84: Kill the three leaders

Shen Xiaochuan charged at the leader, blade and axe colliding with a spray of sparks. His arm went numb, and he instinctively took a half-step back. The leader's axe blade, wreathed in black fire, swept toward him once more.

He quickly ducked to dodge, rolling behind a wall to avoid the brunt of the attack. White Snow Princess fired an arrow, which precisely pinned the leader's calf, cold energy spreading up from the wound. The leader's movements faltered slightly; Shen Xiaochuan seized the opportunity and lunged out, slashing the demon-breaking blade fiercely into the old wound on its knee.

Black blood surged out suddenly.

The leader dropped to one knee, relying on its axe to keep from falling completely. It raised its head, its eyes burning with pitch-black flames, staring fixedly at Shen Xiaochuan.

On the other side, Huang Lu still stood in place, her hands pressed tightly against the Formation Plate. She was pale, her lips devoid of color, yet she never let go. "Winter's Arrival" continued, the ice layer thickening constantly, trapping more and more demons, with several already frozen stiff and collapsed on the ground.

White Snow Princess switched to her short bow and fired a barrage of ice cones, causing three excellent grade demons to explode on the spot. Zhang Heng threw out a Thunder Talisman, and amidst the deafening roar, two leaders turned to look at him simultaneously.

"You Japanese scum, how dare you come to my China to run wild!" Zhang Heng roared angrily.

The two leaders roared and lunged forward. At this moment, only one leader remained on the northeast roof, its back to Shen Xiaochuan, panting as it caught its breath.

Shen Xiaochuan immediately sheathed his blade and pressed against the wall, moving quietly along the broken ruins. He circled to the side, stepped on a collapsed wooden board, and leaped onto the roof, his movements light as the wind, without a sound.

The leader seemed to sense something and was about to turn around—

Shen Xiaochuan pushed off with both feet, charging out in a flash. He activated [Divine Sense Resonance], the runes within his body lighting up as his strength surged. He raised the demon-breaking blade high above his head, unleashed "Thunderous Overlord Slash," and struck down with all his might!

The blade light descended, piercing straight from the back of the neck through the spine. With a "crack," the Fel Energy Core shattered. The leader's body stiffened, it fell to its knees, and then pitched forward, crashing into a spray of ice shards.

The first leader, fallen.

Shen Xiaochuan pulled his blade free and leaped down, rolling upon landing to disperse the force. Just as he steadied himself, he heard an explosion behind him. The leader to the south released a "Hell Fire Pillar," causing three fissures to crack open in the ground as flames surged out.

Chen Zhanbei lunged in from the side, crossing his dual blades to parry the strike, though he was knocked back several steps. Gritting his teeth to steady himself, he backhanded a strike at the old wound on the leader's leg.

Shen Xiaochuan did not hesitate, rushing in with his blade. Just as the leader retracted its axe, he was already right in front of it. He used the demon-breaking blade to block the sweep head-on, used the momentum to flip beneath the opponent's belly, and backhanded his blade into the spot previously eroded by the cold energy.

The instant the blade tip touched the internal organs, he detonated the Thunder Force within the blade.

Boom!

A large hole exploded in the leader's abdomen, guts spilling out. Before its screams could fade, Shen Xiaochuan had already pulled the blade and swung upward in one fluid motion, slicing its entire abdomen open. Black blood splattered everywhere, and the corpse crashed to the ground.

Only one remained.

Seeing its companions all dead, the northwest leader let out a heaven-shaking roar. Black mist surged wildly, and the ice layer beneath its feet cracked inch by inch. Its eyes turned crimson, and with a wave of its hand, the black mist transformed into countless sharp blades that flew in all directions.

Huang Lu let out a muffled groan as her shield shattered; she was sent flying into a tree and slid to the ground. The phantom of Neeko flickered and vanished, and "Winter's Arrival" ended, causing the frozen demons to struggle and rise one after another.

White Snow Princess retreated rapidly, hiding behind a wall to draw her bow and aim. Zhang Heng threw out several new talismans, forming a barrier in front of him. Chen Zhanbei attempted to approach from behind but was struck on the arm by a blade of black mist, blood flowing freely.

Shen Xiaochuan stood in the center of the square, facing the last leader.

The opponent held nothing back, burning its life force to unleash "Abyssal Roar." The black mist transformed into a storm, sweeping across a ten-meter radius. With every step it took, a deep fissure cracked open in the earth.

Shen Xiaochuan retreated two steps, avoiding the first wave of impact. He watched his opponent's movements closely and discovered that there was a momentary pause after every time it cast a technique.

He was waiting for this opening.

The leader roared again, and the black mist surged forward like a tide. This time, he did not dodge; instead, he charged straight into the storm. With wind and sand battering his face, he closed his eyes and sprinted. Upon closing within three meters, he snapped his eyes open and captured a faint fluctuation in the opponent's chest—that was where the Fel Energy Core was located.

He pushed off with his feet, taking three steps, and used the momentum to leap three zhang into the air. Gripping his blade with both hands, he descended from the sky and struck down with all his might!

"Thunderous Overlord Slash!"

The blade pierced through the skull, directly destroying the Fel Energy Core. The leader's movements came to an abrupt halt, a ball of black mist exploded from the top of its head, and the corpse crashed to the ground.

Three excellent grade leaders, completely eliminated.

The square returned to silence.

Shen Xiaochuan stood amidst the corpses, breathing heavily. He put away his demon-breaking blade and walked over to Huang Lu to help her up. She shook her head, indicating she was fine, and slowly sat down against a tree to rest.

White Snow Princess walked over, checked her bowstring, removed the damaged parts, and installed spare components. She glanced at Shen Xiaochuan, said nothing, and merely nodded gently.

Zhang Heng put away his talisman pouch, his brows furrowed as he stared at the Main Hall gate, whispering, "Something is not right."

Chen Zhanbei finished bandaging and walked to the front of the group, his gaze fixed coldly on the tightly closed gate.

Shen Xiaochuan looked up.

The Main Hall stood silently, no light visible through the cracks in the door. However, he sensed a subtle fluctuation of Fel Energy, even more powerful than the previous three leaders. This aura was extremely deep and heavy, as if it were deliberately hidden.

He stepped forward a few paces and stopped before the steps.

The black blood remaining on the ground was slowly flowing toward the depths of the cracks, all moving in the same direction, as if it had a consciousness of its own, gathering toward the gap at the bottom of the door.

He crouched down and lightly touched the bloodstain with his fingertip.

A feeling of warmth came through, as if the blood were still flowing.

He stood up abruptly and quickly took a step back.

Just at that moment, black mist suddenly surged out from under the door crack, instantly enveloping the nearest leader's corpse. The corpse twitched violently, its joints emitting a "crack-crack" sound.

Shen Xiaochuan immediately drew his blade.

The rest of the group also reacted quickly, immediately forming a formation to prepare for battle.

But after twitching once, the corpse remained motionless. The black mist retracted back into the door crack, and everything returned to calm.

Shen Xiaochuan stared fixedly at that gate, not moving a muscle.

White Snow Princess approached quietly and asked in a low voice, "Are we still going in?"

He did not answer.

The distant horizon turned grayish-white; dawn was approaching.

His sleeve fluttered slightly, and the bronze Gear Pendant flashed with a cold light in the dim glow.

Chen Zhanbei looked at the fallen leader and gave Shen Xiaochuan a thumbs-up: "Brother Chuan, you're amazing!" White Snow Princess also nodded in acknowledgement, her eyes filled with admiration.

The Main Hall gate remained tightly closed, yet it exuded an eerie Fel Energy fluctuation. What exactly was hidden inside? Could Shen Xiaochuan lead everyone out unscathed?