Ye Yu finished reading Chen Mingzi’s memories in an instant. Everything was exactly as he’d said—there wasn’t a single lie. The demons who ambushed Ye Ji Zui had all been slain by him. During that time, Chen Mingzi had suffered greatly, torn between loyalty to his clan and gratitude to Ye Ji Zui. Though the deed was done, his heart could never move past it. This showed Chen Mingzi still bore true remorse, but when forced to choose between gratitude and his people, he chose them.
As for the Ring of Life, it had indeed been in Chen Mingzi’s possession. He had found it in the Wing Demon City lord’s mansion and fought several Demon King Realm powerhouses in a bloody battle to seize it. It had not been easily won. This meant Niu Shixiao’s guess was wrong—the Ring of Life was not with Yue Wanqiu, but in Wing Demon City itself. Damn him, what a ridiculous lie—he should have written novels instead!
Staring at the Ring of Life in his hand, Ye Yu’s eyes narrowed slightly.
The next day, Ye Yu returned to the same forest. Jing Yanxin’s phantom appeared once more, brimming with excitement. “Truly worthy of the Legendary Fate Demon—you even slew a famed powerhouse like Chen Mingzi. Remarkable indeed. Now, hand over the Ring of Life!”
Ye Yu withdrew the Ring of Life from his Storage Ring and toyed with it in his palm without handing it over. “Do you think I can trust you? How about I give it to you after I find Nangong Jingtang?”
Jing Yanxin’s phantom paused. “If you don’t trust me, nothing I say will matter. Give me the Ring of Life now, and I’ll immediately tell you Lord Nangong’s whereabouts. You must know she’s in grave danger—the longer you wait, the more peril she faces. Don’t lose the big picture for a trifle!”
Ye Yu shook his head and spoke softly, “Do you think I’d believe that? Nangong Jingtang’s strength is peerless—how could she easily fall into danger?”
A faint smile curved Jing Yanxin’s lips. “Stop trying to trap my words. I’ll give you ten breaths to decide. If you don’t want to know Lord Nangong’s location, I’ll leave. I’m sure many great demons will pay handsomely for this information.”
Ye Yu fell silent, his expression solemn as he pondered. Meanwhile Jing began counting aloud, “Ten... nine... eight...”
Then, in a flash, Ye Yu raised his hand. “Stop—no need to count further!”
Jing Yanxin’s phantom broke into a confident grin. “Well? Decided?”
“Yes,” Ye Yu replied. “I’ve found you.”
In that moment, Ye Yu’s figure dissolved into thin air.
Hundreds of miles away, within a hidden mountain cave, countless rocks exploded outward. A figure «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» was blasted back like a cannonball, crashing heavily to the ground. It was none other than the true Jing Yanxin, who had yet to reveal his real form.
From the start, Ye Yu had used his phantom to distract Jing’s attention, while his true body silently searched within a ten-thousand-li radius. Finally, his efforts paid off—he had found Jing Yanxin at last. There was no mercy to be had now.
Jing Yanxin struggled to his feet from the massive pit, pressing his deformed jaw with both hands. With a great snap, his face returned to its original form. “Damnable,” he muttered. “Such a nondescript sheep demon, yet possessing strength even greater than the Manniu Clan’s warriors—truly uncanny!”
But complaint aside, Jing Yanxin’s first instinct was to flee. After all, if even Chen Mingzi couldn’t stand against Ye Yu, what chance did he have? Yet, having been discovered, escape would not be so easy.
An invisible barrier rose instantly, severing all thoughts of flight. Seeing he could not break the formation and with Ye Yu’s gaze like a tiger’s behind him, Jing gritted his teeth. “I don’t want the Ring of Life anymore. I’ll tell you Lord Nangong’s location—spare my life!”
“No,” Ye Yu replied, “stop talking. After I shatter your body and bind your soul, then we can talk. At least that way I’m sure what I hear is true.” He gave a light laugh.
A Supreme Mandate Talisman appeared between his fingertips.
As a defector of the Centipede Tribe, Jing Yanxin had spent most of his life on the run, accumulating vast combat experience. Failing to reason with Ye Yu only stirred his ferocity further. He slapped the ground with both hands, and his figure burst into a blinding radiance that hurt to look at. When the light faded, Jing Yanxin had vanished—but the surrounding formation remained intact, proving he had not escaped.
Ye Yu frowned and scanned the area. Suddenly, the world brimmed with endless sword qi. A deafening roar of steel rang out as a colossal sword, a hundred zhang long, burst through the earth. Even before it could descend, its intent locked onto Ye Yu, leaving no avenue of evasion.
In that instant Ye Yu saw the truth: the giant sword was none other than the centipede’s tail, honed into a blade—a true Sword-Tail Centipede!
With a thunderous crash, the massive sword slammed down, shaking the entire valley. Ye Yu’s aura vanished completely. Was he dead? It seemed unlikely.
From the earth emerged a thousand-zhang centipede, ripples trembling above its head. Soon Jing Yanxin’s upper body appeared within the rippling miasma, his gaze cold and unwavering. His hands formed demon seals, poised to strike the finishing blow. But the dust and smoke from the impact were too thick to see through, and Ye Yu’s divine sense was blocked—most vexing!
As Jing Yanxin prepared to disperse the haze, he suddenly changed color and let out a tremendous scream. His entire thousand-zhang form was yanked into the dust cloud! A thousand-zhang manifestation—so vast, but how compared to ten thousand?
Only within the swirling smoke did Jing Yanxin realize the truth: Ye Yu had manifested a ten-thousand-zhang Law Body and twisted his sword-tail into a macabre spiral, crushing it utterly.
