not included in the Destiny Sequence!" Everything occurring with Bai Zhou sent the three Extraordinaries' imaginations running wild. They tried to make sense of the drastic transformation taking place within Bai Zhou, but every theory they formed ended in logical contradiction. —Yet in the end, all these suspicions and conjectures seemed to vanish like smoke the moment Bai Zhou loosed that arrow. In that instant, their minds felt as though they had flown out along with the arrow, leaving only a blank void behind— Because they saw the mountain of flesh, previously supreme and unstoppable, decay, wither, and crumble to pieces in the wake of the blood arrow. Those flailing, writhing tentacles—any single one of which would force these Titled Extraordinaries to treat it as a formidable foe—were as fragile as tofu before a hot knife. "It... it just pierced right through?" Emerald Flame couldn't believe her eyes. Beside her, the Rusted Silver Knight, who had devoted his entire life to the Federation, suddenly understood a little why the paladins in legends became so devout and fanatical when witnessing a divine miracle. Tongue-tied for a long while, unsure whether to cry out to heaven or the gods, he finally managed to grunt, "Federation above," to express the turmoil in his heart. Compared to the two of them, the Sword of Winter remained silent. Yet his silence did not signify calm; beneath the frozen surface, titanic waves had long been churning. There was no need to dwell on the mechanics behind Bai Zhou's shot anymore. Of all things, the three Titled Extraordinaries were now certain of one: Right now, whichever of them stood before that greatbow and that blood arrow—even if Deputy Director Liu were to return— they would definitely be blown to smithereens by this mysterious Destined youth clad in a school uniform! As for the School Demon— Could it withstand this shot? "Will it work?" "If even this arrow doesn't work, we really can just wait for death..." The hearts of the three Titled Extraordinaries rose into their throats. Off to the side, Commander Han watched Bai Zhou unleash such godlike might, a chilling dread seizing his entire body. A possibility clicked in his mind with a sickening lurch: Could it be that this anomalous individual—this mysterious outside Destined—has been hiding his true strength all along?! Is it possible... that he was originally an existence surpassing Rank 6 Titled Extraordinaries to begin with, which is why he moves like a fish in water through this minor secret realm and stays completely composed even before the School Demon? Without realizing it, Commander Han's forehead had broken out into a dense layer of cold sweat. If this Senior Zhou held a grudge and suddenly turned to loose an arrow at him, probably no one would dare step forward to defend him! "D-Did you feel that?" The trio of [Explorers] exchanged glances. "What was that feeling just now...?" When the surging spiritual energy flowed through Bai Zhou's body before being funneled into the Thunderous Heavenly Bow, they had clearly sensed an aura around him—supremely exalted, yet evoking a profound, childlike reverence. The sensation had flashed and faded in an instant, but experiencing it once was unforgettable; when it vanished, it left behind a hollow pang of loss. It was like a child meeting their parents, an affinity born of bloodline; like worker bees encountering their queen, an attraction etched deep into their genes. Fate Principle was something far more fundamental than the so-called soul. This peculiar sensation seemed to well up from the depths of their Fate Principles, intoxicating them to the point where they almost lost control, longing to step right up to Bai Zhou and bask in the aura emanating from him at close range. Recalling that lingering sensation deep in her mind, a captivating flush rose to Number 9's cheeks. Dazed, she murmured, "What on earth... is going on?" Bai Zhou had no idea what the watching Extraordinaries were thinking of him at this moment. If he did— he would be thrilled by their wild conjectures, because it ensured that no one would dare lay a hand on him. Though cooperating on the surface, Bai Zhou had never let his guard down for a single second, maintaining constant vigilance toward the FZDC. As for the mystery of the spirituality that so baffled the three Titled Extraordinaries— that was naturally tied to his authority as Principal. As for why the Principal possessed such "authority," and how a human like Bai Zhou was able to inherit the Principal's mantle— one would probably have to ask the former Principal who dumped the blame and ran. In fact, ever since gaining the authority of the "Principal" and sensing the grass, trees, winds, and clouds throughout the school, Bai Zhou had begun contemplating what he could accomplish with it all. A sense of awareness spread like a web, enveloping the entirety of Yuanmeng Middle School. Spiritual fluctuations that only Bai Zhou could detect responded to his senses as if alive, answering him unceasingly from moments ago up to now. Crow had once told him that an ancient and powerful pathway had made a brief, brilliant appearance in history, known as the [Spirit Warlock]. In an epoch long buried beneath the dust of time, when the various Extraordinary pathways were not yet systematized as they were today, and when many occult theories remained in their infancy. Those [Spirit Warlocks] refused to rely on rigid incantations or fixed rituals to cast spells. They regarded the omnipresent "spirituality" between heaven and earth as the sacred origin of an Extraordinary's power, doing everything they could to commune with spirituality and forge mysterious connections with it. In certain special locations—such as ancient forests, nexus points of leylines, or primeval ruins—places where spirituality was active and dense, a [Spirit Warlock]'s abilities would receive unimaginable amplification, allowing them to make themselves part of the spiritual tide. —Yes, a part. Neither dominating nor ruling—no one possessed such supreme might—but becoming one with it. Through this, a [Spirit Warlock] could mobilize vast reserves of spirituality far exceeding their own limits, unleashing staggering power capable of reshaping terrains and influencing celestial weather! Yet this pathway relied far too heavily on the environment. Later, as eras shifted, pure spiritual places suitable for [Spirit Warlocks] to cultivate and perform grew increasingly scarce. The roar of steam engines, industrial pollution, and the restlessness of the human heart continuously fouled and diluted the spirituality between heaven and earth, causing the [Spirit Warlock] pathway to be completely lost to history in the end. Yet the philosophy and unique understandings of spirituality pioneered by this pathway survived, exerting a profound and far-reaching influence on the refinement and growth of other Extraordinary pathways. —Coincidentally, in the Eastern Federation, a group of figures pursuing a similar philosophy had formulated a comparable principle. This principle was called the "unity of heaven and humanity"! When Bai Zhou thought of the tale of the [Spirit Warlock], he couldn't help recalling a line of last words he had seen in the heritage sanctuary of the Nine Basic Slashes: "Gather strength at the end of respiration, erupt in an instant; focus on a single point, reach the pinnacle!" "Indeed..." Bai Zhou murmured softly. At that moment, Bai Zhou had conceived a method to deal with the demon. —Could he borrow the spirituality of the minor secret realm to draw the Thunderous Heavenly Bow and loose the Evil-Dispelling Bolt? To that end, Bai Zhou had deliberately tested the thunder bow with an experimental shot. The answer was: yes! And so— At the critical juncture of life and death when the demon attacked, the Destined Bai Zhou had appeared before everyone, wielding the thunder bow. First, he pushed his own spirituality near exhaustion, putting everything he had into firing an arrow. Through that, Bai Zhou figured out the operating principles of the Thunderous Heavenly Bow and calculated the frequency at which he would channel spirituality into it afterward. At the same time, he roughly adjusted his aim and trajectory. Then, he sent out a plea to the spirituality lingering between heaven and earth, asking them to lend him their strength. Answering Bai Zhou's prayer were every blade of grass, every tree, every flower, bird, insect, and fish throughout the school. Sensing the apocalyptic threat the Inverted Demon posed to the minor secret realm, ninety-nine percent of the spirituality within the secret realm willingly answered this newly appointed Principal. In that instant, an intangible clarity dawned on Bai Zhou— this resonance and response, this request and reply, was in itself a special ritual. Relying on the Principal's unique perception, Bai Zhou completed the ritual. —And with that, the rite was complete! A tide of spirituality surged forth, and immense power descended from the heavens! Bai Zhou had no qualification to master such incomprehensible might—he merely became one with them, guiding the flow of the power. At this moment, as Bai Zhou was embraced by the vibrant spirituality, he felt dazed, as if he had become the darling of spirituality—a legendary [Spirit Warlock] beloved by nature, or perhaps an existence even more to be envied. Crow had once told Bai Zhou that in the Extraordinary world, one would never lack desperate plights—yet there was no true despair in this world, only prisoners trapped by their own minds. Fittingly enough, Bai Zhou, whose imagination always ran wild, had a very good teacher. And just as fittingly, Bai Zhou had more than one teacher in Crow; he stood forever upon the shoulders of countless predecessors. The last words seen in the past, the wisdom left behind by forebears— all resonated with Bai Zhou's thoughts at this very moment. "Become the tide; achieve the unity of heaven and humanity!" "Focus on a single point; reach the pinnacle." This divinely inspired arrow, born of colliding sparks of thought, now faced the mythical, honorific-named demon on Bai Zhou's behalf! Hum! For the thirty-third time, the blood arrow tore through a flesh wall of the fleshy building. Leaving behind a carpet of decaying severed limbs and perforated layers of gaping flesh wounds that refused to heal, the blood arrow was finally free of obstacles, flying straight toward the School Demon itself. The arrow and the demon. The distance between them had narrowed to less than two meters. In the fraction of a second before the blood arrow struck the Inverted Maiden, the demon snapped its pale, ghastly eyes wide open! Screeech! An intangible ripple bloomed into being. A murky torrent, resembling a dark river of blood, surged forth from the demon's eyes. Looking closely, one would discover that this torrent was constructed from countless stacked formulas, letters, and numbers— The rushing river solidified into a rampart, joining the soft pink clumps of flesh flanking it from above and below to form a defensive bulwark blocking the path before the Inverted Maiden. In the next instant. The massive Evil-Dispelling Bolt, hurtling through the sky like a crimson meteor, slammed violently into the barrier of dark, shimmering torrents! There was no explosion, no crash, only violent collision and intense attrition! The blood arrow hung suspended in midair, locked in a ferocious tug-of-war with the surging dark flood. Ear-piercing shrieks resonated without end as dark red and shadowy black radiance intensely intertwined, corroded, and annihilated one another! "C-Can it do it?" Numerous Extraordinaries looked up, hearts in their throats. The mythic spectacle before their eyes involuntarily brought to mind Hou Yi shooting down the suns. One could only wonder whether years from now, today's battlefield would also be recorded in epics of god-slaying, chronicled in grand detail. Buzz, buzz, buzz! The demon's authority entangled with the divine majesty of thunder; blasphemous corruption intertwined with evil-cleaving holy might. With several vibrating hums, the "π" mark atop the demon's head blazed with radiance, making the dark torrent surge even more violently, completing an internal loop. Yet the blood arrow pushed forward! And then, the blood arrow moved faster and faster! Break! Break! Break! Layer after layer, the raging deluge was routed in succession! Be it formulas or arithmetic, no matter how vast and crushing the School Demon's mountain of books and sea of exam problems were—a thousand worries, ten thousand quandaries—the blood arrow would shatter them all with a single strike! Finally, with a thunderous boom! The torrent collapsed! Shards scattered across the sky! The shattered mountains of flesh winding to the horizon began to shudder, and the blood-red heavens seemed to shift colors in that moment. In the very next breath: Here came the arrow! "Aaaaaagh!" Facing the blood arrow that had breached its way right to her, the Inverted Maiden, whose lips had remained tightly clamped, opened her mouth for the first time. It was by no means a human shriek, but a long cry of immense blasphemy and fury, echoing as if from the darkest depths of the starry cosmos. Simultaneously, within the vast consciousness, countless voices seemed to cry out in horrific unison: "No—!" The dark torrent flickered wildly, the mountain of flesh beneath her quivered convulsively, and countless severed limbs exploded amidst the shrill sonic wave. With a sickening squelch! Like a comet striking the moon, like a white rainbow piercing the sun, like a falcon diving upon the royal court— the Evil-Dispelling Bolt plunged straight through the honorific-named demon's heart, tearing right through! "Aaaaaagh!" An even more agonizing wail resounded across the sky, echoing throughout the minor secret realm school and carrying even farther, shaking all of Reflected Tinghai with this blasphemous roar beneath the blood moon. The partially collapsed mountains of flesh all reared skyward in tremors, severed python-like tentacles squirming as if howling toward the blood moon, venting some unspeakable torment. —For right on the chest of the inverted demon, a gaping hole had appeared! It was hollow and vacant, the heart gone, while buds of flesh squirmed frantically across the wound. Crimson blood poured out in torrents, washing down into the mass of pink flesh beneath the demon. At the same time, the demon's body, tightly bound by the flesh walls, began to writhe in agony, showing signs of detaching from the wall of meat. It... was finally injured! "It actually worked!" "The demon is bleeding!" The three Titled Extraordinaries were ecstatic, clearly sensing the rapid decline of the Inverted Demon's previously invincible life force. On the other side, Bai Zhou watched the demon's pierced chest and the crimson blood flowing downward, his brow furrowing slightly. "So..." Though every droplet of blood that fell felt like mental pollution to all who saw it—making their brains swell with throbbing aches, as if dozens of bugs were hatching inside their heads and wriggling in all directions— and though Bai Zhou had to invoke the character [Soothe] once more, overburdening his already overdrawn, barely holding-together body— and yet... so gods... could be wounded too? "Gods can be wounded... and demons bleed too." Bai Zhou's expression grew thoughtful. The arrow he had summoned the courage to fire, along with everything he was experiencing right now, served as an immense inspiration to him as an Extraordinary. Like a hero reborn after bathing in dragon blood. For a dragon-slaying hero, the greatest secret to defeating a dragon lay in conquering the fear within his heart. Only when the hero dared to raise his blade against the dragon did he take the critical first step in transforming from an adventurer into a true hero. Something indefinable and obscure was stirring within Bai Zhou's heart, within his Fate Principle. It was as though it had taken root long ago and was only now sprouting. That was... Bai Zhou paused, and after sensing it carefully, realized it was "Intent"! "Intent"—something only a Rank 5 Extraordinary was qualified to touch upon! Profound and enigmatic, it was the vital hallmark that separated high-ranking Extraordinaries from ordinary ones! Planted into the soil by the Wolf Knight, fed today with the nourishment named "courage," and on the verge of breaking through the earth— "Battle Intent"!