Chapter Three: The Abyssal Demon

The vortex spun faster and faster, its size growing to a remarkable extent in the blink of an eye. Thick, pitch-black demonic energy surged from its center.

"What potent demonic energy," Leng Tian murmured, opening his eyes as the lake began to change. He gazed intently at the torrent of darkness, and suddenly felt a familiar presence hidden within the swirling magic.

The demonic energy grew denser, almost blanketing the entire surface of the lake. After a humming sound echoed across the water, the darkness parted to either side from the heart of the vortex.

The whirlpool dissipated as well, and the lake water at its center was split apart as if by invisible hands, forming a passage several meters wide.

Floating demonic energy rushed downward, wrapping the walls of water on each side. Then all fell silent; not a single ripple could be heard. The sun, now a half-hidden face behind the mountains, seemed to sneak a glimpse at the last trace of life before nightfall.

A sudden sense of foreboding seized Leng Tian. He felt that something dreadful was about to happen.

The warriors present erupted into chaos at the appearance of the passage. Someone shouted, "Charge! Find the treasure!" and the crowd surged forward in a rush.

Leng Tian remained motionless, his unease intensifying as the passage opened. An intangible voice seemed to warn him to stay away, to retreat as far as possible.

He knew this was his sharp intuition alerting him to imminent danger—something he could not resist might soon occur. So he did not move, but watched the entrance of the passage in silence.

The prince and his companions also stayed back. In no time, hundreds of warriors poured into the dark corridor, and the surroundings returned to calm.

Outside, only Leng Tian and the prince’s party remained—six people in total—waiting quietly.

"You stay here and protect the princess," the prince said. With a flash, he disappeared into the passage like a phantom.

Standing straight atop a tree, Leng Tian tried to get a clear view of the passage beneath the lake. There, beneath the stone tablet, was a vast opening.

"What a wicked presence!" A wave of evil energy drifted out from the shadowy woods. Leng Tian instinctively glanced at the princess and her companions. Four men stood with swords drawn, encircling her, their faces wary as they scanned the surroundings.

A chilling, grotesque laughter echoed through the silent forest. Three gray shadows flashed into view before the princess and her guards.

Leng Tian drew a sharp breath. "It’s them—how can such monsters exist in this world?"

He hadn’t expected the three gray figures to be the fearsome invaders of the Tianyuan Continent, though their aura was far weaker than that horde, lacking the same terror.

The princess let out a terrified scream, trembling uncontrollably, tears sparkling in her wide eyes.

Her fear was understandable, for the appearance of these three was truly hideous!

Each had a pair of horns rising from their brows, faces covered in scales, and between their features protruded purple fangs. Their lips, black and tinged with green, parted to reveal a tongue, gray-black and studded with fleshy barbs, writhing inside.

Their pupils were narrow, slit-like, glowing with a cold, dark purple light. Their eyes moved without a trace of emotion—not something any human could possess!

From neck downward, their bodies and limbs were coated in dense, deep purple scales, impenetrable to wind or rain. Each finger ended in bone-like, deep purple claws, opening and closing to reveal a razor-sharp gleam that sent chills through any onlooker.

"Princess, do not fear. We will protect you with our lives," one guard reassured her, though his trembling hands betrayed his true terror.

Three shrill laughs sounded. The monsters, shrouded in gray mist, darted forward, their claws flashing as they struck at the guards.

Four swords gleamed, sparks flying, yet their sharp blades merely drew sparks from the monsters’ bodies. The guards were stunned. "Little Four, take the princess and flee on the spirit kite—we’ll cover you!"

A younger guard obeyed, grabbing the princess and pulling her out of the battle zone. He whistled, and a shrill cry echoed from above.

A purple streak shot into Little Four’s mouth like lightning. He collapsed with a thud, dead; a purple claw protruded from his lips. "Help! Save me..." Another monster lunged at the princess, its hideous face twisted.

Its deadly claws aimed straight at the princess’s head. The guards were frozen in terror, unable to break free.

Just as the claws were about to pierce her skull, a blue figure streaking gold crashed down!

With a thundering impact, the monster was hurled backward, howling. Leng Tian, clad in blue, stood tall, his fist gleaming gold, like molten metal.

"Brother, take the princess and go! If we die, so be it, but she cannot be harmed," a guard cried to Leng Tian.

Brows furrowed, Leng Tian hesitated only for a moment, then swept the princess into his arms, leaping onto the spirit kite’s back. With a piercing cry, the creature flapped its wings and soared skyward.

Seated on its back, Leng Tian released the princess. "You’re safe now, there’s no need to be afraid."

Hearing his words, the princess lifted her head from his embrace, blushing shyly. "Thank you for saving me," she whispered, her cheeks reddening like apples.

Leng Tian’s heart warmed at her bashful charm. He glanced at her a few more times, but the cries of agony from below drew his attention back to earth.

The sun left only a burning cloud on the horizon. From high above, the land was dim, but Leng Tian could still make out the scene below.

The remaining three guards had been slain; the three grotesque monsters were tearing at their corpses, blood and flesh flying, severed limbs scattered across the ground. Leng Tian frowned. "Such savage creatures—Tianyuan Continent may not escape this fate."

The princess saw the carnage too, burying her head in Leng Tian’s embrace, trembling violently.

Leng Tian smiled gently, patting her back. "It’s all right. Don’t be afraid—I’ll keep you safe."

A deafening roar shook the earth and mountains. A pillar of demonic energy shot skyward, shattering the air.

The spirit kite cried out, frantically flapping its wings as it fled. Leng Tian was stunned, staring at the column of darkness with a grim premonition. Perhaps this was not a grave of earth demons, but a trap laid long ago.

"Run! The earth demon has been reborn!"

Dozens of figures burst from the demonic energy, fleeing toward the surrounding mountains. A hellish howl shook the heavens.

Invisible waves of force swept up from below, tossing the spirit kite a mile through the air. Leng Tian clung tightly to its neck, holding the terrified princess in his other arm.

A ghastly laughter echoed. "Earth Demon, so you truly survived—ha ha, just right to become my vessel..."

"Demon of the Abyss, how can you still exist in this world!" boomed a deep, resonant male voice through the void.

Leng Tian and the princess landed atop a mountain. The spirit kite cowered, its massive body trembling, whimpering in fear.

Two figures—one black, one gray—appeared in the sky. "How can it be him?" Leng Tian gasped in disbelief. The gray figure floating in the air was the prince who had entered the underground tomb earlier!

The princess was stunned, terror and shock written across her delicate face. "Brother, how... how could you become like this?" Her voice faltered.

The prince’s face alone remained unchanged; his entire body was now covered in purple-gold scales, identical to the monsters who had attacked the princess.

The other figure was concealed entirely in demonic energy, his features obscured. "If you are an abyssal demon, then today I, the Great Demon, will destroy you!" The earth demon’s voice was calm and powerful. With a surge of magic, he struck out with his fist.

The abyssal demon laughed. "You dare boast with the power you have now? Watch as I devour you!" His claw swept forward, conjuring a massive purple-gold talon wreathed in sinister gray mist, striking at the earth demon.

With a mighty roar, the earth demon’s enormous fist, wrapped in black energy, crashed into the prince’s spectral claw.

"Two demons, one abyssal, one earth—who is stronger?" Leng Tian watched their clash, both radiating overwhelming power, true titans. "If I were at my peak, I would fear neither of them. But now, I am so fragile before them!"

"So these monsters are called abyssal demons. But why did the earth demon say they should no longer exist in this world? Could it be..." Leng Tian’s heart filled with dread at the thought.

"What happened to brother? Why did he become like this? I’m so scared..." The princess sobbed in Leng Tian’s arms, overwhelmed by fear at her brother’s monstrous transformation.

"Face the truth. He’s no longer your brother," Leng Tian said gently, unable to bear the sight of her tears.

A thunderous boom shook the heavens. Space trembled, waves of energy rolled and crashed—mountains and trees shattered in their wake. Black and gray shadows clashed in midair, one evil and all-devouring, the other regal and mighty, their forms flickering and colliding, the roar echoing across the sky.

Leng Tian’s blood surged with excitement. "If only I hadn’t lost my cultivation, I would battle these two to the utmost. This world may be even more thrilling than Tianyuan Continent! Life comes in stages—since I am here, let this land witness my madness!"