72: Damaged Dao Heart

"Roar—!!!"

The Ancient Demon General burned the Origin of its demon core, and its sole remaining eye transformed into a vortex of pure, destructive blood color!

Its entire broken demonic body was like a world-ending volcano about to erupt; the terrifying energy fluctuations caused space itself to begin twisting!

It intended to use this final power to completely obliterate the bug before it, the one who destroyed its demonic eye!

"Die! Bug!" The Demon General's roar tore through the air, and the ultimate demonic light, gathering all its hatred, madness, and will for destruction, burst forth from the fiercely beating demon core deep within its shattered eye socket!

A pillar of dark red light, condensed to the extreme and seemingly capable of piercing the Nine Darknesses, carrying an aura of death that could suffocate even the Peak of the Divine Treasure Realm, instantly shot towards Lin Jingyu!

This was its ultimate kill move, burning its life and its demon core! Its power was infinitely close to the true Dharma Aspect Realm!

"A good move!" Far from showing fear, Lin Jingyu's eyes burned with the most intense Battle Intent!

The divine demon dharma idol phantom was connected to his will; facing this world-destroying strike, it did not retreat, but instead pushed all its power to the limit!

[Power of Thick Earth: Immovable as a Mountain!]

The earthy yellow divine light instantly solidified, enveloping the aspect like an eternal Divine Mountain!

"Heart Fire Burns the Heavens!"

The Heaven Burning Divine Fire surged out, blazing fiercely upon the Divine Mountain phantom, incinerating all evil!

"Chaos Heaven Opening Fist!"

On the huge fist of the divine demon dharma idol phantom, the Chaos Qi Flow surged and roared, the will to open heaven and earth condensed into a single point, carrying the conviction to smash everything, fiercely meeting the destructive demonic light!

Boom—!!!!

The fist light and the demonic light collided again!

This time, the massive sound surpassed all previous ones!

The entire Ancient Demon Palace could no longer withstand it; the massive dome was ripped open by the violent energy, creating a terrifying fissure, and countless boulders rained down!

The earth sank amidst a mournful cry! The altar was completely reduced to dust!

The dark red demonic light frantically eroded the earthy yellow Divine Mountain and the Heaven Burning Divine Fire, emitting a grating, corrosive sound!

The momentum of the Chaos Heaven Opening Fist struggled to advance through the destructive demonic light, and the Chaos Qi Flow at the edge of the fist fiercely annihilated the demonic light!

"Open—up!!!" Lin Jingyu let out an earth-shattering roar! The divine demon dharma idol phantom suddenly took a step forward! The mountain phantom formed by the Thick Earth divine light groaned under the overwhelming pressure, yet held firm!

The Heaven Burning Divine Fire incinerated the encroaching demonic evil completely!

The Fist Intent of the Chaos Heaven Opening Fist, like the Axe that Opened Heaven, forcibly cleaved a gap in the destructive demonic light!

The edge of the fist finally touched the demon core that was frantically beating inside the shattered eye socket!

"Break!"

Lin Jingyu's gaze was as cold as a ten-thousand-year-old Frigid Abyss. The five fingers of the divine demon dharma idol phantom suddenly spread open. Instead of using a fist, it used that massive palm, wrapped in Chaos Qi Flow, Thick Earth divine light, and Heaven Burning Divine Fire, to viciously grab the dark red demon core that radiated destructive fluctuations!

"Sizzle—!!!"

It was like a red-hot branding iron pressed into a block of ice!

The violent destructive energy on the demon core fiercely clashed and annihilated the power of the primordial divine magic aspect's palm!

A grating shriek echoed throughout the collapsing great hall!

The Demon General's broken body convulsed violently, letting out a desperate and unwilling howl!

"Im...pos...si...ble...!" The Demon General's final thought was filled with disbelief.

"Nothing is impossible!" Lin Jingyu roared, and the palm of the divine demon dharma idol phantom suddenly exerted force!

"Crack!"

A crisp yet soul-shattering cracking sound rang out!

That incomparably hard demon core, which contained terrifying power close to the Dharma Aspect Realm, was instantly covered in spiderweb-like cracks under the terrifying grip of the Hand of God and Demon, like a fragile walnut!

"Rumble—!!!"

The demon core exploded!

An unimaginable terrifying energy storm violently burst forth, centered on the demon core!

It instantly engulfed the Demon General's remaining body, completely vaporizing it!

The violent energy, like an unbridled angry Dragon, swept wildly in all directions!

"Not good!" In the distance, Liu Bai, who had just suppressed his injuries and was staring venomously at the battlefield, instantly turned deathly pale! The aftershock of this explosion was enough to severely wound or even kill a Divine Treasury Realm expert!

He dared not hesitate any longer, and fiercely crushed a smooth jade pendant hanging from his waist!

"Buzz!"

A brilliant Star Light Barrier instantly enveloped him!

Boom—!

The destructive torrent slammed violently against the Star Light Barrier!

"Pfft!" Liu Bai spat out a mouthful of blood, and the barrier flickered violently, letting out a mournful cry as it neared collapse!

He was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing through a collapsing wall, and tumbling miserably into the ruins outside the Ancient Demon Palace, covered in blood, his aura extremely weak.

At the center of the storm.

At the moment of the explosion, the divine demon dharma idol phantom behind Lin Jingyu crossed its arms in front of itself! The mountain rampart solidified from Thick Earth divine light erupted with unprecedented brilliance!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The devastating shockwave slammed fiercely into the mountain rampart!

The rampart vibrated violently, and the earthy yellow divine light frantically circulated, dissipating the force!

The Heaven Burning Divine Fire instantly purified the demonic evil contained within the shockwave!

The Chaos Qi Flow, like raging seas and monstrous waves, guided the violent energy impact toward the surrounding Void Realm!

The divine demon dharma idol phantom stood firm amidst the explosion's maelstrom, like a Sea Calming Needle!

"Ding! Killed an entity close to the Dharma Aspect Realm (Ancient Demon General)! Obtained evolution points: 100,000 points!"

The cold System notification was like celestial music! One hundred thousand points! An unprecedented fortune!

The violent energy storm gradually subsided.

Lin Jingyu's figure appeared in the center of the dust-filled ruins.

The divine demon dharma idol phantom behind him slowly lowered its arms. Although slightly dimmed, it still exuded the majesty of suppressing everything.

Aside from his Qi and blood churning violently, there were no obvious injuries on his muscular, tightly-knit body!

Power of Thick Earth: Immovable as a Mountain, had forcibly withstood the core impact of the demon core's self-detonation!

"Hoo..." Lin Jingyu let out a long breath, his eyes flashing brightly.

He opened his palm, and suspended within it was a strange crystal, several times smaller, about the size of a fist, entirely dark red but covered in fine golden star runes.

Although the demon core exploded, its most core Origin energy was forcibly compressed, stripped of the violent demonic evil by the great power of the Chaos Heaven Opening Art, and preserved!

This was the true essence!

"Good stuff!" Lin Jingyu could feel the vast and pure energy contained within it, far surpassing ordinary Divine Treasury Realm demons! This was definitely a great tonic recognized by the System!

His gaze, swift as lightning, swept towards Liu Bai, who was struggling to get up in the ruins outside the Ancient Demon Palace.

Liu Bai was utterly miserable at this moment.

His gorgeous star rune white robe was torn and stained with blood, his handsome face covered in dust, and blood continuously spilled from the corner of his mouth.

He held the "Star Shine" Flying Sword, whose spiritual light was dim and whose blade cracks were more pronounced. He looked at the figure in the center of the ruins, unharmed like a Demon God, watched the star rune demon core floating in his palm, and recalled his own miserable state of being blasted away by the aftershock and nearly killed... A snake-like feeling of unprecedented humiliation, resentment, jealousy, and deep fear gnawed at his heart!

He, the contemporary Chief True Disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect, Star Shine Sword Son Liu Bai, the preeminent talent among the younger generation of the Prefecture!

He was always known for his profound swordsmanship, dazzling Spells, and transcendent demeanor!

When had he ever been so miserable?

When had he ever been so thoroughly crushed by someone?

The opponent, from start to finish, only used the most savage and crude strength!

A single punch shattered the spiritual light of his Flying Sword!

A single roar broke his Star Net of Swords!

He forcefully shook the Demon General's demonic eye! Crushing the demon core with his bare hands!

Yet he could only be swept away by the battle's aftershock, like a piece of trash!

"Pfft!" Overwhelmed by anger and anxiety, Liu Bai spat out another mouthful of blood.

He felt that his pride, his Dao Heart, seemed to have been struck by that monster named Lin Jingyu and was now covered in cracks, just like the demon core!

"Lin... Jing... yu!"

Liu Bai stared intently at the figure in the ruins, his eyes filled with bone-deep venom and a hint of terror he refused to admit. His voice was hoarse, like a vengeful ghost: "The humiliation of today, I, Liu Bai, have recorded it! The Heavenly Sword Sect... will never let you go! I will kill you!"

After roaring this outwardly fierce but inwardly weak threat, Liu Bai dared not linger any longer, and fiercely crushed another life-saving jade talisman!

"Whoosh!"

A streak of starlight wrapped around his heavily injured body, instantly breaking through the churning Devilish Qi clouds above the Secret Realm, vanishing without a trace! He fled!

"Hmph, trash." Lin Jingyu looked in the direction where Liu Bai vanished and let out a disdainful cold snort.

What Heavenly Sword Sect? What 'must kill'? In his eyes, they were nothing more than evolution points.

Ignoring him, he gazed intensely at the star rune demon core in his hand, feeling the surging power within him and the massive sum of one hundred thousand evolution points that had just arrived.

"System!" His consciousness instantly communicated, "Consume all evolution points! Breakthrough Realm—Shenzang Realm, Fourth Level! Activate Lung Divine Treasure: Geng Metal Sharpness!"

[Ding! Consumed 100,000 evolution points!]

[Realm Breakthrough in progress... Shenzang Realm, Third Level → Shenzang Realm, Fourth Level!]

[Activated: Lung Divine Treasure: Geng Metal Sharpness!]

[Remaining evolution points: 0 points!]

Boom—!!!

"Strength! Defense! Attack penetration! Complete qualitative change! Strength is approaching the three hundred million jin mark!"

"Good! Geng Metal Sharpness! Nothing is indestructible!" Lin Jingyu clenched his fist, feeling the newly added sharp power within him, enough to tear through anything, feeling immensely satisfied!

He looked up at the Ancient Demon Palace, which had been blown to pieces by the Demon General's self-detonation, revealing a blood-colored firmament. This place no longer held any value.

"Time to leave." Lin Jingyu's figure flickered.

"Shrinking the Ground to an Inch!"

Space folded beneath his feet. With a single step, he appeared on top of the Ancient Demon Palace's shattered dome.

He took a final look at the core of the Secret Realm, which had been reduced to ruins, and cast his gaze toward the distant exit where Devilish Qi churned. His figure vanished again.

Deep within the ruins of the Ancient Demon Palace, an inconspicuous black stone tablet was partially exposed by the impact of the Demon General's self-detonation.

On the stone tablet, an ancient carving of the character "Xu" emitted a faint, almost imperceptible ghostly light.