How strong is a demon at the ninth level of the Spirit-Awareness Realm?
Lu Yu profoundly understood the might of the ninth level of the Spirit-Awareness Realm.
Although there are only two minor realms between the seventh and ninth levels, the combat strength is vastly different.
It's no exaggeration to say that a ninth-level Spirit-Awareness cultivator can effortlessly kill a seventh-level one with a wave of their hand.
Lu Yu could crush a seventh-level demon with one punch, but hitting the seven-thousand-foot demon shadow only shattered a corner of it.
In a blink, the shattered body restored itself to normal.
Against the seven-thousand-foot demon shadow, Lu Yu, not even a single yard tall, was like a small speck, the size difference more exaggerated than that between a mosquito and a human.
But size wouldn't limit the strength of a ninth-level Spirit-Awareness demon.
The rolling Demonic Qi engulfed Lu Yu, turning into a millstone that constantly eroded his strength.
As the Demonic Qi swept over Lu Yu's body, a burst of spiritual light erupted from him. Ordinary Demonic Qi couldn't even break through the Spiritual Qi membrane on his skin, let alone harm him.
Suddenly, Lu Yu felt the world spinning, and demonic qi transformed into "Lu Yu" figures appearing in the black fog.
These "Lu Yu" figures moved like lightning, splitting mountains with their strength, even possessing the same martial skills as Lu Yu, completely identical copies of him.
Bang~ A clone shadow struck Lu Yu, and he was surprised at the power emanating from its fist.
This clone shadow's strength was almost the same as his own, and with one punch, it broke through Lu Yu's protective spiritual light.
As the power breached the spiritual light, trying to penetrate further into his body, the river of stars within him surged, a mighty force erupted, instantly obliterating the inner force.
Lu Yu smashed a clone shadow with one palm, but hundreds, even thousands more rushed at him.
The strength of these clone shadows, each equivalent to Lu Yu's physical strength, could shatter his defense.
However, without the river of stars within, and lacking its power, they were no match for Lu Yu.
Compared to physical strength, the power of the river of stars was the true foundation of Lu Yu's strength.
The river of stars vibrated and starlight blossomed, Lu Yu unleashed hundreds of punches in an instant, transforming into a thousand-hand Buddha, annihilating all surrounding demon shadows.
The clone shadows attempted to counter Lu Yu's attacks with similar strength, but they collapsed upon contact, ruthlessly shattered by his punches.
After throwing tens of thousands of punches, Lu Yu felt a sensation, the river of stars within him surged, flowing with the power, rushing out through his fists.
A river of stars soared into the sky, piercing through the demon shadows, countless rays of starlight pierced the thick black fog, as if purifying the entire world.
The demon shadows gradually dispersed, the river of stars traversed the space and realm, soaring into the battle arena's sky, transforming into twinkling starlight, disappearing into the void.
Outside the domain, everyone only saw a beam of white light shooting into the sky, and then bright fragments of light fell from the sky, like shattered starlight scattering over the world.
Lu Yu's figure gradually appeared in the air, the demon shadow already slain by him.
The Heavenly Dao granted him a gift, Lu Yu comprehended two hundred paths of the Heaven and Earth Law, adding two hundred new members to the river of stars.
The only regret was that the essence of the Spirit-Awareness demon that manifested the demon shadow didn't provide much enhancement to Lu Yu.
Even though the final power of that demon rivaled the ninth level of the Spirit-Awareness Realm, their understanding of the Heaven and Earth Law was still only at the entry level of the Spirit-Awareness Realm, not advancing with their power.
Acquiring two hundred paths of the Heaven and Earth Law in one go, Lu Yu was quite satisfied.
Lu Yu glanced around and spotted a familiar figure not far away. With a thought, his figure vanished from where he stood.
"Zhou Hong," Lu Yu greeted, somewhat surprised to meet Zhou Hong here.
Hearing Lu Yu's voice, Zhou Hong stiffened, turning around in surprise, with traces of astonishment remaining on his face, "Lu Yu, how are you⦠how are you here?"
He hadn't realized that the one who killed the Spirit-Awareness demon was Lu Yu. On one hand, the demon initially displayed only peak Fragmentation Realm strength.
Having recently entered the Fragmentation Realm himself, Zhou Hong couldn't possibly engage in a peak Fragmentation Realm level battle, so he stayed far away.
On the other hand, Lu Yu's aura was naturally restrained, making it undetectable to those of lower realms.
It was normal for Zhou Hong not to notice Lu Yu.
A flicker of surprise crossed Lu Yu's eyes; he had sensed a sudden boil of power within Zhou Hong, as if in response to some dire threat, before quickly calming down.
He clearly felt that during the power burst, Zhou Hong harbored a distinct hostility toward him.
Though the hostility was fleeting, he caught it nonetheless.
Lu Yu's thoughts raced, his face smiling as he said, "Long time no see. By the way, last time, in the shattered worldβ¦"
He intentionally paused to observe Zhou Hong's reaction.
Sure enough, upon mentioning the shattered world, Zhou Hong's face changed dramatically, expressionless, yet Lu Yu could sense the tension within him.
Lu Yu sneered inwardly; he now knew who had ambushed him previously.
Most likely, it was the strongmen from Prince Zhou's Mansion. To silence him and prevent exposing Zhou Hong's consumption of the Prince Yan's eldest son's saint blood, they ambushed him.
Throughout the process, the strongmen from Prince Zhou's Mansion didn't reveal a trace of their presence.
Identifying such powerful forces with whom Lu Yu had grudges was rather straightforward.
Lu Yu initially thought that the matter had been exposed, prompting the strongmen from Prince Yan's Mansion to seek revenge for the two deceased, avoiding entanglement with the Divine Weapon Pavilion, hence hiding their identity.
