CHAPTER 434: CHAPTER 434: THE TERRIFYING ANCIENT DEMON

Upon activating his Phoenix Form, Wang Lan’s capabilities soared instantly. He originally believed this surge in power would be enough to keep up with Luo Jianli’s speed, but when he moved to fend off Luo Jianli’s palm strike, he was horrified to discover a massive gap remained.

BOOM—

A void cloud explosion erupted in the sky, and Wang Lan’s figure was sent flying backward once more. As he hurtled through the air like a meteor, he watched in terror as the Saint Cloth on his shoulder shattered like glass.

Definitely beyond the Titled Strongman realm... Wang Lan instantly judged.

Last time, in the fixed space, he had lost consciousness the moment the Sword Qi rushed into his mind. Therefore, he had no idea just how terrifying the Ancient Giant Demon was. A mere snap of its fingers had once turned more than a dozen Star Sea Realm Star Martial Warriors to ashes. Was that the strength of a Titled Strongman? Then what about the time a near snap of its fingers almost instantly wiped out Qiu Bo? Surely, not even the Five Emperors were that fearsome. But Wang Lan hadn’t witnessed any of these events.

So, to Wang Lan, it was inconceivable that even after activating his Phoenix Form, he still couldn’t match the Ancient Giant Demon’s speed. In Yu Ruoyun’s eyes, however, this was entirely normal.

"Void Purple Eyes—!" Instantly, Wang Lan activated his Void Purple Eyes. A magnificent purple light burst forth, and within his vision, the Ancient Demon’s speed began to slow immediately.

Only when the Ancient Demon’s speed slowed did Wang Lan truly comprehend its terrifying strength. Every movement created a vacuum. Damn, the last time I saw this was in my past life when I saw Emperor Kai kick Lord Ban into oblivion!

It seemed like several exchanges had taken place, but in reality, they occurred within a single second.

The Ancient Demon charged forward once again. At that moment, Yu Ruoyun successfully reached Wang Lan’s side.

"Dragon and Phoenix Auspicious—!"

Instantly, their Star Power merged, and their combined strength soared to a new level. If Wang Lan alone in Phoenix Form was at the peak of the Star Sea Realm, then with Dragon and Phoenix Auspicious, they immediately surpassed the Titled Strongman level.

A beam of light burst from the two figures. Watching from below, Jiang Xinyu’s heart leapt to her throat. I want to help, but I also know that with my strength, going up there would be suicide.

Where the light passed, ethereal butterflies danced.

In an instant, two clusters of Nether Butterflies spread out, their wings flapping, twinkling like distant stars. Like intertwining strands of DNA, the two clusters of Nether Butterflies rushed swiftly up into the void.

The Ancient Demon was too fast. Only by creating distance could they find a sliver of hope. The two Nether Butterflies fluttered their wings frantically, appearing high in the sky in the blink of an eye. The two figures materialized simultaneously, evoking the beautiful and tragic tale of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, who transformed into butterflies.

Seeing this, Jiang Xinyu’s heart inexplicably clenched. How is their coordination so perfect? What happened between you two while I was gone?

"Ruoyun, Star Sky God Arrow—!" Wang Lan roared. Instantly, both activated their Void Purple Eyes, locking onto everything in their sight.

The Ancient Demon, about to press his advantage, suddenly paused. He hovered quietly ten meters in the air, arms crossed, looking with amusement at the two above him who were pointing their fingers like guns.

"A bit interesting... Are there still spells capable of Heaven’s Lockdown in the current mortal realm?"

Two arrows radiating scorching white light appeared at their fingertips. Without hesitation, the instant the Star Sky God Arrows formed, they both fired.

HISS—

As if transcending space, the Star Sky God Arrows instantly pierced the air, arriving before the Ancient Demon. However, the expected explosion didn’t occur. What happened next left Wang Lan and Yu Ruoyun utterly aghast.

The Ancient Demon actually caught the Star Sky God Arrows with his bare hands!

A killing blow, unavoidable once locked on, was simply caught in the Ancient Demon’s hands. The impact of this scene on Wang Lan was immense. Wang Lan had never considered himself invincible, but he was certainly among the elite! He had always been able to hold his own against his foes. But now, his all-or-nothing Star Sky God Arrow had been caught so easily. The disparity in strength is absurdly large.

BOOM—

The Star Sky God Arrows erupted in the Ancient Demon’s hands. He slowly floated upward, a defiant smile on his face.

"Has the strength of the human race truly fallen this far compared to three thousand years ago? Back then, any direct disciple from a Sect Gate was stronger than you. But from what I sensed, among the students of the four strongest academies in Jade Country, you two are considered the strongest. The human race grows weaker and weaker. If you don’t perish, who will?"

Having unleashed the Star Sky God Arrows, Wang Lan and Yu Ruoyun were left utterly depleted. Yet, they stubbornly remained standing. The enemy is already at the academy’s gates; where on earth are Qing Emperor and Eld Di?

BOOM—

A golden light shot forth. The Ancient Demon spun around and met it with a palm strike.

The golden light struck the Ancient Demon’s palm but was blocked by a barrier invisible to the naked eye. The light scattered, yet the Ancient Demon remained unscathed.

Eld Di, bathed in golden light, rushed over from the east at high speed.

"Finally, someone who can take a hit. You must be the director of Modu Academy, right?" the Ancient Demon said.

"Demon Clan?" Eld Di asked, his expression grave.

"Director, he is the Ancient Giant Demon!" Wang Lan called out.

"I am from the Titan Clan that existed three thousand years ago," the Ancient Demon stated. "To your human race, I am an ancient being. My era has passed. Now, I only wish to return to my homeland. I hear you possess a Time-Space Gemstone. I intend to borrow it. What do you say?"

"Dream on!" Eld Di retorted without hesitation.

"Oh? Then there’s no helping it." The Ancient Demon gracefully spread his palm. "Then come out, all of you—!"

The ground trembled, and suddenly, vast swathes of land collapsed. Dozens of ferocious Biochemical Demon Generals clawed their way out from the earth. Seeing they were only four to five meters tall, Wang Lan breathed a slight sigh of relief. The enemy’s numbers are manageable; we can hold on.

But in the next instant, the Ancient Demon swept his palm towards the Demon Generals below. A mass of pitch-black smoke instantly split into dozens of streams, vanishing into the mouths of the Biochemical Demon Generals in the blink of an eye.

Instantly, the dozens of Biochemical Demon Generals ballooned in size, skyrocketing from their original four or five meters to tens of meters tall. In a moment, they filled the entire area.

Seeing this scene, the students and teachers arriving from afar were stunned. They had never seen such massive Exotic Beasts. These enlarged Biochemical Demon Generals were as powerful as the one they had encountered at Flying Horse Farm, their strength faintly reaching the level of Titled Strongmen.

Forty Exotic Beasts with the strength of Titled Strongmen appearing at Star Martial Academy simultaneously—who could withstand that?

"Your time for revenge has come! Kill without restraint!" the Ancient Demon commanded the beasts.

"You dare—!" Eld Di roared, instantly enraged. He unleashed countless golden Sword Qi that bombarded the giant beasts. But in an instant, the Ancient Demon emitted a black ripple, interrupting Eld Di’s Star Martial Skill. With a flash, the Ancient Demon tore through space to attack Eld Di.

BOOM—

From the very first exchange, Eld Di’s complexion turned ashen. Wang Lan might not have been able to gauge the Ancient Demon’s strength immediately, but Eld Di could. The Ancient Demon’s power had definitely surpassed that realm, reaching at least the Star Soul Realm. Although I finally took that step, it was only one step.

"I’m going all out!" As Eld Di was sent flying backward, he clapped his hands together. Furious Star Power erupted from him, and his originally ragged body visibly straightened and grew more robust. His silver hair stood on end, gradually turning jet black amidst the surging Star Power.

"Starlight Tiger Roar Fist—!"

Rejuvenated, Eld Di paused abruptly then flashed through the air, appearing before the Ancient Demon. Behind him, the spectral image of a white tiger with fierce, upward-slanting eyes materialized, its ferocious maw open as its power converged onto Eld Di’s fist.

"Somewhat interesting," the Ancient Demon remarked lightly, gently lifting a palm. A black ripple instantly spread out. Eld Di’s ferocious punch vanished under the ripple as if it were a soap bubble popping. Not only did the energy gathered in Eld Di’s fist dissipate, but the golden light emanating from his body also rapidly dissolved within the ripple.

Eld Di’s figure froze. A moment later, blood spurted from his mouth as he was sent flying backward again.

"A pity. Still not enough—" the Ancient Demon’s voice teased, though with a hint of desolation. "Recalling three thousand years ago, although the secular world no longer possessed any noteworthy power, there were still a few remnants from ancient times. That battle did indeed present some difficulty for us. Unexpectedly, three thousand years later, you—hailed as Eld Di and considered among the world’s top fighters—possess only this much ability. It seems the Heavenly Court is no more. In that case, I’m in no rush to return. I’ll claim your head first."

As his words fell, the Ancient Demon’s figure flashed, reappearing behind Eld Di. He conjured a black longsword in his palm and brutally slashed at the back of Eld Di’s head.

DONG—

The Ancient Demon suddenly spun and slashed. A wooden pillar, appearing from an unknown place and time, shot out from the void behind him. The Ancient Demon’s blade met the pillar, but it didn’t shatter.

Ripples spread through the space, and Qing Emperor stepped out.

BOOM—

At that moment, Eld Di, who had seemed unable to retaliate, suddenly threw a punch. Its force was even more terrifying than before, striking the Ancient Demon squarely in the back. Before the Ancient Demon could utter a word, he was sent flying.

Meanwhile, the giant Biochemical Demon Generals had begun their rampage through the academy. The academy’s forces could only try to contain them, unable to truly contend with the Demon Generals. Forty to fifty Biochemical Demon Generals, each possessing the strength of a Titled Strongman, were too much even for Modu Star Martial Academy. Their assault directly reduced the academy’s teaching district to ruins.

Fortunately, those remaining in the academy were all experts, so there were no casualties for the time being. However, turning defeat into victory seemed highly unlikely.

At this point, Wang Lan and Yu Ruoyun had both unleashed their Star Sky God Arrows and were utterly depleted of physical strength and Star Power. They collapsed to the ground, hands pressed together to activate the Mandala Flower.

However, the Mandala Flower’s range was pitifully small, covering less than three hundred meters. Even when Wang Lan used the Mandala Flower in his normal state, its range was far greater.

"Blossom, Mandala Flower—!"

Flowers bloomed in abundance, pollen filling the air. Fortunately, the unique properties of Star Martial Toxins allowed them to bypass a target’s strength. Two Biochemical Demon Generals, who had been gleefully tearing apart the Mandala Flowers, suddenly grew sluggish from inhaling too much pollen.

"Ruoyun, hold on—!" Wang Lan shouted desperately, biting his tongue to stay conscious. But Yu Ruoyun was already too weak to even stand.