The courtyard instantly fell silent. Even the rampaging Demonic Qi that raged between heaven and earth inadvertently stilled as all eyes converged on a single point.
The young man in the Brocade White Robe, holding a folding fan, slowly approached the area where the Demonic Qi was thickest. He casually stepped past both the shape-shifting Demon Emperor and the scantily clad, endlessly enchanting one, arriving before Wu Lingshu as if no one else was there.
Wu Lingshu looked at the youth before her, a strange illusion washing over her. It was as if they weren't surrounded by the Demon Race at all, but were instead strolling through his garden, admiring the flowers. He was simply too nonchalant, too casual.
The Ox Demon glared at Wang Xiu, hot air snorting from its nostrils. Its killing intent was palpable. "They say the Human Race loves to play the hero saving the damsel, but they should first see if they're even qualified…"
Its mocking words were cut short.
A figure in dark robes suddenly stepped out from Wang Xiu's body. In front of everyone, he walked up to the Ox Demon Emperor and raised a hand, tapping the center of its forehead. The motion was incredibly gentle, like a child playing house.
But at that moment, time seemed to freeze, with only everyone's consciousness still functioning. Only when the dark-robed figure leisurely turned and re-entered Wang Xiu's body did the sensation of frozen space and time dissipate.
The Ox Demon Emperor's eyes revealed a dazed look. It felt a chill on its forehead and subconsciously reached up with a massive hand to touch it.
CRACK—
A crisp shattering sound echoed, like a silver vase suddenly breaking. Its movement instantly froze. It stared blankly at its own hand as it cracked, inch by inch, like colored glass, shattering into countless tiny fragments before dissolving into ash. Panic finally appeared in its large, bell-like eyes. It wanted to scream but could make no sound. Looking down, it saw that its body had also disintegrated. Its neck was gone, leaving only a head to plummet downwards. Yet, it never hit the ground. It, too, turned into endless fine ash and scattered.
Immediately after, the dense Demonic Qi that had lingered around it year-round was blown away by a breeze, vanishing like a wisp of smoke.
The scene was quite poetic, very suitable for a painting. But everyone present felt only a profound chill. This was especially true for the other two Demon Emperors, whose pupils were filled with terror, their hearts flooded with overwhelming shock.
Gone? A Demon Emperor! A powerful Demon Emperor, comparable to a Three Calamities Earth Immortal, had just perished like that? Vanished into the world like an insignificant speck of dust?
"You… who exactly are you?" the enchanting Demon Emperor couldn't help but cry out, her beautiful figure trembling in fear.
The other Demon Emperor remained silent, its form shifting continuously like silt in a current, with only two wisps of ghostly light flickering like flames in the wind. It racked its mind, trying to guess Wang Xiu's identity. "The Taiyi Sword Immortal?" it murmured to itself. "No… this doesn't resemble Taiyi's Sword Dao. Li Wuxin, ninth on the Mortal Ranking? No, that's not right either…"
We came fully prepared. Thanks to our unique information channels, every powerhouse within and outside White Jade City who could possibly pose a threat was accounted for in our calculations. In other words, even if Cao Xiu and Zhuang Mocheng hadn't been captivated by Wang Xiu's Dao of Painting and fallen into a state of contemplation, we had ways to deal with those two nuisances. This just saved us some trouble. But… we never, ever expected an accident like this to occur!
Wang Xiu smiled faintly at the two Demon Emperors. "You've asked me so many questions," he said lightly. "Shouldn't it be my turn to ask you one?"
The two Demon Emperors remained silent.
"My question is… are you ready to die?"
The moment his voice fell, the two Demon Emperors felt their scalps tingle as a sense of extreme danger washed over them. Without hesitation, they immediately canceled the Heavenly Demon Forbidden, tore through space, and fled in two different directions.
Wang Xiu remained standing in place, unmoving. However, two figures emerged from within him, each taking a single step forward, shattering the void in pursuit.
An uproar erupted from the onlookers outside the courtyard gate. Just a moment ago, it seemed to them that the group was simply standing there, chatting and laughing. But suddenly, the scene before them shattered like a dream. Two terrifying figures, bursting with powerful Demonic Qi, fled into the sky, tearing through the void as they went.
It all happened so fast that it took a long moment before someone finally cried out, "Demons! The Demon Race has entered the city!"
Instantly, screams and cries of alarm filled the air.
Wang Xiu's expression remained calm. With a wave of his hand, he activated the Formation, shielding the courtyard from the sounds outside.
Inside, Cao Xiu and Zhuang Mocheng still stood before their respective paintings, growing more focused. A faint divine glow began to emanate from their bodies, and their auras gradually shifted. They had clearly gained some insight.
"We can't let them just escape like that!" Wu Lingshu finally snapped out of her daze, her brow furrowed as a Jade Talisman appeared in her hand.
Wang Xiu simply waved his hand dismissively. He sat down at the stone table, began to pour tea, and said casually, "Don't worry, they won't get away. Come… Miss Wu, have some tea."
Wu Lingshu was dumbstruck. She walked to the stone table, studied Wang Xiu for a moment, then cupped her fist in a formal bow. "Lingshu thanks Senior for saving my life."
The old man beside her also asked curiously, "May I be so bold as to ask for your name, sir?"
Their identities were special. While they couldn't claim to know every Earth Immortal in the entire Yaoguang Heavenly Realm, they were familiar with most of them. Moreover, someone as powerful as the man before them—who had killed a Demon Emperor so casually—was clearly no ordinary expert. Yet, no matter how they searched their memories, they couldn't find anyone who fit his description.
Wang Xiu waved his hand. "I am a nobody, not worth mentioning. Even if I told you my name, you wouldn't know it."
The two exchanged a look. Seeing that Wang Xiu was genuinely unwilling to say more, they decided not to press the issue.
Wu Lingshu opened her mouth, unable to stop herself from asking, "Senior, those two Demon Emperors…"
Wang Xiu smiled faintly and shook his head. "You are also a practitioner of the Dao of Painting. How can you be so impatient?"
Hearing this, Wu Lingshu's pretty face couldn't help but flush red.
"They're here," Wang Xiu suddenly said.
The two were momentarily stunned, then, as if sensing something, they looked in a certain direction.
HUMMM!
The void was torn open in two places. Two figures slowly stepped out. One was dressed in dark robes, the other in black and white Daoist robes. Each held a glowing orb thick with Demonic Qi. Screams and low roars echoed from within the orbs—they were clearly the remnant souls of the two Demon Emperors.
Wu Lingshu and her companion were even more astounded.
If the first Ox Demon was killed instantly because it was caught off guard, that was one thing. But these two were Demon Emperors who had been focused solely on escaping! And they had even gotten a head start! How were they caught and brought back so quickly? An expert of that caliber is incredibly difficult to kill… How much time has even passed?
"My thanks for your trouble," Wang Xiu said to Taishi and Taichu with a faint smile.
They both bowed. "Fellow Daoist is too kind. Eliminating demons and protecting the Dao is our duty."
As soon as they spoke, they set down the remnant souls of the Demon Emperors and vanished back into Wang Xiu's body.
The Sword Cultivator elder from Qianyuan Mountain witnessed this and was stunned to realize that although the two men had different faces from Wang Xiu, their auras were incredibly similar, giving the impression that they were all one and the same person.
Could it be… they're his external incarnations?
At that thought, his expression contorted in shock once more.
It's common knowledge that an external incarnation, no matter how powerful, can never be stronger than the original body! To be able to slaughter Demon Emperors like dogs with only his incarnations… just how terrifyingly powerful is this Young Master Wang himself?
