Fate-Defying Demon Emperor

The Demon Slayer Sect had attempted to assassinate Su Han numerous times and had also pursued Tongyan, making them a mutual enemy.

Previously, in the Dense Fog Valley, Li Wuxie and Bai Qiushui had already perished. However, the Demon Slayer Sect had seven Stars of Assassination in total, and Li Wuxie and Bai Qiushui were merely the weakest among them.

Three of the Demon Slayer Sect’s Stars of Assassination now appeared before Su Han and Tongyan. All of them possessed considerable strength.

The group consisted of two men and one woman. The two men—one tall and one short—had particularly distinct appearances.

The taller man was the strongest of the trio, at the Heavenly King Realm Third Layer. He stood at an imposing 1.9 meters, but despite his stature, he was not burly. Instead, he was gaunt, like a bamboo pole. His eyes were deeply sunken and his lips were thin. He exuded a chilling aura, like one of the Black and White Impermanence sent to claim lives and reap souls.

The shorter man also boasted the strength of the Heavenly King Realm First Layer. He stood merely 1.5 meters tall, which made him look even shorter next to his companion. He wore a brocade robe over a somewhat portly figure and had two small mustaches. His eyes were bright and constantly darted about, making him seem as vigilant and cunning as a thieving rat.

The appearances of the two men were hardly flattering. The woman, by contrast, possessed considerable beauty, though she was not stunning enough to cause the downfall of cities. She had an indifferent expression and wore a waist-cinching gown. Her dark hair was naturally curly, giving it a somewhat fluffy look.

This woman was also at the Heavenly King Realm First Layer, but she possessed a Special Physique.

Moon Rabbit Spiritual Body!

Su Han quickly identified the woman’s Special Physique. The Moon Rabbit Spiritual Body ranked just over two thousand on the list of Special Physiques. While not a high rank, it was still a Special Physique, and once fully developed, it would be incredibly powerful.

The Dragon Palace Ruins had gathered the prodigies of both the Eastern Region and the East Sea, so the odds of encountering someone with a Special Physique were much higher here than in the outside world. The Demon Slayer Sect was a power no less formidable than the Holy Lands, so it was not unusual for its own prodigies to possess Special Physiques.

”Soul Hook, Huang Shu, and Du Yuemei!”

Although Su Han could not identify the three individuals, Tongyan was more informed and recognized them at a glance. All three were Stars of Assassination from the Demon Slayer Sect. Their strength was somewhat superior to that of Li Wuxie and Bai Qiushui, but they were not the first or second-ranked stars.

Su Han observed them with his Nine Heavens Eye while Tongyan used her Qi Observation Technique. Since both of their methods were unique, the distant trio led by Soul Hook did not detect their presence. The three moved as one, seemingly heading toward a specific destination.

Tongyan’s beautiful eyes glinted with cold, murderous intent. ”Since we’ve run into them, we can’t let them get away. Let’s go see what they’re up to.” She was no delicate damsel; having been hunted, she naturally sought revenge.

Su Han nodded in agreement. He also had an irreconcilable feud with the Demon Slayer Sect. Now that he had encountered these three, he couldn’t let them go, otherwise they might hunt him down again in the future.

Su Han and Tongyan used the Art of Concealment to follow from afar, maintaining a safe distance to avoid detection.

The trio had not noticed they were being followed. They too were masters of concealment and naturally had their own counter-surveillance measures. Unfortunately for them, the Nine Heavens Eye and the Qi Observation Technique were far beyond anything they could detect.

The three continued onward with a clear destination in mind, finally arriving at a rather secluded valley.

This valley was surrounded by mountains on all sides. It was not very large and was quite barren, with little vegetation, to say nothing of treasures like the Dragon Blood Herb. Furthermore, it was filled with billowing black smoke and an unsettling, baleful aura that would make anyone recoil. A valley like this was clearly a place of great danger that any ordinary person would avoid, yet Soul Hook’s trio headed straight for it.

Looking at the black smoke billowing from the valley, Su Han frowned in thought. This black smoke... it’s familiar!

His pupils constricted as he recalled why the black smoke felt familiar. He had once encountered a black qi wind blade that had the exact same aura. The black qi wind blade had been extremely formidable, injuring even him. If anyone else had encountered it, they would have been gravely wounded, if not killed. The black smoke in this valley was now rolling like a thick tide. To step inside would almost certainly be fatal.

Why would Soul Hook’s trio come to such a dangerous place? Though filled with doubt, Su Han said nothing and continued to follow closely with Tongyan.

Tongyan had also been observing the valley. After a moment, she whispered her conclusion, ”This black smoke... it seems to be the legendary Dragon Fiend Qi!”

Su Han was puzzled. Dragon Fiend Qi?

”The so-called Dragon Fiend Qi is the Evil Energy emitted by a True Dragon, or possibly the result of Dragon’s Might merging with the Evil Qi of the earth over long ages,” Tongyan explained. ”Ordinary Evil Qi is already quite fearsome. The power of Dragon Fiend Qi is even stronger, and it’s deadly upon mere contact for common folk.”

The black qi wind blade he had encountered before was formed from condensed Dragon Fiend Qi, and the rolling black smoke in this valley was the same. Since Dragon Fiend Qi was so horrifying, Soul Hook’s trio must have had a special reason for coming here.

ROAR!

Although this was a treacherous place, it was not devoid of Dragon Qi Demon Beasts. After all, they were formed from Dragon Qi, so this Dragon Fiend Qi was actually somewhat beneficial to them. Right now, there were five Dragon Qi Demon Beasts in the valley, all at the Heavenly King Realm and immensely powerful.

However, Soul Hook’s trio had come prepared. They joined forces and struck swiftly, slaying the Dragon Qi Demon Beasts one by one until the area was clear.

”Huang Shu, scout the surroundings. Don’t let anyone get close!”

The leader, Soul Hook, gave Huang Shu the order. Although Huang Shu didn’t have a Special Physique, he possessed a unique bloodline and exceptionally keen senses that could detect movement from a great distance.

Su Han and Tongyan held their breath, completely concealing their auras so that Huang Shu would not detect them.

After instructing Huang Shu, Soul Hook and Du Yuemei began to work together. As they chanted incantations, their auras surged and permeated the entire valley.

Formation Patterns began to manifest throughout the area. It turned out a Great Formation had been laid within the valley. It emitted an ancient aura, indicating it had not been set up recently. With the appearance of the Formation Patterns, the whole valley became even more mysterious.

”Material Wealth Heavenly Treasure Formation, arise!”

Soul Hook and Du Yuemei joined forces, fully activating the Great Formation. The rolling black smoke was suddenly drawn together as if seized by an invisible, giant hand.

WHOOSH!

The black smoke continued to condense, eventually transforming into a three-meter-long banner.

A dragon’s cry, filled with malevolence and rage, suddenly erupted from the banner. The sound was earth-shattering, comparable to the decree of a saint.

It’s a Holy Artifact!