Chapter 101: Slaying Two Demons

Within Yan Nanfei’s dantian, the Origin Core that had vanished without a trace had miraculously reappeared. It had once been pale blue-green, but now it was a deep, rich azure. Powerful azure true essence flowed along his meridians of its own accord.

“What is this…”

The new Origin Core was several times larger than the fist-sized one he had possessed before. As Yan Nanfei gazed at the enormous core, nearly the size of a watermelon, he felt waves of pressure radiating from it. He was both shocked and delighted.

He feared that this core might vanish like a dream, yet the energy within it carried a faint trace of灵性—a subtle, living quality. This was clearly the sign that he was about to break through into the Transcendent Realm!

“Where did the armor go…”

After his initial excitement, Yan Nanfei gradually calmed down. His cultivation had been completely lost only moments ago, yet it had now returned as though by a miracle. What strange secret was hidden behind all this?

He searched his dantian with his mind for a long while, but found no trace of the armor.

“Could it have merely wandered through my body and then left? But if so, why did a new Origin Core appear after it absorbed mine? And why is the true essence far denser than before? Could it be…”

A sudden thought startled Yan Nanfei.

“Could this new Origin Core have been formed after the Skyfaring Evasion Armor absorbed my original one?”

“Not bad, not bad… It seems my eyesight has not deteriorated after all!”

A childish voice rang out, yet its tone was filled with the wisdom and arrogance of an old man.

“Who… who’s speaking?”

Startled by the sudden voice, Yan Nanfei looked around.

“Stop searching. I had just finished praising you, and now you’re doing something worthy of an old man’s contempt!”

“Who are you? Come out!”

After his Origin Core had vanished and returned, Yan Nanfei had become as jumpy as a frightened bird. The calm confidence he had once possessed was nowhere to be seen.

“I’m right here in your dantian. Can’t you look for yourself?”

Yan Nanfei immediately sank his consciousness into his dantian. There, sitting atop the deep azure Origin Core, was a tiny child only a few inches tall. A pair of transparent wings grew from his back.

The child was extraordinarily handsome, though his diminutive size made him easy to overlook against the enlarged core.

“From now on, I belong to you. I am the spirit of the Skyfaring Evasion Armor. You may call me Bianbian. Is that clear?”

The child spoke with an air of seasoned authority, as if Yan Nanfei might be his master in name, but would have to obey him in practice. He was clearly trying to establish dominance from the beginning.

“You’re the armor spirit? Then where did the armor go?”

Yan Nanfei had regained his composure. Looking at Bianbian in his dantian, he was inwardly ecstatic. Any weapon or armor possessing a spirit was considered a divine artifact.

“Did that blow to the head make you stupid? The armor is right beneath my backside, you fool!”

“Er…”

Yan Nanfei was speechless. This armor spirit truly had no respect for his master.

“Isn’t that my Origin Core? How could it be the armor? You’re not trying to trick me, are you?”

Bianbian’s words amused Yan Nanfei, but he still asked cautiously and patiently.

“Alas… The world knows only that the Skyfaring Evasion Armor is an exceedingly rare suit of armor. But who knows that it has no fixed form at all? It can transform into armor, weapons, or beasts. In short, so long as you can imagine it, there is nothing it cannot become!”

Yan Nanfei froze. After a moment, he asked uncertainly, “You mean the Skyfaring Evasion Armor has fused with my Origin Core?”

“Mm. You’ve finally understood. That is exactly what happened. For the Skyfaring Evasion Armor to display its greatest power, it must merge with its bearer. The best form of fusion is to unite with the source of the bearer’s energy. Only then can it transform freely.”

“Would you like to test its power?”

Bianbian’s tiny eyes glittered with eager anticipation.

“Perhaps we shouldn’t.”

“But that is not up to you. Azure Luan Transformation!”

With Bianbian’s shout, Yan Nanfei suddenly felt his body become incomparably soft. Deep azure liquid true essence flowed through his meridians, rapidly softening his bones and flesh.

The liquid true essence was like volcanic magma. It assimilated Yan Nanfei’s bones and flesh, transforming them into deep azure energy.

“Transform!”

As Bianbian uttered the command, Yan Nanfei’s body melted into a mass of deep azure liquid energy. It twisted and writhed before transforming into a divine Azure Luan, its broad wings spread as it hovered motionless in the air.

Yan Nanfei was still utterly bewildered. In the blink of an eye, he had become a giant bird. The sight was so shocking and absurd that he could hardly believe it.

“How did you do that? How did my body become like this?”

His voice was filled with genuine astonishment, but also uncontrollable excitement.

“Heh heh… That was enough to stun you? But you won’t be excited for long. The Skyfaring Evasion Armor’s abilities must be discovered by you yourself. I merely borrowed its power to change your form temporarily. Your body has not yet been completely transformed. If you wish to change forms at will, your flesh and blood must truly merge with the Skyfaring Evasion Armor. When that happens, you will truly be able to soar through the heavens and traverse the earth!”

“What do you mean, I won’t be excited for long?”

Yan Nanfei sensed danger hidden in Bianbian’s words, but curiosity still overcame caution. He tentatively beat his wings.

The instant his wings moved, the Azure Luan became a streak of light and slammed into an invisible barrier with a thunderous crash.

Its body slid down and dropped to the ground. Yan Nanfei’s head rang violently, golden stars swam before his eyes, and his entire body went numb. He could not move at all.

“That’s what you get. Did you think transforming into an Azure Luan was merely for show? Let me tell you, every form created by the Skyfaring Evasion Armor possesses genuine abilities. There is no time to waste. Now I will have you merge completely with the armor!”

As Bianbian finished speaking, the Azure Luan shuddered. Its body twisted and pulled apart before reverting to Yan Nanfei’s original form.

With a light tap of Bianbian’s tiny hand, the enormous Origin Core within Yan Nanfei’s body transformed into liquid. It flowed along every meridian, seeping into his flesh and bones. Like magma melting stone, it assimilated his body into deep azure liquid before reconstructing entirely new bones and flesh.

The newly formed flesh shimmered with azure radiance.

Yan Nanfei let out a howl of agony. His flesh was being melted and then recreated from nothing. The pain was beyond what any ordinary person could endure.

By comparison, Du Qingfeng had been fortunate during such a cruel transformation. He had a good master, who had directly sealed his soul. No matter how excruciating the pain inflicted upon his body, he could feel nothing.

At last, even Yan Nanfei’s head melted, becoming a mass of deep azure liquid before reforming into its original shape. He endured the torment again and again, screaming until his voice grew hoarse.

“Bian…bian… Bianbian… Knock me unconscious. I can’t take it anymore…”

After reconstructing his head, Yan Nanfei’s features twisted in agony as he forced out the words intermittently, hoping that the armor spirit would seal away his senses.

“Endure it. Every previous master of the Skyfaring Evasion Armor went through the same process. If you do not personally experience the transformation of your own body, how can you ever unleash its full power?”

Bianbian lounged within Yan Nanfei’s dantian, one tiny leg crossed over the other. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the miserable screams outside. His calm words echoed directly through Yan Nanfei’s mind.

Yan Nanfei’s eyes were bloodshot, his teeth clenched so tightly they seemed ready to shatter. Wave after wave of tearing pain surged through his body.

He watched as one of his arms slowly liquefied. It felt as though the entire limb were being crushed apart. Such agony was far beyond what a normal person could endure.

Several hours passed. Yan Nanfei had no idea how many times he had lost consciousness. Each time, he awoke amid unbearable torment, only to black out again when the pain became too intense.

Meanwhile, Bianbian had fallen asleep peacefully.

Yan Nanfei knew he had to hold on. Whenever he could no longer endure, he bit the tip of his tongue, forcing himself awake. He focused his mind and sensed every subtle change in his body.

At the same time, a secret technique entered his consciousness.

“Study the principles of transformation within this technique. Follow the circulation routes described there and control every inch of your body’s reconstruction.”

Bianbian’s voice followed into his mind.

Yan Nanfei examined the circulation routes and the various techniques of transformation. Gradually, his heart settled. Enduring the agony, he followed the secret technique’s instructions and attempted to control the deep azure liquid energy, using it to reconstruct his bones and flesh.

Time passed swiftly.

Within that crimson-white world, Yan Nanfei devoted himself completely to transforming his body. Outside, ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, two unexpected guests arrived on the deserted island.

They were two young men with ordinary appearances. Behind each of them coiled a thick, furry tail.

From their facial features and physical characteristics, it was obvious that they belonged to the demon race—and, more specifically, that they were fox demons.

“Brother, two days ago, members of our clan stationed on this island reported that a human martial artist had arrived here. Then he disappeared, and a small mountain collapsed for no apparent reason. Do you think he came for that object?”

The younger fox demon voiced his suspicion to the brother beside him.

“It is very possible. Several thousand years ago, a human powerhouse reached the Transcendent Realm in the Azure Sea Jade Heaven, causing an uproar across more than half the surrounding waters. He advanced right here on this deserted island. At that time, the object appeared as well. As for why it emerged on its own, some speculated that it had sensed something unusual about that human powerhouse and revealed itself in order to acknowledge him as its master and leave with him.”

The fox demon frowned slightly as he spoke of the human ancestor who had reached the Transcendent Realm on this very island.

“Such a thing actually happened? Did that human powerhouse not claim the object as his own?”

“No. The situation was chaotic. The great demons from several nearby islands, along with powerful humans from the region, received the news and hurried here from every direction. When they saw the object in the hands of that outsider, they all attacked and tried to seize it. In the end, the powerhouse was heavily wounded after being surrounded and assaulted. Just as he was on the verge of death, an unfamiliar supreme expert appeared and rescued him. The object then vanished once more. All the humans and demons had wasted their efforts and could only return to their respective territories.”

The fox demon paused before continuing.

“Since then, every faction has stationed spies here to observe the island’s movements at all times, terrified that someone else might obtain that object.”

…

“Whoosh! Whoosh!”

“Ah! Bianbian! How am I supposed to stop? Ouch!”

Within the white world, a spotted leopard darted around the hundred-meter space as fast as lightning.

“Transform!”

The leopard’s body swayed and became a huge azure-patterned python. With a sweep of its tail, it transformed again into a streak of azure lightning and slammed heavily into the invisible barrier.

Its long body slowly slid down before coiling into a heap.

“Not bad, not bad. You’ve grasped the principles of transformation so quickly. Keep going…”

Bianbian’s praise echoed through Yan Nanfei’s mind.

Upon hearing it, Yan Nanfei shamelessly sprawled motionless on the ground. The giant python’s eyes were filled with helplessness.

After more than ten days of reconstruction, Yan Nanfei’s body had finally achieved remarkable results. The flexibility of his flesh was now comparable to that of a real python. His bones had become supple as well, allowing him to twist and bend into almost any shape.

With his current physical flexibility, no one at the same level could rival him in close combat. Given Leng Tian’s formidable physique, unless Leng Tian advanced to the Platinum Saint Body, he would truly have little chance of victory.

“Azure Falcon Transformation!”

At Bianbian’s command, deep azure light shimmered across the python’s body. It writhed and shifted, becoming a great falcon crouched on the ground with its wings spread.

The falcon’s eyes, however, were dull. Its wings lay limply against the ground.

“So you refuse to fly, do you? Fine. Don’t blame me, then. Heh heh…”

A flash of light appeared in Yan Nanfei’s eyes. Sensing trouble, he hurriedly said, “What are you planning to do? Don’t act recklessly. I’m extremely weak right now…”

“Heh heh… The boundless blue sky is the true domain of a falcon!”

Bianbian grinned maliciously. He waved his tiny hand and shouted, “Release!”

The entire white world seemed like a white bubble. With a soft pop, it burst apart.

When the whiteness vanished, Yan Nanfei found himself beneath an endless azure sky.

His wings were spread wide as he hovered high above the clouds. Looking down, he saw layer upon layer of white clouds below him, as well as the indistinct outline of an island.

The clouds streamed past his eyes, and Yan Nanfei realized that he was falling.

In his panic, he forgot to beat his wings. He thought desperately of returning to his original form, but no matter how he followed the transformation technique, he could not turn back into a human.

“Stop indulging in fantasies. Learn to control this body and roam the blue sky properly. At your current speed, you’ll hit the ground in just a few breaths!”

Bianbian’s voice was full of malicious amusement.

Yan Nanfei looked down and saw that the island was already close. Only then did he remember to flap his wings.

With a single powerful beat, the falcon halted in midair. Yan Nanfei breathed a sigh of relief, but before he could finish exhaling, his body plunged toward the earth amid a fierce wind.

Panicking, he frantically beat his wings, intending to arrest his fall as he had before. This time he did not hover, but actually began to fly.

Unfortunately, his flying technique was appalling. As his wings beat, the falcon veered sideways and dove straight toward a mountain peak on the island.

Looking at the mountain wall rushing toward him, Yan Nanfei was mortified.

Why was he so clumsy? He had used wings to fly before, and nothing like this had happened. What was wrong with him today?

“Boom!”

The falcon smashed directly into the mountainside. The tremendous crash echoed across the entire island.

“Brother, did you hear that? What a huge disturbance. It sounded like someone caused it deliberately.”

The two fox demons heard the impact clearly and were both startled. They had not expected anyone else to be present on the island.

“Let’s go and see which faction has come here. To make such a commotion, they must have discovered something.”

The fox demon known as Big Brother tightened his expression. After speaking, he sped toward the source of the crash.

Yan Nanfei’s falcon body was embedded in the mountainside and buried beneath broken stones.

“That hurts…”

He shook his head, sending dust cascading from his feathers. Then his heart suddenly tightened, and he asked Bianbian, “I’m back on the island?”

“Of course. Where else did you think you were?”

Bianbian replied with blatant disdain.

Yan Nanfei ignored him. He beat his wings and struggled to pull himself free from the mountain.

Unfortunately, possessing the Skyfaring Evasion Armor seemed destined to turn him into a walking tragedy.

The moment he emerged from the mountainside, he tumbled like a gust of wind and crashed onto the hard ground. His wings struck the earth, sending soil and stones flying.

Far away, the two fox demons stared in astonishment.

“Brother, I think I just saw a falcon fall out of the mountain!”

“It is indeed a falcon. But as a creature of the sky, its flying skills resemble those of a fledgling that has only just learned to fly.”

Yan Nanfei struggled to his feet. His wings still drooped against the ground. When he twisted his head around, he saw two strangely shaped humans standing in the distance, watching him.

“Demons…”

Only then did Yan Nanfei regain his senses. Seeing the furry tails behind them, he realized that the situation was bad.

But then he thought, I’m a falcon now, not a human. What is there to fear? Even if I were in my human form, I would not fear them.

With that thought, he calmly strode away on his talons.

“You’re remarkably composed. Let me tell you this: if you cannot learn to fly, don’t even think about returning to your original form!”

Bianbian’s tone was severe.

“Er…”

Yan Nanfei was helpless. He had no choice but to spread his wings and flap them continuously. His talons kicked against the ground as he struggled to take off.

Yet his talent for flying was pitiful. After exerting himself for a long while, he could only skim along the ground, showing no sign of actually rising into the air.

“Brother, what is it doing? Judging by its size, it should be an adult falcon. Why can’t it fly?”

The fox demon called Big Brother remained silent, merely watching Yan Nanfei’s clumsy performance.

“You really are an idiot!”

Bianbian rolled his eyes in Yan Nanfei’s dantian.

The armor spirit floated within the dantian, spreading his arms as the wings behind him beat rapidly. He transformed into countless afterimages, soaring through the empty space.

Outside, Yan Nanfei’s wings likewise began to beat. His body shot into the air with terrifying speed.

The falcon’s wings vibrated at high frequency, moving as swiftly as a meteor. One moment it soared straight into the heavens; the next it plunged downward, skimming over the surface of the sea.

Yan Nanfei was filled with excitement, while Bianbian patiently explained the principles of flight again and again.

One taught with sincerity, the other learned with equal dedication. Soon, only the silhouette of the falcon remained in the azure sky.

Below, the two fox demons exchanged a glance and could not help laughing. Shaking their heads, they turned and walked away.

“This feeling is wonderful!”

Yan Nanfei’s comprehension was astonishing. Earlier, his body had transformed too quickly, leaving him no time to adapt, which was why he had struggled so badly.

“I’m telling you, those two demons below cannot be allowed to live. If the native humans and demons of this world learn that you obtained the Skyfaring Evasion Armor and became its master, you will never escape, no matter how powerful your wings are.”

“Is it truly that serious?”

Yan Nanfei’s heart tightened. Cold light flashed in his falcon eyes as he stared in the direction where the two fox demons had gone.

“Return me to my original form. They are only at the early Profound Entry Stage. Destroying them should not be difficult.”

“Who would have thought you had such courage? Very well. Let me see what you can do.”

With a wave of Bianbian’s hand, Yan Nanfei returned to his human form.

“But remember this: from now on, you handle the exhausting work of changing forms yourself. I’m terribly weak. You’ll need to find some heavenly treasures so I can recover as quickly as possible.”

“Don’t worry. I guarantee it.”

Yan Nanfei’s expression turned solemn. With a thought, a suit of armor appeared around him amid flickering azure light.

Deep azure astral winds coiled and flowed across its surface. Their razor-sharp edges tore through the air, producing continuous explosive cracks.

Even the enormous wings behind him had turned deep azure and trembled faintly.

Yan Nanfei’s body left a streak of azure light in the air as he shot toward the two fox demons.

Had the Transcendent elder of Skylark King City witnessed this speed, he would certainly have been stunned. Yan Nanfei was already moving as fast as that elder.

His current speed was entirely due to the Skyfaring Evasion Armor. His original bronze armor had already been assimilated into it, which was why its power was so astonishing now that it had reappeared.

In the space of a few breaths, Yan Nanfei arrived above the two fox demons. Clenching both fists, he plunged downward.

“What is this?”

The elder fox demon yanked his younger brother aside and flashed ten meters away.

His reaction was not slow, but Yan Nanfei’s fist grazed his shoulder, tearing away a chunk of flesh.

“Brother, you’re hurt!”

The younger fox demon’s expression darkened when he saw that his elder brother had been wounded by a single strike.

“Which faction do you belong to? I am Fang Shuo of Flame Island, and this is my younger brother, Fang Tian. May I ask why you have suddenly attacked us? Do we bear some grudge against you?”

Fang Shuo’s words were polite, but cold light gleamed in his eyes. The demon essence within his body surged madly.

A closer look revealed that every strand of fur on the tail behind him had risen stiffly, each one flashing with a chilling sheen.

“Heh…”

Yan Nanfei gave a cold laugh.

“You and I have no grudge. I attacked because I intend to destroy you both. Prepare to die!”

His wings trembled.

The fox demons saw only a streak of azure light cross the distance between them and arrive before their eyes in an instant.

Fang Shuo’s pupils contracted. He twisted his body and thrust the tail behind him toward the incoming Yan Nanfei.

“Boom!”

The entire tail instantly expanded, its fine hairs hardening like steel needles and standing erect like a gigantic mace. The only problem was that this mace was simply enormous.

“Whoosh! Whoosh!”

Countless icy flashes shot outward, covering every part of Yan Nanfei’s body.

Yan Nanfei narrowed his eyes slightly. The wings behind him spread at once and closed around his body, shielding him completely.

“Clink, clink…”

Sparks flew in every direction.

When the barrage of steel-like hairs ended, Yan Nanfei’s wings opened and rose toward the sky.

“Windfeather Slash!”

With a furious shout, two illusory wings of energy descended in a sweeping strike toward the fox brothers.

“Big Brother, move!”

Fang Tian cried out and thrust both hands forward, sending two enormous energy claws roaring toward the pair of energy wings.

Amid thunderous explosions, the energy claws shattered the moment they collided with the giant wings.

The azure wings flashed and sliced straight through Fang Tian’s body.

“Brother!”

Fang Shuo cried out in grief and lunged toward Yan Nanfei, intent on fighting him to the death.

But before his thoughts had even settled, Yan Nanfei was already before him. A three-foot-long azure blade of energy swept horizontally toward his neck.

Fang Shuo’s eyes filled with blood. With a furious roar, fiery-red astral energy erupted and shielded his entire body. His right fist gathered explosive force and slammed toward Yan Nanfei’s azure blade.

Seeing this, Yan Nanfei raised the corner of his mouth in mockery. The blade in his hand did not slow, while his left leg rose at an impossible angle and kicked toward Fang Shuo’s fiery fist.

In that instant, Fang Shuo watched in disbelief as his attack was blocked by a single kick.

What shocked him even more was the astonishing angle of Yan Nanfei’s leg.

As his consciousness faded, one thought flashed through his mind:

He has become the master of the Skyfaring Evasion Armor…

Yan Nanfei’s blade swept across Fang Shuo’s neck, and his head flew into the air.

The wings behind Yan Nanfei beat once, sending a fierce astral wind swirling upward and grinding Fang Shuo’s head into fragments.

His wings continued to beat. Several more azure astral winds swept up the corpses of the two fox demons, shredding them completely before carrying the remains into the sea.

“Not bad. Kill them, destroy the bodies, and leave no trace. Now hurry away. Caution is the surest path to safety.”

Bianbian praised him while urging Yan Nanfei to leave the dangerous place as quickly as possible.

Yan Nanfei knew how serious the situation was. He immediately beat his wings, rose into the sky, and transformed into a streak of azure light that vanished into the distant horizon.

The End of Chapter 101, “Slaying Two Demons,” in The Ultimate Edge of Martial Dao.