A single motion, and Han Gu’s figure retreated at lightning speed, his eyes narrowing.
At that moment, a towering Demonic City—its walls as black as obsidian—rose before him, bridging earth and sky in a display of awe-inspiring grandeur. Within its bounds, Ye Yu and Monk Wuguo stood immobile, their eyes clenched shut and their spirits in turmoil—clearly under the Mind Devil God’s control.
Han Gu’s expression grew grave. He had never faced a mind devil this potent before. Fortunately, its cultivation was only at the peak of the Golden Divine Stage; otherwise, even he might have succumbed. He weighed whether to cleave the city open and rescue Ye Yu at once—after all, Ye Yu’s strength could not endure this torment for long.
But after a moment’s thought, Han Gu let his Soul-Piercing Divine Sword lower. Not that he didn’t intend to save him, but that he would wait. The Mind Devil’s assault could temper Ye Yu’s spirit: if he struck before Ye Yu’s mind fractured completely, the trial would greatly benefit the younger man. And by intervening at the crucial moment, Han Gu could both maximize his lifesaving debt and demonstrate to his prospective son-in-law the might of a father-in-law—ensuring Ye Yu remained earnest and loyal to his daughter’s cultivation.
Resolved, Han Gu gripped his sword and stood guard at the city’s edge, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
Within the Demonic City, the Mind Devil God had dissolved into a formless will. He stared in disbelief at the northwest corner—just moments ago, only he and the monk had been here. Now another deity had appeared. Could this newcomer be the monk’s accomplice?
Radiant crimson light shone from the Mind Devil’s eyes as he swept the city—and at last he discerned Ye Yu’s guise. Discovering Ye Yu was merely in the late New God Stage, he sneered and altered his estimation: the monk was at the Heavenly Divine Stage, so any ally should match that power. Recruiting a weak New God Stage deity was unthinkable—hardly worth a second glance. Clearly, Ye Yu had stumbled in by mistake, fleeing for cover—alas, it was too late.
Turning back, the Mind Devil God renewed his assault on Monk Wuguo. The Buddha phantasm behind the monk blurred, on the verge of collapse. The Mind Devil’s dark waves swirled like a gale until the phantasm shattered completely.
Monk Wuguo’s body, once vibrant, began to gray from the feet upward in a deathly pallor. Though the process was slow, it was inexorable. In less than the time it took an incense stick to burn, the monk stood as a crumbling stone statue—but even in that stony form, a flicker of golden light pulsed at his heart.
From within the statue, the Mind Devil God drifted forth with no joy in his expression. The monk’s pure Buddha heart had proved stubbornly resilient. Though the Mind Devil had invaded it freely, his corruption crept only slowly. It would take far more time to snuff out that divine spark.
Yet the monk posed no further threat. With a thought, the Mind Devil God turned to deal with the unfortunate New God Stage intruder.
In an instant of divine will, Ye Yu materialized before the Mind Devil God—a power of his Path: Heaven-Piercing Demon Mind. Within the Demonic City, he stood unmatched.
The Mind Devil God’s mask twisted in mockery. Though one of Ye Yu’s rank seldom inspired fear, even a mosquito is still meat. Consider it sport. He raised a hand to press upon Ye Yu’s brow.
Outside, Han Gu stiffened and gripped his sword, prepared to breach the city and slay the devil.
Inside, Ye Yu’s heart pounded. He had no control of his body; he could only watch the Mind Devil’s finger draw near.
Then a slightly aged voice echoed in his mind: “Hiss—one does not often encounter such ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) robust soul energy. This is a mighty tonic!”
Ye Yu’s heart leapt. What was this? Why had an outsider’s voice intruded? A system? Impossible—no system could invade a dream. That left only one possibility: the ring spirit of his Soul-Cleaving Spirit-Slaying Knife (his high-grade artifact).
“小 one,” the voice said, “I can lend you power—simply do one thing: swing the blade and let me feast on this fiend!”
At that moment, Ye Yu’s Storage Ring glowed, and the wooden blade of his Spirit-Slaying Knife materialized in his palm. A surge of pure divine power flooded him, elevating his strength to mid-Great Divine Stage.
He barely had time to register this boon before the Mind Devil God loomed over him. To seize the chance, Ye Yu drove the wooden blade in a downward slash.
The Mind Devil God’s eyes widened in surprise—how could this puny New God Stage deity so suddenly break free and wield Great Divine power? Curious beyond measure, he made no move to dodge—after all, in this city he was the sole true god, indestructible. His focus lay elsewhere: he sought to delve into Ye Yu’s heart sea.
With a crack through empty air, Ye Yu’s wooden blade cleaved the Mind Devil’s ethereal form with no resistance. The devil did not flinch—until countless arcane sigils flickered to life along the blade’s edge, unleashing a voracious pull that began to consume the Mind Devil’s soul body.
Fear replaced the mockery on his face. All his struggles were futile; he could only watch as his soul was drawn into the blade until it vanished utterly.
Simultaneously, Han Gu shattered the Demonic City’s walls and strode inside. He fixed his gaze on the Spirit-Slaying Knife, his expression a tangle of relief, pride, and something akin to fatherly approval.
