Chapter 352: You Call Yourselves Devils?
"After 10 days, I've reached the Perfect Fate Ocean Realm," Yun Xiao muttered. He could sense the vast primordial power coursing through his meridians, his eyes sparkling with divine light.
"After entering the Dao Heart Realm, cultivating takes a tad bit more effort. Just relying on the Heavenly Dao Sariras isn't enough," Yun Xiao mused.
In the past, crossing a major realm never took this long!
"A little bit more time, and I'll probably break through again," Yun Xiao estimated to himself. Sadly, time was tight with the apex battle imminent, leaving him in a not ideal situation.
However, Yun Xiao wasn't the type to fret over such details. Glancing back, he saw Pale Revenant perched on the roof, swinging her pale feet back and forth, ever-vigilant like a devoted handmaiden.
She heeded his commands without a hint of hesitation, a stark contrast to the constantly bickering War Princess, proving a more fitting companion.
"Immortal Yun," Pale Revenant called out softly, ready at his side.
"Mhm. Let's go," Yun Xiao said, descending from the rooftop.
She followed along behind him, her steps light and airy, mirroring a gentle sea breeze.
In the alley below, two figures awaited their arrival. One, adorned in gold robes with white brows and long hair, was none other than the Sword Warden. Beside him stood a mermaid with tri-colored tail fins. In spite of being the same age as Mu Dalong, she exuded the tender charm of youth, a true beauty of the seas.
"Sword Warden, and this must be the Siren Empress," Yun Xiao greeted, receiving a modest bow from the mermaid, her eyes barely meeting his, overawed by the presence of a reincarnated Immortal.
The sight of the formidable Pale Revenant, standing like a handmaiden beside Yun Xiao, eased her nerves significantly.
"Are you here concerning the rules of the apex battle?" Yun Xiao asked.
"Yes." The Siren Empress, not daring to deceive, nodded truthfully.
"Choose me as your champion, and defeat won't be in your future," Yun Xiao assured, then soared into the night towards the battleground, his confidence leaving a lasting impression.
The Siren Empress, now relieved, watched his fading silhouette in the night sky, convinced of a forthcoming upheaval in the Nine Hells.
"Big changes are coming to the Nine Hells." The Sword Warden remarked with a faint smile. Then, he turned to the Siren Empress and said, "You children of the sea, always swimming towards the light, never seem to err."
In the Eight Trigrams arena, only two battles remained in the Fate Ocean Battle Royale. That was to say, there were only 30 minutes before the apex battle!
"Follow me, we're paying a visit to those Yin Devils," the Wick Devil announced to his eight fiercest comrades, the cream of the Rising Sun Inferno's crop, three of whom shared his blood.
"Why bother with them?" one asked, his head as bare as a desert and just as craggy, his arms long and hands so large they could probably ensnare a sphere half a foot in diameter with ease.
With a sly grin, the Wick Devil whispered a plot so cunning that it drew smirks from his audience.
"Those traitorous merfolk dared to turn against us, and these Yin Devils, knowing full well we might come for them, might just stab us in the back at the worst possible moment." The bald Yang Devil chuckled.
"Such betrayal cannot happen during the apex battle. So, we need absolute certainty."
"We'll snatch that little devil girl before the fight, holding her as our leverage. Those Yin Devils will have no choice but to fight tooth and nail for us."
The group, each more menacing than the last, agreed on the plan, preemptively condemning the Yin Devils for a betrayal they hadn't committed yet. The Wick Devil's plan had earned their approval and admiration.
"Third Uncle." The Wick Devil turned to the bald Yang Devil. "You're the strongest here, after me. Your methods are unparalleled. When I strike at the Netherworld Emperor, you must capture the War Princess."
"No problem," the bald Yang Devil's eyes flickered with a ghostly flame. "Any solid intel on this young lady's strength?"
"She's a force to be reckoned with, rumored to have reached the Heaven Sanctuary Realm despite her youth... Hence, your involvement," Wick Devil replied, his voice thick with anticipation.
"A Heaven Sanctuary Realm prodigy not yet eighteen..." the bald Yang Devil rasped, "Now that's a rare gem. If we don't act now, we might never get another chance."
"It's not just about getting a chance," the Wick Devil gritted his teeth, "She could lead the Yin Devils to obliterate our Rising Sun Inferno."
He knew the stakes. Once Yun Xiao was gone, the War Princess had to be neutralized; there was no room for negotiation.
"And after we've used her, do we kill her?" the bald Yang Devil asked.
The Wick Devil's expression twisted into a peculiar smile. "Third Uncle, to waste such a fine blood furnace would be a pity. You said it yourself, she's a rare gem. We should exploit her innate talents to sire more of our kind with Nine-Tiered Bloodlines."
The bald Yang Devil chuckled with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Well, looks like we're in for a treat."
The other Yang Devils joined in with their own sinister laughter, their appetites whetted even for the elusive Yin Devils they seldom got a chance to meddle with. Usually, they had to make do with the common folk to satisfy their cravings, as the core lineage of the Yin Devil royalty was well-guarded.
"Critical moment's all yours, Third Uncle," the Wick Devil said with a grave tone to the bald Yang Devil.
"Worry not, these hands of mine are experts in nabbing women! Especially those Yin Devil ladies, I never miss!" The bald Yang Devil cackled with delight.
"Third Uncle, the infamous Yin Devil Slayer!"
"I've heard through the grapevine, you've got over 800 delicate Yin Devil beauties in your palace, too busy to attend to them all?"
The joking went on among the Yang Devils, while the bald one shook his head. "Even 3,000 wouldn't compare to the War Princess... The real delicacy is reserved for my nephew here."
Everyone envied the Wick Devil, yet knew such a prize was beyond their grasp.
"Let's move," the Wick Devil commanded, and the atmosphere tensed as the apex battle approached. The Eight Trigrams arena was abuzz, with no real guard up among the six hells, everyone closely mingled.
The Talisman Emperor was rallying his troops, doling out assignments for the imminent clash, with the Netherworld Emperor and the War Princess among the listeners. Amidst this chaotic mix, nobody anticipated a preemptive strike, all eyes on the forthcoming battle.
The Wick Devil and his entourage were stealthily making their way towards the Netherworld Emperor, exchanging a knowing glance with the Talisman Emperor, who then shifted his focus to assigning tasks for the Endless Netherworld.
The Talisman Emperor was leading the charge against Yun Xiao. So, there were no objections from the Netherworld Emperor.
In the crowd, the War Princess stood outtall, formidable, and utterly captivating. Her training in the Mortal Dust Blood Calamity had only enhanced her allure, making every inch of her a masterpiece of temptation, her beauty transcending species and captivating allhuman, devil, or demon.
Even the seasoned bald Yang Devil couldn't help but stare, thirst evident in his eyes, "By the gods, I'd trade a decade of my life for just one night with her."
In his lifelong conquests across the lands of affection, the bald Yang Devil had never laid eyes on a gem quite like this. "The real kicker," he mused, "is that this fine vintage is yet unopened!"
Hot-blooded and green with envy, he was a storm of emotions. Fate had dealt him the hand to play a pivotal role today, yet the prize at the end wouldn't be his to savor. To see, to touch, but not to tastea tragedy of epic proportions.
Were he not feeling the weight of his years, he might've even entertained the notion of overthrowing the Wick Devil in a bid for power.
In a blink, the Yang Devils were upon the Netherworld Emperor, their approach masked as a mere shuffle through the crowd towards the Talisman Emperor, arousing no suspicion.
But the Netherworld Emperor and the War Princess were not alone; they were flanked by a cadre of Yin Devils in the Heaven Sanctuary Realm.
"They're here," Second Uncle whispered to the Netherworld Emperor, who cast a chilly glance at the Wick Devil, all too familiar with his loathsome smirk.
Yet, this encounter was unlike any before. In the fleeting moment of his approach, the Wick Devil unleashed the formidable Dragon Wick Seal straight at the Netherworld Emperor!
BOOM! The sudden assault took everyone by surprise.
"Protect the princess!" the Netherworld Emperor immediately ordered, highlighting his protective instincts for his daughter. As he spoke, he positioned himself before the Wick Devil, conjuring a net-like magic treasure to fend off the relentless Dragon Wick Seal.
The clash between Yin and Yang was instantaneous!
BOOM! Following the Wick Devil's lead, his eight Yang Devil accomplices jumped into action, bypassing the Netherworld Emperor to target the other Yin Devils.
"Scatter!" The onlookers from the various hells dispersed, their minds a whirlwind of shock and confusion.
Here the Talisman Emperor was, preaching unity among the six hells, and yet, the Yang and Yin Devils erupted into conflict amidst the chaos, with explosions reverberating all around!
BOOM! The arena erupted as Yang Devil powerhouses lunged into the fray, forcing the War Princess' uncles into a tough standoff, parrying the relentless onslaught.
The Yang Devils, crafty in their strategy, had calculated the odds, ensuring they had the numbers to overwhelm.
In that critical moment, two extra Yang Devils jumped forward, targeting the War Princess herself, with the notorious bald Yang Devil leading the charge, his face twisted in a vicious grin.
"It's him!" The cry went up, recognizing the infamous old Yang Devil, a name cursed in the Endless Netherworld for his audacious raids and abductions.
The real intent of the Yang Devils lay bare; the Warrior Princess was their prize!
"Will the Immortal Asylum intervene?" No one could say for sure. But under the sudden savage attack of the Yang Devils, the unprepared Yin Devils were quickly faltering.
The War Princess was now squarely in the sights of the bald Yang Devil.
"Little lady, you won't escape my grasp!" As the bald Yang Devil lunged forward with his massive hands, one aimed at her face and the other reaching forward at her chest, the War Princess could only scoff at his lecherous gaze, knowing full well his vile intentions.
Unshaken, the War Princess summoned the Weeping Netherblood whip in her hand, which burst forth like a blood beam, striking with lethal precision when the bald Yang Devil least expected it, changing direction mid-air to land a vicious blow across his face.
CRACK! Blood sprayed as his nose and an eye burst open, his face a mask of blood. "Ahh!" He fell to his knees, screaming in agony, his underestimation of the War Princess costing him dearly in a moment of careless aggression.
"What Yang Devil? Nothing but a lecherous old brute!" the War Princess declared, her voice icy as she brandished her Weeping Netherblood whip, wreathed in nefarious crimson.
With a roar like a dragon unleashed, the whip lashed out, puncturing the bald Yang Devil's belly with a grotesque squelch, his misdeeds against the Yin Devil women avenged in a gruesome spectacle.
His howl of agony was cut short as he crumpled to the ground, his face a ghastly shade of purple.
"To hell with you, you fool!" The War Princess, recalling his infamous reputation, seethed with rage.
With rapid strikes, the whip turned the once formidable figure of the Rising Sun Inferno's second in command into nothing more than a mound of flesh, his screams echoing across the Eight Trigrams arena.
With a flick of her whip, the War Princess dusted off her hands nonchalantly, her gaze sweeping across the stunned onlookers. "What are you staring at? Haven't you seen a beauty before?" she quipped, a triumphant grin spreading across her face.
"Damn, so this is what it feels like to show off," she mused, her prowess and pride etching a lasting impression on the hearts of all present.
As eyes turned towards the Wick Devil and his cohorts, who were busy forcing the Netherworld Emperor back, reveling in his moment of triumph until a tidal wave of shock from the crowd made him pause and turn, only to find his uncle vanquished.
Faced with the War Princess, who looked upon him with disdain, she questioned, "You call yourselves devils, you unevolved beasts?"
Such audacity was unheard of among the Yin Devils, leaving the Wick Devil momentarily halted, his fury swirling in his eyes yet overshadowed by a flicker of fear; the terrifying potential of this young Yin Devil had momentarily bested him.
Murmurs rose among the crowd, a common thread among their whispers, "This War Princess, she rivals Exile Yun in her might..."
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